Forged in the Dawn

by Gavin Zanker

  Aiden drew Wesley’s knife and clutched it tightly as he stepped out on to the road, following behind the two men at a distance. Trent pushed his companion roughly, shouting something, and the man jogged away out of sight.

  Trent was alone now. This was his chance.

  Aiden increased his pace. Adrenaline coursed through him as he neared. He broke into a sprint, heading straight for Trent as he screamed his name. The Kiln Boy leader whirled at the sound, reacting with unnatural speed and causing Aiden’s knife only slashed air as he jumped aside.

  Trent cocked his head. ‘Do I know you?’

  ‘You should,’ Aiden said, as he rushed the man again.

  Trent sidestepped, letting Aiden slide by as his momentum carried him along. The bowie knife nicked Trent’s arm as he passed though, and a long gash appeared along his forearm.

  ‘Well now you’ve pissed me off,’ Trent said, looking down at his torn jacket and bleeding arm. ‘Who are you, you bloody psycho? More importantly, do you even know who I am?’

  ‘My name is Aiden. And I’m the man who’s going to kill you, you murdering bastard.’

  ‘The Seeker? Well well, I thought you’d frozen to death after you snapped Wesley’s neck.’ Trent walked towards Aiden, his voice calm. ‘A shame that. He was a good man. A reliable deputy. You know he was my friend?’

  Trent’s fist snaked out and caught Aiden on the chin causing his head to snap back. Aiden recovered quickly and lashed out with the knife before Trent could follow up the attack. Trent danced back out of range with a grin on his face.

  ‘I see your leg is bothering you a little there. You think you can go up against me when you’re that slow? Must be emotion getting the better of you. Feeling guilty for letting your little Seeker girlfriend die like in the street like a dog?’

  Aiden snarled and ran forward, straight into Trent’s uppercut. His vision blurred as he hit the floor, his eyes streaming from the smoke in the air.

  Trent towered over him, his face bearing down as he lay on the concrete. ‘She was important to you then, I take it? Shame I had to blow her brains out.’

  Aiden tried to speak but smoke from the nearby fires caught in his throat and he coughed violently. He looked up at the man he hated, watching the firelight dance across his amused face.

  ‘You failed the girl. I bet you failed everyone you ever loved. Your friends sold you out and betrayed you. And now you can’t even take your revenge.’ Trent scowled at Aiden, disdain showing openly. ‘Even with all that motivation, you still fail. You’re worthless. Less than nothing. You should just roll over and die.’

  Aiden felt the words beating him down worse than any physical act could. His anger screamed at him to get up and bury the knife in the man’s face, but he was unable to move.

  ‘Here, I’ll make it easy for you,’ Trent said, reaching in his belt and pulling out his revolver. ‘I’ll end it for you right here. No more pain, no more guilt. I can make it all go away.’ Trent moved his face closer and bared his teeth as he spoke. ‘Isn’t that what you deserve?’

  Aiden’s eyes were wide as Trent filled his entire world. His mind travelled back to the people he had failed. The people who had depended on him. The people he had hurt.

  Trent stood upright and rested the barrel of the revolver on Aiden’s forehead. ‘If you think you deserve to live, just say the word and I’ll let you walk away.’

  In that moment, Aiden found no words, no reason he should still be alive while they were not. He felt nothing except guilt and shame. He closed his eyes and waited for the bullet.

  An explosion rocked the street causing a shock wave that vibrated the asphalt. Trent swayed, looking around for the source of the explosion. The spell broke and Aiden felt control return to his body. He was up and sprinting before he could form a thought.

  After a few steps there was a sound like a whip cracking, and Aiden felt a jolt in his shoulder. He ducked into a nearby alley, letting instinct and adrenaline carry him forward. He ran, and kept running until his vision blurred and his lungs breathed fire. Finally unable to go any further, he collapsed against a wall, sliding down the bricks to the ground. Emotion overcame him and tears streamed down his face as he sat bleeding in the alley.

  Alone. Completely and totally alone.

