DRIFTER
Underneath Book 2
Leslie Georgeson
Copyright © 2017 Leslie Georgeson
This is a work of fiction. The events and characters described herein are imaginary and are not intended to refer to specific places or living persons.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
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PROLOGUE
Mitch watched as the trader caravan neared the small well, a bedraggled group of six women and three men. The group stopped, gathered up their canteens and water bottles, then they lined up at the well head. He had no doubt the traders were headed to Aftermath. The colony was less than a mile away. This was the perfect opportunity and probably the only chance he’d get to sneak into Aftermath without Ronin’s army knowing.
Gabe, Claire and Honor were probably almost to the mountain by now. Mitch needed to find Gabe’s brother, Ethan, and get the hell out of Aftermath before the army detected him. He would have to use stealth, patience, and his keen senses to avoid detection.
He slipped toward the carts that the traders had parked several feet away from the well. Most were too small for him to hide inside. But the two near the back were large enough to hide him. A woman near the end of the line glanced back, as if she’d heard him. Or sensed him.
Mitch dropped back, hiding behind the termite mound. He waited several moments, then peered around the dirt. The first of the traders were now filling their water jugs. He didn’t have much time.
Mitch snuck closer to the carts. The one at the end was covered with a thick gray tarp. He glanced back at the group of traders. The first of them had finished filling their water jugs and were now tipping their heads back and gulping down the water. Mitch yanked the tarp back and dove into the cart. He quickly pulled the tarp back over the top of the cart. Something soft and squishy shifted beneath him. He glanced down, his drifter eyes able to see clearly in the dark.
Vegetables. He was sitting smack dab in a pile of vegetables, squashing tomatoes and peppers and other produce beneath him.
Well hell. Why couldn’t he have picked the cart with something less messy inside?
Not one to pass up an opportunity when it arrived, Mitch snatched up one of the tomatoes and took a bite. Sweetness mixed with a savory tang. It was delicious. It had been a while since he’d had a tomato.
Voices came from outside the cart. Mitch burrowed deep into the vegetables, trying to hide as best as he could.
Then the cart jostled forward.
He was on his way inside Aftermath.
CHAPTER ONE
The late-afternoon sun beat down on Kate as the trader caravan moved forward, the first of them entering the tall, acacia thorn gates of Aftermath.
“There’re soldiers here,” Angeline whispered, turning to Kate and wiping sweat from her brow. “That’s not good.”
“No,” Kate murmured back. Not good at all. She tilted the brim of her flimsy sun hat lower to shield her face from the sun’s glare. She’d traded some squash and tomatoes for the hat over a year ago, and now the hat had just about seen its last day.
“Why don’t you get rid of that pathetic hat and try one of my hoodies?” Angeline was a seamstress and trader of fabrics. Hoodies were her most popular item. Everyone needed something to block the sun’s glare and protect their skin on this continent. Hoodies were perfect, because they could be raised or lowered at the wearer’s desire. Angeline traded a variety of sizes and colors and always had customers.
Kate nodded. “I just might take you up on that. You in the mood for some veggies?” Kate’s vegetables weren’t as popular as Angeline’s hoodies, but she wasn’t a seamstress. She’d inherited her mother’s passion for growing things, and had found a way to use that skill to keep her alive in these harsh times.
Angeline grinned and turned away. “I am, actually. I need more fiber in my diet. We’ll make a trade inside.”
This was the fourth colony they’d visited on their journey from the west that had been overtaken by Ronin Dred’s army. Times were changing. But not for the better.
Kate pulled her cart behind her as she followed Angeline, and stepped toward the acacia thorn fence that marked the entrance into the small colony of Aftermath. Dust rose up behind the caravan and swirled around them. Kate covered her nose and turned aside until the breeze pulled the dust away from her face and sent it into a small whirlwind across the savannah. She let out a cough and turned her head forward again.
The cart seemed heavier than normal today. Maybe that wheel needed fixing again. Or maybe it was just that she was exhausted. It had been a long week, trading at the small colonies they passed on their way east. Aftermath was the last colony on this side of the Serengeti. They would stop here for a few days, then head west again to refill their carts, then head south to the colonies in that direction. Kate planned to check the wheel once she was safely inside Aftermath.
Eight other traders were in front of her. She was the last in line. She’d started out in the middle of the pack, but earlier that afternoon, right after they’d stopped at a small well to fill their canteens and water bottles, her cart had suddenly seemed to get heavier and heavier, until she gradually dropped back to the end of the group. Now it was all she could do to get the cart the last few feet into the gate. It was a relief to finally reach Aftermath. The last time she’d come through here, the people had let her stay for a few days before she’d moved on. She was looking forward to a good night’s rest and the pleasant company of good people.
