Forever Winter Box Set (Books 5 - 8): A Future Dystopian Survival Series Adventure

by KM Fortune

  Raven lifted her chin and stared the man down. “It has been a hard few days of travel. Not all of us have the luxury of zipping around in little carts,” she said, trying hard to sound more confident than she felt. The fact she was about to step in to see the leader of what everyone she had met on the wasteland called the forbidden city was not lost on her. If the person was even half as wicked as his reputation, she would need to have nerves of steel to get what she needed. The guard tilted his head at her and finally smiled.

  "That's more like it," he said as he turned to press a button for the intercom on the wall. "We never like to disappoint the man. Bad for your health." There was a short crackle from the speaker, but then Raven heard who she had to assume was The Duke.

  "Come on in," he said and Raven was surprised to hear a hint of drawl and even some playfulness in his tone. She was expecting something more sinister, and as the guard swung the doors open to admit her entrance, Raven was more than a little curious about meeting the infamous character waiting for her. It did not take long. Standing across a huge room, which did, in fact, have a white baby grand piano to one side, was a tall, lanky man. With his back to her, Raven had a chance to study him for a second. He wore jeans and cowboy boots, a leather vest and no visible weapons. It was all topped off with a broad white cowboy hat. He was not what she expected. And what was I expecting? she thought. An ogre? After clones and mutants, The Duke was almost a disappointment. He’s just some old cowboy. Then he turned and looked at her, and she understood. Although his hair was white and he wore a broad mustache, which covered much of his mouth, he was remarkably handsome. Most especially appealing though were his twinkling blue eyes.

  "Well now," he said as he took in the sight of Raven. "You are a bit unexpected." A hint of a smile played across his face, and Raven could feel the charisma shimmering off him. A movie star, Raven thought. It was the first thing which had popped into her mind. Or at least he would have been.

  "I have to say the same about you," Raven replied. This elicited a laugh from her new host, and he strode across the room to a stand behind a full bar lining one wall. The shelves were filled with liquor bottles, and Raven knew the inventory would have to be worth an absolute fortune. In a land where water was a commodity, old world alcohol would be liquid gold.

  “I like you already,” he said and waved a hand over his supply of options. “Come on over here and let me make you a treat.” Raven shook her head, both at his offer and the surreal feeling washing over her.

  “I don’t usually drink before the sun comes up,” she said with a smile, but when she saw the pleasant expression on The Duke’s face falter a bit at her refusal, Raven realized his offer had not been optional. I doubt many of his offers are optional, she thought and moved toward the bar. "Although I have been known to drink a Bloody Mary before noon from time-to-time." The Duke's eyes widened at her answer, and he chuckled.

  “Well listen to you,” he said. “A Bloody Mary! You know I could parade a hundred people through here, no, check that, a thousand people, and none of them would know what that is.” He shook his head and pulled two glasses from under the counter. “In fact, aside from you and me, I don’t know if anyone in this forsaken world knows.” He took a bottle of vodka from the shelf and started to pour a shot of it into the two glasses. “One problem though. I’m fresh out of tomato juice. Among other things.” Finished, he pushed one of the glasses toward where Raven stood at the counter. “So this will have to do.”

  Raven eyed the drink warily. She could not recall if she was much of a drinker in her past life, but regardless she knew swallowing the vodka after not eating much for days would hit her stomach like a bomb. Stalling for time, she picked up the glass and held it out to The Duke. "To new friends," she toasted. The Duke gave her a charming half-smile, which Raven had no doubt won over many a foe.

  "To new friends," he repeated, and they touched glasses. Raven watched as the man slugged back the alcohol, keeping his blue eyes on her while he did it. With no choice, Raven tipped the liquid fire in the glass into her mouth and swallowed. It burned, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her wince. Sudden warmth bloomed in her stomach, not at all unpleasant actually, and she smiled as she set the glass back on the bar. "Another?" The Duke asked, holding up the bottle. Raven forced a laugh.

  “Later?” she asked. “I would like to chat first.” Then she decided to push her luck. “Maybe over breakfast? I don't suppose they have room service here?” Again The Duke chuckled, clearly amused by her.

