An Uncertain Fate, page 5
part #3 of An Ungoverned World Series
“How do you feel about going with these people?” Nick asked, suddenly realizing he hadn't spoken to Tanya about it, at least not since they had gotten to know Abe a little more and learned something about where they were heading.
Tanya licked her lips before she spoke. She had a number of nervous tics. It was a shame that in this world there were not the usual services around. Tanya could use a counselor to help her through the trauma. The odds of finding one, though, were minuscule. Nick wanted to do everything he could to help her, but none of his training had prepared him for anything like this. Fighting fires was easy in comparison. There was a tangible result to his efforts, but he couldn't see into Tanya's mind. He didn't even know if it was possible for her to heal.
“I think it's a good idea. They seem like good people. I like Gina too. I'm looking forward to seeing what this place is like. If I'm being honest, I'd rather be heading out of the city, but I don't really fancy trekking through the woods again. I'd rather just find a place where we can stay safe and actually think of as home.”
“I'm glad we're on the same page,” Nick said, and smiled at her.
Tanya smiled back, but then her cheeks flushed, and she almost seemed embarrassed. Nick realized it was just the two of them now. At least with Cosmo there he could act as a buffer. There still was some tension between the two of them. Tanya had made a couple of advances that had been rejected by Nick. He thought to the future and knew he didn't want to be alone forever, but there seemed to be other things he had to take care of first, like finding a stable place to live. Tanya was pretty, she was kind, Backdraft liked her, and she would take care of him until her last breath. He certainly could do a lot worse, but with so much uncertainty in the world he just didn't think it was a good idea to begin a romance. He didn't even care about her tragic past. They all had their trauma to deal with and, as far as Nick was concerned, the more important things in life were the actions you took rather than anything that was left in the past.
He had no idea what the future promised for them, but he was more hopeful now than he had been in a long time. The city still didn't feel like home for him as it once had. He remembered how he felt, driving through the city, knowing that he was responsible for keeping it safe. The city had been a living, thriving organism that throbbed with life. Now it was just a hollow shell. A pale shadow of what it once had been. But with people like Abe, Nick believed he could start thinking of it as home again, and there would be a day when this anguish would be a distant memory. It was comforting to know there was a future for all of them. He was looking forward to finally getting to this place, so he could see for himself what Abe's people had built.
His mind was lingering on all these thoughts as he followed Abe's path. This momentary lapse in concentration was broken by the crack of machine gun fire spitting through the air. Nick quickly reached for Tanya and ducked down, crawling to cover with Abe and the others. His eyes darted around the area, searching for the attackers. His first thought was of the men who had hounded him. His second thought was that he shouldn't have been so stupid for thinking about the future. Life was dangerous, and it could be snuffed out in an instant.
Chapter Seven
Tori had been surprised when Joe had leaned in for a hug. She felt silly for turning away and only offering a handshake in return, but she still was traumatized from everything she had been through. Whenever Joe brushed against her she shuddered and jumped involuntarily. Tori hated this. All she wanted was to be normal again and erase that period from her life. It would have been easier had she been allowed to forget it and just move on, but every time she closed her eyes she saw Max's dead body and felt the dirty hands of the men all over her. It was all she could do to not break down completely. Yet, all of that seemed to disappear whenever she was in Joe’s presence. He was strong and kind, yet gentle. With him Tori knew that she would be safe, and she quickly became enamored with him.
It was strange to fall so quickly for a man she knew nothing about, but she was searching for a protector, someone who could take care of her through the long and lonely days of this world, someone who could fight off predators who threatened her safety. If the men came back to find her, she knew Joe would defend her, and without Max in her life anymore she needed someone like that. There was no way she could make it through the world on her own. Joe was handsome and the way he had torn apart that boar had thrilled her. She never had seen anything like it.
The raw power of the man was intoxicating. She couldn't understand how no other woman had snapped him up. Then again, Joe didn't seem like a man who could be tamed. He was coiled like a steel spring and as tough as nails. She was sure that any other man who had suffered a gash in his side would have crumbled, but not Joe. The way he handled himself in this new world was impressive and he certainly seemed to have things all figured out, which was a far cry from where Tori stood. She knew nothing, not even how to build a fire. If Joe hadn't come along, she would most likely have been dead within a week.
In a way, he had saved her life.
She didn't even mind that he was old enough to be her father. It only added to his masculine aura. He had a protective spirit and that was what she needed right then. As they walked back, side by side, she felt as though nothing could hurt her. Gradually, she lowered her defenses and came to trust him. Aside from Max, Joe was the first man in this new world she felt she could trust. He'd taught her how to shoot an arrow and she knew that he could teach her plenty of other things as well. She wanted to stay with him and be near him just in case anything else happened.
