Page 113

An Empty Paradise

W e all move out of Paradise quickly. The bunker door is raised and then closed on us as soon as we are through, while the captain and his guards move back into the bunker to check for explosives and any living Berserkers.

Turning around, I blow out my breath and take in the Paradise dwellers.

They all look terrified and are gazing around in awe.

I’m betting it’s the first time a lot of them have been outside.

My father grabbed some supplies on the way out and we helped drag them outside.

Crossing my arms, my eyes run over the gathered people.

“I’ll go get our people. They can help set you up.

We won’t do it too close to the bunker just in case, but you want to be shielded by the buildings.

We will circle the camp with our army as a protection measure,” I order loudly, and my father nods and turns away to talk to his people.

I look at Dray. “Keep an eye out, I’ll be back. ”

He nods, watching the dwellers with a smirk.

I move swiftly, heading back to our army who are busy watching the road and fighting between themselves.

“Alright, pack up people! There’s a change of plans.

” I glance at Bern and Henry then who move closer.

“Rogue Berserkers attacked the bunker, they set charges, and we are waiting outside with the dwellers to ensure they aren’t slaughtered.

None of them are to be killed, anyone who touches a Paradise dweller dies by my hand, make sure they know.

Grab your shit, we are going to be camping for a day or two. ”

“Aye, Ma Queen.” Bern moves off quickly for such a big guy .

“You sure about this?” Henry asks.

“No, but if we leave them they will die, and I can’t live with that.

My men are fighters, they can survive a bit longer, I have to trust them with that.

Plus, it will give the leaders more time to get to The Ring.

Keep a close eye out though, I don’t trust these people,” I instruct, and Henry nods and moves away.

I grab my bike and drive back to where Dray, Archel, Evan, and my father are setting up camp away from the blast doors, and to the side of the building where it is sheltered by another structure.

It’s a smart move, makes a tunnel of sorts, but with plenty of room to manoeuvre.

I wait for our people to roar to a stop behind me, all the dwellers look up in fear and cringe away.

“No one will hurt you, they know the price, but do not betray my people while we are here protecting you, or you will suffer the same fate. Death by my hand. Berserkers camp this side, make a blockade, Seekers take the other side. I want three people on watch on either side at all times. Bern and Henry, organise someone,” I look over at them then.

“I want two men on top of that building on lookout at all hours, and two men stationed outside the blast doors. Understood?”

“Yas, Ma Queen.”

“Yes, ma’am,” comes the calls and I nod, moving my bike to the side and parking before heading towards my father.

“We will keep our people apart and hopefully we will survive the next day or two. Get them ready for the night. I saw you grab tents, didn’t I?”

“Yes, there won’t be enough for everyone,” he muses, his hair out of place, and his shirt ripped and covered in blood.

“Don’t worry about us, we have our own and we are used to sleeping outside,” I reply with a shrug.

“Ma Queen, I have found you a tent, you should have one.” Bern lumbers over with a tent over his shoulder.

“Who did you steal it from?” I see a frustrated looking dweller glaring at Bern’s back and snicker. “Thanks, put it near the entrance, will you?”

He nods. “We are putting the bikes across as a first defence as well.” He trudges away again.

“Your people respect you,” my father murmurs, and I look over at him as Dray appears at my side.

“She earned that through blood, sweat, and years of torture. How did you get your leadership?” he snaps.

“I was, er, voted in,” my father replies, not looking Dray in the face, and that’s when I realise he is scared of him. “I’ll go help my people. ”

“Wait, you have water going down there somehow. Is there anyway to access it up here?”

“Erm, I’m not sure, let me grab someone who will know.” He rushes away then and we watch him go.

“How can he not know about his own people? Do they really think that little of water when the rest of the North constantly battles dehydration?” Archel spits. “Fuck, I want to kill them all. Spoiled bastards.”

“How the other half live,” I scoff.

A man comes running up with sweat dripping down his head and his shirt removed. He’s well-built with short, styled blond hair and green, loose trousers. “Hi, erm, your father said you needed to see me about water irrigation?”

I look at Dray with a raised eyebrow and he smirks. “He’s too pretty for your harem, soulmate.”

