No Home Without You (Love and Survival #3)

Chapter 1 Cam

Shit. He drained his now-cooled tea before heading below to speak with the driver. If the commotion by the gate was any indication, the newcomers’ arrival would cause controversy amongst the leadership.

Cam stopped, rereading the memo tacked to the door on his way outside. The crisp white paper like a gaping wound on the unpainted wood. He clenched a fist. As if he’d forget something so contentious.

*Important Policy Change*

Only existing citizens of xTerra permitted inside the gate.

No refugees.

No exceptions.

-Mayor Dolores Montgomery

He exhaled heavily, girding himself for the upcoming conversation.

This would be the second time he would have to explain the new policy and send someone away, crushing their hopes of living in a haven, away from the unrest and chaos beyond xTerra’s walls.

He hadn’t slept for a week the last time, plagued by visions of the family thrown to the wolves—figuratively speaking.

The reality was more like enslaved by the Slains or dead in a ditch.

Once outside, in the shadow of the high walls, Cam gestured to a guard to open the thick gate enough for him to pass through. The frosted gravel crunched beneath his boots as he strode toward the cargo truck. Maybe it was just a delivery.

At first glance, it was clear why the truck had been permitted past the outer gate several miles back. The box held more than a dozen live pigs, milling and snuffling in the chilly morning air. He could go for some crispy bacon.

He checked in with the guards above. They had their rifles trained on the stationary truck and would watch through their scopes for any hint of aggression or weapons. He returned his gaze to the truck, making out four shapes in the cab.

Cam motioned to the driver with his gloved hand.

The battered door of the dirt-encrusted truck opened with a squawk of rusty hinges, setting his teeth on edge.

Out stepped a short, wiry-looking man of about seventy.

He reminded Cam of his surrogate grandfather, who’d passed eight years earlier, before all hell broke loose.

The kind of tough-as-nails, no-nonsense man Cam respected.

Still, he kept his hand on the pistol at his hip as he approached the driver.

The older man closed the truck door and remained close to the vehicle, his wary eyes studying Cam’s approach.

He stopped ten yards away. “How can we help you?”

“I was invited to join xTerra a couple years back,” the old man said. “At that time, we just wanted to be left alone to work our land and raise our animals. We tried to follow the rules and co-exist with the Slains.” He spat on the ground. “That’s now ended.”

“Who invited you?” said Cam, trying to keep the surprise from his voice. This wasn’t as straightforward as yes or no—no matter the rule.

“A big guy. Said he was on his way here.”

Cam’s heart sank. Probably a casual invitation then, not a solid excuse to let them stay.

He needed something ironclad. From the generic description, it could have been any of a dozen guys.

“You mind if I ask a few questions?” Cam removed his hand from his gun.

If something went sideways, the guards above would take the shot.

However, the old man didn’t appear to be armed, and Cam’s instincts told him this man wasn’t a threat.

“Go ahead.” The old man seemed calm and respectful. That was something.

“Who’s in the truck?” Cam couldn’t discern anything beyond three indistinct figures.

“My wife, Suzie, and our two granddaughters.” His grizzled jaw flared.

“How old are the girls?” Cam indicated the passengers with a toss of his chin. He could make out very little from this angle.

“Seventeen and eighteen. Y’all didn’t ask, but I’m Bryan Clark. We’re from up Gillette way.”

“Cam Montgomery.” He nodded. “Wyoming then. Practically local.” Gillette was less than two hours’ drive from here.

xTerra was in South Dakota, but parts of Wyoming and Nebraska ran almost to their borders.

“Why now?” If they lived so close, the family could have come to xTerra at any point in the last seven years.

Until recently, they would have been admitted. He suppressed a sigh.

Damn his mother and her ridiculous rules.

“Day before yesterday, one of John Slains’ men found my oldest granddaughter picking wild berries.

” Bryan’s eyes narrowed. “He raped her and tied her up to drag back to their compound in the morning. When he fell asleep, she escaped. She returned last night after dark. We packed and left before first light in case she was tracked. We’d have a bullet in each of us if they found us hiding her. ”

Cam nodded. Shit like that happened out there all the time. “That’s a fine truckload of hogs.” He nodded at the grunting animals.

“We’ve also got a pair of goats, a couple of cats, and a crate of chickens,” said Bryan. “Eighteen layers and two roosters.” His chest puffed out. “We’re not arriving empty-handed. This is our seed livestock.” He seemed direct and honest.

Rare qualities in the outside world.

Cam wanted to let them in. He rubbed his hand across his stubbled jaw, stalling. If anyone dared to cross the mayor, it would be him. He was family, so she wouldn’t kick him out, but she’d be pissed.

“Did the man who invited you have a name?”

“The Slains called him ‘Goliath.’ He was with them a couple years back. We heard he busted outta there and brought his pregnant wife here. He didn’t give us his name.

Just said if I wanted to keep the girls safe, we should come.

” A shadow crossed the old man’s face as he glanced over his shoulder at his family in the truck. “I shoulda listened sooner.”

Shit. The description matched someone he knew. This day was getting worse, but Cam was going to do the right thing, policy change be damned. He yelled up to the tower. “Find Sergeant Walker. Have him meet us outside the office building ASAP.” He best matched Clark’s description.

“What about the mayor?” Johnson said, lowering his rifle. Beside him, the second guard remained on alert, his rifle trained on Bryan Clark’s grizzled head.

“She’ll turn up soon, I’m sure,” said Cam, deliberately misunderstanding the question.

“Get Captain Wilson, too, while you’re at it.

” His superiors could take some of the heat.

Guaranteed, the captain would back up Cam for admitting the Clarks.

