Renegades

by Joanne Sexton

  “Things have changed,” Ryan offered.

  “I can see that,” Simmo said between clenched teeth.

  “She’s on our side.”

  “You trust her?” His voice was laced with disdain. With his head shaking, Simmo stepped back.

  Ryan let go of Mackenzie’s hand and eased her behind him as he approached Simmo. The man’s temper could be as fiery as the hair on his head.

  “Yes, I do. I told you this already.”

  “I thought you would come to your senses.” His brow remained crinkled as though he still couldn’t digest the words. His eyes shifted from her to him again before his expression cleared and he shrugged. “I guess you know what you’re doing.”

  Simmo surprised Ryan with his declaration.

  “I do.”

  “Anyway, there is a reason I’m here.”

  “Which is?”

  “We intercepted a message I think you’ll be very interested in.”

  Ryan lifted his eyebrows and waited.

  Simmo indicated Mackenzie with his eyes.

  “You can talk in front of her.”

  Simmo lifted one eyebrow and gave a sardonic grin.

  “Spit it out, Simmo.”

  He shrugged again and sighed. “We wondered why they were testing out our defences; looks like we got our answer. We thought something might be happening and we were right. A public address by a government rep about the resistance is about to go out. They have a proposal for recruiting troops from the rebels, to try and entice us to join them. A large shipment of new weapons is due to arrive next week in preparation.”

  “They want to get to us before the rally. They have no intention of recruiting anyone.”

  “Yeah, and they probably want to make sure we don’t get hold of the shipment. It’s a big one.”

  “If they got to us, before the rally, they wouldn’t need to recruit, especially if we lost.” Mackenzie gasped behind him and Ryan took her hand again. “It’s all right, we won’t let that happen.”

  “Then why call the address?” she asked, stepping from behind Ryan to stand next to him.

  Ryan turned his gaze to her. There was so much she didn’t understand, but after finding out about her brother he believed she could take on anything.

  “So it looks like they’re being reasonable, then when no one lays down their arms and joins them, they look like the good guys and us the bad guys. It’s to help keep the fear in citizens about us. You learnt the truth and now you’re here. This is what they’re afraid of, the citizens banding with us.”

  “Why would they be worried about this now? The war has been going on for years.”

  “How did you feel about being a citizen?”

  “I didn’t like it, but thought I had no choice.”

  “Maybe there are whispers of other citizens feeling this way. The truth can’t hide forever. There are new gangs forming all the time and citizen numbers are diminishing,” Ryan explained.

  “Maybe the rally is a decoy, maybe they have no intention of calling it,” Simmo said. “I was thinking about it while waiting for you. Testing our defences, then talk of a rally, maybe they are trying to confuse us about their real plans. They’ve never been peaceful and have never asked anyone to join, just forced everyone to conform. I think we should be prepared.”

  “Prepared for what?” Mackenzie said.

  “I think …”

  Ryan sent Simmo a warning look and he stopped.

  Mackenzie’s eyes searched his for answers.

  “If you’re going to have her stay here with you, be one of us, you should tell her,” Simmo suggested.

  “What?” she said.

  Ryan shook his head. “We don’t know what’s going to happen.”

  “What do you think could happen?” She turned her gaze to Simmo.

  “The war is coming to us. They’re tired of waiting.”

  17

  Preparation

  Water splashed over her face as she tried to assemble her muddled thoughts. While Simmo and Ryan discussed the preparations required to prepare for an attack, Mackenzie had sat on the couch and listened in disbelief.

  Would the government really send troops to raid the compound and kill innocent people? Take prisoners and then take their lives? She couldn’t get her head around it.

  Her other point of confusion was, what would happen now? Where were she and Ryan going? Where would she sleep? Would she stay here with him or would she get her own room? Unease washed over her just as the cooling water rushed down her face. She cursed her inexperience.

  When she emerged from the bathroom, Ryan was absent and her bag sat at the end of the couch. Now what? She perched herself on the edge and waited for him to return.

  “Mackenzie.”

  Startled, she jumped up out of the chair and looked towards his room. He stood in the doorway, his gaze unreadable. The words refused to come, so she waited awkwardly for him to say something.

  “Are you all right?”

  “Yes.”

  “You look like you’re in pain.”

  The wide, friendly grin she loved adorned his face. Her heart began to thud hard against her chest. Damn her naivety.

  “I’m okay. I was about to unpack my things, but had no idea where I would be sleeping … whether I would have my own room now or still sleep on the couch …”

  With twinkling amusement in his eyes, he ambled towards her. A lump wedged firm in her throat. His expression dazzled her.

  “I hoped you’d stay with me.”

  He stood in front of her. His hand grazed her face lightly before he wound his fingers into her hair. The intensity of his stare turned his eyes a deep blue as words evaded her.

  In one quick motion his arm captured her, drew her in and lifted her from her feet. Her breath caught when his lips curved.

  “Oh,” she said with her heart in a frenzy.

  “You didn’t assume I wanted you to still sleep on the couch after this afternoon, did you?”

