“I can and I will,” Pascal said.
Reid blew out a steadying breath and aimed at Pascal’s back, ready to shoot through the chair if he had to.
“But first, I want to know something,” Pascal said. “Tell me, Justine. How have you been able to live with yourself knowing all this food is here? All this plenty, and a whole world of people out there who never have enough.”
“What do you want me to say?” Justine said. “That I’m sorry? That I felt bad about it? If I apologize, will you spare my baby?”
“What I don’t understand,” Pascal said, “is the rationale for not sharing this food with the rest of the world. It makes no sense. The more you share, the more there will be.”
“Our bounty is not meant to be shared.” An older woman stepped forward, addressing Pascal. “Heavenly Father meant it for His chosen. We’re to keep it hidden until the time is right to take it into the world again.”
“Oh, the time is right, Sister Odekirk. That’s why I’m here,” Pascal said. “To spread the seeds to the rest of the world. The time has come. In fact, it’s long overdue.”
Could that be true? What if Pascal really wants to spread the seeds to the world? Wouldn’t that be better, even under someone like Pascal?
“You’re wrong,” the woman said. “The time has not come. Not until the world has been cleansed of the wicked and unworthy.”
“The world is full of the wicked. Look at me.” Pascal pushed his chair away from the table and stood, his arms spread wide, presenting a perfect target.
Reid knew he should take the shot, but he hesitated.
“I’m as wicked as they come,” Pascal continued. “Does that mean I’m not worthy of the basic human necessities, like food? What about innocent children like my son? How are they less worthy than your sons and daughters? I say the time has come for this bounty to be delivered into the world, and that’s what I’m going to do. Right after I cut the baby out of Justine’s womb and Brandt watches it die.” Pascal pulled a knife from his belt, grabbed Justine by the arm and yanked her to him.
“Stop!” Reid shouted, rising from his hiding place. He needed time to think, time to process what Pascal had said, time to figure out what to do.
“Reid, no!” Brandt shouted.
The soldiers turned their weapons on Reid, and Pascal’s look of shock transformed into a smile. In that moment, time slowed and Reid saw his life pass before his eyes, the way his patients described it before they died. Only to Reid, it felt like his past was rushing forward, colliding with the present.
“I’m as wicked as they come.”
“You can’t negotiate with him.”
“Once you’ve walked in the sunshine, you can never go back to living in the dark.”
“Bring back seeds. It’s what Brian lived for.”
“It’s for the greater good, son.”
As Pascal pointed his knife at Justine’s belly, Reid understood why his father had made the choice he’d made, why he’d sided with Vega even though it meant an innocent woman would die. And Reid knew what he had to do.
All that’s necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to stand by and do nothing.
Reid wasn’t going to stand by. The greater good wasn’t good enough. He wanted a better good. He wanted hope and goodness and sunshine, even if it was only for a few.
As he pulled the trigger, he said a prayer to a God he didn’t fully believe in.
Please let my aim be true.
Justine screamed. Pascal fell, the knife dropping harmlessly to the ground. Brandt shouted. Shots rang out.
A bullet tore through Reid’s shoulder, sending him reeling. Another shot ripped through his thigh, and he slammed backward into the ground. He cried out in agony, tumbling to his side and curling into himself. He could see the gaping wound in his leg, the femoral artery pumping blood into the morning air. Pascal was dead. But so was he.
There was screaming and shouting, but Reid couldn’t grasp their meaning. The words floated down through the air like flakes of snow.
Stranger.
Prophecy.
Savior.
Death.
The pain was gone. He was bleeding out. He hoped there was a God, because that meant he would soon see Brian, his mother, his father, and Tinker. He let out his breath and closed his eyes. He’d done the right thing. His one regret was Kayla. He’d never told her he loved her.
Epilogue
“How will we know when the time is right to send seeds back into the world?” the new Noah had asked the angel.
“It will come to pass,” the angel had replied, “that a barren woman of your people will travel an arduous road to a glorious red garden to beg God for a child. Her prayer will be heard and, in time, a woman with a baby in her womb will return to your people, followed by a rolling tide of evil that threatens not only the unborn babe but everything you have built. Finally, your fate will lie in the hands of a stranger who will have to choose between saving this baby or saving himself and his own people. If the baby dies, it shall mark the end of your way of life, Noah. But if the baby survives, she shall be a great Prophet and her birth shall mark a new beginning—the time to share God’s bounty with all the earth’s creatures.”
❦❦❦
Manitou Springs, Colorado, eight months later
Reid stood at the top of the hill looking down at his grandparents’ house. He couldn’t tear his gaze from a lone wooden cross planted atop a fresh mound of dirt in the yard.
