“Then you won't like the consequences.”
His grin grows wider. “Are you threatening me?”
I tilt my head sideways. “Consider it more as helpful advice. Do we have a deal?”
He throws his head back and laughs like I just said something side splittin' funny. “A deal? Why in the Prezedant's name would I make a deal with a bunch of desert rats? If you have the information I require, then I will simply take it from you. Just like I take whatever I want. Why deny myself the spoils of quarterly raid?” He nods his head toward the soldier coming toward us and still holding the young woman. She's awake, but blood drips from her cut lip, and her eyes stare in sorrow at her young man still bleeding on the ground. Lost in her grief, she’s oblivious to anything else happening around her.
A weary sigh escapes my lips. I had a feeling that would be his answer. I didn't want it to be this way, but so be it. I just hope I have it in me to do this. I stoke the flame in my gut, knowing I only have one chance at this. The surge of strength will have to be brutal and quick and will leave me defenseless for a bit. But I won't get a second chance. I need to take ‘em all down on the first try.
“Last chance,” I say more as a distraction than a bargaining plea. I just need a little more time.
“You bore me, girl.” He nods his head at the firing squad, and they shove us toward the group of villagers. I spin quickly, taking stock of all the brown-robed enemies and their positions. Eight in front of me, two on the right, and two on the left. Got it.
The leader pulls his own shooter, a small hand-held version, and comes to stand in front of me, placing his weapon directly underneath my chin. He digs the cold metal into my flesh with a brutality that makes me wince. His dark eyes glitter with amusement. He’s enjoying every moment of my discomfort, and at that precise moment, I understand who he is. There ain't gonna be no reasoning with his cruelty. I know that now. Some souls are who they are, and you cain't change 'em. You cain't make a man believe he's doing wrong when to him it feels right. You cain't make him fundamentally different.
“So, rat. You know where the New Blood is? Tell me. Tell me, and I will make your death merciful. Deny me, and I will draw out your suffering until you beg for mercy.”
His weapon burrows harder into my flesh with every word he spits outta his mouth. But I don't give him the pleasure of showing any more pain. Instead, a slow smile starts tugging at the corners of my mouth.
“She's right in front of you.”
My whisper of admission don’t draw any reaction at first. He simply keeps staring at me like he ain't quite getting it. I can tell the moment understanding sets in. His eyes open wide, and his face goes slack with surprise. The gun leaves my chin as the neck-wrapper is torn from my head.
“It's the New Blood,” he yells, as my white and black hair tumbles about my shoulders. His pleased as punch expression starts to dissipate as I reckon he finally understands the danger that means for him.
“The serum,” he demands, backing up from me. His head swivels, trying to find the one carrying the only chance of taking me down. I take advantage of the confusion and make my move.
“Don't let 'em get me with that serum,” I snap at Jax as I reach for my Chi, opening up the floodgates and allowing it to pour into my blood with reckless abandon. The fire spreads quickly through my veins, and I welcome the pulsating heat like an old friend.
I whip the flame into an instant inferno. Out of the corner of my eye, I see one of the soldiers that had been guarding the children come running at me holding that familiar white cylinder. Before he can get within an arms span near me, Jax takes him down with a flying leap, Talbert and Beanie close behind. The soldier and the cylinder disappear under the avalanche of bodies.
Not having to worry about that threat, I allow the fire to consume me. I've been told when my Chi manifests itself into my physical being I'm a scary sight to behold. I reckon it's happening now since the leader's mouth drops open, and his smug look turns to terror as I step his way. He quickly recovers and pulls his shooter up to my chest.
“Shoot them. Shoot them all,” he screams, not caring that the Prezedant has ordered me to be taken alive. He's only concerned for his own neck right now.
The rest of his men finally override their shock, training their shooters on the villagers once again. Their cries of terror rise up, hitting me like a punch to the gut. I unleash my Chi without thinking of the consequences.
