After The Fires | Book 2 | The Trials Ahead

by Greene, Kellee L.

  “But it wasn’t her fault!” I said.

  Keeper Marie raised a brow. “Did he drag her out of here? Tell me what you know.”

  “I woke up, and she was gone,” I said, taking a step back.

  “That Watcher didn’t force her to drink that poison,” Keeper Marie said.

  I shook my head. “He very well could have. All they have to do is threaten us, and we have to obey them. She might not have felt like she had a choice.”

  “They did their investigation thoroughly,” Keeper Marie said. “Now lower your gaze and calm yourself before I need to get Commander Godfrey to interrogate you. Perhaps you know more than you are telling me.”

  “I told you what I know,” I muttered.

  “That Watcher was talking to you last night, not Ivy,” Keeper Marie said. “How did she get mixed up in that nonsense? It should have been you.”

  I bit my tongue. It shouldn’t have been either of us.

  “You’re a sinner. There is no hope for any of us until you’re gone,” Keeper Marie said, taking a step in my direction. She swept both her open hands out from her middle toward her sides. “The Mother sees all. Your time will come.”

  The silence in the cabin was deafening. I could hear the rapid pounding of my heart deep in my skull.

  “I’m done being kind with you girls. Things are going to be different around here,” Keeper Marie said. “Time for breakfast. Maybe you’ll see your demoted cabin mate. Although, something tells me she won’t be able to work today. The Watchers weren’t gentle.”

  My heartbeat quickened. If Farmer Watson hadn’t reached over and grabbed my arm, I would have ended up in the torture room.

  We followed Keeper Marie out of the cabin. Watcher’s paced the paths. They had managed to regain control, and everything was quiet once again.

  The other farmers around were weeping. Even the other Keepers looked distressed. When they saw our group, they hurried away as if we were contaminated with the plague.

  We were being shunned. But Keeper Marie kept her head held high.

  As we got closer to the food tents, Commander Godfrey’s booming voice vibrated through the air. I could see him holding up his arms as he paced back and forth.

  “His body will remain in the tree for three days as a reminder to everyone. We must all follow the rules,” Commander Godfrey said. “Nightshine is not allowed on my farm, and offenders will be punished to the fullest extent.”

  “His farm?” I muttered.

  Farmer Watson jabbed her pointing elbow into the side of my arm.

  “Our Mother does not approve of this disgusting poison,” Commander Godfrey said, holding up Watcher Milton’s bottle of nightshine. He slowly poured into the ground. “I will not tolerate disobedience. I’ve been far too lenient with everyone here. It will stop now.”

  The farmers and even some of the Keepers looked concerned. Commander Godfrey wasn’t in charge of the farms, but he was acting as though he was.

  “The first thing that needs to change is that we need a new position on the farms. I’m creating the role of Great Commander, who will lead everyone on the farms. This will stop things like this from happening again,” Commander Godfrey announced. “We’ll have a vote.”

  The other Commanders mumbled to each other. One of them bravely stepped forward. “How do we select who will run for this position?”

  “I nominate myself,” Commander Godfrey said. “There isn’t anyone more qualified for the position than I am, but if anyone else would like to challenge me, step forward and make your interest be known.”

  My eyes shifted to the other Commanders. They covered their mouths as they mumbled to each other.

  “I’ll try my hand at the position,” a gray-haired Commander said, clasping his hands together.

  Commander Godfrey chuckled. “Excellent Commander Hershman. A respectable candidate for me to run against.”

  Commander Hershman gave him a nod. “Perhaps we should run this past the Admiral.”

  “I have,” Commander Godfrey said with a cocky grin. He took several steps forward, putting distance between himself and Commander Hershman. “Everyone must place their vote at the lunch break. May the best man win.”

  I listened to Commander Godfrey bark orders. Every single Commander and Watcher was going to be in the park setting up the stations for voting.

  “We get to vote?” one of the farmers nearby asked her Keeper.

