But then, without a word, the lights from Sir’s men turned off, and the warehouse was cast back into darkness.

  Charlie froze, unsure of what was happening. He remained utterly still, listening. And when he heard a faint scurry of footsteps nearby, he remembered some of the gear he’d seen the fighters wearing when they had arrived at Beckett Island to break Sir out of jail. They had night vision goggles.

  Charlie’s eyes were slowly adjusting to the darkness, but they wouldn’t change fast enough to see the enemy before they were upon him, which meant Charlie needed to make a move quickly.

  The tall, stacked boxes and supplies were crammed tightly into the space but weren’t secured properly. All it would take would be for someone to knock over one, and the rest would fall like dominoes.

  Charlie heaved himself into one of the tall piles, throwing all his weight behind it, triggering a noise and giving away his position. It was too late to go back now, and Charlie pushed as hard as he could to topple the warehouse supplies and sent them cascading over just as a pair of Sir’s men rounded the corner.

  Charlie only saw their outline, but because they had night vision goggles, he fired his weapon and turned on his light, blinding them.

  Charlie didn’t stick around to see if his bullets found his target and instead sprinted away from the collapsing columns of supplies falling like dominos in the warehouse.

  It was a mad dash toward the front door as everyone scrambled to escape before being crushed beneath the weight of the supplies everyone was trying to evade.

  The screams were eventually muffled by the crashing noises of boxes and random gunfire. Charlie reached the door first, but the moment he was outside, he was shot at from the woods. Charlie veered around the side of the warehouse for cover opposite the shooters.

  Charlie took a moment to catch his breath and then peered around the corner, only to be pushed back again by the two sentry’s gunfire.

  There was no way to get back inside the warehouse to check on Tanner without first dealing with the two snipers in the woods, so Charlie slowly inched toward the corner. He took a deep breath, remembering where he had seen the two shooters in the woods, and then spun around from the corner, quickly found his target, and squeezed the trigger as he moved back toward the open door.

  The cover fire was enough to get him back inside the warehouse, but he had no idea if he had neutralized the threat in the woods. But the reprieve was short-lived when Charlie was engaged by two more fighters inside.

  The pair of fighters no longer wore their night vision goggles, and there was a brief moment of shock from both parties, but Charlie was the first to recover and quickly disarmed their weapons, and the trio broke into hand-to-hand combat.

  Charlie evaded the first few blows, but he was quickly overwhelmed and overpowered by the skilled fighters sent here to take him out, and he was backed up into a wall. When one of the fighters drew a blade, Charlie made the first dodge to evade, but he was cut on his arm and leg on the second and third strikes. They weren’t deep, but the scratches were too close for comfort.

  Charlie felt himself losing balance and struggled to remain upright as the fighter came in for a final blow to Charlie’s chest, but a gunshot stopped him cold.

  Charlie looked from the piles of boxes and found Tanner with this weapon in hand, and he quickly took out the second fighter and joined Charlie by the door.

  “You all right?” Charlie asked.

  Tanner nodded. “Smart thinking with toppling the boxes.”

  “I was worried it would backfire,” Charlie said.

  “It almost did,” Tanner said.

  Tanner still had the plans for the device in his bag, and when Charlie got a better look at the destruction of the warehouse, he wondered if anyone had survived beneath the tons of boxes and supplies that had toppled over.

  “We need to move,” Tanner said.

  “There are two shooters near the woods on the right side, maybe forty yards away,” Charlie said.

  “We’ll cover each other on our run toward the woods,” Tanner said. “You go first, ready?”

  Charlie nodded and then sprinted for the woods while Tanner provided cover fire. When he reached the woods safely, Charlie set up position and fired at the two shooters across the way to let Tanner join him in the safety of the woods.

  “Let’s move,” Charlie said.

  The pair hurried back toward the Humvee, but even though the team of fighters didn’t pursue him, Charlie kept glancing over his shoulder. Because he doubted this would be the end of the fight.

  The boxes pinning Captain to the floor had numbed him from the waist down. He wasn’t sure if it was just shocking from the weight of the packages or something more permanent, but he only concerned himself with freeing himself from the importance of the supplies.

  When the fighting broke out, Captain didn’t know how many of his men had survived, but their combatants had. And he wasn’t about to lay here on his back and wait for someone to kill him.

  Captain used his rifle as a lever to create space and swung his legs out from underneath the fallen pallets. He lay on his back for a moment, staring at the ceiling, and whispered a small prayer.

  All Captain had ever wanted was to have his purpose fulfilled. To be the line in the sand that Sir required of him, to answer the call when needed. And as he lay there, wondering if he should attempt to move his legs, he feared he would fail his duty and purpose.

  But if Captain allowed his fear to control him, he would never amount to anything purposeful. Melrose lifted his head and stared down at his legs, which now tingled. He slowly moved his left leg, then his right; both were stiff but mobile.

  Captain exhaled relief and then slowly worked himself to stand up. He surveyed the damage to the warehouse.

  The shooting had stopped, and Captain picked up his rifle. He worked his way back toward the office, unsure if whoever had come through her had meant to go after the plans, but when he found the floor torn up inside the office, he knew what had been stolen.

