Page 71 of Whispers and Warriors
The staccato bursts of gunfire gradually dwindled, the echoes fading into an eerie silence that settled over the ship like a heavy shroud. Chris lowered his weapon, his breath coming in measured pants as he surveyed the aftermath of the battle. The deck was littered with bodies, some still twitching in their final moments, others lying in grotesque poses of eternal slumber.
Chris’s heart sank as he surveyed the aftermath of the battle, the weight of the lives lost pressing down on his shoulders. But as he looked around at his team, battered but alive, a flicker of gratitude pierced through the gloom. They had survived, against all odds.
His gaze fell on a body near his feet, and he recognized the face of a young man who had joined their group just weeks ago. Chris closed his eyes for a moment, a silent prayer for the fallen.In this harsh new world, death was a constant companion, but it never got easier.
“Bash, Alex, William!” Chris called out, his voice cutting through the eerie stillness. “It’s over. Doesn’t look like any of the attackers made it out alive.”
Bash emerged from the shadows, his face grim as he wiped blood from his knife. “Guess they didn’t expect us to fight back so hard.”
“They didn’t realize military was on board, whoever the hell they were,” Alex said, his usual cocky grin replaced by a somber expression. “But we showed them what happens when you mess with our people.”
William limped over to join them, his hand pressed against a bloody gash on his arm. “What now, Boss?”
Chris nodded, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. “Everyone else good?”
“We’re good,” Bash added as he and William stepped into view, both bloodied but standing.
With a final sweep of the deck, Chris strode to the edge of the ship, his keen eyes scanning the horizon for any signs of a larger vessel. The ocean stretched out before him, an endless expanse of gray beneath a leaden sky. For a moment, he allowed himself to feel a flicker of relief. Perhaps this had been an isolated attack, a desperate gamble by a group of marauders.
But as his gaze drifted back to the carnage on the deck, the reality of their situation crashed over him like a frigid wave. So many dead, their blood staining the weathered planks. How many more would they lose before they found a safe haven?
Chris clenched his jaw, his fingers tightening around the grip of his gun. They had come too far, fought too hard, to let this world break them. His family came first, helping the ship would come second.
Here’s to hoping the military built this one solid, because she needs to keep sailing.
Chris met each of their gazes, the weight of leadership heavy on his shoulders. “We check on our injured and make sure Emma is safe. Then we come back and clean up this mess.” He nodded to a guard he recognized from the other group. “We’ll be back to help with the bodies, but right now, our priority is our own.”
As they made their way below deck, Chris’s thoughts turned to Emma. He prayed that she was unharmed, that the chaos hadn’t reached her. The thought of losing her, after everything they had been through, was almost too much to bear.
Emma didn’t thinkas she pressed her ear against the cold metal door, straining to make sense of the muffled chaos erupting outside the room on the deck above and hoping it had stayed on that deck. Distant gunshots echoed like firecrackers, punctuated by urgent shouts and the occasional heavy thud that sent vibrations through the floor. Ranger whined softly and nuzzled against her leg, his warm presence a small comfort amidst the turmoil.
Exhaling shakily, Emma pushed away from the door and closed her eyes, trying to regulate her breathing. Worries for each of them consumed her thoughts, but especially Chris because he seemed so tightly wound the last week. She pictured his rugged face, those piercing eyes that could see into her very soul. Was he out there now, putting his life on the line to protect them? Her chest constricted painfully knowing that if push came to shove, he would give his life to protect others in a way the others wouldn’t. Because he’d already tried to.
Moving to sit beside Liam, Emma grasped his hand, needing to feel his palm against her own as an anchor. Ranger laid hishead in her lap, warm and reassuring. She focused on the rise and fall of Liam’s chest, the rhythmic proof that he was still with her.
As the battle raged on beyond the walls, Emma retreated inward, grasping for any memory that could carry her away from the present danger. She thought of golden fields stretching to the horizon, the satisfying ache after a day’s work on the farm. Her father’s laughter as they shared a simple meal. Ranger bounding through the tall grass, all gangly puppy limbs and unbridled joy.
But even as she tried to lose herself in the past, the relentless clamor of violence dragged her back. Gunshots cracked like whips, each one making her flinch. Enraged cries and pain-filled screams filtered through, painting a gruesome picture in her mind’s eye. She couldn’t shake the sickening dread that one of those agonized voices could belong to someone she loved.
“Please let them be safe,” Emma whispered, her plea lost amidst the din. “Chris, Bash, William, Alex…please come back to me.”
William wouldn’t make her that promise, and she respected that, but she was going to hold Chris to his.
She squeezed her eyes shut tighter, as if she could will them to survive by the sheer force of her desperate hopes. In the darkness behind her eyelids, their faces appeared like beacons— Chris with his unwavering strength, William’s roguish charm, Alex’s gentle wisdom. They had to make it through this. She couldn’t bear the thought of losing even one of them.
As the battle stretched on with no end in sight, Emma clung to Liam and Ranger, her lifelines in the storm. She prayed that when the dust settled, she would find herself in the arms of all her loves once more. For now, all she could do was wait, hope, and hold fast to the belief that their bond was stronger than any force that dared to tear them apart.
A soft groan from beside her made Emma’s heart leap into her throat. Liam stirred, his brow furrowed in pain as he struggled to open his eyes.
“Em...” he rasped as he put on his glasses and his uninjured hand groping for hers. “I’m sorry. I tried to get to you, but...”
Tears spilled down Emma’s cheeks even as a watery laugh bubbled up. “You idiot,” she choked out, gripping his hand like a lifeline. “You need to stop being so stupidly brave.”
Liam’s answering smile was strained but genuine. “Can’t help it. Have to protect my girl.”
Emma leaned down and captured his lips in a gentle kiss, mindful of his injuries. “Hush now,” she whispered against his mouth.
As if on cue, Liam tried to lever himself upright, grunting with the effort. Emma placed a firm hand on his chest.