Who was buried there? The baby? His grandmother? Kayla? All he had to do was go down the hill to find out. But he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
He knew that either Kayla was alive, or she wasn’t, and nothing he did would change that. But as long as he stood there not knowing, there was still the hope, the possibility, she was alive. The moment he knew the truth, he could never go back to not knowing.
He twisted Tinker’s ring on his finger, remembering his promise. It was time.
Steeling his courage, he started the slow walk down the hill. The closer he got, the more he was sure. He wasn’t going to get to keep his promise. It was Kayla’s body in that grave. Kayla’s soul was with Tinker now, and the old man would have spilled Reid’s secret. Or maybe Kayla had already known. Maybe she always knew.
As Reid reached the grave he fell to his knees, tears streaming down his face.
The front door of the house swung open. “Reid?”
He looked up. “Kay?”
“My God, it is you!” Kayla ran to him across the yard.
Reid stood and caught her as she leapt into his arms. “I can’t believe it,” he said, his face buried in her hair.
“I thought I’d never see you again.” She squeezed him hard then looked at him, her eyes flowing with tears, too.
“The baby?” Reid asked, glancing at the grave.
“No, he’s fine. Look,” Kayla gestured to the front door where Reid’s grandmother held a swaddled infant.
“Thank God,” he said, hugging her tighter. “Then who . . . ?”
“Zeke. I guess he was old. One morning he didn’t wake up.”
“I’m sorry,” Reid said, remembering how much that dog had adored her. “I know nothing can replace him, but . . . I did bring you something.”
“Seeds?” she asked.
Reid gestured to the top of the hill where the rest of his travel party waited. There were a couple dozen strong, young men and women, including Brandt and Justine who’d insisted on coming with their baby girl. There were dogs, goats, and chickens. Horses drawing wagons full of grown food. And seeds.
Kayla gasped.
“It’s everything we hoped we’d find, and more,” Reid said. “Except . . .” He looked at his grandmother who had joined them, the baby cradled in her arms.
“Tinker?” she asked.
“I’m so sorry.” More tears filled Reid’s eyes as he pulled Tinker’s ring from his finger and handed it to her.
His grandmother
kissed it and slid it on her finger next to her own ring.
“He loved you,” Reid said. “He loved you both, and he would have loved this baby more than anything.” Reid touched the silky cheek of the baby boy.
“He had a long, full life,” his grandmother said. “And he died making sure this baby would have one, too. That’s the way he would have wanted to go.”
“I promised him something,” Reid said, swallowing hard. He turned to Kayla. “That if I made it home I’d tell you how I feel, Kay. How I’ve always felt. I love you.”
Kayla looked into his eyes and he knew she saw him. Him, not Brian. And she smiled.
Acknowledgements
The “seed” for this book came from a National Public Radio story about the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. My husband heard the story while driving to work and called me to insist I write a book about it. At first I resisted (I do have my own ideas, after all) but once the seed germinated, I couldn’t stop it from growing. So I owe a debt of gratitude to NPR, the “Doomsday Vault,” and my husband, as well as the inventors of cars, radios, and phones. And I greatly appreciate the seemingly infinite supply of seeds-related puns and analogies, though I’m not sure anyone else does.
While any errors in this book are my own, I owe enormous thanks to friends, family, writers, readers, agents, editors, doctors, lawyers, scientists, Mormons, and mentors for their contributions and support. Whether you’re named here or not, you have my gratitude.
Thank you to:
My family: my husband Jody; my sons Kit, Jack, and Duncan; Judy Sawicki; Bill, Nan, & Jessica May; Walt & Margaret Mandeville; Kathy Santelli; Kerry Quirk; and all of the many aunts, in-laws, cousins, and nephews
My critique partners: Todd Fahnestock and Aaron Brown who were with me from beginning to end providing invaluable brainstorming, critical feedback, and encouragement; and the other awesome Sparkling Hammers, Giles Carwyn, Leslie Hedrick, and Morgen Leigh
Early draft readers: Kirsten Akens, Geoff Andersen, Jodi Anderson, Michelle Baker, Trai Cartwright, Ron Cree, Megan Foss, Bonnie Hagan, Debbie Harris, Karen Lin, Tiffany Yates Martin, Chris Myers, Julia Pierce
Beta readers extraordinaire: Aaron Brown and Mandy Houk, for your generosity of time and spirit
Advance Readers: for your support and enthusiasm
Matt Lehman for the tires
Andrea Somberg and Michelle Johnson for believing in the project and in me as a writer
Deb Courtney for being an incredible advisor, reader, critiquer, and supporter
Celebrity casting directors: J. Rose and K. Julia
Friends, colleagues, and mentors at Pikes Peak Writers, Castle Rock Writers, Delve Writing, Superstars Writing Seminars, and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers
Scientists: Kurt Brueske, Derek Buzasi, Jody Mandeville, Geoff McHarg, Brent Morris, Brian Patterson, Heather Preston
Cheyenne Mountain advisors and facilitators: Tom and Michelle Zwally, John Brtis, Susan Luenser, Martin Douglas
Mormon friends from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, who understandably wish to remain unnamed, but whose open sharing of their beliefs was critical in my development of the fictitious Second Noah prophecy and church
And finally, I am beyond grateful for the crew at Parker Hayden Media, in particular my phenomenal editor, Pam McCutcheon, and the incomparable cover designer-slash-everything advisor, LB Hayden.