The strange wind that had come to my aid on the lawn of the Prezedant's estate answers my call again. Focusing on my targets, the powerful gust lifts the brown-robed Army offa their feet and blows them back at least four arm spans. They land in a jumbled heap, their weapons torn from their hands and lost along the way.
Without giving them time to collect themselves, I attack again. Those that had already started to get to their feet fall in panic, grabbing at their throats as if unable to breathe. The soldiers still on the ground writhe in terror, trying in vain to suck in life giving air. I picture my Chi in my head as a tangible thing, wisps of white settling around the soldiers’ throats and tightening. Tightening. Draining them of life.
“Tara. Tara. Enough.” The voice is distorted and seems to be drifting to me from far away.
Never enough. Kill them. This voice speaks directly in my head with cold clarity, blocking out the other. You know it's the right thing to do. Kill them.
My clawed hands in front of me grip tighter, like I can actually feel them around my enemies’ necks. My nails dig into the palms of my hand, drawing blood but I don't feel it. My focus is on the brown-robed men squirming on the ground. They must pay for what they've done.
“Tara. Stop. You don't want to kill them.” A body steps in fronta me, blocking the soldiers from my view.
Of course you do, the harsh voice in my head argues. Kill them all.
I can feel the moment my Chi releases them, however. The invisible cord connecting us is suddenly severed and snaps back into my body like stretched elastic. I actually recoil from the impact, gasping for air as I stumble. Strong brown hands steady me, preventing me from falling as Ben's face swims into focus.
“Ben,” I croak as my eyes flick from his face to the men on the ground. Thank gods Ben stopped me. But was he too late? Do I have more blood on my hands?
No. They ain't dead. Badly injured, but not dead. They twitch and jerk, moaning in pain as they fight to breathe. The villagers react quickly to their miraculous rescue. Taking advantage of the Army's immobility, all the iron shooters are snatched up and turned on their owners faster than a wolfling on an injured hog.
I struggle to cover my weakness. The intense surge of power has left me shaking and fighting against the desire to simply slump to my knees. Instead, I stiffen my spine and force myself to walk toward the leader as he kneels in the dirt, shooters pointing at him from every direction. He's tougher than I gave him credit for. Already I can see the bruises forming around his neck, but he stares at me defiantly as he watches me approach. I ain't gonna lie; a slight thrill at defeating him passes over me, and it’s all I can do to stop myself from gloating, “I warned you.” But I don't. Instead, he speaks first.
“May as well kill me now, Abomination. There's nothing I will tell you.” His voice is raspy and raw but filled with anger.
“No.” I shake my head. “I won't kill you. Whether you live or die ain't my choice. It belongs to the villagers. Your fate lies in the hands of the people you've tortured and stolen from all these years.”
I look around at the faces of the people I just saved. They contain a variety of emotion: anger, hatred, shock, and disbelief. The young woman they dragged away earlier spits on the leader as she makes her way to her young man still lying in a pool of his own blood. He stirs as she reaches his side, and she helps him sit up. I’m glad to see he ain’t dead after all.
“They killed two of us today and would have killed us all if you hadn't shown up, New Blood.” An old woman holds her claimed weapon clo
se to the soldier’s head, and I swear I can see her finger just twitching against the trigger. “They've already decided their fate.”
I give a nod of respect to the woman. “So be it, Old Mother.”
I don't like the decision since the thought of more death turns my stomach. But I understand the reasoning. If hatred and revenge ain't reason enough, their own protection necessitates it. If any of these soldiers were to remain alive and get back to the Prezedant, the village wouldn't stand a chance. They'd be wiped out in the blink of an eye. This way if the soldiers were to mysteriously vanish with no trace, then maybe it won't come back on the village.
“Stand up, devil spawn,” she snarls at the soldier with a strength belying her years, and he's pulled to his feet with the aid of a couple more villagers. The other soldiers are herded his way until they form a tight circle surrounded by their intended victims.
Jax comes to join me, standing at my shoulder and holding that damn cylinder of serum.
“You okay?” he whispers at me and I nod.