  Still lost for words, she shrugged, but her flushed cheeks gave away the nerves she tried to hide. His spontaneous and throaty laugh sent shivers of desire through her.

  “You’re so adorable, you’re driving me crazy.”

  “Is that a good thing?”

  “What do you think?”

  His mouth came down on hers firmly, his tongue insistent. The hand in her hair, cupped her head, pulling it closer, firmer to his. The passion in the kiss stronger than any before and if she’d been on her feet she would have swooned.

  He carried her to his room and between hot kisses he removed her clothes, then his own. His hands roamed her body, unrelenting yet tender. He lifted her onto the bed and urged her to lay back. His hot breath on her inner thighs caught her breath and, as his lips pressed kisses against the sensitive skin, she gasped. Then his mouth came to rest between her legs and as his tongue began to tease, her mind went blank. The pleasure sweet and intense sent her breath ragged. Her climax started quickly but powerfully. As it swept through her body she arched up and cried out his name.

  With a smug smile, he met her eyes before he pressed soft kisses up her body until he reached her neck where his tongue traced a path from her ear to her shoulder.

  “Ryan, where did you learn how to do that?” she said between panting breaths.

  “I read a lot,” he whispered in her ear. “I may not have first-hand experience, but I’ve had a lot of time to learn the theory.”

  She giggled as he nuzzled at her neck. “You learned well.”

  A quiet laugh against her neck prickled her skin. Trailing his way down, he suckled at her nipples, which shot tingles down her body right to her toes. Her loud moans reverberated around the dirt walls.

  “Ryan.”

  “Mmm.”

  “Make love to me.”

  “All in good time,” he said as he moved down to pleasure her with his mouth again.

  Sunlight warmed her face when she awoke in Ryan’s bed. She r
olled over to look at him. He lay on his back, his limbs relaxed and his face peaceful. The hard edge that he portrayed disappeared in slumber and his innocence showed. Her heart swelled and for the first time in years she felt revitalised and enthusiastic to begin the day.

  She leaned on her elbow to watch him sleep and attempted to wait patiently for him to rouse. As though summoned by her mind, he stirred and opened his eyes before offering a lazy smile.

  “Morning,” he mumbled. The only response she was capable of was a beaming smile. “I could get used to waking up to that.”

  “Time to get up, sleepyhead, I’m hungry.

  He shook his head.

  “No?”

  “I’m hungry, but not for food.”

  “Oh … my …” she managed before he got his fill of her again.

  Blissful days passed. Ryan spent the majority of his time with his troops preparing them for battle should they be invaded. Mackenzie continued her target practice and learning to re-load her weapon swiftly. Ryan insisted she carry it with her whenever they went aboveground, so he located a harness for it.

  They spent their free daylight hours sharing their childhood stories and reminisced about better days when his family and her father were alive. Their nights were spent learning about each other’s bodies and discovered new and exciting ways to bring each other pleasure. Learning together made the experience exhilarating.

  During one of their idle days, when the women and children came to the surface to enjoy the sunshine, they watched the carefree fun of the innocent. Different games were started, soccer, hopscotch and tennis. The older children taught the younger ones with patience beyond their years.

  Mackenzie’s heart ached at the sight.

  The children looked so happy to have their one day a week on the surface, when they deserved to enjoy every day in the sun. A dozen or more soldiers paced the inside perimeter of the fence watching for danger. Everything about this was wrong and her distaste for Cody, and then her father before him, threatened to choke her. It was bad enough knowing Cody condoned government behaviour, but to know her father did too caused her more heartache.

  One of Ryan's idle hands played with her hair as her head rested in his lap. They sat on a rug and had momentarily enjoyed a picnic lunch. Regardless of the warm afternoon, Mackenzie didn’t feel light.

  With a sudden urgency, she wanted to know exactly what her father was really like. She moved her eyes away from the children at play and shifted them up to gaze at Ryan, to find his deep blue eyes already staring at her.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked.

  “What makes you think something’s wrong?”

  “You’ve been frowning for the last five minutes and you looked miles away.”

  “I was thinking about the unfairness to the children.”

  “Yeah, not exactly an ideal life.”

  His bitter tone, hooded eyes and downturned mouth showed just how much he disliked the way they were forced to live.

  “How long can they live like this? It’s so wrong, especially when families like mine have everything they want.”

  “It’s a small price to pay for being free, well, as free as one can be living underground.” A small ironic smile lifted his lips. “Is something else bothering you?”

  “Do you know who killed my father?”

  His face contorted and her heart leaped into her throat. Did she want to know the answer?

  “It wasn’t us, but I was there when it happened.”

  Mackenzie sat up with a start and stared at him. “You were there?” After several moments, he nodded. “Who was it?”

  “One of the rogue gangs from the east.”

  “What happened?”

  “Are you sure you want to hear this?”

  It was her turn to nod.

