by KM Fortune
IT WAS THE SIGNAL RAVEN was waiting for and she popped the clutch, sending the large vehicle lurching forward as bullets ricocheted off of the hood and cracked a hole into the windshield. This is going to be close, she thought and pressed the accelerator to the floor. Just as the truck started to pick up momentum, the passenger door of the cab opened and a man in gray and black fatigues jumped inside. Knowing her first priority was to get the group out of the camp, Raven kept the truck going and blasted through a smaller huddle of soldiers as she headed for the road. Expecting to see a gun pointed at her at any second, she glanced over at the soldier beside her. The man was simply staring at her. His hair was shaved short and his face only had a hint of stubble, but there was something familiar about him. Something about the kindness of his eyes. “Raven?” the soldier said. Suddenly Raven recognized the voice, but at the same time could not believe it. Driving with her foot slammed down on the accelerator and trying to navigate the rough dirt road which led to the highway, Raven could only steal another quick look at the man. It’s impossible, she thought. But if I take away the beard and long hair... could it be?
“Matthew?” she asked with doubt in her voice. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the man smile.
“Yes,” he said. “I can’t believe I found you.” Raven blinked still not quite able to understand what was happening but feeling elation in her heart. The man who revived her, who rescued her, and saved her life, was alive and somehow in the passenger seat beside her.
I can’t believe it either, she thought and turned the truck onto the highway.
CHAPTER 13
MATTHEW FELT THE TRUCK shudder and watched the steam waft from under the hood as they slowly rolled to a stop. Luckily they had made it at least a few miles away from the Patrols’ camp. He had been watching the passenger mirror closely and so far seen no one following. “Well, I guess that is that,” Raven said. “One of the bullets must have clipped the radiator as we were leaving.”
Matthew nodded. “Sounds logical,” he said and looked at her. Even though she was sitting only a few feet from him, he could hardly believe she was here. He had thought of her always. Even when the new recruit training with the Patrols threatened to break him, he drew strength from her memory. He knew she would be strong in the face of conflict and so he forced himself to be courageous as well. Now, after seeing her in action, he realized how very right he was in his thinking. She is incredible, he thought. Strong. Brave. Smart. There were a million things he wanted to ask her. So many things he wanted to say. Yet suddenly he felt almost shy. Has she even thought of me? he wondered but then shook his head. He knew she had spent the weeks since she left the colony trying to survive in the harshest of environments. It would be insane to have worried about him. As if reading his thoughts, Raven glanced his way.
“I can’t believe you are here,” she said. “I wished for it but never thought it could happen.” Matthew felt his heart beat faster and opened his mouth to tell her the same when there was a bang on the screen between the cab and the back of the truck. Raven’s eyes widened, and she put her finger to her lips to silence him.
“What’s going on?” a man’s voice called from behind the screen. “Why did we stop?”
“The truck died,” Raven called back. “We will have to walk from here.” Matthew heard the man curse in frustration. “I think we are okay,” Raven reassured him. “We’re only about a mile from the rally point and I’ve not seen any sign of them following us.”
“Okay,” said the man. “Everyone out of the truck. We walk from here.” Matthew realized the stranger was addressing others in the back and for the first time understood he was possibly in danger. A group of human nomads would have nothing but resentment toward him. Perhaps even rage. He looked to Raven and could see apprehension on her face too.
“Stay behind me,” she whispered and opened the door to climb out of the truck. With no other options, Matthew followed suit.
WHEN WILLOW SAW THE man in the black and gray uniform standing behind Raven, every memory she had of loved ones killed or taken by the Patrols flashed through her mind. She immediately knew the soldier was holding a gun on Raven and it was the only thing which kept her from flinging herself at the throat of her sworn enemy. She sensed everyone in her group stiffen as they also recognized the threat and waited for the next move. Suddenly, in a blur, Kit was moving, her knife out and racing toward Raven and the soldier. Even in the moment, Willow was amazed at her fearless quickness. She watched, expecting Raven to slip to the side in time with Kit’s movement, and was stunned when Raven held up her hands to ward off the attack.
“No!” Raven cried. “No, Kit. He’s a friend.” Willow watched as the complete unexpectedness of Raven’s statement stopped Kit in her tracks. The small girl pulled up just inches from Raven’s waist and looked up at her with eyes wide. She shook her head no. Raven nodded back at her. “Yes, Kit. I mean it. This is Matthew. He is not like the others.”
“Liar!” Willow heard Twig yell and turned to see the teenager lunge forward with a large rock in his hands. “You killed my pa!” he said. Raven stepped into Twig’s path.
“No, Twig. It wasn't him,” she said but Twig would not be dissuaded. It looked like he was going to collide with Raven in his fury to get to the soldier when suddenly Raven was jerked aside. Willow watched as the man moved in a flash in front of Raven to protect her. Twig was almost upon him but the stranger calmly reached up and as Twig tried to swing his rock forward, the stranger caught it and stopped Twig’s motion. The two of them stood there with the rock held up between them. Twig cried out in fury and stepped back, dropped the rock and prepared to charge again when Blaze grabbed him.
