Flynn hit the door leading to the foyer so hard it sent a lightning bolt of pain through his shoulder. The two women he’d killed lay there, along with the one Dan must have dropped on his way in.
A wobble ran through Flynn’s legs when he crashed out into the square. It felt like he could fall with every step. But he wouldn’t. No fucking way. Not while Rose needed saving.
Fuck knew how the crowd would react to him. To be safe, Flynn kept a hold of his machete. It would be foolish to assume they’d let him pass. Sure, the Queen left little to be desired as a ruler, but he had just toppled a regime the people had grown used to. People resisted change at every step, even positive change.
But the crowd parted for him as he ran through them. Thank god. After the day he’d had, he didn’t want to start slaughtering people who didn’t deserve it.
Focused on the wide road leaving the square, Flynn redoubled his efforts and sped up towards it. However, before he reached it, he saw Sharon. He stopped, fighting for breath and sweating as he lifted her hands and stared into her eyes. From the way she looked back at him, glazed and distant, he couldn’t be sure if she heard anything he said when he spoke. “I’m so sorry.”
No flash of recognition, Sharon nodded all the same.
Several more of Home’s residents stood close to Sharon. Flynn thanked them all. They’d been brave; they needed recognition of that. When he saw Larry, he put a hand on his shoulder and said, “Thank you.”
Although Larry nodded, he frowned like he had something on his mind. When he stepped aside, Flynn saw what.
The dead body of a girl lay on her back. Someone had taken their sweatshirt off and draped it across her face.
Dread sank through Flynn’s gut to look at the body. A shake of his head and he said, “No, not another one.” He knew before they pulled the shirt away, but he continued to shake his head as if the action would somehow falsify the reality in front of him. It didn’t.
Blood covered her young face. A compassionate girl with a big heart, death had turned her ugly. Her frozen look of horror forced Flynn back a step. A blurred view of her through his tears and his voice wobbled as he said, “Dear Maggie, not you too.”
Chapter 54
To look at the dead Maggie dragged Flynn back to the moment he’d killed Serj. Already exhausted, he lost a little more strength. Serj had always touted Maggie as Home’s next leader. Although he hadn’t voiced it, it seemed like he wanted to wait until she was old enough before he handed responsibility of the place over to her. He’d called her a bright spark, the future of Home. Someone who’d be able to stand up to the bullshit of Brian, Sharon, and Dan. Although, to look at Sharon now made it hard to believe there would be any more bullshit from her. She might never come back from Dan’s death.
After a deep sigh, Flynn shook his head. As much as he wanted to help, he couldn’t do anything for the girl now. Maggie had gone and Rose still needed him. As crass as it seemed, he turned from the grieving group of Home’s residents and ran off down the wide road leading to the plaza with the pit in it.
Everyone remained in the square, so Flynn moved down the road on his own. How would it impact Home’s residents to be minus two of their most influential people? Who would lead them out of it? Could they trust Brian to do the right thing? Did he have it in him? And what about the future? While Maggie lived, Serj had always had hope for the place. Had the hope just died with her?
Flynn couldn’t think about any of it. As much as Home had been a part of his life, it wouldn’t be for much longer. After he’d freed Rose from that cursed pit, he’d be leaving the place for good.
As Flynn ran from the alleyway alongside the hotel into the wide-open plaza, he stumbled and almost tripped at what he saw. The cage lay open, the metal grate flat against the ground from where it had been pulled wide. Brian stood over it, staring into the murky water.
“Brian!” Flynn called as he ran towards him.
Brian didn’t look up.
“Brian!” Flynn called again. “Where are they?”
Still, the man continued to stare into the filthy pool.
Another stumble, but Flynn pushed on. When he got next to Brian, he fought to get his breaths back. The reek of stagnation ran up his nostrils, the muddy tang stimulating his gag reflex. No doubt many bodies had rotted at the bottom of the watery pit. Not that he could see through the muddy churn of it. “Where are they?”
Brian shook his head and continued to stare into the water. In no more than a whisper, he said, “I don’t know. I found the pit like this.”
What little strength Flynn had been holding onto left him. Unable to stop it, his legs folded beneath him and he landed in a heap.
Chapter 55
Aches sat deep in Flynn’s body. They ran from his toes to the end of the hairs on his head. Every time he shifted slightly, lightning bolts of pain lit him up. His arse hurt more than anything from where he’d sat on the hard stone ground in the plaza for what felt like days, but in reality, it might not have been any more than two or three hours.
The sun had nearly set, casting shadows through the town. Much longer and it would be as dark in the plaza as the stinking water in front of him. The fading light made the pit seem more ominous than before, like it went down for miles. How far would they have to dive if they wanted to retrieve Rose’s body?
“You can’t stay here forever.”
Flynn turned to look at the alleyway leading out of the plaza. Brian had been gone for some time, but he now stood there with his arm around Sharon. Pale faced with red, puffy eyes, tears still streamed down her cheeks as she looked at him.
“We need to get you back to Home,” Brian said. “We’ve buried Dan and Maggie. Everyone else has already left.”
“I’m going to wait,” Flynn called back.
“You can’t. It’s getting dark.”
