by Sam Ryder
Hannah sat up again and then pulled herself to her feet. She sauntered over to me in that heart-stopping way of hers. She sat next to me on the ledge, sliding over until her hip mashed into mind. “What do you miss the most about the pre-Blast days?” she asked.
Her question took me by surprise given the prior topic we’d been discussing. I took a slow, deep breath and thought about the question. “I think I miss the lack of accountability,” I finally said. “When I was a soldier, I followed orders. I did everything to the best of my ability. If someone screwed up, they admitted it, took their licks, and moved on.”
“I was going to say Netflix,” Hannah said, “but to each their own.”
I laughed. “Seriously? That’s your big regret? TV?”
“I was joking. Well, half-joking. You want my real answer?”
“Of course.”
I have to warn you: it’s super-cheesy.”
“Hit me with it,” I said. “No judgment.”
“Freedom,” she said without hesitation.
“You’re right,” I said. “That is cheesy.”
“Told you.”
“Not I’m the one who’s joking. I think that’s the best possible answer. That was why I became a soldier, why I was fighting those Nor-Kor-Russian bastards over there. Everyone wanted what we had, but they thought they needed to kill us to get it. What is it about freedom you miss so much?”
Hannah looked relieved I’d understood her answer. Her next response was filled with fervency. “The freedom to do what I want, when I want to do it. We don’t have that here at all. There seems to always be somebody watching, waiting to retaliate against you. Before the Blast, I had friends from all walks of life. I could interact with them however I saw fit, using whatever technology was around.”
“Bigotry is alive and well,” I said, not trying to hide my disgust.
“Why do people have such capacity for hate?”
I wasn’t sure if it was a serious question, but I took it seriously. “Because humans have the capacity for all emotions in equal measure, including love. That’s what makes us human, for better or for worse.”
“I’d stick the Rising and Atticus in the ‘worse’ category.”
I couldn’t disagree with that. I knew it might be a mistake, but I felt compelled to fill her in on the intel we’d gained earlier. Gehn probably would anyway. “You know, there’s another group out there,” I said.
“What kind or group?” So she hadn’t heard anything yet.
“Apparently they call themselves the Insurgence. They are spies within the Rising fighting for the same cause we are.”
“I call bullshit,” Hannah said.
“Maybe. Maybe not.
“But you want to check it out, just in case they might be another ally.”
“Yeah. You think that’s crazy?”
“Not at all. But that doesn’t mean we can run off trying to chase every rumor about a new potential ally. You know how things work in the Ends. People say all kinds of shit, but most of it is exactly that.”
“So you don’t think I—” I cut off, realizing my mistake too late. “I mean, you don’t think we should try to find the Insurgence?”
“I didn’t say that.” She repositioned slightly, placing her hand on my leg. “You know, Cutter, you aren’t alone. Not anymore. You have people. You have us. You have me. You don’t have to go it alone.”
“I know that. But sometimes maybe I do. Are you going to tell the others?” I glanced at her, trying to read her expression.
“Not until you’re gone,” she said.
“Thank you. I appreciate it. Truly.” I needed as much a head start as possible. With any luck, I would be back before anyone noticed I was gone.
Her hand slid higher on my leg. “No, thank you,” she said, planting a kiss on the side of my lips. It was warm and moist and most wanted. “For trusting your instincts and coming with us. For believing in Gehn.”
I turned into her, meeting her lips. For some reason the gravity of our conversation or maybe my impending solo mission gave me a sense of urgency and I kissed her harder. To my delight, she matched my urgency, her tongue dancing circles around mine as she grabbed my hands and forced them to the sides of her shirt, sending an obvious signal.
I didn’t need to be told twice. I pulled her shirt off over her head, releasing her ample tits into the night air, which had enough chill to perk them up instantly. She responded by climbing on top of me, straddling my body. She had on a miniskirt that she rucked up her hips to reveal her lack of underwear.
I popped one of her tits into my mouth, her body squirming in response. I wrapped one arm around her side and pulled her in tight while squeezing her ass.
She grabbed the side of my head with both her hands and pulled me up for another kiss. As her breasts pressed against my chest, my cock swelled with excitement.
The feeling of my manhood straining against my clothing was enough to make Hannah gyrate her hips, pressing against me harder.
She let out a soft moan, almost like a whisper, into my ear. I sucked on her neck, and she moaned again in response. “Take your pants off, Cutter,” she said next, caressing my dick beneath my jeans.
It was another instruction I had no problems following. She might as well have been the general and me her loyal soldier. I made short work of the belt buckle and slid my jeans down. I had also foregone underwear when I slipped out of bed, and now my erection sprang free. Hannah grabbed it and immediately started jerking me off. Her fingers were magical. She panted as she worked, using her off-hand to stroke her own wetness.
Then, when we were both more than ready, she knelt on the edge of the ledge, not afraid of falling two stories to our deaths, and lifted her hips high enough to slip the head of my cock into her pussy. She glided up and down my shaft, allowing her wetness to envelop every inch.
As the lubrication improved, she moved faster, bouncing up and down as she rode. She held onto my shoulders for support while I kept one hand on her ass and one hand firmly on the underside of the ledge. While falling off a building while having sex would be a fantastic story to tell, it wasn’t one that I wanted told at the moment.
