Dark Sentinel: Book one in the Sentinel Series

by Adam Matlow

  The girl was on her knees in the seat, looking back at the chase going on behind them.

  “Keep your head down,” yelled Marcus. “And for god’s sake belt up.”

  She stared at him, apparently unsure of what he meant.

  “Here,” he said, tugging at his own belt, “put yours on, or the first bump we hit you’ll be going through the windscreen.”

  A flicker of understanding flashed across her face. She sat back in her seat and fumbled for a few seconds with the belt. There was a click as the buckle fastened. He glanced across at her, she grinned back at him.

  “I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” he said, as he threw the truck around a corner. He felt a jolt as at least one of the wheels left the ground before coming down with a thud.

  Ahead the remnants of an old town came into view. Collapsed buildings and rusted abandoned cars littered the roadway. Marcus swerved around them, to put as many obstacles between themselves and his pursuer as possible. The Humvee took no evasive action and instead piled straight through them, scattering the wrecks like a bowling ball knocking pins around.

  Marcus spotted a large stone building that was still mostly standing to his left and threw the truck behind it, granting temporary cover from the hail of bullets. They found themselves climbing a steep hillside.

  The distance between the two vehicles closed fast. Marcus reached for his pistol. He’d rather not have to use it. It’s not like there was much opportunity for him to practice since it was illegal for him to even own it. Never mind how expensive the bullets were. In truth, he only kept it around for emergencies and had never needed to use it before. He was pretty sure now classed as an emergency though.

  There was a large bang behind them from the Humvee. Its engine, overtaxed from the chase, billowed smoke from under the bonnet. His pursuer dropped back into the distance. Conscious of the condition of his own engine, Marcus slowed down.

  There was a loud crack. A bullet hole appeared in the windscreen directly in front of him. Spinning his head around he saw a similar hole in the window behind him. A bullet had missed him by inches. The shot had come from the Elite, who'd climbed out of the Humvee and had steadied her aim on the door of her vehicle. It was an impressive shot from that distance and Marcus sure wasn’t sticking around give her another chance. They reached the crest of the hill and dived down the other side, taking them out of the line of fire. He drove on for several more minutes before skidding to a stop.

  He let out a huge sigh of relief and checked himself and the girl for any sign of injury miraculously finding none. Someone must have been watching out for them today, he thought. The truck itself fared okay. It was still working, and the bullets appeared not to have hit anything vital.

  An alarm grabbed his attention. It was coming from the dashboard and monitored the battery life of the Truck. It flashed urgently, warning him there was less than ten percent battery life remaining.

  Marcus tapped the display as if somehow it would help and sighed. The chase had all but depleted the batteries. It wouldn’t be too much of a problem though, he still had the fuel he brought with him. He reached into the back of the truck and pulled out the fuel can. His nose caught the pungent and unmistakable scent of fuel. He turned the can over in his hands to reveal a large bullet hole. Most of the fuel had leaked away.

  “Great,” he said throwing the can into the back. He kicked the side of the truck, which he instantly regretted. He hobbled back to the cab, the girl peered out of the window at him.

  “There’s no way we have enough charge to make it back tonight,” he said. “We’re going to have to find somewhere to hide while the batteries charge.”

  It would take several hours for the truck to charge enough to get them back to New Hope, but Marcus wasn’t going to stop now, not with their pursuer so close behind. He climbed back in and pushed on until the blaring alarms and warnings forced him to find shelter under a stone bridge beside a dried-up river bed. Thankfully it had started to rain. The water had already begun to erase the tracks of the truck in the soft dirt. It would make tracking him much more difficult.

  He pulled alongside several wrecked cars and switched off the engine. It would be hard to spot them in the dark, and gave them some measure of protection. He was glad he had the forethought to bring some extra rations, it looked like they were going to need them.

  The radio in the truck crackled to life. Through the static, there was the faint trace of a voice.

  “I don’t receive you, please say again, over,” Marcus said into the radio. More static. “Doc, hey Doc is that you?”

  A voice came over the radio, more clearly this time. A voice he recognised, but it wasn’t that of his friend.

  “You have something I want,” said the man’s voice calmly, “I’m giving you one chance, and one chance only. Hand her over or suffer the consequences.”

  Marcus did not reply, instead, he reached out a trembling hand and switched off the radio, leaned back in his seat with his eyes closed and sucked in a deep breath.

  His stomach knotted up. Things had just gone from bad, to worse.

  Chapter two

  Marcus wished for the ground to open and swallow him whole. It had been six hours since the radio contact with the last voice he ever wanted to hear. Davon’s. His chest tightened at the mere thought of his name. Whoever this girl was, Davon wanted her personally. Daylight streamed through the gaps in the bridge above them, hitting the solar panels on the truck and providing much-needed power to the batteries.

  His instincts told him to run. To take the truck and drive as far away from this place as possible. Even if he complied with his demands to hand over the girl, Davon would probably kill him anyway, he wasn’t known for his generous nature. Could there be any chance he didn’t know who he was? Marcus let the thought roll around in his mind for a few moments. Could he take the risk?

