Page 12 of Echos and Empires
Emma let out a long, shuddering breath, feeling the tension drain from her muscles as she sank back into the mattress.Tomorrow, she told herself.Tomorrow you’ll be better.
The only sound was the distant clatter of Bash moving about in the kitchen. She yearned to slip into the oblivion of sleep, to escape for a few precious hours into a world without pain or fear or uncertainty. But her mind wouldn’t settle, thoughts chasing each other in dizzy, feverish circles.
Despite the stubborn front she’d put up for Bash, the truth was that Emma was scared. Scared of this illness, of what it might mean. Scared of letting the others down, of becoming a burden rather than an asset.
All her life, she’d prided herself on her strength, her ability to handle anything the world threw at her. But this new world, this harsh and unforgiving reality they’d inherited, it tested her in ways she’d never been tested before. Every day was a struggle, a constant fight against hunger, disease, despair. And some days, in her darkest moments, Emma wondered if she was really cut out for it.
She thought of the others, of Bash and Chris and all the rest, working tirelessly from dawn to dusk to keep their little community afloat. Hunting, farming, building, standing guard against the myriad threats that lurked beyond the walls. And what had she been doing? Puttering around in the kitchen, tending a few measly crops. Was that really enough? Was she pulling her weight, earning her keep?
These were the thoughts that kept her up at night, that crept in whenever she had a moment to herself. The nagging sense that she was an imposter, playing at post-apocalyptic survival while the real work was being done by others. That sooner or later, they’d all realize the truth - that she was dead weight, a liability, a remnant of the old world that had no place in the new.
But then, like a beacon cutting through the fog of self-doubt, Emma remembered her conversation with Bash. The way her heart had leaped at the thought of teaching, of helping to shape the next generation. The sense of purpose it had given her, brief and tenuous though it was.
That was something, wasn’t it? A way she could contribute, could make a real difference. It wouldn’t be easy—nothing in this life was. She’d have to work harder than she ever had before, learn and adapt and push herself to the limit. But Emma had never been one to shy away from a challenge.
It wouldn’t be the future she’d once imagined, back when she still thought she’d work in a library. There would be no cozy classrooms, no eager young faces lined up in neat rows. But it would be something. A start, a seed of hope in the barren soil of this shattered earth.
FIVE
“What in theabsolute hell is he thinking?” Alex cursed as he looked at the small hand drawn map in his hand. “And at this hour nonetheless.”
Despite his annoyance, Alex kept moving swiftly through the dark paths, his boots treading lightly on the soft earth. The now cold, but somehow still humid, night air clung to his skin as he navigated the twists and turns with practiced ease. In the distance, the endless rhythm of waves beating against the shore filled his ears.
The note had next to know info. Just ‘meet here’, with dropped coordinates and a time.
Liam was the only person he’d ever known to love directions and maps, so it was obvious who slipped the note onto his bed. The why is what baffled him. Especially as soon as he realized no one else got notes and was slipping out of the house. It wasn’t as if they were trying to plan a surprise for Emma as they got close to her birthday.
Which meant this was about whatever Liam thought he overheard a few months ago.
“Except the last thing Liam does is keep secrets,” Alex muttered as his foot connected with the side of a rock he couldn’t see.
Liam never kept secrets from Chris, especially not about security. The five of them were a team, bound by years of unwavering loyalty and trust forged in the hellish aftermath of the bombs, but Liam and Chris were closer.
So why had Liam asked to meet here, in the heart of the island, away from prying eyes and ears of everyone including their unit in the damn middle of the night? A knot of unease tightened in Alex’s gut.
As he approached the designated spot, Alex slowed his pace. The rustling of leaves whispered around him, stirred by the faint sea breeze that managed to penetrate the dense foliage. Instinctively, his hand drifted to the knife sheathed at his belt. It wasn’t a gun any longer, but he still kept a weapon on him whenever he left the house. Out here, one never knew what dangers might be lurking.
Ahead, the path opened into a small clearing bathed in mottled moonlight as the beams slipped through the dense trees. Alex paused at the edge, his eyes scanning the area warily. There was no sign of Liam, and he hadn’t been home for dinner which meant he was here somewhere. He’d been to this spot before, with Liam, actually. They’d wanted to show Emma the rare clearing because she’d commented about being tired of trees and bushes everywhere she looked.
Everything about this felt off, like a covert operation without his team at his back. If this were Liam and not someone out to trick him, something was wrong. If Chris found out about this little rendezvous, there would be hell to pay. The man ran a tight ship and didn’t take kindly to his authority being undermined even here on the island.
That unshakable bond between brothers-in-arms meant Alex was as stupid as he was brave when it came to the unit. He was the impulsive one, so if Liam choose him, shit was bad.
Alex exhaled slowly, his decision made. With one last glance over his shoulder, he stepped out of the shadows to meet whatever lay ahead. Because if this wasn’t Liam, he was alone in the middle of the fucking jungle without his unit at his back.
Looking through the bushes as he walked through the area, Alex damn near tripped over Liam, who sat hunched over a makeshift table cobbled together from driftwood and salvaged crates just on the other side of the clearing. The navigator’s brow was furrowed in deep concentration, his glasses reflecting the array of maps and charts spread out before him. Even in the dim light, Alex could see the tense set of Liam’s shoulders, the way his finger traced a meandering route across the weathered paper.
“Planning a vacation without me?” Alex quipped, his voice low and tinged with unease. “And here I thought we were a package deal.”
Liam’s head snapped up, clearly startled by the sudden intrusion. For a moment, his blue eyes widened behind those familiar black frames, but then a flicker of relief softened his features. “Alex, you made it. I wasn’t sure if you’d think there was a trap.”
“Who said I didn’t?” Alex finished, not wanting to squat beside Liam for an unknown amount of time. He leaned against the table, his gaze skimming over the maps with a growing sense of disquiet. “When have I ever let you down, Liam? But this?” He gestured at the scattered documents. “Meeting in the middle of the night, keeping secrets from Chris, what’s the deal?”
Liam sighed, running a hand through his perpetually messy hair. “I know, believe me. But there are things I can’t ignoreanymore. Emma is so happy—fuck, we’re all so happy. I just need to make sure I was hallucinating.”
The raw vulnerability in Liam’s voice struck a chord within Alex. This was more than just a crazy hunch or a half-baked plan. Something had shaken Liam to his core, and as his friend—his brother—it was Alex’s duty to stand by him.
“Alright,” Alex conceded, his tone softening. “I’m here, aren’t I? So, lay it on me. What’s got you burning the midnight oil and plotting escape routes by the looks of those lines on the map?”
