BARREN_Book 2 - Escape from the Ruins

by J. Thorn

  “Where are we going, exactly?”

  She hadn’t thought too much about it until they’d gotten some distance from Erehwon. West, of course. But Hado hadn’t considered exactly where. She’d realized that Shiva had spoken about the Venganza settlement in the ruins of Denver and that felt like the most logical place.

  “Denver.”

  Dia bowed her head. She rubbed the back of her neck.

  “What is it?” Hado asked.

  Dia looked up. “There’s something else I didn’t tell you earlier.”

  Hado raised her eyebrows.

  “If we can get beyond Denver,” Dia said, “I think there might be a way for us to save Erehwon.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Lanette, that strange old woman who hangs around Erehwon, she told me about something. I was supposed to keep it a secret, but that seems useless now.”

  Hado narrowed her eyes. “Keep what a secret?”

  “She told me about more Venganza. They live in a place called San Francisco. The way she described it—it sounded so beautiful. Like nothing I’d ever imagined.”

  “You can’t trust everything that crazy old woman says.”

  “Yes, but it wasn’t the stories of the old world that got my attention. She said the Venganza out there are living in something she called a ‘utopia.’ That they have technologies that we have never even heard of.”

  Hado scoffed. “What could they possibly have that we don’t?”

  Dia's eyes got large as she looked at Hado. “She said they have a ‘water filtration system.’”

  Hado’s brow creased.

  “Do you know what that means?” Dia asked. “It means endless fresh water.”

  Chapter 15

  3 Days West of Erehwon

  “Whoa,” Hado said, pulling up on the reins.

  Dia stopped beside her at the top of the hill, and Hado removed her mask so that she could look at the horizon. She also wanted to see Dia’s face more clearly.

  Dia rubbed her eyes, blinking them rapidly. Then she gazed at the sight unfolding before them.

  “Amazing, isn’t it?” Hado asked.

  “It’s like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

  The tallest buildings either woman had ever laid eyes upon stood before them. Hado had heard stories of such structures, but had never seen them for herself. Both of them had seen what had once been known as downtown Cleveland, but that was no comparison to this landscape. One of the buildings was so tall, the top of it was hidden by low-hanging clouds.

  “It’s incredible to think that the Old Ones built all of this—the people who would have been my parents’ contemporaries.” Hado paused to think before continuing. “I read in a book once that Chicago was the third largest city in the country. Over two million people inhabited the city.”

  She sighed, realizing that neither of them could possibly imagine two million of anything, let alone people. Hado had seen photos of motor carriages filling the streets, and even the same highway they’d traveled. People had crowded the sidewalks, many of them wearing strange outfits and carrying odd, leather cases. Now the city looked like a mass grave. From the hill they stood upon, the entire place looked deserted.

  “Will we be going through the city?” Dia asked, failing to hide the excitement in her voice.

  “Going around would take far too much time.”

  Dia grinned, looking back out over the steel empire.

  “But that doesn’t mean it won’t be more dangerous,” Hado said. “We don’t know what kind of tribes still reside in the city.”

  “Should we wait, then? Come up with a plan before we go further?”

  Hado glanced at the sky. “The sun is going down. I think we should keep moving. While we can see during the day, others will see us, as well. We should see if we can sneak through the city using the moonlight.”

  “All right. I feel safe doing that with Decker. He’ll let us know if someone is nearby.”

  “As long as he doesn’t start barking.”

  “He won’t. Don’t worry.”

  Hado squeezed Ree’s ribs with her inner calf muscles, and they continued down the highway.

  Nature had yet to reclaim the monstrous ribbon of concrete that ran fifty feet wide through the steel canyon, but trees and vines grew over the edges of the guardrail and crawled toward the median in an attempt to strangle the roadway. Birds had nested atop the light fixtures that remained upright, and some had flocked to the tops of massive signs that had been erected, stretching two or three stories into the sky. Hado looked at one sign as they walked past—it showed a woman holding a black rectangle in her hand with a huge grin on her face. Even though the seasons had stripped the image of its vibrant color, the woman’s gleaming teeth still shown as if illuminated from behind.

