The Divide: Origins (30 page)

“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 . . .”

“Hey,
that’s not even funny,”
Max
said with a grin as they
got into the car.

They
weren’t supposed to leave town without permission, but Max knew the people who
manned the gates. It was no problem getting them to let him outside. Once they
were on the road, Zoe told him where Liam and his partner were supposed to be.
It was an area about ten miles north, so it wouldn’t take long to get there.
Max could tell that Zoe was worried about Liam, but he knew there probably wasn’t
any sense in being scared. He was sure Liam was just tracking something he had
killed and running a little late. That’s exactly what he told her. About
halfway there, a surprise awaited them, however. There was a truck a few feet
off the road. It had crashed into a tree. It looked bad, and Max doubted if
anyone had survived.

“Oh,
my God! That’s the truck they went in,” Zoe said.

Max
pulled over and got out. Zoe started to run to the truck, but he stepped in
front of her.

“Let
me check it out first. You don’t need to see this,” he said.

“I’m
his wife! Would you sit on the sidelines if this were Rebecca?”

“No,
but I’m worried. This might not be good.”

“I
don’t care. I’ve got to see it with my own eyes.”

“Okay,”
Max said and wrapped one arm around her as they walked to the truck.

Max
didn’t recognize the driver. He had a hole in his head, and a bullet hole in
the windshield made it obvious what had happened. Someone had likely shot him
in hopes of stealing whatever they had. Afterward, he probably veered off the
road and into a tree. When Max looked over at Liam in the passenger seat, he
saw that he was still breathing lightly. He had some cuts and bruises, but
otherwise, he looked okay. It was a little concerning that he was passed out,
though. Before he could walk to the passenger side, Zoe had already run to it.
She forced the door open and gently woke Liam up.

“Are
you okay?” she pleaded.

“I
think so. What are you doing out here?” Liam asked.

“We
were looking for you. What happened?” Max asked.

“We
were headed back home, and I saw a reflection in the woods. I didn’t know what
it was at the time, but a bullet flying through the windshield solved that
mystery. They had someone set up in the woods waiting on us. This isn’t the
first time this has happened either. A lot of hunters have mysteriously died or
come up missing. I think someone has set up shop close to here, and they’re
killing us for what we get on hunts. I didn’t see a vehicle around. Given that
they were on foot and they were going to be dragging a deer, they have to be
close. Maybe we can still find them,” Liam said and attempted to get up before
a stabbing pain shot through his ribcage.

“You’re
not in any shape to go anywhere but home,” Zoe said.

“Zoe’s
right. I know exactly where these people are. Zoe, you take him home. I’ll be
back later after I’ve taken care of the problem.”

“But
don’t you need help?”

“I’ll
be fine. The only person who needs help is Liam. Get him to a doctor, and tell
Rebecca I’ll be back soon.”

“Okay,
if you’re sure.”

“I
am,” Max said and helped her get Liam into the car.

After
they were gone, he headed into the woods. He remembered from scouting the area
years before that there was a rundown house about a half-mile through the
woods. If they were on foot, odds were that the thieves were there. He quietly
made his way through the brush until he was in view of the house. Just as
expected, there were two men dressing a deer next to the house. Max got set up
with his rifle and fixed his aim on one of them. It had been a long time since
he took a life, but if these men were killing their people, then it was worth
it. He fired without hesitation and cut the first one down. Then he moved on to
the second. Just as he was about to run into the house, Max put a bullet
through his
skull.
The problem was resolved, but he
hated how it had to be done.

On
the walk home, he thought about a lot of things. One was how it felt to kill
again. He couldn’t say he missed this one bit, but he knew one thing for
certain. Liam didn’t need to be out there anymore. He was like Max’s son. There
was no way he could continue to let him risk his life out there. Liam wouldn’t
give up his position easily, though. He would have to go to their new leader,
Lee Franklin, and ask for help. When he finally got back to Norak, that’s
exactly what he did.

“I
need a favor, Lee,” Max said.

“I’m
not in the business of favors, but what is it?”

“Liam
can’t be a hunter anymore.”

“We
need our hunters now more than ever. The city is growing, and without food,
we’ll starve.”

“I
understand that. I’ve got a deal for you. I’ll take his place as a hunter, and
he can take mine in the garden. You won’t lose anything. What do you say?”

“I’m
not going to move a man in the prime of his life to a job on the inside of the
city and let a man with one eye and ear take his place. You’re going to have to
come up with something better than that.”

“How
about this then? You’re
going
to do
this because I told you to.”

“What
is that supposed to mean?”

“That
I have the support of more guards, citizens, and even people in your own little
political cabinet. If I wanted you dead and out of power, I could easily make
it happen. I’m asking you as a courtesy because for some reason, our people
elected you. I don’t have to ask, though.”

“Is
that a threat?”

“You
bet your ass it is. Now, what’s it going to be? Are we going to war over this,
or are you going to do the right thing and transfer him to the gardens?”

“I’ll
do what you’re asking, but I’ll also remember this. We could’ve been friends,
you know.”

“I
don’t think so. We have different views on how this place should be run and
what real power is. I’ll stay out of your way, though, if you stay out of
mine,” Max said before walking out.

He
went straight home to find that Liam was already there. The doctor had treated
him for some minor cuts and bruises. His ribs might have been fractured, but
they didn’t have an x-ray machine, so the doctor’s best advice was to rest for
a few days.

“I’ve
got some news. You’ve been reassigned to the gardens. I’m taking your place
outside,” Max said.

“What
are you talking about? I . . .” Liam managed to say before Max cut him off.

“It’s
already been approved by Lee. There’s no going back. This is for the best.
You’re a dad, and you almost died today. I took care of the thieves, so our
hunters shouldn’t have to worry about being cut down now. Take this as what it
is - a gift. You get to be closer to Zoe and your daughter now.”

Liam
didn’t say anything, and Zoe mouthed a thank you to Max as he walked into the
next room with Rebecca.

“Are
you sure about this?” Rebecca asked.

“Yeah.
I know it seems at odds with what I’ve said about not going back out there, but
there was a reason I needed to be here for a while. Back then, murder was
starting to become routine. I didn’t value human life. Today I realized that
I’ve changed. I killed two people, but I didn’t do it without thought. Killing
them saved a lot of our people, and me going out there is going to assure that
Alisa has a dad. It’s all for something.”

“What
if I want
my
child to have a dad?”

“You
never have to worry about me. I’ll be safe. There’s no way I’m letting anyone
take me away from all this. I just had to keep the people here safe.
The best way to do that is me being out there instead of Liam.
I hope you understand.”