Second Chances Read online

  Table of Contents

  Title

  Copyright

  Acknowledgements

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Thank You

  About Author

  SECOND CHANCES

  C. S. Carver

  Copyright © 2018 by C. S. Carver

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner except for the use of quotations in a book review. For more information, address: [email protected]

  www.cscarver.com

  This is a work of fiction, and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or business establishments, events or locales is coincidental.

  Acknowledgements

  Thanks to my friend and editor Jana for being there for me from the start of this story to the end. Without her, there might have not been a story to tell.

  I also want to thank Ruby, Le and Shyam for helping me along the way when I needed support.

  Last but not least, I want to thank my amazing husband for always supporting me and my dreams.

  CHAPTER ONE

  THE ROAD STRETCHES ahead like an endless roller coaster.

  I turn and scan my rag-tag group and worry gnaws at me. The forest lining the road blocks the worst of the wind but the air is chilly, and it’ll get colder as the sun goes down. Fresh snow crunches beneath my boots. I shoulder my backpack and continue putting one foot in front of the other, trying not to think about how light the pack has become.

  “Zane,” Max calls out as he jogs up next to me. “Think I’ll finally find myself a girl at the new settlement?”

  “You’ll have to get there first, dumbass. Don’t overexert yourself.” I glance at Max as he falls in step. “Best friend or not, I’m not carrying your ass.”

  Max slaps a hand to his chest and feigns upset. “You wouldn't? That's cold, man.”

  I shrug but my lips twitch into a grin. “Anyway, what’s up?”

  “It’s getting dark, and I can taste snow in the air.” He tilts his head back and juts his chin toward the sky. Max has always had a knack for predicting the weather. Before the shit hit the fan, it was a neat trick, but now? Now it saves lives.

  “Maybe you’re wrong this time.” I glance up at the darkening sky and curse under my breath.

  “Uh huh.” He punches my arm and we fall into a heavy silence. We’re in the middle of bum-fuck nowhere, following an old paper map that hasn’t been updated since they invented GPS, and our supplies are scary low. The old truck dying was inevitable, Kenzie’s barely hanging on with her broken leg, and the rest of us aren’t doing much better.

  My stomach growls and Max chuckles, but there’s no humor in the sound. We’re all hungry. Have been for a couple of days, and if we don’t find somewhere to restock soon, crossing the Rockies will have been for nothing.

  “Those assholes sure picked a good time for a raid,” Max says as he trudges beside me.

  “A raid?” I arch an eyebrow at him. “That was a fucking bloodbath.”

  “All over some batteries and a case of Coke.”

  “I think it was a little more complicated than that.”

  “Yeah, yeah. It always is with you.” Max rolls his eyes and turns back toward the two women limping behind us. When he offers his shoulder for Kenzie to lean on, she doesn't protest.

  I turn back to the road and sigh. It was all so stupid. There are few enough people left as is; it makes no sense why the Northern Settlement attacked us. We could have joined them like other small settlements in the area and added to their wealth. We had a sustainable food source and, after ten years, even working tech.

  A cold flake lands on the tip of my nose, followed by another. It’s snowing. Of course it’s snowing. I grumble and steal a glance at Max. He flashes me a crooked smile and the glint in his eyes reminds me of a simpler time. Max is a good-looking guy. Tall and built like a brick shit house. With his sandy blond hair, piercing blue eyes, and a mouth that doesn’t quit, I crushed on him hard back in college, when there were still colleges. If only he wasn’t so damn straight.

  I tighten the straps on my backpack and wave the group closer. “Max brought in the snow—”

  “Hey!”

  “—so we’re gonna need to head into the woods.”

  “At this hour?” Roxy hugs her bandaged left arm to her torso. Her frown and the healing gash on her forehead age her ten years. I wouldn’t worry if someone else voiced concerns, but when the war vet with more confirmed kills than I have fingers and toes speaks up...I like to listen.

