by KM Fortune
CHAPTER 8
Still hidden in among the rocks and sheltered from the elements by an overhanging ledge, Willow roasted a grouse on a stick over her small fire. It was even tinier than normal, but she had not wanted to roam more than a few feet from her then unconscious captive. The bird would serve well enough. Food was food. As she pulled it off, she looked over at the man on the ground across the fire from her. He was awake now and had propped himself up against a rock. His hands were tied in front of him, and she had also secured his feet, yet one look at his hostile face let Willow know he would try to escape at any moment. She sighed. It was just her luck to capture an especially stubborn member of the Patrols. Probably because he’s more experienced than a lot of the others, she thought, taking in his weathered features and gray hair. She guessed he was some kind of leader of The Patrols, although when she asked him earlier, he refused to speak. Getting information out of him was not going to be easy.
Regardless, Willow held out half of the cooked bird to him. Even though she hated him to his core for everything he represented and looked forward to killing him in the end, she needed to keep up his strength. "Take this," she instructed. The soldier continued to glare at her. "Do it," she said with more force. After a moment, the man held out his bound hands and took the food. While Willow watched, he dropped it in the dirty snow and spat on it. Irritated now, Willow started to stand up and considered kicking him in the ribs a few times for his ingratitude. He watched her, and a smirk played across his lips. Unwilling to give him the satisfaction of seeing her lose her temper, Willow settled back down. She shook her head and went back to staring at the fire. "Why do you men from the Great Cave hate us so much?" she said more to herself than the soldier. "What did we ever do to you?"
Surprising her, her captive answered. “Because you are heathen. Unwashed, unannointed waste people,” he snarled. “Not worthy to walk the Earth.” Is he serious? Willow thought. His disgust was apparent with every word.
“What are you even talking about?” she asked turning to look at him. “I don’t even know what those words mean.”
“Of course you don’t,” he said. “You are stupid. Worthless.” Willow had heard enough. This time she did stand up, ready to kick him in the mouth. The soldier laughed at her.
“Go ahead,” he mocked. “I’ve already learned your only answer is violence. Although I will say, you’re braver than the rest of your kind. I’m more used to seeing waste people scurry away like vermin.”
Willow narrowed her eyes. “You have no idea,” she said softly.
LOOKING THROUGH THE one-way window, Samuel watched the strange little girl from the wastelands and her disgusting nomad companion. They were playing some sort of game stacking small sticks, and from the smile on the child's face, she was winning. Samuel hated all of it. Hannah, as The Creator insisted she be called, was too comfortable, too happy. It’s because The Creator has started to favor her, Samuel thought with a frown. He does not see the girl is just another devil’s spawn. A female, even if a young one.
When Samuel first heard the news a little girl was captured, he was surprised. So few naturally born children existed. A vaccine against the plague which made women sterile had not yet been found. Matthew, the foremost scientist in the colony who dedicated his life to discovering a cure, was now gone. Samuel had no idea if the man even still lived, but in his heart, he hoped not. Matthew was a traitor to his brethren in Eden, and if Samuel had his way, Matthew would have died a horribly painful death. Regardless, the news a child was found, especially a female, was a miracle. Even Samuel could admit it. What he did not understand was why the leaders in the colony were so excited about it. Undoubtedly it could be surmised, because the little girl's mother was apparently not infected, the child would not be either. Her blood, her DNA, and her reproductive system could all be studied by the few scientists who still struggled to pick up where Matthew left off. But then what? Samuel wondered. The colony was stable and even though through the decades the clone population had shown more and more flaws in design, Samuel was confident Eden would continue to dominate forever. In his mind, there was no reason to find a cure.
