"Well yes, but it would be nice to have known you longer."
An awkward silence follows my premature admission.
Before I can say anything to get us back on track, Ryker and Mena come rushing by us. “Come on! Hurry!” Ryker shouts as he passes. He certainly sounds urgent, so I waste no time in grabbing Jenna by the waist, throwing her over my shoulder, and sprinting after them.
They come to a stop back at the center of the village. Ryker hurries over to the outdoor cafeteria and rings the enormous dinner bell that hangs off the side of the rickety building. The bell is loud. Very loud. How have I not heard this bell before? I realize they must not use it for a call to dinner, but only for emergencies, when the whole village starts moving about in a frenzied state. People begin swarming the area around us within seconds.
“Hey. Az. Put me down, please,” I hear Jenna say behind me.
“Oh, sorry. I forgot I was holding you. You’re so light.” Embarrassed, I lower her to the ground with care. “Sorry,” I say again before turning back to Ryker.
Cap runs as best as he can, straight for Ryker. Ryker points to the west as he informs Cap of the unexpected news. Cap’s face turns ashen, but he quickly pulls himself together. He runs his hand through his hair and then straightens his shirt.
Once it appears that everyone has gathered around, Cap jumps up on top of one of the wooden tables. He’s composed when he announces, “Ryker has informed me that there are fires to the west. He’s seen the smoke. Someone is burning some of the smaller groups out there. We need to prepare ourselves. It’s time! They’re coming!” he shouts to the group.
A small panic breaks out in the crowd. No one knows quite what to do. “Calm down. Quiet!” Cap shouts. “We are ready for this! Those of you not fighting take the children and go hide in your home. We already have the other two roads blocked. If they're in vehicles, they have to come in through the northwest. We haven't set up the trip wires yet . . . Damn," he mumbles the last part as he thinks. "Where are my runners?”
“Here!”
“Here!”
“Over here!”
Three young half-breeds call out from the crowd. They all have regular-sized upper bodies sitting atop large Exalted legs.
“Go warn the perimeter watchmen,” Cap instructs. The three take off without waiting another second.
“Now, those of you prepared to fight for our village, get your bows and arrows. Take your places around the northwest entrance in the trees. Go!” Cap claps his hands together, urging the group to disperse. "Exalted, you know what to do."
"Yes, sir," we all answer.
Without warning, I grab Jenna again, toss her over my shoulder, and head back to the girl’s bunkhouse. She immediately starts screaming, “Put me down! Put me down, Az!” She’s also trying to twist herself out of my grip, but there’s no chance of her escaping my hold.
“You are not fighting. You’re going to stay hidden,” I firmly tell her.
Jenna puts her hands on her hips even though she's slung over my shoulder. “I’m a doctor. What if someone needs my help? I can’t cower under a shack.”
Once I reach the boy's bunkhouse, I lower her down. Her hands are still at her hips, her face is determined, and her body is rigid. She’s clearly not taking no for an answer.
“Please, go hide with the others.”
“Why do you even care?” she asks, letting her hands fall at her sides.
“I…I like you, and I want you to be safe.” As the words spill from my mouth, my stomach clenches and twists.
The wait for her to say something is agonizing. Finally, she says, “Can we compromise? I saw Tommy and his Mom preparing the medical station for an influx of injured people. I can help them. Let me help them. I know I don't know how to shoot yet, so I'll stay out of the fight. I promise.”
Grudgingly, I agree. “Okay. A compromise. Thank you. And I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to tell you what to do.”
“It’s okay. I understand you're concerned. I’m somewhat fond of you as well. I would be upset if you got hurt.” At that she takes off back toward the village. There’s nothing more to be done other than make sure she stays safe, while also protecting the village. I follow the stubborn woman to the medical tent.
Chapter 34 / Ethan
“We need to find you a better bow,” I tell Val as I rummage around the barrels set up outside of the blacksmith's shack.