  “We were scavenging, just a small group of us, three or four. Several gangs had banded together and hit the streets to cause a bit of mayhem, hoping to draw out the GAP for a gunfight. Some of these people have been living on the edge for a long time and are out of control. That’s why we don’t like being branded as being like them.”

  “So, what happened?”

  “They were robbing and … attacking citizens when your dad and Cody arrived with a substantial army.”

  “Where were you?”

  “Watching from a warehouse we were raiding across the street. We tend to stay out of the street fights when we can, as most groups that go up against the GAP don’t fare too well.” His words caused him to grimace.

  Studying his face, she waited for more answers as he appeared to contemplate how much to reveal.

  How much to tell her? His heart leapt into his throat. Did she really need to hear this? His concern for her and how many more truths she could cope with made him hesitate. For several moments he threw the pros and cons back and forth in his mind before he decided to be completely honest with her, regardless of how she may react.

  “It was almost over. As always, the GAP had a solid victory and most of the gang members were either dead or captured. Your dad removed his helmet to interrogate one of the prisoners. It all happened really fast and I still don’t know who took the shot, maybe one of the dying men. Cody went nuts and began shooting at the bodies on the street …” When the shock drained the colour from her face, he paused. “See, I didn’t want you to know this.”

  “Keep going,” she whispered, taking hold of his hand.

  “We knew we had to leave, because if they discovered us … well, we would be next. Cody spotted us as we left the building and assumed we were responsible for … and to be honest, in a way, I wish it was me, after what he ordered to be done to my family.”

  Her gasp caused him to turn away, not wanting to see the horror in her eyes. When she didn’t release his hand, but squeezed it instead, he brought his eyes back to hers with reluctance and found not scorn but understanding.

  “How can you look at me that way? I just said I’m glad he’s dead.”

  “I would feel the same way. If it was Ryder or my mum. You aren’t to blame, neither is Cody or my dad for that matter; it’s the government, that tyrant Sinclair and the rest of those power-hungry monsters under his command. I believe that Cody, deep down, probably wishes for something different, but knows it won’t change and has become so used to this way of life he doesn’t know how to be any different. Do you think that a lot of Sinclair’s followers only do so out of fear? If somehow he could be overturned …” Her speech provoked a spontaneous laugh from him which caused her to frown. “What’s so funny?”

  “You’re scarier than some of the gangs when you get going.”

  Her pretty smile lit up her face before it fell away and turned serious. “Ryan, do you want to know why I’m here, instead of going home?”

  “Um, me.” He offered her a grin.

  “Yes, you, but I also want a different life, a different city, the way it used to be. Artinean used to be pretty place and I miss the way it was. I don’t want to live in fear anymore. All this time I thought the gangs or renegades were what I feared, but I now know it was the fear of never having control over my life again. Being here with you, gives me the strength to believe that things could be the way they used to be again.”

  “That's the reason we’ll keep fighting.”

  “It’s worth fighting for.”

  Ryan offered another grin to ease the tension of the subject. Errant curls billowed in the slight breeze and he brushed her hair behind her ear.

  “Remind me never to get on your wrong side.”

  Leaning down, he brushed his lips against hers. In one swift movement she sat up, and threw her arms around his neck sending him backwards onto the rug with her in tow, their lips locked together in passion, with their growing love.

  “Let’s go below,” he said between kisses, “before we are completely inappropriate for young eyes.”

  Later that night he lay beside her as she slept, astounded by her bravery and forgiveness. It d
idn’t matter to her that he’d taken the lives of others and relished in the death of her father. She didn’t care that they fought against her brother and all he stood for. Added to this, she now believed in their cause, what they fought for. Not only did she want freedom as much he did, but she wanted to stand at his side while they strove to obtain it.

  Brushing the hair from her peaceful face, his heart beat erratically at the sight of her. Without any doubt he knew he was in love with her and hoped that the intensity he witnessed in her today was real and not a clever ruse to aid her brother.

  He shook this thought from his mind. It wasn’t like she purposely ensured she was attacked by Blade to be then found by him. How would she know they were coming and exactly where they would be?

  The likelihood that this was some wild plan to infiltrate their ranks was low, but try as he might, he couldn’t shake the anxiety. She was, after all, kin to the enemy. No, she seemed genuine. Her reactions to everything he’d told her appeared real. Confusion muddled his mind and sleep took a long time to arrive.

  18

  Declarations

  Day after day they fell into a regular routine. Making love, eating, target practice, all of which kept them busy while they waited for the anticipated rally. She became braver when it came to exploring his body and finding out what turned him on and he loved discovering her likes in the bedroom. Her adventurous nature surprised and delighted him.

  One morning, almost two weeks after Simmo’s revelation about an impending battle, an announcement was broadcast that a government rally was scheduled for the following week. This gave them less than seven days to prepare for an attack. Although they weren’t entirely sure if and when this would occur, it paid to be vigilant

  Any doubts about Mackenzie Ryan pushed to the far recesses of his mind so he could concentrate on their planning. He wanted to believe in her, to trust her, so he ignored his misgivings.