“I’m sorry, but you seem so hard. It’s like you won’t let me in.”
I threw my hand in the air in frustration. “Really?”
He was right. I didn’t, but I didn’t let anyone in. This shell around me was necessary. One hundred percent necessary, and he was just going to have to live with the fact that it was going to be there.
“It’ll be better when we find a place. I know it will,” I said, wishing I could say the right thing… the thing that would make him stop looking at me with his puppy dog eyes.
“What will stop her from running once we find our place?” Ryder asked.
I exhaled slowly. “Nothing I guess.” I looked around the area. “We should get back inside.”
I hated feeling like I was brushing him off. He didn’t bother to hide the hurt in his eyes. Maybe I shouldn’t have allowed myself to get as close as I had. Losing my parents had hurt like hell. Getting close to others was the last thing I wanted. Feeling that pain again… I don’t know if I could survive it.
I stepped toward the church, but Ryder pulled me back. My body spun, and I slammed into his chest. My heart raced as I looked up into his sad eyes.
Ryder didn’t say anything. He pressed his lips to mine pouring everything into his kiss. It was filled with so much passion that it rattled my bones. I felt everything he felt for me in a quick electric shock. Then he let go and walked away.
My knees were weak.
I was dizzy.
Disoriented.
What had just happened?
I wanted more.
Ryder cleared his throat without turning around. “Coming?”
Chapter 2
We’d packed our things, but all of us lingered in the doorway as if waiting for something to go wrong. Something like a snowflake. But the sun was already on the rise, and the day was definitely the warmest I’d felt in a long time.
Of course, just because it was warm, didn’t mean it would stay that way. Maybe it just meant there was another snowstorm waiting in the wings. Perhaps the one coming would be bigger and more ferocious than the last. Maybe it would be the one that would end everything.
“OK.” Ryder let out a deep breath and pasted a smile on his face. “Here we go.”
I stepped around Shawn, then around Ryder when neither of them moved. My boot sunk down in the wet snow.
“Yeah. OK. Let’s go,” I said waving them along.
“Wait!” Ryder said. He took a step forward and squinted out toward the horizon. “Get back inside.”
“What is it?” Charlie said her voice soft.
I noticed the black spot in the distance bobbing side to side with each step. If we could see them that meant they could probably see us too. Logan grabbed Charlie and guided her inside, the rest of us followed close behind.
“Shit,” Ryder said locking the door.
“They were alone.” I let out a quick breath.
“What should we do?” Charlie whispered.
Ryder held up his hand and stared at the door. “Emery’s right. They were alone, which means, we can take them down if we need to.”
“But maybe we won’t need to,” I added.
“It's possible they didn’t see us,” Shawn said rubbing his hands together. He almost looked as though he was ready for a fight. At least one where we had the upper-hand. “Can you see them? Are they still coming?”
Ryder raised himself onto the balls of his feet trying to see out of the small window at the top of the door. He lowered himself and let out a breath.
“Still coming,” he said waving toward the back of the church. “Go back. Hide under the pews.”
For a second it looked like Charlie was going to protest, but then she turned and walked to the front of the church. She lowered herself down to the floor. All of her body was hidden under the bench except for her wide eyes.
“You too,” Ryder said nudging me.
I shook my head and patted my hip. “I’m the one with the gun. You hide.”
He raised an eyebrow as he twirled what was once Charlie’s club. Shawn groaned and turned around the corner, getting himself out of sight.
Logan stood there with his hands in his pockets staring at the door. “Don’t even fucking try to tell me what to do. I still have my knife,” Logan said. Ryder cocked his head to the side, and Logan groaned. “Fine.”
He walked to the side hiding in what appeared to have once been a place to hang coats.
“Stand over there,” Ryder said gesturing toward the other side of the door.
I pressed my back against the wall and pulled out my gun. My eyes were glued to Ryder, trying to watch for any slight change in his expression.
“It’s a woman,” Ryder said, lowering himself down again. He took a breath and swallowed. “She’s coming straight toward the building.”
I nodded, as I tightened my grip.
“She’s carrying something,” Ryder said.
Minutes passed without an update. My palms felt warm as I anxiously waited. Ryder seemed to be more interested in listening than peering out of the window above his head.
“How far away is she?” I asked, my voice softer than a whisper.
“Not far,” Ryder said taking a quick peek. He backed away from the window and kept his body close to the wall.
The inside of the church was absolutely silent. If a drop of water would have fallen from the crack in the ceiling, there was no doubt in my mind we would have heard it hit the floor.
I listened for the person outside to approach through the wall. Just as I was about to nudge Ryder to take another look, it happened.
I could hear her moving just outside the door. She didn’t knock, and she didn't enter, but I could hear her moving close to the building.
After a few seconds, she starting pounding something into the side of the wall. It last only a minute or so before it stopped, and it was silent again. Moments later, I could hear her walking away.
Ryder waited several minutes before he slowly raised up to peek out of the window. He confirmed what I had already suspected. “She’s leaving.”
We stayed inside until she was completely out of sight before going outside to check what the pounding had been about. Ryder opened the door slowly as though he expected some kind of ambush, but there wasn’t a soul in sight.