  "Oh, we most definitely have room service. Well, at least I do. Let me guess, Eggs Benedict?" he asked. Raven had a sense he was testing her and her knowledge.

  Raven raised an eyebrow. “Only if your chef can make a good Hollandaise sauce,” she answered. “Otherwise it's just a disappointment.” The Duke tilted back his head and laughed.

  "Perfect!" he exclaimed. Leaving the bar, he went to the intercom by the door. Raven heard him ordering food while she drifted away from the bar and to the giant floor to ceiling windows. The feeble sun was rising over the snowy landscape, and she was able to see the rest of the city. Most of the buildings were heavily damaged, but a central section looked refurbished. Lights still glittered but otherwise, things were quiet. I wonder where they are keeping Blaze and the others? she thought and turned back to the room to ask about her friends. She saw The Duke was standing near the door watching her. She could not read his expression, but regardless it made her uncomfortable. Swallowing her fear, she stepped away from the window. The movement made her dizzy, and she knew it was the alcohol. Not good, she thought. I hope the food gets her quick. Taking a deep breath, she refocused on the things she needed.

  “I am looking for some friends of mine,” she began. “They were picked up tonight by your men I believe.”

  “Really?” The Duke asked as he went to one of the large, leather couches and plopped down, stretching his long legs out in front of him. “How many?”

  Raven pursed her lips. Good question, she thought. How many did I see from the hill? Four? Not to mention Kit. Raven was not sure if she had been captured. Betting Kit was too sly to be caught, she went with her gut. “Four. One in particular with red hair,” she said and then decided to risk appealing to the man's obvious flare for entertainment. “They don't know I'm here,” she explained. “And it will be fun to surprise them.”

  The Duke nodded and got up to go back to the intercom. He pushed the button. When his henchman responded, The Duke asked if they had anyone new in Holding. After a pause, where Raven held her breath, the guard replied. “Four,” he said. The Duke nodded and looked at Raven.

  "Anybody with red hair?" he asked. There was another pause while Raven assumed the guard was radioing to get the information. Finally, the intercom crackled again.

  “Yes, sir,” said the guard.

  The Duke grinned. “Well, send them up,” he said and walked away from the speaker to go back to the bar. Raven watched him grab the vodka bottle again and pour two more drinks. “We can have another while we wait,” he said. “To celebrate. I always love happy reunions.” Unable to think of a way to refuse, Raven joined him.

  CHAPTER 13

  Matthew rode in the rickety elevator with the others. The sensation did not bother him. Back in the underground colony, he and his brethren had moved between levels using lifts similar to this one. Unfortunately, he could not say the same for his three companions. Although the twins seemed to be enjoying it after the initial jolt, Blaze was distinctly pale. It was just as well. Back where they were being held, the fiery-tempered man had grown more and more agitated as each minute passed. When guards finally came for them, there was almost a confrontation, but when it was evident they would happily put Blaze or any of them into restraints if necessary, Blaze had come along somewhat willingly. Now it was just a matter of waiting to see what was next.

  After a minute, the car dinged to a stop, and the doors opened. In front of him were two more da
ngerous looking men and a set of white French doors. After a quick exchange over the intercom, which apparently announced their arrival, both doors were pushed open to reveal a huge, lavishly decorated room. "Welcome to the penthouse," one of the guards said and waved them forward. Matthew, a bit in awe at the spectacle of so much extravagance in one place, walked through the doors. Blaze and the twins were right behind him. There were multiple white leather couches, a well-stocked bar to the left, and a piano to the right. Floor to ceiling windows lined the far wall. Matthew's eyes were drawn to the view and the figure standing with her back to them. She was dressed in furs and leather boots, yet something about her was familiar. Then his eyes widened. "Raven?" he asked as he stepped forward toward the woman. She turned and then he saw his guess was confirmed. The green eyes, the short dark hair, the fair skin. She was even more beautiful than he remembered.

