Total pages in book: 163
Estimated words: 150878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 754(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 503(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 150878 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 754(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 503(@300wpm)
“I know,” Layne said. “You have somewhere to go.”
I grabbed her hand in mine. “I’ll help Asher. Then you fight,” I said. “Fight hard.”
“You too,” she said. “It won’t be easy for you to make it home.”
“Some things are worth fighting for,” I said. She pulled me to her and we embraced, holding each other tight before letting go.
I gave Freddie a quick hug too and then they turned and cut through the foliage. I ducked low and ran to the next house, climbing the pool fence and running quietly around the pool, then jumping the fence again on the other side. There was a high stone wall surrounding the garden at the back of the next house and I grunted in frustration. If I scaled every wall and fence from here down to the front gate, it’d take hours. If it hadn’t been discovered we were gone by now, it most certainly would be by then.
I hesitated for a moment, and then turned toward the front, but spotted the sweep of a flashlight from that direction where they likely had at least one guard in front of each house. I couldn’t risk being caught by one of them. I needed to get to Asher.
There was only one good option, and it would get me to the bottom of the hill quickly. I turned, running along the stone wall and heading toward the edge of the cliff. Behind the gates and fences was a small portion of trees, bushes, and foliage that was almost completely shrouded in darkness. It would take me just as long to step carefully through that lightless area. Instead, I squeezed through the back bushes that suddenly opened up to the edge of the cliff and before I could think about it, I stepped down onto the narrow ledge.
I’d spotted this trail as I’d stood staring out to sea, pretending that if I squinted far enough, I could catch sight of my home. The thought of it now spurred me on and I pressed my back to the rock, moving forward.
Distant noises reminded me to hurry. The element of surprise was going to be crucial. The fact that Freddie and the others had weapons when Leon had told his men they were unarmed was going to work in their favor too. Ammunition was going to be imperative.
The moon was just bright enough to see where I was stepping, back pressed against the side of the cliff as I moved slowly and carefully along the extremely narrow trail, moving down and then around, the path widening but not by much.
I caught sight of a solar lantern twinkling in the trees, here and there, and could hear the gentle breaking of waves on the other side of the cliff. I breathed in the scents of sea and earth, and despite my racing heart, I noted again how beautiful this place was, and felt a sweep of rage that Leon had betrayed these people for his own evil, selfish purposes.
Wind whipped, chilling me, even despite the adrenaline pumping through my body. Thankfully, winter in Southern California was mild, but not so mild on this particular night that the cropped jeans and thin sweatshirt I’d donned were enough to keep me warm.
The darkness concealed me, but it also made the journey treacherous and several times I lost traction, slipping for a moment, stopping, and regaining balance before continuing on.
As I moved, I pictured what was happening above. Leon and his troops would still be gathering the residents from the houses, two or more guards with guns making sure they didn’t gain the upper hand. Maybe they’d even start separating those Leon considered of value from those he did not. Perhaps they’d begin marching certain people outside by daylight, leaving them to starve in the street, the action of the usurpers made possible by their hunger and fear. I didn’t kill them, they’d tell themselves. I just took their place. It was that or die. There was no more food.
A muffled scream came from one of the gargantuan homes, and my heart skipped a beat. I didn’t want to think about who might be screaming and why, and so I didn’t because it would do me no good. But it did bolster my decision to try my best to give these people some sort of fighting chance.
I let out a sigh of relief when I stepped onto a larger portion of land, picking up my speed. The journey downhill less precarious, but the sounds of Leon’s men were everywhere now, no longer attempting to be quiet as they went from home to home.
A burst of gunfire sounded from above, my heart jolting with each distant crack.
“Oh God,” I said. Maybe the people Leon had arranged to take over weren’t killers, but they still had weapons and if someone attempted to fight back, they were going to use them. Who was going to try to escape? If you had nowhere else to go, escape meant death just as surely as facing down a loaded gun.