I followed him out of the church, aiming my gun and smoothly shifting from one direction to the next. I took a quick look over my shoulder to see Ryder staring at a piece of wood that had been nailed to the wall.
“What is it?” I asked not wanting to look away from our surroundings for more than a few seconds.
“It’s a sign,” Shawn said.
I glanced back, narrowing my eyes at the wood, but I couldn’t read what it said in the short time I allowed myself to look. “What does it say?”
“All it says is ‘in need of help’ followed by a question mark and an arrow,” Ryder said.
“An arrow?” I asked lowering my gun, satisfied no one was around. I turned to look at the sign, and my heart sank into my stomach.
The arrow was pointing in the direction we were headed. I lowered my head and let out a heavy sigh.
“The south is big,” Logan said as he shifted his weight.
“I know,” I said, but unfortunately size didn’t stop me from questioning my plan. Maybe there really wasn’t anywhere we could go. I swallowed hard and tucked my gun into my waistband.
Ryder looked into my eyes. “You still want to keep going right?”
It wasn’t like we had a choice. We couldn’t turn back. I rubbed my temple with my fingertip.
“Of course,” I said pushing my shoulders back. “We just have to be careful, but that’s been the case all along. Nothing has changed.”
“What do you think it could be about?” Charlie asked, tracing her finger over the painted letters.
Logan practically sneered at the sign. “It can’t be anything good.”
“Maybe it’s more renegades… we k
now there are others out there,” Charlie said with a far away look in her eyes. “Did she look like she could have been a renegade?”
Ryder shrugged.
“Thought we were trying to get somewhere safe?” Shawn said raising his eyebrow.
Ryder turned and glared at him. “Renegades are safe.”
“Not for me,” Shawn said pointing his thumb at the markings on his neck.
“It’s not like you can go waltzing into one of The Evolved’s camp either,” Ryder countered.
Shawn pointed at him. “You’re right about that. And more importantly, I don’t want to. But that doesn’t mean I have any desire to waltz into a renegade camp either.”
“I doubt the natives would bother with signs,” Logan said, easing Charlie away from the sign that seemed to be mesmerizing her.
“Unless it's a trap of some kind,” Shawn suggested.
“It doesn’t matter who it is,” I said waving for them to follow. I knew which way was south, but I was veering slightly. We were going to head a bit more southeasterly, just in case there was something we needed to avoid. “What matters is making some progress before the next storm rolls in.”
Shawn walked over to me, looking eager to get moving. Ryder, Charlie, and Logan, however, appeared a bit more apprehensive.
“Coming?” I asked, raising my eyebrow. If they were getting sick of traveling, they could go back to their underground home. I’d never once forced them to follow, but if they were coming, I wanted them to move.
“Yeah, of course,” Ryder said catching up to us. He looked at me and then at Shawn. “Just a bit nervous about what that’s all about.”
“I don’t plan on finding out,” I said forcing a smile.
The second Logan and Charlie started moving their feet, I turned around and trudged forward. I’d gotten enough rest that I was ready to go. The sun was already warm and seemed to be getting warmer by the minute. I felt rejuvenated even if I was wary about my plans of heading south.
We’d walked for several miles, and though we’d been trying to avoid the signs, it wasn’t long before we came upon another.
“Shit,” Ryder said.
The sign looked nearly identical to the one that had been nailed to the church.
“On the bright side, it’s pointing a bit off from the way we’re headed,” Shawn said gesturing to the side.
After the second one, I tried not to worry, but once we’d come across the fourth, it hit me hard. I was beyond being concerned.
We couldn’t go back. It wasn’t an option. We could head east, or west, but I had no idea why that would be any better.
My mom had said south. Find warmth. A place to plant my seeds. Rebuild. Survive. But when she told me that she didn’t know what the world was like. She didn’t know what was waiting outside our little sanctuary.
My mom didn’t know there wasn’t anywhere I could go that was safe. I squeezed my eyes tightly together for several seconds to push away my memories of her. My mind needed to stay clear. I needed to stay focused.
I chewed at my fingernail but kept leading us forward. Ryder seemed to notice the change in my pace, but he kept it to himself.
“Looks like that might be some city ruins up ahead. Should we check them out or go around?” Shawn asked.
There were a few buildings still standing. A large concrete structure of some kind looked as though it was slowly crumbling into nothing.
The signs had pointed away from the city. Maybe it would be OK to take a quick check for anything that might be of use.
Our food supplies were running low, and I didn’t know the next time we’d run into a wolf. I let out a slow breath and glanced at Ryder. He stared back waiting for my call.
Sure. OK. I knew he’d support my decision, but it seemed the further south we went the more indecisive I became.
“A quick check for food,” I said swallowing down the sour taste at the back of my throat. I was tempted to stop for a drink, but it was smarter to just do a quick check, and put distance between us and the city.
“Sounds good,” Ryder said with a nod.
The remaining structures blocked our view of the horizon. We could see most everything, but there were several places one could be hiding, which of course made me nervous.
