Revolutionary Love (The Revolution Series Book 1)

by Jessica Miller

  "We will stop here and camp out for the rest of the night." David sat underneath a tree and rested his back against it. He shut his eyes.

  The group kind of looked around surprised. Chantel had no problem walking to a far off tree and laying underneath it. She looked at Seth. She expected him to follow.

  Seth glanced at her and walked over to Adam and I. He looked between the both of us. He seemed perplexed.

  "Can I talk to you?" His voice was a deep timbre. He directed his question towards Adam.

  Adam gave me a half smile and walked off with Seth. They disappeared into the trees.

  I wasn't sure what to do, so I just sat on the ground where I was at. I was too wound up to sleep. I shot two people today. It began to dawn on me. I've murdered three people and watched people die. I wasn't that better than Evelyn. I could make excuses and try and justify what I did, but what I did was wrong.

  I was not a soldier. I slid the gun away from me and leaned back into the tree stump. One month ago, I would have been worried about how I was going to pay my bills. Now I was worried about surviving. Things changed fast.

  A long time passed before Seth and Adam came back. Seth walked over to Chantel. When he reached her, she turned her back around. She was ignoring him.

  Adam walked over to me but stayed standing. His AR 15 was in his hands. He was taking watch.

  "What did you and Seth talk about?" I was being nosy.

  Adam glanced down at me. "He just said you are not who I think you are. Well, it was more of a lecture to stay away from you."

  I scrunched my face. Why would Seth lecture Adam to stay away from me? I looked towards him to find he was staring right at me. Did he find out who I really was from Dr. Lynn? How did he even manage to even talk to him? Where was Dr. Lynn? I couldn't imagine him associating with rebels.

  When my thoughts slowed down, I fell into a restless sleep. Something startled me awake. The sun was just beginning to peek through the trees. I could hear rustling in the trees fifteen feet away. Adams' arm was draped over my stomach. He must have gone to sleep next to me.

  I slid his arm off of me and he grumbled a few words before nestling further into the pine needles.

  When I heard more rustling, I decided to investigate. I followed the noise. Seth was perched against a tree, shirt off. He had gauge wrapped around his torso, but it was soaked with blood. When I gasped, he looked up at me.

  “Sorry, did I wake you?" His voice was full of pain.

  I couldn't tear my gaze away from the blood. I did that. He was wounded because of me. I walked closer to him and stared.

  "I'm sorry for shooting you." I mumbled.

  "I made you do it. It's not as bad as it looks. I tore the wound open in battle yesterday."

  I looked up into Seth's face. He was controlling his facial expression. He was attempting to hide the pain he was feeling. Little beads of sweat covered his forehead.

  "Stephan said you died." I blurted.

  Seth's eyes darkened at his name. "He thought I died. A fire broke out and burned a lot of the soldiers. They found my name tag in the ashes."

  "You wanted them to think you were dead?" I was putting two and two together.

  Seth's eyes were so dark I could barely make out his pupil. His tan skin seemed a little pale. "Yes."

  "Why?"

  "He knew I worked undercover for the rebels. Time would only tell before he killed me himself."

  I fidgeted. I didn't like the thought of him being dead, even if all this time I thought he was dead. "Why would he keep you as his second man if he knew you were undercover?"

  "Who knows? With Stephan, everything was a mind game. I never understood him."

  Answers. I was finally getting answers. "How do you know who I am?" That was the most important question.

  Seth looked towards the tree tops and sighed. "When I was healing, I bumped into Dr. Lynn. He was alone and lost. He isn't much of a survivalist. He told me everything about himself and you."

  "You believed him?" I was surprised. It sounded ludicrous. Even I had trouble believing it. "Just like that?"

  Seth breathed heavily through his nose. "I've known Dr. Lynn for a long time. He is a man I would trust. I knew something was different about him the day I met him." Seth's gaze connected with mine. "I knew something was different about you the night I saw you chuck a flashlight at a soldier."

  "Oh." I blushed, remembering that night. My attempted fail to run away.

  Seth groaned in pain and pressed his hand against his stomach. Blood seeped through his fingers. It made Sanchez bleeding out flash through my mind.