  “Whoa there, compadre,” said another voice and Matthew drug his eyes away from Raven’s face to see a tall man in a white cowboy hat leaning against the end of the bar. Matthew had not noticed him at first, his senses overwhelmed by everything else. Now he studied the stranger. His face was smiling a welcome, but his eyes were full of malice. He reminds me of Samuel, Matthew immediately thought. This man is dangerous.

  Blaze was not so patient, and once he realized it was Raven, he pushed past Matthew to go to her. He had thought of her almost constantly since the day she was ripped from him, and to see she was not only alive but well, filled his heart with relief. Before he made it halfway across the room, the lanky stranger stepped into his path. Blaze angrily looked up into the man's face, but the danger Blaze saw there gave him pause. The blue eyes were still and cold, with a promise of pain should Blaze take another step. Only when Raven laughed did the situation ease. "Blaze!" she exclaimed, sounding strange to Blaze's ears. "It's so good to see you!" Blaze flicked his eyes over to the woman, concerned at the slight slur of her words. Is she drunk? he thought, knowing the signs from his own experience after too many sips of Brody’s bad wine.

  “Raven?” Blaze asked. “Are you alright?”

  "Fine, fine," she said with a wave. "But let me make introductions. Blaze, Matthew, this is my new friend, The Duke." Blaze looked back at the stranger and saw a small, almost smug smile play across his face. Suddenly, Blaze wanted nothing more than to punch him in the mouth, but before he could act, the twins came closer.

  “Well, aren’t you going to introduce us?” Toby asked.

  “Seriously, it’s the least you can do after all we’ve been through,” Brody added. Blaze puffed out a breath and stepped back from The Duke. He nodded toward the two blonde men with him.

  “Raven, this is Toby and Brody,” he said. Raven immediately walked to them and held out her hand in greeting.

  “A pleasure,” she said with exaggerated enthusiasm. As they took turns shaking her hand Blaze saw her look around and her face fell. “But where’s Willow? And the others?” Blaze was about to explain when Matthew decided to butt in.

  “They stayed back with the people beside the lake. It was where we were before deciding to come here and find you,” he said. Raven’s face filled with relief and she went to Matthew’s side and laid a hand on his shoulder.

  "It's good to see you, Matthew," Raven said softly. Matthew smiled at her, and for the second time in less than a minute, Blaze wanted to punch someone in the face. Apparently, The Duke was not thrilled with the gesture either and clapped his hands in forced amusement.

  “Well then, now that we’ve all said our hellos, it's time for another round of drinks,” he announced. Blaze watched Raven shake her head.

  “Oh no, I could not possibly. I’ll be asleep on the floor if I drink anything else before the food gets here,” she said. The Duke only chuckled as he moved behind the bar and pulled out four more glasses.

  “Now, Raven. Don’t be a downer,” he said as he poured. “We need to toast again. More new friends.” When he was finished, he set down the bottle and motioned for everyone to come over. The twins were quick to oblige and grabbed their glasses. Matthew, with Raven still beside him, went to the bar as well. Only Blaze hung back. There was nothing about The Duke he liked or wanted to become friendlier with and he did not trust the man for even a second. The Duke saw his hesitation. “Come on now, son,” The Duke said. “That’s no way to start a friendship. Drink with us.” Blaze gritted his teeth as everyone looked back at him expectantly. How do they not see through this man? Blaze thought.

  "Join us, Blaze," Raven said softly. Blaze looked at her, and they met eyes. Even through the blur of alcohol in them, he saw goodness there, but also strength and determination. He realized even though she was tipsy, there was already a plan in motion. I just have to trust her and not screw this up, he thought and walked forward to pick up his glass.

  BOOK 8 - CONCURRENCE

  CHAPTER 1

  Willow waited. She was still as a stone and camouflaged in some snow-covered brush near the edge of the road which led to the Great Cave's main gate. Morning sunlight was climbing over the horizon, and she only hoped it would translate to some activity. I just need one man to come along, maybe even two would work, she thought. Any more than that and she would have to just let them pass on by.

