X made his best funny face and a cooing sound.
In response, Bray burst into a full-throated wail.
“Man, you really don’t know much about babies,” Michael said.
X frowned. “Like I said . . .”
“Here,” Michael said, holding the swaddled infant out. “You’re going to learn fast.”
Backing away, X shook his head and said, “Oh, hell no.”
“Come on.”
“Don’t you remember what I said happened when I held you?”
“You’re the godfather,” Michael said. “You’re holding him sooner or later. Best start now. Come on, I’ll help.”
X looked to Layla, who nodded her approval.
Reluctantly, he reached out with a stump and one shaky hand.
“It’s okay,” Michael said.
Bray had stopped crying and looked up while Michael handed him over.
X held the baby as if it were an unstable high explosive. Layla watched like a hawk, which didn’t help his confidence.
X walked cautiously over to the balcony doors with Michael, and Magnolia opened them. The cool breeze swept into the room.
Together, they stepped out onto the deck.
“You’re going to make a great dad, just like your father.”
“Thanks,” Michael said. “I’ve had several good role models.”
He reached out and took Bray from X. Then he raised him up to bask in the warmth—a new tradition for all children born at the Vanguard Islands.
“Welcome to the world, son,” Michael said.
The Sea Wolf rocked in the water below. X could see the airship, too, resting on its rooftop port, ready to fly when the need arose.
Both vessels had helped find this home and protect it despite all odds.
Michael lowered Bray and returned to the room to hand him off to Phyl, while Rodger and Magnolia hovered.
“You’re next, Rodger Dodger,” Michael said.
X grinned, but he stayed on the balcony for a moment, looking out over water that sparkled all the way to the barrier between light and dark.
They had saved a pocket of humanity, but if the weather-modification system was real, then just maybe they could also begin to reverse what had happened to the entire world, and bring it back from mass extinction.
One thing was certain. They all were going to enjoy retirement for a while, and the miracle of new life. But at some point, the world was going to need Hell Divers again.
I hope you enjoyed Hell Divers VII: Warriors. If you'd like to see a sequel to this series, please leave a short and honest review letting me know. This is the best way for me to gauge whether readers want more books. Thank you for reading!
If you're looking for your next NSS read, I highly recommend Sons of War, my newest postapocalyptic thriller about a global economic collapse and the destruction of the United States in the wake of a Second Civil War. Bestselling Author Craig DiLouie called it, "The Sopranos meets Mad Max."
Click here for more info and to watch the book trailer.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nicholas Sansbury Smith is the USA Today bestselling author of the Hell Divers series, the Orbs series, the Trackers series, and the Extinction Cycle series. He worked for Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management in disaster mitigation before switching careers to focus on his one true passion—writing. When he isn’t writing or daydreaming about the apocalypse, he enjoys running, biking, spending time with his family, and traveling the world. He is an Ironman triathlete and lives in Iowa with his wife, their dogs, and a house full of books.
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