  “I guess so,” her Keeper replied.

  “I don’t know anything about either of them,” the farmer mumbled. “But I guess I see Commander Godfrey around a lot. He works pretty hard.”

  The Keeper smiled at her. “He sure does.”

  “Commander Godfrey already does everything for this farm,” Keeper Marie said. “It would be a sin not to vote for him.”

  She marched us away from the group and toward the food tents. Everyone was buzzing, and no one bothered to hush anyone.

  I looked around for Hawk, but as suspected, he wasn’t around. Neither was Watcher Jones.

  Commander Godfrey was standing nearby talking to several Watchers. His voice was low, but I could hear nearly every word.

  “Those old bastards don’t realize what’s going on around here. I’m on to them, and one by one, I’ll find them and crush them,” Commander Godfrey said. “It’ll be easier when I’m Great Commander. Less red tape stopping me from doing what needs to be done to those sinners.”

  “I’ve heard talk that one of them is a woman,” one of the Watchers said.

  “A Keeper?” Commander Godfrey asked. His eyes scanned the crowd and stopped on Keeper Marie.

  The Watcher shook his head. “I’m not sure, Commander. I’m still trying to get more information.”

  “Work faster,” Commander Godfrey said as they turned and headed back toward the park. They were talking about finding tables and chairs along with recruiting people to count the votes.

  Had he been talking about the rebellion? Of course he was. What else could he have been referring to?

  If he suspected me, he gave no indication. In fact, it seemed as though he’d been giving Keeper Marie the side-eye. The thought was ridiculous. He had to have seen that the woman worshiped the ground he walked on.

  If Commander Godfrey was going to be busy all day with the voting nonsense, maybe I could do a little investigating of my own. I could sneak away to see how much he knew about the rebellion.

  The vote was a joke, but it would keep him busy for a long time. It didn’t matter who anyone voted for… Commander Godfrey was going to win, and it would no doubt be a landslide.

  At least it would buy me some time. All I had to do was shake Farmer Watson, who was stuck to me like glue since we woke up this morning.

  Of course, if I got caught sneaking around Commander Godfrey’s home… I’d end up in the tree. It was a risk I was willing to take. I needed information. It was the only way I’d ever find out what really happened to Hawk and Watcher Jones.

  Hawk would have done the same for me.

  30

  It was midday. Many were still eating lunch, but I’d eaten fast. I wanted to get away as soon as I could to give myself as much time as possible.

  The sun beating down was so hot it seared my skin. It was easy to ignore the sweat dripping down the sides of my face since I’d done it every day since I’d arrived on the farms.

  I watched everyone move about. Some were still eating, and some gathered in the park, far from the tree. They stood in silence as they stared at the Commanders. Others were in line waiting to vote for who would fill the role of Great Commander.

  Commander Godfrey stood behind a table, talking to several Keepers. He’d give them a big toothy grin, and they’d bow their heads and giggle. They no longer seemed to care about the body hanging in the tree less than twenty feet from where they stood.

  A reminder, Commander Godfrey had said, of how certain things wouldn’t be tolerated. Watcher Milton’s dangling legs would surely
keep everyone in line.

  Those of us on the farms were good at forgetting painful events. We had to be. It was a skill we’d all had to learn at some point, but watching everyone ignore the body to play Commander Godfrey’s silly game sickened me.

  No one noticed I’d slinked to the back of the park. They didn’t want to look in my direction because they’d see him swaying back and forth.

  Or maybe they just didn’t care about me when there was so much going on. They were being allowed to mingle and talk and vote. It was like they actually believed the Commanders cared what any of them thought.

  I wasn’t fooled. It didn’t matter who any of them voted for… Commander Godfrey was going to win.

  Farmer Watson had gone with Keeper Marie to vote. They both likely thought I’d been behind them, but with so many people crowded around, it had been easier than I had anticipated to slip away unnoticed.

