The final corpse raced at Travis so fast that he didn’t have time to register how close it had got. He was on the ground again before he could react, dropping his knife somewhere to the side. Acting swiftly, Scarlett held her pistol to its temple and pulled the trigger. Travis received a spray of blood to the face as it slumped on him. He rolled it to his right and Scarlett offered her hand to help him to his feet.
After catching his breath, Travis started in the direction the gunfire had come from. Scarlett hastily followed him.
“Travis, stop!” she said, trying to keep her voice hushed. “There could be more.”
“I just need to see.”
A short way from the bikes, Travis found the attackers. The men lay on the ground, covered in bullet holes. Travis studied the area around them and looked off into the distance.
“They’re spyin’ on us,” he noticed. “They came from Grey.”
“So, what does that mean?”
“It means we need to go back to Homeside and talk to Piper. We can’t risk anythin’ bein’ overheard out here.”
Scarlett and Travis arrived back at Homeside to raised voices coming from the main building. Moments later, River stormed out of the front door, making a bee-line for Scarlett. The moisture on her cheeks shone in the moonlight, but her face was contorted with anger.
“I knew this was going to happen,” River shouted, shoving Scarlett backwards. “The moment he left with you, I knew you’d get your fucking claws into him.”
“River--”
“No! Don’t you fucking dare try to talk your way out of this. Travis might have fallen for your bullshit, but I won’t.”
“Now really ain’t the time for this, River,” Travis tried.
“Be quiet. No one thought that tonight was a good time to beat the shit out of someone, but you took it upon yourself anyway. Riley is laying in Kate’s room with a broken cheekbone and cracked ribs!” she bit back. “Why didn’t you see it, Scarlett? Why couldn’t you see it like so many others did?”
“See what?” Scarlett said, confused.
“That he’s in love with you, you fucking moron. It took me longer than it should have, but it finally became clear when he left with you. The way he reacted when Travis walked in with you in his arms, when we thought you were dead; I’ve never seen him cry so hard. The only one as broken as Riley at that moment was Travis.”
“I didn’t know…”
“Maybe not, but while you were screwing him; while you kissed him, touched him and tasted him--”
“River!” Travis interrupted, eager not to hear anymore.
“Shut up, Travis. Riley’s told me all the gory details and I refuse to keep it to myself.” She turned her attention back to Scarlett, “While you let him do all those same things to you and let him hold you after; while you encouraged him to fall further in love with you, you knew that I was waiting for him to come home. You’ve been waiting to get your fucking hands on him since Jimmy died.”
“River, it wasn’t like that. Back then, I was angry, grieving… drunk. I’m sorry.”
“Keep your apology, Scarlett. It doesn’t change shit. You still betrayed me; betrayed Travis. It happened. Riley still feels the way he feels about you. Nothing will ever be the same again. How could I ever compete with you? You’re just the same as the people we’re fighting; you take what doesn’t belong to you, no matter who gets hurt.” River turned her attention to Travis, “I just hope you see her for what she is someday.”
River walked away, leaving Scarlett speechless and wounded. But she knew that it was deserved.
“She’s just angry, Scar,” Travis said, placing a hand on Scarlett’s shoulder.
“It’s nothing I don’t deserve. She’s right. Nothing’s gonna be the same now.”
Scarlett gingerly knocked on Kate’s door and let herself in. Kate gave a tight-lipped smile and got to her feet.
“I’ll leave you both alone,” she said.
Scarlett took Kate’s place by the side of Riley’s bed and looked down at him sympathetically.
“So, that’s what that face looks like. I feel kind of bad for using it so often,” he joked. Scarlett scoffed and pulled the sheet off his chest. The bruises were appearing already, and Riley’s face was bloodied.
“I’m so sorry, Riley,” she said, trying hard not to cry. “I should have just told him when we got here.”
“Hey, it’s alright. He’d have still beat the crap out of me.”
“How do you know that?”
