Blood

  blood

  Book two of the 360 series

  By Cheryl Twaddle

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are the products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons living or dead is purely coincidental.

  Copyright 2016 Cheryl Twaddle

  Also by Cheryl Twaddle

  The 360

  Wind

  Blood

  Fire

  Table of Contents

  Copyright Page

  Also By Cheryl Twaddle

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8 | Max

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10 | Howling Wolf

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13 | Howling Wolf and Max

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17 | Max

  Howling Wolf

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

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  Chapter 1

  I stood at the edge of the forest squinting my eyes so I could see into the trees. Nothing. I took a step closer and felt Cocoa pull back her head, tightening the rein I held in my hand. I looked back at the tall, brown horse and shook my head. It was hard to believe that not too long ago the thought of riding Cocoa or any other horse terrified me. Now, I rode alone every day, even letting the horse run, not feeling even a twinge of fear. Horseback riding was becoming natural to me, another testament as to how different it was here. I never would have touched a horse from my old life. No way, a car was my mode of transportation, that or the bus. Cocoa pulled back again.

  "But I thought I saw something!" I pleaded with her. She let out a low neighing sound and shook her head so that her mane flew from her neck. I looked back to the trees and tried to focus on the tiny movement I thought I had just seen. Barker had to be in there, somewhere, I knew it. It had been well over four months since the out-of-towners' camp burned down and still no sign of the shepherd-cross. I came here almost everyday looking for him. I missed the comfort of having him beside me wherever I went.

  It was getting colder now but, luckily, no snow yet. Thank goodness! I wasn't sure how I'd be able to cross the fields once they were filled with a couple of feet of snow. And with the cold came even more worries about Barker. How would he be able to keep warm? His fur was so short and wouldn't provide a lot of warmth. I started towards the trees again. Cocoa stomped her hooves into the dirt and pulled back more tightly on the lead, almost knocking me off my feet.

  "What?" She was starting to annoy me. "I can barely see anything from way back here."

  I knew why she didn't want me to go into the forest; it was the same reason the rest of them didn’t want me out here. Ryan. My old classmate had not been seen since the fire and everyone believed he was still out here, plotting his revenge. I knew Ryan, he had only been a couple of years ahead of me in school when he disappeared down to this world, and I knew that if he truly wanted revenge, he would have done it by now. At the very least he would have made his presence known. No, I think he saw Robert kill Sarah and wanted no part of his revenge and got the hell out of here.

  It didn't matter to me whether he was in the woods or in China, I needed to find Barker and I was tired of everyone coddling me. I could handle myself. Didn't I prove that by killing Butcher and setting fire to the camp? Of course I did. Besides, it was hypocritical of them to worry about me when their lives were becoming so complicated.

  Emma Lee had tried hard to fight off Cornelius' advances but the lanky, good looking Brit was persistent. All his wooing coupled with the time they spent together up the mountain when the dam blew and Pig was shot had brought them closer together. Now, despite the southern belle's love and loyalty to her recently deceased husband, the two were inseparable. I even caught them holding hands and laughed at how red Emma Lee's face got. She was feeling guilty for being happy with someone else.

  "Hey, it's not a lot of fun down here," I told her. "You either live forever or you die and it's way harder if you have to do either one alone. We’re very social creatures you know; we actually need to be with other people. It’s in our nature." She smiled and walked away and the next time I saw her and Cornelius together they were holding hands without any fear of anyone seeing them.

  Robert was a different story. As if losing Madge at the hands of Sarah wasn't enough, he returned to his home only to find more heartbreak. The chickens, whom his wife had loved so much, were all dead. Madge had gathered them up before we headed out to the out-of-towners’ camp and put them back underground for safety. She gave them enough food and water for a couple of days but we were gone for much longer than that. They were hungry and desperate and fought each other for food, eventually killing one another with their constant pecking or dying of thirst and hunger. It was awful and, for Robert, it was like losing Madge all over again. We knew he could no longer live there and convinced him to come live with the rest of us at Marshal’s.

  It was a generous offer and everyone really wanted to help Robert but it made Marshal's small house very crowded. We had to make it bigger; make something that could fit all of us and still be easy to put up and take down when the winds came. This was a problem. We had no wood and all the lumber stores had blown away with the winds. The only solution was to tear down Robert's house and move all the materials to Marshal's. This required Cocoa; the beautiful brown horse was strong enough to pull wagon loads of wood and furniture across the fields to Marshal's.

  This made my treks to the forest to look for Barker those first few days limited. I didn't have a lot of choices as to when I could go. I did walk every once in a while but it took so long to go back and forth plus all the time searching for him. It was so much easier just to ride Cocoa. So, I got up early every morning and went out in search of Barker. I started to like the early morning ritual, so, when we were finished building, I kept to it.

  Then there was the gardening. We planted so many vegetables after the winds and they all required daily tending. My hands had blisters over blisters from using shovels and rakes and hoes. My finger nails were broken and caked with dirt from pulling out weeds. But it was worth it. Everything we planted prospered greatly. It was weird how time stood still within all of us and, yet, the plants grew and produced food so heartily.

