The Divide_Legacy Read online

  The Divide: Legacy

  By

  Mitchel Grace

  Other Titles by this Author

  Wrong Place

  Wrong Time

  Wrong Life

  Wrong Regrets

  Wrong Fortunes

  Wrong Mission

  Wrong End

  Strange Visions: The Beginning

  Strange Visions: Yesterday’s Sins

  Strange Visions: False Endings

  Strange Visions: The Calm

  Strange Visions: The Storm

  Strange Visions: The Gift

  The Divide

  The Divide: Origins

  Wrong Visions: Lost Memories Vol. 1

  Wrong Visions: Lost Memories Vol.2

  Wrong Visions: Lost Memories Vol. 3

  The Unseen: A Broken Mind

  The Unseen: Shadow Wars

  The Unseen: Watchers

  Destiny

  A Magnolia Romance

  Hollow

  Hollow: Revelations

  Emma’s Story

  The Divide: Legacy

  By Mitchel Grace

  Published by Mitchel Grace

  Copyright 2018 Mitchel Grace

  License Notes

  This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you are reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to the author and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  “Carve your name on hearts, not tombstones. A legacy is etched into the minds of others and the stories they share about you.”

  ~Shannon L. Alder

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1: The Journey Begins

  Chapter 2: The Drive

  Chapter 3: Exploring the Unknown

  Chapter 4: The Fight!

  Chapter 5: A Killer

  Chapter 6: City of Evil

  Chapter 7: New Vegas

  Chapter 8: The Pit

  Chapter 9: A New Ally?

  Chapter 10: The Palace

  Chapter 11: The Escape

  Chapter 12: Negotiations

  Chapter 13: A Death Sentence

  Chapter 14: Death or Humiliation?

  Chapter 15: Aftermath

  Chapter 16: Waking Up

  Chapter 17: Slaves and Loyalty

  Chapter 18: Prison Break

  Chapter 19: Retreat

  Chapter 20: The Road Home

  Chapter 21: Echoes and Screams

  Chapter 22: West Side

  Chapter 23: The Door

  Chapter 24: Finding A Way

  Chapter 25: Legacy

  Chapter 26: The Hospital

  Chapter 27: The Future

  Chapter 28: Freedom

  Epilogue

  Author Notes

  Prologue

  Roger turned away from the road for a moment and looked over at the sleeping girl next to him. She was only nineteen, hardly old enough to be a woman, but that hadn’t stopped the government from thrusting this duty upon her so young. He shook his head. Roger knew that a girl like Veronica had no business being here. She was the beauty queen of her class and the daughter of the most powerful people in their home of insiders.

  In a way, he was in the same boat because Alex had always acted as a much older brother for him, even if they weren’t related, but it hadn’t always been that way. He thought back to before they were able to get inside the city. Life had been incredibly hard, and he had lost everything a person could. His family, pride, and even his home had been stripped from him before Alex and Will finally took pity on him. Veronica would never know that kind of hardship, and nor should she. This trip could change everything, however. Could she handle the cruelty of the real world?

  As Veronica awoke, she saw Roger looking at her with concern. She rolled her deep green eyes in protest. She loved him like a brother . . . maybe even as much more than that at times, but his concern wasn’t needed. All of Raines’s citizens had to do their duty, and without her completing this simple task, a lot of people could be in trouble. Him not having faith in her was just one more indication that Roger would never think of her as his equal. She was younger, and she hadn’t experienced the hardship that he or her parents had, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t capable of everything they had done in their past.

  This was her time to shine, and besides, it wasn’t like the outside world had shown any real danger besides a few storms. From what she had heard, the weather had started to even out over the last few years. Seasons were starting to return, and earthquakes almost didn’t happen at all in their region anymore. Most societies were democratic and civilized, too. As far as Veronica could tell, Roger was only being his overly paranoid self when he volunteered for this fetch quest to the west coast. Still, it was at least nice that she didn’t have to drive, not that she would have ever let him know that.

  “It’s almost morning. Did you sleep well?” Roger asked and smiled.

  She could never tell what that smile meant. Roger looked at her like no other man did with such intense love. It was like his eyes lit up whenever he looked at Veronica, and he only saw her. Did he think of her as a little sister? He was almost ten years older than her, so that would make the most sense, but she didn’t think of him that way, at least not lately. Roger had come all this way just to protect her, and now he was looking delighted just to see her awake after he had driven all night when she was the one who was supposed to be doing all the work. Didn’t that say something for how he felt about her?

  “You should have woken me!” Veronica shot back.

  “I know, but you were sleeping so well, and besides, the roads have been pretty rough. You’ve never learned to drive, so I figured it would be safer if I just handled this part of the job.”

  It was true that the roads weren’t in the best shape once you crossed into Nevada. The desert had taken much of it, making it unclear what was road or what direction you were even going in. Roger suspected that he had veered off course many times, only to find an old half destroyed sign pointing him in the right direction soon after. With a rookie driver, they would have been lost within five minutes.

