"Pick up the weapons," Zac suddenly yells, pointing past me to the cluster of people on the grass. "Get rid of all of it and head to the stable. Now!" he orders. Everyone suddenly jumps into action, yelling and calling for each other as they move in a panic.
"Zac!" Sam yells, slamming his hand against the truck.
"I know," Zac replies, striding towards us. "I'll move it."
"Where?"
"I don't have a fucking clue."
"Where should we..."
"Get yourselves over to the treeline," Zac instructs, pointing towards the road. "We need to know what their intentions are."
"You want us to watch them from the trees?" Sam repeats and Zac nods, reaching into the truck before handing Sam and I each a weapon.
"Yes," he snaps. "Fucking go."
"Zac-"
"We don't have time," Zac says to me before sliding into the truck. It roars to life only moments later as Lyla and Poppy rush past us, handfuls of ammo in their arms.
"Let's go," Sam exclaims, grabbing my hand and begin to drag me down the driveway.
"Wait up!" the familiar call comes from behind us. Kayla appears beside us within seconds, a rifle in her hands. We plunge into the thick undergrowth, weaving around the trees before crouching in the midst of the plants, desperately praying we aren't seen.
My heart is hammering against my ribcage as I lay in the grass, my gun extended in front of me, the roar of the engine only getting louder with every passing second. The farm behind us is silent, the façade of an abandoned building back in place. We've been so careless, gotten so comfortable where we are that we've forgotten to look out for the fucking danger.
I swallow the lump in my throat as the guarded truck gets closer, my heart beating so fast that I'm certain even the enemy will hear it. You're a fucking idiot, Emilia.
Imagine if they find us now... all of our hard work will have been for nothing. We'll never be able to go South, we'll never be able to stop the tyrannical reign in the North.
They will tear us apart and throw everyone in separate cells, no doubt without food or drink before they decide to kill us one by one.
The thought has my heart aching—pictures of Sam, Heidi, Kayla, Jordan, Kieran and Riley all being shot in front of me making me feel sick. When my head fills with an image of Zac, I begin to hyperventilate. Kayla instantly places a hand on my arm, trying to calm me. Her eyes are filled with curiosity as I look up at her, torn out of my wretched daydream and back to this hellish reality.
We're fucked. There's no way out of this, they've found us. We have nowhere to run, no place to hide and all because we weren't prepared. We should have had someone on lookout for the six days that we've been here. We've been foolish and now we'll pay the price.
I feel sorry for Kayla, Lyla and Jordan who never got to enact their revenge on the State.
I feel sorry for Zac that he won't be able to go home, back to the South.
I feel sorry for everyone else who hasn't achieved...
The truck suddenly zooms past us, my head as low to the floor as possible. I shake uncontrollably, pure terror running through my veins.
"They're gone," Sam suddenly whispers. Both Kayla and I lift our heads slightly as disbelief fills every cavity in my chest.
"Gone?"
"Yeah." Sam nods. "It literally hurtled past. They didn't slow down in the slightest."
Oh my god. They didn't know we were here... they weren't after us, after all.
We're fucking safe.
*~*~*
Walking away from the barn the next morning, I spot Jordan in the distance, sitting next to the small lake. Where's Zac?
Quickly coming up short with regards to the location of my husband, I change direction, heading straight for the heartbroken man who has yet to utter more than ten words to me since we left Nottingham.
"Jordan?" I call out as I approach.
"Hey," he replies quietly, barely even glancing up at me.
"How are you?"
"Fine."
"Don't lie." I scoff, slouching down next to him.
"I don't know what to say," Jordan mutters, lifting his legs up and resting his hands on them. Me neither.
"I know," I tell him, unable to come up with any acceptable words. He lost his entire world, there's nothing I can ever say to make it right. Letting my eyes wander down to his hands, I grin as I spy the small rose flower. "You got it on your wrist too," I exclaim, pointing down at my own ink and watching as he looks across.
"That's not the only place I got one," Jordan replies, a hint of a smile on his lips.
"You got another?" I exclaim. "Show me!" Jordan slowly sits back before reaching down and lifting his top, pulling it all the way to expose his chest. Two interlocked roses cover his heart. "I love it," I tell him honestly. "She would have loved it too."
"I wish I'd got it whilst she was alive," Jordan says, lowering his top.
