Salvation Road

by James Axler

  What she saw made her blood run cold.

  RYAN HAD LOST TRACK of the baron when the first shot was fired. Somewhere in the shadow, Hunter had disappeared. He couldn't have gone far, but knowing he had to have realized what had happened, and that he knew the wellhead better than anyone, Ryan knew he'd have to be on triple red.

  Even so, Hunter's voice from behind still shocked him and made his blood run cold.

  "Drop those blasters and turn around slowly, or else I'll chill you where you stand," the baron said softly.

  Ryan had no doubt that Hunter had his blaster leveled at him, and so he complied, making sure to be triple slow and buy some time. The baron had to know that there was someone else at the wellhead, but he couldn't keep his attention perfectly divided. Ryan just hoped that Krysty would be able to do something before the baron decided it was time for him to buy the farm.

  "So tell me," Ryan said calmly as he turned. "Was Crow involved?"

  "No. Shame he had to tumble to what was going on, as he was an okay guy and a damn fine worker. That I do regret, if I'm honest."

  "I regret that, too," Ryan said. He wanted to keep the conversation going as long as possible, to buy time for himself, and for Krysty to try to attack the baron. He'd be less likely to hear her approach if he was busy talking. Ryan continued. "I don't get it. Why do you want to destroy the well?"

  "Want? Hell, the last thing I want is to destroy it." Hunter laughed bitterly.

  "Then why are you doing that very thing?" Ryan asked.

  A tinge of genuine sadness entered Hunter's voice.

  "I don't have any choice. I spent years searching for a well. Years. And it was part of my father, too. When I found this one, I couldn't believe that it was still operable. The test drilling found that there were sizable deposits—or that's how it seemed."

  "How it seemed?" Ryan interjected, trying desperately to see if Krysty was in view anywhere, trying desperately to keep Hunter talking.

  "I guess that some old deposits had been trapped by rock shifts, making big enough pools to drill into. But soon after we started work here it became clear that there wasn't anything really left in the well, and those deposits soon dried up."

  "Shit, that's one beauty to explain to the other barons," Ryan said.

  "Explain? After all the jack and supplies they've pumped into this? They figure that they own me, and they'd take it out on my ass. So I had to delay the project somehow, until I had enough jack and an escape route to make a run for it."

  "And now you have."

  Hunter nodded. "And the perfect setup, with you getting the blame for tonight's disaster. 'Cept you were too clever. Which is why I'm gonna have to chill you."

  "Go ahead. It isn't going to help you," Ryan said calmly.

  "You're one strange fucker, Cawdor," Hunter remarked as he leveled his blaster.

  It was then that Krysty leaped from the shadows, having made her way into a good position. She didn't want to fire at Hunter with Ryan so close, so instead threw herself forward and took the baron from one side, driving into his ribs with her shoulder and using her incredibly strong arms to grab at his blaster hand and force it up. Hunter fired harmlessly into the air, then dropped the blaster as the nerves deadened in his fingers.

  The force with which Krysty hit the baron propelled them both across the edge of the borehole for the main shaft and into the empty space.

  "Fireblast!" Ryan yelled, bursting into action as he saw Krysty and Hunter disappear into the blackness of the hole. It was a bore sunk several hundred feet deep, with nothing to break a fall.

  The one-eyed man reached the edge of the hole. Peering over the edge, he could see that Krysty was clinging to the edge by her fingertips, which were slipping painfully as there was little purchase, and she had Hunter clinging to her heels, even though she was trying desperately to kick him loose.

  "I go, you go with me lady," he yelled.

  "Not if I can help it," she yelled back, loosing one of her feet from his grasp and pulling it up before thrusting down hard, the heel of her boot cracking hard against the side of the baron's head, catching him above the ear and stunning him…just enough for him to lose his grip and plunge into the depths with a wild scream.

  "Hold on," Ryan gasped as he reached down and gripped her forearms in his strong fingers, using his boots and the edge of the lipped wellhead to gain a counterforce before pulling with all his might, dragging Krysty upward as she scrabbled for a foothold to help him.

  It took a few seconds, but she was finally able to pull her arms over the lipped edge of the wellhead and drag herself upward as Ryan pulled, until she was out of the borehole and lying on the derrick, gasping for breath.

  Both of them were silent for a few moments as they regained their breath, before Krysty gasped, "What now…lover?"

  Ryan shook his head. "We'll take the wag and round up the others. Head out on the blacktop and hope for the best. Get J.B. to get a direction and try to head back for the redoubt, get the fuck out of here and somewhere else."

  "Try and explain to the barons?" Krysty hissed through painful breaths.

  Ryan shook his head once more. "No chance…look at it."

  Krysty raised her head. There were several fires across the work site, and she could hear the scattered sounds of battle coming to a close. The well was in ruins, and there was no Baron Silas Hunter to stand accountable to the other barons. Just a bunch of outsiders that no one would trust.

  She raised herself to her feet, leg muscles still trembling from the effort. Fixing the one-eyed warrior with a stare, she said, "Yeah, you're right. No one'll believe us. Let's get the wag, round everyone up and get the hell out."

  Ryan grinned. Despite the situation, he couldn't help saying it.

  "Yeah—and out of hell."