  I could trust Farmer Watson not to alert Keeper Marie to the fact that I was missing. I hadn’t known her long, but Farmer Watson was loyal.

  Every so often, I’d take a step back. I kept backing up until I was far enough away that I could turn and run unnoticed.

  I ran as fast as I could to the Commander's quarters. The wind I created dried the sweat that dripped down, but the sprinting made me sweat more.

  I continuously looked over my shoulder. My nerves pricked the back of my neck like bloodthirsty little insects. I was paranoid, but I had every reason to be. Luckily, no one was following me.

  I entered an area of the farms I’d never been before. There was a lot of empty space between the Commander’s houses. In between their homes were smaller buildings evenly sprinkled around the area.

  They looked similar to the storage buildings near our cabins, but larger. I had no idea which home was Commander Godfrey’s.

  I walked to the first house and cautiously peered into the window. It was clean with beautiful furniture and decorations. There was no way I’d be able to tell which home was his just by looking in the window.

  I walked to the closet storage unit. They all looked identical—square, thick wood, and no windows.

  It seemed less frightening to try one of the storage buildings first. I sucked in a breath and pulled open the first door.

  Inside the room were shelves stacked with uniforms, shirts, and other clothes. At the bottom were rows of brand-new boots.

  Curiosity pulled me like a magnet to the next storage unit. There was no way each of the buildings was packed with clothing.

  My heart pounded with excitement as I yanked open the next door. The familiar scent of soap slapped me in the face. There were all kinds of soaps, cleaners, detergents, and stacks of rags and towels. The small building smelled just like Watcher Brody’s home.

  I kept moving down the line. Each building was filled with different luxuries—Piles of clean sheets, jugs of water, books, paper, musical instruments.

  I’d decided that after I checked the last storage unit, I would go back to the one with soap and help myself to a bar. I wouldn’t ever be able to use it, but at least I could enjoy the comforting scent when I couldn’t sleep at night. And with how things were going back at the park, that was probably going to be something that happened often.

  I jerked the doorknob on the last building, but it didn’t open. It wiggled in the frame for several seconds before settling back into place. I hadn’t noticed at first, but there was a lock at the top of the door.

  “Damn,” I said, twisting the hunk of metal between my fingers. The last storage unit must have had the good stuff.

  I shook the door again, but the lock was solid. The only way I’d be able to get it open was if I had the key.

  I sighed as I took a step away from the door. It was silly to think I’d find anything of use wandering around the Commander’s area. At least, if I took the soap, I’d always have a reminder of the time I’d completely lost my mind.

  I hadn’t taken more than a few steps when the storage door started shaking. I nearly tripped over my own feet as I tried to get away.

  My eyes narrowed at the door, and I shook my head. Whatever was in there couldn’t chase me, it was locked inside.

  I walked back to the door. I probably should have been more concerned.

  My shaking fist moved closer to the door. I swallowed hard before knocking.

  “Hello?” I called, looking around to make sure no one was around to hear my voice.

  The door vibrated again. Violently.

  “Help us!” a muffled voice called. “Let us out of here.”

  “Are you okay?” I asked. “Why are you in there?”

  “We’ve been locked in here. Please, let us out.”

  The voice was familiar. Too familiar.

  It took a second to find my voice. “Hawk?”

  “Yes! Please help me. I’ve done nothing wrong,” Hawk said.

  My arms numbed. I dropped to my knees as I pressed my palm against the door.

  “Hawk,” I said, fighting back the tears. “You’re okay?”

  “I don’t know for how much longer,” he said. “I’m not alone.”

  I had a pretty good guess who was with him. Watcher Jones had been missing for nearly as long.

  “It’s Farmer Church,” I said, my voice shaking. “Hawk… it’s me.”

  “Cory?” he said, his voice slightly louder than it had been. I could tell he was close to the door.

  “Yes,” I said, getting back to my feet. I looked up at the big hunk of metal at the top of the door. “I don’t know how to help you. There is a big lock. I need a key.”