  “Don’t do that! You know this was my job. You only came because . . . well, I’m honestly not sure why you did,” she said and looked at him expectantly. Veronica wanted Roger to spell out his true intentions, even if she knew that would never happen.

  “To protect you, of course. After you wouldn’t let Alex come and that other kid disappeared, I pretty much had to.”

  Veronica shook her head. Her father had always been protective of her. It was sweet, but at nineteen, it was starting to get a little annoying. She was an adult who was fully capable of getting this job done. As for the boy who was originally drafted to deliver the goods with her, Travis had always been a bit of a coward. Even back in school, he had passed on any school activities that involved contact or self-defense. It was no surprise that he had disappeared at the first sign that he might have to leave the safe walls of the city. He would resurface as soon as she returned, and thanks to the lenient system her parents had put into place before they stepped down from power, he would probably get by with a small fine that his parents would gladly pay for him.

  “Look, I know you don’t want me here, but you ne
ed backup, and there really is no one better to help you,” Roger said.

  “I never said I didn’t want you here! It’s not like I don’t appreciate the help. It’s just that . . .”

  “You want them to see you for who you are, right?” Roger asked with a grin.

  “Well, yeah. Right now I’m still a little girl to them, but I’m so much more than that,” Veronica said, sounding a bit dejected. Just the thought of how she would always be her parents’ daughter and never be viewed as a capable and independent person was almost enough to make her lose hope in the future.

  “I know. I can see the same things in you that I saw in them so many years ago. You’re intelligent, kind, and most of all, strong,” Roger said reassuringly.

  “So you get why I would be offended that no one thinks I can trade medicine with New Vegas then.”

  “I do, but you’re more than just good things, you know.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “You’re inexperienced, too. Things look perfectly safe right now, but you never know what could be lurking around the corner. You couldn’t possibly know the extent of how true that is because you’ve never left the walls, but it is. You’re capable of getting through anything you have to, but someone like me can help you if worse comes to worst.”

  “If you say so. Anyway, why don’t you let me . . .” Veronica managed to say before they heard a loud pop, and the truck turned sideways.

  As they slid on the sand covered road, she looked over at Roger’s almost always composed face. It was covered in panic, and for the first time, she knew this wasn’t just a routine trip. This was a descent into a world she knew nothing about.

  The truck flipped, and their supplies spilled out into the road as the sparks flew and the screech of metal grinding on pavement echoed into Veronica’s ears. Then it mercifully subsided as they came to a sudden halt. She expected Roger to turn to her in concern. He would ask her if she was hurt at the very least, but in truth, she expected him to be beside himself with concern. That wasn’t what she saw, however. Instead of panic, his face now only showed a burning focus. On what, she didn’t understand, but Veronica would soon find out.

  After Roger unbuckled his seat belt and fell onto the roof of the truck, he pulled his pistol off his side and started crawling out of the vehicle. Veronica wanted to say something . . . anything, but the words hung in her throat. Was this really happening? She had heard about stragglers outside of government control who would kill and rob back in the old days. They were taught as young children that they always had to be cautious if they left the city because of them, and as teenagers they were even trained to use guns in case of an emergency, but none of them had ever witnessed a crime on that scale. She thought that, much like other tales, her parents’ history had been exaggerated. The outside world didn’t equal a one-way ticket to death. It couldn’t, but yet here she was with a gun on her side and not enough nerve to actually use it.

  Roger got to his feet once he was out of the truck and stared out into the distance in the dimly lit morning light. He didn’t see anyone, but he knew the culprits were close by. They had to be. Someone had buried road spikes in the sand, and they hadn’t done it for no reason. That was when he saw the sun glance off glass and a flash. He immediately hit the ground as a shot cried out and whistled just above his head. Roger then crawled behind the vehicle as Veronica joined him.

  “Wh . . . what do we do?” she asked with complete fear in her voice.

  “We don’t do anything. You stay here. I saw where our shooter was. He’s about eighty yards out with a rifle,” Roger said.

  “All you have is a pistol. You can’t hit him from that far, can you?” Veronica asked.

  “I don’t have a choice. Just stay low, and I’ll be back. I promise,” he said and pulled himself up.

  At that point, Roger bolted toward the man with his gun raised. He had acted brave for Veronica, but he knew the truth. He was probably going to die today. Roger had always been a poor shot in general, and with a pistol, his odds of hitting anything other than dirt were next to none. Still, he had to do this. If he didn’t, there was no way Veronica would be safe.

  Roger raised his gun and lined up the sights. He fired quickly and hastily, missing his target by a wide margin before firing wildly twice more. Then he heard it. A shot rang out, and Roger felt a stinging sensation in his left shoulder. It nearly knocked him off his feet, but somehow, he kept moving. In a last-ditch effort to end this, Roger aimed once again with shaky hands and more doubt than he had ever known and fired. Thankfully, he heard a man yell out this time as he hit his mark.

