“I know, darling,” Linda squeezed Chase’s hand in her own before moving her hand to his cheek. “I know you’ve been through a lot too. We should talk about it, just, maybe not all at once, okay? Like you said, the most important thing to me is having the two of you back safe and sound. I can’t imagine what it was like for you both out there, but so long as you’re both okay, that’s good enough for me.”
“Okay,” Chase smiled. “I’m sorry.”
“Stop saying that,” Linda smiled. “You have nothing to apologize for. I love you, Chase, and I’m so happy that you’re okay.”
“Me too,” Chase returned the smile. “Are you okay though? Has it been hard with Pop? How long has he been like this?”
Linda let out a slow breath. “Mm, there’s a lot to catch you two up on from here as well. It’s not been easy.”
Chase pursed his lips, feeling disappointed in himself once again over how selfish he had been in returning home. He reminded himself that just because he was back at the farmhouse and just because he wanted to feel looked after for once, didn’t mean he could be. There was still a lot of work to be done and he still had to make sure that not only Riley, but his grandparents and his friends were surviving and thriving now as well. If anything, the burden on his shoulders had increased instead of lessened and that was just something he was going to have to deal with.
Hearing his father’s voice in his head, Chase remembered something Brogan had once told him when he’d had messed up during a lacrosse game and lost the team he captained a place in the finals.
“It’s not all about the end result, son. Sometimes we have to take a fall to realize what we achieved along the way. While you may think you’re responsible for everyone on this team, all you can really control is how well they work together. None of this rests solely on your shoulders. It’s on the shoulders of everyone in your huddle. Together you can carry the combined weight, whereas alone you will drop it. Get back in there and show your teammates how insignificant this one little blip is. It’s a learning experience, and moving forward, you’ll now have the strength and the knowledge to go ahead. This isn’t the end, Chase. This is just the start of another journey for you.”
At the time it hadn’t made much sense to Chase, but now he heard the words ringing in his head again and he put the pieces together. Whether the challenge was a lacrosse game or surviving a disaster, all it took was teamwork and determination and anything was possible. Chase had already proved that to himself in Houston—he, Riley, and the others had gone through much more than anyone could’ve imagined and they had made it out the other side in one piece. Now that he was facing another battle, he just had to continue with his head held high and know that there was always a solution waiting for him—he just had to know where to look.
“Ah, excuse me,” Vic apologized as he re-entered the kitchen, seeing Chase and Linda standing close together and sharing a few quiet words. “I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“No, don’t apologize,” Linda quickly replied. “Could you help us with this coffee, actually?”
“Of course,” Vic immediately answered, always happy to help out no matter who was asking. It was in his nature to do so, something that had been instilled in him from a very young age by his mother back home. After moving to America, Vic felt like he had sort of lost out on the few elements of him that were more family-oriented—his focus being on his store and making a name for himself in the city—and since the eruption that side of him was slowly returning, the opportunities he had to help Chase and the others reminding him of how he had been brought up.
“Chase, can you get some food out of the pantry?” Linda suggested, wanting to provide at least some sort of sustenance for her guests before they had a proper meal that evening. “Things should still be organized per Riley’s ration schedule.”
Chase grinned, remembering how particular his sister had been about their food stores and what they could eat. Yanking open the pantry door he walked inside to review the contents, struck immediately by the rich and meaty aroma that was trapped behind the doors. “Wow,” he inhaled a deep breath. “What is that?”
“Oh.” Linda suddenly froze, uncertain how to tell her grandchildren that the meat from their family cows now lined the pantry. It needed to be eaten quickly before it went bad, Linda having recently cooked it all to allow it to last a few days longer. Now that Riley and Chase were back, she wasn’t sure whether they would feel comfortable eating the animals they had so easily called pets for many years.
Allowing his thoughts to catch up with him, Chase slowly put two and two together and understood why his grandma was struggling to explain the sudden surplus of meat in their pantry. It was Milk and Shake. The beloved cows that they had kept around on the farm even after the place shut down for business officially. Chase had always liked them, but Riley had been a great deal fonder than he was of the cows. He understood why his grandma had been forced to kill them for meat, though he couldn’t be certain Riley would feel the same.
“I’ll just stick to cookies for now,” Chase spoke up, picking a couple of packets from the shelves and closing the pantry door. Turning to look at his grandma, he gave her a knowing look and smiled. “Don’t worry about it,” he said softly. “You were only doing what you needed to do to survive.”
Linda gave her grandson a grateful look, appreciating how understanding he was being. Chase seemed so much more mature than he had been when he left the farmhouse. While that was undoubtedly a good thing, it made Linda worry about what he had been forced to deal with on the outside. She could only hope that in time he would remember how to be a child again and not become too bogged down with the terrors the volcano had forced upon them.
“Do you think your sister will understand?”
“I do,” Chase replied after a second. While Riley was still a child at heart, she had grown up a lot more than either of their grandparents realized during her time away. As much as Riley had loved both of the cows, Chase knew that she would understand why this needed to happen.