She sunk her hips in deeper and rocked back and forth. We kissed as we fucked, tasting each other.
Then Hannah leaned back and placed her hands on my knees for support. At this angle, I could watch her tits bouncing in the moonlight, or I could look down and observe my cock plunging deeper and deeper into her sex.
Either view was amazing and I alternated between the two for maximum enjoyment. Hannah continued bouncing up and down, her ass slapping on my thighs. She threw her head back and moaned a little louder. There was a chance we might be heard, but I wasn’t about to quiet her.
When I was about to explode, Hannah slid me out of her and climbed off. She turned around and offered me her luscious ass, which I cupped with both hands. She eased back toward the ledge and placed her palms on the stone. I stood behind her and slid my dick back into her pussy.
“Give it to me,” she whispered.
I thrust my hips forward and pounded her from behind, her tits swaying in the cool night air. She gripped the stone ledge, letting me fuck her as hard as I could while we looked over the rooftops of the city. It was an incredible view made even better by her lovely ass slapping up against my body.
My toes curled and my body clenched as I released a warm load inside of her. I clutched her body and pulled her in tightly. She smiled as she felt my orgasm. She wrapped her arm around the back of my head and held me for a kiss while my body trembled.
Once finished, I pulled out and sat back on the ledge. Hannah sat next to me and returned her head to my shoulder. We spent a few minutes cooling down in the midst of the afterglow.
“Something to remember me by on your journey,” she said.
“As if I could ever forget anything about you,” I said, basking in everything that was Hannah.
“Charmer. Seriously though, w
e trust you, all of us. Gehn, Belenie. Adi. We know it’s a tough situation. It’s war. You have to make tough decisions sometimes. Take the risks, and to hell with the rest of it.”
It was damned good advice. Advice I would remember in the days to come.
Chapter 24
Desert wanderings
I snuck out while it was still dark. I didn’t leave a note, trusting Hannah to let everyone know where I was and what I was doing. I hoped they would understand that it wasn’t abandonment.
Paris was already well behind me, the lonesome desert landscape spread out under my feet. It was the first time I’d traveled alone in a long time, and not just because the women weren’t with me. No, I used to travel with Chuck by my side, chuffing and eager, his tongue lolling out. A wave of nostalgia crashed over me. I missed him so much. He’d been just another innocent casualty of the Rising’s pointless vendetta against Enders.
As always, I was alert as I marched, listening to the sounds of the night. Some sort of creature howled in the distance. It was wolflike, but even more mournful, as if the bearer of the sound had just lost its own mother.
A stick cracked behind me as it snapped in two and I spun around, ready to tango with what would likely be an enemy about to try to take me out in typical black hat Guild manner.
Twin horns glowed in the dark as Gehn approached on light footsteps.
“Jesus,” I said.
“One, I’m not a dude. Two, Christ didn’t have horns as far as I know.”
“Or a tail,” I said.
“And yet they killed him anyway.”
For some reason, the thought made me exceptionally sad, though I wasn’t a religious man. Even over thousands of years, humans hadn’t really changed, hadn’t really gotten any better. They still feared what they didn’t understand. “I heard you coming from a mile away,” I said, frowning. Generally Gehn moved far more silently, almost animal like.
“I wanted you to hear me,” Gehn said. “So you wouldn’t shoot my face off if I snuck up behind you and touched your shoulder.”
“Smart,” I said. “Look, I know you’re here for all the right reasons, but you shouldn’t be. This is something I need to do alone.”
Gehn stopped before me, her grayish skin radiating moonlight and the glowing lines cast by her horns. “Oh yeah? And why is that, Cutter? Because you have this misplaced need to throw yourself in front of the coming train to try to save those huddled behind you? You think Hannah, me, Belenie, Adi are all so fragile that we’ll shatter as soon as things get hard?”
There was anger in her tone and I didn’t blame her. I could see how that’s how she would read the situation.
“No,” I said, which made her cock her head to the side.
“No?”
“No,” I confirmed. “You read things all wrong. Throwing myself in front of the train won’t stop the train and it won’t save anyone. The train will take far too long to stop. It’ll just keep speeding along, plowing through everyone I love.”
“Love?”
“Hell yeah. I love you, Gehn. I might sound a little weird, but I love Hannah too. I’m falling in love with Belenie, too. And I know Adi won’t be far behind. But does that mean I think any of you are breakable? No. You are four of the most capable women I’ve ever met. I would trust you to step in front of a train for me.”
“I don’t understand. Then why are you out here wandering the Ends by yourself?”
I stepped forward, placed my hands on her waist. Pulled her into my chest. “I’m doing it out of selfishness,” I admitted. “I need a break from worrying about everyone else. For a long time I only had to worry about myself. Well, and Chuck, but that was different. This mission is about me, not you and the others. I’m sorry. I should’ve just told you. I should’ve just talked to you.”
“Damn right. Luckily, my sister isn’t great at keeping things from me. And you are easier to track than a heard of water buffalo in the snow.”