  Harvest almost killed me and there were a few days I had no energy to make my trips to look for Barker. I felt guilty but I was just too exhausted to go anywhere but bed after picking, peeling, cutting and canning all day. It’s funny, if you’d have asked me anything about gardening and canning before I fell down here I would have nothing to say. I was clueless when it came to food preservation. My closest thing to vegetables were the peppers and tomatoes in the salsa I dipped my nachos in. Now, I knew how to pickle carrots and cucumbers and can tomatoes and green beans. I even dug up rows and rows of potatoes, cleaned them and put them into sacks to store underground. I was proud of myself and had a new appreciation for farmers. Now, the harvesting had been completed for about two weeks and I could come out here whenever I wanted.

  Marshal worked hard throughout the summer but I could tell that he wasn’t right. The time in the out-of-towners’ camp and the loss of Sarah had affected him. He was still a little goofy and spoke in sets of three but I could see the sadness in his eyes. I knew he really cared for the pretty school teacher and I cursed her for being such a bitch. I tried once to talk to him about it but he laughed and said I was just imagining thin
gs and walked off. I felt bad for him and hoped he would be okay.

  I thought about our little group and how different everyone was, not just because we were all different ages but because we all fell down here in different years, different times. Even Billy and Kitten, the little girl from the out-of-towners’ camp, had their differences. Ten-year-old Billy fell down here in the fifties and Kitten, also ten, fell in 1901. I was amazed that someone so small and frail had lasted so long down here. I guess being a slave to the out-of-towners had its advantages. She had to work like a dog but, in return, they kept her safe. Our group now consisted of myself, Marshal, Robert, Emma Lee, Cornelius, Billy, Kitten and sometimes Max.

  I thought about Max with his Scottish accent and pirate boots and felt the butterflies take flight in my stomach. I cursed myself. I didn't want to have feelings for Max. Ever since that day we put out the fire and he brushed his hand across my cheek I’ve been in constant debate with myself over him. I see how he looks at me and I feel my body tingle when he does. I’ll admit I find him attractive and I could probably melt into his arms if I let myself but I won't. I’m still not sure about him. I mean who is he really? I can’t trust him one hundred percent and it scares me. I know he wasn't really part of Pig's camp; he was working undercover but it’s scary how easily he fit in. That has to mean something, doesn't it? Who can do that so easily? Especially since I know that he had already walked on the wrong side of the law when he was a pirate. I just don't want to take any chances of getting hurt. I saw how devastated Marshal was over Sarah and I didn’t want that to be me.

  He said he has ‘feelings’ for me but Cornelius hinted that he’s had ‘feelings’ for many other women as well. In fact, Cornelius warned me after we got back to Marshal's to be careful. Max had broken a lot of hearts down here and Cornelius didn’t want to see me get hurt. We had become good friends and he was looking out for me. So, I didn't know if Max was being genuine with me when he said he wanted us to get closer or if he just saw me as another conquest. I couldn't figure it out, so I kept my distance from him and I could tell it was making him angry. I guess he wasn't used to not getting his own way.

  Just the other day he asked if he could come with me to look for Barker. I said no; that this was something I liked doing by myself, which was true but it didn’t sit well with Max. I can still see the angry disappointment in his eyes as he shook his head and stomped away, cursing under his breath. That was two weeks ago. He hadn't spoken to me since. In fact, he had gone out of his way to avoid me and, although this was what I wanted, the vain little girl inside of me was a little disappointed. Oh, I was so confused about my feelings for Max and it frustrated me.

  Cocoa nudged my back with her nose, snorting out air that felt warm through my jacket. That was it. I was sick of standing way out here trying to see through the dark trees to find my dog. I turned around and looked the horse squarely in the eyes.

  "I'm going in there," I said firmly, "and you're not going to stop me. I can't see anything from way out here and I really want to find Barker. You can stay here if you like but I'm going." I dropped the lead, turned on my heel and started walking towards the trees. Cocoa reared up and neighed loudly. I turned to see here flailing her front legs in midair like a boxer. I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "Drama queen."

  I estimated it to be about seven in the morning. The sun was up and the day looked like it was going to be sunny and clear with no hint of snow. The only thing that resembled November weather was an icy crispness that hung in the air, making my breath visible with every exhale. Despite the blue sky, however, stepping into the trees was like stepping into night. It was dark in here. The trees were tall and seemed to reach out to each other creating a sort of piney canopy, not allowing any sunlight through. I paused for a moment, waiting for my eyes to adjust and that's when I heard it.

  A snap, like someone had stepped on a twig and broke it. I turned towards the sound and saw something dark duck behind a tree. It was too tall to be Barker and suddenly I felt the stupidity of my actions. Maybe the others were right. Maybe Ryan was here, in the forest, waiting for someone to come alone. My heart started to beat faster and I could feel tiny drops of cold sweat starting to form on my forehead.

  "Ryan?" I called out, fully realizing that whoever it was obviously knew I was there. "Are you there?"

