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Lanterns lit the wood walkway leading from one hut to another. The yellow-streaked leaves rustled in the wind, and a chime hanging from a nearby branch filled the air with soft music. The sound seemed to calm his nerves. With slow movements, he let go of the rail and turned.
Eva stood against the tree house, a gleam in her eye as she observed him. She eased off the wood and turned from him. “Follow me.”
The gun he’d just had the pleasure of meeting was tucked in the back band of her tan-colored pants. From the front, she looked like an angel, and from the back, she was a vixen, ready to fight.
Could he trust her? What choice did he have? He needed answers only she could provide. Putting one foot in front of the other, he followed her down a set of stairs, past countless lanterns, and into another tree hut.
Inside was a light wood desk, polished to a shine. A couple of ornately carved chairs sat directly in front of it. One candle light was mounted on the wall, and another sat atop the bureau.
He watched as Eva moved inside the hut, crossing to the man sitting behind the desk. She laid her hand on his shoulder before resuming a relaxed stance next to him.
His brown and white hair glinted in the firelight as he adjusted his glasses. He had similar features as Eva. Same curve of the nose and high cheekbones. He leaned back in his chair and assessed him.
“I’m Samuel Wolf. You’ve already met my daughter, Eva. Please, have a seat.”
He widened his stance as he studied Mr. Wolf. Samuel seemed to have a dominating yet peaceful air about him.
“I’d like to know what is going on.”
Samuel turned to Eva. “Why don’t you get him some water?”
She left through the door as her father focused his attention back on him. “So, my daughter tells me you don’t remember your name?”
He nodded.
Eva returned with the water. He looked to her, meeting her eyes as she handed him the glass, then watched as she resumed her position behind her father.
She motioned to the chair. “Please, sit.”
He seemed to relax at her tone, but his legs still quivered with weakness. It was obvious his health was not one hundred percent quite yet. As he sat, he observed them with a quizzical eye.
Samuel looked to him. “What is the last thing you remember?”
“Pain. And . . . Eva.”
Eva stepped forward. “You know nothing of the past?”
He took a long swallow of the cool water, then cleared his throat. “No.”
Samuel reached out and placed a hand on Eva’s arm. “It’s okay. Start at the beginning.”
Eva nodded, went around the desk, and took a seat in the empty chair to his left.
She adjusted the item to face him, then took a deep breath. “Today is September eighteenth, of the year two thousand and fifty-two. Just over eleven years ago, multiple worldwide disasters devastated our world, followed by an immediate collapse of our economy and government. Chaos erupted among the people. Money was no longer the currency. Electricity and grocery stores, a thing of the past. The human race entered a new era.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “What era was that?”
She looked briefly to the floor before meeting his eyes. “That of Mother Earth—she rules this earth now and survival is priority number one. Some adjusted to the change, learning to hunt and farm on the land that was left to provide and sustain life in a new accustomed fashion, but others... Let’s just say the Others resorted to a life of crime. Stealing from those who’d learned the ways.”
He rested his hands on his thighs as her eyes followed his movements. “How many of you live here?”
“A couple hundred. We banded together for protection and to share provisions. We’re a family now. My father leads our group, along with a council. They make decisions regarding the settlement. Anyhow, about two weeks ago, we received word by scout from a smaller settlement south of here, the Skyline Sanctuary. We are close with them—been in contact for some time, sharing supplies and intel. Until...” She took a deep breath. “Well, they were running out of food. They were sending a caravan of people who wanted to join our settlement.”
He shook his head. “What does this have to do with me?”
She looked to her father, then back to him. “The settlement would have to come through the border of enemy territory.”
“The Others?”
