Battle: BWWM Dystopian Interracial Sci-Fi Romance (Betwixt Chocolate Book 2) Read Free Page A

about expanding their empires. If they all do it at once, it could get bloody.”
    “How many people are alive out there?” I asked.
    “Millions, I would say.” He took a bite of chicken. “At least that many,” he continued as he chewed his food.
    “I have to get going,” Ree said, turning to me. “You can catch me up later, okay?”
    I nodded. She stood up and walked away as I turned my attention back to the traveler.
    “Things are crazy out there now,” he said, not slowing down at all on the food intake. “There’s this place called Texas where they’re all lunatics. I barely escaped.”
    “Go on…”
    “I have everything written down. I’ll leave you a copy before I go. Make as many copies as you can,” he said. “We need to spread knowledge.”
    “I agree,” I said, the gravity of the situation weighing on me.
    “You’re in charge here, right?” he asked, glancing around the nearly empty cafeteria.
    “Yeah. Why?”
    He reached into his bag and pulled out a small pouch. I accepted it.
    “Don’t look inside right now, but it’s a map and a diamond ring.”
    “Why are you giving them to me?”
    “Well, I want some supplies and maybe a few people to travel with me. I hoped we might come to an understanding?”
    “Everyone here is addicted to chocolate. They can’t leave.”
    “Chocolate can be found everywhere in the world now.”
    “Do you know anything about the cure?”
    “Doc Chang from House Newyo.”
    “Yeah, I’ve heard him mentioned,” I said.
    “If you can find him, he may be able to help. I’ve tried, but I don’t like to spend too much time in any one single area. Tends to wear out my welcome, you know?”
    “You’re welcome here as long as you would like to stay. We are working toward breaking the addiction to chocolate and building a new world for everyone.”
    “I applaud you, but I don’t think you can pull it off.”
    “No? Why not?” I asked.
    “Well, a lot of reasons.” He put his fist to his chest then burped loudly. “Look, I don’t want to discourage you, but a lot of people have tried over the years to make the world a better place.”
    “And none of them succeeded?”
    “Just take a look around,” he said with a snort. “Do you see progress? It’s bleaking hopeless if you ask me.”
    I stood up.
    “Thanks for your information, and let us know what supplies you need before you leave.”
    “Will do,” he said, not looking up from his plate.
    As I walked away, I thought about his stories, the map, and the diamond ring.
     
    * * *
     
    I leaned against my desk in my office. Ree sat in a chair near the door. She took a deep breath, obviously tired and worn out. The map and the diamond ring were both hidden away.
    “He’s a strange man,” she said.
    “Yeah, but he’s seen a lot.”
    “So he says.”
    “You’re so paranoid sometimes,” I said.
    “Am I? Did someone tell you that? Who was it?” she whispered quickly while looking around.
    I laughed. “You’re so funny sometimes too.”
    “Ten days since we had dinner and kissed,” she teased.
    “Too long in between for me.”
    As I stood and took a step toward her, she got to her feet.
    “I have to get going.”
    “Okay. I’ll see you later.”
    She returned my awkward wave then left. I walked over and shut the door behind her, locking it. Back at my desk, I got out the map and the diamond ring. Ree would receive the ring as a gift and a pledge of my love for her, but the handwritten paper was something entirely different. I unfolded it carefully and saw crude characters I couldn’t translate. The mountain range, however, looked very familiar.
    I decided to keep it to myself a while longer, just in case I needed it. A stranger from across the land delivering it was surely more than a coincidence. After studying it for a bit, I folded it back up and hid it away in the bottom drawer of my desk. Sounds of the factory floor came through the walls of my office. I walked out to check on