by R. L. Wolf
"Wait, I know what you guys are doing, just leave me alone," said Austin, and walked away from the group.
"What now, Chief?" asked Toran.
Colt sat down on the ground and opened his field pack and rummaged around inside.
"I've got a beef flavored food paste tube," said Colt. "I like the pork flavored one better, anyone want to trade."
The boys were just finishing their meal when Austin returned to the group and sat down next to Colt.
"Will you let me bargain with you for a promise?" asked Austin.
"You don't have to bargain, I'll give you anything you want?” asked Colt.
"I'm not going to stop being bitter about that day," said Austin. "I'm jealous because Rex got to be a Gunslinger and not me, and I'm jealous you got to be a Gunslinger too, but I've never once held back as your Merit, have I?"
"Never once," agreed Colt.
"When I die, will you promise to make me a Gunslinger and put it on my tombstone, instead of Deputy?"
"I promise," said Colt.
"You do know that most people don't know the difference between a Deputy and a Gunslinger, normal people consider all of us Gunslingers."
"I know, but as long as I can have that little thing, I can live knowing people will see my name and say, he was a Gunslinger."
"Look," said Garth.
Colt looked over his shoulder. The archway with the stairs leading up to the last level was open.
"I guess the Eldest Mother is satisfied," said Wes.
Garth got up, walked over to the archway, and looked up the stairs, and then back at Austin.
"The Daemi believe everyone in their society was hatched to fill a specific role," said Garth. "It doesn't matter that you are bitter about the twist of fate that robbed you of being a Gunslinger. You have agreed to serve your role anyway, and to them, that makes you a damn fine citizen. They will probably give you a medal. You are more of a hero than Colt. You tried to save those kids and even though Rex got what you should have got, you have been serving Colt as a Merit without a single complaint."
"Yeah, I agree," said Wes. "You're a hero."
"Thanks, guys," said Austin.
"One more level to go," said Colt. "Are we ready?"
"Let's do it," said Toran.
The boys climbed the stairs to the first level of Hell. Colt led the way into the last cavern.
"Guys, this doesn't look good," said Toran, stopping next to Colt.
In the middle of the cavern were five tombstones, and in front of each tombstone was a plain wooden casket. The boys walked over to the tombstones and read the names on the simple stone grave markers.
"Why are our names written on these?" whispered Wes.
"Look, the archway is open," said Colt.
"What's the challenge?" asked Wes. "Whose sin is this? What sin is this?"
Garth knelt down next to his casket and lifted it open to look inside—it was empty. The boys pushed each lid open, only to find that all the caskets were empty.
"This doesn't make sense," said Austin. "Is the Eldest Mother going to kill us?"
"I don't think so," said Colt. "She could have done that anytime already, and the archway is open."
"Maybe it's the future," said Toran. "Or a future sin we haven't committed yet."
"Maybe it's a warning," said Garth.
"Or a threat," added Wes.
"It has to be something where we all died at the same time," said Austin.
Colt stood and kicked his casket and walked past it. He turned around and faced the team.
"Guys, I'm tired of this," said Colt. "We are the best team there has ever been. We've walked through Hell together, and nothing can beat us."
"Damn right," said Wes. "We are the best."
"I am proud to serve on this team,” said Garth.
"We are the Wolves," said Toran.
Colt lifted his head and shouted, "Cyness Wolves!"
Austin still knelt next to his casket. Something was nagging him at the back of his mind, something important… something….
“Wait, I know what this is,” shouted Austin. “We can’t leave this behind us, wait!”
Colt stepped through the archway to the stairs that led up and out of Hell Prison and... fell in the snow at First Deputy Fatal's feet.
"Forty-two minutes, well done," said Fatal, picking Colt up and guiding him to a bench. "Okay, Toran you're up next."
Toran got up from the bench and walked past Colt to the entrance to the tunnel.
"No!" yelled Colt. "What are you doing?"
"Go on, Toran," said Fatal. "It's your turn, hurry up. We don't have all day."
Fatal had to hold Colt from running to Toran as he entered the tunnel. Colt was angry and glared at Deputy Fatal.
"Why are you sending him back in there?" demanded Colt.
"Calm down, you're still a little confused from the drugs. Toran hasn't been in the tunnel yet."
"What? We just escaped from Hell, what are you talking about?"
"Hell? I assume you mean Hell Prison?” asked Fatal. "Interesting that would be your hallucination, but trust me, you've never been to Hell Prison, nor would you ever want to visit that place."
"I don't understand," said Colt. "The notebook, Jon Black, The Eldest Mother?"
"Everything you experienced was a hallucination brought on by the drugs we pump into this chamber," explained Fatal. "Tunnel training is to prepare you if you are ever captured and interrogated, or worse. You did very well and fought through the drugs in forty-two minutes."
"But what about when we passed Brock's team on the path, a whole week went by without them knowing."
"Brock's team isn't scheduled for the tunnel until this afternoon," replied Fatal. "This is a common side-effect of the drug. Most likely you don't remember anything from the moment you left your cabin two hours ago."
"It wasn't real...none of it?" asked Colt.
"No, whatever you experienced was not real," said Fatal.
Colt gave up and dropped his head. "This training challenge sucked," said Colt.
"Yes, it is one of the hardest, but only because your mind makes it that way," explained Fatal.
Colt waited on the bench until Toran stumbled out of the tunnel begging for water. Colt listened as Fatal went through the explanation again with Toran, then again after Garth rushed out of the tunnel swinging his knife wildly at an imaginary foe. Wes came out of the tunnel next, flapping his arms like a bird, and Austin came out appearing to be swimming away from something.
