by Kip Nelson
If that were the case, though, Nick would be left with a choice. In truth, it wasn't much of one. This place was so nice and friendly. He felt safe there, which was something he hadn't been able to say since this whole thing had started. Yet, it didn't feel quite right to let Cosmo walk away. Even though Nick barely knew the man, they had been through so much together already. It felt wrong to leave a brother behind.
Nick often liked to rely on his training to give him clarity. Sometimes, though, it felt conflicting, and he never was sure of what he was supposed to do. Then again, maybe the choice wasn't up to him. Tanya might not want him to stay after he had spurned her twice. He'd always thought his destiny lay in the city, but maybe he had to wander the world. This torrent of emotion swept through him as he thought back to just before this all began, when John had teased him about taking the promotion. It had been so far away, and Nick hadn't been able to commit to moving out of state. Sometimes he chastised himself for his lack of ambition. There were men his age who were captains while he was still just one of the squad. He didn't mind so much, most of the time, only when certain people pointed out where he was in comparison to other men. Sam always had done that. She had been a real go-getter and had leaped at the opportunity to further her career. Nick had been patient, willing to wait for the right opportunity. It never had come.
It never would come.
This new world brought with it a lot of new things, and one was the fact that he was without a purpose. He couldn't save people like he used to do. He couldn't be a part of a team like he used to be. He couldn't even be alone like he used to be. The whole world swirled around him, and he started feeling light-headed. There were so many things to keep track of. When he was on the run it was easy because he could let the drama and the tension be the focus of his mind. In these quiet moments it was easy to be lost in thoughts of what could have been and what could never be.
“Maybe we have to think about a different future for ourselves,” he said, looking down at Backdraft.
The black Labrador wagged his tail and panted a little. Nick smiled as he patted the dog's head. At least he could count on Backdraft being by his side for as long as possible. He stared in the direction of where Tanya had walked off. Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing to have some companionship. The rules were different in this new world. Relationships were different, too. Everything was. Did it really matter that she was so much younger than him? He wasn't sure what mattered anymore. Sighing heavily, he stared out at the river and understood why it would be so tempting for Tanya to jump in head first and let it take her away. Life was hard. Grueling. It didn't care about your emotions or whether you were ready. It was relentless and cruel.
In contrast, the river looked more peaceful. In that river was the chance to wash away everything and be reborn, cleansed. The problem was that it wasn't a definite thing anyone ever would come out of there again. Nick wasn't going to take the risk. He liked life too much and knew he was worth more than throwing it away in such a careless and casual manner, not that he would have blamed anyone else for taking their own life in a world such as this. With everything crumbling, and men such as Donny and his gang out there, it was a wonder there were still so many people alive making a go of it. Gillian and her people really were admirable, and Nick found he wanted to be a part of whatever they were doing here, finally accepting that his future lay away from the city.
“It's beautiful out here, isn't it?” Gillian said. Nick arched an eyebrow as he turned to face her, then smiled warmly.
There was a soft breeze in the air, which blew strands of scarlet hair across her face. She was a gorgeous woman, with emerald eyes that twinkled. She wore her age well. Unlike Tanya she was a mature woman, having weathered the years, forged into the strong and formidable person who was standing before him. He'd been moved by what she had said at the campfire, and felt it took a great deal of courage to stay in one place and make a new beginning, rather than to go back home across the country on an arduous journey. She wore a simple blouse that was unbuttoned to her neckline, revealing freckled skin. She held her arms across her stomach, stroking her flesh. Nick felt the heat emanating from her and found that he wanted to be near her.
“It really is. The river looks so peaceful.”
“It's almost easy to forget about everything that's happened,” she said, bending down to stroke Backdraft's head. Backdraft seemed a little wary, but he let her pet him all the same.
“Almost,” Nick said quietly.
“Did you catch up with Tanya?” Gillian asked. Their gazes turned from each other to the water.
“I did indeed.”
“How is she?”
“She was a little shaken up.”
“Understandable. It was a horrible thing that Cosmo did to her, making her reveal her truth like that.”
“It was. I'm going to have to have a word with him. I didn't think he'd do something like that.”
“Do you know him well?”
“I thought I might...but I guess in this life we're all just thrown together and have to make the best of it. I thought I knew Tanya pretty well, too. I thought I was good at reading people, but I guess not.”
“Perhaps not,” Gillian said, smiling slyly. She let out a small chuckle and then said, “Well, I'm sure you can work things out with him.”
“So, you're not going to turn him away?”
“Oh, of course not. Some people are just hot-headed. We try not to cast anyone away from here. In this world it's tantamount to murder. No, I much prefer that we try getting to the root of his issues. He seems to be quite a paranoid fellow, doesn't he? I had noticed him skulking around the camp and asking people strange questions. I was hoping he'd throw himself into this new life like you and Tanya have done.”