  So privileged that they had teeth to rival the luminescence of the moon.

  As the massive roadway funneled them into the city’s center, the sound of the horses’ hoofs slapping across the concrete echoed off the surrounding buildings. Even though Hado couldn’t remember being in cities before it had all ended, the eerie feeling of being in one now sent a chill up her spine. She’d often asked herself how the old ways could have just vanished, but the question had never felt so prevalent as it did now. Her mind couldn’t process what Chicago must have looked like with two million people living there. She caught fleeting memories from her own childhood—riding in a car, running through a playground, blowing out candles on a cake. But it had all been so long ago, and she’d been so young that Hado doubted whether the memories were even real.

  Grass rose up from cracks in the path, reaching almost to the heads of the horses. It felt as though the buildings had begun to press down on them, looming overhead with empty eyes framed by rusted metal. Most of the buildings appeared to be unfazed by time and their own abandonment, even though birds flew in and out of the windows. But others had fallen into disrepair over the years, leaning heavily to one side or displaying a roof that had slid down into the top floor. Hado put her morbid curiosity aside and began to realize just how dangerous the ruins could be. She had explored the Cleveland ruins as a child—they all had. But now, a bit older, she realized that these relics of another time could fall at any moment, and they’d have no mercy on those who happened to be below.

  Neither woman spoke as they rode through the city under the setting sun, the ride from the outskirts taking nearly a half hour. They both simply looked around in awe. They approached the tall building that soared into the clouds, and Hado looked up as they went by.

  “Who do you think Willis was?” Dia asked.

  Hado had also noticed the sign in front of the tower. It had faded some, with a green patina now coating the bronzed name of the tower.

  “A very powerful man to have a structure like that named after him. Who would still be no match for the mighty Venganza.”

  Dia laughed, and they continued past the amazing structure. The teenage girl then noticed another sign.

  “Hey, that sign says there’s a park this way. It’s a little to the north, but it might be worth stopping.”

  “I’d like to keep moving west.”

  “But what if there’s fresh water there? It seems that parks are more often than not a source of fresh water. Or at least close to one.”

  Dia was right. They’d found some fresh water on the way to Chicago, but had used the last of it earlier. A city this large must have some fresh water, Hado figured.

  “We can try this Millennium Park. But it’s near Lake Michigan, and like Erie, I’m sure that’ll be polluted and highly toxic. Let’s hope there’s a cistern or untainted lake inside the park.”

  Hado steered her horse off the current path and followed the signs toward Millennium Park.

  When they reached Millennium Park, the women stopped their horses and looked around. Tall trees bordered a long, narrow field. Wild grasses had grown three or four feet high, with paths cut by migrating deer. In the middle of
the field, a huge jumble of rusted steel sat as if a giant had dropped it from the sky. Beyond the trees, the buildings surrounded the park like giant, concrete sentinels.

  “This looks like any other field,” Dia said. “I’m not sure what I expected.”

  They moved through the grassy field along the deer trails until they came to an unusual object embedded in the ground.

  “What is that?” Dia asked.

  Hado dismounted from Ree and Dia hopped off of Piva. They gazed upon a concrete surface, showing cobbled stones with grass growing between the joints. And in the middle of the area stood one of the strangest structures Hado had ever seen—shiny and silver. While rust covered much of its surface, the object still reflected the image of the two women and Decker.

  “It’s shaped like a… bean,” Dia said. “And it reflects like the calm surface of a lake. Who would put this here?”

  “I think the Old Ones considered this to be art.” Hado glanced around. “This whole park was once a piece of art.”

  Dia snorted. “The Old Ones sure were strange.”

  Decker panted and began wagging his tail. He stared up at Dia.

