“Nothing’s okay,” Moffit shouted. “They cuffed me.” His voice rose in clear indignation.
Derrick closely watched Governor Clarke’s reaction.
“Sorry to hear that,” Clarke said with an expression that said he wasn’t sorry at all. “But that’s what happens when you betray our great Constitution.”
Moffit’s eyes went to slits as he tilted his head. “What? You’re going to allow this?”
Clarke chuckled. “Not only allow it but endorse it. It’s been a long time coming. You’ve done many, many despicable things. I’m just glad Joe Citizen here…” he swept an arm toward Derrick, “stepped up and set things right.” Clarke smiled at Derrick. “Well, set this right. It’s up to me now to put things back to how they should be.”
Fresh hope surged in Derrick’s chest. “What do you have in mind?”
Governor Clarke looked thoughtful. “First, end this ridiculous gun confiscation, which goes against everything I believe.”
“You said you supported it,” Moffit nearly screamed.
Clarke chuckled. “And if I’d told you otherwise? I’d be dead, wouldn’t I?”
Moffit glared at Clarke, which told Derrick that Clarke was right.
“What else?” Derrick asked.
“We have several warehouses filled with food and other supplies.” He glanced at Moffit. “That we were using as leverage to get people to give up their weapons.” He shifted his gaze back to Derrick. “We’ll make those supplies available to the neediest in our state. Right away.” He went quiet as his gaze went to the floor, then he lifted his eyes to Derrick. “People have been suffering needlessly. I mean to rectify that.”
Thrilled that the right man would be running things, Derrick felt himself relax as a sense of peace swept over him. “That sounds good, Governor.” Derrick looked at his friends, who wore expressions reflecting the way he felt. “It’s getting late. We need to get back.”
Clarke nodded and stepped forward with his hand outstretched. Derrick took it. “Thank you again,” Clarke said, “for all you’ve done. The people of the State of California will only benefit from this change.”
Derrick looked Clarke right in the eye. “We’re counting on you, Governor, to make this right.”
A look of resolve settled over the Governor. “I understand.”
Derrick released the Governor’s hand. “What will happen to him?” He chin-lifted to Moffit.
“We’ll give him a trial.” Clarke smiled. “I still believe in due process, but I think we both know how it will go.”
Derrick nodded. That was fair. He looked at his friends. They all gave small nods. Time to go.
“Best of luck to you,” Governor Clarke said to Derrick before sweeping his gaze over the others. He turned to his security man. “Make sure they get out safely.”
The security man led the way, opening the front door and stepping onto the porch. “Let them pass on orders of Governor Clarke.”
Derrick went out first, his gaze raking over the assembled group of armed men, who kept their guns pointed at the ground. He looked behind him at his team and nodded. They walked out the door and down the walkway, turning when they reached the sidewalk. Ignoring the men who Derrick knew were watching them closely, Derrick picked up the pace. He was eager to be back home.
When they reached the SUV, they all climbed in, including Cleo, which made it a little tight, but Derrick didn’t care. He was thrilled to be with his friends and on the way home. Once Chris pulled away from the curb, Derrick finally felt himself beginning to truly relax.
As they drove, they talked about the evening. Derrick filled them in on what had happened before he was presented as a hostage on the porch and they replayed their side.
“I like Clarke,” Derrick said. “I think he’s going to do what’s right.”
“I do too,” Matt said. “Seems like a good guy, but I guess time will tell.”
“Yeah.”
When they got back to the farm, it was late, but Emily was on guard and she opened the gate and let them through. By the time they parked the SUV and climbed out, everyone but the little kids had come outside.
“You’re back!” Amy said as she ran to Chris and threw her arms around him.
Emily embraced Jeff, and of course Matt and Jessica were together. Derrick couldn’t stop himself. He found his gaze searching out Paisley. She was staring at him, her expression guarded, but then it was as if a wall fell down and she broke away from the group and walked toward him, her expression shy. She stopped in front of him and smiled at him. “I’m so glad you’re okay, Derrick. I was worried sick.”
Knowing how much she’d worried about him warmed him to the core, and without allowing himself to talk himself out of it, he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. To his pleased surprise, she sank against him, resting her head against his chest. After several long moments, she drew away and smiled at him, the promise of a possible future in her eyes. Feeling all kinds of optimistic, he smiled back.
“Tell us what happened, Derrick” Dylan said, wrenching Derrick’s attention away from Paisley.
She stood near him as he replayed the events of the evening.
“So, this new Governor,” Emily said, “you think he’ll follow through?”
“I do,” Derrick said, and he meant it.
This seemed to bring on an overall feeling of optimism among the group, which only added to Derrick’s positive feelings. After they’d talked themselves out, everyone said good-night and headed off to the house or their trailers. Derrick walked Paisley to her trailer and told her good-night, then went to his home on wheels and stepped inside.
As he dropped onto the small couch, he thought about how close he’d come to being killed, and now, being at the farm, being home, he felt amazing. And knowing that his friends had come for him, had risked their very lives for him, was almost more than he could take in. Grateful for every single thing he had, he couldn’t imagine ever taking his good fortune for granted.