“Look. There.” Val points to a bow tucked away behind a charred barrel filled with swords inside the blacksmith's shack. It must be a special bow to be hidden from the others. She grabs it immediately before anyone else has the chance to make it his or her own. "It's perfect," Val coos.
Back outside, the villagers push and pull their way around the tiny area, searching for their own bows. Though they’re panicked, there is no fighting or arguing among them. This village is completely unprepared for an attack. They’ve barely had any training. I fear they’ll all be slaughtered.
I grab a fist full of arrows for Val and stuff them in a quiver. After pushing our way out of the crowd, we regroup with Mena, Ryker, Az, Dixie, Cap, and a few of the other Exalted.
“Listen up!” Cap shouts. “Archers of Toledo Lake, I want you all hidden away in the trees. Do not come down! Exalted, you will be at the front. Let’s protect our village, our people, and our freedom!” The leader takes a deep breath before moving forward. “Let’s move!”
The entire village seems to move at once, like a silent storm slipping through the night unseen. We pass between houses in a hushed march. The group spreads out as we reach the outer edges of the village. The archers begin climbing trees once we're all a safe distance away from the village. The Exalted move just ahead of the archers, but not far. We'll need their help.
On the eerily quiet and empty road, we stand banded together, waiting for Dr. Fredericks and his loyalist Exalted to attack.
Behind us, in the trees, the unprepared villagers sit and wait for their first fight. I can almost hear their weapons rattling from the fear that’s shaking their bodies. I feel sorry for them, but I’m also impressed. Freedom must be an amazing thing to have—I don’t know what it’s like yet as I can’t say that I’m free. I still feel locked under the Republic’s control. They’re out there, right now, burning people’s homes and maybe even killing innocent people—all in an attempt to show their authority. No one is really free yet—not until we break the old ways of the Republics.
I stand ready, a knife in each hand. Even though I was without them for only a few days, it felt like an eternity. Having them back in my hands feels right. I’m ready for whoever comes through those trees. I’m ready for battle, though I’ve never been trained to fight in one. There was never a need to know how to fight in a war, only one-on-one.
Before I can begin to worry about that revelation, I hear a faint and strange noise in the distance followed by three loud whistles. Behind me, whispering starts up amongst the villagers. "Why would our guards whistle for a friendly?” someone questions. “Is it a trick?” a woman asks. Another villager says, “They’re going to give their location away if they do that. Our own people wouldn't do that. So it must be a trick.”
Evidently one of the half-breeds, hidden away in the trees beyond the village, gave "the whistle" letting us know that there are incoming friendlies. How can that be? We're expecting an attack.
The uncertainty is making everyone shifty. And add to that, the other faint and strange noise is becoming more recognizable. It's coming from the south of where we are now.
Three more whistles come.
Screaming, crying, and sobbing come at us with a force so strong, I can almost feel the pain that's causing the horrific sounds.
"Let's go!" Ryker calls out before running into the forest.
Mena is the first to follow, prompting the rest of the Exalted to jump into action.
"Hey, what's going on?" a man shouts from the trees.
Val tries to shush them as she passes t
hem, but her efforts are useless. As we leave the archers behind in the trees, their voices fill the air. Their complaints quickly die away as our group gets closer to the sounds of real distress. We breach the training field and stop as one—all breathing together, standing ready together, and not expecting what's to come.
Chapter 35 / Ryker
When I see the first group of people limp out of the forest and onto the training field, my stomach turns. I knew their homes were being burned, but this I didn't expect. Dr. Fredericks will pay for this. There’s a woman holding a screaming baby. She, herself, is crying, as is her male counterpart. They have no belongings to speak of with them. Their clothes are rumpled, and the man has blistering burns across his right forearm.
Close behind them, another woman stumbles onto the field. She's alone. Her hair is missing on one side of her head, singed to the scalp. Blood is dripping down her arm and off her fingertips. I instantly rush to her side, and stop her from falling to the ground. I wrap my good arm around her weak body and lift her off her tired feet.
