Revenants Series (Book 2): Remnants

by Elisabeth, Lee

  I turn to look at him. "What lies have you told them?" I ask.

  "I haven't lied to them. We just developed an understanding." He looks at the men. "They fight for the opportunity to keep living. Or they don't, and they die."

  "You would kill them? For refusing to fight your battles?"

  He nods. "I would."

  "What's in it for them?" I ask. "Why do they stay?"

  "Look around. These men wouldn't survive on their own. They depend on me to give them food and shelter. Plus, I have the cure," he adds. "They'll sacrifice everything for a chance to receive the antidote."

  "I don't believe you," I say. "I think you're lying about having the cure to maintain control over them, so you'll have your own private army standing between you and the things you're afraid to fight yourself."

  He moves closer to me. His nose is nearly touching mine, but I refuse to back away. I won't give him the satisfaction of seeing me flinch. Men like him feed off the fear of others. He leans forward, placing his lips beside my ear. "I don't care what you believe, Jane," he whispers. "I'll only warn you once…don't question my authority. Especially in front of my men."

  "Or what?" I say. "You'll feed me watery soup, too?"

  His hand darts out and closes around my throat. I can feel my feet lifting off the ground. I fight the urge to claw at his hands. My vision blurs, but I still hear him ask, "Are you done? Or, do I need to teach you how to properly behave when you're a guest?"

  I can't speak so I shake my head. He releases his hold on me. "This is no time for games, Jane. You need to remember that."

  "You're the one playing games," I say, gasping for air.

  He smacks me hard across the face. I fall to the ground, momentarily stunned by the sudden impact. The group of men watch the exchange, bored. They've evidently seen all this before, and that angers me even more.

  He pulls me to my feet. "I never play games."

  I lick the blood from my lip. "No, but you hit like a girl."

  His hand shoots out again, but it only hurts for a second...then everything goes black.

  * * *

  Allyson

  Wayne is standing at the fence, hand stretched out in front of him, palm facing outward. He's signaling for someone to stop. I keep running, until I'm close enough to hear him yell, "Don't move!"

  I search the area beyond the fence. My heart nearly stops when I see her...small and scared, yet intent on going farther if she must.

  "Oh, God. Wayne, tell her not to take another step!" I yell frantically.

  "I did!" he yells, glancing at me. His eyes are wild with fear. Not for himself, but for her.

  Kate is standing just beyond the fence, screaming at Jax, waving her arms wildly above her head. The small boy is crouched low to the ground, looking at something he found on the forest floor. He can't hear the Rev approaching from behind. But Kate sees it, and she's screaming as loud as she can, like her brother can hear every word she's saying. But why? She knows better than anyone that Jax can’t hear her. He’s deaf.

  Suddenly, I realize what she's trying to do.

  "Wayne, she's trying to draw the Rev to her!"

  Wayne and I begin yelling as well, hoping the Rev will change direction long enough for us to get Jax back to safety. It doesn’t seem to work, so we yell louder. The Rev notices us at last, and pauses, as if unsure of its next step, so we jump and yell louder, hoping to tip the scales of its interest.

  Finally, the Rev turns and begins heading toward us.

  "Kate, don't move!" I yell. "Wayne will get it when it gets closer!"

  She glances at me and nods. Good. I need her to stand still. Very still. I didn't disconnect the landmines beyond the fence. Mostly because I don't know where Aiden placed all of them, and because it was too dark to disconnect them safely. That’s why I made it clear that everyone needed to stay on this side of the fence.

  The Rev continues to stumble toward us. I can't believe it's working. I allow myself a small smile. It's going to be okay. We're going to be okay. Wayne will put the Rev down; we'll coax the kids back to the fence; and, then we'll all eat dinner together, like a family, and reminisce about the time we almost died when the kids didn't follow the rules.

  All at once everything slows down…dreadfully slow…like you used to see in movies just before something dramatic happened. Jax looks up, finally noticing the three of us jumping up and down, waving our arms in the air like crazy people. He cocks his head to the side, confused. Assuming we're calling for him, he stands. We motion for him to stand still. He doesn't. Instead, he takes a step forward, directly into the path of the Rev. His tiny mouth opens in a silent scream as the Rev latches onto his arm.