He leaned his head back and closed his eyes as he tried to imagine what the future would look like, but it was difficult with so many unknowns. Whatever the future held, he knew his friends had his back and he had theirs. As long as that held true, they would be able to face whatever the world threw at them.
Exhausted, he drifted off to sleep with a smile on his face.
Epilogue
Four Months Later
Derrick
“I could use some fresh tomatoes,” Sarah said with a smile when Derrick asked what he could do to help.
“Coming right up.” Stepping onto the deck, Derrick stopped for a moment to enjoy the warmth of the sun on his face. It was late afternoon on a September day, so really quite pleasant. Without air conditioning, he’d gotten used to the heat during the summer—as far as he was concerned, he’d rather deal with that than the upcoming winter, although it wouldn’t be nearly as cold as it was back in Utah. He was grateful for that.
He walked toward the garden, smiling when he saw Paisley working beside Jessica as they pulled weeds. It seemed like the weeds never stopped growing and someone was working out there every day to keep them under control. It was worth it though. The garden was producing extremely well, keeping them fully stocked on vegetables, and when they had a surplus, they took them to trade to a local Farmer’s Market that had sprung up.
Ever since Governor Clarke had taken over the California State Government, things had begun to improve. Derrick was impressed with how well the man had kept his promises. First off, he’d immediately put Moffit on trial. Moffit had been found guilty, and without delay had been executed. As well, the gun confiscation had ended, and the government was helping those most in need. Derrick and his group were getting by fairly well on their own, so they hadn’t collected anything from the government, preferring to be as self-sufficient as possible. They’d installed the solar panels they’d gathered and had enough electricity to keep the lights on, which was nice.
&n
bsp; Derrick had heard that power was coming back on in places, mostly larger cities. Even better, law and order was being restored, giving everyone a small sense of security. Medical clinics had opened in several places, giving a reliable place to get antibiotics and other medical care.
Wearing a smile, Derrick walked over to Paisley. She stood and faced him with a smile of her own. He leaned down and kissed her, still in awe at how their relationship had progressed over the last few months. His life felt complete and he could see a future—a good future, a positive future.
With his arm around Paisley’s shoulder, Derrick turned to Jessica. “How’s it going?”
She stood and wiped the sweat from her brow. “Not bad. I think we’re about done out here.”
“Does Sarah need help in the kitchen?” Paisley asked.
“Probably. She sent me out for tomatoes.”
She smiled. “Mmm. Nothing like fresh tomatoes to make a meal better.”
“I’m on watch in half an hour,” Jessica said as she wiped her hands on her jeans. “I’m going to grab a cold drink first.” She smiled at them. “See you two at dinner.”
Derrick nodded, then turned to Paisley. “Help me get those tomatoes?”
“Of course.”
As they were carrying the tomatoes into the house, Serena, Paisley’s two-year-old daughter, ran up to Derrick and lifted her arms to be held. He handed the basket of tomatoes to Paisley and scooped Serena up, still surprised at how much he’d grown to love the child.
Life was good. For all of them. They still had their challenges—they couldn’t just run to the store or order things from Amazon when they ran out of something—but their basic needs were being met and they felt safe, which counted for more than Derrick would have ever realized. Even more, he was surrounded by the people he loved, people that he considered his family. And that was the most important thing of all.
Thank you for reading Insurrection! If you’d like to know when I publish other post-apocalyptic books, make sure to join my mailing list by clicking HERE. As a thank you, I’ll send you my two standalone suspense novels in digital format.
In the meantime, check out the first book in my Parallel World dystopian series, Dare to Resist, which is about a world where it’s illegal to be overweight. You can read the first chapter by turning the page, or get Dare to Resist by clicking HERE. The 5-book series is complete.
Here’s what Dare to Resist is about:
Suspended for getting into a fight with a bully, when 16-year-old Morgan Campbell is grounded, she runs away. When she returns home the next day, her world is turned upside-down. Not only is her family missing, but another family is living in her house and claims to have lived there for weeks.
As Morgan desperately works to figure out what has happened, she finds society has become obsessed with weight in a way she has never seen before. The more she searches for answers, the more she begins to believe she has somehow ended up in another world--a world where it is illegal to be overweight and where those who break that rule are imprisoned in Federally Assisted Thinning (F.A.T.) Centers.
Can she survive in this world until she can get home?
Dare to Resist Chapter 1
“Hey, know-it-all!” a familiar female voice called out.
The comment wasn’t directed at me, but I had a good idea who the target was. Turning away from my locker, I looked down the school hallway in the direction the voice came from. Sure enough, there was Shelby. The girl who thought she was all that when in reality she was just a bully. And she was focused on Rochelle, a girl I’d gotten to know since moving to Fox Run three months earlier. Yeah, Rochelle was an easy target—kind of nerdy looking with her cat-eye glasses, hunched shoulders, and straight A grades. But that didn’t matter to me. She’d been one of the first people to befriend me when I’d been the new girl at school. One of the only people, as a matter of fact.
Rochelle glanced at Shelby with an expression of uncertainty.
“Yeah,” Shelby said. “I’m talking to you, dork.”
