“That’s not what I meant. I mean if they’re searching for him, then they could just as easily find us.”
“Yeah, and what difference does it make if he’s with us or not? If they find us, they find us, and we’re screwed either way.”
Wren let out a deep breath. “I’d feel a lot happier if I didn’t think your decision was based on the fact that he’s so easy on the eye.”
A small smile turned the corners of Robyn’s lips. “I hadn’t even noticed.”
“Yeah, right.”
“Wren, he’s just like us. You keep saying how everybody is welcome in Safe Haven if they’re willing to pull their weight. I really think we should invite him.”
Wren stared at her sister for several seconds before looking over towards the rest of the group. Ruby and Mila were in conversation with Josh. The three of them were smiling, and even from this distance, Wren could see that Tommy’s tics had slowed down. “Maybe I am being a bit paranoid,” she said to herself more than anyone.
“Ha! You think so?”
“Okay, don’t rub it in.” The three of them walked back to the group.
Robyn was about to speak, but Mila beat her to it. “Josh has just been telling us how he was an apprentice to a carpenter before all this started. Useful, ja?”
Robyn looked towards Wren and smiled then turned back towards Josh. “We were just talking, and we’d like to invite you to come with us.”
“Come with you where?”
“Safe Haven.”
CHAPTER 8
If Robyn had invited Josh to live underneath a bridge with the troll people, she was fairly certain he would have accepted. After brief introductions, they were underway again within a few minutes. The wind had died down a little more, and although the sky was still grey, the rain was holding off for the time being.
Wren checked the compass. “We’re probably better going cross country than heading back to the road.”
“I think that’s smart,” Josh replied, sidling up to her. “Those people didn’t seem to have any shortage of vehicles. I’m pretty sure they’ll be patrolling the roads.”
“I doubt if they’ll send anybody into the middle of nowhere to look for us.”
“Let’s hope. What’s your dog’s name?”
“Wolf,” she replied, looking down at her faithful companion as he walked by her side.
“Does he bite?” Josh asked, extending his hand to stroke the German Shepherd’s back.
“I’d be lying if I said he didn’t.”
Josh paused and withdrew his hand. “Err…”
Wren let out a small laugh. “You’re okay. He won’t bite you. If somebody threatens me, he’ll turn them into mincemeat, but he’s pretty placid most of the time.”
“Note to self, never get on Wren’s wrong side.”
She laughed again, and Josh laughed too. This time he extended his hand fully and ruffled Wolf’s mane. Wren looked behind her to see Robyn, Mila and Ruby all talking to each other while Tommy walked along with his head raised looking towards the canopy.
“I’m sorry about your friends and your town.”
Josh looked down towards the ground for a moment. He really was handsome, and Wren couldn’t help but stare. When he raised his eyes and turned towards her, she looked away, afraid that he had caught her looking. “Thank you. But I’m sure you guys have got stories just like mine.”
“I suppose.”
“Hey, can I take your backpack? It looks heavy. I like to think I’m pulling my weight around here.”
Wren smiled. “No, I’m fine thanks. You’re going to fit in well in Safe Haven.”
“How long have you lived there?”
“Quite a while now.” She went on to recite a potted history of her time in Inverness, right through to meeting Mike and reuniting with her grandad, and Josh hung on her every word.
“That is some story.”
“Some long story. I’ve probably bored you senseless, haven’t I?”
“Not at all. It was…”
“Now you’re trying to think of a polite word for dull.”
“No. It was inspiring.”
Wren raised her eyebrows. In her life, she had never felt comfortable talking to boys, or anyone for that matter, but Josh seemed different. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
“I would. You survived in Inverness all that time by yourself, and there was that gang always lurking in the shadows, but you still went in to keep looking for your sister. Then you save a stranger and find out he’s only part of a settlement where your grandad has been living. It’s an amazing story. It’s full of hope.”
“I never really thought of it like that before.”
“I suppose when you’re living through something you don’t think of it in those terms. But you overcame adversity and triumphed. If they made that into a movie, it would be a blockbuster. Hell, I’d go see it … twice.”
Wren giggled. “Yeah, well, I don’t think they’ll be making any movies anytime soon.”
“A play then.”
Wren laughed again. “You’re a glass half full type of person, aren’t you?”
“Right now, I could be chained up with a bunch of people being forced to do God only knows what. Instead, I’m here with you, and we’re heading towards Safe Haven.”
“Well, like I said to you, we had some trouble there. You’re not going to see it at its best to begin with. There’ll be a lot of work to do.”
“Hard work has never scared me.”
Wren smiled. “My grandad is going to love you.” Josh looked across to her and smiled. She suddenly felt a warm feeling inside.
“What are you two talking about?” Robyn said, catching up to walk in between them.
Wren’s shoulders sagged as the back of her sister’s head blocked her view of Josh’s face.
“Wren was just telling me her story of how she ended up in Safe Haven.”
“I thought I saw a suicidal look sweeping over your face.”
“Actually, I thought it was amazing. She defied all the odds by managing to do what she did.”