“What you trading, lady?” A soldier in worn-out green army fatigues stepped into her path, blocking any further entrance into Aftermath. The other traders, including Angeline, were already inside the fence, pausing to let people check out their wares.
Kate grew her own vegetables, but she didn’t know how to hunt or fish or raise livestock, so she traded her produce for meat, dairy and other items she wasn’t able to procure on her own.
Kate halted, the weight of her cart almost knocking her over as it rolled to a stop behind her. When had the damn thing gotten so heavy?
“Fresh vegetables.” She reached for the tarp covering her produce. Pulling the
corner back, she leaned over to peer in. It was darker underneath the tarp, slightly cooler, which was why she kept her vegetables covered. The vegetables lasted longer if they were shaded from the heat. “I have tomatoes, corn, peppers, onions, green bea–” Kate broke off with a soft gasp as a hand came up from her cart, latching around her throat. She tried to jerk back, but the hand only tightened, holding her in place.
“Don’t move the tarp,” a male voice whispered. “If that soldier sees me, he’ll kill me. And if I die, so do you. Understand?”
Kate froze. The voice was distinctly American, though she couldn’t ascertain which region. Northwest? Midwest? Maybe southwest? After hearing so many African dialects for the past ten years, it was rare to hear the once familiar speech of another American. Though that didn’t mean the person hiding in her cart wouldn’t hurt her.
No wonder her cart had seemed so heavy. How long had she been lugging the man around with her? Why hadn’t she thought to check inside the cart before now?
Because it had never occurred to her that a man would be hiding inside. She’d blamed the stupid wheel.
Kate jerked her gaze toward the stranger’s face, trying to make out his features in the semi-darkness of the cart. But his head was partially buried in her vegetables and it looked like he was wearing a hoodie—one of Angeline’s?—so she couldn’t get a good look at him. The shadowy darkness inside the cart helped obscure whoever was lurking amongst her vegetables.
Kate had no desire to die today. All she wanted to do was trade her wares and move on to the next colony.
“You gonna’ show me your veggies or what?” The soldier in green fatigues stepped forward, his legs filling her peripheral vision, but her head was inside the cart, thanks to whoever had a tight grip around her throat. “I ain’t got all day, lady. I want a tomato. Haven’t had one in a while. A big, fat juicy one.”
Kate sucked in a breath. “Just a…second.” The hand loosened slightly around her throat, but didn’t release her. The strength in the man’s hand indicated the rest of him would be just as strong. She had no doubt he was perfectly capable of killing her. He grabbed her right hand and stuffed a large ripe tomato into her palm.
“Don’t try anything stupid,” he whispered. “Give him the tomato and move on.” He tightened his hand around her throat, moving his fingers slightly and putting pressure on her larynx. It was a warning that Kate heeded. She swallowed hard and nodded. This guy meant business. American or not, she had no doubt he was dangerous and that he would do exactly what he threatened. He could easily strangle her before she was able to call for help.
She quickly weighed her options. She had no idea who was hiding in her vegetable cart or how he’d gotten in there. He’d said he would kill her only if the soldier discovered him. Why was he hiding from the soldiers?
The soldier, on the other hand, would no doubt kill her if she refused to show him a tomato. She’d witnessed what the soldiers did to people who didn’t do what they wanted.
Kate decided she would take her chances with the stranger hidden in her cart. He was an American. Like her. Stranded in Africa. Like her. They had that one thing in common, at least.
As her pupils dilated, adjusting to the semi-darkness, Kate was better able to make out the lean, sinewy shape of the muscular arm that held her in its grip. She noticed long, strong-looking legs bent at the knees, covered in dark gray pants, and large feet clad in lace-up boots. He wore a gray shirt with rolled-up sleeves that tucked into the waist of his pants. The dark clothing helped him blend in with her menagerie of vegetables. The jerk was sprawled out smack dab in the center of her produce, smashing a good portion of her only source of surviving in this world.
Outrage surged through her. How dare he smash her vegetables! He would pay for them, damn him! Didn’t he understand how difficult it was to grow vegetables in this climate? Didn’t he know how hard it was to constantly be on guard, protecting her crops from thieves and the local wildlife? Every single one of her vegetables had been painstakingly tended, guarded, and cared for to maturity so that she would have something to trade with. A way to survive.
She jerked her gaze back to his face, intent on giving him a piece of her mind.
Golden eyes locked on hers, glowing eerily in the semi-darkness of the cart.
She let out a soft gasp.
His eyes hadn’t been glowing a moment ago.
He’d switched them on like a light.
Crap.
He’d been bitten by the drifters.
If she’d been afraid before, she was doubly so now. Those who survived drifter bites were never the same, some even losing their humanity completely.
