by Casey, Ryan
“Should one of us go out there and keep an eye on him, boss?” one of the guards said.
Mike smiled. “I’m not your boss,” he said. “But no. Leave him to walk. He knows exactly what’ll happen if he tries anything again.”
He looked around, away from Graham.
He looked at the malnourished prisoners.
He looked at the broken walls.
But most of all, he looked at the people standing around him, a different look to their eyes.
Hope.
He felt a speck of snow fall from above.
And in that moment, he didn’t feel anxiety.
In that moment, he didn’t feel fear.
“Now come on,” Mike said. “We’ve got a lot of cleaning up to do.”
Chapter Fifty
Six months later…
It was six months before the first official election, and summer was beginning to rear its gorgeous head once again.
It had been a long winter. Devastating for their crops. The animals that they’d salvaged and rescued from the outside world, they’d struggled, too. And it was impossible to say that everything had been a complete success. That everyone had integrated, moved forward, got along.
But they’d found their way.
They were still here.
The hospital was still here.
And that was the main thing.
Mike crouched opposite the three graves. The first belonged to Harrison. And he felt Harrison’s courage within him in every decision he’d made in his custodianship of this place. He’d remembered his strength. Embraced it.
And he’d continue to do so for the rest of his life.
He looked at Vincent’s grave, then. And he thought about Vincent’s brains. His mental strength. The forward-thinking ways in which he’d moved this place forward, time after time after time.
He could never dream of being as intelligent as Vincent.
But he’d always listen. He’d always learn.
He’d never stop.
And then he looked at Alison’s grave, and he felt his stomach sink more than any of the other graves.
Alison was the heart. He loved her. And she was so thoughtful. So optimistic. So caring and so selfless.
And that was a quality he’d always need.
That heart.
That was a quality he’d take with him to the grave. That he’d carry with him in every decision—even the tough ones. Especially the tough ones.
He reached out a hand and touched the gravestone.
“We’ll keep this place good,” he said. “Power or no power. We’ll keep this place strong.”
He stood up, then. And as he stood, he heard a cheer. A cheer erupting from a crowd. He smiled. Because he knew what it was. He knew exactly what it was about.
He looked at the graves, and then he turned to walk away, to walk towards the town square.
When he stepped inside the town square, he saw the crowd gathered around. He saw Kelsie. Siobhan. Arya. Romesh.
And then on the podium where the election results were taking place, he saw Gina.
She was smiling. People were clapping. Her competitors were shaking her hand, hugging her.
And as Mike looked at her, he felt so proud.
Because as reluctant as he’d been to become a leader again… he knew leadership went far beyond a democratic election.
He knew Gina was the right person to run this place.
To offer this place hope.
Strength.
Courage.
Wisdom.
Heart.
And Mike would be there for her.
He’d be there to stand with her, no matter what.
He saw Gina look right over at him.
Saw his ex-wife’s ring around her neck.
He saw that, then saw Gina’s eyes, and he smiled.
She winked at him. Smiled back.
And as the people gathered in the summer sun, as the fair began to kick into life, Mike felt the warmth of the light, and he felt pride.
Because he was a leader.
He always would be a leader.
All of his people were leaders.
And he’d do everything he could to make sure this world was better than the world they’d been left with.
Because it was only through stepping into the dark that you knew how brightly the light could shine once again.
Chapter Fifty-One
Kelsie opened her eyes when she heard the bang outside.
She thought it was fireworks at first. But then she knew fireworks were a thing of a past. A fragment from her childhood. Something she remembered from a long, long time ago. But something she wasn’t sure she’d ever hear again.
She felt Siobhan’s warm arm wrapped around her. Looked to her right, saw Siobhan was awake. “Did you hear that?”
Kelsie nodded, then climbed out of bed. Threw on her dressing gown and walked over to the window. “Would have to be deaf to not hear it.”
“What do you think it was?” Siobhan asked.
Kelsie looked outside.
Right into the distance.
And then she heard laughter from somewhere below.
A group of people peeking up at her—people her age—laughing, joking, clapping.
“Happy birthday, Kelsie!” they shouted.
She looked around at Siobhan. Raised an eyebrow. “Was this your idea?”
Siobhan climbed out of bed. Smile on her face.
Then she wrapped her arms around Kelsie, and she kissed her, right on the lips.
“I wanted my princess to have an extra special birthday,” she said.
Kelsie rolled her eyes. “You know I hate parties.”
“It’s not a party,” Siobhan said, kissing her again. “Just something to mark a special birthday. Happy twenty-first, Kels. How’s it feel to be an actual proper adult at last?”
TO BE CONTINUED…
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The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any reference to real locations is only for atmospheric effect, and in no way truly represents those locations.
Copyright © 2018 by Ryan Casey
Cover design by Damonza
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Published by Higher Bank Books
