by L. S. O'Dea
The Guard growled as his hand smashed down into Hugh’s stomach. The air whooshed past Hugh’s lips, leaving him gasping. Little breaths. Little breaths. Each one a little bigger than the last. The Guard continued to pummel him but he ignored the pain and focused on breathing. This wasn’t a new experience, he’d been here before, many times, but he wasn’t going to let it end the same. In prison, he’d had no recourse, but now he could fight back. As soon as he was able to breath in deeply enough, he hit the Guard upside the head. Pain ricocheted through his hand. That Guard’s head was hard.
The Guard bared his teeth in a parody of a smile as he captured Hugh’s hand, forcing it to the pavement, and then used his other fist to hit Hugh in the chest, stomach and face over and over again.
Blood trickled into his eyes and he fought to maintain consciousness. An explosion rattled the air. The Servants had finally come through, not that it’d matter to him, but it might buy the others some time. Another blow knocked his head to the side. With no weapon and both arms pinned down, he had no way to protect himself. He stared at the Guard’s hairy arm which was holding down his hand only inches from his face. He struggled but the Guard was too heavy. He grunted as another blow connected with his ribs. The Guard snarled down at him and his own lips curled back in reply. He was wrong. He did have a weapon. He turned his head and bit down on the Guard’s arm. Hot blood filled his mouth and his stomach roiled in disgust but he only clamped down harder, deeper. The Guard screamed and pulled back his arm, but Hugh wasn’t letting go. Not now. He shook his head from side to side, ripping and tearing into the flesh. A chunk of skin and muscle pulled free from the Guard and Hugh spit it at the Guard’s face. The Guard continued to scream as he tried to stop the bleeding with his other hand, leaving Hugh free. This was his chance, his retribution for all those beatings.
He pushed upward and the Guard fell backward. Now, he was on top and he hit the Guard in the face. Bone crunched under his knuckles. He had no idea if it were his fingers or the Guard’s nose and he didn’t care. His wounds would heal and pain was a distant echo, easily pushed aside by his desire to hurt this Guard.
“I...will...not...be...beaten.” He punched the Guard in the face over and over again.
The Guard’s screams became gurgles as blood bubbled from his mouth. Hugh continued to punch him, flesh and blood and bone splattering his face and chest. Suddenly, someone grabbed him by the shoulders. He launched himself at the new threat. He’d never kill them all but he’d take down a few.
“Hugh, stop! Stop! It’s me, Brennon.”
Someone large and extremely strong lifted him off the Guard.
“Calm down, killer. We won. The fighting’s over.” Gaar had his arms wrapped around Hugh, holding the him off the ground.
He stopped struggling as the world came back into focus. Brennon pushed himself up off the ground.
“Sorry,” he mumbled.
Brennon touched his jaw. “It’s okay. I should’ve let you know it was me before touching you.”
Gaar loosened his hold, letting Hugh dropped back down to the pavement.
“I like my meat tender, but that was playing with your food.” Gaar laughed as he nudged the dead Guard with his foot.
The Guard’s face was smashed. There was no nose, no eyes, no mouth only a pulpy mess. Blood, bone and brain were splatted everywhere. Hugh’s shirt, hands and face were covered with blood, some his and some the Guard’s. He ran his hand through his hair and flung the bits of flesh aside as his stomached twisted, refusing to be ignored. He stumbled to the side and began retching. His father had gone into fits of rage. No. That man wasn’t his father and this wasn’t the same. He’d been fighting for his life. That Guard had been unconscious long before you quit hitting him. It was Sarah’s voice in his head. He vomited over and over again. When he had nothing left to spit out, he straightened, wiping his mouth and averting his eyes from the dead Guard.
“Hugh, we should get moving,” said Sassy. “Others will be coming.”
Gaar and Brennon had wandered away. The Handler was carrying the four Guards that he’d incapacitated earlier to the front and Brennon and one of the Almightys’ Guards were dragging the restrained Servants out from the shelter. All-in-all three Guards and Trevor were dead and seven Guards and Todd were tied up in front of the building.
