“How are we going to fix this?” Zoe asked.
“I have no idea. We need to get the fires out first. Then we’ll go after Max,” Liam said.
“You get people on putting those fires out. The runner up in the last election takes power now by rule. I need to talk to him about what our next move is,” Rebecca said and walked away.
She found him and escorted him back to his house. His name was Matt Nolan, and he had lost the last election due to Jacob being the brains behind everything they were doing. Jacob being killed would have a terrible affect on their chances of being able to complete the indoor city, but there was one good thing about Matt taking power. He was a strong leader who was built to fight a war, and that’s exactly who they needed.
“I know what you want to speak with me about, but we can’t pursue Max right now,” Matt said.
“Why not? You heard what they said. They’re going to cut him apart piece by piece. We can’t allow that,” Rebecca said.
“They were only supposed to take half of what we had, and they did only take half the food, but Raines decided they should completely disarm us. We have nothing to fight them with. A small band of thieves could come into town right now and take the whole place for themselves. Until we’re armed again, there’s no way we can fight them.”
“Max keeps a few pistols in our house. I know it’s against the rules, but he wanted to keep some around in case a bad leader ever got into office. Maybe we can send in a small team and . . .”
“No, Rebecca. I know how personal this is to you, and I’m so sorry about your husband, but attacking them while we’re weak will only make things worse. They’ll come back and wipe us out if we do that.”
“Then what are we going to do? I can’t sit around while he’s torn apart. I don’t see how you can either. You ran on the fact that weakness will kill us in this world. You wanted to make us strong. Now you finally have a chance to do that, and you’re cowering at the thought of our enemies.”
“No one is afraid of Raines. There will be a rescue attempt and retribution for what happened today. There’s a military base several hours north of here. It’s an entire day’s journey, and I don’t know if we’ll find anything there, but if we do, we’ll be armed again. Then we can attack with full force and show those people what a mistake it was to come here.”
“How long until we can attack?”
“Three days. We’ll need to give our gatherers two days to get what we need, and then at least one day to prepare. If he’s alive after that, we’ll get Max back. I promise.”
“He recruited you. How can you wait three days? You do realize that he’ll be missing three body parts by then, right?”
“It’s all I can do. What would you do in my position? I can’t order our people to attack without weapons. It would be suicide.”
“I realize that, but I’m not sitting around. I’m taking the weapons I have and rescuing him. Someone has to.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Excuse me? When did you start deciding what I could do?”
“When I became the ruler of this town.”
“We live in a free society, Matt. Good luck stopping me,” Rebecca said and walked out.
She went home and got the guns and a few rations for the road. As she was leaving, three guards stepped onto the porch and grabbed her. They pinned her to the floor and took her weapons.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Mr. Nolan has ordered us to keep you here and unarmed. If you leave this house again, we won’t have a choice other than to shoot you.”
“This is a free society. How can you think this is okay?”
“I don’t, but we just went through a lot. The last thing this town needs is to lose you, too. It’s the right call to keep you here, and you’ll thank us later.”
“The hell I will! Justify this however you want, but we’re sitting here while Max dies. You’re all cowards.”
“Go inside now, or we’ll be forced to make you,” the guard said.
Rebecca walked inside and slammed the door behind her. She was frustrated. Were these men actually going to watch her around the clock? She didn’t see how they could. It would be cold that night, and there was no way she was letting them inside. They would have to go home at some point. Unfortunately, she would learn that she didn’t have a choice other than to let them come inside. The town was now under Matt Nolan’s control, and the citizens had to do what they were told. A few got out of line but were quickly put back in place. This wasn’t what Norak was supposed to become. Max would know how to handle things, she thought as she sat on her bed that night. He wasn’t there, though, and Rebecca had to find a way to make things right for herself. For now, all she could do was wait on the gatherers to get back with what she hoped would be an arsenal large enough to destroy every last person in the city of Raines. She didn’t care which ones were innocent anymore. They had taken the most important person to her, and Rebecca wanted to see all of them die for it.
Downstairs, Liam and Zoe were avoiding talking about the life growing inside her by discussing what had happened that day.
“Do you think we’ll get Max back?” Zoe asked.
“I know we will. He’s the toughest man I’ve ever met. He’ll survive until we can get the supplies we need to rescue him. I just hope they don’t cut off anything important at first.”
“I don’t even want to think about that. He must be in so much pain right now.”
“He’s probably fine. It takes some time to get back to Raines from here. I doubt they’ve even been back for long. They’ll probably leave the torture for tomorrow. If we’re lucky, they won’t be able to cut more than two parts off before we get there.”
“You say that so casually. For the past two years, he’s been like a father to both of us. How can you not be in a panic right now?”
“He taught me to be composed in bad situations. It certainly wasn’t something I knew how to do before we met, but Max has brought out the best in me. Of course I feel panicked inside, but what good would showing it do? I need to stay calm and ready for when we have to act.”
