by KM Fortune
DEFIANT
Table of Contents
Title Page
Defiant: Forever Winter Book 11 (The Forever Winter Chronicles, #11)
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
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Books by KM Fortune
Forever Winter
1 - Awakening
2- Survival
3 - Discovery
4 - Judgement
5 - Tolerance
6 - Revelation
7 - Undaunted
8 - Concurrence
9 - Tribulations
10- Endurance
11 – Defiant
12 - Commitment
Forever Winter
DEFIANT
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.
20170318
Thank you for your interest in Defiant.
THIS BOOK IS INTENDED to provide you a short ninety-minute escape from reality. Although it is a compelling story unto itself, the book Defiant, is the eleventh installment in a multi-part epic dystopian novel known as Forever Winter.
I SINCERELY HOPE YOU enjoy Defiant. It was a pleasure to write. If you find time, a review, or even better, a referral to another reader, is always appreciated.
Please enjoy!
FOREVER WINTER
DON’T MISS WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
BOOK I - AWAKENING
Raven Winter is revived after being frozen in the ice for generations. As she heals and strengthens, she learns of her terrible new reality. Nuclear war has decimated the world and outside the walls of the underground facility where she is trapped is a wasteland in which only the most cunning survive. Her keeper, Matthew, is shocked to discover his female specimen is not only awake but also intelligent enough to speak. In his world, women are not man’s equal but instead are banished as agents of sin. To save her from termination, he devises a plan to set her free.
BOOK II - SURVIVAL
Raven Winter has escaped and fights to stay alive in the frozen mountain wilderness. Trapped in a cabin with a corpse, it takes all her wits and inner strength to persevere against the elements. On the harsh plains below her, a tiny young woman named Kit uses her prowess to find supplies for her clan. When she is forced to flee from mutants to the mountains, she discovers Raven. Not knowing what to think of the odd stranger, Kit stays hidden and watches, growing more and more puzzled about where the person came from. Inside the underground colony, Matthew survives even though his laboratory is taken from him for helping Raven escape. His punishment is made complete when he is sent to be a recruit with the Patrols.
BOOK III – DISCOVERY
Raven Winter has traveled The Old Road in search of other humans. Her trek is difficult and threatens to overwhelm her with loneliness and thirst. Along the way, she battles a cat mutant, who decides to track her in the hope of getting revenge for Raven’s actions. Following closely behind is Kit, the small, young woman who continues to be intrigued by Raven’s strange arrival on the wasteland Kit calls home. In the end, Raven perseveres and meets a young man named Blaze, a human nomad, who is shocked to meet a beautiful stranger on the high desert plains. However, Willow, the clan’s leader wants nothing to do with the stranger and refuses to let her join them. As Raven’s adventure transpires, Matthew, the ex-scientist in the colony called Eden, battles for his own survival among the ranks of the Patrols. When others find he is the man who let the “witch” Raven escape, he must lean on his new skills to endure his plight.
BOOK IV - JUDGEMENT
Raven Winter, after saving their leader’s life, has been accepted into the human nomadic clan, but danger follows close behind her. As she builds their trust, the people learn from Kit the worst kind of trouble is coming, and they must flee their shelter under the relentless hunting of the Patrols. Matthew, who was forced to serve as a member of the Patrols, searches for Raven knowing he must find a way to protect her as the Patrols ravage the land. During the raids, two members of the clan, Willow and Dawn, are kidnapped, but Raven devises a plan to get them back. Even though the mission to save the two women is successful, they pay a high price and find out the little girl, Mouse, has been taken. All the while, the nomads are hunted by Hector, the cat mutant, with an agenda of his own.
BOOK V - TOLERANCE
Raven Winter is kidnapped by Hector, the cat mutant. Thinking Raven is a witch who can help him regain status back home, Hector is on a mission to get her there. Raven’s only hope is Kit, who follows close behind the pair waiting for an opening to stage a rescue. Willow, Blaze, and Matthew are travelling the other direction as they seek help from a different clan who live beside a mountain lake. When a blizzard slows everyone’s plans, the groups find shelter and wait out the storm. After surviving mother nature, Willow and the others continue their journey, only to face wolves and almost certain death. All the while Raven and Hector learn more and more about each other as they take up their travels once again, yet it is not until they are ambushed that Raven has the biggest surprise. Hector is a prince.
BOOK VI – REVELATION
Raven Winter and Kit continue their travels to Hector’s home only to arrive and discover Hector’s father, the king, is in a coma. Soon they find themselves at the mercy of the evil Prince Edward, where only the kind and beautiful Queen Helen stands between them and grave danger. Meanwhile, Matthew, as a prisoner of the clan by the lake, uses his skill learned while in Eden to save a mother and child, as well as his own life. Even though the clan will now accept him, he chooses to follow Blaze who leaves the clan’s lodge to go seek more help at the forbidden city. Although new adventurers join them, Willow stays behind.