“What happened?” he asked, oblivious to anything that’d happened after he’d started fighting with the Guard.
The Lead Guard strode over to him. “Some of us are on your side. I’m Bo and it’s an honor to meet you, High Hugh.”
For once, he ignored the title as his eyes flew to Sassy.
“By the time we made it back outside the Guards were fighting each other. This one”—she nodded at Bo—“and another one were doing their best to keep the others away from you.” Sassy shrugged as if to say she was as confused as he was.
He turned to the Lead Guard. “Thank you, Bo. I wouldn’t have made it through this without you.”
“I’m not so sure about that. Your friend”—he nodded at Gaar—“made short work of a couple of the Guards.” His face paled as his gaze landed on two dead Guards across the parking lot. “The strength it takes...I’ve never seen anything like that.”
One Guard’s throat had been so severely severed that his head was almost disconnected from his body. The other Guard’s arms had been ripped from his torso.
“He lifted Peetie, grabbed both of his arms and yanked.” Bo shook his head. “I can still hear Peetie’s screams.”
“Handlers are strong, but they can be loyal friends.” He needed these Guards to accept Gaar. He couldn’t have any contention in his army. He touched Bo’s arm, drawing the Guard’s gaze. “I wouldn’t have survived an attack from more than one Guard. You helped to keep them away from me. Thank you.”
Bo tipped his head in acceptance of the gratitude. “And thank you.” He nodded at Trevor who lay dead on the pavement. “I only wish I could’ve killed him myself. She wasn’t the first.”
He stared at Trevor. He’d never killed anyone before and now he’d killed two, but he didn’t feel any remorse for the Almighty. Trevor deserved to die for what he’d done and had been going to do. “The little girl? Is she...”
“She’s in the trailer,” said Bo.
He took a deep breath. They needed to go and that meant that he had to pull himself together. He walked over to Trevor’s body and retrieved his knife. “Bo, get the keys and let the little Guard loose. Sassy, have Brennon help you start freeing the Guards in the shelter. We have to move. The explosion—”
“You mean the one that didn’t go off? Oh, wait. It did. Finally,” said Sassy.
“I’m sure there’s a reason the bomb didn’t go off as planned. Don’t judge them yet.” The Servants had better have a good reason for the delay.
Sassy snorted. “If you say so.”
“Please, just start freeing the Guards.” He didn’t need to fight with her right now.
“My brother already started.” She headed toward the shelter.
His eyes fell on Todd. “String him up.”
“No, please. I didn’t want to do this. I had to,” pleaded Todd as he was dragged toward the gallows.
“Hugh, don’t do this.” Townsend ran across the street.
The Guards dragging Todd stopped, looking to Hugh for his command.
“Why? You keep telling me that this is war. He chose his side.”
“I had to do this. My family runs the shelter. It’s my job,” said Todd.
“Didn’t you notice who he picked for execution” asked Townsend, going to stand by the young Almighty. “The old Guard who they’d executed this morning had been crippled with arthritis.”
“He didn’t deserve to hang for that.” He had no mercy for this Almighty.
“No, but Todd ordered the Guards who escorted him to the gallows, to let the old guy take his time. They could’ve dragged him there, but they didn’t.” Townsend took Todd’s arm and backe
d up a bit. “When it was his turn to choose he picked the old and sick. He did the best that he could.” He took another step backward, toward the building. “He’s just a kid.”
“So were some of the Guards.” He had to focus on his anger. He couldn’t afford to feel sympathy for his enemies.
“Not any that I picked. I swear,” said Todd. “Ask—”
“He’s not lying.” Bo stood outside the camper with the little Guard. “He tried to keep Trevor in line the best that he could too, but Trevor outranked him.”
He ran his hand through his hair. Todd was a liability that he didn’t need. Still, he was young, about Trinity’s age, and he’d done the best he could in a bad situation. “Fine.”