“That’s fine, but it’s just us now. You can tell me how you really feel.”
“Okay. I’m scared. Max is very important to me, and if he dies, it’s going to hurt. I’m also afraid that we won’t be able to defeat Raines. Even if I’ve been through a lot in my life, I’m still only sixteen. I don’t want to die before I get to experience everything. Plus, I’m a little afraid of what’s growing inside you. I’ve never thought about being a dad. I know how to, thanks to my father and Max, but I’m so young. What if I’m not what our child needs?”
“I don’t know what’s going to happen with Max or the fight with Raines, but I can tell you one thing with confidence. You’re going to be a great dad. I’m worried, too, though. We’re very young, and it’s not like I know how to be a parent. We’ll figure it out together, though.”
“You’re right. I promise that we’ll figure out this thing with Raines, too. I won’t die there. I can’t. I’ve got to meet my child.”
“You better be fine. I wish I could go with you. I’m used to being more proactive in situations like this. I was Max’s backup before, so I can handle myself with a gun pretty well. The pregnancy kind of makes it irresponsible for me to go, though.”
“Yeah, there’s no way you can fight right now. The worst thing in the world that could happen is for you to get hurt. I love you, Zoe. I want to marry you. I have for a while, but I figured we would wait until we were older because that’s what people used to do. Marriage isn’t such a big deal anymore, though. All it really is now is a promise between two people to be together from then on. How would you feel about making that promise in front of our friends when this is all over?”
“Are you just asking me because I’m pregnant?”
“No. The real reason is because I saw how much today affected Rebecca. She lost the person she loved. We might s
till get him back, but it has torn her world apart. If I lost you before I asked you to be mine forever, I would never get over it. What do you say? Neither of us is going anywhere, so we might as well make it official. I love you, and that’s not changing.”
“I will marry you. First, let’s get this business with Max taken care of. You might be the most important person to me, but he’s a close second. I can’t lose him any more than Rebecca can. Can you bring him home in three days?”
“I promise to.”
“Thank you. I love you,” Zoe said and kissed him.
Liam had just made a promise that he didn’t know if he could keep. He just had to hope that Max was going to be okay until he could get there. The truth was that okay wasn’t the word Max would use to describe himself at that moment. Troy’s fun with him was just beginning, and it was almost more than he could bear.
* * * * *
In Raines, they had gotten back and locked Max up. He figured that whatever they were going to do to him wouldn’t happen until morning, but Troy had other ideas. He had waited on this moment for two years, and it was time to finally settle things with Max. Troy walked in and sat down in front of him. Max was bound, and he knew that he was at the mercy of Troy. There wasn’t much hope of him actually receiving any, though.
“Is there any way I can convince you not to do this?” Max asked.
“You killed my brother and nephew. What do you think?”
“Your brother killed a girl and would’ve murdered Zoe, too. We both know he was sick. As for your nephew, he killed his own mother.”
“We were handling that issue. He had a breakdown. We’ve all done things in this new world that we regret. Are you really so innocent? What makes you think you can judge him when you killed your own wife?”
“I suppose I can’t, but I was well within my rights to protect the people in my house. He tried to hurt Zoe, and if I didn’t take care of him, he would’ve just done it again. What if your wife hadn’t walked in? Then how would we have dealt with it?”
“I still don’t believe Zoe’s story. Even if I did, we don’t kill people here.”
“You’re about to kill me, and you certainly did a number on Norak.”
“We don’t kill our own. You made a choice to betray us when you took a life in this community. The same rules don’t apply to you.”
“Okay. I can see my words mean nothing to you, so I’m just going to ask for one thing. If you’re going to kill me, don’t send body parts back to Norak like you said you would. It’ll destroy Rebecca, and she’s guilty of nothing. Just kill me quickly, so we can get this over with.”
“You say she’s not guilty, but she went right along with you. Deserting Raines makes her as guilty as anyone. She doesn’t deserve to die, but she should certainly hurt for what she did. The only question is what I should cut off first,” Troy said as he dropped a bag on the table.
He reached in and pulled out a set of knives and a small saw. Max knew this was going to be bad. He just didn’t know how awful it would be. Troy grabbed one of the knives and moved behind him. Then he held his ear with one hand and the knife with the other and whispered something.
“This is just the beginning of your punishment. You and all the people you love will suffer immeasurably. I promise you that,” Troy said and hacked his ear off.
Max screamed out in pain. Troy simply placed the ear to the side and looked at Max with a crooked smile. He wasn’t just dishing out punishment. He was enjoying every part of this.
“What happened to you? You weren’t this way when we met,” Max said.
“The world did. We’ve had to sacrifice a lot since you’ve been gone. I’ve lost my parents, sister, and brother. Many other friends have died, and it was often because I didn’t have the nerve to do what needed to be done. I’m not making that mistake again. Raines is the most powerful society left in this world, but Norak has been growing. I couldn’t allow them to continue to grow until they were rivals, and most importantly, I had to show the people here that no matter how much time has passed, people who cross me die. Now, what else do you want me to cut off?”