  Her new plan was simple. She needed to get the drop on a resident of the Great Cave and take him hostage. Then she could use the man to help her gain access to the fortress in the mountain. Willow's original idea of using one of the other escape entrances as means to get in had failed. All of the passages were either heavily secured with chains and locks so she had no way to open or cut through, otherwise they were guarded by armed soldiers. Unwilling to give up, she snuck down the mountain and initially found a spot where she could watch the activity of the residents coming and going out of their main point of access. Sneaking in through that means was out of the question. Even with a dozen armed fighters, storming the main gate would be difficult if not impossible. The large metal doors appeared impenetrable and only swung open briefly when a group of soldiers or a vehicle was going in or out. In the few minutes the gate was open, Willow had glimpsed inside. From a distance, it was hard to make out many details, but she did see a number of men in the black and gray. She had no doubt they were armed or had weapons nearby. The place was secure, and there would be no easy access. So, she had moved further away down the road, found a curve where the men at the gate could not see anything which might happen there, and waited for someone to come out.

  If they were in a vehicle and she could be sure there were only one or two occupants, she knew she would have to act fast. With the rifle Emilia had given her when she left, Willow planned to shoot out a tire. When the jeep crashed, she would race over, get a drop on whoever was inside and take them as her prisoner. Once she led them a safe distance away, the interrogation would begin. Willow needed information. In the least, she wanted to know if there was a less guarded gate or a secret door which could be opened. If at all possible, Willow also wanted to ask about Mouse and get any details she could as to the little girl's health and whereabouts. It seemed unlikely a soldier would have information about the child, but Willow did not give up hope. After surviving the trek alone through the mountains, literally without mishap or wolves, she was feeling lucky.

  GABRIEL HAD MADE UP his mind. As he walked to the colony's motor pool carrying his pack and a rifle, he decided to make the trip to the forbidden city alone. He knew Samuel wanted him to go with a squad of men and take the female from them by force, but Gabriel thought the approach was too aggressive. Although the old soldier had never stepped foot in the nest of sin and damnation to the north, he knew from reports it was well fortified and filled with armed men. Gabriel was convinced a single person, an emissary of sorts, would fare better. Especially since Gabriel had filled his pack with what he hoped would be worthy trade goods. He did not fool himself to think the female would come at a cheap price. Although he had never seen the witch in the flesh, the rumor was she was a ravishing s
eductress. Considering the way she had tricked the scientist into helping her escape as well as seeming able to convince strangers, even cat mutants, to risk their lives for her, Gabriel thought the description might be accurate.

  Gabriel reached the motor pool and put his rifle and pack inside the closest one. It was an open-air two-seater, which would make for a cold ride, but they were quick across the snowy wasteland, and he was in a hurry. Samuel would not be patient with this assignment. If Gabriel did not return with the female post haste, the man would dispatch another group. Gabriel slipped into the driver's seat as a soldier stepped up beside the vehicle and saluted. Gabriel returned it and then took the clipboard the man held out for him to sign. Once the jeep was checked out, he started it up and drove to the main gate. More soldiers saluted him there while the thick metal doors slowly swung outward. Once they were open, Gabriel zipped up his parka to his chin, pulled his hood up, and then drove forward. He was happy to note it was not snowing and the sun was up enough to see easily. Hopefully, this will make for an quick trip, he thought as he pushed the gas pedal and rumbled out of the colony.

  KIT CREPT WITH INFINITE slowness across the snow and rock-strewn landscape leading up to the fence around the forbidden city. Moving from the shadow of one boulder or bush to another, she used her dark cloak to hide in plain sight from the men in the watchtowers all along the perimeter. After a complete trip around the enclosed part of the city, Kit had determined this spot was the best to try and sneak in. She would have preferred to wait until dusk, but concern for her friends forced her hand. She just had to hope the men in the towers, who still had not changed shifts from what she could tell, were sleepy and not paying much attention after being on duty all night. The foot patrols and dogs who passed occasionally along inside the perimeter were a whole different problem, but Kit knew the best approach was to take things one at a time. First, she needed to get inside the city undetected. Then she could use her cunning and sharp weapons to go from there.