Numbers Raging (Numbers Game Saga Book 3)

by Rebecca Rode

  We stayed in the hospital that night. Mom chose to remain behind and provide medical care to the injured still in the hospital, insisting she would catch up to us later. I was incredibly sore, but I insisted on beginning our journey rather than staying another day. When we reached the battered remains of the border wall, Vance turned around and motioned to the city. “Time to say goodbye to your home.”

  There wasn’t much of it left. Between the ECA and Augustus’s air corps, the city looked much like those Old American ruins I’d seen in the desert. The only difference was the smoke still spiraling toward the sky. Occasionally there was a distant gunshot as Chinese and British soldiers discovered each others’ hiding places in the city. With Chiu gone, I didn’t know what would become of this place. Would his successor carry on his plan? Would Britain seek revenge for the loss they’d suffered here?

  All I knew was that it wasn’t safe for us here. Not anymore.

  “Home is where your family is,” I said. “Let’s go catch up to your sisters, shall we? We’re almost a day behind.”

  I sat by the dying campfire two nights later, biting into some rabbit Vance had roasted for us. Most travelers in our party were still reliant on nutrition pills, so we had decided to avoid dipping into our personal pill rations unless absolutely necessary. Vance sat on the ground at my side, staring at the fire as if deep in thought. Nearly everyone was turning in for the night. Hundreds of sleeping forms dotted the desert floor, packed together in clumps. A few, like Vance, had managed to create small shelters with blankets, rope, and twigs. Laura and Lucy had wolfed down their dinner before crawling into their tent. We hadn’t heard a sound since then. The poor girls had to be exhausted after two long days of walking.

  We’d finally located everyone. My mom was traveling in the slowest group, helping her patients along. My Liverpool contingent of guards had found their way back and were traveling in the group ahead of us, including Finley, who had reunited with her husband. Anton, Vance’s friend who had overseen the underground tunnels outside the city, had stayed behind to make sure everyone made it out. He would meet up with us in the next few days.

  There were only a few citizens who had chosen to remain and take their chances with the invaders—Dresden, a few of his admirers, and his parents. I sincerely hoped they’d make it, but it was hard to know whether the outside world was truly done with us. For all we knew, this was just the beginning.

  A man crossed the camp in the direction of the latrine, glaring in our direction. “You should put the fire out,” he snapped. “It’s late and people are trying to sleep.”

  Vance sat up taller, ready to jump to my defense.

  “Her Majesty is welcome to the fire as long as she likes,” Maizel interrupted, coming out of the darkness to join us.

  The man’s steps slowed. When he found my face, he startled and gave a little bow. “My apologies, Your Highness. I didn’t realize—it looked like you were—I didn’t mean any offense.”

  “None taken.”

  He stumbled away and practically ran to the latrine.

  Vance chuckled, and I couldn’t hide my grin. Most of our fellow travelers to this point had looked through me. I looked just as ragged as everyone else here. We were all refugees heading west with a single purpose—to put distance between us and a land that was no longer safe.

  I gave Maizel a scolding look. “Do you intend to announce my presence to the entire world?”

  “Of course not. Just everyone we meet,” she said, sitting down on the opposite side of the fire. “An empress doesn’t need a palace to rule, but she does still need her personal guard. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”

  Coltrane ran up then, breathing hard. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. It took longer than expected, but I finally finished it.”

  “Hello to you too, Coltrane,” I said with a smile. You’d never know the kid had been in a gunfight two days before. I was glad to see him in good spirits. “Finished what?”

  “My secret project. I’m ready to unveil it. With all the business about water and that strange compound, I thought it would be a good idea to build something that could clean water. Not just a filter but something that actually removes toxins and substances at the molecular level.”

  Vance groaned. “That’s the ridiculously heavy box you insisted on bringing back to NORA, right?”

  “Of course.”

  I leaned forward. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying, Coltrane?”

  “Yep.” He beamed. “We just need a plentiful water source, and I can make the water drinkable, no matter what’s in it. Chemicals, toxins, salt, insects.” He held his hands up. “Wait here. I’ll bring it to you. You need to see this thing.” He ran off.

  “Has he been dragging it across the desert?” I asked.

  “I heard he built some kind of dolly.”

  I chuckled. His mother would be so proud of him.

  “Plentiful water source,” Vance repeated thoughtfully. “The northwest? I heard they have huge rivers.”

  I shook my head. “We can do better than that. We have this whole continent to ourselves, Vance.” My mom had thought to bring what remained of our antidote stores and seemed pretty confident they could create more in the coming months. Clean water had been my biggest worry about our relocation. But Coltrane’s project opened up a whole realm of opportunities. “Let’s set up our new community on the coast.”