  There was a long pause. “Why are you here, Cory?”

  “There isn’t time to explain,” I said. “I need to know how to get you out.”

  “You’ll need to find a key or something to break down the door,” Hawk said, worry shook his words. “Please be careful.”

  I chuckled. “That’s me. Miss Careful. Which house is Commander Godfrey?”

  “The closest one to your right,” Hawk said. He mumbled something I hadn’t been able to make out, but it sounded something like ‘I think,’ which didn’t make me feel all that confident. But I didn’t have a lot of choices.

  My lungs tightened as I drew in a breath. I didn’t want to pull my hand away from the door, but if I wanted to get them out of their prison, I’d have to move. The clock was ticking. It was too bad I had no idea how much time was left.

  31

  I wasn’t surprised to find Commander Godfrey’s door was locked. Lucky for me, it wasn’t hard to find a rock. It was half-buried in the dry, crusty ground, but I scraped away at the sides with my fingertips until I was able to yank it free.

  I worried the sound of shattering glass would find its way to the ears of those at the park. My lips pressed together as I pulled the rock back and flung it at the window.

  I winced at the crack of glass. It noisily sprinkled down to the ground, clinking against the hard ground.

  I quickly scanned the area before sweeping away the bits of glass from the bottom of the window. Blood pounded through my veins as I climbed through the window into the home I could only hope belonged to Commander Godfrey.

  It seemed like a strange thing to hope for, but I needed the keys. I needed to get Hawk and Watcher Jones out of the storage unit even though I had no idea how they would hide from Commander Godfrey once they were out.

  That was something we’d have to worry about later.

  I scanned the home. The furniture was plain, and the off-white walls were empty.

  There was a notebook on a small table next to a chair. I snatched it and tucked it into the top of my underwear.

  I moved quickly to the kitchen, pulling open drawers and cabinets, searching with both my eyes and my hands for the keys. The drawers were empty except for a few utensils and towels. There were only a few plates, bowls, and cups in the cabinets.

  The bathroom was empty except for towels and a bar of soap. I was afraid I wasn’t going to fin
d a key. Commander Godfrey had probably taken it with him.

  His bedroom had a bed, a chair, and a dresser. I dashed to the dresser and pulled everything out, throwing it over my shoulders, letting it fall to the floor.

  There was no key. There wasn’t even anything I could use to break the lock or break down the door.

  I sat down on the bed and grabbed Commander Godfrey’s pillow, pressing it over my face. The scream was minimally muffled by the thin pillow.

  “Arrrrgh!” I roared, throwing the pillow against the wall.

  I’d have to go back and tell them I couldn’t find a key. There was no way I’d be able to get the house back in order, and even if I could, I wouldn’t be able to fix the broken window. Commander Godfrey would know someone had been snooping, and he’d probably figure out why.

  He’d think it was the rebellion, but even so, he’d move Hawk and Watcher Jones. Or kill them.

  One of the buildings must have had something in it I could use to get inside the shed. I couldn’t give up.

  I got to my feet. A glint of something sparkled in the side of my eye, and I turned.

  At the top of the mattress where the pillow had been, was a set of shiny silver keys. My lips curled upward.

  I grabbed them, stepping on Commander Godfrey’s clothes as I darted out of the bedroom. My feet moved fast. It felt like I was flying through the house as I made my way to the front door.

  I squinted when the hot sunlight slapped me in the face. My body buzzed as I slammed the door behind me and ran to the storage unit. It felt as though I couldn’t move fast enough.

  I didn’t make it far. My body deflated when someone grabbed the back of my smock. I felt weightless as I was jerked backward.

  “Did you vote?” Commander Godfrey laughed as he tossed me to the ground.

  I rolled three times before my body came to a stop. My hand was tight around the keys.

  “What are you doing poking around my house?” he growled, kicking me in the stomach.

  I flopped at least a foot from where I’d landed. A cough erupted, and a metallic taste filled the back of my throat.