When Walls Divide Read online

  When Walls Divide

  by Layla Pierce

  Copyright © 2017 Layla Pierce

  No part of this work may be reproduced without expressed permission from the author.

  Table of Content

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  CHAPTER ONE

  Twenty-five years ago, a massive EMP pulse took out the world’s technology. No one knows if it was a terrorist attack, if it was an accident, or if it was a government conspiracy, but now it doesn’t matter. Because the world is screwed up.

  Because so much of society depended on electricity and technology, everything started to fail. The population has dropped to dangerous levels, and the government thinks that the purge is the best way to control the resources. Each city is given rations to meet the needs of the people, but women are the lesser humans now. Once a year females who are seen as a drain on society are taken away in what the government calls a purge. The only sure way to avoid this is to be a contributing member society — by being pregnant. The females taken are ushered off to god only knows where and there’s no coming back from it.

  I know it’s coming soon and I know I have to find a way to survive another purge in the wasteland, but hiding and running are getting old.

  I twist my long dark hair up into a bun and tie a band around it, getting it out of my face. The sun beats against my skin, causing sweat to drip down as I hike my way to the river. Four months until the next purge and half of the outskirt population is already gone. Survival is the name of the game right now.

  My feet tumble over the rubble and rocks that lead up to the manmade river. Dipping down, I put my hand in the cold water and then lift it to my lips. The moisture feels good against the dryness, and the temperature takes some of the heat away from my skin. I glance around and splash some on my face. Water is scarce outside the walls, using it to clean my face off can be seen as being wasteful.

  I sigh as the droplets drip down my face and then I quickly dry off with the hem of my short shirt. I pull a pail full of water out of the river and turn to leave. My heart falls as my foot gets stuck and I tumble down. My bucket of water crashes down, and the thirsty ground drinks up the liquid, leaving no signs of the spill.

  Quick footsteps follow as strong arms wrap around me as I struggle to keep my balance. I look up and meet the dark gaze of a man I’ve never seen before. But with his ruffled hair, five o’clock shadow, and strong body, I’d let him take me right there.

  And then I see the badge on his shirt. I scurry away from him and try to dust myself off, then I awkwardly try to dust his dark blue suit off to no avail. “I’m sorry.” I finally end up just crossing my arms.

  He grabs my chin between his thumb and his forefinger and raises a brow. “Water streaks on your face. Have we been wasting the water, scavenger?”

  I open my mouth, but no words come out, so I just close it and dare him to say something else. He leans in so that his lips are just above mine and I feel something stir in my body. No, no, no, I cannot be having a reaction to him. City officials are as close to selling out as one can get.

  He brushes his lips against my cheek. “You’re in danger of being included in the next purge, aren’t you?”

  “Yes.” I couldn’t stop the shaking in my voice. “How do you know?”

  “I know everyone in and out of this city. Those who dwell on the outside are normally in danger because you don’t…participate in the town lotteries.”

  I wrinkle my nose. The town lottery is where people lined up for randomly assigned partners, I had gone once, and it hadn’t ended well. “Maybe I’m just waiting for my Prince Charming to come.”

  “You’ll turn into an old maid if that’s the case.”

  I jerk away from him and grab my pail, he wraps his fingers around my wrist and pulls me back. “Or…”

  “Or?” I raise a brow. “Are you going to offer to bend me over your desk, and fuck me until your seed fills me?” I pull my wrist back and walk back to the river with an extra sway in my hips. “You’re a city official, you can have the pick of any woman you want.”

  He grabs my hips and spins me around. “Exactly, and I want you. Don’t you want to leave the dust and grime of the outer city behind?”

  What I want is to not be shipped off somewhere. I take a moment to steady myself and my thoughts before staring at the man. “What are you suggesting?”

  “You know exactly what I’m suggesting, come back with me and be my partner. We’ll have a couple children, and you won’t have to worry about the purge.” He runs his fingertips down my arm, raising goose bumps despite the hot air. “I can run a warm bath for you, wash you up, get you a decent meal, all to start with.”

  My stomach betrays me by growling. I put a hand to it and try to remember the last time I ate something that wasn’t a rodent that I found in one of my traps. There’s nothing here in the outskirts of the city limits for me. Nothing but the purge. “Fine.”

  “Fine? You don’t have to sound so defeated about it.” He holds his hand out to me. “I’m director Matthew Lark.”

  I hesitate in shaking it, but I do after a moment. “I’m Isabella.”

  “A beautiful name.” He hooks my arm with his elbow and starts to walk the path next to the river. “I’ve been watching you.”

  Because that didn’t sound creepy at all. “Have you?”

  “You make your way to the water twice a day, some days you look a little bit more defeated than other days, but there still a fight in your eyes. Where are you from?”

  “Before the EMP?” I frown. It wasn’t often that I thought back to any sort of life before everything came crashing down, I was just a babe then. “Just down the highway from here. Ten-twenty miles? Maybe?”

  “Where’s your family?”

  I stopped in my tracks. “Where do you think they are?”

