Page 23 of Echos and Empires
But can you go back to life without technology?
Shaking off the thought, Liam ran the rest of the way.
NINE
“Maybe when I’m back,we can get some target practice in,” Chris called over his shoulder seconds before tugging the door shut.
If Bash responded, he didn’t hear it, but it was fine. Whether they practiced or not after the council meeting wasn’t a huge deal. It wasn’t like they were shooting their guns often now.
The crunch of his boots on the dirt was the only sound.
Until it wasn’t.
Chris paused, his hand instinctively reaching for the gun holstered at his hip. He scanned the surrounding foliage, alert and ready for any potential threat.
But there was nothing. Just the rustle of leaves in the gentle breeze and the distant sound of waves crashing against the shore.
Chris let out a heavy breath, his shoulders relaxing as he realized it was simply his imagination playing tricks on him. He resumed his pace, his military training kicking in as he carefully assessed his surroundings.
“Chris!” Liam burst in front of him, nearly slamming into him. His eyes were wide behind his glasses, breath coming fast.
Chris grabbed Liam’s shoulders to steady him. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, but we have a problem. A big one.” Liam glanced around furtively before leaning in close. “I just saw Victor Warrington. He was meeting with some men, interior of the island, about twenty-five minutes from here.”
A chill ran down Chris’s spine. There was no way he’d heard Liam correctly. His hands tightened on Liam’s shoulders. “Victor? As in the asshole you think launched an attack against a ship full of innocent women and children?” His blood damn near boiled as his rage grew. “What kind of men? What were they doing?”
“I couldn’t get close enough to hear everything, but...Chris, they had weapons. Serious firepower.” Liam shook his head, clearly shaken. “And the way Victor was talking to them, it was like he was giving orders. Like he has some serious involvement on the island.”
“That son of a bitch,” Chris growled, rage rising in his chest. “He’s behind all of this. The attack, everything. So how did he get his god-damned hands into the island? What did he offer the leaders?”
Liam shrugged grimly. “What are we going to do? I’ve been working on an escape route in case we needed it.”
“You’ve been doing what?” Chris was taken back that Liam did something in secret, that wasn’t who he was.
“Everything felt off after hearing that conversation about Victor. I know you said don’t worry, but I did. I worried and I mapped routes we can take to leave or hide.”
Part of him wanted to snap at Liam for keeping such a secret, another part wanted to praise him for protecting their family when Chris clearly hadn’t.
“That’s a conversation for another time, but for now, we’re going to stop him.” Chris’s voice was hard as steel. His eyesnarrowed. “Before he puts Emma or anyone else in danger. We’re done running.”
He released Liam and started back down the path with determined strides. Victor had no idea who he was messing with. But he was about to find out.
Chris’s mind raced as he processed Liam’s revelation, a sinking feeling settling in his gut. The man was not just complicit in the attack on the ship, but actively orchestrating something sinister on the island. The implications were staggering, and Chris a wave of guilt washed over him. He had led his team here, believing it to be a safe refuge, only to discover they had walked into the lion’s den.
Chris’s thoughts turned to Emma. Beautiful, resilient Emma, who had already endured so much in this harsh new world. The idea of her being in danger, of any harm coming to her because of his decisions, made his heart clench painfully in his chest. He had sworn to protect her, to keep her safe no matter the cost, and now it seemed he had unwittingly brought her directly into the path of a madman.
Fucking Again.
If Victor had the resources to launch an attack on a ship, what else was he capable of? And what did he want with the island and its inhabitants? The thought of Emma and the others being caught in the crosshairs of whatever nefarious scheme Victor had planned made Chris’s blood run cold.
He stopped abruptly, his jaw clenching so hard blackness sprang into the corners of his vision. Chris wouldn’t let Victor get anywhere near Emma. He had fought too hard, sacrificed too much, to let some power-hungry bastard destroy the fragile peace they had found. Chris knew he had to act, to find a way to uncover the truth and stop Victor before it was too late.
“We need more information,” he said, his voice low and urgent. “We can’t confront him directly, not yet. He’s too well-connected, too powerful.” He snarled. “No, we’re going to go to this council meeting and demand answers. If our leaders are as shocked as we are, then we begin planning at once.”
“And if they’re not?” Liam whispered, his eyes meeting Chris’s.
“Then we’re going to dismantle the entire damn chain of command. The running is over. Let’s go, a council meeting starts in fifteen, probably less now that we’ve stood here talking.”
