Ravaged Land: Divided Series - A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller Books 1-3 Read online

  Our eyes met for a moment. It looked like he wished he could take everything back.

  I forced my eyes closed, hoping morning would come soon.

  Chapter 5

  When my eyes popped open, it wasn’t morning. The entire sky was colored a beautiful shade of dark blue, and every star in the sky was visible. There was a yellowish hue to the moon that sparkled in the snow like glitter.

  The spot we had found was at the top of a small hill with a few sad trees behind us. We could see for miles in most directions, except for where the trees blocked the way. Hopefully, that meant the trees would provide us some coverage to keep us hidden should an enemy approach, but probably they wouldn’t. They likely weren’t thick enough to help hide us in any significant way.

  I couldn’t have been asleep for long considering Shawn was still on watch when I opened my eyes. Logan, Ryder, and Charlie all appeared to be asleep.

  My body was beyond exhausted, but for some reason, my mind felt totally awake. I sat up and leaned forward, holding my chilled hands out toward the dwindling fire.

  “Throw another branch on it,” Shawn whispered from where he was sitting away from the fire.

  I looked over at the small selection of wood that Logan had gathered before he’d gone to sleep. The fire snapped and cracked like a wild animal when I tossed in a branch.

  “Everything OK?” Shawn asked his voice was low and his eyes narrowed.

  I glanced back at the others to make sure my movements hadn’t woken them and made my way over to Shawn.

  “I can’t sleep,” I said standing back about a foot from where he was sitting.

  The empty land he was facing looked spectacular with the big, bright moon hanging over the glittering field. The moon looked so large it seemed as though we could reach out and touch it.

  “Wow. Beautiful night,” I said surprised I was able to appreciate it.

  “Yeah, I’m hoping it’s a sign.”

  “What kind of sign?”

  Shawn looked up at me, the moonlight reflecting in his perfect eyes. “For better things to come.”

  “We can only hope,” I said with a shiver. “It’s still quite chilly though.”

  “Sit with me?”

  I glanced over my shoulder toward my blanket spread out over the snow. I probably would have been better off trying to get some sleep, but instead, I lowered myself to the ground next to Shawn.

  “It’s so cold over here. I don’t know how you can stand it.” I said wrapping my arms around my knees. “If you want to get some sleep, I’m up now… I don’t mind keeping watch.”

  “Nah, I’m not tired. I’d rather sit here with you,” Shawn said, his eyes glued to mine.

  I swallowed down hard hoping it might settle down the butterflies that started flapping their wings inside of my stomach. As long as I avoided looking into his eyes, my mind wouldn’t wander. His eyes were just as magical as the twinkling stars above. They were the same glowing blue with the same sparkle only they were much closer.

  “Of course you’re tired. We’re all exhausted. There’s no way you couldn’t be,” I said.

  “Are you trying to get rid of me?”

  I turned toward him without thinking and latched onto his sparkling eyes. Dammit.

  “No, of course not. It’s just that I want to get in a lot of travel time tomorrow and that means you need your rest.”

  “So do you then.” Shawn leaned closer, his warm breath brushed across my cheek.

  I glanced over at Ryder. His eyes were closed, and his body rose and fell with each slow inhale and exhale.

  “I heard what he said to you,” Shawn said, reaching down to twist at the laces on his boots. Had Ryder and I really been discussing things that loudly? “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s fine,” I said keeping my answer short. I didn’t want to get into a conversation about Ryder.

  “He’s making a mistake.”

  I narrowed my eyes but kept them focused on the moon. “What do you mean by that?”

  “I mean that if I had someone like you, well, I wouldn’t stop fighting for her.”

  My heart pounded. What was he doing? I hadn’t even processed my conversation with Ryder enough to be having this talk with Shawn.

  “They’ve known each other like their whole lives. She’s like a sister to him,” I said keeping my voice low.

  Someone stirred near the fire, and we both froze. I turned back, but no one was moving.