  “What’s the matter, boy?”

  He whined, wagging his tail and sniffing at the air.

  Hado frowned. “I think we should leave. We shouldn’t be here.”

  “No, you shouldn’t.”

  Hado looked up. Three men emerged from beyond the massive bean. A bulky man stood before the women, heading the group, black hair to his shoulders and a beard with streaks of silver that touched his chest. He wore a frayed, sleeveless shirt and some type of protective vest over it, along with a necklace made of bones. Goggles sat on top of his head. The two men behind him were thinner, and each held unlit torches.

  “We were just leaving,” Hado said.

  “Yeah? Before I could ask you some questions? I don’t think so.”

  “We aren’t looking for a fight. Let us be on our way.”

  The man stepped forward. “You see, that’s where you’re wrong. You are looking for a fight whether you know it or not. This is Eternal Hounds’ territory. Ain’t nobody stepped foot on our turf for years. You’re either brave or stupid.”

  “We’re sorry,” Dia said. “Just please, let us—”

  “Dia, hush.”

  The man cocked his head to the side. “You really let her talk to you like that, Dia?”

  “Please, don’t,” Hado said. “As I said, let us be on our way. We will never come back.”

  The man clicked his tongue and looked over his shoulder. “What do you think, boys? Should we let them go?”

  “I don’t think so, Elston,” one of the men said.

  “At least not until we figure out more about them,” the other man said.

  Elston grinned. “I agree. After all, it’s not too often we get women around here.” He looked Hado up and down. “In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a woman like you. So lean. So strong.”

  “And I promise that I will be the last woman you ever see if you do not let us leave.”

  Elston frowned at his men, but then all three of them burst into laughter. He glanced back at Hado and licked his lips.

  “Well, well. A feisty one. I like that. So, I’ll tell you what.” He reached over his shoulder and pulled out a baseball bat that had been strapped to his back. “I’ll make a deal with you.”

  Hado watched the man pace back and forth. She’d left her spear on her horse which was not within reach, but still had her knife in the sheath on her waist. She knew she could pull it out and throw it into his neck before he could duck, but it might not help her much. She didn’t know what weapons the other two men carried, aside from the torches.

  “Horses ain’t of use to us because we don’t ever go nowhere. You give us that, and we’ll let you go.” Elston pointed his bat.

  Hado followed the direction of the bat to Decker. The dog whimpered as if he understood what the man had proposed, and Dia stepped in front of Decker.

  “No! You’re not touching him!”

  “Now listen, girl.” Elston stepped forward. “You don’t want to—”

  Hado moved between Dia and Elston. Elston stopped.

  “Do not come any closer.”

  Elston laughed. He looked back at his two men again, sticking both his arms out to the side. He then took the bat in both his hands and swung at Hado.

  Hado ducked. Elston had swung so hard that his momentum spun him all the way around. In a moment, Hado drew her knife and lunged forward, burying it into Elston’s stomach.

  He groaned, surprised by the attack. Hado didn’t hesitate. She withdrew the knife and plunged it into his heart. Blood sprayed from the wound and from Elston’s mouth. He fell to his knees, then flat onto his face as Hado pulled the knife out.

  “You bitch!”

  The other two members of the Eternal Hounds had dropped their torches and, though they’d been temporarily stunned at the sight of their fallen leader, moved now—rushing forward, each wielding knives.

  Hado ducked the first knife swing and then kicked out at the second man, sending him falling back to the ground. She faced the first man, who’d swung and missed. He grinned as he tossed his knife back and forth between his hands. Decker began to bark.

  “I’m gonna gut you, and then have my way with your bitch daughter.”

  Hado gripped the blade of her knife, reared back, and threw it at the man. She’d practiced knife throws since she’d been a young girl, and the man never stood a chance. The blade pierced his heart and he fell to his knees, dead before he’d fully toppled over.

