Page 50 of Echos and Empires
And she... she was at the very heart of it. The fulcrum upon which everything balanced. Her children, the promise of a new generation, the ultimate prize in Victor’s twisted vision, made her more valuable than anyone else at the moment. The weight of that responsibility settled over her like an icy mantle, chilling her to the bone.
She would be damned if she let Victor take that away without a fight. She had survived too much, come too far to let one man’s delusions of grandeur be the end of everything.
Slowly, painfully, she drew in a deep breath, letting it out in a shuddering exhale. Met the eyes of the others, saw her own resolve reflected back at her in a glittering mosaic of determination and shared purpose.
They were in this together. Come hell or high water, they would find a way. For the sake of their loved ones, for the sakeof the world they dreamed of building. They would claw their future back from the jaws of a madman’s ambition, or they would die trying.
Emma straightened, squared her shoulders beneath the weight of her newfound purpose. Let the fire of her conviction burn away the last lingering traces of fear and doubt.
She was done being a pawn, a helpless observer in the story of her own life. It was time to take a stand, to seize control of her own fate. For herself, for her children.
For all of them.
“I think we’ll win,” she whispered to Chris as they walked.
“I know we will.”
EIGHTEEN
Every passing dayseemed to make the walls inch closer together as far as Bash was concerned. Two weeks ago they’d made a choice and now they were stuck waiting for opportunities to present themselves. They’d barely left the house and when they did, it was to find others even slightly against Victor. They lived and breathed creating the rebellion, and so far had only found a handful of men who admitted to not taking the vitamins yet.
It hadn’t been all bad. They’d had twins to celebrate and a woman to worship, but it wasn’t entirely enough to remove the demons Bash knew haunted them all.
For years the unit had been close knit with only the occasional trouble between them. Even realizing they all loved Emma and she shared her heart equally hadn’t done a damn thing for their bonds because it’s what they’d been hoping for. But the last three days had them sniping at one another unnecessarily and sometimes intensely.
He paused by the kitchen door, recalling the hushed argument he’d had with Chris the night before.
“It’s too risky,” he’d hissed, eyes darting to the darkened staircase. “Walking into that viper’s nest is asking to get bit.”
Chris’s jaw had set in a firm line, meeting Bash’s gaze unflinchingly. “We can’t just sit here waiting for the axe to fall. We need information, and this council meeting is our best shot.”
They had gone back and forth, voices low but intense, until finally he’d thrown up his hands and stalked away. Bash understood his friend’s fears, felt them like a leaden weight in his own gut. But he also knew that moving too soon could get them all killed. Chris was his leader and he would follow, but he’d keep an eye on things as he did it.
He moved to the window, staring out at the lush jungle just beyond the slightly overgrown yard, beyond the white picket fence that should have brought peace. Somewhere beyond that fence, Victor was plotting, biding his time until he could spring whatever trap he had lying in wait. Bash’s hands clenched into fists at his sides, his short nails slicing into his palms. He didn’t want to admit it, but Chris was right. They couldn’t afford to wait any longer.
The council meeting tonight was a risk, but it was also an opportunity. A chance to gauge the temperament of the other community leaders and those pesky enough to complain at a town hall. Chris would have to tread carefully, layering his true intentions beneath a veneer of obedience. One wrong move, one poorly chosen word, and Chris could bring Victor’s wrath down on all their heads.
But if he succeeded, if he could peel back even a corner of the curtain that hid Victor’s schemes and show people the danger they were in, it would be worth the danger.
The familiar rush of adrenaline, the cold clarity that came with walking the knife’s edge, rushed over Bash and reminded him of before meeting Emma. It was a dance he knew well, one he had perfected long before the world turned to ash.
Chris walked past and strode to the door before calling out to whoever was close enough. “I’m going to head out a little early. I’m not William, I’ll need to get my head on right if I’m going to read body language tonight. I have no doubt Victor will be there with more vitamins since that jar held only a month of the gummies. This might be our last shot to find enough people.”
“I’m coming with you. Just tell anyone who asks that you gave me security duty.” Bash interrupted, holstering a gun and stepping beside Chris.
“Just be careful. Emma will kill us if something happens to you both.” Alex quipped, popping his head out of the downstairs bathroom.
“I have no intention of pissing off the woman carrying two children because sooner or later she’s going to kill us for getting her pregnant when she’s in labor and I’d like to be in her good graces when that happens.” Chris laughed.
Alex’s small chuckle was audible even after Bash stepped out and closed the front door behind him.
The game was on, and he’d be damned if they let Victor win.
The council meetinghall was full despite them arriving almost an hour early. There were eight rows of seats with five seats in each, but Bash could only see five or six empty. The council table on the stage was largely empty. And that rankled Bash.
The first months on the island he’d been impressed by the democracy here despite cultures from all over. Maria had been afair leader until her rotation ended. Now he began to realize the council was in Victor’s pocket and he’d been invited to join so Victor could try to sway him.
Never going to fucking happen.
