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Chapter 1
John
Time is a thief.
In time, everything disappears. Nothing in this world can stay—not the civilization that fell apart right as I was born, not my parents who died before I could know them. My life was full of loss as soon as it started. I should know that things can’t last.
But for a moment, when I saw the flash of sunlight across my wife’s beautiful red hair on our wedding day, maybe I believed it could. When she smiled at me and took my hand and kissed me. When I held her and told her how much I loved her. When she wiped my tears and comforted me and let me be the kind of man I might’ve been in a different world: softer, more open, less afraid to lose everything.
And even if everything else crumbles, I still know one thing that’ll stand the test of time: I’ll never stop looking for her. Never stop dreaming of her. The world will burn before I give up on her.
“I’m gonna ask you one more time,” I growled at the soldier on the ground. “And this time, think real hard about your answer: Where. Is. She?”
The July sun was hot, and the small fire I’d built nearby wasn’t helping. Sweat dripped down the soldier’s face as he lay on his front, his wrists bound and tucked underneath a fallen tree trunk. He was trapped, and he knew it. Didn’t stop him from giving me shitty attitude for the last ten minutes, though.
“Go to hell, filthy Wastelander,” he sneered, spraying blood, and I was kind of impressed he’d held out this long. His face was black and blue, and I’d already knocked out most of his teeth.
But it wasn’t over. I hadn’t even started the worst part yet.
“That how you want to keep playing this, Sergeant—March, is it?” I said, checking the dog tag I’d taken off him. “Fine by me. I’ve got nothing but time.”
I grabbed one of the soldier’s heavy boots and yanked it off, along with his sock. Then I strode over to the fire and pulled out my knife. I held the blade over the flame until it was white-hot to the touch.
The soldier paled. “What are you—?”
“I think you know,” I said grimly. “All you gotta do is tell me where they’re holding her inside that giant-ass compound.”
“What does it matter?” March said, but there was real fear in his voice now. His blue eyes were glued to my knife. “You won’t be able to get in anyway.”
“Why don’t you let me worry about that? Now, you gonna answer me, or what?”
He paused, and for a second, I thought he might really tell me. Instead, he spat at my feet.
I sighed. “Okay, dipshit. You asked for it.”
I moved behind him and pressed the hot blade to the sole of his foot. His scream of agony was instant, and I waited a second before moving the blade lower, burning him again. I repeated the process until he was shaking and sobbing uncontrollably.
I took a pause, watching his swollen face. “You had enough yet, March? I can keep going if you want. But I’d rather you just tell me what I need to know.”
More hot tears spilled out over his cheeks. “You’re just going to kill me anyway.”
“Of course I am,” I replied coolly. “But there’s kill and then there’s kill. I can make it quick and painless like your buddy back there, or I can draw this out for hours, then let the crows pick at your half-dead carcass. Your choice.”
He gulped, and I watched him consider his options. He had none.
“I don’t fucking know where they’re keeping your girl,” March sputtered. “She’s been there for months.”
I frowned. Either this fucker was trying to lie, or he was just wrong. And if he was wrong, then maybe he really didn’t know anything useful.
God fucking damn it. I had to rein in my frustration. I wanted March to think I was in control, even if I wasn’t. Not even close.
“Not true,” I bit out. “She was only taken two weeks ago.”
“Look, buddy, I have no reason to lie to you at this point,” he said, and something in his voice rang true. “You said she’s a taller woman with red hair named Claire. That’s the Sole Survivor, and she’s been there for months. That’s what I know.”
“Sole Survivor?” I repeated, raising an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
March sighed. “Can’t you just kill me already?”
