Page 16 of Whispers and Warriors (After #2)

SIXTEEN

Emma stared out at the dark ocean, the salty breeze caressing her face. A strange calm washed over her, so different from the heart-pounding terror that came with the man’s hands on her, his rancid breath hot against her neck, his growing erection rubbing at her through her clothes. She shuddered at the memory, but pushed it aside. She had to be strong, there were too many more obstacles to overcome for her to fall apart.

Rape was always a possibility for any female since the population dwindled, but she’d came far too close too many times since leaving the safety of her basement. But she had made her choice when she called out for help that day. And thankfully, while they’ve tried, no man has succeeded.

She held tight to Ranger’s leash as Bash settled next to her, his solid presence both comforting and electrifying. Chris sat carefully down on her other side and wrapped a muscular arm around her shoulders, pulling her close. Emma leaned into them, drawing strength from their touch.

“Let me take him, this part won’t be fun,” Liam gestured for Ranger’s leash, rain splashing off his hand onto her leg.

Emma found her fingers wrapped around it in a death grip, but she was able to force herself to open her hand and let Liam take Ranger from her.

“Come here, Ranger,” Liam patted the space in front of him and Ranger trotted over, letting Liam tuck him safely between his legs in the cramped lifeboat.

“Everyone ready? If we fuck this timing up, the boat swings the wrong way,” William pulled a blade from his pocket. “On three?” He looked to Alex.

“On three.” Alex confirmed taking his knife from his hip.

Alex and William exchanged a meaningful look, then set to work sawing through the ropes tethering them to the ship. The tension hung heavy in the night air, broken only by the rhythmic rasp of blade against braided fibers. With each fiber severed, Emma’s heart beat faster, caught between dread and anticipation.

Without warning the ropes gave way. Emma’s heart leapt into her throat as the tiny ship plunged downward toward the unforgiving ocean below. Her eyes squeezed shut of their own accord, and her fingers bit into Bash and Chris’s arms.

Almost as quickly as gravity dropped out from under her, it returned as the boat crashed into the ocean, icy water spraying up to drench her further. The bone-chilling cold drew a sharp gasp from her, but she bit back the urge to scream. They had to be silent if they hoped to escape undetected. As one, the men grabbed the oars and began to paddle, propelling them away from the looming ship and into the unknown. Though her teeth chattered, Emma forced herself to breathe evenly, focusing on the flex and pull of the strong backs before her, rather than on the yawning abyss that threatened to swallow her whole.

There was no going back now. Only forward, into another uncertain future. This time cold, wet, and in the middle of a storm that could grow deadly at any moment.

“Everyone hold tight if you’re not paddling. The storm is going to make this a bitch and we are not flipping if I can help it,” Chris hollered, his voice carrying over the storm just enough.

Emma finally opened her eyes, looking up to assure herself that no one had come running to stop their escape. Ranger’s whine cut through the roar of the wind, but he didn’t seem interested in leaving Liam’s side.

Bash stood, essentially forcing her grip on his hand to lessen. “I’ll take lead with Alex. William, Liam we’ll be swapping in thirty.”

The small boat cut through the dark waters, each stroke of the oars propelling them further from the ship and the horrors it held. Cold ocean spray splashed against Emma’s face, the briny droplets mingling with the tears she couldn’t quite hold back. She shivered, her drenched clothing clinging to her skin, but the chill that seeped into her bones had little to do with the temperature.

Chris’s arm tightened around her, his solid presence a bulwark against the memories that threatened to drag her under. “I’m so sorry, Emma,” he murmured, his lips brushing her temple. “I should’ve been there to protect you. I won’t fail you again, I swear it.”

Emma leaned into his embrace, drawing strength from his unwavering resolve. She wanted to reassure him that it wasn’t his fault, that she didn’t blame him, but the words lodged in her throat. Instead, she focused on the rhythmic dip and pull of the oars, the soft splash of water against the hull, the distant creak of the ship’s timbers fading into the night.

Each stroke took them farther from danger, but it brought her no relief. Liam had spoken of a destination, a glimmer of hope on the horizon, but the path ahead was fraught with uncertainty. They had no way of knowing what challenges they might face just on the water alone. She’d always hated the beach —hated the squishy sand, the seaweed wrapping around her legs, and the sharks that were supposedly never far away.

