Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84752 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84752 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 424(@200wpm)___ 339(@250wpm)___ 283(@300wpm)
“Wait, wait, wait, I’m so sorry. Get the dog to shut up.” A woman suddenly appeared out of the bushes. Her hands were raised in front of her. “I swear I come in peace, and I have no reason to harm you, any of you. Okay, I just, I got away and I’ve been on the run for days and they’re hunting me, and I don’t want to be hunted, and I saw you guys, and figuring you’re all still alive, I may as well follow you. It’s not often you see two girls with two men and they look safe. I’m rambling right about now, aren’t I? Yeah, I’m rambling, and I really should just shut my mouth.” She slapped a hand right across her face. “See, I should just stop talking.” She pulled her hand away enough to speak and then laughed. “See, loser.”
Lucy giggled. “She’s funny.”
“You’ve got no weapons?” Malachi asked.
“I can do a full circle for you to see that I am completely free and clear.” She started to turn and he held his gun ready.
He wasn’t going to fall for any tricks.
“See, all clear.”
“What’s your name?” Sasha asked.
“Millie. Wow, I’ve not used that in so long. They normally call me woman, or bitch, or some other combination that I don’t think is polite in front of present company.”
“You got away from the army?”
“Yes. They are not exactly friends. They are on a search to build a new world. Something to do with having a base camp in the middle, but they’re searching for women. The only way to start this new world is to have women they can use. I was discovered heading north, and well, let’s just say they didn’t like that.”
“North?” Malachi asked.
“Yes, I figure that is what you guys were hunting for, right? The north camp. The base that is supposed to be a safe haven for all, not just women. It has the only sane people left. It hasn’t escaped my notice that the world is shit. Can I put my hands down? They are really starting to hurt.” She pouted.
“Yes, put your hands down,” Tree Man said. “She poses no threat.”
“What do you want?” Malachi asked.
“I want to head north. I won’t be a bother. I don’t have any weapons. They took all mine but I can be a good scavenger. I’ve lived off the land for weeks, and well, I’m still alive. I won’t be a bother. I promise. I just, I don’t want to become some man’s incubator. This is not the world to start having babies,” she said.
Malachi glanced over at Sasha.
This was his problem with Sasha. The sex between them had been amazing, but he could have gotten her pregnant. What if the north camp wasn’t a safe haven, as he’d been promised?
He didn’t want to tell her his concerns, but he wanted to have a family with her.
Inside, his evil part was laughing at him. For the first time in his life he wanted to have a safe place to live, to have a family, to thrive, and yet, he wasn’t going to have any of that if he didn’t get his shit together.
His new family needed him.
Everyone needed him, but all he wanted was Sasha and to provide a good space for Lucy.
“Please, can I join you? We’re going to have to keep moving soon. You don’t think they heard you with the dog barking but they did. They’re coming and we need to get moving,” Millie said.
“Yeah, you can join,” Sasha said. “It’s nice to know someone else is aware of this special north camp.”
“You don’t think it exists?” Millie asked.
“I’ve had my doubts and let’s just say, I’m still going to have them,” she said.
“I can see why. I have to say up until I was captured I was having my doubts but I heard the men talking and I just knew it had to exist. Nothing that scared a big bunch of men could be imaginary.” Millie put a hand on Sasha’s shoulder.
“We all need to rest,” Malachi said, removing Millie’s hand from Sasha’s shoulder. “Come on. If that army is onto us, we need to move.” He grabbed Sasha’s hand and started to push everyone ahead.
The army he had seen was big, and the ammo they had would only defend them for a short time.
He couldn’t have anyone hurt and right now, he was struggling every single step of the way.
They had to get to the north.
They had to.
He couldn’t stop until then, and he only hoped that this north was as safe and loving as everyone seemed to think it was.
Chapter Forty-Six
Sometimes the heat gets to you
They’d set up camp several hours after they’d met Millie, and Sasha had managed to start a small fire. Tree Man and Malachi were periodically checking the perimeter, but they seemed confident they’d put enough space between them and the camp.