“I’ll take that, but I have one more request before we make this deal.”
“What is it?”
“We’ll trade with Raines in the future, but it’ll be on equal ground, and no matter what happens with the fight in Raines today, you can’t retaliate. Do we have a deal?”
“We do. Let me ask you something, though. Why didn’t you kill me before? I made you suffer for something you didn’t even do. I would’ve killed you in the same situation without even thinking twice.”
“Because we need men in this world who are looking to rebuild it, not burn it down. Revenge wouldn’t have ended the war with Raines. Your people would’ve retaliated, and I didn’t want blood. I want peace. The world’s already chaotic enough without us trying to kill each other. Lead your people, and I’ll make sure mine are headed in the right direction. Maybe between the two of us, we can insure that these cities survive, and whatever bad blood there is between our cities will just fade with time. That’s my goal anyway.”
“I apologize for what I did to you. You’re right. Instead of waging wars, we should be building cities that can withstand this world’s conditions.”
“I’m sorry for killing Jerome, too. I don’t know what I could’ve done differently, but he was your brother. I wish there had been another way.”
“I know. Now that we’ve got everything settled, can I ask for one more favor?”
“I guess. What is it?”
“I want to go back to the city alone. I’ll send your people here after I’m done, but I have to get there and stop the attacks. I can call my people off and explain the situation to everyone if I go now. It’s the best way to prevent loss of life on both sides.”
“Okay, but why do you want to go alone?”
“Because we just agreed to peace. If you die, I’ll have no proof of that. Everyone in Norak is going to think I killed you and made up this story. I’ll set the record straight, and your people will come get you right after that.”
“How do I know I can trust you?”
“I could’ve killed you just a second ago. That’s how you know.”
“Fine. Go, but Troy, don’t make a fool out of me. If we ever have to do this fight over again, I will be out for revenge.”
“You won’t be a fool. Trust me.”
“Okay. Go,” Max said and handed him the keys.
Trust was necessary for this to work, but Max wasn’t an idiot. He wasn’t going to wait there. If Troy was lying to him, he would send someone back there to kill him. Max didn’t plan to wait around for that to happen. Even if he was weak, he thought he could make it back to Raines. As soon as Troy left, he started walking. It took some time, and he nearly collapsed multiple times, but he eventually made it to the city walls. There were several holes in it, so it was easy to get through. He walked straight into town, and that’s when he saw her. Rebecca was only a few yards away. He was actually going to be reunited with her. It seemed so unlikely, but a happy ending might be within reach. As Max took another step toward her, his body gave out, and he fell to the ground.
* * * * *
“Let me get this straight. Troy nearly killed you and tortured you in terrible ways, and you just let him go,” Rebecca said in disbelief.
“It is kind of hard to believe. You should’ve killed him,” Liam said from the front.
“That would’ve been the easiest thing to do for sure. I wanted him dead, but look at what this sets in motion. If he was telling the truth back there, then we just turned an enemy into an ally. This is bigger than just me, and I had to make things right for everyone,” Max said.
“If it worked, then why didn’t he show up at Raines?” Rebecca asked.
“Probably because you guys had the place locked down. He would’ve been killed on sight if he showed up.”
“True. I would’ve done the deed myself. I’m still going to.”
“No, you’re not. If he’s not true to his word, I’ll kill him myself. For now, Norak needs all the friends it can get, though.”
“You really think we could ever be friends with those people?”
“There’s no doubt about it. I don’t think I’ll ever call Troy Leland my friend, but look at history. Nations all over who used to be enemies formed alliances for the greater good, and that was before the world was in a state of chaos. We need people on our side more now than ever. This is no time to annihilate each other with petty war games. We’ve got enough forces in the world trying to kill us already.”
“I get that, but Max . . .”
“I know. He hurt me, and if he hurt you, I would want to kill him just like you do. We can’t do that right now, though. A lot of our citizens died because of this fight, and it looked like even more of theirs did, too. The funny thing is that most of the people who died had nothing to do with what happened when we left Raines. They were innocent in all this. We can’t stay stuck in the past and keep fighting the same battles over and over again.”
“That’s not what I’m talking about. I could care less about when we left Raines. I want revenge for what he did to you now.”
“I haven’t learned much in life, but over the last two years, I’ve figured this out. Bad situations can change you easily. They can poison your soul, and things like hate and revenge start to come into your heart. The woman I married took the biggest disaster in human history in stride and retained all the love in her that was there before. I know you don’t like to see me hurt, and it’s normal for your first instinct to be to seek vengeance, but that kind of thinking can poison your soul. I know. I’ve been there. Don’t let what happened to me change you. I’m not going to let it make me any less of the person I used to be, and you shouldn’t either.”
“That doesn’t . . .” Rebecca managed to say before Liam cut her off.
“He’s right.”
“What do you mean he’s right?”