"Me too," I agree, my eyes scanning over the delicate rose on my wrist before I let my fingers trail around the outline. The truth is, Claudia would have rolled her eyes at all of us getting a tattoo in her honour, never wanting to be the centre of attention. I can almost imagine her slapping me on the arm, adamant that I would regret it the next day.
I'll never regret this tattoo, not a fucking chance.
"I'm going with you," Jordan suddenly pipes up, interrupting our comfortable silence.
"What?"
"To the South," he reveals and I feel my eyes widen.
"Jordan-"
"I need to distract myself, Emilia," he cuts me off. "Plus, Claudia would have wanted me too."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm alive. I've got to at least try and make sure she didn't die in vain," Jordan exclaims, his determined eyes meeting mine. I completely get where he's coming from. I feel the exact same about her, Rayden, and even Jace.
"I understand," I say softly, nodding before we both turn to look back at the still water, a small leaf dropping and causing ripples to cover the surface.
It's calm and peaceful... nothing like what is to come.
*~*~*
"Anna," I call out as soon as I see her.
The sun is setting, another long day of analysing the papers at least ending with half a plan to make our way South. Kieran, Riley, Kayla and I spent hours cooped up inside, my only break being when I stepped outside to see Jordan and Emilia laughing down by the pond. The sight caused me to smile, thankful that my girl is able to help my best friend. I left them to it, happy that Jordan finally seems to be making progress. The loss of Claudia is forever on my mind.
"Are you okay?" Anna asks as I walk towards her. She's lying on the ground, quickly sitting up as I take a seat beside her. Taking a deep breath, I stare at the pond, reminding myself what I have to say. "Zac?"
"I just want..." I trail off before inhaling sharply and turning to face her. "If anything happens, and I mean anything, I need you to make sure you still get to the South."
"What are you on about?" Anna retorts, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.
"I hope that nothing goes wrong," I admit. "But if it does, I need you to get Emilia, and as many others to the South."
"Zac-"
"You're the only one who I know will do it without thinking," I explain. "Everyone else will let their emotions get in the way."
"But-"
"We have to make sure we get to the South," I cut her off. "No matter how many of us there are. We have to."
"Zac, without you we won't even know what to do!"
"You will," I argue. "You're all smart. I have no fucking clue why I've turned into some sort of fucking leader. I don't want it."
"You're the smartest one out of all of us," Anna replies with a small smile on her lips.
"Please, Anna!"
She sighs, looking back at the farmland as she bites her lip, clearly contemplating what I've asked her. "Fine," she gives in. "If that's what you want, then, of course. You know I will."
"Thank you."
"But, we're all going to make it, okay?" she tries and I smile at her enthusiasm. Of course that's what I want—to go with Emilia and embark on this journey together. Yet if something happens, I know that I won't hesitate to do everything in my power to ensure she gets to safety, even if it is without me.
Our plan is flawed, ridiculously uncertain with numerous holes that could cause our demise from the very moment we set it into action. It's the biggest risk we've ever taken and I'm not going to be the one leading us through it.
I'll leave that to the survivors, the ones who can execute this better than me.
"Zac?" Anna pleads, her eyes full of worry.
"Absolutely," I reply, plastering a fake smile on my face.
I'm readying myself for failure, there's absolutely no way we're going to be able to fool the State into letting us travel through the wall and down to the South.
*~*~*
My eyes are fixed on the happy looking couple only two hundred feet away from me. What the hell are they talking about?
"And so then, if they come at you with their left hand higher you can... Em?"
They're spending a lot of time with each other at the moment. Zac has been teaching her how to use a certain type of gun, one that I have no interest in looking at. I haven't thought of Anna as potential competition for Zac's affections for four months, but every day I suddenly seem to worry more. I always cared for Rayden, I can't deny that... so maybe Zac and Anna are exactly the same...
"Em," Riley yells, startling me back to reality.
"Sorry?" I question, turning to face him.
He furrows his eyebrow before turning in the direction I was just staring. "What are you watching?"
"Nothing." I scoff. "Just a couple of so called friends playing nice."
"Anna?" Riley exclaims. "Hasn't she given up on him yet?" He smirks and I shoot him a glare. "What? Oh!"
"Shut up, Riley, let's do this," I snap, raising my hands into fists as he grins.