“I don't think we've been exactly throwing ourselves--”
“Oh, no, don't get me wrong, it's wonderful!” Gillian said, touching his arm lightly. “I love how you went out hunting with the men, and Jake certainly thinks highly of Tanya. He's not usually a violent person, you know. He must really be fond of her if he's willing to leap to her defense like that. We'll have to keep him apart from Cosmo for a while, I think.”
“Thank you for being so gracious. I'm sure Cosmo will appreciate your kind spirit,” he said, although he didn't necessarily believe his own words. He was sure Cosmo would find a way to make things difficult for everyone again but at least this meant Nick wouldn't have to choose between the two of them. If Cosmo ended up going his own way, then it would be his choice.
“Enough about him. I'd like to talk more about you, Nick. Ethan told me about the way you handled a crossbow, and I must say I'm impressed. It's not everyone who has the skills to survive so ready at hand. I must admit that I'm still learning a lot myself!”
“Well, it's just a few things I picked up over the years.”
“I can imagine you're a man of many talents.”
“I like to think I have a few,” Nick said. Gillian narrowed her eyes and moved in even closer. He breathed in her sweet feminine scent and could almost taste her ruby lips. Gillian lowered her voice to a breathy tone.
“I'd like to see some more of them. I know that a lot of women have been flocking around you, and I can't really blame them. You are quite an impressive physical specimen,” she said as her eyes roamed down his long, broad body. It reminded him of the way Sam had looked at him when they first had met.
“Unlike them, I like to play a longer game. I like to take my time and really enjoy the moments as they come.” Her hand moved from his arm up his shoulder and before he knew it her fingers were curling through his hair. Breath caught in his throat.
Funny enough, his first thought was hoping Tanya would not see them. The second thought, though...that was heated. Passion stirred in his body. In all the time since he had left his home, as the solar flare swept across the globe, he barely had stopped to think about his natural manly urges, but now Gillian was standing in front of him. Her soft s
ensual lips parted, deep eyes looking at him ardently, hands gently massaging his flesh, body so sweet and tender, a woman who knew what she wanted and knew how to get it. Her head tilted, and a rush of air washed across Nick's face as she exhaled, almost intoxicating him.
It would have been a perfect moment, if not for Backdraft growling. Nick turned away and laughed. He bent down, extricating himself from Gillian's clutches. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to start something with the spokesperson for this community, especially not after his chat with Tanya. He'd told her he didn't have time for romance, period. Imagine how she would feel if she then saw him cavorting with Gillian. There was still much he didn't know about Tanya, but he knew enough to not treat her like that. He still was indebted to her for reuniting him with Backdraft after all.
“I'm flattered, Gillian, but I don't think it's a good idea just yet. I've only just met you people and, to be honest, I'm pretty sure some of the men are jealous of me already. I think I'll just get to know everyone first before I start to make other plans,” he said, not wanting to tell Gillian about Tanya's fragility or her feelings toward him. He hoped Tanya would find something genuine in Jake. The young man seemed to be a better match for her than Nick ever would be.
“Shame. I was hoping to have some fun before we got down to business.” Her tone was now icy, and when Nick looked up at her those green eyes were equally as cold. Nick rose, on guard. Backdraft growled.
“What business?” Nick asked.
“Don't worry,” Gillian said, a smile playing upon her lips, “it's nothing too scary. And don't try to run either. There is no escape.”
Nick looked past her shoulders and saw the men coming up behind her. He turned and saw them coming from behind him as well. They were swarming him. Backdraft barked and snapped his jaws, but it didn't seem to affect them. Their faces were set in stone, totally emotionless. They were completely different people to the ones Nick had come to know. His thoughts turned to Tanya and Cosmo. The three of them had been separated. If Gillian had gotten to him, then maybe the other two were in danger as well. He was about to shout when the men leaped forward. Nick felt a hand clamp over his mouth. His eyes bulged as he saw Backdraft being hauled away, the dog's legs were kicking against the ground. Nick managed to break an arm free and swung it, his fist clashing with a rock-hard jaw. Pain lanced through his arm and it was quickly bent behind his back again.
“You'll never get away with this. I don't know what your sick plan is, but you won't keep me captive,” he snarled.
He'd escaped from Donny, and he could do it again, except this time he wouldn't run. He'd take them all down. He struggled as much as he could, although his hands were tied behind his back and he was dragged away. There was no gag over his mouth, though, so he screamed at the top of his lungs for Cosmo and Tanya. His captors didn't respond at all and a grim thought dawned on him. They weren't worried about Cosmo and Tanya because his two friends already had been dealt with. Nick's heart sank while it burned with anger. Cosmo had been right all this time, and Nick had been too blind to see it.
Chapter Nine
Tori ran her fingers through her hair, twisting and curling it and running it across her lips. It tasted greasy and dirty. God, what she would have given for a hot shower. She missed her apartment. It had been her entire life. Their entire life. They'd shut themselves away when the solar flare hit. She and Max had gone outside a few times, but it was clear the world had gone crazy. It was better to be alone. She missed the old world, not that it had done much for her. When the world had ended her own life had been at a bit of a low point. She'd been dumped by her boyfriend a few months ago, after she found out that he had been cheating on her. Well, according to him, he hadn't done anything wrong because it all had been online, but when she'd found the disgusting text messages and pictures being exchanged...some of them were more intimate than anything the two of them ever had done together.