“Stop,” Blaze said to the struggling teen. “I think I know this guy. I'm pretty sure he spared my life.”
BLAZE LOOKED AT MATTHEW. “It was you, right?”
Matthew nodded. “The squad leader ordered me to find you in the grass and execute you if you were not dead. I elected not to do so,” he said. Blaze nodded as he let the more calmed Twig go.
“Well I guess I owe you my life then,” he said. “But you’re still one of the Patrols, plain and simple.”
“Actually, he was a scientist,” Raven said. “He saved me, multiple times if you want to know the truth. I want him to come with us.” Blaze frowned. He was aware there was a lot more to the story of Raven which he wanted to know, but it was not the right moment or place to ask. He also knew the Patrols would be coming after them, so there was no time to argue. He wanted to get to the crossroads quickly, gather up Mouse and Sky, and get into hiding.
“So be it,” he said. “We need to go.”
“No,” Twig said glaring at Matthew. “I won’t go anywhere with him.” He spit in the dirt not far from Matthew’s feet. Blaze did not appreciate Twig deciding to be difficult right now, but a part of him could not blame the boy. Blaze intended to discuss the whole thing with Raven as soon as everyone was safe. He knew she simply did not understand how evil the Patrols were and the history between the nomads and the men from the Great Cave. For now though, he had no patience for it.
“We don’t have time for this,” Blaze said to Twig. “Pick up your stuff and start walking. Mouse and Sky are waiting for us.” Twig set his jaw and stared at Blaze. Blaze met his eye. Tension ran hot between them. After a moment, Dawn stepped beside her son and put a gentle hand on his shoulder.
“That’s enough, Twig,” his mother said, the shackle and chain still attached to her ankle. “We go. Now.” Blaze watched as Twig broke eye contact and looked at his mother. His face went from fury to sadness and his shoulders sagged. After a moment, he nodded and without a look at Blaze or Matthew began to walk down the highway in the direction of the crossroads.
RAVEN COULD NOT BELIEVE she was walking beside Matthew. It was surreal. He looked so different and yet she felt safe and comfortable being beside him. More than anything she was just glad he survived. Not a day had passed since she escaped the colo
ny that she did not worry what happened to him. I have so many questions, she thought but knew better than to ask now. The last thing she wanted to do was call attention to Matthew. The others in the group understandably felt hostility toward him and until Raven had a chance to explain everything, Matthew needed to be as unobtrusive as possible.
As the morning sun climbed the sky, the group neared the crossroads and Raven saw the collapsed building where she hid just days ago. Kit had run ahead and Raven saw her dash into the ruins. After only a moment, she came out and waved frantically to the group. Willow broke out into a sprint with Blaze on her heels. Twig and Dawn went too. Oh no, please no, Raven thought and started to run toward the building. Not the little girl. Anything but that. She came to the edge of the fallen wall and looked in to see Willow cradling the head of Sky, the young woman who always looked after Mouse. Blood trickled from Sky’s mouth and Raven knew the girl was badly injured. A quick scan of her body revealed a deep stab wound in her abdomen.
“They took Mouse,” the dying girl whispered. “I tried to stop them. I fought—" She started to cough and more blood bubbled from between her lips.
Raven watched as Willow ran a comforting hand over the girl’s forehead. “I know you did. Shhhh. Just rest,” she said. Tears sprang to Raven’s eyes and she did not know if she should move forward to offer help or stay back. Again she felt the guilt of knowing so much of this was because of her. She felt someone beside her and looked over to see Matthew. His eyes were filled with sadness. With a nod of his head, he motioned Raven back from the others. She quietly followed.
“Who is Mouse?” he asked.
“A five-year-old little girl. Precious,” Raven explained, a sob catching in her throat. “What will they do with her?” Matthew looked away, thoughtful for a moment.
“I don’t think they will hurt her. She’s not old enough to have mature reproductive organs. I can’t guess much beyond that really,” he admitted. “Girl children are so rare and almost never captured. There hasn’t been one for years. Maybe never one so young.”
Suddenly Blaze was there, a knife drawn. His face was red with fury and a deadly look was in his eyes. “I’m going to skin you alive,” he snarled at Matthew. Knowing she had one chance to save Matthew, Raven stepped in front of the knife.
“Wait, Blaze,” she pleaded. “Listen to me. Matthew says they won’t hurt Mouse. Not yet anyway. We may have time to save her.” Blaze paused but his face was filled with suspicion.
“How?” he asked.
“We will go to Eden and rescue her. All of us,” Raven explained. “And we will need Matthew to help us.”
THE END
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NOW FOR A PEEK INTO THE NEXT EXCITING EPISODE OF THE
DYSTOPIAN SERIAL NOVEL
FOREVER WINTER
BOOK V: TOLERANCE
AS A BLIZZARD DESCENDS upon them, Raven Winter finds herself separated from the group and alone with Hector, the cat mutant. To survive, she goes along with his belief she is a witch, yet she is always on the lookout for ways to escape.
