“Dorian?”
Callum scowled. “The coward ran for it, but I’ve got my men out scourin’ the streets. They’ll find him soon enough.”
Bitter tears of disappointment stung her eyelids. “F…find him. Kill him.”
“Aye, I will. That’s a promise,” Callum said.
Suddenly, Kat remembered her deal with Patti. “What about the uprising?”
“Och, that’s old news. Ye’ve been out of it for almost a week,” Callum said. “Between Patti and I, it went fast. Fast and bloodless.”
“It’s over?” Kat asked, a surge of joy flushing her veins.
“That’s right. Prime City is free, and the gates are closed to the general. Ye’ll never have to see him again.”
Kat relaxed into her pillows, some of the strain leaving her muscles. I’m free. Free at last.
But for the first time, she didn’t want to be. “Callum?”
“Yes?”
“My face.”
“Dinna worry about yer looks, Kat. Ye’ll always be a beauty. A rare and wondrous find,” Callum said.
Kat nodded. She didn’t really care about her looks. It had brought her nothing but heartache and sorrow. She only wanted to know if Callum cared, and he didn’t. “About…that dinner.”
“Och? Have ye changed yer mind now?” Callum asked, a smile playing on his lips.
“Yes, I have.”
Chapter 21 - General Sikes
General Sikes broke through the trees and cantered into the open field. On the very edge, he reigned in his horse and surveyed the Zoo. It lay sprawled across the clearing, a thriving town filled with loot and treasure. It beckoned to him, a juicy plum ripe for the plucking. “There it is. You did well, Captain. Very well indeed.”
Bones nodded. “I live to serve, General Sikes.”
“Good. If this attack succeeds, I might even give you a raise,” Sikes added. As opposed to a swift death.
“Thank you, General,” Bones intoned, his cadaverous features pale in the low light. The man seemed perturbed, but Sikes put it down as nerves.
“Ready the troops. We attack immediately,” Sikes ordered. “I want to catch them in their beds.”
“Yes, Sir,” Bones said. With a smart salute, he wheeled his horse around and disappeared into the forest.
Sikes took the opportunity to study the settlement. Its walls looked flimsy compared to Prime City’s, and he envisioned no trouble in scaling them. Smoke rose from a couple of chimneys, curling into the gray sky above. Dawn was still a long way off, and the sky had only begun to lighten.
From the bushes next to him, four small hand picked teams emerged. Each man carried a grappling hook tied to a line, and each was armed to the teeth. Sikes gave the signal, and they rushed forward on silent feet.
Their clothes were designed to blend in with the grass, and Sikes hoped they would remain unseen. According to Bones, this was the hour when the guards were at their worst. Half of them would be asleep, and the other half was praying they were.
Within seconds, the teams had reached the walls, and he watched with a satisfied grin as they clambered upward with swift movements. As one, they dropped over the edge, disappearing from sight.
Sikes craned his head, expecting to hear the sounds of fighting. However, nothing but silence reached his ears. On either side of him, the army advanced across the field. They stood ready to charge once the gates opened. Ready to catch the Exiles by complete surprise. Still, he heard not a single whisper. “Captain.”
“Yes, Sir?” Bones said, popping up at his side.
“Why is it so quiet? Shouldn’t there be guards at the gate?” Sikes asked.
“Yes, Sir. There usually is. Maybe they were caught napping?” Bones suggested.
“All of them?” Sikes said with a frown. Something didn’t seem right. Before he could utter a word, though, the gates swung open. His soldiers jogged into view, waving at the rest of the men.
Prime’s army charged, rushing the settlement with their weapons at the ready. The spearmen went first, followed by the swordsmen, then the crossbowmen, and finally, the gun squads. They would serve as a last resort—an ace up his sleeve.
Pushing his doubts aside, Sikes kicked his horse. At full gallop, he charged toward the gate. His blood was up, and he could almost taste the victory that was sure to be his.
His stallion, Goliath, forged through the ranks at great speed. Its powerful strides carried them through the entrance and into the very center of the town. Sikes opened his mouth and uttered a fierce cry, brandishing his shotgun.