“Thanks for makin' sure I didn't get stuck with that.”
“You're welcome. Thanks for keeping us alive. How did you know your plan would work?”
“I didn't,” I whisper back, ignoring his shocked look as the old lady saunters my way.
She stands in front of me, staring, her eyes glazing over with tears now that the danger is over. Her wrinkled hand reaches my way and cups my cheek with the lightest of touches.
“Thank you, merciful New Blood,” she chokes out.
I grab her hand, clasping it in both of mine. “No need to thank me, Old Mother. And my name is Tara.”
“Tara.” She smiles at me through her tears. “You've saved so many lives here today, child. How can we ever repay you?”
“I did the easy part,” I reply, nodding my head toward the soldiers. “What has to happen next is the hard part. Are you sure your people are capable of doin' what needs to be done? Takin' a life ain't ever easy.”
Her eyes harden at my words. “We’re capable. No need to worry. We will handle the problem so they’re never found.”
“Then consider that payment in full. I don't envy you the task.”
Us or them. The words echo in my head, and I glance over the soldiers, sadness heavy in my heart. I know they woulda killed all of us without a second thought, but I cain't help how I feel. Like I said, taking a life ain’t easy. It’ll come back to haunt you when you least expect it.
The villagers start moving the soldiers away, single file. Takin' them out of the village, away from the young'uns eyes before doling out the punishment, I reckon.
They stare straight ahead, wearing their anger like armor. Even knowing that they walk to their deaths, they show no remorse. It must be hard carrying that much hatred in your heart. If they even have hearts. The leader stops suddenly in front of me, and Jax steps forward, but I hold him back with a slight wave of my hand. The leader’s eyes lock with mine, and they are so filled with hate and contempt that it almost takes my breath away.
“You truly believe you can win, New Blood? You truly believe a lowly mutant such as yourself can beat the Prezedent? The chosen leader of our world?”
I shake my head at him. “No. I don't think I can beat him at all. But we can. The mutants, the slaves, the oppressed. I believe we're gonna take him down. Too bad you won't be around to see it.”
“You are a fool,” he hisses before a shove from a villager starts his momentum again. I watch them walk away, my heart heavy with the fear that he may just be right.
3
A Quicker Journey
My body shakes and convulses, and my bones jar so badly I think they're gonna come right outta my skin. I ain't ever been this shook up in my life. And the constant thrumming of the… what did Belle call it? The engine? The constant hum of the engine is like poison to my ears, corroding my eardrums. Shizen. Why on earth did I agree to ride in this mechanical contraption?
And what was I thinking trusting in Belle when she said she could drive this thing she called a truck? Just because she’s been in one before don't mean she can control it. My stomach threatening to come outta my mouth with every rut we hit on the ass-fault proves that much. I don't care how much faster we can travel in this veacal; I'd much rather be walking. I look over at Jax sitting beside me, hoping he's as sick as I am, but the grin covering his face from ear to ear tells me he's enjoying this a lot more than I am. The jackass.
He catches my eye, and the childlike laughter that explodes outta him annoys me even more so than his grin.
“What's the matter, Tara? You look positively green. Isn't this great?”
“No, it ain't great,” I grit through my teeth, trying hard not to puke. “Nuthin' about this is great. Travelin’ inside this mechanical monster ain't natural, I tell ya.”
We hit another rut, and the truck dips, causing my stomach to flip-flop. I swallow the bile in the back of my throat.
“Shizen, Belle. Are you hittin' the holes on purpose? It ain't like they ain't big enough to see.”
She averts her dark gaze from the road in fronta us and flashes her horse teeth at me. “I said I could drive this truck. I didn't say I'd be good at it.”
“Then whadda you doin' lookin' at me?” I yell in panic. “Look at the road! Look at the road! There's another ho—”
We hit the crater hard, and I bounce offa the seat, smashing my head into the top of the metal roof. A chorus of yells from the back of the truck has me worried for the boys riding back there. Here in this front part at least Belle, Jax, and me are confined somewhat, but back there they must be bouncing around like apples in a barrel.