Todd’s knees almost buckled as he relaxed against Townsend. “Thank you, thank—”
Something shifted in the shadows, reaching out and clasping Todd’s head. There was a loud snap. Townsend stumbled backward, his mouth hanging open. Gaar dropped his hold on the now dead Almighty and Todd crumpled to the ground, his head lying at an odd angle.
He stared at the lifeless boy and then at Gaar. He’d wanted this, had almost ordered it but now, it seemed wrong. Todd had been a kid. He’d been forced to work at the shelter. This hadn’t been his fault.
“Couldn’t let him go. He saw Townsend’s face,” said Gaar.
His gaze fell to the tied up Guards and Servants. He’d planned on setting them free in another part of the city. Let them choose to go back to the Almightys or join him. Gaar moved toward the first prisoner.
“Wait.” Bo walked over to them. “These two are on our side.” He pointed to two of the Guards who’d been in the back of the building.
“Cut them free.” He trusted Bo. The Guard had saved his life.
Gaar unsheathed his knife and sliced through the ropes.
“We’ll bring the others with us.” It wasn’t a smart move, but he couldn’t kill them.
Gaar sighed. “I suppose they’re your friends?”
He laughed. “No, but I don’t want their deaths on my conscience.”
“Glad I don’t have one of those.” Gaar slit the throat of the nearest prisoner.
The Servants and Guards screamed and tried to crawl away as Gaar moved down the line, ending life and sound with a slash and a fountain of blood. Bo grabbed Hugh’s arm to keep him from interfering but he hadn’t been going to, killing them was the smart thing to do.
“No! Stop!” Townsend raced forward.
The Almightys’ Guard who’d fought for Hugh stepped forward, blocking Townsend from approaching.
When the last prisoner was silenced, Gaar wiped his knife on his pants, his black eyes meeting Hugh’s. “It had to be done.”
“They would’ve described all of you.” Bo stared at the dead, his nose twitching from the scent of blood.
“That was my risk. It was my decision to make not yours.” Townsend struggled against the Guard, who stepped away, letting him go.
“Townsend...” Hugh pulled his eyes away from the bodies. There was so much blood.
“That was unnecessary. We didn’t have to kill them.” Townsend’s voice was barely a whisper.
“They would’ve put you and your family in danger,” he said.
“They might have joined us,” said Townsend.
“We couldn’t take that chance.” It’d been the right thing to do, but it felt wrong like he was no better than those he was fighting. Right now, he wished he was blessed like Gaar and had no conscience.
CHAPTER 56: TRINITY
TRINITY’S MISSION WAS A success or at least it had been until she’d noticed that Travis and Mirabelle were missing. She knew exactly where to find them. They’d been very clear with their thoughts about no one being sent to the Remore Encampments.
She crept up to her father. Their groups had reunited after freeing the Producers. They were on their way back to camp to finish packing and then they were to leave for Harbor Point. Jackson or one of his Guards would be waiting for them. They couldn’t leave without Travis...or she supposed Mirabelle. She understood them wanting to free their families, but they couldn’t take off like this. It wasn’t safe.
“Dad, I need to slip away for a little bit,” she whispered, not wanting anyone else to know about Travis and Mirabelle’s desertion. It’d only cause hardship between the groups. This mission had gone well and spirits were high. She didn’t want to jeopardize that.
Dad slowed his pace until they were several yards behind the others. “Are you crazy? You don’t have time to go adventuring. We need to move camp and we need to do it now.”
She counted to ten. He was getting as bad as her mother. “It’s not an adventure. Travis and Mirabelle are gone.”
“Save me from the melodramatics of teenagers.” Dad raised his eyes.
Her father could give lessons on over dramatizing everything, but she wasn’t going to point that out. “Just cover for me. I’ll find them and catch up with you.”
He grabbed her arm. “You think they went to the Producer Camp?”
She nodded, fighting not to pull free from his grasp. She didn’t need another argument.
“Do you want me to go with you?”
She kissed his cheek. Dad was never eager to assist any of the others but he always offered to help her and she, for some reason, always tried to help everyone else. “Nah. It’s not too far from here. Anyway, I need you back at camp to stall if we’re late.”