Max didn’t answer. This was probably the end of the line, and he knew it. He just had to hope that Rebecca and the kids would be all right without him. It was strange, but in that moment, he regretted nothing. He had loved Rebecca the way he should, taught Zoe everything she needed to know, and protected Liam from certain death. If this was the end, Max could die knowing he had fulfilled his purpose on this earth. Two and a half years ago, he was a man who failed to protect the family he had, but today he was someone who had found redemption in three strangers who became everything to him. Max Green might die, but he would always be remembered by three people who were now his family.
Chapter 25
One Cold Night
Two Days Later
Two days had passed, and the gatherers Matt sent found everything they needed. They had guns, plenty of ammunition, and even one thing that would completely tip the odds back into their favor. They had found a tank. Raines wasn’t going to know what hit them, but that didn’t mean they could rush off immediately. They had to plan before they did anything. Rebecca didn’t understand that, though. Over the last two days, they had received an ear and an eye. As far as she was concerned, they should have left as soon as Max was taken. That belief and her being imprisoned in her own house had led her to be hostile toward everyone. Because of that, she wasn’t part of the planning process. Matt was still going to let her take part in the battle the following day because she had a good aim, but he wasn’t going to listen to her tell him how he had probably let Max die.
As Rebecca sat in her house and stewed, something occurred to her. Max was probably going to die, and even if he didn’t, what kind of life would he have? They had already taken an ear and eye from him. What were they going to do next? Would Max even want to live after what he had gone through, and how had everyone stood by and watched it come to this?
“Are you okay?” Zoe asked as she stepped into Rebecca’s room.
“I’m fine. Max is the one who’s in danger. They’re cutting off his body parts right now. How are you not panicking like me?”
“I am. Max is like a dad to me. I want to rescue him right now, but there’s nothing I can do.”
“I know. It’s because you’re pregnant.”
“No, that’s not why. If I thought I had any chance of rescuing him on my own, I would risk it. I know that sounds irresponsible, but I would pay any price to get him back. It would be suicide for me to go, though. In the same way, all you would be doing is throwing your life away if you left right now. Do you think that’s what Max would want?”
“I don’t, but that’s not the point. There are other possibilities. Matt could agree to go tonight. Then we would . . .”
“He’s not going to do that. Liam and I have already begged him to. We can only do what the people in this town are willing to help us with, and that’s an attack tomorrow. From what I understand, we’re leaving at first light. We probably won’t get to Raines until later in the afternoon, but we’ll have plenty of time to conquer them and get Max back before it gets dark. I wish there was a quicker way, but there isn’t. How can I make you feel better about this process?”
“You can’t. Would you be able to accept it if Liam’s body parts were being sent to you daily?”
“I guess not. Rebecca, if you can tell me how we can get him back, I’ll figure out a way to get rid of the guards, and we’ll go to Raines together right now. Otherwise, I have no idea what to do. I’m not okay with this either, but I don’t have an alternative plan that will actually work.”
“Would you really draw them away for me?”
“Of course, but I’ve got to hear something that makes sense first.”
“It’s simple. I won’t go in there looking to conquer a city. I’ll sneak in and kill whoever is guarding him. From there, I’ll get him out, and we’ll come home.”
&nbs
p; “Do you really believe you can do that without getting caught? I’m sure they have men guarding the city’s borders.”
“They should have well over five thousand in Raines by now. It won’t be hard to get in unseen, and once I’m within the city, no one will know I don’t belong. With that many people around, it’ll be impossible for the guards to spot the one person who doesn’t live there. I can’t take you with me, though,” Rebecca said.
“Why?”
“Because Max and Liam would never approve of me taking you while you’re pregnant. This isn’t a for sure thing. I’ll have a good chance, but that’s all. The truth is that I don’t want to endanger you either. Will you draw them away for me and let me go on my own?”
“Do you promise not to die if I do?”
“I can’t promise you that because I don’t know what’s going to happen. I can tell you this. I’ll be as careful as possible, and if there’s even a chance that I can bring Max home, I’ll do it.”
“Okay. Wait until you hear the guard stationed out front yell, and then get to the garage. Drive your car straight out of town, and don’t look back. Do you have enough gas to get there?”
“Yeah. I should have enough to make the trip. Getting back will be an issue, but Max and I will find a way.”
“All right, wish me luck,” Zoe said and pulled a knife off her side.
“What are you going to do?” Rebecca asked in surprise.
“Let me worry about that. You just concentrate on getting out of town so you can rescue Max.”
Zoe walked out the front door and turned toward the guard. She slashed his arm and ran. After yelling out in pain and getting over the initial shock that Zoe had cut him, he chased after her. She ran for about a hundred yards before he got tired of chasing her.
The Divide: Origins Page 23