Finn grabs me and wraps his arms around my body, laughing with relief. His embrace is warm and soothing. He says, “Look at that, Caroline. You did it.”
“No, we did it.”
James’s smile fades as he looks to the north. He points at something. It looks like tiny, flickering lights, miles and miles in the distance. There are three at first, then a fourth comes around the bend, followed by another. We count twelve total before he says, “What are those?”
I shake my head.
Finn says, “I know what they are.”
I don’t like the tone of his voice.
“Get everyone moving,” Finn adds. “The DAV tanks are here already. We need to get inside those walls as soon as we can.”
My voice is a whisper. “No…”
The clouds collapse around the sun. A gust of wind pushes through the trees, and the eternal rain begins to fall once again.
Sample Note
Please enjoy a sample chapter from Book Two, A Pawn’s Betrayal, available for immediate download .
A Pawn’s Betrayal
Raindrops.
Always raindrops. They fall whether you’re drinking watercress tea beside a warm fire, or hunting for that morning’s breakfast, or on a scouting mission to the north of your encampment.
It feels like that was a different life.
What seems like such simple, mindless tasks are long, long gone—days and miles in the past—and still it rains. Our one, brief moment of blue sky was a beacon of hope, and the next, we are again enshrouded by the clouds of desperation.
The once-jovial crowd has grown silent, sensing something troubling from our reactions. Some of them can see what we see—tanks and a smaller division of the main army—and others whisper their questions.
My people. My citizens. Those I am in charge of who rely on me, a fourteen-year-old army scout, to save them from a life in chains. I’ve gotten them this far. We’re almost safe. What a relief it will be to hand them over to someone higher in the chain of command, but for now, a steep mountainside and one last push to the fortified walls of our capitol stand between us.
The wall of rain washes over us as James lifts his thunderous voice up and over their heads. “Run! Run if you can!”
I scream for them to go calmly, but my words are lost in the din of their fear. I grab James’s arm. “Tell them,” I order. “Tell them to go safely.”
Finn shakes his head. “Too late for that.”
Around us, people scramble to pick up their children, their belongings, and the food they’ve managed to save. People run into each other, knock one another down, and trip over those who aren’t moving fast enough.
James puts a hand on his forehead. “Sorry, Caroline, I—”
“Forget it,” I say, picking up my satchel. “Just help anyone that needs it. Tell them that if they can’t make it with the rest of us, we will not abandon them. We’ll send help back.”
James nods. “Okay.”
“Tell them now. Scream it so they’ll understand.”
He does, and I’m not sure that it works.
Some of the citizens of the People’s Republic of Virginia, the PRV, and some of the Republicons are composed enough to understand James. They wave in agreement and lift the fallen off the ground.
Nearly everyone moves faster than I expect, even the grandmothers like Cherise—she of the gangrene arm—and the father with his child on crutches, the one I decided I was fighting for. Fueled by adrenaline and perhaps the fleeting glimpse of blue sky, we scamper, crash, and scramble down the hillside; some who are well enough to do so on their own help those who aren’t.
We must be an unwelcome sight when a thousand PRV citizens, tired and bedraggled, and a handful of Republicons, erupt from the forest’s edge and into a clearing. I stay behind with Finn, to help the last in line, while James leads the charge toward the empty road in the distance. If they can make it to that dark, hardened path, the remaining retreat into Warrenville will be unhindered. The approaching bulk of the Democratic Alliance of Virginia army is miles away. They’re not moving fast enough to catch us before we reach the gates.
Finally, safety is within sight.
We’re out of harm's way, but for how long?
Finn keeps glancing toward the incoming tanks, nervously.
“What’s the matter?” I ask, motioning for a young mother and her child to follow the rest of the group. I tell her not to worry, there’s plenty of time, and she smiles in return. I can’t tell if she believes me.
Finn answers, “The main army is marching straight toward us and can’t be too far behind if the flank is already here. They had to bring the tanks the long way around, through the roads. I didn’t expect them to get here so fast.”
“It’s my fault they won’t be prepared.” I can feel the weight of guilt closing in on my chest. “I should’ve sent runners ahead days ago.”
“I’m sure your people knew already. You can’t march an army that large without word spreading. And if I had to guess, General Graybeal probably sent someone himself.”
“Why would he do that?” We wait on the last two people to pass us—an older, blind man being guided by his granddaughter—and then shuffle along behind them. I can’t help but smile. It seems insane given our situation, but we’ve managed to lead our entire group of people out and into the open. Not a single one of our charges have been left behind. We’ve made it so far.