With Raven missing, Matthew joins forces with Willow and Blaze on a quest to find another human clan to assist them in saving Mouse from the Great Cave. As the storm threatens to destroy them, they struggle to survive the journey only to realize learning to rely on each other is their greatest challenge.
SNEAK PREAK BOOK V – TOLERANCE
CHAPTER 1
SAMUEL WATCHED THE little girl through the one-way glass window. She was small, clearly quite young, and had long black hair with matching dark eyes. Maybe five years? Samuel wondered. It was hard for him to tell. Clones in the colony were cultured rapidly and born as mature beings. They did not track length of life the same as humans, and they generally did not age in the same manner either. Clones wore out, so to speak, and depending on the role of the individual clone, some could last for many decades. Samuel for one, as a scholar and historian, was in his fiftieth year but believed he would easily last another fifty if not more.
He could not say the same for the man beside him. Gabriel, the head of the Patrols, had come up through the ranks and showed a lot of wear. He walked with a limp and had numerous scars from his battles with mutants out on the plains of the high desert. Another decade perhaps, Samuel thought and looked over at the man. Although now that he is seldom in the field, it could be longer. Gabriel turned to meet Samuel’s gaze. “Well?” he asked. “Satisfied?”
Samuel smirked at the man. “With the capture of the child? Of course,” he replied. “But the rest of it, the fiasco by the Patrols on the crusade? One mistake after another? Certainly not.”
Gabriel nodded. “True, things did not go well out there,” he agreed. “The nomads caught us off guard. They have never attacked a camp of soldiers before. The rescue of the captured females is unprecedented. It wasn’t all a waste though.” He turned back to the glass, and Samuel followed his gaze. The little girl played with her doll while another man, a nomad, watched over her. Samuel found his port wine birthmark extremely repulsive. The traitor to his people, Samuel thought. But at least he confirmed the witch still lives and provided the proximity where she was last hiding. He was confident the remaining platoons in the field would find her now. It was only a matter of time.
“What will you do with her?” Gabriel asked interrupting Samuel’s thoughts. Samuel cocked his head to the side, surprised the old soldier would care. Even though the captive was a child, she was just another human nomad. One of the Waste People from the plains. But she is not just that, is she, Samuel thought. If he had to admit it to himself, he had no idea what to do with the girl child. She was obviously too young to harvest, but he did not know how long it would take for her to be ready. I’ll have to consult with the science corps. The thought reminded him of Matthew, the elite scientist who was exiled to the Patrols for his actions in helping the witch escape. He had not heard anything about him for a while and wondered if he was part of the platoon which was attacked.
“Don’t concern yourself with the child,” Samuel said. “Tell me of Matthew? Did he survive the battle with the nomads?” Samuel watched as the old soldier averted his eyes and shrugged.
“Nobody’s really sure where your scientist is,” he replied. “But I have a hunch he ran off with the female.”
MATTHEW STOOD BACK and listened while the small group of nomads debated their next step. They had set up a small camp a few miles west from the crossroads where they discovered the little girl, Mouse, was missing, and her keeper, Sky, was severely injured. The progress was slow as they carried the young woman with them. Finally, when it was clear the girl could not withstand any more travel, they stopped. It had been a heart-wrenching time, even for Matthew. Even though he did not know either the child or the dying young woman who cared for her, he could not help but feel the pain of the others. It was a new sensation for him. When he lived in the underground colony in the mountain, there were no events in his life which elicited such sadness. None of his scientist brothers were ever injured significantly and certainly no one suffered an agonizingly slow death from a fatal knife wound. As he watched the others try to stop the woman’s bleeding, he could tell it was futile. The dark color of the blood seeping from her abdomen told him the cut injured vital organs. He kept the observation to himse
lf. The hostility toward him was intense. His being a part of the Patrols made him their enemy, and as they watched one of their own die, they shot him glances filled with malice.
They had buried the girl in a shallow grave and covered her with a pile of rocks. It was immediately afterward the arguing began. Raven was pleading her case to try and rescue the child from the colony, but the tall, gray-haired woman with the distinct scar on her face was adamantly against it. “We have lost enough,” she said with pain but conviction in her voice. “No one else needs to die on a fool’s errand.”
“What if we catch them on the road? Before they get her back to the Great Cave?” Twig asked. His voice cracked revealing he was still just a boy on the verge of being a man, no matter how much heartbreak he suffered. Willow shook her head.
“There were fresh tire tracks in the snow. The men who took Mouse were in a vehicle. By now they have her imprisoned in the mountain,” Willow replied. “Tomorrow we continue west and find a new place.”
Matthew watched Raven shake her head. She turned to Matthew. “Can you let us in through the exit I escaped from?” she asked. Matthew was expecting the question. He shook his head.
“No. That one, as well as others like it, only open from the inside in the need of an evacuation,” he explained. “We would have to enter through one of three gateways, but each is guarded. It would require we take them by force.”
Blaze, who was most hostile toward Matthew, broke in. “So you're suggesting the five of us, with our primitive weapons, attack the Great Cave?” he said with disdain in his voice. “We wouldn't stand a chance.”