Alexa's Travels: A Prelude Read Online Free PDF Page A

strong.
    Alexa stopped her with almost kind words. “After World has many side effects. I’m no stranger to them.” She turned her back, hands going to the butts of her guns. “When he says dawn, he means it. Don’t waste your time.”
    Heather thought to divide them up, but remembered Edward’s price. She answered bravely, not sure if these men would hurt them, but unable to wait any longer to be sure. “Make your pick.”
    Edward moved toward the Mother with a quick step, claiming her before the others could. He stopped in front of her, hand going to his belt.
    She flinched despite it being her idea, and the Horseman gave an intense promise. “Safe with us! Her word on it.”
    He unbuckled his gun belt; let the deadly tools slide to the ground. Around them, the others did the same, and Heather let go of the rest of her doubts.
    She stepped into his baking heat, and Edward swept her up against his chest eagerly. Being one of Alexa’s fighters never failed to bring some sort of unexpected bonus or benefit, but this one would be remembered for a long time to come.
    Left to sort it out amongst themselves, the remaining groups of two and four moved off into the darkness in different directions. When their sounds came, they were full of passion and stunned pleasure, not fear.
    Alexa stood guard tolerantly over the new family that still had no idea she’d provided them a future where there hadn’t been one before. It was nice feeling, something she wasn’t used to, but the warrior stopped herself from gloating or even dwelling on it. What fate gaveth away, it could easily take back.
     
     
    3
    An hour before dawn found all of the men dozing contentedly next to warm, naked skin – except for Edward. He was watching Alexa stand guard from the top of the hillside that he and the mother were lying on. Even with the powerful explosion he’d just experienced… the third , he amended with a prideful mental chuckle… despite being exhausted, he still wanted Alexa. If she came to him right now, he would have no trouble giving her needs detailed attention.
    “Where do you go… her, I mean? Where does she take you?”
    Edward thought of how Alexa hadn’t questioned the vendors for information on their quest. She already knew what they would find. “Anywhere … everywhere.”
    Understanding that line was forbidden, Heather didn’t waste their last bit of time with words that didn’t matter anyway. “Will you… can you…?”
    Edward sent his eyes over Alexa’s pat stance, remembering hot, magical moments, and felt his body start to wake. “Aye, Lady.”
    He looked down at her, aware of how similar in nature she was to his leader. “Would you take or be taken?”
    He had allowed her the lead so far despite his rules, and Heather swallowed her sudden fear to ride the wind. “Taken!”
     
    When dawn came - a reluctant light with no warmth - Alexa moved toward the cliffs now in reach. Within minutes, each of her men fell into their places.
    Leaving the new family and Heather’s Reapers to their constant struggles, the small group of fighters settled into one of the first caves they came upon. After barricading it, they slept.

Three
     
    1
    They walked for the next three days, taking only short naps before heading out again, and it wasn’t just the unclean ground that had them so restless. They were close, and the need to hurry was undeniable.
    Dusk approached as they found the next long-abandoned campsite, the next sign that what they had been searching for, for so long, had indeed come this way.
    Occasional tent poles were still standing, small graveyards of cars and trucks and parts, most buried, smothered with mud. Overturned port-o-lets peered at them from the dust, and rickety crosses waved in the breeze as they went by… too many of those. People had been dying by the time Safe Haven had gotten this far.
    The remains stretched for over a mile, impossibly big to the seven fighters, who had not seen enough