  CHAPTER 45

  TRAVIS WAS SHOWN into the Mayor’s office by an attractive young woman in a figure hugging outfit. He laughed inwardly at Reinhold’s transparency. Knowing a man’s pleasures put him in a much weaker position. It was surprising how far he had come with so little subtlety.

  Travis took a seat opposite the bulbous man who, even with his bulk, was dwarfed by his oversized chair. The girl whispered something in his ear, then left the room flashing a pretty smile at Travis. He waited patiently while Reinhold pored over some paperwork on his desk. Eventually the large man tossed his pen aside and acknowledged the visitor.

  ‘I’m a very busy man, Mr Kendrick,’ he said. ‘What can I do for you?’

  The reception and tone of voice made it clear Travis was not considered important. He had decided to employ a level of grace with this meeting, skirting around the subject until the hint was taken, but now he realised a blunt approach would be more effective.

  ‘Mayor Reinhold,’ Travis began, ‘by now I have no doubt you are aware of one of your food caches having been raided.’

  The Mayor jumped out of his seat, his jowls rippling as he slammed his hands on the desk. ‘That was your doing was it? You and your little cult really have the balls to attack me? Do you have any idea what I could do to you? I should have you arrested and tossed in the canyon!’

  ‘Without proof, arrests would be quickly overturned,’ Travis said, his hands calmly folded in his lap as he ignored the outburst. ‘And it would mean going public with the incident, which we both know there’s no possibility of you doing. The fallout that would come from hoarding food during these trying times would damage you more than it could ever damage me. Or my “little cult.” So, I suggest you sit and listen to what I have to say.’

  The Mayor glared with hatred in his eyes before slowly heaving his bulk back into the chair. ‘So get to the point,’ he said, waving his hand dismissively.

  ‘It was a nice touch hiding the store in Syndicate territory, giving you complete deniability. Smart.’

  Reinhold leaned forward, a smile forming at the edges of his mouth. ‘Ah, I’m sure the Syndicate wouldn’t be too happy if they were informed that you had been operating within their territory.’

  ‘Come now, who do you think it was that raided the cache?’ Travis said, looking around the room disinterestedly. All deep reds and stained wood. The lavish furnishings only betrayed more of the man’s character.

  The Mayor steepled his fingers in front of his face. He seemed calmer now, though colour still flushed his cheeks. ‘So the Dawnists are conspiring with the Syndicate now? I never thought I would see the day. You do realise Julian and that board of crooks will stab you in the back the first chance they get?’

  ‘Though we have a coloured history, the Syndicate is essentially a business entity. Our relationship will last as long as it is mutually beneficial. How long that is comes down to you.’

  ‘I presume you are coming to the point,’ Reinhold said, his usual poise returning now, though his voice was still edged with bitterness.

  ‘On your orders a few months ago, officers of the city police, that is forces under your command, entered the private property of our compound using a bogus warrant. The purpose of their visit was a thinly veiled effort to assault members of our Church. Meanwhile in the city, your police discriminate and harass Dawnist and Syndicate resident alike.’ Travis narrowed his eyes at the fat man surrounded by his gaudy trappings. ‘This will not stand any longer. Emptying your food cache, which I heard was worth a small fortune by the way, was merely a demonstration that you have vulnerabilities which can be exploited.’

  ‘Vulnerabilities,’ Reinhold repeated, nodding slowly.
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  ‘We know the locations of more of these caches,’ Travis lied smoothly, ‘and will not hesitate to retaliate if any further aggression is shown towards either the Dawnists or the Syndicate. Believe me when I tell you that you do not want to start a war within the walls of your own city. Whatever you might think, you are not invincible, Mayor.’

  ‘I own this city,’ Reinhold growled. ‘Who are you to come in here and threaten me?’

  ‘You run this city, you don’t own it. If the people decided to remove you from power, there is little you could do. Public opinion is a fickle beast. Say for example, rumours started that you are staging attacks on city farms in an attempt to drive up the price of food.’

  The Mayor’s eyes widened. ‘You have no proof of that slander! Watch what you say, Dawnist, or I really will have you thrown into the canyon.’

