Truehearts & The Escape From Pirate Moon by Jake Macklem (ebook audio reader TXT) 📕

now shush. It’s okay.” He reached out and wrapped his arm around her like he would one of his children, pulling her close, letting her sob into his shoulder. She’s been through so much, the trauma is starting to break her. “We all have to learn from our choices and mistakes. You wanted to save her… you said you tried to save her, right? It’s not your fault, Red.” He held her close gently rocking. “It’s not your fault.”

“It was my fault.” Ace had a distant look on her face as she said, “They’re all dead and it was all my fault, Shaw. I’m the only one left. They died in my place. It should have been me.”

“You’re talking nonsense, kid.” He reached across her with his other arm, drawing her closer in the most enveloping hug he could manage. “It shouldn’t have been any of you. Or anyone at all. This whole Verse is cruel and hard. People are in life and death situations every day. The Verse ain’t fair, Red, except that it kicks everyone.”

Her head snapped up and looked at him, her eyes red, but focused. “What did you say?”

“The Verse ain’t fair except that it kicks everyone?” Cam repeated unsure if that was what she meant or if she wanted him to say all of it.

“The only thing fair in this Verse is that it’s equally unfair to everyone.” Ace smiled.

“Yeah, that’s another way of saying it. The Wisdom of the Verse talks about it.” Cam locked eyes with her. “Look Red, I don’t know where your head is right now, or what happened in the past. But if you are the only one left and your sisters laid down their lives for you, don’t you need to put your best effort forward, to honor them?”

“It doesn’t make the guilt go away.”

“It never will. But knowing you are using the gifts you have been given will help you deal with their loss.” Cam swallowed, fighting down memories of his own. Visions of fallen brothers and sisters in arms. The desperate moments, terrifying storms of lasers and bullets. The ringing of explosions, peering in the smoke, trying to determine friend from foe. The screams and the blood and the dead eyes. Through all of it, one thing was constant, one thing always got him to the other side of chaos. I’m coming home, Gwen.

  16: Ace

Ace and Cam pulled the raft up onto the small mountain peak that was now a little island. They had spent the last hour paddling and after her little swim, Ace was exhausted. The raft was out of the water and a few meters from the shore—just in case the water rose more over the few hours of solid sleep they hoped to get.

Cam had wrapped his rope-burned arm and hand and was careful when he scooped up his rifle. Ace did not like looking at the bandages. Just another person I’ve hurt.

“I’m gonna just check the immediate area. You want to come with?” Cam asked.

The last thing I want to do. But I ain’t letting you leave me alone again. “Yeah.” Ace checked her spear then said, “You want me to take point?”

“I got the rifle, Red.” Cam winked and together they started exploring. The mountain island had a gentle grade to the center maybe ten meters above the water level and fifteen meters from the shore. “Let’s go have a look.” Along the way, Cam stopped and pulled out his personal recorder.

“What are you doing?”

“Gonna do another video from the family.” Cam looked at the camera and then Ace. “I always have to do the camera and talking. Would you mind doing the recording?” He held it out to her.

I don’t want to hold your shanking camera! “Whatever.” She snatched the camera and in a moment had it ready to go in her right hand while still carrying her spear in her left. Through the capture display, she saw the sad look on Cam’s face. I hurt his feelings. Confused, Ace said, “You ready.”

He pondered while he regarded her, then said, “Ready.” The change as he spoke to his family was instant.

STAR worthy.

“Hey everyone! So here we are on a small island, that’s actually a mountain top most of the time. The flood around here is really bad—like get a submarine bad.” He smiled at his joke. “Anyway I wanted to show you guys this.” He knelt and pulled some brush aside. “This is a tunnel hole. We’ve passed a few of them—”

“We have?” Ace asked, as this was the first one she saw.

Cam hesitated and then said, “We sure have, Ace.”

“Are we in danger?” Ace scanned the area around them.

“No,” Cam said dismissively. Then a second later he added, “I doubt it.” Focusing on the camera again Cam said, “These tunnels were made by some sort of burrowing creature. They aren’t going to be very big based on the size of the hole.”

“Great! So they’ll swarm us while we sleep and gnaw us to death,” she snapped.

Cam stood up and glared at her. “Ace! I am talking to my children. I don’t want them hearing things like that. They don’t need to worry about me getting eaten!”

Ace felt a flash of rage and wanted to break Cam’s arm, or nose, or both. Yeah. Both.

“Look I know today was bad. I know you almost died. I know you are going through some shit. I get it, Ace. But you ain’t the only one!” Cam held his arms out wide. “You think I’m having a good time? That I enjoy this? I ain’t like you, I feel fear! All the time. I’m scared that I’ll never make it home! That something will eat me or I’ll drown in that damn ocean that shouldn’t exist!” He pointed to the expansive