The group marching in front of us is filled with such an improbable group of people. It’s unbelievable that we made it to safety with the types of people we have among us. Sick, weak, wounded and dying, they’ve fought for survival and they won. It’s only a small victory, though, because the war hasn’t even begun.
When the blind man stumbles in front of me, I think maybe I should congratulate myself later, once we’re safely inside the walls of Warrenville.
Finn seems distracted by the approaching army in the distance. I ask again, “Finn, why would your general send a warning ahead of time?”
Finn says, “Huh? Oh, right. Just to let them know what a mistake they made. Before I left, there was talk of not going to war. Or, well, avoiding it if at all possible. If your President Larson had surrendered, none of this would’ve happened.”
“Maybe not, but we’d all be in chains and marching north, instead of trying to fight for our freedom.”
“I know,” Finn says. “I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that, at some point, somebody made a decision and here we are. They knew the DAV would be coming. They had to. My question is, what have they done to prepare for it? Anything?”
Finn has a point, and it leaves me wondering if we’ll find soldiers along the walls, armed with sticks and rocks, trying to defend their last remaining bastion against those metal behemoths that can shoot projectiles through solid rock.
President Larson must have decided that fighting to maintain our freedom was worth the risk. Right? It’s my guess that he had purposely chosen not to wave the white flag against the northern enemies. Why would he do that if he didn’t think we had a chance? I only know of him, but I’ve heard stories from the Elders that he’s always been a good man.
But, do good men always make the wisest decisions?
I don’t know the answer to that.
I tell Finn that maybe I should go ahead, that I should get to the gates of the capitol before the rest of our group. If they know the DAV army is on its way, and if they have lookouts posted along the walls, it makes sense to have an official representative approach first. “Right?” I ask. “Especially if we show up with a group of Republicons with us.”
“Good idea. You go. I’ll make sure everyone keeps up. And,” he adds, grabbing my hand gently, “if the subject comes up, I was never a blackcoat.”
He should know that I would never betray his history, but I can see the worry in his eyes. A soft peck on the cheek reassures him. I hope. “Your secret is safe with me,” I say. He smiles.
Yet,
a minor flicker in the back of my mind, like a moth beating its wings, has me wondering if he had Teresa hanged to ensure that there was one less outlet for the truth. I trust him with every drop of blood flowing through my veins, but even the purest of souls have something to hide.
I squeeze his hand—reassuringly, calmly—and sprint to the front of the group. I know I can move faster; with my Kinder abilities growing in strength, I could be at the front gates in seconds, covering the last couple of miles in a blur, but I need to speak to James first.
He’s leading the charge. Not running, but jogging at a steady clip, head down and hood up, with rain dripping into his face and off his beard. By now, you’d think that every single person would be bone-tired to the core of their being, however, James looks fresh, determined. Most of him anyway. With the barest hint of setting sun lighting the day, I can see a trace of ache in the way his jaw clenches each time he takes another step.
“Ho, Caroline!” he says in his familiar greeting. “They’re keeping up better than I expected.” He smells like days-old sweat and damp clothing.
I glance back behind us and survey the shuffling clan. “They’ll make it. That speck of blue sky did more good than a warm meal.”
“Some of those kids back there weren’t even born the last time the sun was out.” He hisses in pain during an awkward step and I ask if he’s okay. “Age, Caroline. Nothing but age. I’ll make it.”
“I’m going ahead,” I say. “I want to make sure they know we’re coming.”
“Oh, they can see us. They’d be stupid not to have lookouts posted, and I don’t think your leaders are that foolish.”
“That’s my point, James. We won’t be able to hide the fact that you’re Republicons. You don’t look any different than the rest of us, not really, but too many people know. Too many mouths to blurt secrets.”
His shoulders slump as he shakes his head. He slows his pace. “Don’t do that to me, Caroline. Not now. We’ve come so far. We’ve helped you for so long. I lost good people for this.”
“No, no,” I say, patting his back, “don’t worry. I’ll do everything I can to make sure you’re rewarded. They’ll give you a soft bed and fresh clothes. Maybe even a bath.”
I chuckle when he sniffs his armpit and says, “Nah, I’m not due for another week.”
I probably shouldn’t be promising any of this. The way Republicons are viewed—pure scum, worse than dog poop on a boot heel—it wouldn’t surprise me if the guards shot James and the rest of his crew on sight. Truthfully, if they can see us already, like James says, then there’s a chance that the Republicons are lined up in the crosshairs of a rifle and they don’t even know it.
James jogs a few more steps. I keep my pace slow because I can tell that he wants to say something else, but he’s having a hard time finding the right words. Eventually, he stumbles through it. “I… Maybe we should… Maybe Marla and the Blakes, Squirrel—we should leave. You’re here, we’ve helped you get this far. You told us to go before we got to the top of Black Rash Mountain. We should’ve listened then.”