Flynn shouted this time, his voice echoing through the square. “I’m going to wait!”
“For what?” Sharon said. “Nomads? We’ve lost too many good people already, Flynn.”
The footsteps of Brian and Sharon bounced off the walls of the plaza as they moved close to Flynn, and Sharon spoke in a softer voice. “We’re all hurting. But if Rose had made it, she’d be here by now.”
“Shut up!” Flynn shouted. He jumped to his feet and pointed at Sharon. “How do you know she’s gone?”
Washed out with grief, Sharon let go of a deep sigh. “We’ve all lost someone, Flynn.”
Sharon’s calmness completely disarmed him. She wore her grief unmasked and stared it straight at him.
Tears burned in Flynn’s eyes and his view of Home’s two guards blurred. His face buckled.
Sharon closed the distance between them. She wrapped him in a tight hug and cried with him. “I know it hurts,” she said between sobs. “Believe me, I know.”
Chapter 56
Nausea balled in Flynn’s stomach, twisting tighter every time he looked at his breakfast of unleavened bread, tomatoes, and goat’s milk cheese. As much as he wanted to eat, he couldn’t. Sure, many people would kill in this new world to have a plate of fresh food in front of them, but as he sat outside Home—the sun rising on a new day—he couldn’t eat a thing.
Sharon and Brian both sat with him at a long bench, but neither of them spoke. What could they say? They’d lost too much. Words just didn’t cut it anymore.
When Angelica walked over, tension coiled in Flynn and his shoulders wound tight. He turned away from her.
Faux friendliness, sickly sweet in its disingenuousness, she said, “Can I sit with you guys?”
Aware of Sharon and Brian nodding, Flynn balled his fists and fought to keep his breaths even. He knew exactly what she was doing and he wanted no fucking part of it.
The bench shifted when she sat down on it. As she moved close to him, he caught the smell of flowers on her. Something she used to do when they were together in their early days.
“I just wanted to thank you for saving Home
,” Angelica said. “To thank all of you. Especially you, Flynn.”
The touch of Angelica’s hand against his forearm made Flynn flinch and he pulled away from her. A hard glare and he spoke through gritted teeth. “Don’t touch me.”
“Don’t be like that.”
A look across the line of tables and Flynn saw Larry at one close by. A voice loud enough so he could hear, he said, “You want to find a hero, you should look to the guy you’re fucking. Were it not for him, I’d be dead by now and the Queen would have won. Maybe, rather than picking the person who suits you best at the time, you should focus on who you’re with. Otherwise you’re going to end up miserable and alone.”
Angelica opened her mouth to reply, but Flynn cut her off. “Stop being a cunt. It’s simple.”
Tears gathered in Angelica’s eyes and she got to her feet. Her lip bent out of shape for a moment and then fury twisted her features as she spat, “I just wanted to say thanks.”
A sneer and Flynn shook his head at her. “It’s never as simple as that with you. You always want something.”
Angelica pressed her lips tightly together, her body rocking with her quick breaths. “I’m going to guard the gate,” she then said to Brian and Sharon. Neither said anything; instead they both nodded at her.
As she walked off, Flynn returned his attention to his untouched breakfast. Hopefully he’d find the stomach to eat it soon. Good meals shouldn’t ever go to waste.
Chapter 57
Fuck knew how long had passed. The sun had grown hotter as the day moved on and it now sat in the sky directly above Flynn. The heat of it soaked into his tired muscles and kept him rooted to the spot.
Flynn had stared at his breakfast for the entire time. Still unable to touch it, his eyes stung from exhaustion and they threatened to close every few seconds, but he couldn’t give over to sleep. As much as he wanted to, his overactive mind wouldn’t let him.
Sharon had offered Flynn lunch about an hour ago. How she’d managed to keep going with the loss of Dan, he didn’t know. He politely declined and continued to remain in the same spot.
Most of Home rested that day. It had been quiet the entire time, and even when the little kids played, their parents took them far away so their noise didn’t disturb anyone. So when Angelica raised her voice on the gate, it carried over the stillness.
“You’re not welcome here.”
Flynn looked over at her and saw the anger in her tense body. She stood guard on her own.
“Why don’t you just fuck off?” Angelica said.
Maybe she thought no one could hear her. When she raised one of the gate’s crossbows, Flynn got to his feet. “Who are you talking to, Angelica?”
But she ignored him, her hands shaking as she pointed her bow down.
Dread dropped through Flynn. Something didn’t add up. “Angelica? What are you doing?”
Flynn could see she’d heard him because she tensed up at his words, but she still didn’t reply. He stepped away from the bench and ran over to her. “Angelica!”
“She’s no good for you, Flynn.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?”
“She’s done nothing but cause you trouble. She got you involved with the Queen. She brought the war down on us.”
Flynn’s heart beat like a bass drum. “Angelica, put the crossbow down.”
Clearly not caring who heard her now, Angelica screamed, “No!” She looked down the barrel of her crossbow and shouted, “She’s bad news. I’m not letting her in.”
Not that he needed to hear it to know who waited on the other side of the gate, but when Rose said, “Please, just let me see him,” his heart damn near stopped.