“Yeah, I suppose she is pretty cool for a younger sister,” Robyn said as she turned around and tussled Wren’s hair. Wren ducked away, realising that her intimate conversation with Josh was well and truly over. “Course, I taught her everything she knows.”
“Really?”
Robyn was about to carry on when she turned and looked towards Wren again. She could see the disappointment on her face as she stared down at the ground. Wolf was brushing against the side of her leg as if to console her with his gentle touch.
“No. Not really. If it hadn’t been for my little sister, I’d never have got out of Edinburgh alive. She’s saved me like a thousand times over. She’s the most selfless and bravest person I know.” Robyn reached across and squeezed Wren’s arm. Wren looked up at her with gratitude painted on her face.
“Don’t listen to her. Bobbi was a natural with that bow. She picked it up and straight away she became an archery expert.”
“Sounds like you made a pretty impressive team,” Josh said.
“We had our moments,” Robyn replied. “Right, well, I’ll leave you to it.”
“We were only talking, Bobbi,” Wren said, embarrassed.
“I know. That’s what I meant. I’ll leave you to your talking,” she replied, giving her sister a big wink before dropping back to rejoin Mila and the others.
Wren immediately coloured up, and Josh smiled warmly. “Big sisters, eh?”
“Yeah. Did you have any?”
“No. I was an only child.”
“There were times in the past when I wished for that.”
Josh laughed. “I’m sure every sibling goes through that.”
“I suppose.”
“How long do you think it’s going to take us to get there?”
“I guessed it would be about three days or so by road. This way, though, I’ve got no idea. There are probably going to be hills and s
tuff.”
“Where is this place exactly?”
“When we set off yesterday morning, we’d moved our operations to Torridon until we can get back on our feet.”
“Those pirates you told me about must have really done a number on you.”
Wren let out a deep breath. “Do you mind if we don’t talk about it?”
Josh looked towards her and saw pain on Wren’s face. He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder. “I’m sorry; I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“It’s alright. It’s just a bit raw still. I lost some friends.”
“I understand,” he said, removing his hand and placing it in his pocket.
“Of course you do. Look who I’m talking to.”
The group carried on walking through the woods, occasionally hearing the sound of a drone motor somewhere in the distance.
Eventually, the woods gave way to moorland. They stopped and lingered in the darkness of the trees for a while, surveying the open landscape beyond. The wind was far more pronounced, but other than the odd drop here and there, the rain was holding off.
“Maybe this would be a sensible place to stop for food, yes?” Mila said.
“You’re probably right,” Wren replied.
They tucked into a variety of crisps and snack bars while Wren fed Wolf dog treats out of her hand. Nobody spoke very much, and as soon as they were done, their journey was underway once more.
They walked over the sodden moors for half an hour before another massive forest came into sight. It climbed up the hills and into the distance.
“Over there,” Robyn said.
Wren turned to look in the direction her sister was pointing. “So much for avoiding roads,” she said, staring towards a small van. Robyn pulled out her binoculars and looked through them long and hard before passing them to Wren.
“What do you think?” Robyn asked.
Wren looked to the left. The moor gave way to hills of varying steepness. To the right in the distance was the road with hilly forest beyond. “I suppose if we’re out here anyway, we may as well make life easier for ourselves. We’ll travel quicker by road than we would trudging over a waterlogged moor.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
“Come on then.”
The group changed course and headed in the direction of the rusty van. The occasional cold gusts made them huddle as they went. Their feet sunk into boggy craters and covering the half mile to the road took them the best part of twenty minutes.
“That was fun,” Robyn said as they reached the tarmac. “Welcome to the Highlands.”
The van was a few hundred metres further on. To their right was a grassy verge of fifty metres or so which led to thick woodland leading up the first of many tall hills.
“Do you think we might be able to get the van working?” Ruby asked. Robyn slowed down a little to walk alongside her. Wren was deep in conversation with Mila and Josh telling them about some of the food they grew in Safe Haven and what was available to forage in the forest.
Ruby had not seen what Wren and Robyn had seen through the binoculars. “Nah. It looked like it had been stripped.”
“That’s too bad.”
“Tell me about it.”
“Maybe we’ll find something now that we’re back on the road, right?”
“Don’t build your hopes up.”
“Don’t build your hopes up. Don’t build your hopes up,” Tommy echoed.
“No, Tommy, I won’t.”
“How’s he doing?” Robyn asked.
“He’s doing fine. He always seems happy when he’s walking out in the open. It could be blowing a blizzard, but when he’s outside, he seems a little … freer.”
Robyn smiled. “He’ll be in his element for the next few days at least then.”
“Is it really going to take us that long?”
“Yeah. I mean I’ve not been on this road before, but from what Wren was saying, it’s not the most direct route. The fact that it’s a narrow single track, though, will hopefully mean it’s not on the radar of that army.”
“What are we going to do when we get to Safe Haven?”
“What do you mean?”
“I heard you guys talking. It sounds like that army is making its way around the coast. What are we going to do?”