“Do you want me to take the pot through Mrs.—Linda?” Vic corrected himself, the Ukrainian still awkwardly hovering in the kitchen while Chase and Linda spoke about things he didn’t understand.
“Oh, yes,” Linda nodded. “Thank you. Shall we go back through, Chase?”
“Sure,” Chase replied, picking up the food he’d gathered from the pantry and following the others back into the front room. Riley was huddled up against their grandfather now, sitting on the couch next to him with her head resting on his chest. Chase wondered whether that was the best position considering Jerry’s issues with his lungs, but the old man seemed happy to have his granddaughter in his arms again, so no one batted an eye.
“So how have things been here?” Chase asked when they were all seated again, warming his body by sitting cross-legged in front of the fire. “I take it the roof is still the same?”
“As far as I’m aware,” Linda replied. “I haven’t been upstairs in some time now. We’ve moved everything down here to try and keep warmer.”
“We can go up and have a look at it if you want,” Vic suggested, feeling slightly awkward as the family all reunited and he, Blake, and Leo seemed to get in the way. He knew he had interrupted something in the kitchen between Chase and Linda and he felt like getting out of the way was necessary for at least an hour or so. “Figure out which bits we need to get from the truck.”
“It’s okay,” Chase replied, not wanting his friends to run off and do all the work while he sat around. “We can start on it tomorrow, can’t we?”
“No time like the present, really,” Blake replied, feeling similar to Vic and anxious to get on with the work to both give the Clarke family some alone time and speed things up at the farmhouse so he and Vic could return to Houston. As much as he wanted Chase, Riley, and Leo to be safe, he was still very aware that there was a whole city not far away that also needed protecting.
“You really don’t ha
ve to,” Chase argued back.
“Don’t worry about it, my friend,” Vic insisted. “You guys sit and catch up. Don’t worry about us.”
Seeing that his friends weren’t taking no for an answer, Chase gave in and allowed them to exit the front room, heading upstairs to inspect the damage to Riley’s old bedroom. He had to admit that once they were gone the atmosphere in the room did change slightly. The four of them were back together again and that was a feeling more incredible than anything Chase had imagined.
“It’s good to be home,” he smiled after a few seconds of silence. “We really missed you.”
“We missed you too,” Linda murmured in response. “I’m so glad you’re both okay.”
“And you?” Chase pushed his grandma, anxious for the truth now that they were alone. “Honestly Grandma, is everything okay?”
“It’s not,” Jerry answered for his wife. “But it will be, now that you two are back with us.”
“Have you heard anything from Mia?”
Jerry shook his head, saddened by Riley’s question. “Nothing. I still have faith though. If you two managed to find your way back here, there’s no reason why she can’t as well.”
Everyone in the room agreed wholeheartedly with Jerry’s statement, all wanting to believe that Mia would come back to them. For the time being, each of them just took a deep breath and felt happy for what they had. Their little unit was back together again, and it was more than any of them had ever believed would be possible not that long ago. Once again, they realized how lucky they were and basked in that thought, knowing to make the most of the good moments while they had them. They had no idea how long this one would last.
Chapter 3
Striding down the corridor, Freddy Hartley looked at his watch and picked up his pace. He was late, and lateness did not go down well within the Authority. Fully aware that he had only reached his position of relative status due to his uncle’s position in the organization, Freddy clicked his heels together and started speed-walking to his destination, worried about the looks and comments he would surely receive if he turned up to another meeting after it had already begun. Things were really heating up in HQ now—ironic, considering the dropping temperatures outside—and Freddy knew he needed to up his game if he didn’t want to get left out of the next stage of planning.
As great as it was to be a part of the Authority without having to go through the drawn-out screening process and months of hazing that everyone else had undergone, Freddy still wanted to prove himself and make a name for what he had achieved, not just what his uncle had done. Now was the prime opportunity. No one within the Authority could have predicted that Yellowstone would erupt and give them the chance to push their plans forward by potentially decades. Everyone was at each other’s throats trying to make sure things worked out the way they had always dreamed; it was the ideal opportunity for Freddy to emerge as a shining star. If only he had an idea to share with the group.
“Late again, junior,” one of older men in the organization tutted at Freddy quietly as he snuck into the meeting room, quickly finding a place to stand at the back and trying not to attract too much attention.
Freddy didn’t say anything to the old man, recognizing him from a few other meetings but knowing that he wasn’t anyone senior who he needed to worry about. Settling back against the wall and tuning into the discussion, he listened to the conversations going on between the founding members of the Authority and fantasized about one day sitting at that table alongside his uncle.
Back when the Authority was just Freddy’s uncle Roger and his friends getting together in the local bar, none of them could have imagined it would become an organization strong enough to spread across the country. That was many years ago now, with things really snowballing and expanding in the years before the eruption. They had always had a view to rid the country of the impure, so it came as a sign to them that they were doing the right thing when Yellowstone erupted and finally gave the Authority their chance.