His sharp gaze searched for a victim, but he found none. Instead, the grounds were empty. Not a single soul could be seen anywhere around. The army had followed him inside, roaring as loudly as he did. The noise alone was enough to wake the dead, yet no one showed.
“Where is everyone? Where?” he roared, wheeling his horse in a circle.
The soldiers faltered, their cries falling silent as they milled about in confusion. The sight enraged Sikes, and he leveled his shotgun at the nearest man. He pulled the trigger, and the soldier’s head exploded in a spray of blood and brains. The rest froze to the spot, staring at him with frightened eyes.
“Stop acting like sheep, damn it. The enemy is around here somewhere. The cowards are probably hiding. Find them,” Sikes bellowed, spittle staining his beard. “Find them, and kill them all.”
The men obeyed, running into buildings and houses. Sikes didn’t wait around for them and dismounted. With swift strides, he reached the nearest home and kicked down the door. It flew open with a crash, splinters flying through the air. On stung him on the cheek, and he brushed away the droplets of blood.
Inside the house, he found nothing but spartan furnishings. The cupboards were empty and the mattresses bare. Even the curtains were gone. Nothing remained but an empty shell.
A soldier appeared in the doorway, his eyes wide. “Sir, there’s nothing. They’re all gone. They must’ve run.”
“Nothing? You say there’s nothing?” Sikes repeated through gritted teeth.
The soldier swallowed. “Even the animals, Sir. We found signs of them, but they’re gone.”
In a fit of rage, Sikes punched his fist through a kitchen cupboard. He ripped the door off its hinges and tossed it aside. He’d been duped. Had. Deceived. “Find Captain Bones. Now!”
“Yes, Sir,” the soldier said, bobbing his head. He ran off, and Sikes was forced to take out his rage on the inanimate objects around him.
After he’d trashed the place, Sikes searched the grounds. He didn’t want to believe what the men told him and refused to accept defeat. Charging around like a mad man, he called for Bones and the Exiles to show their faces. “Come on, you fucking cowards!”
But Bones was long gone, and so were the Exiles. In the end, Sikes was forced to accept reality. His victory was a hollow one. He’d have to return to Prime City empty-handed. It was a humiliating blow to his pride, one he was determined to salvage.
With forced calm, he ordered a search party to look for the missing Bones. “Don’t come back without him, or it’ll be your heads on a platter.”
He ordered another team to strip anything left of value and load it on the wagons. “Take it all, even the screws and nails.”
“Yes, Sir,” they said.
These actions soothed his wounded pride, and he prepared to return to Prime. Somehow, he’d spin the whole fiasco into a great victory. As he rode through the Zoo’s gates, he gave one final order. “Burn it to the ground.”
***
Bones watched the Zoo burn from afar. The once-thriving settlement was now a fiery inferno, its flames leaping high into the sky. The sparks caught on the wind, carrying to nearby fields. Within the hour, half of the forest was ablaze.
Herds of trumpeting herbivores stampeded ahead of the fire. They ran side by side with predators, for when the yellow death came, none of that mattered. The lucky ones reached the river and sought refuge at its banks. The
rest died, leaving behind nothing but blackened shells.
Bones shook his head. It was a tragedy, but he wasn’t surprised. Sikes was mad. He’d burn the entire world to the ground if it suited him. There was something broken inside him; a part of his brain had come unhinged.
It was the reason Bones ran. He was no idiot, and he knew Sikes would blame him for his failure. The moment he saw the Zoo, he realized it was all wrong. There were no guards in the towers, no heads bobbing up and down as they patrolled the walls. They were gone, and he guessed it was Rogue that had warned them. Rogue and her friends.
It had to be her. Where else would she go after escaping Prime’s dungeons? He hoped it was her and that she was still alive. That way, he might get to see her again. Someday.
Epilogue
Rogue shivered in the chill night air, her senses on high alert. It sucked being out in the open after dark, and she kept imagining something leaping out of the bushes. Something with teeth and sharp claws. She huddled closer to Seth’s back, taking comfort in his presence.