He put his hand on hers, “Because I would have done the same. And you don’t need to be sorry. I’d take a thousand beatings for you. I don’t blame Travis. I deserved it.”
“You didn’t.”
“I’ll be right as rain in the morning, anyway,” he laughed. “And I’ll be there; fighting by your side, just like always.”
“Riley, you can’t. You have to stay here.”
He paused for a moment and laid a hand on her face, “I said I’d fight, and I will. It’s just a few bruises. He barely even touched me.”
Travis watched them through a crack in the door as Scarlett took Riley’s hands. He knew they’d done wrong. They’d both betrayed him, but he still felt awful. He knew that Scarlett was telling the truth – she wasn’t in love with Riley, but she did love him. That much was obvious. With the exception of Hope and James, Scarlett’s bond with Riley was the deepest platonic love she knew.
“Did you see River?” Riley asked.
“Sure did. She told me my fortune backward.”
Travis tapped on the door and pushed it open. Riley dropped Scarlett’s hands and attempted to sit up.
“It’s alright,” Travis started, “I ain’t here to hurt you. I came to apologise.”
“I’d better go and check on the kids,” Scarlett said.
Once Scarlett had left, Travis took her place.
“It’s like musical chairs in here tonight,” Riley joked. “I’ve never been so popular.”
“I’ll say the same to you as I said to Scarlett: I can’t forget this, but I can forgive you. I understand better now. I’m just glad it was you and not Ethan Grey. I’m sorry for beating the shit out of you.”
“And I’ll say the same to you as I said to Scarlett: I’d take a thousand beatings for her. And I don’t blame you. It looks worse than it feels, anyway. You hit like a girl. If that girl was a large, rage-filled man.”
Travis chuckled. “Want some help downstairs?”
Scarlett watched from the window of the cabin while Travis and Riley staggered to Riley’s tent together. When she saw Travis emerge again, headed toward her, she dropped the curtain and continued to change into one of his shirts.
The door creaked open and Travis entered and slipped out of his boots.
“Thank you,” she said, sitting down on the side of the bed.
Travis nodded once and slipped his t-shirt off over his head. He ambled over to Hope’s bed and then to James’ drawer to check on them. When he turned around, he noticed that Scarlett had laid out a sleeping bag next to Hope’s bed.
“I thought you might prefer me to sleep there for a few nights,” she said.
He didn’t answer her, but continued to undress; removing his socks and jeans.
Scarlett felt him climb into bed behind her, kicking the sheets down to the bottom. Just before she decided to stand, she felt his fingers on her wrist. She turned to look at him and he pulled her closer. She lay down with her back to him.
“Almost a year without bein’ able to do this,” he rumbled. “I’m not gonna give it up now, you hear me?”
Scarlett shuffled closer, pressing her body completely against his. Travis slid one leg between hers and snaked an arm around her, holding her hand.
“I hear you,” she whispered.
Chapter Twenty-One
Scarlett’s eyes flickered open to the sound of James’ hungry cries. She grudgingly got to her feet and picked him up, bringing him to the bed. She began fee
ding him as quickly as possible so that he didn’t wake Hope. Once she was comfortable, on her side next to James, she glanced over at Travis to find him staring back at her.
“Mornin’,” his voice rumbled, still thick with sleep.
“Morning.”
“What time is it?” he asked, stroking James’ head and trying to sound positive.
“I don’t know, but I can hear people outside. They must be setting up for breakfast.”
Travis rolled onto his back and sat up with a long groan.
“I’ll get you some coffee,” he grunted.
He stood and strolled over to Hope, still sleeping in her bed. Sitting on the edge, he spoke softly to wake her.
“Hope. It’s breakfast time, sweetheart.” She opened her eyes and stretched, but smiled up at her father. “Come on, let’s go get your Mama a coffee before she turns into a dragon.”
“Mama’s not a dragon!” Hope scolded.