“The reports we’re receiving from across the state are promising,” one of the founders—Samuel Jefferson—announced below. He claimed he was an descendant of Thomas Jefferson, his reasoning for his position of power, but Freddy wasn’t sure if he truly believed the rumor. Many others did though, allowing Samuel the respect and power he carried through the Authority.
“Our brothers at the border are set up and working hard to maintain the barrier. No one else is to come in or out of the state. We’re all in agreement that if we want to be able to expand our course of action across the country, we have to acquire total dominance in Texas first.”
A chorused murmur of agreement rippled around the room, a few men clapping or tapping their canes on the ground to make noise. Samuel Jefferson waited for the noise to die down before continuing, looking around the room and enjoying the attention being thrown in his direction. He lapped it up like a thirsty dog, hungry for recognition and acknowledgement.
“Our first center in Houston has run into some trouble,” he continued. “Reports of a rebel faction in the city are coming through, the rebels revolting despite our best offers and storming the center—freeing the chosen ones held within.”
Boos filled the room now, the men all sharing the same unanimous opinions about what they wanted for their world. They wanted a world that they could control, a world where people fell into line and where there were no surprises waiting around the corner. They believed in a class system where certain people were better than others and their lives and rewards reflected that. The new regimes centered on equality were a thing of the past now; Yellowstone had made sure of that. The world was starting again from the beginning, and they were ready to sculpt it how they saw fit.
Freddy couldn’t help but get caught up in the atmosphere. He loved it. It made him feel alive. There was a passion in the room that he had struggled to find in any other walk of life, and it filled him with excitement and determination. Being with so many likeminded individuals was a blessing, the feeling made even better through knowing that they were actually being successful. They had talked about their plans for years, now finally—finally—it was coming to fruition.
“We are open to ideas,” Samuel continued to speak, “on how to quash the rebellion and regain control of the city. We look to the inspired individuals among us to come forward with their vision, guiding the Authority into the future.”
Freddy felt his cheeks flush with heat. This could be his moment; his opportunity to make everyone look at him and see him for the person he was—not just for being Roger Hartley’s nephew. He squeezed his eyes shut and begged an idea to come forward, something that would make everyone turn to look at him and say “wow, that Freddy knows what he’s talking about.” He begged the idea to come to him, chewing so ferociously on his bottom lip that he drew blood, yet still he had nothing. There was no great idea in Freddy’s head. He was doomed to be one of the divinely uninspired forever.
“Fear not,” Freddy’s uncle’s voice boomed out around the room, forcing Freddy to open his eyes and look down at where the man spoke. Roger locked eyes with his nephew almost immediately as a cruel smirk crept over his face. “For those of you without ideas, we still have a role for you here. We need more foot soldiers on the ground in the city to increase our numbers and our control over the civilians. It might not be the most glamorous option, but it is highly respected. Those of you who volunteer to go into the city will be heroes putting your lives on the line for the greater good of the Authority.”
Freddy’s heart sank. Looking over at his uncle, he knew already that going into the city was the path that had been chosen for him. He was entirely committed to the Authority, he just felt like he wasn’t good enough for their vision. As Freddy saw the slightest of nods from his uncle, he felt his fate being sealed. He would be a foot soldier from now on, battling on the front line to try and take over Houston and bring the Authority’s vision first to the city, then the country, and then—one day—t
o the world.
The scripture of the Authority was simple: rid the world of people who were impure and those who didn’t carry what they defined as the superior bloodline. To an outsider, Freddy knew that made them sound like they were misanthropists or radicals or even racists, but the members of the Authority were more than that; they were better than that. They were a brotherhood dedicated to surviving and thriving. It was like one large family, each member tied together in some way greater than blood. Greater than any bond anyone on the outside could understand.
That was why they were gathering children from Houston—and hopefully later across the country—so that they could ensure their bloodline continued. It was a simple process that had been used by great rulers and leaders in the past, though none had managed to be entirely successful. No one knew entirely why not, although the Authority believed it was timing. Yellowstone had granted them theirs and they were not going to refuse the gift.
“What do you think, nephew? Will you travel into the city, or have you finally formulated an idea that is worth hearing?”
Freddy stood in front of his uncle later that same day, still waiting for an idea to come to him. He had done everything he could think of to try and trigger it, desperate for an escape from what he knew his future would now hold. He didn’t want to go into the city and fight on the front line. He had no desire to die, not before he had fulfilled what he believed his full potential to be. But he would. Freddy would do what was asked of him because he was loyal. He was committed to the Authority and nothing would ever change that.
“I will go into the city,” he replied. “I know that I need to play my part for the greater good.”
“Excellent,” Roger smiled, pleased that he hadn’t needed to coax his nephew into making the decision. “Your service will benefit the Authority greatly in Houston. You will be given a ranking position because of your name so it is unlikely you will be in the trenches, so to speak. I have made sure of that.”
Escaping Darkness (Book 6): The Shadows Page 2