More people follow. Some injured, some not. But they pour onto our training field at an unprecedented rate. Finally, something clicks, and the others realize where these people are coming from. Our people set off into action.
Az is the first to grab a wounded woman and carry her back into the village. Others begin to offer help to the refugees. They all work in an orderly fashion, steering people this way and that. Since they are familiar with taking people in who have escaped the Republics, it seems like second nature to them.
On my way to the medical tent, I pass Ethan. He hasn't moved since the people started arriving. His feet are planted firmly on the short grass and he's staring off in the distance. "Ethan, they need your help," I tell him.
He seems to shake himself out of his stupor and heads further onto the field as I leave it, never uttering a word.
There's something going on with him, but right now, I have bigger concerns. It’s obvious there will be no battle today, and it’s obvious that Dr. Fredericks sent us a warning.
We’re next.
Chapter 36 / Mena
She steps out of the forest. I didn’t expect to see her, so it takes me a minute to register that I'm looking at my mother. From all the way across the training field, I can tell that she's crying. As I rush toward her, I notice a large man slumped over her shoulder. The way she's carrying him is like she's carrying the entire world on her shoulder. She is an Exalted. She is beyond strong. A man’s weight wouldn’t and shouldn't do that to her.
But then I see a glimpse of his reddish hair. My feet slow, like they're stuck in thick, sticky mud. I feel my stomach drop out of my body, and my heart squeezes so hard I feel as if I can't breathe.
My father is dead. I know it before I place my hands on him to locate a pulse. He is dead.
My mother reaches me before I'm able to pull my feet from the mud. She looks like the life has drained from her body. It's like looking at an empty shell of a woman.
I want to weep, but I know I can’t be selfish and give in to my grief—I have to be strong for her. She lost her United.
Ryker is at my side in an instant. He carefully pulls my father’s lifeless body from my mother’s shoulder and places him on the ground at our feet. Anger spreads through my core when I see the bullet holes in his chest. He at least deserved a good death, but instead some coward shot him.
When I'm able to pry my eyes away from the gruesome reality, I reach out to embrace my mother. I catch her just in time. She doesn’t have any fight left in her. “It’ll be okay,” I whisper to her. “We’ll take care of him. They’ll know what to do here.” I have no idea what to say to her. No Exalted that I know of has ever dealt with death off of the Pump. We usually just burn the body and continue on with our duty of protecting the Republic . . . But he’s not just a body—he’s my father.
***
Night has fallen, and though some of the villagers have brought lanterns to the training field, it’s difficult to see the devastation that continues to trickle in through the tree line. I suppose that’s actually a good thing.
"Come on. It's time to leave this place," I say to my mother as I stroke her hair. "You need a proper rest."
After pulling her to her feet, I take her hand and lead her away from the chaos. She needs to rest and mourn someplace more private. She stalls as I pull on her warm hand. "Come on, mother," I say.
She shakes her head, loose stringy hair flipping in her sad face. She pulls her hand away from mine. “He said they’d be coming for Toledo Lake next. He said that he will kill you and Ryker since you were the ones that took his city away from him. He said that he wasn’t done yet today—there are still pockets of people to the east.” My mother takes a deep breath. Her shoulders droop even more.
“Did you say he’s continuing on his rampage to the east?" My heart pounds in my ears. Surely, she didn't say what I think she said.
My mother nods in confirmation.
"Lily is in the east," I think I say aloud, but this time I scream, "Ryker!”
Chapter 37 / Ryker
“I’ll go,” I say instantly. Mena needs to be with her mother and she's in no shape to travel after losing her father only minutes ago. Honestly, I can't believe she's being so strong. She's had to deal with so much in such a short time.
Her cheeks are clammy under my touch, but I kiss the side of her face anyway. “You need to stay here with your mother," I tell her. "I’ll find Lily, Tom, and Francis and bring them all back.”