  But we don’t have a lot of options. The snow is coming down thick and we're losing daylight. If we stay out in the open, we’ll freeze.

  “The trees will provide some cover,” I say with more confidence than I feel. “We can find a clearing and set up camp. Start a fire. Dunno about you, but I’m freezing.”

  “Hungry too,” Max pipes up. I glare at him. He knows as well as everyone else we’ve only got a couple cans of food and some dried oats to split between the four of us.

  Nervous eyes dart back and forth, but eventually everyone nods with grim conviction and we move. Max throws Kenzie over his shoulder and gives me a warning look. As if I’d lecture him on overexertion with the sky dumping buckets of suck on us.

  The edge of the forest isn’t far from the road, but by the time I step beneath the thick foliage, the back of my neck is soaked and my teeth are chattering. Beautiful British Columbia my ass. The person who coined that obviously never had to spend the night outside in the middle of winter.

  The trees hold the wind and snow at bay, but they also block what little light we have. I take the lead with Max carrying Kenzie and Roxy rounding up the rear, and we move deeper into the forest. The map says we’re close to Prince George. These woods shouldn’t be too wild, but it’s not the wolves and coyotes we need to worry about. Wasn’t wild animals that attacked our settlement.

  I swallow my rising anger and focus on finding a suitable spot for camp. The last of the sunlight disappears, and fear rises in my throat as we stumble in near darkness. I try to find the least jarring route, but the storm filters through the trees and before long, I’m tripping over jutting roots and loose branches blanketed by snow.

  My fingers tingle, and just when my nose goes numb, the trees thin out. We stumble from the cover of the forest, a little disoriented.

  Then, I spot the barn.

  The sheets of snow disguise its distance, but it’s there, and I hope like hell it’s not a hallucination.

  “Hey, Max,” I shout, hoping the wind doesn’t rip away my words before they reach him.

  Max struggles to a stop, Kenzie still over his shoulders, and squints. “Is that a—”

  “You see it too?” My voice is tight with hope even as my stomach flip flops.

  “Yeah. Yeah man, I see it.” Max huffs a breathy chuckle and waves for Roxy to hurry.

  With the snow coming down harder and shelter so close, I say hell to being careful. I take Kenzie from Max, throwing the teen over my shoulder with practiced ease, and jog toward the barn. If we’re lucky, there may even be firewood. The idea of a fire pumps fresh energy into my limbs and I pick up my pace.

  It doesn’t take long for us to reach it. I place Kenzie down gently and take a few deep breaths. My lungs burn, but it feels good to let loose and exert myself a little.

  “Stay back and wait for the all clear,” I tell Roxy and Kenzie and beckon Max to follow. We walk up to the barn, and I grasp the large metal handle.

  A loud click echoes to my right.

  Blood freezes in my veins and
my stomach drops. I turn slowly and stare down the barrel of a large rifle.

  Shit.

  “What business do you have here?” the stranger shouts, his words distorted by the wind.

  My brain goes into overdrive. Should I tell him the truth? What if he thinks we’re being pursued? Would he turn us away? Silence stretches between us and with every ticking second, I sense our chance of being allowed to stay slipping away.

  “We’re travelers looking to ride out the storm.” I hold out my hands, palms facing the stranger. “We got turned around in the woods and stumbled on your farm. We’re not looking for trouble.” Another beat of silence. I squint into the falling snow but I can’t make out his face.

  “Where’re you from?”

  “Small settlement outside Edmonton.”

  “Awfully late to be taking a vacation.”

  “Not sure I’d call this a vacation.” I shrug. “Thought BC was supposed to be lush and beautiful.”

  “It is.” He relaxes a touch. "In July."

  “You mind lowering that?” I point at the gun. “I swear, we’re harmless.”

  He studies us, his eyes moving from the women to Max then me. I wish I could see past all this blasted snow to get a better read on him.

  “Sorry, can’t do,” he yells over the howling wind. “But let's go inside so we can stop shouting.” He points the barrel of his rifle toward the barn.

