In Pieces (A Finding Peace Novel) Page 3

  “I’ve been at Brampton for the better half of my life,” I say, embarrassment heating my skin, knowing the last thirteen years were definitely not the better half of my life.

  “Fuck,” he says, walking toward me, pulling my body against his in a warm hug. His scent is manly and spicy, unlike the guys running the clinic. “No wonder you’re out here lost and scared,” he says, his fingers tugging at my hair.

  “I’m not scared,” I say, pushing back from him.

  “Okay,” he says as he looks at me curiously, “but seriously, the Heretics will not stop until they find you. Please come with us; we have food and you can ride in the truck and rest. We’ll be back at the compound in a few hours where we have running water and soft beds, probably something you haven’t had in some time.”

  I want to go with them, because a shower sounds really great. Or a bath, soaking in hot water with fragrant bubbles. But I have to keep my guard up.

  “I’m Kane Hardison,” he says, holding his hand out as if to shake my hand.

  “I’m Jo Tucker.”

  “Nice to meet you, Jo. Now, let’s get the Hell out of here and feed you. Once the Heretics find out a female killed their man, it’s gonna get ugly.”

  Kane

  When I spotted Jo hiding behind that tree, I knew I couldn’t leave her. Hell, it’s the first woman we’ve seen in months, I think. Besides Emma, of course. They stay inside, closed off from the world, away from the barbarians of the Heretics. A group that thinks men should rule the world and that woman are only good for sex and having babies, and they don’t believe in making love. They believe in the brutal torture and raping of innocent and weak woman, making their power known. To find out Jo had spent the majority of her life inside Brampton Clinic … Well, I know her life has not been good. I’ve only heard rumors of what goes on inside the clinic, also known as the “baby making factory”. Young girls and women were kidnapped after the war started in a measly attempt to increase the population. What they didn’t know is these chemicals that now fill our air and lungs, cause mutations and defects that no one can explain. That fact tripped everyone up, and now they’re looking for any and every woman that appears healthy enough to bear children.

  Jo has absolutely no idea about our world now. Those women are trained to be Heretics after their childbearing years are over, but a few of the defiant ones are just released into the wild with no means of defense. I still haven’t figure out why they release these women after they’ve trained them, as they can only become a liability to them. Something must have happened at Brampton with Jo for them to just let her go. Her legs are strong and her body is lean, which makes her a great candidate for a fighter. I’ll need to pry a little deeper into that once she’s more comfortable with us.

  She climbs into the back of the old F-150 and leans back against the cab. I follow her up, smacking the back glass for Abe to move on toward the compound. The remaining guys either climb into the cab or in the back with us. We come out into town once a week to get intel and see what we can find: weapons, fighters, and other survivors. The daylight is the best time to come out, the night bringing out the most death. Today was an exception, as we had to blow an old barn full of Heretics ready to take aim on a group of refugees that decided to not do what they wanted them to do. The Heretics like to prey on the weak, promise them freedom, shelter and food to do their dirty work. This particular group of refugees had decided they weren’t going to play their games and started killing them, one-by-one, execution style. What the Heretics haven’t realized yet, is most people would rather die right now than have to live in this world. Suicide rates are high, and if you just don’t care anymore, you’ll do stupid things and just let them kill you.

  I watch Jo as we roll over the bumpy road, the asphalt crumbling under the balding tires. Our mechanic, Jack, is working on getting a few newer models running, but without the onboard computers, it’s proven difficult. The Mercs have managed to get cars and other vehicles running, so if we see one it’s likely one of them.

  Her eyes are closed as the wind blows through her jet black hair. I take in her features; strong and high cheekbones, long lashes, and full lips. She’s stunning, even ragged and dirty from being out in this grueling world for who knows how long. I know she’ll enjoy a hot shower and a hot meal. We have a garden growing in the back that Emma takes care of, and a herd of cattle and sheep that we managed to wrestle up after the initial bomb, then bred them so we have plenty of food, and I can imagine she’ll enjoy having another woman to talk to, though I also think it’ll take Jo a bit to open up.