Robyn carried on walking with her eyes firmly fixed on the road. “I don’t know, Ruby. I know there are soldiers in Safe Haven and a lot of people. I know that they’ve survived all sorts of stuff in the past.”
“So we could be heading there only to run again?”
“I don’t know what to tell you. It’s a possibility. But at least we won’t be by ourselves. We’ll be part of a much bigger group.”
“When you’re running for your life, it really doesn’t matter how many people you’re with, does it?”
Robyn opened her mouth to answer but then realised she didn’t have a response. They carried on walking in silence until they reached the van.
The seven of them lined up on the road staring at it for a few moments before Wren, Robyn, Mila and Josh stepped forward to take a closer look. The van was not on the road itself; it was parked on a small area of gravel at the side. It had the familiar dents and scratches of a vehicle that had seen its fair share of action. They edged around to the front of the vehicle and froze as their eyes fixed on the blood-covered windscreen.
Josh placed his fingers on the passenger door handle, took a deep breath and opened it. There was a strange sweet smell inside that he could not quite identify, but there were no bodies. Blood had sprayed the windscreen, the side windows and the dashboard. “Oh my God,” he mumbled.
Mila immediately drew her swords, Robyn snatched an arrow from her quiver and brought her bow up, and all of them began to scour the tree line.
“What is it?” Ruby asked.
“Keep Tommy back,” Wren said, stepping forward and slamming the door shut. She turned to the others. “This doesn’t make sense.”
“What doesn’t?” Josh asked.
“So much, I don’t know where to begin. That’s arterial spray on the windows … like somebody just cut their throats while they sitting there. If there was a sign of trouble, they’d lock the car doors, they’d drive away … something. Nobody would just let somebody do that to them.” She stepped back from the van to see it was raised off the ground on stones and all four wheels had been removed, and the petrol cap had been taken off.
Mila circled around the front of the vehicle. “Here,” she called, and the others joined her.
In the long grass next to the side of the carriageway was a ROAD AHEAD CLOSED sign. “So that explains why they stopped anyway,” Robyn said.
“That doesn’t make me feel any easier,” Wren said. “It was obviously an ambush. So whoever did it knew they were coming. They must have been watching the road for their people to get into position to strike like this.”
“Yeah, but the blood’s dry, this hasn’t just happened,” Robyn replied.
“I know, Bobbi. But what’s to say we’re not being watched right now?”
CHAPTER 9
Wolf let out a sharp, sudden bark and his gaze fixed on the forest to their right. “Ruby, come on. We need to get going,” Wren said, following her dog’s stare towards the thick woodland.
“Your dog has great timing,” Josh said.
“Tell me about it,” Wren replied.
“I don’t suppose you’ve ever used one of these before?” Robyn said, snatching the shotgun from her rucksack.
Josh looked at it, and a smile crept onto his face. “Actually, yeah.”
“I don’t know if that’s reassuring or worrying,” Wren replied.
“What can I tell you? I was younger, and I needed the money to support my heroin habit. That bank was just begging to get robbed.”
Robyn paused. Her arm was half stretched towards him, and the weapon dangled in the air just waiting to be snatched from her. “Tell me you’re joking,” Wren s
aid.
“An even bigger smile swept over Josh’s face. “Relax. I’ve been clay pigeon shooting a couple of times.”
“Yes, this is a most appropriate time to be cracking jokes. Do you have any more?” Mila said, stony faced as she looked towards the forest as well.
“Sorry,” Josh replied, taking the weapon and the four shells.
Wolf let out another bark, and Wren reached down to place a hand on him. “It’s alright, boy. Stay.”
“Come. We should get going. The sooner we are away from this area the better, yes?” Mila said.
“You don’t need to convince me,” Robyn replied.
The seven of them began to jog along the road, throwing frequent looks towards the woods. Wolf let out three more consecutive barks. “It’s alright, boy. It’s okay,” Wren said, bending a little to ruffle his coat lovingly.
“What’s wrong with him now?” Robyn asked.
“I don’t know. Spooked I guess.”
“Yeah, well, he can join the club.”
“Orville and Wilbur Wright were two aviation pioneers credited as designing, building and flying the world’s first engine-powered aeroplane. Orville was born on the nineteenth of August eighteen seventy-one. He died on the thirtieth of January nineteen forty-eight. Wilbur—”
“Tommy! This isn’t the time,” Ruby said as they continued to jog along the road.
Wolf barked again, and Wren put her hand up, signalling for them all to stop. “Wait a minute.”
“—was born on the sixteenth of April eighteen sixty-seven. He died on the thirtieth of May nineteen twelve. Together they—”
“Enough, Tommy,” Ruby said, reaching out towards him. He flinched away, and his fingers immediately began to flick frantically. His head and eyes began to tic, and he started walking around in a circle. “Oliver and Wilbur Wright were two aviation pioneers…”
“What the hell’s going on?” Robyn asked. “Why have we stopped running?”
The End of Everything | Book 9 | The End of Everything Page 6