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Call me Ma'am one more time," I reply as he lunges towards me. I carefully step out of the way before whirling around and landing my fist into his gut. "I dare you!"
*~*~*
"Hey," I greet as I shut the bedroom door behind me. Zac and I have claimed one of the bedrooms for the night.
"Hey." Zac smiles from the bed, setting down the stack of papers in his hand.
"I think you've looked at them enough for one day," I mutter, yanking them away and putting them on the bedside table.
"Oh really?" Zac raises an eyebrow.
"Yes," I retort, climbing on the bed and throwing my legs over his body. "You need to take a break."
"The sooner we crack this, the sooner we get to the South and hopefully resolve this," he replies, his hands reaching around to rest on my ass as I straddle him.
"What if there's no help in the South?" I ask and he shakes his head.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
"Did Jordan speak to you?"
"He did." He nods. "He wants to come South."
"I know, he told me," I admit, reaching up and placing my arms on his shoulders. "I told him to tell you. I think he should come."
"Em-"
"He's lost everything, Zac," I remind him. "You and Kieran are the closest thing to family that he has left. You think he'll be okay with you leaving him here?"
"I know but-"
"Jordan is a good soldier, you know that," I cut him off, attempting to convince him by reaching up and running one of my hands through his hair.
"I do," Zac agrees. "But what if his head isn't in the game? He'll get killed and..." He trails off. "I can't lose another one." His voice cracks on the last word.
"I know," I reply, leaning forward and resting my forehead against his. "I know. Me neither."
"It only takes one second..."
"I miss her too," I whisper, my eyes shut as I stay where I am. My hands trail down his arms reassuringly. "I miss Claudia every single day. Just imagine how he's feeling. He needs something to do, Zac, or he'll drive himself insane."
"Maybe you're right," Zac replies and I smile at his words before leaning back and opening my eyes.
"Of course I'm right," I retort. "When am I not?"
"You're so fucking cocky!"
"You're one to talk." I giggle, resting my hands on his chest. He laughs before wrapping an arm around my waist and flipping us over, leaving me lying on the mattress beneath him.
"I guess we're just one insanely arrogant couple." He grins, his body lightly hovering over mine.
"People must hate us," I exclaim and he smirks, dipping his head to my neck.
"I don't care," Zac mutters in between gentle kisses on my bare skin. "As long as you like me, that's enough."
"Maybe I don't," I retort. His head instantly shoots up, eyes narrowed playfully as I giggle.
"Oh yeah?" He smirks. "What are we doing here then?"
"I thought this was supposed to be just sex?" I reply jokingly, a teasing smile on my lips as I remind him of our initial agreement.
"I think we're way passed that, don't you?"
"I don't know..."
"You couldn't resist me." Zac smirks, his lips returning to the base of my neck, my head arching back as soon as the exhilarating sensations fill me.
"E-excuse me! Neither could you." I manage to get out.
"I'm not denying it." I can feel him grinning against my skin before he pulls away, staring down at me, a sudden intense look in his eye. "You were never just sex, Emilia."
"I wasn't?" I breathe out, slightly shocked at the revelation.
"Fuck no!" He shakes his head. "You pulled me in from the moment I saw you. I didn't stand a chance."
"You like me." I smirk playfully. Zac rolls his eyes at my words.
"Fucking hell, you're annoying," Zac huffs, a twinkle in his eye showing me that he's amused. "Yes, I like you."
"I like you too," I admit. "There was something about you from that very first time you made me dinner."
"Dinner? Not when we first met?"
"Hell no," I exclaim. "I literally walked in on you fucking someone else!"
"Not one of my finest moments," Zac agrees, letting his head drop to my chest as he avoids my gaze.
"Definitely not." I giggle, feeling him tense on top of me. Taking a deep breath, I ready myself to admit how I feel, the words heading straight for my lips like vomit. I don't hold back, instead letting them go, knowing that it's finally time to let someone in and actually be happy. "I've really fallen for you, Zac," I tell him. "Hard."
"You have?" He looks up, a grin spreading across his face.
"Yeah."
"You're so fucking perfect," he mutters back, moving up my body and pressing a chaste kiss to my lips. "I think I love you."
He... he what?
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Way too many POV's in this chapter, so I really hope it didn't get confusing!! I just have so much that needs to be said before this book wraps up!
Come on, be honest... who thought it would be Zac to let out the big 'L' word first?!
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