My greatest thanks go to you, the reader, for reading this book. You have so many books to choose from, and I’m grateful you chose this one. If you enjoyed it, the best way to show the love is to leave a review on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, or Kobo. I would greatly appreciate it (although puppies and cookies are also welcome!), plus it lets other readers know that this is a book they might want to choose, too. Thank you!
To learn more about the Seeds “world” and the science behind it, please visit ChrisMandeville.com.
About the Author
* * *
After growing up in California and graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, Chris married a U.S. Air Force officer and moved from state to state, as well as to British Columbia, before settling in Colorado. She now lives in the woods of the Rocky Mountains with her husband, three sons, her service dog Finn, and a small collection of cats and foster dogs. Chris is proud to have served for more than ten years on Pikes Peak Writers’ Board of Directors, five of those years as president, and she remains an active volunteer in the nonprofit sector helping writers, military families, and service dogs. Chris is a writer of science fiction and fantasy, as well as nonfiction books for writers, including 52 Ways to Get Unstuck: Exercises to Break Through Writer’s Block. For information about her books, upcoming events, tips for writers, and answers to “Frequently Asked Questions” about Seeds: a post-apocalyptic adventure, visit chrismandeville.com.
Also by Chris Mandeville
a nonfiction book for writers
Writers get stuck, but now they don’t have to stay that way. This creative and comprehensive guide to overcoming writer’s block is chock-full of innovative exercises, anecdotes, and advice from dozens of authors. It also includes practical “life prep” lessons to keep writers from becoming stuck in the first place. It’s indispensable for all working writers-from newbies to pros. Want to get unstuck and stay that way? This book shows you how.
Praise for 52 Ways:
“Both practical and inspiring, Chris Mandeville’s 52 Ways is sure to become a writer’s go-to guide for getting unstuck.” — #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Susan Wiggs
“This book goes beyond the old standbys, offering unique and creative ideas for thwarting writer’s block.” — Bob Mayer, author of The Novel Writer’s Toolkit: From Idea to Bestseller
“Chris Mandeville’s 52 Ways to Get Unstuck is mental WD-40 for the working writer. If you’ve ever been stuck—and who hasn’t?—you need this book!” — NY Times Bestseller Vicki Lewis Thompson
“As a firm believer that quality writing can be taught—and learned—I found this book a superb addition to the canon of top-notch guides for both new and practicing authors. It’s lucid, insightful and a joy to read.” — Jeffery Deaver, international #1 bestselling author
“Finally, a how-to book for writers that doesn’t rehash all the familiar exercises. Chris Mandeville has not only filled the pages with tangible ways to break through your crippling moments, but also backed them up with anecdotes from other writers who’ve put them to work. If you want to know what professional writers do for mental detox to get their creative juices flowing, 52 Ways to Get Unstuck is your source.” — Wendy Burt-Thomas, author of The Writer’s Digest Guide to Query Letters and The Everything Creative Writing Book
“A clear, concise, sometimes humorous, step-by-step guide to solving every writer’s nemesis . . . writer’s block.” — Elizabeth Sinclair, author of The Dreaded Synopsis
“Clear, concise, and packed with useful tips. Whether you’re facing writer’s block for the first time or the fiftieth, Chris Mandeville will help you find a way around it. Highly recommended!” — Nancy Atherton, NY Times bestselling author of the Aunt Dimity mystery series
“Chris Mandeville’s 52 Ways to Get Unstuck is a must have for every writer’s resource library.” — New York Times bestseller Dianna Love
“There are a ton of great suggestions in Chris Mandeville’s 52 Ways to Get Unstuck. Writers, who need all the help they can get, get that help right here! Highly recommended.” — Eric Maisel, Secrets of a Creativity Coach
“Buyer beware: Mandeville will deftly dismantle every excuse you’ve ever used to not write.” — Warren Hammond, Colorado Book Award-winning author of KOP Killer
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