He turned to Bryan. “When the gate opens, drive inside and park. Any weapons we need to know about?” He stared, looking for a reaction.

“A couple of knives. No guns. The Slains confiscated them years ago.” He spat again. “Bastards.”

Cam nodded. “See you inside. Welcome to xTerra.” He strode to the gate and pounded on the thick metal, a booming sound echoing over the plain.

“Let me in, and open wide enough for the truck.” Behind him, the truck’s engine roared to life, the scent of exhaust filling the crisp fall air.

They must have had access to the purple gas the Slains allocated to some of their larger farms.

No sooner had the truck parked and the gate closed than the mayor arrived. She must have been nearby and heard the gates open.

Cam’s mother narrowed her eyes, her lips clamped tight as she marched toward him.

Not the truck. Him. He braced himself. Steam practically billowed from her ears, and anger waves radiated off her deceptively placid exterior.

To a stranger, her almost neutral expression might seem businesslike and mildly irritated.

To those who knew Mayor Dolores Montgomery well, she was irate.

Well, fuck. That hadn’t taken long.

“Cameron James Montgomery.” Her icy tone made the nearby guards stiffen. Several residents trooped out of the Office and Medical Center, probably attracted by the drama. All eyes turned toward the Montgomery show.

She was full-name mad. He might be thirty-one, but to his mother, he was still a child.

“Yes, Mayor,” said Cam, bracing himself against her ire—refusing to be goaded. “Good morning.”

“Do you remember the new policy?” Without waiting for an answer, she barreled onward. “I posted that memo myself after reading it aloud at the meeting of the Watch in September.”

He wouldn’t apologize for being decent. “They were invited, have stock, and they’re seeking refuge from the Slains. The oldest girl needs Medical.” In his peripheral vision, the truck doors creaked open on both sides, and four sets of feet hit the ground.

“It said NO EXCEPTIONS.” Hands on her hips, Dolores stopped two feet away.

Cam stood his ground, meeting his mother’s pale green gaze. His best option was to say nothing.

Her jaw flared as the silence stretched.

His mom had never handled his stonewall defense well.

When she didn’t receive further explanation, the mayor side-stepped, approaching the family.

Bryan’s wife had her arms around both young women.

One sported bruises on her face and raised her chin, staring Cam down.

She must plan to resist being tossed out.

Cam nodded, and her posture relaxed infinitesimally.

The mayor spoke first. “Get back in that eyesore of a truck. I’m sorry for the confusion. You’re not staying. Mr. Montgomery doesn’t have the authority to countermand my orders. Orders I installed for xTerra’s safety.”

The Clarks didn’t move while they stared at Cam.

From behind him came another voice. “But I do,” said the authoritative voice of Captain Luke Wilson. He’d approached on silent feet, Sergeant Kory Walker behind him.

Bryan’s eyes flickered with recognition. Yep. Walker had been Goliath. That fit. The guy was built like a fort and, at six-foot-eight, was memorable.

“They’re leaving,” said Dolores, turning to the captain.

Captain Wilson shook his head. “Not right now. I took the liberty of calling an emergency council meeting.”

Dolores stalked toward the Captain of the Watch and his right-hand man, stopping before she was too close to the tall men.

At five-foot-three, she was clearly feeling a size disadvantage.

Her fists remained clenched. “You had no right.” She glanced around.

Probably realizing they had a growing audience, her usual public face reappeared as she fake-smiled, fooling no one.

“We can’t just change the rules because you feel sorry for people.

” Her strident voice seemed more strained despite her usual faux-pleasant tone. Good. The captain was getting to her.

“The Council voted to consider entry on case-by-case merit and had agreed not everyone who showed up at our gates would get to stay. You went behind our backs to post your new policy,” said Captain Wilson. “It’s not our regulation. It’s not what we’d agreed on.”

Dolores’ expression smoothed, clearly switching tactics.

“Of course, this poor family can stay a day or two if they’re in immediate danger, but then they’ll have to go.

” Her tone was polite, but a small twitch gave away the fact that even this concession made her look like she’d swallowed something vile.

She was used to getting her way and trampling over everyone. Cam resisted better than most as he’d been closer to their old neighbor than his mother, who’d been busy with his three younger brothers.

The gathered crowd murmured. Several people shook their heads, their arms crossed.

Dolores Montgomery wouldn’t get her way this time.

The captain strode past Cam, squeezing his shoulder on the way. Captain Wilson shook Bryan Clark’s hand. “I’m Captain of the Watch, Luke Wilson, and this is my sergeant, Kory Walker. I believe you’ve met.”

Bryan introduced his family, including his granddaughters, Julia and Lauren. “You folks need time to freshen up and have a bite to eat?” The captain’s piercing blue eyes swept between Cam and the Clark family. “Or Medical?”

Bryan shook his head. “I’d appreciate it if we could get this sorted sooner rather than later. If we can’t stay, we want to get as far away as possible before dark and our limited fuel runs out.” The women moved closer together. A few tears escaped the younger girl.

“Sounds fair,” said Wilson. “Johnson. You guard their truck. Nobody touches anything. For now, they’re guests.”

“Yes, sir.” Dave Johnson nodded before positioning himself in front of the truck.

“Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting in thirty minutes,” said the captain. “The full Council will be in attendance.” He and Walker exchanged a glance.

The emergency meeting had probably been pre-planned as a contingency, plus the outer gate guards thirty miles out may have informed the captain in advance about the truck’s arrival, even if Tower 1 hadn’t been included in the communication.

Cam broke out in a sweat. There was more to this than a simple difference of opinion.

Like lightning, it struck. This was a coup.

The council would use the Clarks’ arrival to force an election, and the mayor would lose.