Chapter 58
Flynn looked at how impossibly far away Angelica stood at that moment. At any point, she could pull the trigger and Rose would die.
Suddenly something flashed through the air above him and Angelica screamed.
Blood exploded from the top of her left arm and she dropped the crossbow. The weapon spun through the air as it fell several feet to the ground. When it crashed against the dusty track, it jolted as it released its bolt. Fortunately it fired straight into one of the thick wooden gates, sticking into the hard wood.
A look behind him and Flynn saw Larry standing there with his crossbow still raised.
Larry looked at Flynn too. They stood frozen for a few seconds.
Then Flynn burst to life, running the last few steps to the gate. He undid the bolts with three loud snaps and pulled the right gate wide open.
Crying as he said it, Flynn gasped, “Rose?”
Rose stepped forward, threw her arms wide, and wrapped Flynn in a tight hug.
Flynn squeezed back like he’d never let go of her again. “My god, am I pleased to see you. I thought I’d lost you.”
When they finally pulled away from one another, Rose smiled. “We’ve just gotta have faith it’ll work out, right?” She then leaned forward and kissed him, pressing her lips so hard against his it almost hurt.
Chapter 59
“We’ve locked her in a cell,” Larry said as he sat down at one of the tables outside the main building. Flynn, Rose, Brian, Sharon, and several more people from Home were already sitting there.
“Thank you,” Flynn said to him. “Not that I wanted to see it come to this. I’m sorry it played out like it did.”
Larry shook his head. “It’s not your fault. Angelica chose to act in that way. You can only be an arsehole for so long in such a small community before you get found out.”
“So?” Sharon said, looking at Rose as she turned her palms to the sky. “What happened?”
Halfway through a mouthful of stew, Rose quickly chewed and swallowed it down. She even looked beautiful when she ate. Even more beautiful considering Flynn had almost written her off. She pulled her blonde hair away from her face and smiled. “I found a way out of the pit. When we were in there, I found a tunnel and tried swimming down it. I went down and came back several times, going a little bit farther every time.” She screwed her face up. “The water was disgusting. I had to get to the end of my breath and I thought my lungs would burst, but I eventually found a manhole cover, which came free. Once I was out, I opened the cage and freed the rest of the women. It was a good job it was all kicking off in the square. It gave us the cover to get out of there.”
“And what happened to the others?” Flynn said. “What about the pregnant woman? Was she okay?”
“They were all pregnant, Flynn.”
Several of the people at the bench gasped.
“The Queen put anyone who got pregnant into the pit to be eaten. She didn’t want to be reminded of her infertility. Also, she believed that if she ate pregnant women and their babies, maybe she’d become fertile.”
“What the fuck?” Flynn said. He looked at his stew and then pushed it away from him.
“I know.” Rose’s eyes opened wide. “Mental, right?”
“So what’s happened to the women?”
“I took them back to the royal complex. With the Queen gone, they decided they wanted to stay there. Many of them still had partners there.”
“The Queen only took the women?”
“Yeah.”
“And the men did nothing about it?”
“It would seem not. I mean, what could they do against her rule? And maybe they didn’t know where they’d gone.”
“I suppose. And the woman who lost her partner?”
“She wanted to stay with them. There were seven women in total and they wanted to go through childbirth together.”
Brian spoke this time, his face red, almost as if he felt embarrassed to say it. “You know you two can stay here, right? For as long as you like.”
When Rose looked at Flynn, he shook his head. “No, we can’t. Thank you for the offer, but I have too much history here. Besides, you can’t keep Angelica locked up forever, and I’m not sure I want to be in a place where she is.”
A tilt o
f his head to one side, Brian said, “The offer will always be here. This is your home. A lot of shit’s gone on over the years and we may not have seen eye to eye, but you’re a stand-up guy and an asset to any community.”
Rose reached across and held Flynn’s hand.
“Whatever’s happened before now,” Brian continued, “I’d like to wipe the slate clean.” He held his hand out in Flynn’s direction.
The attention of everyone burned into Flynn and his face heated from the focus of them all. The gentle reassurance from Rose’s warm grip helped him push on. A dip of his head and he shook Brian’s hand. “I appreciate that. And I wish you all the best for Home moving forward.”
Several people around the table smiled. Sharon didn’t. It would be a long time before she smiled again.
Chapter 60
They’d said their goodbyes and walked away from Home through the long grass. They had half a day of light still ahead of them.
Since Rose had come back, Flynn couldn’t stop looking at her. He’d come so close to losing her. They held hands as they walked, the sound of the wind flying over the landscape.
Before Flynn could speak, he heard something behind them. The snapping of a twig. The rustle of grass. He dropped Rose’s hand and spun around with his crossbow raised, his pulse thudding.
What he saw took his breath away.
Rose spoke first in no more than a whisper. “A white hart.”
Flynn lowered his bow and smiled as he stared at the creature. As white as snow, it stood out from a mile away in its lush green surroundings. Then it snapped its head in his direction and stared at him for a second before it turned around and ran.
“How do you think it’s survived for as long as it has? I mean, standing out like it does,” Rose said.
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