  I roll open the door, my eyes never leaving the stranger and his gun, and I wait until everyone’s inside before stepping into the barn. The walls cut off the screaming storm, and the thud of my own frantic heart becomes deafening. It’s still cold, but it’s nice not to have snow whipped in my face.

  The stranger follows at a respectable distance. Once inside, he feels along the wall and flicks a switch. Dim, yellow light spills around us, and I can’t help the gasp that escapes. They have electricity in a barn? How big is this farm? Only large settlements have enough solar panels and generators for all their buildings. We only had enough power for the essentials, and a barn is not an essential.

  With the light, I finally get a good look at him. He’s about my height, perhaps a couple inches taller, and slender despite his large winter coat. He’s young, probably mid-twenties, and wisps of dirty blond hair poke out from under his hat. He’s handsome despite his stony expression, and my body warms under my coat. I hold my breath and try to clear my head.

  “Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t turn you away?”

  “I’m Zane. These are my companions Roxy, Kenzie, and Max.” I hope by offering our names, he’ll be less inclined to kick us back into that nasty storm. “Few days ago our settlement got attacked by the Northern Settlement—”

  “The big one based out of Edmonton?”

  “Yeah, that one.” I frown. “Anyway—”

  “But why?”

  “Resources? Low food supplies for the winter? How the hell would I know?” I try to keep the anger and annoyance from my voice. “Anyway, they killed everyone. Didn’t care who got in their way. We ran into Roxy and her daughter outside the settlement and decided to head for the Coastal Settlement.”

  “Why didn’t they ask for help?”

  “Who?”

  “The Northerners. If they’re low on winter supplies why–”

  “I don’t know, but you’re welcome to go there and find out.” The words slip out before I can stop them, and Max glares at me. I know I shouldn’t be mouthing off at the man who holds our lives at the end of his rifle, but I’ve never had the patience for stupid questions.

  The man looks stunned for a second, then he laughs before lowering the barrel. “Okay,” he says, still chuckling. “Okay, I believe you.” My shoulders relax and I don’t care who sees just how relieved I am. “I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt, but you try anything and I won’t hesitate to shoot you.”

  “Wouldn’t have it any other way.” I let out the breath I've been holding. The barn isn’t a five-star hotel, but it beats being outside. I shrug off my backpack and drop it by my feet.

  “Wait. What’re you doing?”

  “Um, getting comfortable?”

  “You think I’m going to make you sleep in the barn?” He cocks a brow, looking amused, then beckons with a chuckle. “C’mon, there’s heat at the house and someone you need to meet.”

  Roxy’s shoulders sag as she breathes out a long sigh. Max picks up Kenzie again, and we file out of the barn as the man turns off the light and shuts the door.

  He shoulders the rifle, walks to the front of the group, and yells, “I’m Devon.” With a wave, he leans into the storm and we follow.

  ~*~*~

  The last time I set foot in a mudroom, Meg and I were visiting her parents before our son was born.

  People live in high-rises now where it’s safer to stay close. Where resources are easily distributed. Houses are a thing of the past, have been for years, and I miss my old home. Meg used to bitch about tripping over my boots inside the front door before she decided she couldn’t stand the sight of me anymore. I hang back as the group takes off their shoes and follows Devon around the corridor, sucking in a long breath as I will the ache in my chest to go away.

  Max pokes his head out from the hall and quirks a brow at me. “Yo, Zane, you coming?”

  I kick off my mud-encrusted boots and cross the mudroom. “Yeah.” I follow him down the narrow hallway into a cozy living room. Old paintings hang on the walls, and I can see a dining table through the door to the kitchen. Everything’s made of wood. From the kitchen counters to the hardwood floors to the small coffee table by the couch in the middle of the living room.

  A fire crackles in the fireplace, its orange glow casting dancing shadows. The furniture looks old but well cared for, and I can feel the love that dwells in every corner of this place. When I look around, Devon is nowhere in sight.