  "Do you have more gauze? Your wound needs to be cleaned."

  Seth nodded towards the bag on the ground. I went into doctor mode, remembering how he took care of my feet. I pulled alcohol and gauze from his bag. Slowly, I pulled the gauze away from his stomach. The bullet wound was stitched, but it had blood leaking out. I applied the alcohol to it, and bit my lip when he groaned. I was hurting him. I forced myself not to pay attention to the way his stomach flexed when he tensed. His body was perfect. Sculpted.

  When I finished wrapping the gauze around his stomach, I smiled. "Perfect."

  I wrapped it so tight only a little bit of blood seeped through. Seth smiled in thanks and put his black shirt back on.

  I tore my eyes away from his body. I couldn't help but look.

  "What happened while you were away?" Seth trailed his fingers down the scratch marks on my face.

  "I was attacked by the diseased." His fingertips warmed my skin. I stepped backwards, uncomfortable.

  "They got you good." Seth murmured, staring intently at the marks.

  I laughed. It came out nervous. "You should see my back." It was meant as a joke, but he took it literal.

  "Show me."

  "What?" I backed up further. "No."

  "I need to make sure it's not infected. Show me." It was a demand.

  "Seth, no. I'm vaccinated. I'm fine."

  "Brianna, the disease mutated. Show me."

  Something in his voice made me turn around and lift my shirt up. Seth stepped closer. I could feel the heat from his body.

  He swore under his breath. My heart started racing.

  "Am I infected?"

  Seth turned me to face him and I dropped my shirt. "No. How did this happen?" He was angry. "I told Adam to take care of you. Why are you all banged up?"

  "It didn't happen on Adams watch. Rugter took me away to go to David. It was a command." My voice got defensive.

  Seth looked at me incredulously. "Adam let you go? Just like that?"

  "Yes. No. I mean he followed us. I had a trial." What was the big deal?

  Seth opened his mouth to say something, but his words got cut off by an ear shattering scream.

  Without a second thought, we ran to the group. A diseased girl was laying on the floor, dead. Her head had been smashed in. Rugter stood over her with a huge rock in his hand. He was panting.

  "What happened?" Seth demanded.

  Jewel was sitting on the ground. Her face looked shocked. She just kept looking back from the diseased to Rutger.

  Chantel had her hands covering her mouth. Something horrible had happened. David's face looked bleak. Saddened.

  "She scratched me." Jewel sounded lost. She lifted up the front of her shirt and I saw scratch marks down her torso.

  She wasn't vaccinated. She was going to get sick.

  "No." Rugter shook his head back and forth. "No!" He yelled. Rugter dropped to the floor and took Jewel's face into his hands. "It's going to be okay. We will find a cure. It's going to be okay." He sounded like he was trying to convince himself, but it wasn't working.

  Tears streamed down Jewel's face, but she didn't say anything.

  Sadness filled my heart. In an odd way, I liked her. She was strong. A leader.

  David took the gun strapped to his waist and walked over to Rugter and Jewel. "Move." He told Rugter, pointing the gun at her head.
/>   Rugter spun around and faced David. "No. There has to be a way. It can't end like this." His voice was panicky. He was breaking.

  "There is no cure and you know that. You can either let her live out a slow death or if she is unlucky never ending pain. We can't risk her infecting anyone. We have to exterminate the threat." David's voice was plain and simple. It was like he placed her in a box inside his mind.

  "She's not a threat!" Rugter shouted, shoving David by his shoulders.

  "It's okay." Jewel's voice was barely above a whisper.

  "I got this Jewel. Everything will be okay." Rugter shoved David again.

  I could sense David's patience wearing thin. When Rugter brought his fist back, a boom bounced around the forest.

  I didn't have to look to know what happened. I could hear it in Chantel's scream and the way Seth was swearing under his breath. I closed my eyes. I couldn't look. I wouldn't look.

  Rugter started screaming. Sobbing. Now he was really falling apart. Jewel ended her own life. I covered my ears. I didn't want to hear this. I didn't want to be a part of this.