Kate shivered and tried to pull back, but he yanked her forward so she tripped into the edge of the cart and toppled over the side. Her hands splayed out as she landed on a hard, muscular chest. He let out a soft grunt, his hand releasing her throat. She sucked in a breath as his entire body tensed underneath her. The man was hard everywhere, his lean, powerful body oozing danger like a cornered cobra. Vegetables squished beneath them. Kate squirmed, trying to push away. His arm shot out, latching on to her wrist. Her face was a mere few inches from his.
“I warned you,” he hissed. “Don’t push me. I don’t want to kill you.”
His golden eyes glowed, hardening as he stared at her. And as she stared back, trembling at the threat of unleashed violence, she noticed his unusual amber-gold eyes had orange flecks in the irises. She’d never seen eyes like that before. What was he? Man or beast?
The darkness of the cart still obscured his features, though she was now able to make out a lean jaw shadowed by black beard stubble. Her earlier impression of a hoodie was correct. The gray fabric lay behind and around his head, obscuring his features, making his glowing eyes stand out like golden lanterns in the dark.
“Uh, I’m waiting for a tomato,” the soldier prodded impatiently. “You know, those reddish-orange things? Surely you’ve got one in that cart somewhere.”
Crap. If she didn’t get out of the cart and back on her feet right away, the soldier would become suspicious. And then they would both die.
“Just a moment, sir,” she called.
Kate turned back to the man in her cart. “Okay,” she whispered. “I won’t say anything. I promise.”
A heartbeat passed while they stared at each other.
Then he released her.
Kate stumbled back, breathing a sigh of relief, and rearranged the tarp over the vegetables so the soldier wouldn’t see the man hiding inside. Drawing in a deep breath, she jerked around and lifted the tomato for the soldier’s inspection. “How’s this, sir?”
The soldier snagged the tomato. He sniffed it, inspected it. Then he took a large bite. Juice and seeds squirted out, spraying Kate’s arm. The soldier grinned. “Delicious. You can enter.” He waved her inside. Sighing, she grabbed the handles of the cart and lugged it forward, entering the colony. He closed the fence behind her. Smirking, he strode away without bothering to offer anything in exchange for the tomato.
Kate seethed. Asshole. But it wasn’t as if she could do anything about it. If she made a scene, they would kill her. Ronin Dred allowed the traders to pass without harassment from colony to colony as long as the traders shared their wares with his soldiers. Once in a while Kate would encounter a soldier who was fair and gave her something in return. But that was rare.
“Thank you for not giving me away,” the voice whispered from the cart. “They’re hunting me. They will kill me if they find me.”
“Who are you?” she whispered back, glancing around as she moved forward. “Why are they hunting you? And how did you get in my cart?” A few bedraggled women leaned against the edge of a building, while small children sat in the dirt near their feet, their expressions filled with misery. The colony was nothing like it had been the last time she’d passed through. Then, it had been filled with laughter, happiness, and children playing. The people had been friendly and welcoming. Kate ha
d no doubt the women had been turned into sex slaves, the men had either been killed or forced to join the army, and the children were treated like dogs and beaten if they didn’t obey. It was sickening. It was happening to all of the colonies. And there was nothing anyone could do about it.
“It doesn’t matter who I am or how I got into your cart,” the man whispered. “I’m here trying to find someone. Once I locate him, I’ll be gone. I just need you to hide me for a few hours. If you do that, I will be in your debt.”
Kate pulled the cart to a halt behind the other traders. Very few people came forward to check out their wares. The last time she’d been here, people had swarmed around, eager to see what they offered and anxious to trade. Times had definitely changed.
“You’re already in my debt,” she whispered. “You ruined my vegetables. You’ll have to pay for them somehow.”
He made a sound from under the tarp that sounded like a snort, or maybe a laugh, but she couldn’t be certain. “I’ll repay you. When I get out of here, I’ll go hunting and bring you some meat. Okay?”
Kate glanced around. People were slowly coming forward to trade with the other traders, but no one approached her cart just yet. Walking around to the back of the cart, she flipped the corner of the tarp back. Anyone who was looking would think she was organizing her vegetables. In actuality, she was curious to see the face of the man who’d stolen away in her cart without her knowledge.
Kate peered in at him, her gaze landing on his. His head was only inches away, supported by various produce. His eyes filled with wariness as they bored into hers. Again, she was struck by his unusual eyes. Amber-gold with orange flecks in the irises. His pupils were round and black, but they shrank as she stared, becoming slender and elongated in the light, until his pupils were nothing more than vertical slits. Like a reptile.
Kate shivered. He might look human, but his eyes were definitely lizard-like.
She let her gaze roam down. The light illuminated his face, outlining his handsome features. The beard stubble obscured the lower half of his jaw, but what she could see was definitely handsome. She wasn’t sure why, but she hadn’t expected him to be good-looking. She’d expected him to be ugly, mean-looking. Rough. He was certainly rough. Perhaps a little mean-looking—in his strange eyes, at least. But he definitely wasn’t ugly.
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