“I’d suggest not being late.” He glanced up at the rising sun. “Hugh should be back soon and neither he nor Jackson will be happy about this.”
“Since when do we care what a Guard and an Almighty think?” Playing to his pride as a Servant always worked. They were a very arrogant class of creatures.
“I think you might care a little too much what Hugh thinks.” Dad’s tone was accusing.
“What are you talking about?” That tactic had certainly backfired.
“You were holding his hand and comforting him.”
“What? When?” Do not blush. Do not blush. “Oh, that meant nothing. We’re friends and he was upset about the Guards and Servants being captured.”
“Jackson was upset when Kim came by the camp, but I didn’t see you holding his hand.”
“That’s because Jackson broke up with Kim. He’s lucky I didn’t slap some sense into him.”
“I would’ve liked to have seen that.” Dad grinned.
Good, the tension was broken. “I need to go.” She wanted to get out of there before he brought up Hugh again. She wasn’t quite sure what she felt for Hugh, so she certainly wasn’t ready to discuss him with her father.
“Hurry...and be careful.” He pulled her into a quick hug.
She darted off into the bushes and headed toward the camp. She was going to kill Travis when she caught him, but she understood. The Remores could change their mind about slaughtering the Producers any day. If her family were still in the camp, she’d do whatever she had to in order to free them. Of course, she was more capable than Travis but he didn’t seem to understand that.
She climbed a tree. It was safer up high and in this part of the forest she’d make better time hopping from tree to tree. Soon, she was on the outskirts of the camp. She slowed her pace, circling the perimeter. Stuart stood near the fence, hidden in the bushes. Travis and his brother were being more careful, but they still weren’t careful enough. She dropped from the tree, landing silently and moving toward them. She hesitated. There was a group of six, young Producers hiding in the brush on the outside of the fence with Travis and Mirabelle. Two of them were Travis’ younger brothers. Hopefully, this would keep him satisfied for a little while.
She stayed in the bushes, waiting. Not one of the Producers realized that she was there. She rustled some dead leaves with her foot. No one turned. This was why it was so dangerous for them to go off without her or a House Servant or Guard. Their senses weren’t up to par. They were easy prey for predators.
“I’ll leave next
time. I promise.” Stuart glanced around. “More are getting sick. I fear that it’ll get worse as it gets colder. No one has much food.”
“Are you sure Jezzy can’t travel?” asked Travis.
“She’s going to birth any day,” said Stuart. “Maybe, a few weeks after...”
They needed to leave. She couldn’t wait all day for one of them to notice her. She stepped out of the bushes. The younger Producers gasped and huddled behind Mirabelle and Travis. Travis put his arms out to protect the kids and then his eyes narrowed with recognition.
“Save it, Trinity. I’m in no mood for the lecture.” He turned to Stuart. “Later.”
Stuart nodded and slipped back through the bushes toward camp.
“Too bad because you’re going to get one. Do you know how long I was standing there and not one of you noticed?”
Travis and the others started walking, she followed.
“We’re fine. We didn’t ask you to follow us.” Mirabelle moved closer to Travis.
“You’re not fine. The fact that you think you’re fine proves you aren’t.” He and Mirabelle had been hanging around each other a lot. She’d thought it had to do with their families but now she wasn’t so sure. Even though she didn’t think of Travis as mate material, she didn’t want him to bond with Mirabelle.
“That didn’t make any sense,” said Travis.
Then she heard it. Footsteps. “Quick. In the bushes. Someone’s coming.” She shoved the Producers into the thicker brush. Eight sets of wide, scared eyes stared at her. “You’ll be fine. I promise.” She started to step away when a little female grabbed her hand. “I’ve got to see whose coming but Travis will take care of you.”
Mirabelle pulled the child close. “It’s okay. Maybe, it’s Stuart coming back. He might have forgotten to tell us something.”
“Do you think so?” asked the girl.
They had to be quiet. They were too close to camp. If it were Guards, they’d never outrun them especially with six kids. She held her finger to her lips as she backed away. “Shhh.”