  Chloe and Erek run up beside me, followed closely by Daniel and Emily. I hear a cry of "oh God, no!" escape Chloe's lips, and Erek lets loose a string of curse words as he leaps the fence.

  Wayne reaches for him. "Erek, stop! The landmines!"

  I can't push any sound from my mouth. I'm helpless, unable to stop what I know will happen. How Jax managed to get as far as he did without tripping any of the mines, I've no idea, but I know the odds are against two others not activating one. Chloe begins climbing the fence, intent on going after Erek, but Daniel pulls her down. She's screaming for him to let her go. Emily is screaming for Kate to stand still. Wayne is still yelling for Erek to stop. Everybody is either screaming or yelling or dying...but not me. No. I just stand there, watching...waiting for the inevitable tragedy to unfold before my eyes.

  Just as Erek reaches Kate, she darts off after her brother. Three steps in, she trips one of the landmines Jax had miraculously avoided. A short blast shakes the ground, and fragments of steel and copper shoot out in every direction. I instinctively duck and cover my head, but not before I see Kate land in a crumpled heap several feet away from the blast site.

  My ears are ringing, but I can still hear Chloe's anguished cries as she screams Erek's name over and over.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Allyson

  I can't believe this is happening.

  Or, is it?

  Maybe it's not.

  Maybe I lucked out, and this is all a terrible nightmare and I'll wake up any minute, surrounded by hay and the lingering scent of a horse long-gone. But I know I'm not dreaming; dreams don't smell like burnt flesh. Or blood.

  No, this isn't a nightmare. All of it is real...but it shouldn't be.

  It shouldn't be happening.

  They didn't listen.

  I told them to stay on this side of the fence. The right side...the safe side. I told them. Didn't I? Yes...I remember warning them. I said, 'stick to the main drive...I didn't take down the mines in the woods', or some variation of that. All they had to do was listen, and we'd be fine. We'd be cooking dinner right now and chatting about what we might do tomorrow, or the next day. But they didn't listen, so half of us are cowering behind the right side of the fence...the side we should all be on...while the other half of us are on the wrong side, either maimed or dead. So, as much as I'd like to, I can't keep pretending this isn't happening. If I've learned anything over the past few months, it's that wishing for something won't make it so.

  Suddenly, everything snaps into sharp focus. Erek is on his back, writhing and screaming in pain. I can't tell where he's hit, but as close as he was to the landmine, it won't be just one wound...he'll be covered in lacerations. If he's lucky, they'll be superficial. If he's not, he's as dead as the Rev still ripping and tearing at Jax.

  As far as I can tell, Kate hasn't moved.

  Erek cries out again.

  "Wayne, help him!" I yell.

  Wayne curses loudly and draws his gun. He shoots the Rev first, then Jax, in rapid succession before hopping the fence. My ears ring from the blast of the landmine and the loud snap of the gun; it's affecting my equilibrium, but I force myself to stand. I stumble at first, dizzy, but somehow, I manage to stay upright. My side hurts. A single sob escapes my lips. I look down; fresh blood stains t
he front of my pants. I pat my side, fearing the worst, until my fingers brush across a large nail protruding from my side. Nasty, but not life-threatening. I'll deal with it later; Erek and Kate need attention now. I climb the fence and fall to the other side. I wince and clutch my side. Pulling myself back up, I limp to where Wayne is crouched beside Erek.

  "...hold still!"

  I drop to one knee beside him. "How bad is it?"

  "I'll handle him. Can you get to Kate?" Wayne asks.

  I glance at the spot where the landmine blew and mentally calculate the distance between it and Kate's limp body...one yard, give or take. Aiden said he staggered the mines every five yards. Or was it two? I can't remember, but the decision is the same whether it's five yards or five inches...Kate needs help, so I must go.

  "I think I can get to her without tripping another mine," I say, standing.