The sound of laughter pulled Samuel out of his thinking, and he refocused on Hannah and her companion. The pile of sticks had collapsed, and Hannah clapped her hands happily. Enough of this, he thought. Nothing would give him more satisfaction than to terminate the girl once and for all. He clenched and unclenched his fists as he thought about it, but knew it was nothing but wishful thinking. Somehow, the girl had worked her way into The Creator’s favor. It has to be some sort of witchcraft, he thought and then remembered the rumor of some prophecy which was whispered among the soldiers. A dark-haired witch had escaped from Eden, cast evil spells on anyone who hunted her, and would eventually be Eden’s downfall. Samuel had discounted it and even reprimanded any brother who he heard speak it. But what if there is something to it after all? He knew the girl was somehow connected to the female who escaped. What if the child was planted with the intention of confusing The Creator? Samuel narrowed his eyes. It seemed impossible, but it was time to make sure. Even if he could not destroy the girl outright, he could find ways to hurt her otherwise. Watching Hannah and her friend, Samuel suddenly knew what to do next.
MATTHEW WAS AS SURPRISED as anyone to see the small woman in the dark cloak appear from the row of chairs and go on the attack. At first, he did not recognize her, even when Raven said who she was and claimed she was with them. Then he vaguely recalled Raven's group had included a young, silent warrior who stayed to herself. He spent only a day with her before the girl went in pursuit of the kidnapped Raven. Now he realized he owed Kit a debt of gratitude. She not only found Raven but kept her safe, Matthew thought, knowing it could not have been an easy task. Yet, seeing her now, Matthew had a better understanding as to why she was successful. Even though she was tiny, she was mighty, fierce, and with a knife in each hand, ready to keep fighting.
"Kit, stop," Raven said. "These are friends." Matthew raised his eyebrows at the declaration. He hardly would have considered The Duke and any of his men friends at this point, but Matthew also understood the need to play along. Luckily, Kit held in place and looked over at Raven. Her face showed her confusion, and she waved toward the man with the club just stepping out of the shadows.
“Seriously, Andy? What were you thinking?” The Duke asked. Andy came forward and hung his head.
“Sorry, boss, I just thought—” Andy started.
"Shut up," The Duke snapped. "You thought wrong. Now get over here." The Duke turned and waved to Kit. "You too. We are all on the same team." Matthew turned to Raven and saw her nod at Kit. The girl lowered her knives but still hesitated.
“It’s okay, Kit,” Raven reassured her. “It was a misunderstanding.” Reluctantly, Kit moved close to the edge of the ring but stopped there. Matthew figured it was as good as they were going to get from her. The Duke seemed to sense it too and walked over to look through the mesh fencing.
“You want to work for me?” he asked with a grin. “I could use a quick hand like you.” Kit just stared back at him expressionless. The Duke laughed. “I like you,” he said. “It’s a shame you aren’t bigger. I’d love to pick you for the ring tonight, but I don’t think I have anyone in your weight class.” Pick her for the ring tonight? Matthew thought not liking the sound of it. Where is this going?
“Is there going to be a fight tonight?” Brody asked, having approached the ring after the excitement. His brother was beside him.
“Do we get to watch?” Toby added, his enthusiasm evident. The Duke turned to the two men and nodded.
“Yes to both questions,” he answered. “A big fight tonight and you’ll most definitely want to watch it.”
Matthew was pretty sure he already knew the answer but asked the question anyway. “Why is that exactly?” he said. The Duke spun around and grinned at the group, a glint of mischief in his eye.
"Because one of you will be repr
esenting your team," he said. "A chance to show some spirit. Congratulations. Someone is going to be the star of Fight Night."
BLAZE BLINKED. Did I hear that right? he thought. Before he could puzzle it out, Raven spoke up, steel in her voice. "Absolutely not," Raven said. Blaze watched a smile play across The Duke's features. The lanky cowboy tipped his white hat further back on his head, and he hooked his thumbs into the front pocket of his jeans.
“Well now, you didn’t think all this food and hospitality was completely free did you?” he asked. “Everyone who shows up on my doorstep, especially if they have come looking for something from me, has to demonstrate their worth in the ring. It’s the way we operate around here.” Blaze felt his face flush as his temper started to rise. He had about enough of the man who ran Reno.
“I’ll fight,” Blaze said. “Especially if it is against you.” The Duke tilted his head and looked hard at Blaze. The dislike in his eyes did not phase Blaze in the least. In fact, he liked knowing he was getting under the other man’s skin.