  He grasped my hand in his. Even after everything we’d been through, a pleasant energy pulsed through me at his touch. If anything, the feeling was stronger than before.

  “The beach,” Vance said. “I like it.”

  “Are you guys going to kiss?” Maizel teased. “Seems like you two are always talking when you should be smooching, if you know what I mean.”

  Chan appeared out of the darkness with an apologetic grin. “Maizel, leave them alone.”

  “Yeah. He’s right, Maizel,” I said, focusing on Vance again. His dark jaw looked chiseled in the firelight, his eyes mysterious. “Leave us alone.”

  I pulled in Vance Hawking, settlement leader and amazing man, for a long kiss. He smiled against my lips and pulled me onto his lap, gently avoiding my injured side.

  Maizel whooped and giggled, but I barely noticed.

  Seven weeks later, Vance and I stared out over the great western coast of what was once Old America, my hand in his. The wind whipped my hair behind me. The salty spray that worked moisture through my hair seemed to moisten my very soul. Water. Kilometers of it. Lifetimes of it. Generations.

  It was enough to start a nation.

  “You ready for this?” Vance murmured.

  “No.” I turned to him. “You?”

  “Not really. But things seem to happen anyway, don’t they?”

  “Even the best things,” I said, wrapping my arms around him and resting my head on his hardened chest.

  He placed his chin on my head as we gazed out over the shimmering water. It glittered like a million diamonds across the bright-blue horizon.

  “They’re waiting for you,” Vance said. “One woman even had paper and pencil, ready to record your big speech. I wouldn’t be surprised if they carved you a statue someday.”

  I groaned.

  He lifted my chin with a single finger and kissed me with a surprising tenderness. “The thing is,” he said, his lips just centimeters from mine, “I’m just as interested to hear this announcement of yours. I’m sure it will be EPIC.”

  I chuckled at his poor joke and kissed him again. “Let me just kiss your rotten jokes away.”

  “Then I’ll keep telling them. Do you know what you’re going to say?”

  We turned back to the coast. As the country under our feet had changed over the centuries, this coast had remained the same—sand, water, and wind. Unchanging. Like people in some ways. No matter our battles, we always found a way through them to the other side—a place of a new beginning.

  I patted the pack at my side, f
eeling the outline of the diary inside. It had survived the weeks of travel. Peak’s words lived on in the minds of all our citizens, and his blood lived on in me.

  “Yes,” I said. “I know exactly what to say.”

  THE END

  Dear Reader,

  Did you know there are three companion stories in the Numbers Game world? Did you know you could get them for FREE? Join my VIP Clan today and start getting some serious free stuff: http://smarturl.it/NGnews.

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  And finally, dear reader, THANK YOU. I could send a million books into cyberspace, but my stories would never come to life without you. I appreciate your support and encouraging emails. Drop me a note at AuthorRebeccaRode@gmail.com if you liked what you read. I’d love to hear from you!

  Happy Reading,

  Rebecca

  Even a good book can spring from a family—a group of supportive individuals who nudge it along, loving it until it’s good enough to make its way into the world. Thanks to the talented Clarissa Yeo for her amazing cover design, to Lindzee Armstrong for her lovely formatting and patient feedback, and to my amazing editors Michele Preisendorf and Sabine Berlin, who went the extra mile and back several times over.

  Special thanks to my fabulous critique group members, including Adrienne Monson, Ruth Craddock, Karen Pellett, Roxy Haynie, Jen Greyson, Angela Brimhall, Darren Hansen, LaChelle Hansen, Lindzee Armstrong, and Nichole Eck for their incredibly helpful—and sometimes painful, but in a good way—feedback.

  And tons of appreciation to my husband, who takes the word “patient” to a whole new level. He built my writing desk, entertained the toddler, reminded me how much I love writing, and encouraged me when I wanted to toss the whole thing out the window. Thanks for keeping me going, babe. I love you.

  And finally, to my readers. You’re awesome. Thanks for your gentle (and sometimes not so gentle) emails, expressing excitement for this book. You waited a long time and I hope it was worth it. Thanks for joining me on this journey.

  Note: Chapter images provided by Jerry Low and Iconka on iconfinder.com.

  REBECCA RODE is the author of the international bestselling Numbers Game Saga. She has also published Love Right: A Sweet Romance Novella and an inspirational book for mothers, How to Have Peace When You’re Falling to Pieces. Her freelance magazine and newspaper articles have appeared in Deseret News, Provo Daily Herald, Schooled Magazine, FamilyShare.com, and KSL.com. She enjoys traveling, reading, and Shaolin Kempo. She has four children, two cats, one husband, and far too many books. Visit her at www.AuthorRebeccaRode.com.

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