  Shawn shook his head. “A sister would be more understanding. She wouldn’t want to get in the way.”

  “I don’t know how much you heard, but there is really too much going on around us to even worry about stuff liked that,” I said, tapping the tips of my boots together, watching the bits of clumped up snow fall onto the ground.

  “Do you really believe that?” Shawn asked with a chuckle.

  “I do.” I twisted my neck sharply to meet his eyes. “We need to stay focused.”

  He looked away shaking his head. “I don’t think of it that way. I saw enough people not caring about each other. Now is the time to start caring. Especially when there are people around to actually care about.”

  “I still care about him. And Charlie too even though she makes it difficult and doesn’t give a damn about me. But really, why should she?”

  “That’s just it. That’s why you’re different. Because you do care. That’s how we change the world into something we can all live in.”

  It was my turn to chuckle. “We won’t be changing the world. At least I won’t be. I’ll be doing whatever I can to hide from the world.”

  “We’ll see about that.” Shawn nudged me so he could be sure I saw his gorgeous, knee-weakening smile.

  He stared into my eyes. His smile slowly faded into something else. The desire bubbling in his eyes made my pulse race, and my body warm even though I wasn’t close to the fire.

  Shawn leaned closer. His eyes shifted down to my lips. He inched closer and closer, making my heart beat faster and faster.

  A wolf howled in the distance, and I pulled back. It felt as though I’d been in a trance. I drew in a deep breath. Instead of looking hurt by my sudden retreat, Shawn grinned at me.

  “I’m sorry,” I said twisting my fingers together. My heart was pounding so hard I was sure he could see it banging against my chest. I stood abruptly and took a step back so I could take in another breath of air. “Um, you’re right. I should probably get some rest.”

  “Aw, don’t go away. I didn’t mean to… I don’t know what happened. I’m sorry.” He reached out toward my pants leg.

  I took a quick step to the side. “Thanks for the chat.”

  “Emery, wait,” Shawn said, but I was already far enough away that I could pretend I hadn’t heard him.

  I laid back down, unable to slow the fiery surge of heat that was coursing through my veins. There was no denying the attraction I had to Shawn, and I was certain he knew it.

  My eyes settled on Ryder. He didn’t have a clue about what had just happened. He was asleep. Logan too.

  I glanced at Charlie, and even though she looked as though she was asleep, I was almost positive I’d seen a slight twitch at the corner of her eye. She couldn’t have seen. She couldn’t have heard anything either. Even if she had, so what? She’d already taken Ryder away from me, what more could she possibly want? She’d already won.

  Maybe I should have pulled away sooner. It wasn’t like Ryder, and I had ever been anything officially. And what did it matter? Whatever it was that had been between us was done.

  I squeezed my eyes shut. What I needed to do, was focus on my plan. Find somewhere safe. Somewhere warm so that I could plant my seeds and start my garden. My goal was to build a safe life for myself.

  When I opened my eyes again, it was morning. I stretched my arms over my head. Charlie was shivering near the fire that was almost completely out. Ryder and Logan were standing several feet away looking as though they were intensely discussing somet
hing.

  My eyes darted around, looking in every direction. I felt the moisture leave my mouth making it hard to swallow. I stood and turned in a quick circle.

  Shawn was gone.

  Chapter 6

  Charlie looked up at me, and it seemed as though she could tell by my expression that I was freaking out. But why wasn’t she panicking? Why didn't Ryder and Logan seem concerned? Hadn’t they realized Shawn was missing? They probably didn’t care.

  He probably left because of how I responded to him. I should have just talked to him instead of walking away. My eyes started scanning the ground… if I could find his tracks I could go after him.

  “What’s wrong?” Charlie asked. “Lose something?”

  I glared at her. Was she trying to be funny? I drew in a deep breath fighting off the panic that was threatening to rip me in two.