  I turn to leave but Wayne grabs my arm, forcing me to stop and look at him. "Be careful," he warns.

  I nod and turn to make my way toward Kate, looking at the ground as I walk...searching for the tale-tell signs of Aiden's landmines. From what I remember, they should be slightly elevated, like small burial mounds. I see a few spots that seem suspicious, so I steer clear of them to be safe. I finally reach Kate. She's laying in an unnatural position, like a rag doll tossed carelessly into the corner of a room, but as I get closer, I see she's still breathing. It's shallow and labored, but it's better than nothing.

  There's still hope.

  I crouch down beside her. "Kate?"

  Her eyelids flutter open to reveal a pair of large green eyes...the kind only children seem to have...the kind that make you feel like they see every thought and worry you're trying to hide from them, and all I can do is feel like the worst person in the world because I only noticed them just now.

  She draws in a ragged breath.

  "Kate, where are you hurt?"

  She doesn't answer.

  "Can I check you?" I ask gently.

  She doesn't nod, but she doesn't refuse it, either, so I begin searching her for obvious wounds. I don't have to look hard. Her thin body is riddled with nails, like the one buried in my side, and large chunks of whatever else Aiden and his men packed into those landmines.

  "I’m going to…die" she whispers.

  I shake my head. "No," I respond in a shaky voice that doesn't sound nearly as believable as I wanted it to be. "We'll get you all fixed up in no time, Kate. Don't worry."

  She looks at the sky and swallows. "Not tr...true."

  I don't respond. I can't. There's a lump forming in my throat and it's choking me.

  "Is...Jax...okay?" she manages.

  "Of course he is," I lie. "You saved him, Kate."

  She doesn't correct me this time. I look at her in wonder. How can she be so calm? A twelve-year-old child shouldn't be this calm in the face of something so terrifying. Shouldn't she be crying? Whimpering, at the very least?

  She coughs and fresh blood sprays from her mouth. When she finally catches her breath, she looks at me again and says, "Please look...after Jax. He's...small."

  "I will. I promise I will," I say, knowing there's no Jax left to look after.

  "It really...hurts," she says, wincing.

  I want to pull her into a tight embrace so she won't feel so alone when she dies, but I can't. She could be laying on another landmine. If she is, and I move her...if the weight shifts at all...it will blow. I run my hand over her hair. "It won't hurt much longer, Kate."

  She begins to tremble, and a tear slips from her eye. "I want...to be brave," she says weakly. "I promised Momma I...would...be brave."

  "You are brave, Kate. You are," I say, sobbing despite my efforts to remain stoic.

  "No...I'm..." She doesn't finish the sentence. Her small chest goes still, and I know she’s gone. I close her eyes with an unsteady hand, and quietly mourn the two small lives I never took the time to get to know. I doubt any of us did. We've all been so busy surviving that we forgot about what really matters in this life.

  Loving others before time runs out.

  * * *

  Chloe

  "Let me go, Daniel!"

  My brother's grip tightens around me, so I squirm even harder. Daniel is positioned in front of me, blocking my view of anything happening beyond the fence. I can't see, but I can hear Erek screaming in the distance. My heart is racing. I need to help him. He's hurt. Bad. I've never heard him sound like that.

  I claw at Daniel's arm. "Let me go! I have to help him!"

  Daniel holds me tighter. "Wayne is with him. It's not safe to be on that side of the fence, Chloe!"

  "He needs me!"

  "How are you going to help him if you get blown up, too?"

  I stop struggling and begin sobbing loudly into his shirt. I don't care who, or what, hears me. I don't care if it brings an entire herd of Revs down on us. Let the whole world, and anything left in it, hear my sorrow.

  It's so unfair.

  All of it.

  Erek is going to die, and there's nothing I can do about it.

  I'm going to lose him just like I've lost everything else.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Allyson

  I crawl back to where Wayne is crouched over Erek. He's trying to check a nasty gash on Erek's leg, but the wounded soldier isn't cooperating.