My foot stepped down into a patch of slushy snow that gathered around my boot. The sun was definitely warming the ground.
We made our way through the city stopping to look inside the remaining buildings. Each one of them was coated in grime, a few even had snow that had drifted inside or come in through a hole in the roof. They’d all been cleaned out of anything useful a long time ago. Any traces that anyone had been inside had been covered.
We were closing in on the last building, and I was considering whether or not we should even bother with it when a girl stepped out from inside. There girl and I were face to face, staring at one another with the exact same wide-eyed surprised expression.
I didn’t miss the unmistakable tattoo on her neck that curled up around the front of her ear. The girl looked over my shoulder and let out a scream before turning to go back inside.
Chapter 3
Logan took two massive steps forward and grabbed the back of her jacket before she could get away. He held her so tightly the tips of her boots were scraping at the ground as she tried to regain her footing.
“Let me go!” she said through her teeth. She didn’t look all that frightened, it looked more like she wanted to bite him… in the face.
Logan flashed her a smile that seemed to only infuriate her more. “Now,” Logan said raising an eyebrow, “why would I go and do something like that?”
“You stupid pansy-ass renegades think you’re so tough. You won’t do shit to me. You’ll let me go sooner or later,” she said trying to look smug, but failing to do so. Maybe if she hadn’t been held up in the air dangling like a scarecrow in the breeze, it would have worked a little better.
Her eyes shifted over toward me. She studied me before her eyes moved over to Shawn. He quickly turned his head away.
“Wait,” she said narrowing her eyes at Shawn, and then back at me. “What is this shit?”
“Who are you?” Ryder asked ignoring her question. He nodded slightly at Logan. Logan sighed and reluctantly lowered her to the ground.
The girl jerked to get away, but Logan adjusted his grip and yanked her back. He set his face inches from her face and grunted.
“You’ll go when I let you go,” Logan said.
She didn’t look away from him. The girl had no fear or at least pretended she didn’t. “Oh, please. Where did you find this ape anyway?”
“Who are you?” Ryder asked taking a step closer. He twirled the club in his hands, doing his best to make sure saw it.
Her eyes shifted away from Logan. I watched as her small Adam’s apple bobbed as she swallowed.
“I know you’ll let me go,” she said fixing her gaze on Ryder.
“We’ll see,” Ryder said widening his stance.
The girl let out a heavy breath that blew several strands of her stringy hair away from her face. “My name is Terah, and I’m willing to bet you’ve noticed the markings.”
“I have,” Ryder said. “What are you doing out here?”
“Trying to survive,” Terah said, crossing her arms.
Logan and Ryder exchanged a quick glance, and Logan grabbed her tighter. He set his mouth inches from her ear. “I think he wants you to be more specific.”
She closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, I noticed a small amount of fear had managed to seep into them. Her fingers trembled as she pointed at Shawn. “I’m like him.”
“You don’t say,” Logan quipped.
She looked at Logan out of the corner of her eyes before focusing them on Shawn again. “I meant someone that, um, got away.”
Shawn looked at her. “Where were you from?”
“Out west. You?” she asked.
“North.”
Sh
e chewed her lip for a second. “Aw, what the hell. Was your base attacked too?”
“Attacked? No. At least not that I’m aware of,” Shawn said.
“Oh.” Terah scratched the side of her head. It looked as though she wished she could take back her words, but then she shook her head slightly and furrowed her brow. “I suppose it doesn’t matter if you know. Not like I can get in trouble for talking. The natives wiped out our entire camp. I think only a couple of us got away, but I did something stupid and broke free of the other two I escaped with to go out on my own.”
Shawn’s head bobbed up and down. “There are plenty of other bases out there that will let you in. However, I recommend you pass on the one in the north.”
“Hmm, good to know. Thanks for the warning, but I have no intentions of joining back up with The Evolved.” Terah looked around nervously as though she was afraid someone might have heard her.
“Do you know what these signs are about?” Ryder asked, nodding at Logan, who readjusted his grip to encourage her to start talking.
Terah shook her head. “I’ve seen them around. They’re all over the area, but no idea what they are about.”
“You’re sure about that?” Logan asked.
Terah ignored him. “I still don’t get how you are all together. Like how did that happen? Shouldn’t you be at one another’s throats?”
“It’s not your concern,” Ryder said.
“Well, OK, whatever then. It’s just really peculiar. You already know that thought right? You must. Right?”
Ryder shifted his weight. It was his turn to ignore her.
Terah took a step in my direction, and Ryder stepped to the side. Logan yanked her back while she kept her eyes on me. “You’re particularly interesting. You don’t have that crazy look in your eyes that the other natives do. You know that look that says they’ve been to hell and back and seem quite happy about it. You just look… well, kind of sad.”
My jaw tensed. I pressed my lips together not knowing what to say.
“So, what are we going to do with her?” Logan asked.
“Check her. She what she’s carrying,” Ryder said.
Terah’s eyebrows squeezed together forming a perfect line. “You’re going to take my stuff?”
Ravaged Land: Divided Series - A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller Books 1-3 Page 16