“Hey.” I bang my hand against the little window along the back behind our heads. “You guys all right back there?”
The slot is yanked open almost immediately, and Ben's light brown eyes come into view.
“No, we ain't all right. What the Shizen are you guys doin'? We need to stop now.” His attention gets pulled away by something I cain't see. “Beanie! Don't you dare. Don't you puke… awwww man.” Ben's face pales as his watery eyes come back to me. “You may wanna toss that slingbag away, Tara. Just sayin'.” He starts gagging at something I cain’t see, and my own retching acts up again. Slamming the window shut so I cain't hear them anymore, I growl at Belle, “Stop this damn thing now.”
Thankfully, she does as I command. I bowl Jax over trying to get out of the metal box and into some fresh air. Beanie bolts outta the back and hightails it into the shrubs lining the side of the road. His retching causes my stomach to roll, and I bend over, place my hands on my knees for support, and breathe in deep through my nose. I will not be sick. I will not.
“You okay, Tara?” Jax places his hand on my shoulder, but I shrug it off with a growl.
“Let’s take the truck, he says. It'll be fun, he says.” I close my eyes and suck in air as another wave of nausea washes over me. “Guess what, Jax? This? This ain't fun.”
“Are we dyin', Mistress?” Beanie wails at me from the shrubbery before giving into another noisy bout of vomiting.
“Please, Beanie, stop,” I yell in my head, but I don't say it out loud. I'm too focused on keeping my own stomach contents inside.
“You're not dying, Beanie,” Jax replies, and I swear I can hear underlying amusement in his voice. Is he actually laughing at us? I send a sharp glare his way, and the smile hovering around his lips disappears under the guise of a cough. “Sorry, had a tickle in my throat,” he adds with fake contrition.
“Sometimes, I really don't like you, Jax,” I whine, but without too much heat. I'm too ill to rag him out at the moment.
“What you two are experiencing is motion sickness, I'm guessing. I've heard about this before. Movement of the truck is messing with your senses, throwing you off balance. Making you feel sick. Nothing a few mint leaves won't cure.”
“Aye, I know that. What idiot don’t? But do you happen to have some mint leaves?” I question, irritated.
“Aye, Mistress,” Talbert agrees. “There's all sorta plants in da sand lands good for stomach ailments, there is. We'll 'ave ya fixed up in no time. You too, Bean, ol' chap.”
I don't argue. It's too much effort.
By the time the fire is stoked and we have some corn and taters from the back of the truck boiling, I'm actually starting to feel a little better. Even Beanie ain't puking no more, but he's still as pale as the night's full moon. Jax, true to his word, finds us some mint leaves to chew on. As much as his fake compassion irritates me, the leaves do seem to help.
Climbing back into that metal beast don't appeal, but I know we gotta do it. The incident at the village has put all the villagers at risk. They get caught with this veacal anywhere near ‘em they may as well kiss their butts goodbye. It’ll be much safer for all if this thing gets lost in the mountains along with the rest of us. Besides, the contents will feed our growing population real good for a bit. And it’s just a side perk that we get to steal back from the soldiers what they stole from the sand landers.
“How much farther we gotta travel in that thing?” Beanie asks as he points to the metal box and shudders.
“Not much.” Jax looks up from digging another ear of corn outta the pot. “We're making good time. I'm thinking we can make it back into the mountains before dark. It’ll take a bit longer since I want to hide our tracks. When the Prezedant’s men come to look for the missing soldiers—and they will—we don’t want to have left any trace behind.
The head soldier back there said something about this being quarterly raid. That’s tax time. Every four months the whole sand lands start crawling with his men, stealing and taking what doesn’t belong to them. We don’t want them to be able to track us, so we’ll take the old raider wagon trail to get to the village. It’ll take us a little longer, but at least the trail is rock, not soil and well-hidden at that. We won’t have to waste time covering our tracks.”
New Bloods Boxset Page 56