Hope (Book 2, Harvester of Light Trilogy; Young Adult Science Fiction) by S.J. West Read Free Book Online Page B

like either option was
fine with her.  “I think the choice is clear enough.”
    Margaret turned
her back to us and joined her people near the transporters.
    I looked over at
the man who had come to my hospital room and introduced himself to me.
    “Mr. President,” I
heard a woman call.
    The man turned
toward the woman’s voice and walked away from us.
    I stared at his
back as the man who used to be President of the United States walked away.

Chapter 6
    Tears of despair
surrounded me.  Those who were able to escape the destruction of the Southern
Kingdom seemed inconsolable in their loss of paradise.  Many of them had never been
forced to face the reality of the real world because they were able to make a
home in the Southern Kingdom before eternal grey consumed the outside.  Being cruelly
thrust out of their cushy lives to live in what was left above ground seemed to
be more than some of them were capable of handling.  I felt lucky in a strange
way.  At least I knew what it took to survive on the surface.  It was the only
home I knew.  It was where I was most comfortable.
    The only
difference between my past and present was the fact I was fortunate enough to
have more than one friend with me this time.  Kirk and Teegan made it out on
the last transport to emerge from the lake.  I had to admit the circumstances
we found ourselves in weren’t ideal but at least we were all alive and
together, for however long.
    “Man, I just don’t
think I can stand to see my Mom cry anymore,” Kale said, coming to sit in the
circle we had made around one of the campfires the outsiders let us build to
keep warm by.
    Teegan put a
comforting arm around Kale’s shoulders bringing a small smile to his face.
    “So does anyone
know what’s going on?”  Kirk asked.  “It’s almost morning.  Why haven’t we left
for this other underground Shangri-La the outsiders want us to take them to?”
    “Because, sweet
boy,” Doc Riley said, leaning towards the fire to warm her hands, “the council
hasn’t made up its mind.”
    “Made up its mind
about what?  Taking them with us?” Ash questioned.  “It doesn’t seem like they
have much of a choice.”
    I looked over at
the circle of huddled leaders standing less than twenty yards away from us. 
The group of five, including my father, had been talking with one another for
hours, which made me question who my father had been talking to in his secret
room.  Did he have a direct line to the President in there?  Was that who he
was arguing with when I discovered his secret lair?  It made sense since my
father hadn’t stopped arguing with the President since they started their
little pow-wow over our future with the outsiders. 
    A loud bang came
from one of the transporters.  When I looked up, I saw Margaret emerge from the
one we used to escape in holding the small black briefcase my father brought
with him.  Her face contorted by rage, Margaret headed straight for the
gathered members of the council.  I looked over at my father and saw him warily
watch Margaret’s progress towards them.  His shoulders seemed to pull back
involuntarily as he stood straighter.
    Margaret breeched
the torch barrier holding the briefcase up.
    “Whose is this?”
She demanded.  The anger in her voice was on the verge of being manic. “Whose
is this?”  She screamed.
    “It’s mine,” my
father said.
    Margaret threw the
case at my father making him catch it quickly.
    “Open it,” she
ordered, pulling out a pistol from a pocket of her coat and aiming it straight
at my father’s head.
    I made a move to
stand up intent on going to my father, but Ash grabbed the back of my coat
forcing me to stay seated on the ground.
    “Let me go,” I
said.
    “Your father can
handle things,” Ash whispered.  “If you go over there, you might make things
worse.  She’s not right in the head, Skye.  Let your Dad deal with her.”
    I looked back at
my father.  He was kneeling with the