And what about in open waters?

As if sensing her thoughts, Chris pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “We’re going to be okay, Emma. I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but we’re going to make it through this. We have every single time. You’re the strongest person I know, and you have all of us by your side. We won’t let anything happen to you.”

Emma nodded, swallowing past the lump in her throat. She wanted to believe him, to trust in the strength of their bond, but the events of the past hour had shaken her to her core. The world had proven once again just how cruel it could be, and a part of her feared that even the love of her men might not be enough to keep the darkness at bay.

Surely, fate wouldn’t be so cruel as to tear them apart now.

Emma’s voice trembled from fear and the cold as she asked, “Are we going back to land, or are we going to try to figure out North from here?” Her eyes searched the faces of her companions, seeking reassurance in the midst of their uncertain journey.

Liam met her gaze, his blue eyes filled with a mixture of determination and concern. “We’ll find North, Emma. Expert navigator, remember? But we need to hug the coast, or we’ll risk worse timing than we already have. We’re probably going to arrive a day later than planned as it is.”

Emma nodded, her heart sinking at the thought of the delays they’d already faced. Every moment they spent on the water felt like a gamble, a dangerous roll of the dice in a world where the odds were never in their favor.

She couldn’t tell the difference between the rain and the water from the ocean, but she knew if they didn’t warm up soon, they’d catch something.

The rhythmic paddling of the oars filled the air, a steady drumbeat that seemed to echo the pounding of Emma’s heart. In the distance, the sounds of the ship they’d left behind grew fainter, a haunting melody that spoke of the horrors they’d narrowly escaped.

Closing her eyes, she tried to focus on anything but the vast expanse and the worry the ship would just come run them over. Fear coiled in her gut, a serpent that threatened to suffocate her with its poisonous whispers. What if they never found the sanctuary they sought? What if the world beyond the waves proved even more treacherous than the one they’d left behind?

But even as the doubts assailed her, Emma clung to the fragile thread of hope that had sustained her through so many trials. She thought of the love she shared with her men, the unbreakable bond that had been forged in the crucible of this shattered world. Together, they had faced down death and despair, had carved out a life amidst the ruins of civilization. Surely, that love could guide them through whatever storms lay ahead.

As the boat rocked gently beneath her, Emma allowed herself to imagine a future beyond the endless struggle for survival. A future where they could build a home, a family, a life together. It was a dream that seemed impossibly distant, a mirage shimmering on the horizon of a world gone mad. But it was a dream worth fighting for, worth risking everything to achieve.

Emma opened her eyes, her gaze drifting over the faces of her companions. In their eyes, she saw the same fierce determination that burned within her own heart. They were warriors, survivors, bound together by a love that defied the very laws of this broken world. And as long as they had each other, Emma knew that no force on earth could stand against them.

The pale light of dawn seeped through the thick veil of clouds, casting a ghostly glow over the endless expanse of water. The rain stopped, but the weather was barely any better. William blinked away the tendrils of sleep clawing at him, his eyes gritty and his mind foggy from the long hours of paddling. He straightened his aching back, wincing as his muscles protested the movement.

With the exception of Chris, the others slept, leaving him and Chris to row. He wondered if he looked like this Chris, his face faces drawn and haggard in the rising light. They had been rowing for hours, driven by a desperate urgency to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the ship they had left behind. But the toll of their escape was etched in every line of their bodies, in the dark shadows beneath their eyes.

They’d left in the middle of the night and had not made it to where they needed to be, but had pulled into a few docks to check. It was nearly thirty-six hours from when they fled, and William knew they were all growing tired and hungry in the small boat.

William’s stomach growled, a hollow reminder of the hunger that gnawed at his insides. He reached for their meager supplies, hoping to find something to quell the ache, but his hand came away empty. A quick inventory revealed the grim truth, they were running low on food and water because they’d only taken enough for a small time so not to overload the lifeboat.

“We need to ration what we have left,” he said, his voice rough with thirst and exhaustion. “Make it last as long as possible.”

Chris nodded, his jaw tight with worry. “We’ll take turns eating and drinking. Conserve our strength.”

