A feeling of pleasure washed over me. I might not have drawn first blood, but it sounded as if I’d caused Lloyd to spill more. I closed my eyes and did my best to relax, biting my lip against the pain of the woman’s ministrations.
When she’d finished, she handed me a carved wooden cup. “Drink this.”
“What is it?”
“Homemade liquor. It’ll burn a hole through metal, but it’ll numb your pain.”
I wrinkled my nose and took a sip, gasping as it burned its way down my throat.
“All of it.”
I pinched my nose and upended the cup. Dizziness and numbness washed over me.
The curtain was pulled back and Fawke stood at my side. “Looks like I’ll be carrying you back to the hut.”
“Yesh.” My tongue felt two sizes larger. “I like when you carry me.”
He laughed. “That makes two of us.” He picked me up and carried me to my new home.
Inside, he lay me gently on the mattress and sat next to me. “I guess you’re no longer my assignment.”
“Told you so.”
He cupped my face. “I liked watching over you.”
“What will you do now?” I could barely keep my eyes open. “Stay or go?”
“Sweetheart, assignment or not, I’m staying with you.”
I smiled and closed my eyes.
22
The next morning, a young girl appeared at our shack letting us know that Jenkins wanted to give us our job assignments. I groaned and climbed out of bed, every movement pulling against my stitches.
“I’ll help you.” Lloyd waited outside, putting his arm around me. “Take tiny steps.”
“I appreciate your help, but you’re wounded, too.”
“These scars make me proud. It isn’t every day I find myself beaten by a wisp of a girl.” He grinned.
Fawke moved to my other side, sending the older man a sharp look. “I’ve got her.”
“Right.” Lloyd stepped away. “I forgot she’s your girl, but I’m not looking to step on any toes. I’m old enough to be her father. Heck, maybe even her grandfather.”
“Which is why I beat you.” I wiggled my eyebrows. “You’re an old man.”
“Cheeky.” He laughed and headed for the center of the community, leaving my group to follow to where Jenkins waited.
Applause greeted us as people spilled from their homes. Joy bubbled. It seemed like forever since I had a home. Mom would love this place.
“Rebel City welcomes it’s new members.” Jenkins’s voice rose over the noise. “Worthy people joining our ranks. Fighters, young women, strong men. We are blessed indeed.”
I smirked. Now, he wants to show how worthy we are. Yesterday, he was willing for one of us to die.
“Crynn, Fawke, I’d like the two of you to be in charge of training warriors once Crynn is fully healed. Kira will join our nurses. The other young women will work in the gardens, the men with our livestock until the fight we all know is coming is upon us. Do you accept these assignments?”
We all nodded. If everyone felt the same as me, they’d do almost anything to live within the safety of this place.
When we were dismissed, the group dispersed except for me and Fawke. He led me to a bench outside my new home and helped me sit.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine. Just sore.” I met his concerned gaze. “You’re okay with all this? I know how much you wanted to return home.”
He sat next to me. “I’ve done a lot of thinking.” He spread his arms behind me on the top of the bench. “When Soriah comes and we win the battle, all of our people will be free. We can bring our mothers here.”
“Is winning against Soriah really something we can do? They have choppers, more weapons than we do.” I shook my head. “I don’t see us being alive once they arrive.”
“Don’t bury us yet. It’ll be hard to spot us under these trees. Remember, they all think we’re dead.”
“We could take a small group back to the city and scavenge. Soriah will replace us. We can take their weapons to add to the arsenal here.” Ideas formed in my mind. Fawke might be right. We were trained fighters. How many did Soriah actually have within its city walls?
“You’d go back out there?”
“If it meant winning, yes.” I watched a little boy hit a wooden ball with a stick. “This life is worth preserving. No more trackers, no more president consumed with making his life easier, no more girls being sent to the entertainment district or eighteen-year-olds fighting Malignants.”
“What would we do for a living in this new world you’re dreaming of?” He pulled my head onto his shoulder.
“Whatever we want.” I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep, not waking until my stomach rumbled.
Kira brought me more of the foul-tasting medicine and a plate with meat and vegetables. “Venison and carrots.” She glanced at Fawke. “I should have known you’d be with her. I’ll bring another plate.”
“Thanks.”
“I’ll gain ten pounds in no time the way they feed us.” I bit into a carrot.
“Good. You’re too skinny.” He ducked as I aimed a playful punch at him.
“Ouch.” No sudden moves for me. I quickly downed the medicine, then covered the taste with the venison. I picked up another carrot. “We had a small garden back home, but nothing grew like this. I wonder what their secret is.”
“Venison manure.” Jenkins stopped next to us. “It puts nutrients into the soil. We also have a compost pile. Nothing goes to waste here. Will you excuse us, Fawke? I promise to watch over her and have someone fetch you when we’ve finished our discussion.”
Fawke gave a wary nod, clearly reluctant to leave. Still, he’d been trained to respect authority and marched away without a word.
“That young man would die for you,” Jenkins said.
“When I arrived, I was his assignment. He can’t seem to let that go.”
“Dear girl, he loves you. That’s why he hovers.”
