Page 9 of Savage Daddies
Chapter Four
Morning brings a stunningsunrise. I almost cry when I see it, bright orange and pink spilling over the mountains, rays of gold kissing the treetops and sparkling over the lake. I’d thought the night sky was glorious, but I think the sunrise must be better.
We don’t remain at camp for long. After breakfast, the brothers pack up and load all the supplies back into the boat, including the tent. Before we set off in the water, I cast a mournful glance in the direction we came from yesterday, fearing I’ll never make it back to Emerald.
As the savages paddle the canoe along the shoreline, I think back to Nash’s words in the woods yesterday.You’re not alone anymore.Why had he said that? How did he know how alone I’ve always felt? With an inward sigh, I suppose he just made a good guess, but I’m still unsettled by how perceptive he is. Whenever he glances at me, I feel as if he knows all my secrets.
But the truth is, even though I was almost never alone in Emerald, I could never shake the sense that I never belonged and I was surrounded by strangers. Even Sheena, who I’ve known my whole life, didn’t feel like a close friend. My life was a routine of activities—work, group recreation, and VR stories. The only thing I ever did to break the monotony was visit the library. All of my friends, acquaintances, and coworkers rolled their eyes whenever I mentioned reading old books.Why read a boring book about the Old Days when you can experience an exciting VR story or play a game of racquetball?they always asked.
Despite the loneliness, Emerald is still my home and I wish more than anything to return. I glance at Nash and then peek over my shoulder for a quick look at Axel. They’re tall, strong, and fierce, and with each passing second, I doubt more and more I’ll manage to escape. Even if I do escape, how the hell will I make it back home? I would have to steal the boat and hope for the best, that’s what.
If they untie me again and I get the chance, I resolve that I’ll still take it, no matter the consequences and no matter how dangerous traveling alone might be. I can’t simply give up. No one is supposed to live out here. It’s not safe. Every strange noise and every shadow promises danger. I wonder how many savages call the wildlands home and a shudder runs through me.
We stop for lunch, but the savages don’t leave me unsupervised for the briefest of moments. I’m untied briefly, but Axel watches as I pee in the bushes and I have no choice but to allow him to take care of me in the same shameful manner Nash did yesterday and earlier this morning. They keep calling me little girl and insist they’re my daddies. It’s all very strange to me because no one has parents anymore and no one is born—at least in my world. The very idea of having a father is antiquated and I’m constantly reminded of the fact that I’m the outsider here.
Yet there’s a part of me that grows warm each time they treat me as a little girl. I try to push the feelings away. I don’t want them. I don’t. And I don’t want to like anything about my situation, let alone develop an attraction to my barbaric captors.
But why does my breath grow faint whenever they’re near? Why do I yearn to hear their deep voices rumbling through me as they murmur something into my ear? Why does a stern look or firm command send pulses of heat surging between my thighs?
I don’t know, and the longer I spend with the savages, the more frustrated I become over my own odd reactions to their barbaric behavior. It’s as if I’m becoming less civilized myself the further we travel from Emerald.
After lunch, we get back in the boat, but I’m surprised when Axel says, “We’re here,” and they guide the canoe ashore only about two hours later.
“You told me it would be a seven-day journey to your village.”
“It will be.” Nash lifts me up over his shoulder. “But we’ll travel by solar truck the rest of the way.”
Solar truck? From my upside-down viewpoint, I glimpse Axel lifting huge branches and brush away from a large mound nestled amongst the trees. Once he clears the branches and brush away, I’m shocked to see a dark green vehicle. I’d assumed the savages didn’t possess any sort of modern technology at all, but the solar truck appears to be the same model the Rangers from Emerald drive. In fact, the traditional crest of the Rangers is painted on the side of the vehicle. Then I realize how they have it.
“That’s stolen, isn’t it?”
“Actually, Erik and Gage found it a couple of months ago.”
“Found it?” I’m relieved when Nash puts me down on my feet, though standing with my ankles tied together is still awkward and uncomfortable. “That’s stolen from a Ranger. I know it must be.”
Nash steps in front of me and places his hands on my shoulders. “Erik and Gage found the truck, along with a male Ranger sitting outside of it in the woods. He was dead.”
Coldness grips me. “Was he from Emerald?”
“No. He was from the techno-city of Achilla.”
“How did he die?” I glance from side to side, fear slicing through me. “Was it a wild animal?”
A regretful look enters Nash’s dark eyes. “I won’t tell you any details, Josie, but it appeared to be a suicide.”
Disbelief swirls through me, but a voice in the back of my head whispers that Nash isn’t lying. I recall when Gerard, a Manager from another department, suddenly stopped showing up for work. Several days after he stopped coming in, all the other Managers received a memo that he’d been transferred to Achilla as a reward for exemplary service. But there were rumors that he’d been found hanged in his apartment, the gruesome scene discovered by his roommate. The very idea of suicide is taboo. It’s not supposed to happen anymore. The Wise Leaders teach us that long ago, mankind was unhappy and there was a plague of suicides, but now everyone has a purpose in life and the happiness index has never been higher.
Lost in my thoughts, I watch as Nash sets about hiding the boat, using the same branches Axel just removed from the truck. Had the Ranger felt alone? Had the Ranger felt like he was surrounded by strangers? I don’t even know the man’s name, but I feel a connection to him because he must not have been certain about his place in life. I’ve never been certain about my place, even though I’ve spent my whole life pretending I’m happy. Happy to go to work. Happy to play racquetball or volleyball for the umpteenth time with the same group of friends from my apartment building. Happy to listen to the weekly speech from the Wise Leaders every Sunday morning while drinking tea and eating pancakes with Sheena.
But I’m not happy. There’s an emptiness in my job that often feels meaningless, an emptiness in the recreational activities I’m practically forced to join, and an emptiness in the recycled speeches delivered by the Wise Leaders.
As Nash lifts me up and carries me to the truck, my desire to return to Emerald falters. What if there’s more to life than the routine of the techno-city? I don’t want to stay with the savages, but now that I’ve seen a real night sky filled with stars and a big, bright moon and a breathtaking orange-pink sunrise, I can’t imagine ever being able to pretend I’m happy in Emerald again.
Confused and shaken to the very depths of my being, I allow Nash to buckle me up in the back seat. He doesn’t untie me, but shuts the door and goes to stand at the front of the truck, where Axel is looking under the lifted hood.
“We should be able to drive for several hours before stopping, since we let the rooftop solar panel accumulate a full charge before hiding the truck,” Nash says.
“I know, I’m just making sure there aren’t any animals in here,” Axel replies. “Remember when that rat made a nest in Harold Grimes’ truck last winter? Was a hell of a mess to clean up.”