William looked away, his gaze drawn to the horizon. The vast expanse of the ocean stretched out before them, a seemingly endless barrier between them and their destination. A flicker of doubt tapped him on the shoulder, a cold whisper of fear that they might never reach the sanctuary they sought.

But he pushed the thought away, refusing to give in to despair. They had come too far, suffered too much, to let his resolve waver now. He thought of Emma, of the love that bound her with all of them, and felt a surge of determination. They would make it, somehow. They had to.

As the boat surged forward, propelled by the relentless rhythm of their paddling, William fixed his eyes on the horizon and willed the currents to carry them to safety. The sun climbed higher in the sky, its light filtering through the clouds in pale shafts that danced across the water. And with each passing hour, the distant shore drew ever closer, a tantalizing promise of hope in a world gone mad.

Everything he’d done since answering Emma’s radio call was either the biggest mistake of his life, or the greatest adventure. Looking at her, asleep and curled against Liam and Alex, he had to believe it was the latter because he refused to ever think of her as anything other than their world.

William squinted against the glare of the sun, his eyes straining to make out the shapes on the horizon. At first, he thought it was just a trick of the light, a mirage conjured by his exhausted mind. But as the boat drew closer, the shapes resolved into the unmistakable outlines of a dock and a ship.

His heart leaped in his chest, a sudden surge of hope that left him breathless. “Chris,” he croaked, his voice hoarse with disbelief. “I think I see it. The ship we’re looking for.”

Chris looked up, his eyes narrowing as he followed William’s gaze. “Are you sure?”

William nodded, his hands trembling as he pointed toward the distant shore. “Look, there’s the dock. And the ship... it has the right name on the side. It’s really there.”

For a moment, neither of them spoke, as if they were afraid to believe it. Then Chris stood up, his voice ringing out. “He’s right. That’s our ticket out of here. Liam! Bash! Alex! Get your damn asses up and look at that ship.”

All three men opened their eyes, more than used to having to rise and be with it quickly.

“What?” Liam cracked his neck, carefully moving Emma so she lay only on the bench.

“Emma,” William whispered, his heart thumping like a jack rabbit with his excitement. “Emma, we’re almost there.”

She stirred while Chris and Liam continued to talk, her lips slightly too blue for his liking, but smiling just the same.

“Help me out. That ship, you read the name?”

“Holy, shit!” Liam damn near tipped the boat as he jumped. “Horizon’s Edge. No fucking way. Just over a day and we’re here? We were already late, but she’s still sitting there?”

A sudden, collective cheer erupted from the others, their voices mingling in a chorus of relief and pure joy.

But their celebration was short-lived, as the boat beneath them began to sway dangerously, its wooden hull creaking under the weight of their eager bodies. The newly steady waters now churned and frothed as the boat fought against the relentless current. All five of them stopped moving, freezing like a game of tag to save the boat from a disastrous end. They were all dry, there was no need to go back into the water.

“Whoa, easy there,” Chris warned, his tone sharp with concern. “We can’t afford to capsize now. Everyone, stay calm and keep paddling. We’re almost there.”

William nodded, his heart pounding as he dug his paddle into the water with renewed vigor. He could feel the others doing the same, their strokes falling into a synchronized rhythm as they propelled the boat forward.

As they drew closer to the dock, William’s anxiety grew at the possible danger they could be walking into this time. What would they find on the ship? Would it be the sanctuary they had been seeking, or just another false hope in a world full of them?

He wanted so desperately for it to be the answer to their prayers, a safe haven from the harsh realities of their world. But deep down, he couldn’t shake the doubt and fear that it would only lead to more disappointment and heartache. This could either be their salvation or another cruel reminder of the unforgiving nature of their existence.

Glancing over at Emma, he saw the determination in her sleepy eyes, and a surge of love brought him back to positivity.

“Should we try that heave, ho shit?” He asked with a chuckle.

“How about we give it to the strongest guy who’s not tired,” Bash made a motion for the paddle and William had no problem passing them to him.

“I have zero concerns for a good rest with Emma.”

“I feel really guilty I didn’t paddle.” She somehow managed to flush despite all the things they’d done together.

“You can make it up to all of us once we’re warm, safe, and sound.” Alex flashed her a grin as he took the paddle from Chris.

They fell silent as the boat moved closer to the dock. To the next chance at safety.