  The girl was asleep, tucked against the passenger side door, her hood pulled over her face. The gentle rhythm of her breathing the only sound in the cab. She still hadn’t said a word to him, despite his efforts to coax something from her. Marcus drummed his fingers on the dashboard, his mind racing. Enough was enough. He’d risked his life for this girl, and in the process managed to get himself on the hit list of the most dangerous man in a thousand miles. It was time for some answers.

  “Hey, wake up!” He shook her by the shoulder.

  She woke with a jump and pressed herself against the door, eyes wide, like a frightened animal backed into a corner. Marcus held up a hand. “Whoa, it’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.”

  Her breath quickened, she pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her hands around them defensively.

  Marcus reached for a bottle of water and flicked the cap open. He took a sip and offered it to her. She reached out gingerly and took the bottle. She turned it over in her hands and sniffed at its contents, before taking several large gulps.

  “Hey, steady, that’s got to last us until we can find more,” said Marcus softly. She stopped, wiped a dribble of water from her chin and handed the bottle back to Marcus.

  At least she understands. That’s something.

  She slumped back and loosened her grip on the armrest which still bore marks where her fingers had dug into the fabric. He took out the food he’d packed back in New Hope and shared it with her. As they sat in silence eating, Marcus tried talking to her again.

  “My name is Marcus,” he said. “And you are?”

  She studied him as if she was trying to decide whether or not to answer. She took a piece of bread from the container and nibbled on it. Her unblinking eyes locked on his.

  “Do you understand me?” he asked

  She gave a quick nod and shoved the bread into her mouth hungrily.

  “Why were the Legion after you?”

  “Vana,” she said quietly.

  “What does that mean?” asked Marcus.

  “My name. My name is Vana.”

  Her voice
was lighter and softer than he imagined it would be, and she spoke with a strange accent he couldn’t quite place.

  “Good to meet you Vana,”

  He held his hand out in greeting. She simply looked at it. “We’ve got a major problem here, and unless I know exactly what is going on things are going to get worse. Now I need to know why the Legion were after you.”

  “I don’t know,” she mumbled. “They came after me for no reason.”

  Marcus wasn’t convinced. There was nothing but radioactive wasteland this far out. If the Legion were here, they were here for a reason. It couldn’t’ just be a coincidence that they happened to stumble across her. They knew she was out there. He wouldn’t press her on that though. He’d only just gotten her talking and he didn’t want her to clam up again.

  “What are you doing all the way out here in the middle of nowhere?”

  “I got lost,” Vana said, as she brushed crumbs from her clothes.

  “Are you with anyone else?”

  She shook her head.

  Marcus slunk back in his seat, put his head back and closed his eyes. He knew a few places in the Badlands he could vanish into for a while - but he needed to offload this girl somewhere safe and pick up more supplies.

  “I’m heading back to New Hope,” he said after a few minutes of silence. “It’s the closest settlement around here. You can tag along with me until then if you like, or we can go our separate ways now. It’s up to you. If Davon is after you though I would suggest finding a rock to hide underneath for a few months and wait for all this to blow over. I for one intend to do the same.”

  She looked at her hands as she rubbed them absentmindedly.

  “Well?” asked Marcus. He regretted his harsh tone, but this was no time for dawdling.

  Vana reached out and opened the truck door, she half climbed out and stopped. A few seconds later the door closed and she was sat in her seat - belted up.

  “Okay,” said Marcus as he started the engine, it hummed quietly - the faint vibration of the motors rippled through the seats. He checked the battery levels: thirty-eight percent. If he was lucky it would be enough to get him back home. He wasn’t prepared to risk taking the more travelled routes, choosing instead to take a long way around. It would be dark before they reached New Hope, but at least that should make sneaking past the guards slightly easier.

  He wasn’t looking forward to explaining any of this to Doc.

  ◆◆◆

  The truck moved silently through the night, only the crunch of loose rock underneath the tires betrayed its presence. Vana hung her head from the window and gazed at the stars.

  Maybe it’s the first time she’s seen them.

  Marcus recalled something he had been told years ago - about a group which had remained locked away in their bunker, not realising that people had once again taken to the surface. A group of scavengers happened upon them and murdered half the group for their meagre possessions. Whether the story was true he never found out, but it got him thinking.

  How many others were out there, across the world? Buried away unwilling or too afraid to come to the surface.

  Marcus dismissed the thought. It didn’t matter in the end. He was only concerned with getting back to New Hope. He’d grab some supplies and vanish into the Badlands for a few weeks until the Legion got bored and moved onto something else.

  They drove on through the night. Marcus kept a watchful eye on his surroundings and fully expected to be attacked at any moment. No attack came, and Marcus allowed himself a moment of relaxation. Hours of being on edge had taken its toll, his nerves were shot and his eyelids felt like lead weights.

  A dim orange glow on the horizon caught Marcus’s attention and snapped him out of his daze. It was far too early for the sun to be rising. Thick black smudges were mixed in with the glow, but from here he couldn’t make out what they were. As they drew closer Marcus’s heart dropped. It was smoke. Thick black smoke. New Hope was burning.

  “Shit!” cried Marcus, “He wouldn’t have?”