  I pressed my lips together. Time felt like it was going by at the pace of a snail.

  "This is your fault!" Rugter bellowed. I opened my eyes to see who he was blaming. He was staring right at Seth.

  "You are in shock." Seth's voice was calm and controlled. He was tense beside me.

  Rugter's blue eyes blazed and his face was pinched in pain and anger. He was out of control.

  "You were supposed to be on watch! You were supposed to be protecting the group!" Rugter pulled a gun out and pointed it at Seth.

  "Rugter you need to calm down. Now." David commanded, stepping closer to Rugter.

  "Jewel is dead because of you!" Rugter's hand was shaking. "All because you wanted to disappear into the woods to have a quickie with Evelyn."

  "What?" Chantel gasped, looking back and forth between Seth and me.

  "That's not what happened at all!" I defended.

  "Oh shut up, Evelyn. We all know how easy you are." Rugter gave me a cruel, cold look.

  "Rugter stop. You're angry and upset. You are not thinking rationally." David spoke, now with his voice calm and soothing. His hazel eyes watched Rugter like a hawk. He slowly took a step forward.

  "I'm not thinking rationally? You ranked Seth higher than me when he can't think when his hormones are out of control."

  I wasn't expecting it when Rugter started charging at Seth. Before he made it to Seth, he got tackled to the ground by Adam. Adam wrapped his arms around Rugter's throat and got him into a choke hold. Rugter clawed at Adams' arm trying to get out. Slowly, Rugter stopped moving. Adam released him when he passed out.

  It was quiet then. Nobody dared to turn and look at Jewel. David ran his hands through his hair but appeared to be calm.

  "Well, that sure was something else." Everybody turned and looked at Jessica. She was leaning against a tree eating an apple. She looked care free and like something devastating didn't just happen.

  "You stupid bitch!" Chantel shouted at me. "This is your fault! Do you notice that bad things only happen when you're alive! You should have been executed!"

  "Chantel, stop." Seth warned.

  "No." She pointed at the body behind her. "Jewel is dead because of her, not you. That's another murder added to your list!" She seethed at me. "You're the one that should be dead!"

  "Enough!" David bellowed. "We do not have time for petty arguments like this. Jewel dying and getting attacked by the diseased is unfortunate, but it happens. It's the world we live in. We will give her a proper burial and be on our way. Anybody has anything else to say, take it up with me."

  I looked down. Rugter stirred on the floor but didn't wake up. Adam stood up and brushed himself off. He looked between Seth and I. Hurt was written across his face.

  Chantel's eyes flared when Seth looked at her. She spun on her heels and disappeared through the trees. Seth sighed and followed her.

  I was awkwardly standing off to the side. David and Adam went over to Jewel's body.

  "You know, you are not all that different from Evelyn. Seth may say otherwise, but I can see the resemblance." Jessica shot me a quick smirk.

  She was trying to get a rise out of me. I think she could feel my distaste for Evelyn. I ignored her words and watched as David and Adam dug into the ground with huge sticks.

  One was down in our group. Who knew when the next body would add up?

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chantel was hanging on Seth’s arm again. All was forgiven with him. Anytime she saw me looking at him she gazed at me with hate. Adam walked side by side with me. He wouldn't let Rugter come next to me.

  Rugter switched his blame to me. I think it was easier on him to view me as the monster and not his battle buddy. Seth wouldn't make any sort of eye contact with me.

  I didn't feel as though I did anything wrong. I heard a noise and I went to investigate. He was hurt. I caused the injury. All I did was try and help.

  Rugter woke for the burial. He watched with a stone cold face as they lowered her body into the ground.

  David led us further and further into the woods. We had no food, nor water. I was dehydrated and starving.

  We came across a cabin. David must have known it was there. He walked straight towards it.

  "I never noticed this was here," Adam mumbled more to himself.

  David walked up to the wooden cabin doors and unlocked it. "We will be staying here for a night, save up some energy. Make yourselves at home. I'll be back in a few hours."

  David walked away from the door and disappeared. Nobody made a movement to go inside, so I did. I flipped on the light switch. The cabin was small, but it was two stories high.

