Page 3 of Whispers and Warriors
He leaned in closer, his forehead pressing against hers, his breath mingling with her own. “I promise you this will all make sense soon. We have a plan, a way to keep you out of harm’s way. But we need to move. Now, before it’s too late.”
Chris pulled back, his eyes searching Emma’s face, hoping to see the trust and love that had sustained them through more trials than any group should have faced in such a short time. He knew that their future was uncertain, that what they were about to do could kill them. But with Emma by his side, and his men at his back, he knew that they could face anything, that they would find a way to build a life and a family, no matter the cost.
With one last tender caress, Chris stepped back, his gaze sweeping over the group, taking in the determined faces of his brothers-in-arms. He cleared his throat, his voice ringing out with authority as he issued orders.
“Alex, you’re going to drive.”
The medic’s dark eyes blinked twice. “You never let me drive.”
“Yeah, well, the fancy medic title on your ID badge means you driving this close to the haven but outside the walls makes sense. Medics still answer calls outside. The rest of us…we don’t even technically belong here with our skill sets.” He blew out a slow breath, trying to steady his racing heart. “Liam, up front to navigate, you being there makes a little sense. Navigators are important in a world where the tech could fail at any minute. Everyone else, in back.”
His men nodded their understanding without hesitation, falling into their assigned roles. Chris couldn’t help the surge of pride rushing through him at how well they operated as a team. The news they’d received less than an hour ago was something he’d never dreamed of even in his nightmares, but it was real, and they would get through it the same way they’d done everything.
TWO
The driver’sdoor was heavier than Alex remembered, and not just metaphorically. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d opened a regular door, always being in the back with the massive heavy latch door. This one seemed abnormally heavy, too.
He was out of place up front, but here he was.
Everything they were about to do made perfect sense, on paper and in reality. But getting ready to leave the end game they’d cheated themselves into with Emma’s rescue left his stomach heavy.
He tried to keep his gaze ahead as he climbed in. Looking back could lead to regret or the desire to ignore what they’d heard.
A single transmission had brought them to Emma and the haven. It seemed ironic that another transmission—albeit more than one—is what drove them away from safety.
Sitting, he noticed the way the seat dipped in under his weight, but still remained soft, a far cry nicer than the firm floor of the back. He’d have to remember to harass Liam when they weren’t in danger about getting these accommodations on other trips.
Gripping the steering wheel with a ferocity that belied his composed exterior, Alex blew out a breath to calm himself before he drove them into a damn wall. His heart hammered in his chest, an erratic drumbeat pushing him to move faster. He turned the key, and the engine roared to life with a feral growl promising their escape. He stole a fleeting glance at Liam, whose steady blue gaze offered silent reassurance even as he pulled his maps from the dashboard.
The chaotic thrum of fear in Alex’s veins settled just enough for him to shift the gear into drive, the truck lurching forward like a predator released from its cage.
Even as safety loomed closer, Alex could hardly focus. The interior of the vehicle was suffocating, the barrier between the front and back a tangible divide that separated the two groups, and something Chris never tolerated when he drove.Must have been the mechanic. With a swift motion, Alex reached over and slid the pass-through window open, allowing the voices of those he cared for to filter through, blending with the hum of the engine.
“Chris, please,” Emma’s voice, laced with confusion and the gentle cadence of trust, pierced the quiet. “What’s happening?”
The sound of her fear clawed at Alex’s insides, her innocence a stark contrast to the tainted world around them. It wasn’t supposed to be this way, not again. Emma was meant to be safe, protected. But the truth was a bitter pill—one Alex knew all too well.
They could’ve let Emma stay and live blindly within the illusion of safety, but that would’ve been a death sentence of another kind. What he had learned about the fate of those who couldn’t breed—those deemed unworthy—was a nightmare he refused to subject her to. Not mention letting her live blindly implied he and the others could bear to leave her behind knowing they would never see her again.
None of them were that righteous. Not when it came to Emma.
A pang of sorrow threaded through Alex’s resolve. She was their light in the dark, the very essence of hope when all seemed lost. They were her guardians, yet at this moment, he felt more like her captor.
“Emma,” Chris began, his voice a soothing balm, yet carrying the weight of command that made even the most seasoned soldier pause. “We’re doing what we must to protect you, to give us all a chance at something real.”
Poor Emma had no idea that her haven was built on lies, a fragile sanctuary ready to crumble at the slightest touch. And they, her chosen circle, her lovers, would be the ones to shatter it. But it was a sacrifice born of love, a testament to the lengths they would go to keep her safe—even if it meant tearing down her world to save her.
The headlights cut through the darkness, illuminating a path he never thought he’d ever take again. There was no way the world would recover enough for road trips. This was supposed to have been home. At the haven, these trucks were mostly kept for emergency use and made the garage little more than a graveyard of metal husks that stood as silent testaments to the chaos that had consumed the world beyond these walls.
Sweat beaded on his brow, a physical manifestation of the tension that coiled in his muscles, ready to snap at the slightest provocation.
Liam’s steady presence beside him was a lifeline, an anchor in the tempest of Alex’s thoughts. The rustle of maps and the soft glow of the dashboard lights cast an eerie calm over the cab, a stark contrast to the turmoil that raged within him. Alex’s eyes darted from side to side, scanning the shadows for any sign of movement, any hint of a threat lurking in the depths of the garage.
Time seemed to stretch, each second an eternity as they inched forward, the truck’s engine a low growl that reverberated through the metal frame. The weight of their decision pressed down on Alex’s shoulders, a burden he willingly bore for the sake of those he held dear. Emma’s muffled sobs from the back seat were a constant reminder of the price they paid for the truth, a haunting melody that threaded through the tense silence.
As they approached the final turn, the garage opening loomed ahead, a gaping maw that promised both freedom and uncertainty. Alex’s breath hitched, his foot hovering over the accelerator as he prepared to make the final push. Liam set his hand on his shoulder for a brief second, a way of letting him know that Alex wasn’t alone up front.
With a deep breath, Alex pressed down on the pedal, the truck surging forward with renewed purpose. The truck emerged into the open air, leaving the suffocating confines of the garage behind. It wasn’t much brighter out here, the sun barely awake for the day left an orange glow that once upon a time would have been a beautiful sight.