“As much as I’d like to give you an ass kicking, my Fight Night days in the ring are long past. I proved my worth a hundred times. It’s why they call me The Duke,” he said. Pasting his smile back on, The Duke turned back to Raven. “Don’t you worry. It’s all just a friendly sport,” he said. None of what the man said mattered to Blaze. He looked forward to the opportunity to use his fists. The rage inside him needed an outlet. And it will give me a chance to prove myself to Raven, he thought. He looked at her and saw the concern on her face. As he opened his mouth to tell her it would all be okay, Matthew stepped forward.
“I’ll take on your champion, sir,” he said to The Duke and glanced over at Blaze. “As a clone, I am a better sacrifice if things go wrong.”
Blaze could not believe what he was hearing. There was no way he would step aside and let Matthew take the challenge. “Stay out of this, Matthew,” Blaze growled.
“I insist,” Matthew said with his jaw set in determination.
“No,” Raven said. “No one is going to be doing any fighting. This is ridiculous.” The Duke chuckled.
"Well, isn't this sweet. Two heroes, both vying for their lady's affection," he drawled. "Well, we can settle this easy enough." He dug into his pocket and produced a silver coin. "Which side you want, Red. Heads or tails," he said to Blaze. Blaze shook his head, ready to continue to lobby for his right to be the group's fighter when The Duke held up his hand. "Seriously, enough. I get it. You're a badass, and you think you can fight. Now pick a side," he said with impatience in his voice.
Blaze gritted his teeth. "Tails," he spat out and watched as The Duke tossed the coin into the air. It landed with a bounce at their feet. The Duke stooped to look, but Blaze already saw. He cursed under his breath as The Duke chuckled.
“Heads,” he said and stood back to look at Matthew. “A clone, huh? That’s something we don’t see much. Ex-patrol?” Matthew nodded. “Perfect,” The Duke continued. “Haven’t had one of those in a long time. The crowd will love it.”
CHAPTER 9
They climbed in single file. She held the rope, which was tied around Gabriel's waist and led him as they hiked. It was not easy on Gabriel with his hands still bound, but he kept up, unwilling to let the woman who held him captive know he was struggling and in pain. The spots where she hit him with the rifle butt especially ached, yet with each throb of his head, his determination increased. There could be no sign of weakness. Yet, as the day wore on and the elevation increased, he had to grit his teeth with each step through the snow. Finally, the woman called a halt. Gabriel looked around to try and get his bearings. At first, he was sure she was leading him away to a nest of waste people to torture him. He did not believe she was a lone operator. As time wore on though, and the course they followed went up the slope of the mountain which contained his home, he reconsidered. Add in the fact no other heretics appeared to help her and his curiosity grew. It was clear there was a destination in mind, but he had yet to guess where.
As he considered the puzzle, the woman came to him. She held a canteen out. “Water?” she asked. Gabriel narrowed his eyes. Is this woman toying with me? he wondered. He could not believe she was willing to share something so precious as clean water with him. At the height they were at finding running water would be next to impossible. It would require making a fire and melting snow. Something he was sure she did not want to take the time to do under the circumstances. Still, his mouth and throat were dry. And if she is stupid enough to give it up, he thought. He held out his hands, and she handed him the container. Gabriel drank deep and felt the water refresh him. Swallowing a second gulp, he closed his eyes and savored it. "Bless you," he whispered and then suddenly popped his eyes open. The words had come out without thinking and purely as habit. Gratefulness was a key part of his engineering in the colony. Before he could take the words back, the woman grabbed the canteen out of his hands. Most of her face was covered with a scarf, but her eyes glared at him. She doesn't want my blessing any more than I intended to give it, he thought knowing she hated him as much as he hated her. But she needs me alive and able to keep going. Finally, he had enough of the mystery. He wanted answers.
“Why did you drag me up here?” he asked. “What is the point?” The woman turned away from him and put the canteen back in her pack.