Ahead of her stretched a long line of people, their progress illuminated by burning torches. They made very little noise. Armed guards patrolled the perimeter, and scouts roamed the area. Those women with children walked in the middle, their babies and toddlers carried in slings. As long as the little ones slept, all was well.
The trail they were on was supposed to be safe. It had been mapped out ages ago and often cleared by maintenance groups. It ran between the territories of several predators, a winding snake that led down to the river. Even so, Rogue wasn’t convinced. Safe? Yeah right.
Leaves rustled overhead, and the sound of beating wings sent a shiver down her spine. A couple of bushes to the right shook, and the sound of an animal scurrying through the undergrowth worried her. “Seth? I don’t like this.”
“Sh, we’re almost there,” Seth said.
“Do you even know where we’re going?” she asked.
“No, I don’t. Now keep quiet.”
A fierce whisper from behind said, “Listen to him and shut up before you draw something to us.”
“Sorry,” Rogue whispered back before she clamped her lips shut. Don’t be a cry baby and keep walking.
Half an hour later, they reached the Willamette. The ground sloped down to the water’s edge, where several armed men waited with an assortment of rafts and boats. With whispered encouragement, the women coaxed their kids onto the boats, and they were ferried to the other side.
Seth and Rogue followed soon after, and she climbed onto the raft with unsteady legs. It swayed beneath her feet, and her stomach leaped into her throat when they pushed off. She grabbed Seth’s jacket and squeezed her eyes shut.
With a mild chuckle, he smoothed one hand across her hair. “There, there. It’s not so bad.”
“Speak for yourself,” she said, her voice muffled against his chest.
Soon, they were across, and Rogue watched as the rest of the Zoo were ferried across in bits and pieces. First, the people, then the animals, followed by the carts and wagons.
She was growing tired, and the massive backpack she carried dragged at her shoulders. Still, they waited, and she dared not complain. It wasn’t like any of them had a choice after all. This was survival, pure and simple.
It took several hours before they could set off once more, and the moon was edging toward the horizon. Rogue pushed onward, placing one foot in front of the other. A massive yawn tugged at her lips, and she let it free. “Are we there yet?”
“Soon,” Seth said with a hint of amusement.
“Could you carry me the rest of the way? I’m tired,” Rogue asked, only half-teasing.
“I’m not Tarzan, you know?” Seth said.
Rogue frowned. “Who’s Tarzan?”
He stared at her with disbelief. “Don’t you know who Tarzan is?”
She shook her head. “Nope, no idea.”
“That’s—”
“Would you two shut up?” the fierce whisper came again.
Seth pulled a face, but he remained quiet.
So did Rogue until a low cry caught her attention. “What is it?”
Seth craned his head, standing on tiptoe with his torch held high in the air. “I think we’re here.”
“Here? Where’s here? “Rogue asked, looking around.
“I’m not sure. It looks like a tunnel.”
“A tunnel?” Rogue said with dismay. “I hate tunnels.”
“Don’t worry. I’m here with you every step of the way,” Seth coaxed.
The line moved forward until they reached a dark opening in a low hill. Moss and vines grew thick all around it, and a steel grate covered in green tarpaulin leaned against a nearby tree. It looked like camouflage to her, a way to keep the tunnel’s entrance a secret.
With Seth urging her onward, she stepped into the dank, smelly hole. She cast a last longing look over her shoulder at the coming dawn. Then it was gone, and the earth swallowed her up. Earth and stone, for the walls were made of ancient crumbling brick and mortar.
“Come on,” Seth said, tugging her hand. “It’ll be okay.”
“Do you promise?” Rogue asked, leaning into his warmth.
“I do. No matter what happens, you’ll always have me.”
Rogue thought about it, picturing the two of them together. It was a rather ordinary vision in which they did mundane things like making coffee in the morning or getting ready for bed. She saw herself smile at him in the mirror while combing her hair or him making a face when she said something silly. It’s perfect. He’s perfect.
“Why are you smiling like that?” Seth asked.