I chuckled. Enders seemed to have developed keener senses than humans. I doubted any Guild members would’ve been able to follow me so easily. “I’m not going to try to make any decisions for you,” I said.
She looked up at me, eyes curious. “Good. Because I wouldn’t have gone back even if you ordered it.”
I sighed, but not in frustration. In relief. Having a companion on this journey made me feel better for some reason. “Fair enough. Let’s go. We have miles to cross before we get to Rome.”
~~~
The sun burned a blazing track across the sky, making beads of sweat form on Gehn and my foreheads. We had traversed the desert for three nights and two days. This was day three, when we would usually sleep somewhere we could find shade, waiting for the cool shadows of night to return. Today we opted to keep going, however, sensing our destination was fast approaching. Still, based on my reckoning, we still had another handful of hours ahead of us before we would reach Rome’s eastern city limits. As we walked, I silently considered what I would do if this lead turned out to be a dead end.
If the Insurgence doesn’t exist, do you turn around and go back to Paris? Or do you go to some outpost and see if you can find the source of the story? There’s no reason that bartender would send me out here if she didn’t believe what she was telling me.
It wasn’t the risks that bothered me. It was the not knowing. I liked to be sure of what I would do next. In this case, I had to put my trust in the word of someone else. It was a risky move.
But it was a risk I had to be willing to take. The Rising had decimated us during our first official meeting. Even if Belogon could come up with a new game plan, who’s to say the Rising wouldn’t have an answer. I needed insider knowledge, and I hoped that the Insurgence could provide it.
Despite the risks, I was rather enjoying the journey. After spending the last couple weeks being responsible for various groups of people, it was refreshing to simply walk through the Ends knowing I was only responsible for me. Well, and Gehn, although as she’d pointed out, she was more than capable of taking care of herself.
We hadn’t come across many people since we departed Paris, but each time we saw the profiles of people in the distance, we took cover. Twice we saw campfires on the plains, and both times we took a roundabout path to avoid them, staying low just in case spying eyes were looking in our direction. This method of travel took more time, but reduced the risk substantially. Belenie wasn’t with us if we got injured, so we needed to take extra care to avoid confrontation if possible.
Gehn inhaled sharply when we mounted a rise and got our first glimpse of the city. We stopped and dropped, peering over the hill. There was some movement in the city, as always, but we were still too far to make out much. My eyes were, however, able to make out some of the tire tracks in the desert, conjuring up nightmarish memories. The carnage. The looks on the faces of my troops when they realized they were facing certain death. The bodies that dropped while Rising soldiers pumped them full of bullets.
The helplessness I felt while watching it all unfold in front of my eyes. The desperation as I rushed in to try to help them without regard for my own life.
And of course, the disbelief. It felt like a dream. If I closed my eyes, it still did. If so, I wish I could wake up and start over. But that’s the thing about life: you can’t change the past, no matter how hard you try. The best you can do is embrace the present and hit the future with all you’ve got.
I made a motion with my fingers to shift our route to the south, using the hilly landscape for cover. If my intel was anything close to accurate, the Insurgence utilized the area west of the city for their traitorous operations. It took us a good hour to make our way around the city’s perimeter, stopping frequently to scan the area around us to avoid being ambushed. To the west was more of the same. Mostly desert. A few small hills. Where could a rebel group be hiding? Nowhere, that was where.
Doubt crept in. Could the bartender have been lying, sending me on a wild goose chase. Could she have
been one of the Enders who were pissed off at me for leading her people into a bloody battle?
But even as I wrestled with that doubt, I saw some movement off in the distance.
“Did you—”
Gehn cut me off. “Yeah. I saw it too.”
Whatever it was, it was gone now. “An animal?”
“Maybe.”
“Your instincts?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. We are safe for now, it seems.”
I squinted in the direction I’d seen…whatever I’d seen. Nothing. The desert was still and silent. There was nothing for it. “Let’s go.”
We started off again, focusing on that spot in the distance. Nothing moved saved for a few tumbleweeds bouncing and rolling as they were shoved from behind by a stiff, warm wind.
But halfway to the spot, I heard a whistling sound. The hell was that? It might’ve been a bird, but somehow it sounded off.
A gunshot rang out and dust kicked up around my feet. Shit, I thought. There was nowhere to take cover, nowhere to hide. We were sitting ducks.
Even if we could hide, take up position and start a gunfight, that’s not why we were here anyway. “Cutter,” Gehn said.
“It’s okay. Put your hands up.” I followed my own advice, and we lifted out hands over our heads to show we weren’t holding weapons. All I needed was a white flag to wave to drive the point home. There was another reason I’d decided not to try to defend myself. It was utterly pointless. Whomever had fired the shot was a sharpshooter. They’d missed on purpose. Well, technically, they hadn’t missed. There had been a caterpillar crawling near my foot. The bullet had decimated it. No, if the shooter wanted to take us out, he or she could easily. The only thing to do was to show that we came in peace.
So we walked forward, hands up, one slow step at a time, hoping the shooter didn’t decide to put our heads in the crosshairs. There was a large rock built into a rare hill not far off. Was that where the shooter was hiding? If so, he or she was doing a great job of not giving away the position. Wait…what?