  ‘No proof, but it’s only logical. With the stores of food you possess, you would be able to name your price on the open market. It’s an effective manipulation, and I can respect the process, though I doubt the starving people would appreciate it. The title of Mayor is so…’ Travis waved his hand in the air, ‘reliant on public opinion. It must take great efforts to appear to be the man you say you are. It would a simple thing to release the information and let the people make up their own mind.’

  The Mayor’s eyes blazed as the two men stared at each other across the desk. Travis enjoyed seeing the gluttonous man squirm under the truth.

  ‘So, I trust that there will be no more police presence inside our compound? I don’t think either of us wants to see further conflict.’

  A strange calmness settled over the Mayor’s face and he smiled. ‘Of course, mistakes were made, errors in judgement, etcetera. I will personally see that this sort of thing doesn’t happen again.’

  ‘Good,’ Travis said, slightly unnerved by the sudden change in the man’s behaviour. ‘I’m glad we could come to an understanding.’

  Reinhold rose from his seat with a grunt as a gentle knock came at the door. The secretary entered, placed a letter on the desk then left without a word.

  ‘You seem to have a pretty new secretary every time we meet,’ Travis said.

  ‘What can I say? I enjoy the company of beautiful women.’ Reinhold spread his hands. ‘Speaking of the fairer sex, how is your beautiful wife Emily these days?’

  ‘She is well, thank you. I will tell her you asked after her well-being.’

  ‘I hear she ran into some trouble a while back,’ Reinhold said, an arrogant smirk touching the edge of his mouth. ‘Some Kiln Boy laid his hands on her. Terrible business.’

  Travis clenched his jaw. He wanted nothing more than to jump across the desk and strangle the Mayor with his own tie for mentioning his wife’s name. How satisfying it would be to watch the man gasp for breath as he struggled to pull his blubbery frame up off his carpeted floor.

  ‘Thank you for your time, Mayor,’ Travis said, his practised smile returning.

  ‘Thank you for your visit, Mr Kendrick. My secretary will show you the way out.’

  Travis gave a short bow then turned and left, irritated at himself for letting the man get under his skin but confident the meeting had gone his way. Samuel would be pleased to hear the news that they should expect no further action against the Church in the near future.

  CHAPTER 46

  FENTON PUSHED THE door of his office shut, leaning back against the aged wood. He closed his fatigued eyes and took a series of slow, measured breaths.

  The explosion in town had been disastrous. He and the Kinship had done what they could, but many of the wounded would not see another day. The second explosion had been as catastrophic as the first, ripping out the side of a warehouse and killing ten people instantly, including Patrick who had been with the Kinship for two years. After hours of clearing the rubble and helping the wounded, there was little left for the Brothers to do. A few of them had insisted Fenton return to the Citadel while they remain behind. He was not the young man he once was, and feeling the ache of age in his bones had agreed.

  He moved across to the window of his office and looked out at the snow covered landscape. The citadel was silent, yet the cries of the wounded still filled his ears, and his heart weighed heavily in his chest. He watched as the sun gradually rose in the east, chasing the retreating night across the landscape.

  A knock came at the door and Brother James appeared in the doorway. ‘Fenton, sorry to disturb you.’

  ‘What’s wrong?’ Fenton asked, seeing the worry on the head gardener’s face.

  ‘I know you’re tired, but you’re going to want to come and see this. Down in the greenhouse.’

  Fenton followed James down the circular stairs of the tower, his knees complaining with every step. They came to the greenhouse and James led him through the rows of growing plants.

  Then he saw it. A trail of blood leading across the concrete floor. He looked to James who nodded slowly. Fenton followed the trail until he came across a man lying against one of the compost bins.

  It was Aiden.

  He was holding a wound in his shoulder, and his clothing was covered in tacky blood. The injured man was conscious, but had a distant look in his eyes.

  Fenton turned to James. ‘I know Theo just got back, but go and wake him. We need to get this man to the infirmary.’

  James nodded and rushed off to wake the medic. Fenton returned his attention to Aiden, kneeling beside the broken man and placing a hand gently on his arm.