BOOK VII – UNDAUNTED
Raven Winter and Hector have arrived at his home, the kingdom of the cat mutants. While there, Queen Helen befriends her, yet before she can help Raven, Kit uncovers a secret. Before Raven and Kit can explain, they are labeled as assassins and forced to flee the city. Only through the queen’s help do they make it out of the valley and continue their adventure toward the forbidden city. Hector remains behind and his love for Helen is rekindled. Blaze and Matthew continue their search across the wasteland, hoping to find Raven at the forbidden city, while Willow travels to the Great Cave to save Hannah.
BOOK VIII – CONCURRENCE
Raven Winter has arrived at the forbidden city and met The Duke, only to find the focus of the city’s entertainment is pitting man-against-man in Fight Night. When faced with saving the lives of her friends, or saying yes to The Duke’s proposal, Raven does what she must and accepts his offer of marriage. Up on the mountain, Willow captures Gabriel and he is surprised to learn she is seeking the little girl, Hannah, who is being held in Eden. Although mortal enemies, the two find a way to work together in order to get what they both want – to protect the child. At the same time, Hector and He
len are forced to flee the kingdom, but Hector vows to return once he has rallied his forces.
BOOK IX – TRIBULATIONS
Raven Winter is engaged to The Duke and her friends Blaze and Matthew are sent on a quest to Area 51 to retrieve information, which could cure the plague. While the men are on the road, they encounter cat mutants Hector and Helen along the way, with a new and strange little man named Simon. Everyone agrees to join forces. Gabriel and Willow attempt to access the colony, Eden, but are thwarted when Willow sees the evil platoon leader and the traitor for her clan, Blue, outside the gates. In her anger, Willow ruins Gabriel’s plan and the two of them have to flee out of the mountains.
BOOK X - ENDURANCE
Raven Winter is kidnapped once again, but this time by a brother from the colony of Eden. As she is being forced to return to the Great Cave, Willow and Gabriel find her and help her journey back to the forbidden city to face off against The Duke. Matthew, Hector, Blaze and the others deal with the obstacles presented by Area 51, including solving a riddle to gain entrance. Their persistence is rewarded and Hector finally is able to take back the throne. Meanwhile, Kit finds a pit mine of nuclear waste, which The Duke uses to fuel Reno through slave labor.
AND NOW THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
Forever Winter
BOOK XI – DEFIANT
CHAPTER 1
Blaze ate breakfast at the long dining room table in the cat mutant's palace. Matthew, Kaleb, Simon and the twin brothers were with him as all of them waited for Hector to return. The night had been long as they expected to hear more about the condition of Helen, but so far nothing. Blaze had been told she was awake and in good spirits and he was relieved. Although he held no love for cat mutants in general, Helen was better than the rest. Besides, Blaze knew Hector would be too distracted to help them if something happened to Helen. But now it is time to refocus this circus on saving Raven, he thought and took another bite of the venison steak. He just hoped they would not have to wait much longer. Even with the vehicles, it was at least a day’s drive to get back to Reno and the days were starting to add up since he last knew Raven was safe. Or as safe as she can be considering she is with the cowboy. Thinking of The Duke nearly made Blaze’s food stick in his throat. The hate he felt for the man was almost overwhelming. More than once he had fantasized about killing him. It could not happen too soon in Blaze’s mind.
As Blaze sat stewing in his need for vengeance, Hector strode into the room and dropped heavily into the chair at the end of the table. He puffed out a breath and rubbed his face with his paws. The cat mutant looked exhausted and Blaze knew the stress of everything had been hard on the beast. It did not mean Blaze was going to wait to press him for help though. “Hector,” Blaze said. “Now that you’re here, I need to know when you can mobilize help for us to go to Reno.”
Hector leaned back in his chair. ‘Whoa, let me catch my breath, why don’t you?” he said. Blaze felt his face start to turn red. He’s going to back out on his word, he thought. Seeing Blaze’s expression, Hector held up his paw. “Don’t get excited,” he said. “I know this is important. I owe Raven as much as anyone. What do you think it is going to take?” Blaze paused. It was a good question. His plan was always to just go back with guns blazing and take Raven out of there. Was there a better way?
“We have what he wanted,” Kaleb said. “Or at least I hope we do in those boxes of disks.” Blaze saw Matthew frown.
"To be honest, Kaleb, I don't know I want to hand those over to The Duke if we don't have to," Matthew said. Blaze saw the group all look at each other openly confused.
“So we risked our necks for nothing?” Toby asked.
“Yeah, what was the point of all of that?” Brody added. Matthew took a bite of his food and Blaze noted he did not look at all apologetic, while he chewed and swallowed.
“The information is valuable,” Matthew replied. “We needed to recover it, but if it falls into the wrong hands, such as The Duke’s, it will be used for the wrong purposes.”
“As much as I appreciate and admire your valiant stance on this matter, I see no option but to return to Reno with the particulars we now possess,” Simon chimed in. “Else we have no access to the technology required to interpret the facts and figures secreted away on those disks.” Blaze rolled his eyes and picked up his mug to take a drink. Once again, he had no idea what Simon was talking about. In Blaze’s opinion, the only upside to the strange, little man’s antics was how much it drove Hector crazy. As if on cue, Hector let out a low growl.