With rent being so high, and her job at the hair salon not paying nearly as much as she thought she was worth, she ended up moving in with Max, which had been a difficult decision at first. The two of them had gotten along well enough after they both had emerged largely unscathed from their teenage years, but they had felt trepidation about living together again. They both remembered what it was like the last time they had been under the same roof, before Max had gone off to college. The screaming. The shouting. The slamming doors.
Thankfully, it hadn't turned out like that again, and the two of them made fine roommates. Now that was all over. There was a third man in their party. A mad man. When Tori and Max first had seen David, they had pitied him. He seemed too helpless and alone, drenched in the storm. She'd always been fascinated by people and their stories. She was intrigued by what his could have been. Since they had been keeping mostly to themselves, she and Max had not met many people in this new world. They'd seen them, though, scurrying across the sidewalks like rats. There were two types of people in this world; those who kept to the shadows, and those who swaggered in the broad daylight. At first, Tori had thought David was in the first group. Now it was clear he was a part of the second.
Their apartment had been a safe haven. They knew they couldn't stay there forever, but it was a good enough place for now. Nobody really seemed to be flocking to any particular point in the city. Not that they could see anyway. Part of her was afraid there was some big commune offering refuge to survivors, but it had been too much of a risk to go searching for it. That was, until David came along. He seemed so sure of himself, and they had been swept up in his personal mission. The story he told them had been harrowing, and she only could imagine the pain she would have felt had she lost Max, who was her best friend. Her heart went out to David and, at first, she almost had found him attractive. He wasn't her usual type, but there was something about him, or maybe it was just that her parameters for romance had changed along with the world.
But now when she looked at David she was filled with disgust. She glanced down every alley they passed and wished she had the courage to run away. Part of her wanted to take the chance against a bullet, but she wasn't ready to give up her life just yet. How she wished she and Max had stayed in their safe apartment for a little while longer and hadn't rescued this crazed man. The veil of sanity quickly had dropped from his personality, and it was clear he had a lot of problems. Whether it was because his mind had been broken by the loss of his friend, or he had been like this all along, Tori wasn't sure. All that mattered was that she and Max were in his thrall because he had the guns and they didn't. From the way he gripped that bag so tightly his knuckles turned white, it was clear he wasn't going to loosen his grip on them any time soon.
When he'd pointed the gun at her in the station he had played it off as a joke, but Tori could see in his eyes that there was more to it. A dark streak ran through him. Then he'd attacked Max as soon as Max had said anything against the government. Tori didn't know what world David was seeing. It was broken, and it was clear that either the government was incapable of doing anything about it, or just didn't have the inclination. Tori didn't know which was the likeliest scenario, but she wasn't about to voice her opinion to David. He didn't want his lecherous hands touching her. She'd seen the way he looked at her when he thought she wasn't looking, how those squinting eyes were undressing her and thinking of defiling her body. It made her skin crawl and she shuddered with revulsion.
They had to get away from him, but how? So far, she and Max hadn't even been afforded the opportunity to speak alone. She wanted to tell her brother so many things that had gone unspoken over the years. When David had held a gun to Max's head, it was Tori's life that had flashed before her eyes as she was so afraid Max would be killed. He had been a constant presence in her life, and she wanted him to know how much she loved him, and how grateful she was. She also wanted to relive some of the best memories of their lives with him before it was too late. While they had been in their apartment it had been easy to ignore the state of the new world
and pretend like they were safe. It was now clear to Tori that their lives could end at any moment, and they may not get the chance to say goodbye properly.
During the day the three of them walked through the city. Max and Tori stayed a little way back from David, but he always remained within earshot and kept turning his head back to make sure they weren't running away. He constantly wore a dark smirk on his face and kept making poor jokes about what he could make them do. Sometimes he gave them silly orders, like moving rocks. He always said he was joking, but whenever Max or Tori refused or hesitated, David snarled and made it clear that if they didn't do what he said, he would make them pay. Tori wondered how long it was going to be until he made her do something she really didn't want to do, and what she would do when the time came. She'd always considered herself to be a strong woman with a good sense of morality, but if her life was on the line...she tried not to think about it too much.
David was a predator, that much was clear, but he seemed to enjoy playing with people's emotions rather than anything else. Whenever they came upon new people David always would act charming and friendly. Then, as though he had turned off a switch inside, he would transform into the vile and twisted person Tori knew him to be. It was the other people she felt sorry for. She wished she could have given them some warning, but she was powerless. David had all the strength of the weapons, and there was nothing she or Max could do. He always was listening, and never let them go wandering off alone. He always stayed up during the night as well. Tori had tried staying up longer than him, hoping she could use that to her advantage, but so far, she always had fallen asleep before him, and awoken after him. Sometimes when she woke up he had a sly grin on his face as though he knew exactly what she was planning.