“When I killed Timothy, there might have been other options. Maybe he always had to die, or maybe there was another way. I could’ve told someone, and maybe we could have handled things differently. I wanted revenge for what he did, though, so I took him out into the woods with full intentions of ending his life. I didn’t think about the fact that it would probably get us kicked out of Raines. I’m not saying I wouldn’t do the same thing again because I would, but Max isn’t wrong. Sometimes it’s better to see the big picture and leave revenge behind if you can. We hold all the advantages right now. Troy trusts Max, we killed their soldiers, and we have a trade partner. They’re weak, full of resources, and the most powerful man there knows Max could’ve easily killed him. We’re right where we want to be. If Troy goes back on his word, I’ll be with you lining up to kill him, but if he doesn’t, I think this situation is too good to pass up. Max did the right thing, even if it seems wrong.”
When Rebecca looked down at Max, she saw that he had passed out. She shook her head. The man she loved had an amazing heart. She just had to hope it wasn’t a stupid one. This could put them in a good position, or Troy could have just been lying to save his life. Time would tell, but either way, it left a bad taste in Rebecca’s mouth.
“Don’t look that way,” Liam said while glancing in the rearview mirror.
“What way?”
“Like we’ve lost here. We haven’t. We have a trading partner, Troy is back in his place, Raines’s military is gone, and something I never actually thought was possible happened. We got Max back. He’s not in one piece, but he’s alive. You’ve got to call that a win, no matter how it came.”
“You’re right. We’ll follow whatever direction Max wants in this area. It really doesn’t matter if any of this works. The only thing I care about is that I have him back.”
For the first time since Max was taken, Rebecca exhaled. The anger wasn’t gone, but she did listen to what Max said. Maybe revenge wasn’t the answer. Maybe the best thing she could do was just live her life with the man she loved.
When they finally got back to Norak, Max wa
s immediately taken to a doctor who tended to his wounds. After he had done all he could for Max, Zoe came to see him. It only took one look at him for Zoe to realize how close the man she thought of as a father had been to death. She immediately hugged him.
“I thought we had lost you,” Zoe said as she pulled back.
“Me, too. I don’t know how I got back here alive. I’m so glad I did, though.”
“Yeah, you’ve got to be glad to see Rebecca again.”
“I am, but there was someone else I had to see again, too, you know. I don’t know if I’ve ever said this, but you saved me when we first met. I was ready to give up on life, and then you came along. I thought it was my responsibility to take care of you because you didn’t have anyone else, but I found that you were the one taking care of me. I don’t know if I would’ve ever been able to love or forgive, if we hadn’t met. You opened me back up to things like that, and Zoe, almost dying makes a person think. You need to know that I don’t just think of you as a daughter. I love you, and regardless of blood, you’re my family.”
“All right, enough with the mushy speeches. I read your death note to me, and it was just as beautiful as what you told me now. You didn’t have to tell me, though. I love you, too, and I’ve thought of you as my dad for quite a while now. I still think about my old family like I know you probably do yours, but this is my family now. I wouldn’t trade you or any of the others for anyone in the world. Speaking of family, though, there was a reason I didn’t come with Liam to Raines. We’re going to have a new member in our family in a few months.”
“What are you saying?”
“That I’m pregnant, and Liam asked me to marry him. That’s the main reason I’m glad you’re back. You’ve been everything I needed over the last few years, and I have no idea how to raise a kid. I’m going to need some pointers from you, and I’m pretty sure the kid’s going to need a grandpa.”
“Normally I would say you’re entirely too young for any of this, but you became an adult when the disaster happened, and you and Liam have known you loved each other for a long time. You’re going to be an incredible mom, and I’ll be a great grandpa, if my eye patch doesn’t scare the child away.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. We’ll spin a story about you being a pirate,” she joked.
“You know, I’ve got to admit that I’m scared. I still feel like I should be going out with you finding new members and fighting off thieves. I guess those days are over now that I’ll be a mom,” Zoe said.
“They don’t have to be for you. You can still have a job after the baby’s born. Those days are over for me, though.”
“Seriously? You’re pretty beaten up, but you’ll heal.”
“I know, but I want to put my energy into some other things.”
“Like what?”
“I want to spend as much time with the family I have and spoil my grandchild. I think I’m going to help Norak find direction over the next few months, too.”
“So you’re finally going to run the show here, huh?”
“Nope. I’ve got no interest in politics, but I’ll play the part until we can find a good leader. After that, it’s going to be all about you guys. I’ve been a teacher, a prisoner, helped build two cities, and avoided a small-scale war by not killing a man who tortured me. I think it’s time to just be. Maybe it’s time for us all to just be for a while. Do you know what I mean?”
“More than you know. I’ve wanted life to be normal for a long time. We don’t live in that . . .”
“We live in whatever we make. We’ve got a city, electricity, and family. What more could we want? We’ve just got to slow down and enjoy it for a minute. What do you say? How would you feel about a boring life without gunfire, scavenging, and constant politics?”