“Yeah, not yet. But much longer without caffeine and she’ll start breathin’ fire and growlin’ at me.”
“Get out of here before I sprout wings, Travis,” Scarlett laughed, sitting up to wind James.
Travis obeyed, and as he and Hope left, Scarlett clearly heard her daughter utter, “Mama’s scary!”
Her proud smile faded when she remembered the events of the night before. Knowing she had to go and face everyone, to galvanise them and lead them into a fight after what had happened… It was going to be harder than she thought.
Once she and James were dressed, Scarlett cradled him in her arms and carried him to the food tent. Piper and some others had brought the dining tables and chairs outside and set them up in the garden. Bill was cooking and Scarlett could smell porridge and eggs. On seeing her and James, Hope scurried over; spilling water on the grass with each clumsy step she took. She was followed by Travis, who held out a small flask. Scarlett took it gratefully and she, Travis and Hope joined the others at the table. She sat down opposite Quinlan. He greeted Hope with a silly grin and handed her his bowl, containing three strawberries.
“I told Piper I didn’t like these. Here, you have them, Hope.”
Once everyone had a plate of food; omelette, strawberries or porridge, Piper and Bill joined them at the table. There was no chatter as they all savoured what they knew could be their last meal. Whenever eye contact was made, reticent smiles were exchanged before quickly directing their gaze back toward the table. The only sounds were stemming from forks and spoons scraping plates, and the subtle chewing noises Hope was making, having apparently inherited her father’s table manners.
Across the table, Scarlett mouthed to Jack, “Where’s Riley?” River was watching with pursed lips. Ashamed, Scarlett did all she could to avoid eye contact.
Before Jack could answer, Piper slurped the last of her food and dropped her spoon on the tin plate. She stood to address her friends.
“Okay, this is gettin’ awkward now,” she began. “I didn’t organise this meal so that we could eat in silence, all focusin’ on what could happen to us, or that some of us might not come back alive. Homeside and Newhill have come together because we’ve been victimised by the same man. He wants what we have, but he cannot have it. This is what we built. Us. And I’m not about to let that man walk in here and take it.”
“We’re outnumbered, Piper. Everybody knows that. You might be lucky and win, but what good is that if you don’t have the people to keep this place going?” Kate was finally expressing her concerns. “I can’t just fix someone who gets shot, or bit, or stabbed. Yeah, we’ve got food, but we don’t have enough medical supplies if things go wrong.”
“Do you think we came empty-handed, Kate?” Henry chimed in. “I might be old, and I might not be able to stitch a wound so well these days, what with my dodgy eyes, but I brought everything we had from the warehouse.”
“Yeah, and what happens to us when this is all over?” Jack probed. “Are we expected to just go home, or do we get to stay and share what we helped defend?”
“We don’t have the space for you all here,” Bill said, still offended by Jack’s three second rule. “You’d be welcome to take a share of our food for your efforts, but--”
“For our efforts?” Jack repeated indignantly. “You mean for risking our lives for a bunch of strangers? We don’t need your food, we need a community, somewhere to live with renewable resources, and it was my understanding when we agreed to travel thirty fucking miles that that was what we would get!”
Afraid that the conversation might go around in circles, and wary that Jack’s temper could get the better of him, Scarlett also got to her feet.
“Quinlan, would you be kind enough to take my children in the house, please?” she asked, trying not to burst with everything that she had to say.
“Sure, Scarlett.”
Quinlan did as he was asked, and Scarlett waited until they were out of earshot before continuing.
“Look around this table. Look at you all; you’re all so diverse. You all come from different places. But you’re all here now, and the one thing you must share to have come this far is the urge to survive. I’ve experienced my fair share of A-class turds since everything changed, and I’m still standing. There’s only one reason for that, Homeside. Yes, I can swing an M48 or two, I can fire a gun, but that alone is not enough. I don’t care who you are or what you did before the shit hit the fan, and I do not care what you had to do to get here, because none of that matters now. But whatever you did, you all had a reason to do it. And for me, it’s these beautiful new faces sitting among you. If it weren’t for them, I’d have been dead a long time ago.”
