by KM Fortune
FOREVER WINTER
A Future Dystopian Survival Series
Books 5 – 8
by
KM FORTUNE
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2018 KM Fortune
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.
Table of Contents
Title Page
Copyright Page
Forever Winter Box Set (Book 5 - 8)
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
BOOK 6 – REVELATION
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
BOOK 7 – UNDAUNTED
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
BOOK 8 - CONCURRENCE
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
20170207
BOOK 5 - TOLERANCE
CHAPTER 1
Samuel watched the little girl through the one-way glass window. She was small, apparently quite young, and had long black hair with matching dark eyes. Maybe five years? Samuel wondered. It was hard for him to tell. Clones in the colony were cultured rapidly and born as mature beings. They did not track length of life the same as humans, and they generally did not age in the same manner either. Clones wore out, so to speak, and depending on the role of the individual clone, some could last for many decades. Samuel for one, as a scholar and historian, was in his fiftieth year but believed he would easily last another fifty if not more.
He could not say the same for the man beside him. Gabriel, the head of the Patrols, had come up through the ranks and showed a lot of wear. He walked with a limp and had numerous scars from his battles out on the plains of the high desert. Another decade perhaps, Samuel thought and looked over at the man. Although now that he is seldom in the field, it could be longer. Gabriel turned to meet Samuel’s gaze. “Well?” he asked. “Satisfied?”
Samuel smirked at the man. “With the capture of the child? Of course,” he replied. “But the rest of it, the fiasco by the Patrols on the crusade? One mistake after another? Certainly not.”
Gabriel nodded. “Yes, things did not go well out there,” he agreed. “The nomads caught us off guard. They have never attacked a camp of soldiers before. The rescue of the captured females is unprecedented. It wasn’t all a waste though.” He turned back to the glass, and Samuel followed his gaze. The little girl played with her doll while another man, a nomad, watched over her. Samuel found his port wine birthmark extremely repulsive. The traitor to his people, Samuel thought. But at least he confirmed the witch still lives and provided the proximity where she was last hiding. He was confident the remaining platoons in the field would find her now. It was only a matter of time.
“What will you do with her?” Gabriel asked interrupting Samuel’s thoughts. Samuel cocked his head to the side, surprised the old soldier would care. Even though the captive was a child, she was just another human nomad. One of the Waste People from the plains. But she is not just that, is she, Samuel thought. If he had to admit it to himself, he had no idea what to do with the girl child. She was obviously too young to harvest, but he did not know how long it would take for her to be ready. I’ll have to consult with the science corps. The thought reminded him of Matthew, the elite scientist who was exiled to the Patrols for his actions in helping the witch escape. He had not heard anything about him for a while and wondered if he was part of the platoon which was attacked.
“Don’t concern yourself with the child,” Samuel said. “Tell me of Matthew. Did he survive the battle with the nomads?” Samuel watched as the old soldier averted his eyes and shrugged.
“Nobody’s really sure where your scientist is,” he replied. “But I have a hunch he ran off with the female.”
.
MATTHEW STOOD BACK and listened while the small group of nomads debated their next step. They had set up a small camp a few miles west from the crossroads where they discovered the little girl, Mouse, was missing, and her keeper, Sky, was severely injured. The progress was slow as they carried the young woman with them. Finally, when it was clear the girl could not withstand any more travel, they stopped. It had been a heart-wrenching time, even for Matthew. Even though he did not know either the child or the dying young woman who cared for her, he could not help but feel the pain of the others. It was a new sensation for him. When he lived in the underground colony in the mountain, there were no events in his life which elicited such sadness. None of his scientist brothers were ever injured significantly, and definitely no one suffered an agonizingly slow death from a fatal knife wound. As he watched the others try to stop the woman’s bleeding, he could tell it was futile. The dark color of the blood seeping from her abdomen told him the cut injured vital organs. He kept the observation to himself. The hostility toward him was intense. His being a part of the Patrols made him their enemy, and as they watched one of their own die, they shot him glances filled with malice.
They had buried the girl in a shallow grave and covered her with a pile of rocks. It was immediately afterward the arguing began. Raven was pleading her case to try and rescue the child from the colony, but the tall, gray-haired woman with the distinct scar on her face was adamantly against it. “We have lost enough,” she said with pain but conviction in her voice. “No one else needs to die on a fool’s errand.”
“What if we catch them on the road? Before they get her back to the Great Cave?” a teenage boy, Twig they called him, asked. His voice cracked revealing he was still just a boy on the verge of being a man, no matter how much heartbreak he suffered. Willow shook her head.