  “I’m just trying to get to know you. We’re going to be spending a great deal of time together, it’s the least we can do.”

  “My mother and sister were taken in the purge. My dad disappeared after the EMP.” I shake my head. “That’s not a topic I want to talk about.”

  He runs the back of his hand down my cheek, his fingers leaving a tingling trail down my skin. “Then should we just keep it down to the simple let’s fuck?”

  I don’t know what I want. I know that sleeping with him means my survival, but getting to know him and letting him into my mind just screams danger to me. “You’re the one who suggested this.”

  “And if you do indeed get pregnant, then we’ll be spending much more than just steamy nights in my bed.” He leans down and kisses me.

  I hate it, but love it, all at the same time. It’s been years since I’ve felt the touch of a man’s body. His lips are hungry on mine as I kiss him back. I wrap my hands around his neck, pulling him a bit closer as we continue the kiss. Our tongues dance together as moisture grows between my legs at the unspoken promise of the sex to come.

  He pulls back and chuckles. “It seems that you could use a few good nights with me.”

  I feel my face flush with a heat that’s not cause by the sun as he winks at me and then starts to walk away.

  “Follow me if you wish to commit to this. I’m not into non-consenting women, so I’m leaving the choice up to you.”

  At first, I hesitate. There is no other choice, but to become what the government sees as a useful woman in society or be taken in the next purge. Of course, I could try to avoid the guards, as I’ve done before and survive to see yet another year in the outskirts of the city.

  But, I’m tired
of fighting, I want safety and going with him is the only way I am going to get it.

  Matthew takes me to the front of the city, and I stare up at the massive iron gates that protect it from people like me, unwelcome guests. A guard dressed in sand fatigues steps up and opens the gate for us.

  “Mr. Lark,” his eyes go to me, “you’re bringing a scavenger in?”

  He nods. “Yes, don’t worry about it. She’s my responsibility. Come along Izzy.”

  I wrinkle my nose at the nickname, but I know it’s not the time to argue or correct him. Not to mention I’m distracted by the city around me. People bustle through the area, some with carts and items to sell or trade, while others stand around talking. They are all walking on fixed hard roads and sidewalks instead of broken rubble and rocks. Matthew takes my hand and pulls me along. “You’ll have time to explore later.”

  We walk over the sidewalk, passing shops, and vendors, over the hill and to the biggest building I’ve ever seen. Three stories of bricks tower over the rest of the city, big white pillars hold up an impressive covering for a wrap-around patio. Through the front window, I see a small fireplace burning, providing light to the room.

  Matthew produces a key from his pocket and unlocks the door. He puts his hand on the small of my back and guides me in. The polished wood floors gleam in the sunlight that streams through the front window. A winding staircase leads up to the next level, stopping at a loft-like room that overlooks the sitting area where the fireplace is.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Matthew asks. “And now it’s your home.”

  I have a hard time believing that I can live here instead of the little hut that I call home on the outskirts of the city. But I’m not gullible, I know that the only reason that I’m being offered this is that I will be expected to carry his child. Not everyone in the city lives in such fancy homes.

  “Let’s get you a bath and a good meal. I have a meeting with the other three officials.”

  “Do they live here as well?” I follow him up the winding staircase, my fingers tracing over the elegantly carved wood of the railing.

  “They do, so you’ll see them around.” He gives me a glance over his shoulder with a smirk. I want to know what that look is hiding, because every time he throws it in my direction, my body clinches and anticipation starts to build.

  He walks me down a hallway, stopping at a door, he doesn’t knock before he walks in. In the middle of the room is a claw foot tub and a woman is putting clean towels up on a rack near it. A large soft mat lays on the floor in front of the tub. Nearby is a toilet, and I have to smile. Clearly, the city was becoming more advance since running water was once again a thing. I found myself wondering how long until they’d go back to having electricity and the modern world would become…well modern again.

  Matthew runs his hands over the back band of my pants, hooking a finger in them. “This is Lisa, she’ll be attending to your needs while you’re here. Enjoy a warm bath.”

  The woman in question looks at us. She’s an older lady, her hair graying and her eyes crinkled at the corner. As a servant, she was probably avoiding the purge by helping the higher members of society and not being a burden. “You’ve finally brought a woman home, and she’s filthy.” She smiles at me. “What’s your name?”

  “Isabella.”

  “Welcome to the Manor, Isabella.” She motions to the door. “Run along Matthew, the others are waiting. I’ll make sure to get her taken care of.”

  Matthew nods. “Thank you.”

  If anything, at least he is polite to his staff. He walks out shutting the door behind him, and I look at the woman. “You really don’t have to wait on me.”

  “Don’t worry, I won’t be overbearing. I’ll dispose of your dirty clothes and try to wrangle you up something to wear that’s more fitting for the manor and its men.”

  I frown at the strange wording. “I’m pretty sure the only one I need to be ‘fitting’ for is Matthew.”

  “Oh, Matthew hasn’t talked to you about the others yet.” She laughs. “Go on, draw yourself a bath. I’ll get the soaps and let you be.” She walks over to a dresser still chuckling to herself, and I have a feeling that I’ve signed on for way more than I first thought.