  It wasn’t like I had wanted him to leave. I shouldn’t have just walked away from him. I should have explained. He would have understood. The day had just been so emotional.

  “Shawn,” I mumbled breathlessly. Logan and Ryder both looked at me and then at the noise coming through the trees.

  It was Shawn. His eyes were wide, and he was breathing heavily.

  “They’re coming. We have to get out of here and fast,” he said grabbing my arm and then my backpack.

  “My blanket,” I said pulling myself out of his grip.

  “Seriously there’s no time, we have to go.” Shawn grabbed the blanket from me and stuffed it into my pack. He looked at Charlie over his shoulder. “Get up!”

  Ryder and Logan were staring in the direction Shawn had come from. I could tell they didn't see what Shawn had.

  “How far?” Ryder asked.

  “Not sure. If I had to guess, less than two miles,” Shawn said.

  “They’ll catch up! They’ll see someone’s been here,” Charlie screeched.

  Shawn nodded. “That’s why I’m trying to get us out of here.”

  “Where were you?” I asked as if it mattered. The feeling of Shawn having left us was still shaking my insides.

  “Checking the area. Then I saw them in the distance,” Shawn said.

  “I thought you left,” I said as he pulled me along.

  He narrowed his eyes and looked at me for a split second. “Why would I do that? I wouldn’t ever do that.”

  Shawn stopped, and we all stared at him. His head jerked sharply to the side.

  “There’s no time,” Shawn said. “We have to hide.”

  “Where are we going to hide,” Logan said throwing his hands up at his sides.

  “Wait here,” Shawn said shoving my backpack into my arms.

  I turned to Logan and Ryder. “Is he serious? He can’t be serious.”

  Shawn ran back through the trees taking the same path he’d just come from.

  “We’re wasting valuable escaping time here,” Charlie said shifting her weight back and forth.

  After a few minutes, Shawn reemerged. He took a second to catch his breath.

  “We’re going to hide behind those trees—”

  “The dead trees that won’t hide us at all?” Charlie asked.

  “Yes, those trees. We’re up on a hill, they appear changing their direction slightly,” Shawn said. “If I’m right about this, they won’t see us up here.”

  I swallowed hard. “And if you’re wrong?”

  “Nothing good will happen if I’m wrong,” Shawn said flashing us all a nervous smile. “But I don’t think I’m going to be wrong. Follow me.”

  We followed him. He pointed to a tree, and Ryder and Charlie stood behind it. Logan stepped behind another, and me and Shawn behind a third. It wasn’t long before the people Shawn had spotted to come into view.

  Shawn was right. They weren’t coming our way. It seemed as if they knew where they were going, and we were just lucky that it hadn’t been up the hill.

  “Maybe they know about the signs,” I whispered.

  “Maybe,” Shawn said, putting his arm around me so that he could move me closer to the tree.

  The group below was walking in a straight, single file line. Most of them weren’t dressed for the weather. They wore thin clothing that hung off of their bodies like rags. There were men on either side of the line, some with whips and others with long pointed spears.

  “Who are they?” I asked. They weren’t marked up like The Evolved or the renegades, and they weren’t dressed anything like the natives we’d seen in the north.

  “I think natives,” Shawn whispered.

  I glanced over at Ryder, and he nodded. The worry in his eyes was unmistakable.

  One of the women walking in the line tripped over something and fell into the snow. The man with the whip near her didn’t even give her a chance to get up before he cracked the whip into her back.

  I heard Charlie’s jacket rustle and turned to see Ryder holding her in place. She looked as though she wanted to bolt.

  The woman cried out in pain. She covered her mouth as if to hide her emotion and got back into line. She dropped her hands to the side, and her face hardened acting as if nothing had happened.

  The line of people seemed to go by for several minutes before I could see the end of the line. I covered my mouth and lowered my gaze when I saw the children bringing up the rear of their people train.

  They were young. Fifteen children that looked like they were anywhere between six and twelve years old. The men with the whips and spears walked with them just as they did for the adults.