Was it possible? Now that he wouldn’t be leaving me in two years, could we have a future together? I didn’t dare hope. The future was still too uncertain. “What did you want to discuss?”
“I must confess to eavesdropping.” He didn’t look embarrassed in the least. “I agree that we need more weapons. Soriah will come, eventually. If you’re serious about heading back to the city to steal from those Soriah sends, then I’m in agreement.”
“I am serious.” I set my empty plate on the ground. “The problem, though, is that Soriah sent us things the newcomers don’t get to choose. Flamethrowers are not in the supply room.”
“Guns will do. I’ve heard a rumor, oh, it’s been a long time ago,” he waved a dismissive hand, “about an underground armory somewhere in that city. I’d like your group to find out if it exists.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Where would we begin?”
“The outskirts. There used to be an army base before Soriah built the wall.”
“Why did you send Fawke away to tell me this?”
“It’ll be dangerous. I didn’t want him to influence your decision.”
I widened my eyes. “This isn’t a direct order?”
He laughed. “I suppose it is. I value your opinion and wanted to hear your thoughts.”
“How will we get supplies?” We’d have no weekly supply drops.
“We’ll get supplies to you. Leave a trail of R’s on buildings as you go. I’ll send men out on a regular basis. I’m asking this of you and yours because you’ve lived out there. You know what it takes to survive.”
I nodded. I’d take my original seven, which included me. “When?”
“As soon as you’re physically able.” He stood and waved Fawke over. “I’ll leave it up to you to let your group know.”
Fawke frowned when I told him. “So much for the easy life.”
“Someday.” I smiled and gazed through the trees surrounding this place. “We’ll go back to traveling at
night. If a chopper spots us, we’ll be finished.”
“Spotting that chopper will get us needed supplies.”
“Not much. How many can Soriah have sent so far? One or two?”
“Unless the wheel is rigged to land on black more often.” His expression grew grave. “They’ll want Stalkers to clear the way for scavengers. I wouldn’t put it past them to cheat.”
Neither would I. I glanced around the place I wanted to stay. The thought of heading out scared me more than I let Jenkins know. “You’ll resume the leadership role. I don’t want it. You’re more qualified anyway.”
He put his arm around me. “Why not lead together? Feel up to hunting up the others and giving them the bad news?”
“Yes. The nap did me good.”
He stood and helped me to my feet. “Take a while to heal, okay? I like the food here.”
I laughed. “I’ll take as long as possible.”
Ezra cursed and threw his plate upon hearing the news. “I wanted to find me a woman and settle down.”
“The sooner we find the base, the sooner we can return,” I said, putting a hand on his arm. “You know that city better than anyone. I’m counting on you.”
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t go.” His eyes flashed. “I’ll draw up a map of possible sites. It won’t be an easy task. The place will have traps. We’ll lose people.”
I hoped not. “We’re only taking seven, but I hope to find others along the way. We can do this.”
He nodded, glancing at Fawke. “I know.”
We continued on, telling the others of our new mission. Gage pouted and slumped against a wall. “I’d hoped never to go out there again. Why me?”
“Because I want those with me who can fight and won’t run screaming at the first sight of a Malignant. Any new Stalkers will be scared out of their minds. We can’t let them perish for Soriah’s sake.” I remember the fear that flooded through me on my first day.
“You didn’t say anything about hunting for Stalkers,” Fawke said.
“You disagree?”
“No. The more we can take from Cane, the better.”
Dante, Moses, and Kira accepted the new assignment, nodding in resignation. “I knew a new life was too good to be true,” Kira said. “When do we leave?”
“Once I’m healed.”
“Then no more medicine for you.” She grinned. “And half rations.”
“Let’s not go that far.” I smiled. “It’ll be at least a week or two. Plenty of time for us to gain strength.”
“I’m going to spend some time with a girl.” Dante stormed away.
“Sounds like a good plan.” Moses followed him.
Kira shook her head. “That’s all they talk about. I’ll make sure we have plenty of medical supplies. The wagons?”
“We’ll need them.” I’d see about getting back all of our supplies. The more protected we were, the better our chances of survival.
“Let’s get you back.” Fawke led me home.
I’d miss this little shack and the safety of the trees. The air clear of the stench of Malignants and gas fires. Anger burned in my chest. “I hate this.”
“Our sacrifice might be what keeps Rebel City safe.” Fawke drew me close. “These people would never be allowed to live if Soriah found them. The children would grow up in orphanages and take their turn someday at the wheel.”
“I’m not a hero, Fawke. I’m an eighteen-year-old that wants to grow old with a family around my bed when I die. I want to see my mother again.”
“This may be the only chance for that future you dream of.”
“Always the voice of reason.” I pulled back and stared into his face. “Why not rant and rave against all this like I do?”
“It doesn’t serve any purpose. Jenkins said go, so we go. We’re soldiers, Crynn. We do as ordered.”
I liked that title better than stalker. “Sometimes, I need to throw a pity party. I’ll be fine by the time we leave.” Already my mind filled with all the things we needed to do. Things to gather.