“That’s all I’ve wanted since this started. I’m in,” Zoe said and took his hand.
Over the next two years, a lot changed. Troy kept his word, and a trade system began between Norak and Raines. As a show of good faith, Max had some of their people help rebuild what they destroyed in Raines. Against all odds, they had an ally. Life returned to normal, and things were peaceful in Norak once again. After one year, Max gave up power, and the city held an election. In hindsight, it was a mistake for him to give up power. The next official ruled the city in a much more authoritative way. They began construction on their indoor city, and some of the citizens were forced to work on it. Not everything was ideal, but they were making progress, and most importantly, Max and the others were approaching normal. Was it their old life? No, but they were together, and soon they would be able to escape the harsh elements of the world and just concentrate on each other.
Chapter 30
Outside The Wall
Two Years Later
On this day, Max found himself doing his new job. It was simple and a bit boring, but it came with an air conditioner, so he was fine with it. After everything that happened to him, he decided it was time to retire from life outside the city. It was easy to lose yourself out there. Killing for revenge, supplies, or just finding yourself in a situation where you had no choice other than to murder was too easy on the road. During his time as interim ruler, they started construction on a small project that was much easier than building an indoor city. It was an indoor garden. It eliminated some of the need for them to scavenge because they could finally grow their own food. That’s the job he took after he let go of power. Things hadn’t been all rosy since he quit being the representative of Norak because they were now being ruled by a borderline dictator, but life was manageable for the first time, and soon, there would be no more forced labor. They would have a city of their own out of the elements.
“Hey, you can take off now. I’ll handle things from here,” Max’s friend, Barry, said.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I know you want to get back to Rebecca. It’s almost time.”
“Tell me about it. I still can’t believe it. I’m going to be a dad.”
“You basically already are, so I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I guess you’re right. I’ll be back to check in later. Thanks, Barry,” Max said and headed home.
When he walked into his house, he found Rebecca and Zoe waiting on the couch. They didn’t look happy either. Something was obviously wrong.
“What’s going on? Did something happen?” Max asked.
“It’s Liam. He’s normally back by now, but he hasn’t come home. We’re worried. He doesn’t usually have any problems hunting, but we need someone to check up on him. We asked for help from our joke of a ruler. He said Liam had someone with him, so it wouldn’t matter. He was fine. I don’t think so, though,” Zoe said.
“Where’s Alisa?”
“She’s sleeping in the back.”
“Can you keep her for a while, Rebecca?” Max asked.
“Of course, but what are you planning?”
“Zoe and I are going to find him.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? You haven’t been outside the city in two years.”
“I can’t stay here forever, and this is one of ours. We have to find him. I’ll be careful. I promise.”
“You better be,” Rebecca said and gave him a quick kiss.
“We shouldn’t go out there without weapons, and there’s no way they’re going to give us any. I’ve already been denied a search party, so I think any type of support is out the window,” Zoe said.
“We don’t need their support. Back when I was the interim ruler, I might have taken some guns from the armory just in case something like this ever happened. Walk with me,” Max said and led Zoe to the basement where he opened an old chest that had been hollowed out. It contained several guns.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this again?” Zoe asked with a grin.
“I don’t know. Maybe it’s because the mother of my grandchild has hated her job with the welcoming committee for the last two years, and I thought if I did, she would end up
taking them and gathering supplies for old time’s sake.”
“Point taken. That would be tempting. I guess old habits die hard. Do you ever miss it, too?” Zoe asked as she grabbed a rifle and a small sidearm.
“I do. That’s messed up in a way. We killed so many people out there, and we almost died several times, but there was something about me and you out there barely surviving so we could bring back people and supplies that I miss. Today’s going to be a little different, though. I kind of have a blind spot, so you’re going to have to watch my back,” Max said while motioning to his eye patch.
“Please! We all know you were the best at what you did. I know why you didn’t go back out there, though. You paid your dues and gave everything you could to this place. You deserve to do something cushy now.”
“I don’t know if I would call gardening cushy, but okay.”
“Well, it’s got to be better than being on the welcoming committee. Do you have any idea how odd it is to try to welcome people here who have been out there on their own for years? They think we’re all going to kill them when we get them back here, and even after they realize we’re not going to, it takes forever for them to get used to the place. It’s almost like they’ve turned savage.”
“And that’s why I don’t go back out there. I could’ve gone one of two ways back when Troy took me. The biggest part of me wanted to kill him and have Norak burn everyone in Raines alive. You can be out there too long, and I almost was.”
“You know, I can find Liam myself. If you don’t want to . . .”
“Don’t be ridiculous. This is different. He’s family, and to be honest, we might get into a bad situation. I’ve been looking for an opportunity to show you who’s the better shooter again,” he teased.
“Please! You’re dreaming, old man. If you think you’re better than me, then you need to get your eyes checked . . . oh, wait . . .”
The Divide: Origins Page 28