  ‘Aiden. What happened, my son?’

  ‘I couldn’t do it,’ Aiden said in a monotone, still staring at nothing. ‘I failed. I failed them all.’

  ‘I tried to tell you. The path of vengeance serves no one.’

  ‘He was right. Everything he said. I brought nothing but pain and death to everyone I loved. Everyone who loved me.’

  Aiden lay his head back against the bin, looking at the glass ceiling, his eyes slick with tears. Fenton’s heart went out for this man and his raw pain.

  ‘Aiden,’ he said softly. ‘Join the Kinship. Let me teach you how to live a life of peace. A life free from the hatred that consumes you.’

  Swallowing hard, Aiden turned to look at Fenton. He squeezed his eyes shut and nodded. Hurried footsteps approached, and Fenton turned to see James and an exhausted looking Theo carrying a stretcher between them. Smiled down at Aiden, he squeezed his arm gently.

  ‘Okay,’ he said. ‘Let’s get you fixed up.’

  The two Brothers carefully lifted Aiden on to the stretcher and carried him towards the infirmary. Fenton walked alongside, looking down at the wounded man and feeling a hope well up inside him. A hope that he could bring peace to this troubled soul who so desperately needed it.

  CHAPTER 47

  AIDEN ENTERED THE Citadel’s library which had become a second home to him over his last month. The familiar shelves and tables, piled with yellowed scrolls and stacks of books, were placed all around the high-ceilinged room. Ellis was there, leaning back in a chair with his eyes shut and feet up on the desk, and Hitch asleep in his usual spot by the fire.

  ‘Aren’t you in charge of keeping this place tidy?’ Aiden said as he passed the dozing man.

  Ellis grunted as he came to. ‘The books are smarter than me, I let them do what they like.’ He put his feet down and rubbed his face. ‘Is there any water left?’

  Aiden moved to the fireplace and lifted the warm kettle. It was still half full so he stoked the fire and a few moments later he poured two steaming mugs of tea. Ellis accepted his with a thanks, cupping it with both hands.

  ‘How’s the shoulder?’ he asked.

  ‘Still painful,’ Aiden said, rubbing the scar where the bullet had passed through. ‘I overheard Fenton and Theo talking, they said I was lucky to survive. I’ll probably be carrying the pain for the rest of my life.’

  Ellis nodded as he stared into his drink. ‘I think we’re all used to carrying old scars around now.’

  ‘So what did you
do before the Dawn?’ Aiden asked, leaning on a cluttered table.

  ‘I was assistant manager of my sister’s clothes shop.’

  ‘Nice and boring. I like it,’ Aiden said with a smirk. ‘So how did you figure out how to rig up all the electrics around here?’

  ‘Self taught really. A lot of trial and error. I nearly burned down the greenhouse when I started, James was furious. I thought he was going to chase me around with shears.’ Ellis sipped his drink and leaned back in his chair. ‘Electronics is fascinating though. There’s so much we lost, things we can’t reproduce any more. Without all the old factories and machines, all we can do these days is make do with salvage. It’s not like we can put circuit boards together with these.’ Ellis held up his large hands and sucked his teeth. ‘Anyway, when it turned out I knew more about it than anyone else around here, Fenton put me in charge of keeping the power running. It’s simple enough really, just a few batteries and some wind turbines. I’ve had some problems lately though, some of the parts are on their way out and who knows where I’ll find replacements. How about you, what did you do back before the world ended?’

  ‘You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,’ Aiden said.

  ‘Judging by all the trouble you get yourself in to I’d have to guess you were in the army. Or maybe a secret agent.’

  ‘I was a civil engineer for a long time. Designing houses and the like.’

  ‘You’re right, I don’t believe you,’ Ellis said with a grin. ‘All right, here’s a question that’s pretty popular around here during the long nights. What do you miss the most from the old world?’

  Aiden immediately thought of Kate. The way she would blow her auburn hair out of her face and look up at him with her bright eyes. He shook his head to clear the image.

  ‘I miss a lot of things,’ he said. ‘They’re not coming back though, so no point dwelling on them.’