“Speak English,” Hector said.
“We need a computer,” Matthew explained. Hector raised his bushy eyebrows.
"Well, why didn't you say so?" Hector said. "We have one of those. A whole bunch of stuff actually."
WHEN THE LANKY COWBOY in the broad white hat came striding into the conference room of the casino hotel, Willow was not sure what to think. He was not what she expected at all and she felt almost disappointed. This is The Duke? The man who runs the forbidden city and is feared across the high desert? she thought. Instead of being the devil she always imagined, he was surprisingly handsome with sharp blue eyes over a white mustache. "Raven!" he exclaimed as he went to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "They promised me you are not hurt, but I didn't let myself believe it. Are you okay?" he asked. Willow watched as Raven placed her hands on his and nodded.
"I am fine," she answered. "Shaken up at first, but now everything is good." She gently but firmly lifted his hands from her and stepped back. Looking over, Raven motioned Willow and Gabriel forward. "My friends rescued me. I'd like to introduce them. This is Willow and Gabriel." The Duke looked up and raised his eyebrows when he seemed to realize strangers were in the room. Willow did not miss the calculated appraisal in his eyes, which was gone in an instant. A smile crossed his face and he stepped forward with a hand outstretched. Willow and then Gabriel shook it in turn.
"Well, then I owe you each a great debt," he said. "I'd like to show my gratitude. Have you eaten? Do you need a couple rooms to kick back and relax in?" Willow looked at Gabriel, who shrugged.
"Hot food would be appreciated," he said. "Not to mention a place to wash up." The Duke looked the old soldier up and down.
"I bet," he said. "Probably like to get rid of some of that caked on blood, right? What the heck happened to you anyway?" Willow coughed and looked away, but not before The Duke noticed. "Wait, you did all of this to him?"
"It's complicated," Willow and Gabriel said at the same time. The Duke laughed.
"I'm sure, but no kidding around, if you pack a punch like that, I have quite the proposition for you," The Duke said becoming serious. "We call it Fight Night." Willow saw Raven raise her hands to stop the conversation in its tracks. There was a flush on her cheeks and an angry look in her eyes.
"Absolutely not," she said and stepped over to put her hand on Willow's arm. "Don't listen to him. Let's just get you to a room where you can wait for something to eat and you can tell me everything which has happened since I last saw you." Willow nodded.
"And you can do the same, but where are the others? Where are Blaze and Kit?" she asked. Raven looked over at The Duke.
"They will all be back soon," she said with a note of defiance in her voice. She looked hard at The Duke. "Right?" The Duke grinned.
"No doubt," he answered and then hooked a finger at a couple of men standing near the wall. "Guys, get them rooms and order any food they ask for, got it?" Willow watched the men jump at his order. Handsome or not, one thing was clear. The Duke was the man in charge and Willow could not help but wonder what it would mean for her in the long run.
INITIALLY, SAMUEL HAD no idea how he was going to administer the poison from the foxglove plant he gathered. Hannah was never alone now, either with The Creator or two of the brotherhood selected to care for her. After The Creator’s last sermon, there was a shift in the sentiment toward the child. Now she was revered as some sort of blessed object. Favored by The Creator,
so His followers believed she was extraordinary, he thought.
Samuel found the entire idea ridiculous. She was nothing but a dirty nomad child, taken from the plains, to be raised for her reproductive organs. How everything had become so twisted, Samuel did not know. “But I alone will rectify it,” he murmured as he mixed the batter for the tea cakes he was making. A simple shortbread cookie. One he could make himself, without the aid of the colony’s culinary team. They had been surprised when he showed up in the massive kitchen and offered to make him whatever he required, but Samuel dismissed them without explanation. His unwritten authority among the brotherhood made it unwise for any of the cooks to question him further. They don’t know how far I have fallen from The Creator’s grace, he thought. His power was fading, and he knew it. What he was about to do would change everything and all that remained was putting his plan in motion.
Finally, the cookies were ready and dusted with sugar to hide any bad taste from the poison. Now the question was how to slip them to Hannah without everyone knowing he was the one who made them for her. The last thing he wanted was to have accusations thrown at him when she died. If it got out he was cooking in the kitchen not long before the tragedy, it might seem curious, but Samuel knew with no witnesses, nothing could be proven. I can talk my way out of it, he thought. Being clever was how he rose to the top of the brotherhood in the first place. So, let’s be clever now. How can I make this work? Then Samuel had an idea. Giving the tea cakes to Hannah directly would be risky. He needed her to happen across them somewhere she trusted. With a smile, Samuel placed the treats in a paper lunch bag with an apple and a piece of cheese and left the kitchen. What he was about to do would be difficult and risky, but Samuel knew his devotion to get it done would carry him. It was time to visit the colony’s gardens once again.