“There were fresh tire tracks in the snow. The men who took Mouse were in a vehicle. By now they have her imprisoned in the mountain,” Willow replied. “Tomorrow we continue west and find a new place.”
Matthew watched Raven shake her head. She turned to Matthew. “Can you let us in through the exit I escaped from?” she asked. Matthew was expecting the question. He shook his head.
“No. That one, as well as others like it, only open from the inside in the need of an evacuation,” he explained. “We would have to enter through one of three gateways, but each is guarded. It would require we take them
by force.”
The young red-headed man who was most hostile toward Matthew broke in. “So you're suggesting the five of us, with our primitive weapons, attack the Great Cave?” he said with disdain in his voice. “We wouldn't stand a chance.”
Matthew elected to ignore the young man’s hostile sarcasm. He's hurting and blames me, Matthew thought. I would feel no different if our roles were reversed.
“I don't suggest that,” Matthew answered. He looked at Raven and it saddened him to see the hope starting to leave her face. “You would not be successful.”
“So there's nothing we can do?” Raven asked. Matthew looked around at the group and saw nothing but a ragged bunch of half-starved nomads. What is the answer to this puzzle? he thought. I am a scientist, and I am used to working problems. So think. The others stared at him and waited for his answer.
“Do you have allies?” he asked. “Anyone who has weapons?”
The red-headed man barked out a laugh. “You're kidding, right? You and the men like you have killed too many for us who live in the high desert to have allies.” With that, the man spat in the dirt at Matthew’s feet and walked away into the night.
RAVEN WATCHED A MOMENT of anger cross over Matthew's face and then it was gone. She let out the breath she was holding. The last thing we need is these two at each other’s throat, she thought. There were many other more important problems to address at the moment. She looked after the direction Blaze stormed off. Her heart went out to him. She knew Mouse was important to his people. His sorrow must be overwhelming, she thought and decided to go after him. With an apologetic look at Matthew, Raven hurried into the night.
It only took her a few minutes to find Blaze. He stood looking out at the horizon, and for a moment Raven reconsidered if she should approach. Before she could decide, he turned to look at her. Even in the faint moonlight, she could see tears on his cheeks. “I'm so sorry,” she whispered, laying her hand on his arm. She felt his body stiffen at her touch and then relax. He hung his head.
“I failed her,” he said. “I was supposed to keep my people safe and now...” He trailed off.
“We will get her back,” Raven said. “I promise. There must be someone who can help us.” Blaze looked at her and they locked eyes for a moment. Raven was caught off guard by how strong her feeling of tenderness was for the young man. She wanted to put her arms around him and comfort him, but she hesitated. After a moment, Blaze blushed and looked away. He cleared his throat.
“There might be someplace we can try. There is a city to the north. I don't know if Willow will go for the idea though,” he said. The moment interrupted, Raven stepped back.
“Why?” she asked. It seemed any viable option should be attempted if it meant saving the child.
“It's known as ‘the forbidden city’ among the nomads. It is rumored the men who hold it are truly evil, maybe even worse than the Patrols in some ways. They have no morals, no fear. Some claim they are even eaters of the dead. No one goes into their territory by choice,” he explained.
Raven was undaunted. Nothing, no matter how repulsive, should be ignored. “But they might have something or someone who could help us?” Raven asked.
Blaze nodded. “If anyone has weapons to be bought, it will be there.”
Raven felt a ray of hope. “Then we will convince Willow. We have no choice,” she said. Blaze nodded slowly. She could see him processing the idea. He smiled grimly at her.
“You never give up, do you,” he said. It was not a question, and Raven smiled back. She reached out her hand to him, and he took it.
“Never,” she said.
Hector watched the exchange, and it was all he could do to not break out laughing. If this little crew thinks they can make a deal with the men in the city to the north, they are nuts. It’s time to break this up, he thought and stepped out of the night behind them. “Hate to interrupt this little lovefest, but I have places to be,” he said. The two both jumped in surprise, but the man quickly recovered and lunged at Hector. He had expected as much and easily punched the guy in the throat. He would have ripped his head off if he did not think it would send the woman into hysterics. His punch was effective enough. The man went sprawling back, clutching his throat and choking to catch a breath. “Okay,” Hector said turning to the woman. “That was easy enough. Are you going to be a problem?”
The woman backed up and looked ready to yell for help. Hector stepped over to the man on the ground and held up a claw. “Yell for help, and I gut him like a fish,” he said.
“What do you want?” the woman asked quietly. Hector was surprised at how calm she was and had a moment of doubt. What if she uses some crazy black magic on me? he wondered. Little late to think of that now, genius. He foraged forward.
“I want you to come with me actually,” he answered. “I need a little help with something.”
“I'm busy right now,” she said. Hector nodded.
