The Road to Wolfe (The Sanctuary #4) - Nikita Slater Page 0,3

he reaches into the dash box, pulls out a pair of metal handcuffs, loops them through a bar in the dash and snaps them over my wrists.

I frown at him. What does he want with me? I’m not completely naive. At twenty-two I’ve had my fair share of male attention, violent and otherwise, but this man doesn’t seem interested in me in a physical sense. He hasn’t touched me more than absolutely necessary. Maybe he’s taking me somewhere more private, away from the children and any straggling zombies, before he rapes me.

I watch with regret as he turns the ignition, reverses the car and heads out of the town. I twist in my seat to watch the frightened faces of the three children as they fade into the distance. Even with rape on the horizon, I’m in safer hands than they are.

Maybe I should have fought harder, but this is reality and I’m weary of fighting the inevitable. If this Outsider hadn't come along to pick me up, I'd either be dead or grabbed by someone else. The odds of a friendly group of people finding us was slim anyway. At this point, the best hope those children have is going to be a swift death, similar to Lisa’s. Such is the horror of life, and death, in the Primitives’ world. A grim thought, but truthful.

"Where are we going?" I ask him, assuming he must have a camp nearby. Outsiders are nomadic, but they do often set up camp for weeks or months at a time as they travel.

He doesn't say anything, so I settle back into the seat and watch the passing scenery. Though I haven't been in a vehicle in ages, I think he's driving way too fast. The car bounces wildly as it hits holes and ruts in the road, but I don't say anything. I don't know this man; he could be quick to anger. I’ll save my bad attitude until I get a better sense of who he is.

Two days later, mile after endless mile, it becomes quite apparent that this Outsider has no intention of stopping. Not even to rape me. He's on a mission and I am his captive. He hasn't spoken to me other than to grunt rude commands. Sit down, stand up, get out of the car, eat, go to the bathroom, get back in the car. This has been my life for the past 48 hours and I'm getting sick of it.

Familiarity has made me feel less afraid of this man. He hasn't touched me other than to put the cuffs on or off. I've gotten the feeling that he sees me as more of a commodity than a woman. Originally, I'd thought that he was taking me because I was old enough to be a companion to him. Now, I think otherwise.

Finally, I ask the same question that I tried two days ago. "Where are you taking me?"

This time, he answers. "Sanctuary."

My heart leaps in anticipation. My odds of survival go up exponentially inside of a Sanctuary. "Which one?"

"Santa Fe."

Santa Fe. I’ve never been there, but I’ve heard it’s a thriving Sanctuary. I wonder why an Outsider would want to go to a Sanctuary. They usually avoid them like the plague (Ha! Zombie reference) since city security forces are just as willing to kill Outsiders as they are Primitives. Outsiders are notorious for attacking Sanctuaries, or convoys headed in and out of Sanctuaries, in search of food and supplies.

"What’s your name?" I ask, pushing my luck now that I’ve finally got him talking.

He lifts his shaggy head and gives me the same icy stare he’s been treating me to for two days.

"Talon."

Two

Wolfe

Location: Santa Fe Sanctuary

"I'll take her," the Warlord says, his lascivious eyes glued to our new arrival. "How much?"

I can tell from the look on the woman's face that she had no idea she was being brought into Sanctuary as a slave. About to be sold into our Warlord’s harem.

As I watch the shadows cross her face it becomes clear that this news has crushed her. I can actually see her spirit shrink as sadness eclipses the look of hope that she'd walked in with. A naïve woman if she thought she was being taken to safety by an Outsider. Sanctuary will come at a price for this one.

And that price is…

"I want twelve months of supplies, including food, bedding, clothes, the usual. You can throw in a coin purse of a few hundred dollars too, in case