  No answer but another snap echoed in my ears. I walked closer to the tree that I saw the shadow duck behind. This time I stepped on a twig, creating the same snapping sound. It startled me. I looked up at the tree; I was almost there. The shadow, except it wasn't a shadow anymore, it was a man dressed in what looked like camouflaged army clothes and he was running away.

  "Wait!" I called out. "Wait! Please, I want to ask you if...." The man ran fast and I knew that I better run fast too if I wanted to keep up. The chase was on!

  The man darted in and out of the trees but, surprisingly, I didn't lose any ground. I didn't gain any but I didn't lose any either. We jumped over logs, scurried up hills and splashed through small streams that had branched off the river. We must have run for at least ten minutes before the man just disappeared. I didn't get it. One minute he was there and then, poof, gone. I stopped, put my hands on my hips and looked around, trying to catch my breath. I was standing on top of a small hill covered with wild strawberries and pine needles. There was a huge rock wall to my left that was covered in moss. Water dripped down from above forming a crooked path and colouring the rock orange. He couldn't have jumped up the wall; it was over twenty feet high easily. All I could see to my right were more trees and plants and fallen branches; same as what was behind me. In front of me was a thick clump of bushes. Is that where he went?

  I stared at the bushes, contemplating whether or not I should investigate. Could it be Ryan, waiting to capture me? Has he seen me come looking for Barker everyday; standing on the edge of the forest, not brave enough to enter, waiting for my patience to wear thin and cross the line into the trees? I didn't think so. If he really wanted me, he could have grabbed me on the edge. I was just as alone there as I am here. Besides, if it was Ryan, I could fight him. I refused to be scared of that idiot. I made up my mind and cautiously started toward the bushes. Then it happened; it was quiet and short but I still heard it. A bark. A dog's bark.

  "Barker?" My voice wavered as I spoke his name. I missed him so much. I ran to the bushes, no longer caring who the man was. My dog was in there and I had to save him.

  I pushed my way through the thick bush, snagging my shirt and scratching my arms on the thorns that grew on the branches. I could hear the man's voice quietly urging Barker to keep quiet. It didn't sound like Ryan and it didn't sound mean. It confused me. Who, besides the remnants Pig's men, could be hiding in there? I pulled the last branch from my hair and stared at the sight before me, unable to decide whether I should be happy or scared.

  Barker was there all right, standing with his ears lying flat on his head and his tail wagging so hard his entire bottom half was swaying back and forth out of control. He was so excited and would have run straight to me if it had not been for the man holding his collar and pulling him back away from me.

  "Who the hell are you and why do you have my dog?" I asked, not caring if I offended him.

  "The girl speaks! I thought that speech was beyond one so young and out of touch! She says you are hers and I say she lies, but we will not tell her that." He gave Barker a pat on the shoulder and laughed as if he believed I couldn't hear him. I looked at him and narrowed my eyes. Was he for real? I knew he saw me. I tried to remember if he was one of Pig's men but he didn't look familiar. He seemed to be about fifty and was dressed in army fatigues; pants, green t-shirt, army shirt over top and a cap sat on top of his greying black hair. He wore army boots that looked well worn and everything about him seemed polished and routine. I looked at his face and decided he was handsome and must have been very good looking when he was younger. He was not one of Pig's men, that was for sure. But who was he and how lon
g has he been here?

  "You know I can hear you, right?" I asked, trying not to anger him.

  "She speaks again! All this time, alone in the woods and, finally, a creature talks to me!" He smiled and shook his head as if this was a feat never before accomplished. "Young Private what shall we do about this intrusion into our lives?" He knelt in front of Barker and held his head so the dog could look him in the eye.

  "I'm right here and I can still hear you." I waved my hand and took a tentative step closer.

  "Exactly!!" I jumped back as the man sprang to his feet. Barker didn't move, as if expecting the man to do this. "We were just talking about this very thing yesterday! How clever you are young Private. I will have to give you extra rations at supper tonight."

  "Barker?" I looked at my dog and saw his eyes shift to me then quickly back to the man. He knew I was there and I felt a small air of relief wash over me. I let my eyes slide back to the man and was surprised to see him staring at me. It was the first time he actually acknowledged that I was there.

  "Greetings, miss...."

  "Nicky. You can call me Nicky." I told him.

  "Very well. Greetings miss, uh, Nicky," he put out his hand for me to shake. I looked at it hesitantly, noticing how clean it was, then reached out mine. His handshake was brief, very businesslike and very strong. "Colonel Albert Young United States army."

  "Ok," I said, "army guy, cool. You live out here somewhere?"

  "Somewhere, yes I do and you?" he asked.

  "No, I don't live here in the forest," I explained. "I live more out towards the flatter land with some friends. How about you? Do you have any friends that live here with you?"

  "No. I am alone and I will stay alone," he stated, lifting his chin and puffing out his chest. I guess this was something he was proud of. "Your friends, are they the group who burned down the tented village?" I looked at him in disbelief. How did he know about the out-of-towners’ camp? Had he been spying on them?