“Well, my stuff’s going to have to come first. Are you going to cooperate? Or is your boyfriend here about to lose his liver?”
The woman stepped forward toward Hector. “I'll go with you. Just don't hurt him.” Hector purred and took her arm.
“That's exactly what I wanted to hear,” he said.
CHAPTER 2
Kit sat at the fire beside Willow and tried to keep the shivering woman warm. She had already loaned her the large cloak she always wore but Kit worried it was not enough. Willow was still dressed in the thin cloth shift the Patrols issued her when she was captured. Her legs and feet were bare and the night was bitterly cold. The small fire they dared to build put off minimal heat and there was nothing to provide much shelter from the wind. Kit felt another shiver rack Willow’s body and she could only hope things would not get worse. She looked across the fire at where Twig and his mother, Dawn, were huddled together. The teenager had given her almost every piece of clothing he had until she insisted he stop. She reminded him he needed to survive too. At least the soldier was generous, Kit thought glancing at Matthew. It was something she would have never expected from a member of the Patrols, but he had given up his parka to Dawn and now sat shivering like the rest of them.
The fire popped and Kit leaned forward to feed the pitiful flames another few sticks of scrub brush. From the dark around them, she thought she heard a sound and froze to listen. Someone was coming. It’s probably Blaze and Raven, she thought but slipped her knife from its sheath just in case. A figure stumbled out of the night and collapsed beside the fire. Blaze! Kit rushed to his side while everyone gathered around. Her friend was holding his throat and trying to speak. It came out in a whisper. Matthew knelt down on one knee beside Kit and passed her a canteen of water. She took it and fed a few sips to Blaze. After a moment, he tried again. “Raven,” he choked out. “He has Raven.”
“Who has Raven?” Matthew asked.
“Cat mutant,” Blaze answered.
Matthew looked around at the others. “What does he mean?” he asked. Willow and the others shook their heads but Kit knew. She remembered the cat mutant well and had not forgotten his interest in Raven. But I never guessed he would still be following us after all that has happened, she thought. Now she was not sure what to do. If the cat mutant kidnapped Raven, the woman was in grave danger. Kit was not sure what his plan was for Raven but she could guess it would not be in Raven’s best interest. I have to go after them. But if I do, I will have to leave Willow and the others. Before she could make up her mind, Matthew stood up. “I’ll go after her,” he declared. Kit shook her head. She knew Matthew would be committing suicide if he ran off after the cat mutant. Even if he found them, which was unlikely in her opinion, the beast would rip him to shreds. Luckily, it appeared Willow felt the same way.
“You have no chance of catching them or surviving the fight if you did,” Willow said. Matthew opened his mouth to argue but Willow held up her hand. “I know she is important to you. Raven is important to all of us. Still, the only person who has any c
hance of saving her is Kit.”
SAMUEL WALKED WITH the little girl through the corridors of the underground colony. She was sleepy and yawned but so far had not asked any questions as to where they were going or why. It surprised Samuel she was not more curious or upset about being woken from her sleep in the middle of the night. In his years as the colony’s historian, he read about human children and, in his opinion, they sounded like they were an annoyance more than anything. Until there were no more of them, of course, he thought. He looked down at the girl and was amazed yet again about her very existence. To find a child, a female one no less, out with the Waste People was incredibly fortunate. She obviously came from a rare fertile pedigree and Samuel hoped it would translate to her being fertile as well. When the time comes to check of course. He had consulted the science corps and his own textbooks to try and determine the length of time it would take for her to mature and it was not satisfactory. He did not want to wait years and had the scientists looking into ways to speed it along.
They came to the doors of the Great Chamber and stopped. Inside, The Creator waited for them on his dais. It was the most intimidating setting and Samuel was glad The Creator chose it. Making a meaningful impression on the child was necessary. She needed to learn early on about the powers in place within the colony named Eden. He looked down at her and waited for her to look up. When she did he was amazed yet again by the striking features of her face. Dark eyes and long dark hair. Perfectly formed. Incredible for a natural birth, especially considering her origin, he thought. He doubted they could do as well through cloning although there would be no reason to bother making a female. They were useless to the men of Eden. Everyone knew it was women who caused the destruction of the world.
“You are about to meet The Creator,” Samuel advised the child. “You will not speak. You will not fidget. Do you understand?” The child held Samuel’s gaze and answered with only a nod. So calm. Almost stoic, Samuel thought. For a moment it gave him a sense of unease but he shook it off. This was just a tiny, helpless girl child. Samuel knocked on the large ornately carved double wooden door and waited. After a moment a voice called for them to come in. Samuel pushed one side open and led the girl inside.