My mouth drops open. “Not what I was thinking.” I look back at the man who is staring between us, confused. “But you’re right. God, he looks like a puppy.”

The man blinks at me, his cheeks heating though he doesn’t know what we are talking about. “I’m Jason, I work on maintaining the water supply for Paradise. I’ve been up here before when the pumping system broke down, so I know how to access it, which he said you needed—”

“Wow, okay, stop talking,” I tell him with a grin.

He snaps his mouth shut and winces. “Sorry, I get nervous and ramble and you’re scary. I mean, you’re covered in blood and with all these swords and okay shutting up now.”

Dray laughs. “Yeah, soulmate, you look scary.” I eye him again and he grins. “I lied, you look fucking hot. I’m turned the hell on by all the blood.”

Jason gulps, his eyes flying wide, and I take pity on him. “Okay, show us how it pumps down there, and is there a way to access it to get water up here without stopping the flow to the bunker?”

He nods emphatically and turns, rushing away before stopping and looking back. “Sure, I’ll show you.” He waits, almost bouncing on his feet.

“Come on.” I grab Dray and drag him with me, avoiding Evan who is clearly looking for me, his face curled into a scowl.

The dwellers move aside as we stomp through their midst, stopping what they are doing to stare.

Most seem scared, but some nod in greeting which is an improvement I guess.

Jason leads us around the Seekers who are setting up camp at the other end of the tunnel between the buildings, and then around the corner of the large white building.

A wall of sand is backed into the buildings here, obviously creating a barrier, with a wired electric fence at the back to stop intruders, I even spot cameras.

That explains how they keep this place so secure and private.

Behind the building is a smaller one, the sides silver and the top made of brick.

It’s tucked away, hidden almost, so if you were coming from the road you wouldn’t see it.

He heads straight there and we stop behind him as he runs his finger down the brick at the side, a scanner pops out and I raise my eyebrows.

He scans his palm and eye, and the light turns green just before I hear the click of the door. He looks back with a nervous smile.

“We had to upgrade it, it got broken into a couple of years ago and wrecked by a couple. They nearly killed us all, we were without water.” He shakes his head.

“I’m betting they just wanted a safe place to lay low and something to drink,” I defend, crossing my arms. “What happened to them?” I demand.

He looks away nervously. “The guards got here first. I didn’t see, I was just called in to fix it.”

“But?” I press.

“I saw them dragging the bodies away for burning,” he admits and steps into the building, effectively ending that conversation.

Anger flares within me. These people have no clue how to survive out here and they killed someone for wanting water?

It’s true we kill for less, but when we do it, it’s because you have stolen or pissed us off.

You know what to expect out there, but in Paradise it should be civilized, yet they just hide that bloodlust under a veil of civilisation.

I step in behind him, with Dray on my heels, and then I look around in shock.

Even their water station is high tech. No wonder they don’t understand how to function outside of Paradise.

The room is split in two, and there is a wall and a door hiding the other half.

Metal stairs lead up to platforms hanging over what I can only assume is the water pump.

Other than the fact it takes up a lot of room and goes into the floor, I couldn’t begin to explain what it is, but Jason seems comfortable.

He moves around it as we linger near the doorway, but when he doesn’t come back or speak, I get bored and decide to investigate.

Walking over to the other door, I open it and stick my head in.

I blink at what I see and step into the room, whistling as I look around.

It looks like a changing room for workers with lockers on the back wall, benches running down the middle, mirrors on the closet wall, and a toilet stall and shower stall in the corner.

I head that way, sticking my head around the curtain to see a wide, white shower stall.

I wonder if it works? Maybe I’m becoming pampered, because I would love to shower off all this blood, sweat, and grime.

“It still works,” Jason calls happily, and I look back to see Dray with his arms crossed waiting in the corner of the room, and Jason at the doorway.

“Good, my people can shower here if they wish.”

Jason fidgets and I sigh. “What?”

“There might not be enough water for that.” He shrugs.

“They won’t all shower anyway, most believe the blood from battle should stay on their skin as a warning, and being too clean would make them seem like pale faces.” I grin and Dray barks out a laugh.