Tears slide from her eyes as she nods, silently accepting my offer. I couldn’t ask for a better woman to love me. I'll do anything for her, including going straight toward Dr. Fredericks and his loyalist Exalted. I just hope I get there before he does—for Mena's sake and Lily's.
“Thank you,” she tells me and kisses the palm of my hand. “I love you.”
My heart swells. “I love you too,” I say to the beautiful woman in front of me. Her words and touch give me all the strength I need for this mission.
As I turn to leave, Mena's mother stops me. “Ryker,” she says firmly while gripping my wrist. “I believe him. He’s insane. The way he reacted to burning everything those people owned was sinister. He enjoyed watching them scream as some fled and others died. He enjoyed watching Mena’s father die in my arms. If you go, you have to be prepared . . . and you shouldn’t go alone.”
“I’ll go with you,” Ethan offers, knives still ready in his hands. He’s been itching to get out of here. I could tell the first time I laid eyes on him in this village.
Turning down help would be foolish, so I pat Ethan on the back, “Good, let’s go.”
As we walk away, I hear Mena say behind us, “Go.”
Ethan and I pause and glance back. Val swoops over and gathers Mena in her arms. “Thank you, Mena. And I’m so sorry. So very sorry.”
“Thank you, Val. You’ve always been a better friend than I deserve,” Mena tells her.
“That’s not true, Mena. You’re a good woman. This life has been unfair to us all.” She squeezes Mena once more, and then runs to Ethan's side, joining us on our mission to save more of our friends from the Republic.
It's hard to leave, but I go for her—always for her.
Chapter 38 / Ethan
Seeing Mena and her mother in such pain is awful, and I feel like it's my fault. I should've tried to rescue them instead of running. I'm such a coward. My friends remind me of my old life. I feel guilt and remorse when I'm around them, so much so that it's clawing at my insides. I want an out. The village is nice and the people are nice, but now that I’ve broken out of the Republic’s walls, I feel like I can’t stop moving forward. I want to really be free. I want to see everything the land has to offer. I want to know all its secrets.
Although I want to move on, now is not the time, and I'm not a quitter. There's a girl to save today. I may have been at odds about her in the beginning, but now I honestly want to help Ryker save her. L
ily's a nice girl and doesn’t deserve Dr. Fredericks’ wrath. Besides, I'll get to see more of what’s out there while we travel.
At the last second, Val decided to come with us. She'll keep me from having to make conversation with Ryker since she'll probably fill all the awkward pauses with her never-ending chatter. While I hold no grudge against Ryker for winning Mena’s heart, it’s still awkward. She was always meant for me—even if it wasn’t romantic love. I’m not sure I even know what love really is yet. I have feelings for Val, but the guilt seems to be stronger.
“We’ll take the four-wheelers,” Ryker says as he heads to the south side of the village.
“Where did the village get four-wheelers?” I ask. This guy is always full of surprises. If it weren’t for Mena’s complete trust in him, I’d have some serious questions about him.
“I stole them from the Republic. They had so many. I took the ones that needed repairs or took them off of Exalted scouts on patrol.”
Ryker stops when we reach several lumps covered by camouflage sheets and a few tree branches. He reaches out and pulls the sheets away. The branches fall, rustling as they bounce and settle on the ground. He pays them no mind and tosses the sheets to the ground as well. “You two share that one. Let’s go.”
Val and I rush forward to jump on the four-wheeler. Since we don’t know the way, we need to catch up to Ryker. He’s already taken off without us. All we can see are two taillights getting smaller by the second.
There’s a little hesitation as Val and I stand beside the vacant four-wheeler. I put my hand out, offering her the chance to drive. She smiles and hops onto the machine. Not two seconds after I climb on behind her, she takes off. I nearly fall off the back of the vehicle, which prompts me to wrap an arm around her slender waist. She tenses from my touch.
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