  CHAPTER TWO

  I allow myself time to soak the grime and crud off my body and stay in the bath until the water turns cold. Lisa dropped off a robe for me, saying that she needed to go to the market to get me some clothes. I had insisted that she didn’t have to, but she went anyways.

  Now, I climb out of the bath and use the towel to dry my body. I keep thinking back to what Lisa said about the other men, and I have a feeling that Matthew is planning on sharing me. I’m not sure how I feel about that, but part of me is excited by the thought. I’m blaming my lack of sex over the last few years.

  I finish drying myself off and slip on the robe. The soft fabric caresses my body raising goosebumps on my skin, and it’s a far cry away from the rough clothes I wore before. I have no idea where I am supposed to go from here. I don’t want to wander around the manor in nothing but a robe, not even undergarments to keep me shielded from the chilly air of the place. I also don’t want to just wait around to do as told.

  I open the door and peek my head out, looking for anything to give me a clue as to where I could go. My feet are silent against the wood floor of the hallway while I walk down it. I stop at a cracked door as I hear male voices.

  “The purge is happening sooner, the government thinks things aren’t moving fast enough, and numbers are dwindling.” Matthew’s voice is low and concerning. “There aren’t enough woman carrying.”

  “There are talks about trying an experimental drug to help them carry multiples.” Another male voice adds.

  “But,” a third answers, “at what point do we give these women their rights back? Do they have the right to refuse the drug?”

  “Lucas, this is the apocalypse, we’re talking about the extinction of our kind. Does it matter?”

  To me, it certainly matters, even though I’m not sure what they are talking about.

  “We keep this under wraps, there is no need to cause a panic in our city. Most of our citizens are protected from the purge in one way or another. Except,” this is a different male voice and I have no doubt that these are the four city officials, “For the scavenger, you brought in, Matt. You can’t just keep bringing in strays.”

  “She’s not a stray, I’ve taken an interest in her and have been watching her the last few weeks. She’s resourceful, and could be a good asset.”

  I shift, and the floor creaks under my feet and the room goes silent. I turn to leave, but a hand grabs my wrist stopping me. I turn to see Matthew and that smirk is back. “Come in and meet the others.” He offers his grip loosening slightly. “I see that Lisa still needs to find you some clothes.”

  “Apparently you don’t keep enough women around here to have an outfit for me.” I shoot back. “Must not take in a lot of strays my size.”

  He has the grace to look embarrassed at my comment but recovers quickly. “You should be glad that I take in strays or you’d be off to the purge within a month.” He pulls me into the office, and I look at the other three men.

  They all stand just about the same height. The first one has blonde hair and from where I’m standing his eyes look to be a hazel green. He’s wearing a suit, just like the other four, but instead of a smirk like Matthew has, his lips are pressed into a hard line. The second one has dark hair and eyes to match, his jaw’s a little more square with a five o clock shadow setting in. The third has almost auburn hair and chocolate brown eyes, his gaze meets mine, and he flashes a wicked smile as his eyes dances over the robe.

  Subconsciously, I pull the robe tighter around me. “I’m Bella.”

  “Isabelle Brigit,” Matthew decides to add, and I wonder for a moment how he knows my last name.

  All of the men suddenly look impressed, and I cross my arms. “Why is that so important?”
r />   The blond man steps up. “Don’t worry about it. I’m Lucas, welcome to the Manor.”

  The next one steps up. “Bella Brigit, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Xavier.”

  “And I’m Antony.” The last one steps up as well.

  I take a step back suddenly overwhelmed with the number of men in the room. “Nice to meet you all, I think. Now if you’d excuse me, I’d like to be taken to my room, so I can rest. It’s been a long day, and things are starting to get weird.” I’m starting to have second thoughts about my deal with Matthew. All four of them were taller than me, they seemed to be rock solid under their clothing, and I feel like their eyes would all burn a hole into my soul if they kept staring at me.

  Xavier went to speak, but Matthew cut him off. “I’ll take her, dinner time we can all sit and chat with her.”

  They all nod and grumble something, and Matthew holds out his arm for me, much like he had when we first met hours before. Nerves flutter in my stomach as he walks me through the hall and to a room near the end. He opens the door, and a lavishly set bedroom stands before me.

  The blues of the soft sheets stick out against the deep cream color of the walls. A soft carpet covers most of the floor. Pillows and blankets are neatly laid on the bed, with the comforter turned down, so the sheets are visible. A fireplace sits on the far side of the room giving us enough light see.

  “Welcome to your new home.” He whispers in my ear from behind, and his arm wraps around my waist. “Take a nap, rest, and then we’ll eat dinner.”

  I turn to face him. “You were talking about the purge and the population.”

  He puts a finger to my lips to hush me. “Don’t worry about that, not right now. You’re safe from the purge as long as you’re within our manor and your body is claimed by us.”

  My stomach tightens, and his hand slides into the gap of the robe. His skin is warm against me, and his fingers curl over the side of my hip, and he pulls me tight against him.