  My hand shook as I reached for my gun. Shawn placed his hand over mine at the back of my hip. Our eyes locked.

  I wanted to save those poor children, but there wasn’t anything I could do. Deep down I knew it, but that didn’t change my desire to want to do something about it. We were outnumbered.

  “We can’t,” Shawn said with a far away look in his eyes. Maybe he was thinking back to the poor girls he hadn’t been able to save. “We wouldn’t survive.”

  “I know,” I said, letting my hand fall away from my hip. Helplessness rolled through my body like a massive tidal wave.

  Shawn placed his hand on my shoulder, but it didn’t provide any comfort. It was torture to sit back and do nothing to help them.

  “Maybe one day we can find a way,” Shawn murmured. “Maybe one day.”

  But I knew better. That day wouldn’t ever come. It was more likely the day would come where we were all walking in a single file line just like the people down the hill. Just like the children.

  We stayed behind the trees for quite some time after we couldn’t see the people anymore. It was so quiet the only things we could hear was the occasional crack of a tree branch above us sounding as though it was about to fall and our breathing.

  “I think the native problem might be bigger than Jacob had realized,” Ryder said attempting to keep his voice quiet.

  Logan nodded.

  “While the renegades hide, The Evolved and the natives continue to grow,” Ryder said shaking his head. “I wish I could tell Jacob.”

  “There are more renegades out there too,” Charlie said.

  “Not like that. We had no children in our camp. The renegades are dying out,” Ryder said rubbing his elbow. “Maybe it’s good we got out while we did.”

  Charlie crossed her arms and shook her head. “I’m sure that’s not true.”

  “You’re kidding yourself. You saw the group of natives down there, right?” Ryder pointed at the trail they’d left behind in the snow. “There were far more down there than in Jacob’s group, and that was just one group.”

  “That doesn’t mean anything,” Charlie said with a frown.

  “Maybe there are fewer in the north. We only know the small area we occupied.” Ryder ran his hand through his hair and turned to Shawn. “Was your group of The Evolved bigger than that one?”

  Shawn shrugged. “Roughly the same I think.”

  “Children?” Ryder asked.

  “Not many,” Shawn repl
ied. “But some. To think there was a time when The Evolved had it all. There were no renegades and no natives.”

  Shawn looked at me, and I knew he wasn’t considering me a true native. They hadn’t realized there were people out there like my parents hiding away from everything.

  “The Evolved still believe they are the biggest.” Shawn looked out at the horizon. “They know where all The Evolved bases are. If they wanted to, they could travel back and forth. It’s all mapped out.”

  The Evolved must have known roughly what their numbers were, and they probably at some point, when the renegades split must have roughly known their numbers as well. They would have known they were bigger. What neither of them would know was how many were never part of their organization. People like my parents. Or how many had left the renegades to join the natives. Not to mention the fact that it seemed as though the natives continued to reproduce over the years where the others hadn’t.

  “The Evolved know their numbers,” Shawn said with a heavy sigh.

  “Do you think the renegades are in trouble?” Ryder asked looking into Shawn’s eyes.

  Shawn looked as though he didn’t want to answer. “I don’t know how many of you there are out there. That wasn’t information I was ever given.”

  “But what do you think?” Ryder prompted.

  Shawn pressed his lips together. The muscles in his neck tightened. “I think the renegades are in serious trouble.”

  Ryder hit his thigh with his fist. It looked like he was considering going back to Jacob.

  “We should go back,” Charlie said grabbing his sleeve. “Warn him.”

  Ryder looked into her eyes. I could tell he was weighing his options.

  “Ryder,” Logan said placing his hand on Ryder’s shoulder as if to hold him in place. “We can’t go back.”

  “Of course we can! Those are our people back there!” Charlie said turning to Logan. “If our people are really in any kind of trouble, we have to do what we can. Help them somehow.”