"You're going to help me get inside the Great Cave," she responded without bothering to look at him. Her voice was muffled, and Gabriel thought for a moment he heard her wrong. It made no sense. He shook his head.
“Say that again?” he said. She looked at him as she shrugged on her pack.
"I need to get inside the mountain," she said. "And you are going to help me." Still unable to believe her, he took in his surroundings again and suddenly realized they were very close to the North Gate to the colony. It made sense if she wanted to break in. As opposed to the Main Gate, this one was significantly less guarded. Still, the men will be alert enough to stop a lone stranger dressed in animal skins, he thought. There was no way she would be able to enter at the North Gate or any other. The real question Gabriel had though was why was she even trying.
“What do you want to enter for?” he asked. She did not answer and instead picked up the guide rope and started to walk.
“Let’s go,” she said. Gabriel held fast. He would not take another voluntary step until she explained what was going on.
“No,” he said. “I want answers first.” The rope now taught between them, she turned back. Her eyes were angry and he wondered if she would speak or hit him with the rifle again. Then she stepped closer and glared into this face.
"One of my clan. Your people took her, and I need to get her back," she said. Gabriel blinked. The pieces fell into place. This woman wanted to find Hannah. Is she one of the people Hannah asked for weeks ago? he wondered. It seemed likely. Gabriel was not sure what to make of the information. He realized he missed the little girl’s enthusiasm toward everything already and it had only been a day since he saw her in the garden. How would she react if I brought this woman to her? He already knew the answer.
“Are you her mother?” he asked. The woman shook her head.
"Her mother is dead. You massacred her group. I found her when she was nothing but a baby, and I've raised her," she said. "Now I just hope she is still alive." Gabriel hesitated. He knew his soul was at a crossroads if he revealed any information to the heathen. Then he thought of The Creator and his fascination with the girl. He thought of Samuel and what his cruel intentions might be. He thought of Hannah and her smile. Although he did not believe the best place for the little girl was out on the wasteland, he was not sure the colony was best for her either. Making up his mind, he nodded.
“She’s alive,” he said. “And I know where she is.”
DRESSED IN THE NEW clothes Sergeant Gray provided them, Hector and Helen made their way through the labyrinth of mining tunnels which snaked under the city. The sergeant led, holding a torch light hig
h to illuminate the way. "We are coming to the most dangerous part," Sergeant Gray explained. "We have to go up to the surface briefly and cross the main square of the city. I am hoping it will be quiet at this time of day and since you are dressed like commoners, no one will notice us. Another mine entrance, the one which will lead you out of the valley, is on the other side of the plaza."
Hector nodded. "I remember," he said. "We will be quick." The three of them made it to the end of the tunnel and paused. The sergeant extinguished the torch and poked his head out to see if the coast was clear. Apparently satisfied, he stepped out and waved Hector and the queen forward. Holding Helen's paw in his, Hector moved at a fast walk. Deliberate, but not so much as to call unwanted attention. He glanced back and saw the beautiful cat mutant he loved had lowered her eyes to keep from being recognized. It was smart since she was revered by the people of her city and by far the most famous cat mutant in the realm, but they hardly made it ten steps before a murmur of whispers started to sound. We've been recognized, Hector thought and picked up the pace. He knew they must get out of the open.
Seeing the entrance they needed not far ahead, Hector held his breath. So close, he thought and then his heart nearly stopped. Prince Edward and a pack of guards stepped out from an alleyway in front of the mine. A smirk played across his brother’s face.
"Going somewhere?" Prince Edward asked. Hector's first instinct was to attack, and he started to pull away from Helen's grasp when he felt her hold strong. Glancing back, he watched as she stepped in front of him to confront the prince.
“And if we were, what business is it of yours prince?" she said with great emphasis on the other cat mutant's title. A group of city folk had begun to gather around the action. The tension was high, and no one wanted to miss what was about to happen next. "After all, I am still the queen of this kingdom. I do not have to answer to you," Helen said, lifting her chin. A murmur of agreement went through the crowd. Prince Edward appeared unphased and instead sneered at her statement.