  Captain quickly made his way through the collapsed piles of supplies, boxes, and stored pallets of financial paperwork that Sir had used as a decoy to distract people from what was hidden in this place.

  Captain found two dead at the front of the warehouse and paused, searching for the murderers who did all of this. Captain whistled from the front door and waited for the two guards he stationed in the woods to respond. Only one whistled back; Captain emerged from the warehouse and met him in the open field.

  “Who did you see?” Captain asked.

  The sniper was short and stocky, and the short walk winded him. “Two combatants, they headed southwest through the woods.”

  “How long ago?” Captain asked.

  “Five minutes, maybe less.”

  Captain nodded. “They have the plans. We need to gather any injured and dead and deal with them, but I want one of you to track them and report to us here who they are and where they’ve gone. No matter the cost.”

  “Yes, sir!”

  Captain returned to the warehouse to gather what remained of his people. He had no intentions of losing now. And he intended to find the people responsible before returning to rescue Sir.

  16

  When Danny, Copeland, and the others returned to the cove with their new residents, the new friends were greeted with the kind of reception a group of people might give close friends or family they hadn’t seen in a while, not strangers.

  But then again, the cove wasn’t the typical community.

  Danny stood back while people were given food and water and treated for any medical issues by the few former medical professionals who lived with them in the cove. Danny watched from the shore while people were ferried to the boats, where they would be given beds to sleep in.

  Unbeknownst to Danny, the community had commandeered a few more boats to help the growing community. And they had started constructing shelters on the shore to accommodate those when they didn’t have room.

  Copeland walked up next to Danny and smiled. “It’s a wonderful thing, isn’t it?” Copeland asked.

  “You keep recruiting like this, and you’re going to need a bigger cove,” Danny answered.

  “That’s the idea,” Copeland replied. “But the ocean is a big place, Danny. Plenty of space for everyone who wants a better life.”

  Danny nodded and stared down at his rose tattoo. “A better life.”

  “If there’s anything you want to talk about,” Copeland said. “Anything at all, you know my door is always open. And I provide a judgment-free zone.”

  “I appreciate that,” Danny said, focusing on cove ahead instead of his tattoo. “Now, what happens when those people decide this isn’t their place?” Danny looked to Copeland, remembering the man they’d drowned the day before.

  “The world is a cruel, violent place, Danny,” Copeland said. “You know it. I know it. Most of the people in this cove know it. We want to change that. I want to change that, and deep down, I think you do, too.” He sighed. “Unfortunately, we can only change the world if people are willing to take a leap of faith.”

  “And if they don’t take it, we kill them?” Danny asked.

  Copeland rubbed his chin, thinking. “Have you ever known someone who was inherently bad? Down to their core, and nothing was redeeming about them?”

  Danny had seen some of the worst humanity had to offer. He had seen men like that in prison, and he was confident his former boss was one of those men. Only a monster would want to kill children to settle a debt.

  “Yes,” Danny said.

  “And how do you think those people came to be like that?” Copeland asked. “Do you think they were born that way? Or did something change in them as they grew older? Did they see and do things to cultivate that evil?” He placed a comforting hand on Danny’s shoulder. “I want to stop that evil before it grows. And if people can’t see what we’re trying to do, if they don’t have the courage, as you and I have, to make that leap, to do something positive to change the world after knowing what we know, learning what we’ve seen, then there is only one path for them to take.”

  Copeland looked to the water, and Danny followed the leader’s gaze.

  “The water welcomes them back,” Copeland said. “Greets them in the loving embrace of life just before their consciousness ends as they return to the state in which we were created in the womb, floating, breathing new life into the world.”

  Copeland clapped Danny on the back as one of the skiffs returned to the shore.

  “The work I do,” Copeland said, “and the world I want to build will not be easy. But I am willing to sacrifice for a better world, Danny. Are you?”

  Copeland didn’t stick around for Danny’s reply. He turned for the skiff, which rowed him out to the boats in the cove.

  Danny remained on the beach for a while, staring at the string of boats filling the small slice of paradise this community had carved out.

  Danny wasn’t sure if he should believe Copeland and buy into the kind of world he was attempting to build. But he couldn’t help but admire the man’s ambition. Danny had always had a soft spot for people who wanted to make something more significant for themselves, something more powerful and daring.

  Deep down, Danny had those ambitions, too, but he had always lacked the necessary willpower to enact them. It was why he had always been drawn to charismatic leaders like Copeland and Weber.

  Both of those men knew how to stir about action inside Danny. He wanted their approval to believe in something bigger than himself. But Danny couldn’t help but wonder if he was heading down the same path he had been on. What kind of mistakes was he already making?

  Danny eventually returned to the boat and was met by Daisy, who greeted him with a kiss and a genuine smile.

  “How did it go?” Daisy asked, giddy.

  “It was good,” Danny answered, struggling to match her bubbly energy.

  “I see you brought so many people back,” Daisy said, glancing at their new guests. “So, many people to help.” She looked back up at Danny. “I’m so proud of you.”

  It was an affirmation Danny had longed to hear. But they were words he wished to hear from his father, his sister, and the people he looked up to in his life.