A familiar sound reached my ears. I lifted my head and stared upward. A chopper flew low over the trees.
“It can’t see us.” Fawke put a hand on me to stop me from bolting into the house. “The trees are too thick. The shacks are built to blend in, that’s why the roofs are covered with dead grass.”
“Soriah is looking for us.”
“I’m sure they’re looking for dead bodies, not live ones. Without our trackers, we’re dead.”
I wanted to believe him. Instead, my heart lodged in my throat. “We’ll be sitting ducks when we leave here.”
“Again, they won’t know it’s us.” Concern crossed his face despite his words.
I’d rather face Malignants than any high-level person from Soriah after finding out we still lived.
23
I let myself heal for a week. On the last day, I strolled the path through the center of the community, branding it into my memory. This place already felt more like home than Soriah ever had.
Folks smiled and waved, not worrying over their next meal or their child turning eighteen. Children played with abandon. We hadn’t seen another sign of a helicopter, but worry ate at my mind like a flesh-eating bug.
I hunted up my group who were gathered by the wagons. “Is everything here?”
“Yes.” Fawke nodded. “Everything they took has been returned. We have chalk to mark our path. Without that, no supplies.”
“Weapons?”
“All here. Don’t worry, Crynn. I’ve got this handled.” He smiled.
“Medical?” I still had to check.
“Right here.” Kira slapped the top of a box. “More than we had before.”
Jenkins must think we’d need the supplies. That thought didn’t calm my nerves at all.
“They’re having a feast tonight to see us off,” Dante said. “I get one more night with my girl.”
“I’ve seen you with a pretty brunette.” I smiled, praying he’d see her again after tomorrow. I also prayed we’d find the underground bunker of weapons quickly and be able to return. I didn’t relish another month or more in the city.
“Here’s the map I’ve drawn up.” Ezra laid a large smooth plank on top of one of the crates. “I used charcoal to draw Xs where I think a bunker could be. I don’t think it’ll be in the center city, but on the outskirts.” He glanced at me. “Which makes us more visible to any choppers flying overhead.”
“Unless we see a drop, we travel at night.” I studied the map. Three possible places, all miles apart from each other. The base might not have been at any of them.
“Everything ready?” Jenkins approached.
“Looks that way.” I turned to greet him.
“Bring back anyone willing to come with you,” he said. “Get rid of the others.”
“I won’t kill anyone just because they don’t want to come to Rebel City.” I crossed my arms. “But, I will make sure we can trust them before revealing this place.”
“Things would be easier, Crynn, if you followed orders as easily as the others.” His lips twitched.
Fawke laughed. “I guarantee, you’ll never meet anyone more stubborn than this woman.”
“I’ve figured that out.”
“They also won’t be forced to fight for their life in order to stay.” I would not be dissuaded. “If they stick with us long enough to get here, they’ll have earned the right.” I might be overstepping my boundaries, but fighting to prove your worth was barbaric.
“Relax. I’m not going to argue with you.” Jenkins grinned. “See you all at the feast.” He continued down the path.
“You’re as bossy with him as you were with Sharon,” Dante said. “Both very dangerous people to cross.”
I shrugged. “I won’t be forced into doing something wrong.” Satisfied my group had everything under control, I headed back to the house I shared with the other women.
“We’ll go with you,” Riva said. “All you
have to do is ask.”
“I appreciate that, but the group needs to be small. The risks are too great.” I started packing my few possessions.
“But, you intend on growing your group out there.”
“Yes, another reason to start off small. We have to keep from being seen if at all possible.” I zipped up my pack. “Enjoy the safety of this place. Your time to fight will come again.” And the fight will be more important than any other. We’d be fighting for our future.
As the sky darkened, a large fire was built in the community center. A deer roasted on a pit, filling the air with an aroma so wonderful, my stomach growled. Platters of vegetables and bread made from nuts sat on a wooden table. Every person a part of the community gathered around, smiles gracing their faces.
Jenkins stepped on a sawed-off stump. “People of Rebel City, history is about to be made. This group of warriors will set out in the morning to find the weapons we need to fight Soriah. This is a battle we will win by the grace of the Supreme Being. Keep Crynn and her group in your nightly prayers for their safe return, not only with the weapons, but with additional fighters.”
He handed me a metal box. “Three flare guns. We will come if called, but use them sparingly. They’re all we have.”
“Thank you.” We wouldn’t be as alone out there as I’d thought. Help would come.
Cheers rose around us as everyone raised their cup of water in a toast.
“Let’s feast!” Jenkins cut the first slice of venison and handed it to me. “Come back safely, Little Girl. This community needs you and your group.”
I stood as vegetables and bread joined the meat on my plate. Being waited on, hailed, made me uncomfortable. I preferred staying in the background. How my life had changed with the spin of a giant wheel.
After a few restless hours of sleep, I woke and stepped outside. We’d leave in the middle of the night, stopping to camp in the morning before leaving the safety of the trees.
Fawke sat in front of his house. “Couldn’t sleep?”
The Wheel: A Young Adult Dystopian Novel (Nightfall Book 1) Page 14