  A cracked, old leather couch sat in the living room on top of a fur rug. The walls were full of rifles and deer heads.

  I sat on the couch grateful to be off of my feet. Adam, my follower, sat next to me. When Rugter came in, he disappeared upstairs. Chantel and Seth stayed outside.

  "What were you and Seth doing?" Adam finally asked.

  I was waiting for it. I knew he would ask. "I heard noises in the trees, so I went to investigate. Seth was bleeding through his gauze. I helped him clean the wound and reapply pressure onto it." I stared at the brown fur on the ground.

  "Why didn't you wake me up when you heard noises?"

  I looked at Adam. His eyes showed jealousy. I knew why. He was in love with Evelyn and he didn't like the thought of her being with his brother. It must have destroyed him when they got engaged, even if it was fake. "You were sleeping and it didn't cross my mind."

  Adam gave me a look. He sat up a little bit and crossed his arms. "Jewel dying wasn't your fault."

  A pang shot through my heart. I looked away from him to hide the emotion in my eyes. I knew it wasn't my fault, but if I had stayed, I would have seen the diseased come. I could have warned her, but I didn't.

  "Sometimes when people are hurt they need somebody to blame to help cope." Adam said.

  I nodded my head. "I know."

  I looked at Adam again. I was remembering how hard and tough he was in the tunnels. I compared him to now. He had a gentle, soft heart. He could be a soldier when he needed to and a human when the time called. In a way, I admired him.

  His lips turned up into a smile. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

  I shrugged. "No reason."

  Adams lips quirked even more. "Do you think you will ever get your memory back?"

  "No." My tone got flat. It irritated me knowing he would always think I was Evelyn. I wanted to be Brianna in everyone's eyes.

  The smile left Adams lips. "Why do you sound so sure?"

  "Because I know." I don't even have all of my own memories. I still didn't know how I got here. I came to the conclusion I must have died and woken up here like Dr. Lynn. I had no idea how I happened to die.

  The front door banged open and Chantel walked in. She looked around and her eyes spotted me
. They held fury.

  "I want you to die already." She seethed. Her hands were shaking at her side. Her bronze skin was flushed in anger.

  "Chantel relax." Adam stood up.

  "Relax? Relax? That whore has you wrapped around her fingers, doesn't she? You're blind. You can't see the monster that she is!" Chantel looked around the living room, then darted up the stairs.

  I clamped my lips shut. It was difficult to not say anything and always let her talk to me like I was lower than her. She did save my life once, but I knew she regretted it.

  Adam had an apology written in his eyes. "She's honestly a good person."

  The night she got the diseased girl off of me flashed through my mind. A bad person would have let her rip my flesh apart. "I know."

  "I wonder where David went." Adam stood and walked around the cabin. He opened all of the cupboards in the kitchen. "There are a lot of canned food here. This is probably a hide out."

  I trailed my fingers through the dust on the couch. Nobody had been here in a long time.

  "Do you want me to teach you how to hunt?" Adam called from the kitchen.

  I blinked. Where did that come from? "The Unit would probably hear the gunshots." I couldn't imagine myself shooting a harmless animal. I wasn't a vegetarian, but it was different to eat meat then it was to kill something.

  "You need a little meat on your bones. Plus there are bows and arrows in here."

  A sharp pain stabbed through me when Jewel crossed my mind. She had a bow. I wondered if she hunted too.

  "Maybe another time."

  Adam walked out of the kitchen and stared at my face. He was watching it closely. I attempted to cover my pain and blank my face. When his eyes softened, I knew I failed.

  "Are you okay?" He went over and sat next to me again. Adam laced his fingers through mine and gave me a concerned look.

  His softness touched my heart. I had to blink back tears. I wasn't okay. I bit my lip to keep it from trembling. "I'm just tired."

  Adams grip on my hand tightened. It was like he was trying to give me his strength. "You can go to sleep."

  I shook my head. "Not that kind of tired." I dropped my head and looked at the floor. "I'm emotionally exhausted. I don't know how much more of this I can take."