  With no time to waste, Roger double-timed it toward his target who was now writhing in pain. The bullet had pierced his neck, but it hadn’t finished the job, and when Roger got to him, he saw something he had never wanted to witness again. As a child, he had seen people die. He had even killed one person himself, but never did he think it would be necessary again. Blood was gushing out of the man’s neck, and one thing was completely clear in that moment. Killing him was no longer a sin. Death would be a mercy for this suffering man.

  “I would have given you whatever you needed if you had just asked. I’m sorry it had to end this way,” Roger said and fired a bullet through his skull.

  With that finished, Roger looked back at the truck only to find more trouble. Four men were walking toward him, and they weren’t alone. One of them was holding Veronica at gunpoint. Roger didn’t want to fight these people, and he knew that if he did, they would both die, but what was the alternative? He could fight or surrender his life and Veronica’s into the hands of these men, and he didn’t think they would have any mercy. Most thieves never did. They took what they wanted and left no witnesses.

  “Drop it!” the man holding Veronica said.

  He was older. Roger would have guessed that he was in his mid-forties with long unkempt black hair that had plenty of gray mixed in. He was skinny, which wasn’t uncommon for the poor, and his men didn’t look like they were in any better shape. Under different circumstances, Roger might have pitied him. After all, he had basically been just like these people at one point in his life, but they were back in a world of kill or be killed, and pity had no place for people who wanted to survive.

  “I don’t think that I will. Let her go!” Roger commanded.

  “Does it look like you have any power here? You’re bleeding, and you just killed one of our men. You’ll have to die, but if you surrender peacefully, we might just let the girl live. She’s not bad looking. I’m sure some asshole in Hendricks would pay for company like hers,” he said with a grin.

  “Do you have any idea who you’re holding?” Roger asked in what sounded like outrage. The truth was that his theatrics were just that. He had a plan that might just get him out of this alive and keep Veronica from being sold to anyone who would hurt her.

  “No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me some wild story. Go ahead. Try to give me a reason to spare your lives. I’ve heard it all in my time.”

  “That’s Veronica Morgan, Alex and Sarah Morgan’s daughter.”

  “Please! Do you actually expect me to believe that the leaders of Raines have their daughter out running errands?” he asked and laughed.

  “It’s true. Check my pocket,” Veronica quickly said.

  Sure enough, he pulled out a Raines ID that confirmed her identity. He had never seen what the IDs looked like in Raines, but it seemed to be legitimate. Either these two were telling him an elaborate lie that they had prepared beforehand, or they were actually telling the truth. Either way, the risks were outweighed by the potential reward. If they were truly holding royalty, then they had the golden ticket to enough money to buy them citizenship to any city they wanted.

  “I’m Desmond. What’s your name?” he asked and smiled.

  “Roger.”

  “Well, I think we have a way out of this for everyone, Roger. I want ten million credits for this girl’s life. Give
us your gun, and we’ll get you on your way back to Raines so you can tell her parents.”

  Roger nodded and threw the gun into the dirt. He knew it was risky, but at this point that was the best option they had. Afterward, Desmond loosened his grip on Veronica and motioned for his men to flip Roger’s truck. Unfortunately, it wasn’t useable. All four tires were ruined, so with no other choice, they had to give Roger one of their vehicles.

  “I’m going to need some assurances,” Roger said as he took a step toward the truck.

  “You’re getting nothing in this deal, little man. I’m the one calling the shots,” Desmond said and scoffed while looking Roger’s 5’8” skinny frame over.

  “Just don’t hurt her. If Veronica is harmed in any way, I can swear to you that you’ll get nothing other than a bullet from me.”

  “Don’t threaten someone who could kill you where you stand,” Desmond said while glaring at him.

  “Just don’t hurt her, please.”

  “You have my word. Here, this is where you’ll find us,” he said and handed Roger a piece of paper with some coordinates on it.

  “Thank you. Veronica, I swear I’ll come back for you. Just hang tight.”

  She nodded, though her eyes didn’t tell the story of someone who was confident. Veronica looked panicked and like she was convinced that she was going to die. In truth, that was the most likely scenario. Others weren’t much better. She could picture being sold into slavery, and even if she wasn’t, there was no telling what these men would do to her while they waited for her parents to come with the ransom.

  As Roger got into the truck and started his long journey home, he scowled at the thought of what these men could do to her. They could kill Veronica as soon as he left and simply wait for the money to be delivered to them. They could starve her, torture her, or even rape her. Men like this were never predictable, and honor wasn’t associated with them. The thought of any of those things happening to her was almost more than Roger could take. At that point, Veronica was the most important person to Roger. He couldn’t live without her, and what would Alex say about this? He had saved Roger’s life, and how was he repaying him? He had gotten his daughter captured by thugs who were going to kill her.