  He pulled up and jumped out of the truck. One half the settlement was in flames. The inferno roared as it tore into buildings, and people scattered. Some fighting the fires, some trying to escape them.

  Vana appeared beside him, rubbing her eyes. She surveyed the chaos below. What’s happeni--?” she began.

  “Your friend Davon is what’s going on,” snapped Marcus. “It’s no coincidence that I stumble upon you and now this happens.” He kicked a nearby rock, sending it crashing into the side of the truck, denting the panel slightly.

  “What are you going to do?” she asked. Her posture stiffened and she took a few steps back from Marcus.

  He unclenched his fists and softened his tone. His anger towards her was misplaced. Certainly, she hadn’t asked for any of this. He took a deep breath and collected his thoughts.

  “Doc’s down there somewhere. I need to get him out. If they’re looking for me they’ll start at his place.”

  Vana stepped forward and reached out a hand towards his shoulder, but hesitated. She walked back over to the truck.

  “I’m sorry if I caused this Marcus,” she said softly.

  “We can worry about all that later. Right now, I need to find my friends.”

  They climbed back into the truck and drove as close to the fences as he dared. The pandemonium going on in New Hope masked their approach, but they couldn’t get any closer in the truck without the risk of being seen. The main routes into the settlement were heavily guarded. The Legion it seemed were not interested in helping people escape the inferno but instead were searching and detaining people trying to flee. He needed another way inside. It wasn’t going to be a problem; this wasn’t the first time he’d sneaked into town.

  He hid the truck in the collapsed remains of an old church, a few hundred meters from the outer perimeter. It was nothing more than a pile of rubble at this point, but it was enough.

  “I’m going to get my friend, and then we’re getting the hell out of here,” said Marcus as he jumped from the cab. “You should get out of here too. I hear there are a few settlements out in the East that are too small for the Legion to be bothered with. You might find someone willing to take you in. If you’re lucky.”

  Vana didn’t move, her face fell flat.

  “I’ll never make it on my own,” she said. “And anyway, I’m heading north. There’s something I need to do.”

  Marcus put his head in his hands and rubbed his face. She was right. On her own, with no supplies, she wouldn’t stand a chance. She’d already been kidnapped, beaten, shot at and god knows what else.

  “Fine,” conceded Marcus. “Stay here, I’ll be back in an hour, two tops. When I get back we can discuss where to go, but I can tell you now, it won’t be north. Cause’ that’s where Davon is.”

  Vana smiled, and unclenched her fists, the colour in her palms returned and a flicker of a smile flashed across her face. She climbed back into the truck without saying a word and sat motionlessly. He would help her, just this once. After all, she was a long way from home. For some reason it didn’t strike him as odd he should know that.

  ◆◆◆

  Guards lined the settlements checkpoints. People fleeing the flames were stopped and searched and those who tried to run past were knocked to the floor and restrained. A patrol loomed in the distance. Marcus flattened himself against the fence and edged along it carefully. He located his usual entrance and pushed his way through, this time he didn’t bother to conceal it behind him. It wouldn’t make any difference now.

  Thick smoke burned his lungs as he ran towards the centre of town. The fire hadn’t reached here yet. People weighed down by whatever possessions they could carry ran from the flames, funnelled towards the checkpoints and into the waiting arms of the Legion.

  Marcus grabbed a piece of material as it blew by in the wind, and wrapped it around his face. In part to help filter out some of the smoke, but mainly as a disguise. This was all because of
him - because he felt sorry for someone. Now look at what it had cost. He passed dozens of people as he ran. Some tried to put out the fires with buckets of water, some cradled loved ones and wept over soot covered bodies. Others were in shock and wandered around with no idea what to do. He pulled the disguise over his face as he passed them, kept his head down and ran.

  All this devastation because he chose to help Vana. Was the suffering these people, and probably people in other settlements, were going through worth it? Something bigger was going on here, and he’d fallen square in the middle of it.

  “Hey, you!”

  The voice came from behind him. Marcus didn’t turn but instead quickened his pace.

  “Hey, stop!” called the voice again. Marcus spun his head around but kept moving. There were two men behind him, one was carrying a length of metal pipe. He doubted that they simply wanted a friendly chat.

  “That’s him, that’s the guy,” one said, as he pointed the pipe at Marcus.

  Marcus wasn’t waiting around to find out what they wanted, instead, he broke into a full sprint and ducked into the first alleyway he saw. He barrelled along several more side-streets overshooting one of them and careering into the wall. His shoulder bore the brunt of the impact and sent a wave of pain through his upper body. Winded, he scrambled to his feet and darted into the smoke-filled alleyway.

  The shouts for him to stop intensified, the two men close behind. Marcus vaulted over a low wall at the end of the alley and landed on a pile of garbage. He lost his footing and fell to the ground. He cursed himself and got back up. He’d given them chance to catch up. He clawed his way out of the mess and got to his feet, only to be met by a dead end. Behind him, his pursuers flung themselves over the wall skidding to a halt a few paces away from him.

  Marcus stepped back defensively and looked around for anything he could use as a weapon, but saw nothing that could help him.