  I close my eyes, too, and try and imagine what she’s gone through over the years. Could she not have children? Did she piss someone off? Yeah, I can imagine she probably did. She’s got a spark about her, a will to live that I could see as soon as our eyes met. I can still see her dark eyes, piercing through me as she thought I was going to kill her. But she didn’t back down, not at first. Seeing the group of men behind me spooked her, and she ran, but I guess I can’t blame her. In the world we know now, you have to fend for yourself and watch who you trust. The fact that she had just killed a man probably had her alerts on high.

  Good on her, though; she took down one of their main guys. But, it’s going to be tricky letting her out, because they will come looking for her. I still find it hard to believe she sliced him open and managed to walk away virtually unscathed. His men couldn’t have been far behind, and when they find his body, they’ll be out for revenge. In their world, it’s okay to kill; kill one of them and they blow the world up.

  That’s how this whole thing started thirteen years ago. Slowly, but surely, the Heretics are becoming fewer and far between, but that only means the ones left are more ruthless than ever. They managed to get into high paying positions within each city and they now make the laws and govern the towns that are left.

  After the bombs went off, most small towns either evacuated to the larger cities or the Heretics burned them down. The larger cities suffered only a few burned out government buildings. Now they hold down the fort in the office buildings left downtown.

  Problem is, the people in these towns don’t realize the government is run by Heretics. That’s a secret that only the Mercs know, and at the right time we’ll come in and eliminate the remainder of them. There are too many right now, so one by one is how it has to be.

  We make it outside town on what used to be I-35, without any further issues, and move on toward Noble where the compound is. It’s nestled back off of the road, surrounded by a concrete wall, and butts up against the Canadian River, which is our water supply. The back of the property has the gardens and the eastern corner holds the cattle, sheep, and chickens. It’s a full-on working farm and our hands are great at keeping it going so that the fighters can do what’s needed to try and restore some sort of order in this state. Once we can accomplish that, we can move on to the rest of the country. Some states are more peaceful than others, but Oklahoma has been one of the hardest states to contain. There are still Heretics in every state, but the Merc forces are stronger there, and people slowly are getting their lives back, whatever that means.

  Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Iowa are three states that the Mercs still reign over, and they’re not backing down without a fight. But Noble is home to me, Oklahoma is home, so I plan to stay and fight for my home rather than run to another state where everyday life is a little easier.

  Jo’s eyes open, and she looks around, focusing, and I can tell she’s trying to figure out where she is. “We’re almost to the compound, Jo.”

  She nods, but I see familiarity in her eyes, “Where is this compound?”

  “Noble, about thirty miles south of the city.”

  “Oklahoma City?” she says, sitting up and looking a bit frantic. I move over to her and rest my hand on her thigh.

  “Yes, Oklahoma City. Why?”

  “Oh, my God, I didn’t even recognize it while I was there. I thought I was so much further from home,�
�� she says, a look of hope brightening her eyes.

  “Home?” I ask.

  She nods. “Arrow's Crossing; my family had a farm there,” she says as the brightness in her eyes leaves in a swoosh, an obvious memory flooding back to her, a tear cresting her eyes. She brushes it away quickly in an attempt to keep me from seeing her vulnerable, but it’s reassuring that she’s still a woman inside that badass body.

  “Tell me about the farm,” I urge, hoping to convince her that I’m not the bad guy. But she shakes her head and looks away. Okay, too soon. I hope to one day break down those walls, but it is too soon; she doesn’t know me, and I can imagine she has major trust issues after what she’s been through. Not a lot of those women make it out of Brampton with their wits about them, which could be why they tossed her onto the street. She was too strong, mentally and physically, for them. Granted, these women have babies and then go fight, but what the women don’t know is ninety-five percent of them are dead within days, a result of their own weaknesses.