Rochelle frowned as she tried to avoid Shelby, dodging the other students in the hallway who were eager to head home after the last bell. They all ignored the interaction between Shelby and Rochelle and instead gave Shelby a wide berth, which only seemed to encourage her.
“Why’d you have to make the rest of us look bad in algebra?” Shelby asked as she blocked Rochelle’s path, her voice filled with anger and annoyance, her arms held out to her sides in a posture surely meant to intimidate. “You’re such a teacher’s pet.”
Rochelle adjusted her glasses as she stared at the ground.
Shelby’s lips twisted with loathing. “You’re gonna get me kicked off the soccer team.”
“How is that Rochelle’s fault?” I heard myself ask as I waded past the exiting students and stopped next to Rochelle. Why I needed to jump in, I’m not sure, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself.
Rochelle and Shelby turned to me, both with looks of surprise.
With a thumb jerked in Rochelle’s direction, Shelby said, “Einstein’s screwing up the curve, which means I’m not gonna pass.”
“Morgan,” Rochelle said. “It’s okay.”
I frowned as I looked at her. “No it’s not. If Shelby gets kicked off the team, it’s not your fault.”
“Shut up, loser,” Shelby said beside me. “Before I shut you up.”
Hoping she would leave, I ignored her, focusing on Rochelle.
“Hey,” she said, obviously not willing to be ignored.
Slowly turning my head, when I met her furious gaze, her eyes narrowed as she scowled at me. Then she said, “This is between me and Rochelle.” She looked me up and down. “Go eat a donut or something.”
The jab at my weight stung. I wasn’t even that heavy—maybe fifteen pounds over where I wanted to be. I mean, sure, I had a sweet tooth. And yeah, I’d kind of given up on ever being as thin as the popular girls, but that was just rude.
Pursing my lips, I glared at her. “I can always lose weight, but you’re stuck with your brain.”
Her eyes narrowed to slits. “What are you trying to say, chubkins?”
Fury, hot and bright, burned inside me and I had to remember to relax my jaw. “It’s not Rochelle’s fault you were born with a brain the size of a peanut.” Then I challenged her with a stare. Why was I egging her on? Oh yeah. Because I hated bullies.
Her eyebrows shot up. “Okay. That’s it.” She was several inches taller than me and had an athletic build. Not exactly a fair fight.
“Morgan,” Rochelle said, her tone urgent. “Let’s go.”
I wanted to. Badly. But the look in Shelby’s eyes told me she wouldn’t let that happen. Not unless I begged. And I couldn’t bring myself to do that.
Students had formed a semi-circle around us as if we were about to duke it out. Another reason I couldn’t flee.
With her head tilted and her hands on her hips, Shelby glared at me in a clear challenge.
Now what? With an audience it would be even harder to walk away, although I knew that’s what I should do.
Shelby took a menacing step toward me and I stepped back. Unfortunately, a bank of lockers was right behind me.
I froze. Shelby grinned.
Then I came to my senses. “Back off, or you’ll get kicked off the team for sure.”
A smirk twisted her lips. “Might be worth it. Especially since I’m probably getting kicked off because of my grades.”
Maybe I could convince her otherwise. “Why take the chance?”
She seemed to think about it, then she shook her head. “Naw.” Her hand curled into a fist, and then she lifted it like she was going to slam it into my face.
I couldn’t let that happen.
On instinct, I lashed out, stepping toward her with my arms outstretched. With adrenaline pumping through my veins, I shoved her. I’d only meant to keep her from hitting me, but to my surprise, she fell backwards and hit her head on the concrete floor.
> “Break it up!” Principal Cunningham shouted as he forced his way through the students who were watching.
Why couldn’t he have shown up thirty seconds earlier?
With a stern look at me, he knelt beside Shelby, who was pushing herself into a sitting position. “She hurt me,” she said as she rubbed the back of her head and tears welled in her eyes. Fake tears, I was sure, but since I was standing and she was on the ground, it didn’t look good for me.
Principal Cunningham helped Shelby to her feet, then he turned on me. “In my office. Now.”
Lips pinched in frustration, I made my way to his office.
By the time I walked out the doors of the school with my furious mother by my side, I’d been suspended for the rest of the week. It didn’t seem to matter that I’d been standing up for Rochelle. It was Shelby’s word against mine.
Fox Run was a small town—too small to afford cameras in the school hallways—so bedsides Rochelle, no one wanted to speak out against Shelby and become her next victim. And the principal didn’t seem to care about the circumstances or that Rochelle would back me up. Evidently he only cared about the conclusion he’d reached—that I was the aggressor and Shelby the victim. She even had a large bump on the back of her head to prove her case.
As I snapped my seatbelt into place, my mom turned on the engine and backed the car out of the parking space, her mouth tight. “I can’t believe you shoved that girl, Morgan.” She frowned at me. “She got a knot on her head.”
“She was about to hit me.” And she called me fat. But there was no way I was going to tell her that. How mortifying would that be?
She shook her head and pursed her lips. “Look. I know you were trying to help Rochelle, but there’s no excuse to hit first.”
Pandemic (Book 4): Insurrection Page 14