“No reason,” she said, snuggling his arm. “I’m just picturing myself pestering you for the rest of eternity. I kind of like it.”
“You do, huh?” Seth said, planting a kiss on the tip of her nose. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer. “Well, I kind of like that idea too.”
As they ducked beneath a concrete arch, a faded sign lit by a torch appeared on the wall. It was a relic of the past, and yet, strangely fitting to their current circumstances.
It read, “Welcome to the Shanghai Tunnels of Portland, Oregon. Enjoy your stay.”
The End.
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Glossary
Primordial Earth (Book 3) – Glossary
Glossary terms are listed in alphabetical order and without reference to their locations within the book.
Generally speaking, physical location references are not listed in the Glossary.
Measurements are provided in both metric and US/Imperial units.
Alamosaurus – A genus of sauropod dinosaurs containing just one species that lived in the late Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous.) Specimens suggest they could measure up to 30 meters (98 feet) in length and weigh as much as 79 metric tons (88 tons). For comparison, the largest living land animal in the present day is the African elephant which can weigh up to 6.3 metric tons (7 tons). (Wikipedia.)
Albertosaurus – A genus of tyrannosaurid dinosaurs that lived in the late Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous.) Specimens suggest they could measure up to 10 meters (33 feet) in length and weigh as much as 2.5 metric tons (2.8 tons). (Wikipedia.)
Ankylosaurus – A genus of armored dinosaurs that lived at the very end Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous.) Specimens suggest they could measure up to 10.6 meters (35 feet) in length and weigh as much as 5.9 metric tons (6.5 tons). (Wikipedia.)
Ballistae – Plural form of ballista, an ancient weapon that hurled large stones, javelins, or bolts. The weapon dates back to the 4 th century BC Greece. (Wikipedia.)
Bambiraptor – A carnivorous dinosaur that lived in the late Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous.) Estimated size for an adult would measure 1.3 meters (4.3 feet) in length and weigh 5 kilograms, (11 pounds). (Wikipedia.)
Brachylophosaurus – A genus of hadrosaur dinosaurs that lived in
the late Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous.) Estimates suggest that an adult could measure at least 9 to 11 meters (29 to 36 feet) in length and weigh as much as 7 metric tons, (7.7 tons). (Wikipedia.)
Clidastes – A genus of large carnivorous marine lizards called mosasaurs. An average size specimen could measure 2 to 4 meters (6.5 to 13 feet). A large one could be 6 meters (19.6 feet). It existed in the late Cretaceous period. (See Cretaceous.) (Wikipedia.)
Cretaceous – The Cretaceous period is defined as beginning 145 million years ago (mya) and lasting until approximately 66 mya. (Wikipedia.)
Dryptosaurus - Pronunciation: drip-toe-SORE-us, Name meaning: ‘tearing lizard’
Dryptosaurus is a genus of tyrannosauroid that lived approximately 67 million years ago during the latter part of the Cretaceous period in what is now New Jersey. Dryptosaurus was a large, bipedal, ground-dwelling carnivore, that could grow up to 7.5 m long. Estimated Mass: 1 500 kg (Wikipedia)
Lambeosaurus – A genus of hadrosaurid herbivore dinosaurs that lived in the late Cretaceous period. These dinosaurs had duckbills and could feed from trees as high as 4 meters (13 feet). (Wikipedia.)
mya – an acronym for “million years ago”, also “m.y.a”, used in astronomy, geology, and paleontology. (Wikipedia)
Nyctosaurus – A genus of nyctosaurid pterodactyloid pterosaur that lived in the late Cretaceous period. An adult could have a wingspan of 2 meters (6.5 feet). Compared to terrestrial dinosaurs Nyctosaurus were small-bodied and weigh less than 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds). (See Cretaceous.) (Wikipedia.)
Prime City - A settlement of survivors that formed around the former Prime hotel, owned and run by the self-proclaimed Senator Douglas. He used the Watch to patrol the walls and keep the people in line.
The Extinction Series | Book 3 | Primordial Earth 3 Page 13