Scarlett took a gulp of coffee and briefly looked to Travis before continuing, “No matter how scared you are, or how much you think we might fail, we cannot shy away from this. Grey almost cost me my sanity, my life, my morality, and my family. He’s cost you your main resource, and if he’s left to continue, he’ll cost you your home too. This place that you all worked tirelessly to build. This place that’s still developing. There’s no avoiding this. There’s no easy solution. He’s not a man who can be talked around. He has to die. We’ve got one hell of a fight on our hands. It’s going to be messy, tough, terrifying, and yeah, people are gonna die… But not us. We go in there; organised, considered, and we exterminate them all like the rats they are. When it’s done, you can carry on evolving this place. We can regrow what they tried to take from us. We can venture into the burnt-out woods or collect water from the lake without the constant fear that someone’s not coming back. Do it for your home; for the people you’ve already lost to that sorry shit… And for yourselves.”
Jack could no longer contain himself and blurted out, “Yes, Foxy!”
With the exception of River, Scarlett looked to the faces of her other friends and smiled. Knowing she had their support spurred her on. When her gaze landed on Travis again, he grinned back at her, beaming with pride. Homeside’s residents still appeared dubious and Scarlett observed several pairs of folded arms.
“We’re not going into this because we want to. We’re doing it because there is no alternative and it can’t be done without all of you. I am sick to death of people like him, thinking they can take lives and do what they want with no consequences. Ethan Grey dies. Today. And after, my friends will be staying. There is more than enough room for all of us, and I refuse to go through this for them to die trying to get home. Think about the future; what Homeside could be if we all stick together. It’s the kind of shit your grandkids will tell their grandkids.”
River scoffed.
“Something you’d like to add, River?”
“I hardly think you’re in a position to preach about people’s questionable morals. And you’re talking like friendship means something to you, but you’ve made it patently obvious that it doesn’t.”
Scarlett looked down at the table, chewing the inside of her mouth.
“Look,” she said calmly, staring back at River, “I’m not perfect
. What happened, happened. I can’t change that now, neither can Riley. And no matter how much poison you choose to spit my way, you can’t change it either. You have no idea what happened over the course of those eight months. None. You wanna talk about it, fine. But not now. You want to fight me? Scratch my eyes out? Alright, I get that. But not now. Right now, you either focus on the real enemy, or you are going to get killed. You don’t like me leading you? Tough shit. I am leading you into this, whether you like it or not. Suck it up, River. Today, I am not your friend. I am your leader. If you can’t cope with that, then perhaps you should go back to Newhill.”
River looked away, devoid of a response. Glancing at the Homeside residents, Scarlett was met with unchanged, angry faces. “I know that look you’re all giving me. Who do I think I am, right? Waltzing in here and making demands. What, you’re all pissed off with me too? Good. Use it.” Scarlett quickly downed what remained of her coffee and slammed the cup down on the table. “Foxy, over and out.”
With that, she flipped her chair on its back, turned on her heel and strutted off toward the house after Quinlan. Once she was gone, Chino spoke up.
“Travis, I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again and a-fuckin’-gain; that girl is something else and you are quite possibly the jammiest asshole in this shit-storm of a world.” He glanced at Piper, who was still standing, but her mouth was hanging open, “And as if my chances with Piper weren’t bad enough, I think there’s a possibility that she’s gay.” Travis gave him a knowing sideways glance and shook his head.
“You heard her,” Piper finally said, astounded. “Finish your food and then we’re going.”
“Hey, Chino,” River said loudly, “you’ve still got a pretty good shot with Scarlett. Get her alone when she’s upset and she’ll pounce on you.”
Roamers (Book 2): Fear. Loss. Survival. Hope. Page 22