Page 23 of Max
“My cabin is in the mountains of the eastern overlord territory. I plan to go back there when I find Tessa.”
“What if you never do?”
“It’s not an option. I’m not giving up.”
“So, what am I supposed to do?” asked Eddie.
“Get out of this business altogether. When they start sweeping the ruins to evacuate people before demolition, get yourself evacuated. The Enclave will give you a homestead, and you can have a fresh start. They don’t have to know you were in on this.”
“What do I know about homesteading?”
“You’re young and smart. You can learn. They will help you. What else is there? Would you rather go to prison?”
“Fuck, no.”
“Then, do what I tell you. You’re on the losing side if you don’t.”
“You’re not one of us, are you?” Eddie, met his gaze accusingly.
Colton didn’t look away. “That doesn’t matter. I’m your friend. I never lied to you, and I won’t start now. You can have a good life. Find a female, start a family. There’s no future in this business. You will either go to prison, or end up dead. I don’t want that for you.”
“Will I ever see you again?”
Colton shrugged. “It could happen.”
A moment later, he was gone. Eddie had a lot to think about.
Dawn was breaking as Max stood sipping a mug of tea on the back porch of the home he now shared with Falyn. He’d seen many sunrises and sunsets while fighting the war with his brethren on many different planets. Nowhere in the galaxy had he felt more at peace, secure in knowing he was where he was meant to be.
Falyn was still sleeping, “delightfully exhausted,” as she’d put it, from making love—breeding until the wee hours. She’d fallen asleep in his arms with her head on his upper chest naked. He had drifted asleep, remembering every kiss, every touch, and the sheer joy of sliding his cock into her that first thrust.
He didn’t mind that she required hours more sleep than he did. The alone time allowed him to contemplate his new life living in the quiet beauty of these mountains with Falyn.
It also gave him time to check in with Rexas on their evacuation and demolition plan progress. As in LA, many buildings still partly intact held only the remains of long-dead residents. Rexas’s team evacuated a few hundred from the ruins in the first week.
Some had to be forcibly removed, terrified they would be sold into slavery. Many had been chased by gangers, hunting for humans to sell. Converted cyborg naturals were among the gangers helping and commanding them. They didn’t know the difference between the converted naturally born humans and the manufactured cyborgs.
Rexas calmed them as much as possible once they got to the base. Distributing meal trays in the mess hall helped pacify them while his second in command explained why they were there. The social transition counselors arrived two days later.
Max was fully satisfied with how Rexas was handling the job. So far, they hadn’t encountered many gangers or evidence that any residents possessed high-tech weapons. They mostly showed up with projectile guns, crossbows, longbows, knives, and swords. None of those would penetrate the cyborgs’ armor. They might stab or cut a cyborg not wearing armor, but it took real strength to penetrate their flesh deeply with an ordinary knife or sword.
The cleanup crews and heavy machinery arrived a week after the protectors. Two weeks into the job, things were going as they should. The low point was finding so many remains of long-dead residents everywhere they cleared.
Recon teams located most of the gang-held overlord territory. They were holding areas close to the bay. It would be a while before they got close because the teams were running evacuations and demolitions north and south. Max chose that strategy so he could spend more time with Falyn.
Finishing his tea, Max returned the mug to the kitchen and went back outside to do morning chores. He let out the horses, milked the goats, fed the chickens, and collected eggs. He’d already weeded the garden two days earlier.
Max and Falyn did evening chores together and picked any fruits and vegetables ready for use the next day. Only today they would harvest produce to trade in the town.
“You really don’t need to do this anymore, Falyn,” he told her during dinner yesterday. “I can get you the things you need. I have most of the credits I ever earned during the war.”
Falyn gave him an indulgent smile. “It’s sweet of you to offer, but the people I trade with depend on the food I bring them. Anyway, you got the grain for the horses. That’s a big help. Besides, it will allow you to meet them and tell them about the Enclave. They would surely appreciate getting com-tablets like the one you gave me.”
“I should probably go down to the base and pick up a case of them to distribute,” he told her. “We could drop off the produce and sky cycle down to the base to pick them up. You can see my base of operations.”
“You mean to fly?”
“Yes.”