  I close my eyes and think, Yes, that’s why only a few women escape that place. Jo beat the system somehow, and whatever it was that drove her to be this way worked. She’s not afraid to kill, which is good, because there will be times that she will have to bloody her hands. The fight to regain control over Oklahoma, and eventually the country, is still in its early stages, even thirteen years later. This war is long from over, but I will die trying.

  We pull up to the gate to the compound, and Dale jumps out of the passenger side, scanning the area before unlocking the gate. Abe slowly pulls through and Dale locks the gate behind us. I stay in the back with Jo, watching her closely. I saw her body jump as the gate slammed shut, an indicator of her past years at Brampton. I can only imagine how that must have been for such a young girl, violently ripped from her family.

  “Do you have any family?” I ask, knowing I’m touching on a sensitive matter.

  “I … I don’t know. Daddy was killed in the initial explosion; I have no idea if my mama or my brother survived the aftermath. I was taken from them a few days after …” she says, without looking at me. She’s almost in a trance, and I know her mind has gone somewhere else. “This is amazing,” she says. “It looks so much like home,” she smiles, suddenly feeling a little more comfortable with her surroundings.

  Home.

  If only I could get back home, too. Maybe one day, when all of this turmoil is over, I can try and go back home myself. Though, I can’t imagine what’s left of it knowing my father was—I stop that thought, I can’t go there. Not right now. When the time is right, I’ll face my past and whoever is left of it, but now I have to focus on the future. My future, the future of my comrades, and Jo, whatever that future may be.

  “When we get inside, I need to bandage your hands and wrap up your ankle to make sure it doesn’t swell up,” I tell her as the truck bounces through the yard toward the house. Jo nods, but her eyes are on the home that is in the center of the compound. I see her eyes glistening and memories are flooding through her mind.

  “Where did you say we were again?” she asks, not looking at me.

  “Noble, Oklahoma. Thirty miles from OKC, why?”

  “This home, it looks like … mine,” she whispers as the truck comes to a stop at the back of the house. The weeds are overgrown and the yard unkempt, but we have it that way for a reason. If the Heretics find this place, it needs to look abandoned. Guards surround the property, and they are locked and loaded and have no problems taking anyone out that doesn’t belong here. They’re trained to recognize the enemy, as they have certain mannerisms that give themselves away.

  I jump out of the truck and lift Jo out, setting her down gently as to not jar her ankle. She needs to keep her weight off it until I can figure out if it’s just strained or a full-on sprain. She wraps her arm around my shoulder and puts her weight on her left ankle as we make our way to the screen door on the back porch. “If you ever go outside, go out the back door. The pathway to the front door is rigged if someone tries to enter that way, so always use the back door. Please don’t forget or …”

  “Or we’re all dead, huh?” She smirks.

  “Maybe not dead, but put into a precarious situation. Now, have a seat here on the sofa and prop your foot up. I’m going to get some supplies and bandages. I need to clean the gashes on your hand and wrap your ankle, then you’re going to get some rest.”

  I head upstairs to get what I need, and as I come back down the stairs, Emma is standing at the entryway, her gun pulled aiming it right at Jo. “Emma, no. She’s okay, put your gun away.”

  But her eyes are on fire, full of fear, and I know if I don’t approach her carefully, she’ll put a bullet right in Jo’s head. “Emma, honey, it’s all right. She’s not going to hurt you,” I say quietly as I walk slowly toward Emma. “Emma, she’s from Brampton too. She’s like you,” I say as calmly as I can. Emma came out of Brampton a shell of a woman, and it doesn’t take much to trigger her anxiety. Jo came out strong, but not all women come out with their minds and hearts in one piece. I look at Jo, and her eyes are closed, so she’s clueless at what’s going on right in front of her.

  Emma’s hands shake and sweat dots her forehead, she’s struggling with this, and I have to approach with extreme caution. “Emma, hand me the gun,” I say calmly but firmly as I reach for her hand. I place my other hand on her shoulder in a calming gesture as I slip the gun from her hands, tears now streaming down her face.