  “He told us to wait here,” Max says as if reading my mind.

  “He just left a bunch of strangers in his living room and took off?” I arch both eyebrows at him.

  “He took his rifle with him. Guess if we do anything funny he’ll shoot us.”

  Kenzie blanches and Roxy sighs. “Let’s not joke about that, okay?” Roxy says with a glare at Max.

  Max grimaces. “Too soon?”

  “You think?” I shake my head.

  Devon reemerges followed by a waddling young woman. My eyes bug out of my head at her round belly. Christ, she looks ready to pop. Are they out of their minds? A baby? Sick dread sits heavy in my gut, my teeth grinding so hard the sound drowns out the whoosh of blood in my ears.

  “Sarah, meet our guests,” Devon says.

  Sarah’s gaze is guarded, and her smile is tight. “Hi.”

  “I’m Zane.” Thank God my voice is steady.

  “Max.”

  “This is my daughter, Kenzie,” Roxy says, “and I’m Roxy. How far along are you?”

  Sarah’s eyes soften and her smile turns sad. “Just over nine months.” She clears her throat and blinks rapidly. “Why don’t you all get cleaned up? We have one working shower and limited hot water, but it’s better than nothing.”

  “We’ve got two spare rooms, too,” Devon adds. “I can show you to them and you can sort out sleeping arrangements. I assume you haven’t eaten?”

  Why are they being so accommodating? Back in the settlement, we quarantined all new comers with a little food and water until the council decided what to do with them. A room, hot shower, and dinner on the first night? Not a chance. I don’t know what to do with this generosity, but Max more than makes up for my stunned silence.

  “We haven’t,” he says with a groan. “And a hot shower sounds awesome.”

  Devon smiles and beckons for us to follow. “The two rooms are across from each other.” His voice drifts from ahead. “Here’s the bathroom. We'll have some dinner ready once you're done washing up.”

  “Thank you,” Roxy says. “I don’t know how we’ll ever repay your kindness.” />
  “Please,” Devon says. “This is the least we can do.”

  Max and I take the room to our left our left, and Roxy helps Kenzie into the other. Devon pulls a first-aid kit and a small bottle of ibuprofen from the hall closet and hands them to Roxy. I don’t dare ask where he got the drugs or how much it cost him. I’m just grateful Kenzie’s finally got something to help with her leg.

  When it’s my turn to shower, I strip out of my clothes so fast I trip and nearly smash my head into the mirror. I stand beneath the spray. water tattooing across my neck and shoulders, and I let out a long, overdue sigh.

  It’s sheer dumb luck and a testament to Devon and Sarah’s good hearts that we’re still alive to even enjoy showers. We’re well into the winter, and it will get colder. Sure, the settlement’s to the south, but we’re still quite a ways by foot. With Kenzie’s leg and the snow, moving at speed is out of the question. We can’t ask Devon and Sarah for supplies, not after what they’ve already done for us. They’ll also need everything they have to survive the winter with a new baby.

  It’s not that I don’t like kids, but I’ve tried my hardest to stay away from the few at the settlement since—fuck. My earlier dread turns to shame and I shiver despite the hot shower.

  Not now. I can’t think about this right now.

  I shake my head and allow myself another thirty seconds to luxuriate under the water as the stress of the past few days glide off my body, then quickly soap and scrub and rinse off. There’s still hot water left, but I want to make sure there’s enough left for Devon and Sarah.

  After drying off, I wipe condensation from the mirror and study my reflection. My hair's getting long, I desperately need a shave, and I have bags under my eyes. A far cry from the "lady killer with the ice-blue eyes" I was once dubbed by the guys at the firehouse, but at least I'm clean. I wrap the towel around my waist and collect my dirty clothes.

  If I run fast enough, I can make it back to our room and enjoy the feeling of clean skin for a while longer. I yank open the door and dart toward the bedroom.