  "How is he?" I ask at the same time Erek yells, "Get this metal out of me!"

  Wayne shakes his head, frustrated. "Hard to tell. He won't stop movin' long enough for me to check him." He looks at me. "Kate?"

  I shake my head.

  He lowers his head in a tender gesture of respect for the two small lives snuffed out well before their time before turning his attention back to Erek. "You got whiskey back at the house?" he asks without looking at me.

  "I believe so. In the pantry."

  "Get...me...out...of here, Wayne!" Erek spits through clenched teeth.

  Wayne and I both look down at Erek. He's thrashing around, fists balled tight as he battles the relentless pain. I place a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him. "We need to find a way to get him to be still," I tell Wayne.

  "Wayne..."

  Wayne leans closer. "Yeah, brother?"

  "Make it...stop..."

  The two men stare at each other for a long moment, then Wayne draws his gun.

  "Wayne, what are you doing?" My heart is pounding. In the distance, I hear Chloe screaming his name, begging him to stop. "Wayne?"

  He looks at me. "I have to."

  "Wayne, no!"

  Ignoring me, he brings down the gun as hard as he can. The sound of the stock connecting with Erek's head creates a soft, sickening thud that causes a swell of nausea to roll through my body. Erek's head lolls to the side, he’s unconscious. I choke back a sob and lean forward. Relieved.

  "You didn't think I was gonna kill him, did you?" Wayne asks.

  I take a deep breath and shrug. "I honestly wasn't sure."

  "I'm not that cold-hearted. Help me lift him," Wayne says, moving so he can get his hands under Erek's shoulders.

  "What? No!" I say, grabbing his arm.

  He tenses and looks around. "What?"

  "He could be laying on a landmine. If he is, and we move him, it could detonate."

  "It could," he agrees.

  I shake my head. "We can't risk it."

  "You can go back to the others, if you want," he says, looking toward the fence. "But I won't leave him layin' here."

  I can tell by the firm set of his jaw, there's no convincing him otherwise. He's loyal, I'll give him that much. I sigh deeply, thinking. If Erek was lying on a landmine, all his thrashing would have triggered it by now. Right? Surely it would have. I look at Wayne, then at Erek. He'll be dead weight. Wayne is strong, but could he carry an unconscious man several yards? I sigh again. "Okay, let's be quick, though," I say.

  Wayne nods, and together we grab Erek...Wayne opts for the upper body, while I go for the legs.

  "Ready?" Wayne
asks.

  I nod. "As ready as I'll ever be."

  After a quick count to three, we lift Erek's broken body from the battered earth and make our way back to the right side of the fence.

  * * *

  Chloe

  I'm sitting in the hall outside Erek's bedroom. His pain-filled screams rattle the wooden door, but they won't let me help. All I can do is sit in this empty hallway and close my eyes tightly, hoping I can be half as strong as he is, but every sound, whimper, and cry for mercy threatens to rip away another piece of my fractured heart.

  They think they're helping. They believe they're protecting me…but hearing Erek and not seeing him only makes me more afraid.

  For him.

  For me.

  I love him.

  There it is. I've admitted it now. Really and truly admitted it. I thought it might be true. I thought I've felt the fluttering of new love on more than a few occasions. I've wrestled with the guilt of desiring one man when I was set to marry a different man only months before. I've even wondered if it might be lust, more than affection. After all, men are in short supply these days…maybe some primal reproductive part of me just wanted to secure one for myself. But knowing Erek might be snatched away from me brings a sickening, terrified sadness that can only be attributed to the love I have for this brave, beautiful man.

  I don't know how much damage the landmine inflicted. He was covered in blood when Wayne and Allyson carried him through the gate. His lips were the color of his gray eyes, and his skin sallow. I tried to go to him then, but Daniel held me back; I could only watch as they carried his lifeless body to the farmhouse.

  I can't lose him.

  Doctors are also in short supply these days. I don't know how much Wayne knows about triage, but I hope it's enough to save Erek's life. Because if he dies, I'll find a way to join him...sooner rather than later.