However, despite feeling safe around Joe she could not stop her eyes from darting around furtively at the city. She knew they were near the men who had kept her captive, and she was almost certain that at some point she would see David coming out to find her. There still was a part of her that was convinced letting her go had been some sick game of his. Every noise she heard came with a jolt of fear that lanced through her body like lightning. Her breath caught in her throat repeatedly whenever she saw something move out of the corner of her eye. She knew Joe would defend her, but that didn't mean she wanted to see them again. She wished Joe would walk more quickly, but he couldn't in case he disturbed his wound, although he assured her that they weren't far from home. Through some of the buildings she could see the bridge in the distance and was glad that it was receding from view. The farther away they got from that bridge the better, as far as she was concerned.
Joe didn't talk much on the way back. He seemed like the strong, silent type and she couldn't imagine how much pain he must have been enduring. He had been willing to go through all that just so that he could teach her something about survival. He barely knew her. Yet, he was willing to go the extra mile for her, and this only increased her affection for him. There were so many mixed feelings careening around her mind, but the one overriding need she had was to not be alone, so she was glad for Joe's presence. Tentatively, for her body and mind still were sensitive, she placed her arm around Joe's waist to offer him support. It was the least she could do really, after all he had done for her in the short time she had known him. The warmth of him enveloped her like a cloak. For a moment she had to quell the panic that rose in her throat. Tori had to tell herself that she was safe. Joe wouldn't hurt her. He wasn't like those other men. He wasn't a monster.
“Will you keep me safe, Joe?” she asked.
“I will,” he answered without hesitation. This allowed her to relax.
They soon arrived at the place called home. Tori hadn't been sure what she expected to see, but it hadn't been a care home. The building was demure and tucked in between houses. There were no outward signs that anyone lived here, but as they drew closer Tori could see people out back washing clothes, and the sounds of laughter greeted her ears. It felt like civilization, and it was a far cry from what she had become used to. It was almost surreal to think that a place such as this could exist in the same city as such ugliness and brutality. Just as they were about to walk up to the care home Tori's hand slipped down and squeezed Joe's. It happened before she realized it, and she was equally ashamed at being so vulnerable around him, but also relieved she was able to touch the man and that she had not been damaged forever.
Joe opened the door and walked in. Tori was surprised that there weren’t more stringent security measures in place, but it spoke to the fact that people here were trusting and could take care of themselves. The door opened to a lobby area where there were various trolleys and things piled up. The place was alive with chatter. It was nice for Tori to be in a place where everyone sounded happy. People were walking about freely and had smiles on their faces, and when they caught sight of Joe they all rejoiced.
They clapped Joe on the back and more people came down to greet him. Some of them she recognized from the hunt, but others were completely new, and all the faces were rather overwhelming. It was a struggle to stay near Joe because everyone was coming up and making a fuss over him, especially when they saw that he was wounded. They were telling him that he had to get that seen to immediately. Tori noticed how it was mostly the women who were fussing over him and jealousy flared within her. She knew she had no claim to Joe, but she wanted to be close to him, not to share him with all these other women.
Tori wasn't encouraged by the looks they were giving her either. She folded her arms over her chest again as she avoided meeting their eyes. Joe introduced her and a few of them said hello, but she quickly was jostled aside. Joe told them to calm down and said that it was going to be alright, that the wound wasn't that bad.
“But I am looking forward to eating that damned beast tonight,” he said, and then a big cheer erupted.
They all were looking forward to the feast. Tori was too, if she was honest. Foraging for berries hadn't filled her belly, and it was starting to feel uncomfortable. Perhaps this place could be home, although she wasn't comfortable about leaving Joe's side yet.
In all the confusion she was separated from Joe. He was all the way across the room and there were a swarm of people between her and him. She was about to move toward him when she felt a tug on her arm. She turned to see a woman with a narrow face and dark hair looking at her. She revealed long teeth as she smiled, but Tori got a sense that the smile was false, and this was quickly confirmed by her spiteful tone.
“So... Tori, it's nice that you've come here. I'm Jackie, and what I wanted to tell you is to stop these ideas you have about Joe. You're young and pretty. Well, you will be when you get cleaned up a bit, but the world doesn't work the same way as it used to. Men like women who can do things, women with experience, and I've had my eye on Joe for a while. So, you just get whatever ideas you have out of your head and stay away from him.”
Jackie held onto her arm so tightly that her nails dug into Tori's skin. Then Jackie released her and stepped back, keeping her eyes locked on Tori. Tori was aghast, and her mouth hung open. Never had she been accosted like that by another woman. It was so shocking, in fact, that Tori didn't know how to respond. By the time she had thought of any response, Jackie already had left and was talking with other people.
Tori didn't want to make a scene, and she certainly didn't want the first impression she made with these people to be one of chaos and conflict. They all thought highly of Joe and she didn't want them to think that his judgment had been impaired by bringing back a wild, unhinged woman. She needed to talk with him, though, and tell him what this Jackie had said. Tori didn't want to step on any toes, but Joe hadn't mentioned anything about a Jackie. She was sure he'd be the type of honorable man to stay faithful to a woman he was seeing.