  “She’s … She’s … like me?” Her voice cracks as what appears to be recognition fills her features. She stares at Jo like she’s never seen another woman before.

  “Yes.”

  “Oh, my God, I thought I was the only one who got out alive,” she cries, Jo’s eyes opening at the sound. Jo sits back and blinks her eyes, getting a fill of the young blonde that cries before her. I tuck Emma’s gun into the back of my jeans, Jo instantly seeing my swift move. Jo sits up a little and looks at us both, “What’s going on?” she asks, though her eyes stop and focus on Emma.

  “Emma? Oh, my God,” Jo screams and stands up, hobbling over to Emma as quickly as she can.

  “Josephine? Is that really you?”

  “Yes, it is,” Jo cries as she pulls Emma into a hug.

  “You guys know each other?” I ask, stepping back and letting these women have their moment.

  “Emma, I thought they …”

  “No, they just dumped me out onto the street,” she continues to cry, their arms still wrapped around each other. “Kane found me on the street on the verge of death and took me in,” she says softly as they end their embrace.

  “Seems you’re everyone’s knight in shining armor, huh?” Jo smiles at me, holding Emma’s hand. “Come, sit with me and tell me what happened to you,” Jo says as she tugs Emma toward the sofa. They sit and just stare at each other for a few minutes, and I watch them. It’s been a struggle for Emma since I found her just moments from death, so having Jo here may just be what she needs to get past what happened to her back in Brampton. Having someone else here that knows what goes on inside that clinic could just be what she needs.

  Jo

  Seeing Emma makes me glad we both got out of Brampton when we did, though she didn’t come out unscathed. I knew she was a bit unsettled while we were held captive, and I hope Kane and the boys treat her right. She’s skittish and less trusting than I am, seen by the way she held her gun at me until she realized who I was.

  “How did Kane find you?” I ask as Emma relaxes a little

  “When Vic had finally had enough of me …” she stops.

  “What do you mean, ‘had enough of you’?” I ask as she bursts into tears again. “Shh, it’s okay, you don’t have to tell me. We can talk whenever you’re ready,” I say, pulling her into my arms until her body stops shaking.

  “Jo?” Kane asks from the foot of the stairs. “Everything all right?”

  “Yes, we’re fine.”

  “Okay, well, I need to banda
ge your hands and wrap your ankle, and I have a bath drawn for you.”

  “A bath? You mean, like in a tub and everything?” I stand, wobbling on one foot, excited as a little girl on Christmas morning.

  “Yes, and all the fixings.” He laughs. “Come on, let’s get you upstairs. Emma, do you have some clean clothes Jo can put on?”

  “Of course,” she says, standing up and brushing the tears off of her cheek. “I’ll find something and bring it to you. Are you injured?” she asks, concern on her face.

  “Not really, just a twisted ankle that I got while running from Kane.” I laugh.

  “You ran from him?”

  “Well, yeah … I had no clue who he was. Still don’t, to be honest, but I can’t fend for myself in this world alone.”

  “Oh, I think you’d do pretty good out there after what I saw. But I’m glad you’re here, so we can watch over you.” Kane smirks.

  “I told you, I don’t need a babysitter.”

  “No, I guess you don’t, but safety comes in numbers. You were outnumbered in OKC. Though, you faired pretty well against Lester.”

  “Lester?” Emma asks.

  “One of the Heretics top five men; Jo here took him out,” he says as he nods toward me. “Hence the reason I need to bandage up her hands.”

  Emma takes my right hand and gasps at the dried blood and gaping skin. “What did you do?”

  “As Kane said, I took him out. Though, the glass I had in my hands kind of took me out, but the Heretics are down one guy,” I respond, trying to feign a smile. Her fingers lightly trace the wounds, and I flinch a little, pulling my hand back.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispers. “I’ll bring you come clothes.” And then she turns to walk away.

  I glance at Kane with my eyebrows raised. “What did I do?”

  “Nothing, Jo. Emma has … issues. We’re working on them, but certain things trigger memories to her, and not good ones.”