  Danny pulled her closer and whispered into her ear, “Let’s go back to the boat.”

  Daisy giggled but then leaned away. “I would love to, but there are some people I want you to meet. Some of the people you saved.”

  Danny was slightly disappointed by Daisy’s change of subject, but he followed her to the main community vessel, where everyone ate their meals and communed with one another. It was also where Copeland made big announcements, but it was currently full of their new guests devouring a hot meal.

  Daisy pulled Danny over to a family of three—a father, mother, and young boy—who were more focused on their food than their hosts.

  “Danny, this is Maggie, Shawn, and Duke,” Daisy said. “They were vacationing here from South Carolina when the power shut off.”

  The father, Shawn, looked up at Danny, bits of food in his beard and still with a mouthful as he spoke. “Hello,” Shawn said.

  “Nice to meet you,” Danny said.

  The wife, Maggie, wiped her mouth, at least attempting to remember her manners as she swallowed before she spoke. “I can’t thank you all enough for inviting us back here and giving us a place to stay and eat,” Maggie said, a drawl to her voice. “This is truly a great blessing.”

  “Indeed, it is!” Copeland said, walking into the eating area where applause greeted him.

  Copeland smiled graciously at the flattery but quickly waved it off. “Please, this community was designed to be a beacon of hope and strength for those looking for a better life. All of us are happy to have you here as our guests. And we hope, maybe, as permanent members.”

  “You all have a great setup here,” Shawn said, mouth still packed with food. “We’d be lucky to stay.”

  “I know we’ve all been through quite a lot since the power outage,” Copeland said, walking over and standing between Shawn and Maggie, placing a hand on each of their shoulders. “Some wish to take advantage of the situation and exploit innocent, hard-working people who want to survive. But I want a better future for us. I don’t want us to survive; I want us to thrive!”

  Another round of applause broke out, and Danny studied the expressions of their new guests. Some of them saw what Danny had noticed when he first arrived. The clothes and the closeness of the community. He only hoped they all made the same decision as he did. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to watch another person drown again.

  “But the world was brought to its knees for more than just one reason,” Copeland said. “For too long, we have allowed ourselves to do whatever we want in the name of self-indulgence, and look at where it has gotten us?”

  Copeland studied the room sternly, causing a few people to stop eating. He could make a person feel like they were doing something wrong even when they were doing nothing. It was a practiced, fatherly gaze.

  “People had everything they could ever want, whenever they wanted, and for however long they wanted,” Copeland said. “But if we are to build a better world, then we must all understand that there is only one way forward, and that’s if we’re going to make this world better than we found it, there must be a sacrifice. We cannot live the way we once did. It’s not sustainable. Sacrifices must be made for us to secure our future.” He looked around the room. “I understand these are hard questions to answer, but we must have an answer.”

  Copeland stepped away from Shawn and Maggie and walked the table perimeter, where everyone sat with their half-eaten plates of rice, beans, and fish.

  “I want everyone here to embrace a better life, to meet these challenges with us head-on, but I will need an answer from you,” Copeland said. “It doesn’t have to be now. Give it time and true thought because once it’s done, there is no going back.”

  The mood in the room had shifted entirely. And as Copeland walked out and people slowly returned to their meals, they lacked the enthusiasm from earlier.

  “I want to stay,” Duke said, looking at his mother. “I want to make a difference.”

  “That’s good, son,” Shawn said. “But finish your food. You can’t make a difference on an empty stomach.”

  Duke stared down at his plate. The boy hadn’t eaten anything this substantial in a long time, but he only pushed the food around. Danny noticed the boy playing with his meal and wanted to get to the bottom.

  “Something wrong?” Danny asked.

  “I was just thinking about Tommy,” Duke answered.

  “Who’s Tommy?” Danny asked.

  “My friend,” Duke answered.

  When the boy didn’t explain further, his mother looked up at Danny. “Tommy is one of the children of the man who stayed behind.”

  Danny nodded and looked at Duke. “I’m sure your friend will be fine.”

  Maggie and Shawn exchanged a worried glance.

  “Something wrong?” Danny asked, picking up on the parent’s exchange.

  “Duke, why don’t you sit with the girls and Mr. and Mrs. Boyle for a little bit?” Maggie asked. “Go on; it’s okay.”

  Duke collected his food and then walked a few seats down to a pair of girls around Duke’s age and sat between them. Danny took Duke’s seat across from his parents, and Maggie leaned forward, keeping her voice low as she spoke.

  “Tommy’s father, Edward, isn’t a good man,” Maggie said.

  “He’s a child abuser,” Shawn said plainly.

  Maggie looked away, clearly bothered by the term and the conversation, but Danny wanted to know more.

  “What do you mean he’s a child abuser?” Danny asked.

  “We would hear yelling at night when people were supposed to be asleep,” Maggie answered. “We never actually saw Edward hit his children, but he would take them out into the woods, and they would come back limping or crying, and—” Maggie stopped herself. “I found bruises on Tommy one day while playing with Duke. They were so bad I’d thought his ribs were broken because he was having trouble breathing.”

 

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