Searching through the crowd she saw Joe across the room talking with a little girl, all alone. Tori pushed through the crowd, smiling at the new people as she excused herself and squirmed her way through. A wave of relief washed over her as she came to Joe's side. Tori smiled at Joe and waited patiently for him to finish talking to the little girl. It touched Tori to see how good Joe was with the kid, called Millie from what Tori gathered. She was a cute little thing and seemed to adore Joe. Tori wasn't jealous of her, of course. Kids were innocent, not like adult women.
“Are you okay?” Joe asked, rising from his haunches as he was finished talking with Millie, although the girl stayed standing there.
“I think so. It's just that this woman called Jackie came up to me and told me to stay away from you.”
It sounded so juvenile when she said it like that. Joe glowered, and his eyes shot daggers across the room. Before he could say anything in response Jackie came across and dragged Millie away.
“I trust you, Joe, but I'd like to keep Millie away from people I don't know.” At this she looked pointedly at Tori and then walked away. Joe sighed.
“She's a busybody,” Joe said. “I wouldn't pay any attention to what she says. She likes to think certain things...you know how it is. I haven't done anything to encourage her. I think she's just a lonely woman, unfortunately. A lot of them are like that. People have lost so much you know. It's natural for her to want to hold on to something. I'll talk with her later. It's not fair that you should be subject to that when you've only just arrived.”
“Her daughter seems sweet, though, must have taken after her father,” Tori said. Joe's mouth broadened into a wide smile.
“Yeah, she's a sweet kid. She's gonna be something special when she grows up,” Joe said, his eyes twinkling.
“I guess it must be nice for you to have someone you can act like a father to...I'm sorry, you probably don't like talking about your daughter.”
“It's okay. But yeah, a lot of these kids need a father figure, but we all pitch in. It takes me back to when Tanya was younger, though, which is nice.”
Tori had something else she wanted to ask Joe, even though it was a little forward, and she felt strange for doing so. “I don't know how it works here, or if you even have enough space for me, but I was wondering...well...I really don't feel safe about sleeping alone, and I'd prefer knowing that someone was there with me. Do you think we could sleep together tonight...I mean, sleep in the same room?” Tori cringed with embarrassment and her cheeks flushed, but Joe did not pick up on her slip of the tongue.
“Of course you can,” Joe said.
That night was the feast and Tori felt better after eating some freshly cooked meat. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten so well. Her time with David and the other men quickly was fading into the recesses of her mind. Soon she hoped it would be nothing more than a bad dream. She stayed close with Joe and kept quiet, happy to listen to everyone else talking. Occasionally kind people would inquire about her past and she was happy to talk about vague things, although she always got choked up whenever she mentioned Max.
With a full belly she went to bed. She was asked where she wanted to sleep and told them with pride that she was going to stay in Joe's room. Many of the women looked at her enviously, including Jackie. Tori was happy to let them have the wrong idea for the time being. It was a change to be admired.
There was a small couch in the corner of Joe's room that was the perfect size for her, so Tori slept on that and Joe stayed in the bed. Tori snuggled up under a blanket and tried quieting her mind so she could sleep, but it was not easy. She was filled with the torment of all she had been through, and there was nothing to distract her. Joe already was asleep, snoring peacefully. Tori twisted and turned and wished that she could pummel the anguished thoughts away from her mind.
Then, Joe started speaking. It was quiet and soft. It took a few moments for her to realize that he wasn't talking to her, but he was talking in his sleep. There was a name on his slumbered whisper, Tanya. The name of his daughter. Tori thought it sweet that even through all this time apart, even though she had run away from him, Joe still thought fondly of his daughter. She could tell that it caused him great pain, even if he wouldn't admit it.
The younger kids would benefit from his experience and expertise, but for Joe it wouldn't be the same as having his own daughter around. It couldn't be. Tori wanted to ease his pain as much as possible. Maybe it was fate that had thrown the two of them together and they could save each other from the darkness. She couldn't believe that anyone would run away from him. She never would run away from a man like Joe...and with that thought her mind was calmed and she drifted off into a pleasant and restful sleep.
Chapter Eight
David scanned the crowd for any sign of Nick, but he saw nothing. He, Donny, and the others were in the forest on the trail of that vile man and they had run into these strangers. David didn't know if they were friend or foe, but either way they could be dealt with, although he didn't think Donny had much time for friends. David hoped Donny remembered why they were out there in the first place. He and the other men seemed to be after fun more than anything else, but there were more important things to worry about. Justice needed to be served on Nick. That was the priority. That was the only reason why he had sought out these men in the first place, that and the fact that after David had dealt with Nick there were a few of these men who needed to be punished as well.
David thought Donny's thirst for Nick's life was all-consuming, but it was more of a hobby. After living with these men for a time he realized they had no grand purpose or plan for the future. They lived day by day, not caring about where they were going to be in a year or five. All they cared about was causing chaos and indulging their desires. It was an empty existence in many ways, and one that David could not accept. For a time, he thought he could be a hedonistic glutton like all of them, but it wasn't possible. Part of him still was the person who had risen to be a bank manager, who had made something of himself. Although he had allowed darkness to seep into his heart he could not completely let go of everything that was inside him.