“I don’t want you to go, James. Please don’t. Let me try to talk to them, okay? You’re good, strong fighters. You’ve risked your lives for days to help us. They’ll understand.” I can see both sides of the argument. I want him to stay for selfish reasons, but it’s probably safer for them to leave for logical ones.
“We’re Republicons, Caroline. They shoot us in the middle of the street. No judge, jury, or trial. I’ve seen it before. Boom, dead.”
This overwhelming need overcomes me. I led my people to safety, but I didn’t do it without James. He’s been with me since we began this harrowing sprint to safety. He was right there by my side the whole time. He was on the right, Finn was on the left. What will I do without my generals?
“I need you to stay. I do. Me. And I know that’s selfish, but if you want to stay and fight, even if it’s for something you don’t belong to, I’ll always be in your debt. That’s for me, not my country,” I say desperately, beating a fist against my chest. “My capitol isn’t your home, but this land is, these mountains are, and unless you want to spend the rest of your life hiding—”
“We already spend our lives hiding, Caroline. We’re Republicons,” he insists. “That’s what we do.”
“I know that, but you should stay and fight, because that’s for you. Defend what’s yours. Land, life, and freedom.”
Understanding flickers throughout his features.
“Go,” he says, sighing, nudging me with his bear-paw hand. “Tell them before we get there, then get back here and give us their answer. We need time to escape if they say no. Understood? That’s final. I have my own kind to protect. Go.”
I thank him and turn toward the walls of my capitol, promising one last time that I’ll do everything I can to make sure they welcome him and his Republicon family like the heroes that they are. As I take my first step, I say a small prayer that it’s a promise I’ll be able to keep.
One, two, three steps later and I’m at full speed, reaching the road in seconds. I turn south and pump my legs, driving myself ahead. The blacktop beneath my feet is harder than stone and feels strange after walking on the soft forest floor for days upon days.
I feel no pain. I am in union with the energy around me, drawing it from the earth, the sky, the lightning that arcs across the clouds.
I am safe for the moment, but not free. Uncertainty tugs at my back, as if a rope tethers me to a fencepost, because I don’t know if I’ll have the opportunity to experience true liberty again. I have to outlast a war to know that.
The last light of day fades while I run. The concealed sun dips over the last mountain in the distance, losing the war against another day gone.
War. Three simple letters that lead to so much destruction. Three simple letters that tear families apart, destroy lives and cities, and change the course of history.
Given that the DAV army is swiftly approaching, I may die before I know true independence again, and death itself may provide the only freedom remaining.
I’m one of the last two Kinders, but that doesn’t mean I’m immortal.
Continue by reading A Pawn’s Betrayal, available now.
Dear Reader
I hope you enjoyed the first installment of the Rhythm of War series!
What you might not know about this particular work is that it’s independently published, and you can play a big part in its success. For the little guys like me, the indie authors who do everything on our own in addition to writing the stories, helping spread the word is the best thing you can do if you liked this book, because your opinion matters. Nothing improves a novel’s chances more than word-of-mouth and I would be forever grateful if you would please consider leaving an honest review. It doesn’t have to be much because even a couple of sentences can help sway a new reader’s opinion!
Caroline’s journey doesn’t end here. The story continues with A Pawn’s Betrayal and The Light of Hope. This is a big story and I felt that this was a good point to give you, the reader, a bit of time to process after such a harrowing retreat. As you probably saw in the sample…
Book Two, A Pawn’s Betrayal, and Book Three, The Light of Hope are available in late 2018.
One last thing and I’ll let you get back to your reading journey: a fuller explanation will follow, (see Join Today) but here’s your chance to sign up for The Lindsey Novel-Dispatch, my new release email list to learn more about my fiction, giveaways, free ebooks, and discounts. I always approach your contact information with respect and won’t fill up your inbox with phooey. Pinky swear.
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Ernie
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Also By Ernie Lindsey
Novels
The Sara Winthrop Series
Sara’s Game: Book One
Sara’s Past: Book Two
Sara’s Fear: Book Three
One More Game: A Novella
Sara: The Complete Series
The Rhythm of War Trilogy
The Last Legend – Book One
A Pawn’s Betrayal – Book Two
The Light of Hope – Book Three
Super
Skynoise: A Time Travel Thriller
Harmless
The Marshmallow Hammer Detective Agency
The White Mountain
The Two Crosses
Going Shogun
Novellas
Hard Place
How White People Die
The Starboard Knife
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The Last Legend Page 18