Page 106 of Heart of the Sun

I returned to Merrick Winchester’s home and went in the side door, avoiding the front room where I could hear voices and some soft laughter. Layne had moved into the house next door where Freddie had a room, but they were here now, visiting with Merrick. But I didn’t have any desire to socialize, I felt far too bereft. All I really wanted to do was sleep and shut off the deep loneliness and pain.

* * *

My eyes flew open, and I blinked groggily up at the ceiling, a sliver of moonlight offering the barest bit of light. Something had woken me—a distant crack. It’d sounded like gunfire.

There it is again.

My stomach tightened and I threw the blankets back and got out of bed. I knew that sound all too well. I’d heard it more times than I cared to remember in recent weeks.

My window faced the back of the house, my view mostly restricted by tall trees. And beyond that was the edge of a cliff that dropped down to the ocean. The gunfire—if that’s what it was—had seemed to come from somewhere down the hill. I’d need to look out a front window to see the street outside.

I slipped out of my room, using the moonlight coming in the tall windows to make my way down the hallway. I didn’t hear anyone else stirring from behind the other bedroom doors. If they’d heard the noise too, they were unconcerned.

It was probably coming from beyond the gate, echoing in the stillness of the night. Or maybe from the ocean far below.

I was paranoid. But then again, I had very good reason to be. We all did.

I padded down the stairs, my footsteps silent on the plush runner and when I got to the bottom, I heard tense voices from the living room.

I started to go in that direction, to see if someone else had heard what I did,when Merrick’s voice grew louder momentarily, clearly distressed. I paused, suddenly on guard and moving more slowly now.

“Put the gun away, Leon. This is wrong.”

My heart thumped with confusion and fear. I plastered my body against the wall. I could barely see into the large room with vaulted ceilings. Merrick was standing near the window and Leon was in front of him, a gun in his hand.What is happening?

“Asher came over the walkie-talkie,” Merrick said. “There’s been a breach. The others need—”

“Asher’s been taken care of.”

“Oh God. What did you do to him?”

“He wasn’t harmed. He’s just been temporarily restrained,” Leon said.

I pulled in a breath, the air barely trickling down my throat. Asher was the young man who lived in what had been the guardhouse near the gate. He’d been restrained? By who? Who breached the gate? What was happening here?

“Leon, why?” Merrick gasped. “I welcomed you here. I allowed you to bring others.”

“Consider your debt repaid.”

“My God, you’re a snake, Leon. I did owe a debt. To your father who was a good, honorable man. You can choose to be like him. I know you’re afraid, but you don’t have to do this.”

“My father’s dead. He died because he put others before himself, and if that’s honor then what’s the point? I’m not going to make the same mistake. The days of selflessness are gone. Now it’s about survival. Not just for a month or even a few, but for longer than that.

“The others are on their way up the hill. They’ll start from the top and make their way down. They’re taking over the homes, even now. It will go quickly. No one will be hurt as long as they cooperate.”

Oh my God.Leon had let armed men in the gate, and they were taking over these homes? Panic infused my veins causing my limbs to tremble. Other sounds met my ears now. Distant footsteps running. Voices from far away.

“The guards at the gate,” Merrick said, his voice choked. “They let these people in? You said we could trust them. You said we needed them.”

“Obviously you did. You created a government, Merrick, but you forgot that every small country needs an army.”

“But why? You were safe. You were being cared for and fed.”

“I’m creating space, it’s as simple as that. I’m preparing for what comes next.”

Creating space.What did that mean exactly?

Merrick let out a sound that was somewhere between a moan and a cough and Leon turned slightly so that I pulled in a breath and plastered myself more firmly to the wall.

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