  “Hado, look out!”

  The Venganza warrior turned as the other man came lunging at her. She shuffled out of the way as he swung, but the man managed to cut her arm. Hado cried out as she grabbed her bicep, but she heard the man grunt and reacted in turn as he swung again, ducking his blow. He swung the knife down again, and this time she grabbed onto his arms.

  He was strong, and tried to force the knife forward into her chest. Hado fought to push him away, keeping a firm stance and using every ounce of strength in her arms. The cut on her bicep burned, but she pushed the pain away.

  “Give up,” the man said. “You’re nothing but a weak bitch. You can’t take down the Hounds.”

  The man pushed forward again, and the knife came within an inch of Hado’s sternum. She winced and struggled, her arms beginning to shake.

  But then she looked down and noticed the man’s stance, and saw her opportunity.

  Hado lifted her leg and kneed the man in the groin. He cried out, letting go of Hado and doubling over. Hado grabbed his arm and twisted it behind his back until she heard the bone snap—the man screamed and dropped the knife. Hado caught it in mid-air as it fell, then brought it up and slashed the man’s throat. He made a gurgling noise, then hit the concrete.

  With all three men dead, Hado dropped the knife and grabbed her arm again even as Dia ran over to her.

  “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine. It’s just a scratch.” Hado pulled her hand away.

  “That’s more than a scratch.”

  Dia ripped a strip of fabric from one of the men’s shirts and made a makeshift bandage for Hado.

  “We have to search them and then leave. There could be many others in their clan. Come on.”

  Chapter 16

  The women pushed the horses, racing through the dilapidated ruins of Chicago. Hado only looked back when she realized Dia was no longer beside her. The girl had fallen back to wait for a lagging Decker.

  Maybe I should have let them have him.

  But Hado shook off the thought. The dog had slowed them down, but he had also helped them find rabbits and smelled out danger. He had, after all, signaled to them that the Eternal Hounds were nearby.

  She waited for Dia and Decker to catch up, and then scanned the area. They had come to an overpass with roads intersecting beneath it. It looked unstable, and Hado wasn’t going to r
isk crossing it. She spotted a nine or ten-story building one block over. It had ornate, marble columns and a sculpted relief across the top. Hado was surprised that it hadn’t crumbled like so many of the other buildings nearby, and had to take that as a good sign of its sturdiness.

  “Let’s regroup there,” Hado said.

  “We have no idea what’s inside.”

  “I think they’d have the entrances blocked if a gang or clan lived inside. We’ll be cautious, and if I see anything out of the ordinary, then we’ll run.”

  They approached the building, moving Ree and Piva at a light trot. Even in the darkening night, Hado could see that not only were the doors open, but some of them had been ripped off their hinges, allowing their small group to walk right inside, even mounted as they were.

  Once inside, Hado and Dia dismounted while Decker ran down a wide staircase and into the dark, seemingly unconcerned about who or what might be below.

  Dia shrugged. “Guess nobody’s down there.”

  Hado could feel the air moving, and she guessed they were standing atop a staircase overlooking a cavernous room. She had explored the Cleveland ruins, and even in the dark, one could sense the dimensions of old halls like these. Decker let out a short bark that reverberated through the night, encouraging them to come down.

  Grabbing two torches they had made on the road, Hado pulled a lighter from her pack and lit them, casting an orange glow into the space.

  They were indeed standing at the top of a set of marble stairs that descended one flight down to the floor of a great hall. The painted, arched ceiling stretched up as far as the torchlight shined. The opposite wall had been lined with leaded glass, but only two or three of the panels remained, the rest of them lying in a pile of glass on the floor beneath the wall.

  Tall-backed wooden benches covered the floor of the hall, some set in neat rows and others pushed together into random clumps. Several appeared to be nothing but charred, black wood.

  “What is this place?” Dia asked.

  “A traveler’s depot of some kind. Maybe for the rail riders?”