Deputy Fatal checked the boys and cleared them to leave the training site. Colt led them along the path toward the camp. It was almost lunchtime.
"I'm hungry," said Garth. "I could eat a boulder."
Wes was digging through his pockets and then looked in his field pack while they walked.
"What are you looking for?" asked Toran.
"I swear I put my bone dice in my pocket this morning," said Wes. "I can't find them anywhere."
"Your dice is missing?" asked Colt.
"Yeah, I know I put them in my pocket," said Wes.
Colt lifted his hand to his neck. "My necklace is missing."
"I'm sorry," said Toran. "That was a gift from your Pa, huh? Maybe you dropped it in the tunnel. We can go back and ask Deputy Fatal to look."
"I never told you who gave it to me," said Colt. "How did you know?"
"You must have told me," said Toran, shrugging. "Do you want to go back and look for it?"
"No, forget it," said Colt. "It's not important, let's go before Garth starts eating one of us."
The boys laughed and headed to the dining cabin.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Night Sheriff
Colt was pushed into the jail cell.
"Come on, Brock, seriously, you're arresting me?"
"You walked on the grass," said Brock.
"There is no grass, it’s just snow."
"The rocks around the Marshal's lawn clearly mark the off
-limit area," said Brock. "Camp Rule number thirty-four: Do not walk on the Marshal's grass. It is posted on the bulletin board in the dining cabin."
"There's three feet of snow," protested Colt. "You can't see the rocks."
"Doesn't matter," said Brock. "The intent of the law doesn't change with the weather."
"You're just trying to get even with me for shooting you last summer," said Colt.
"Are you accusing me of abusing my authority as sheriff?" asked Brock.
"Oh for ancestors sake! I relieve you as Sheriff in five minutes," said Colt. "This is stupid."
Brock left Colt fuming in the jail cell and went to sit down at the Sheriff's desk. He propped his feet up on the old wooden desk and sat smirking at Colt. Brock's Merits were packing up their gear and getting ready for the shift change.
A few minutes later, the Marshal walked through the door with Colt's Merits in tow behind him. Brock jumped up from the chair he was sitting in and handed the Marshal the logbook, the Marshal scanned it and signed the bottom.
"Good job, everything looks in order," said the Marshal.
"I have one prisoner, Sir," Brock informed the Marshal. "The prisoner is charged with trespassing and complete disregard and contempt for the Marshal's personal property."
"Well then, we might have to hang him," said the Marshal.
"Yes Sir!" shouted Brock, grinning happily. "Gabe, get the rope."
"Give me the keys, Brock." The Marshal sighed. "Gabe, put the rope away."
Brock handed the Marshal the big ring of skeleton keys and picked up his field pack.
"Am I done, Sir?" asked Brock.
"Yes, you are relieved," said the Marshal. "Get some sleep, you are on free-time until tomorrow morning."
"Thank you, Sir," said Brock.
Brock gave Colt a last smirk and headed out the door with his team. Toran dropped Colt's pack on the desk, and then tossed his own pack in the back room where Austin and Wes were fighting over the bunk furthest from the drafty window. The backroom only had four bunks. The Sheriff wasn't allowed to sleep during the twenty-four-hour shift. The Marshal handed the ring of skeleton keys to Toran and tossed a new set of log sheets on the desk.
"Wait ten minutes and let him out," said the Marshal.
"Yes, Sir," said Toran.
"You're just giving Brock a head start, so I don't chase him down," said Colt, from inside the jail cell.
"Do I need to remind you that you are not allowed any closer than one-hundred feet to any team cabin?" asked the Marshal.
"No Sir, I know the rules," said Colt. "I can't arrest any teacher or staff, or approach any team cabin without a warrant from you or Deputy Hargrath."
"All right then, I’ll see you boys tomorrow morning.” The Marshal opened the door and stepped out into the snow storm, leaving Deputy Merit Toran in charge, at least for the next ten minutes.
"He's gone," said Colt. "You can let me out now."
Toran didn't say a word as he hung the keys on the peg next to the door and pointed at the clock on the wall.
"Very funny," said Colt. "Fine, whatever."
Wes sat down at the dispatch radio and fiddled with the settings until he was satisfied. "Deputy Toran, the prisoner is making a lot of racket," complained Wes. "Can I use the hose on him?"
Austin banged on the bars. "Quiet down in there, or I'll have you gagged."
"Oh, you guys are all just a bunch of comedians," said Colt.
Colt wasn't upset about being arrested by Brock. He had let himself get arrested. Brock still held a grudge for the shootout last summer, and he had seen a way to let Brock arrest him. He chuckled to himself that Brock thought he could be so easily taken. He had been on the way to the Sheriff's Office for his shift, and Brock had been in the right place at the right time. So, he had cut across the snow next to the Marshal's Office, and Brock jumped at the bait.
"Let him have his little victory if there is a chance he might let go of the grudge," thought Colt. He just wanted the stupid war with Brock to end.
The Merits organized the Sheriff's Office according to Colt's tastes for the shift. The Camp Sheriff's Office had opened several weeks previously, the same time of year it always opened. The Marshal had instructed the teachers to cease all enforcement outside of their classroom or training site. The students were now providing their own police force, mail department, trash collection, and military patrols of the border. And there was a rumor going around that Phase two would include running an entire real city. Colt had thought the mandatory courses were done and the year almost at an end, until the Marshal sprung running the camp offices on the students. Now they had classes all day in city management along with their electives, field training, physical training, and their rotating duties to the various offices. The Marshal had stepped up the pace, and the students were running in circles.
The radio beeped and Wes answered, "Sheriff's Office." Wes listened and replied. "Okay, we'll send a Deputy right over."
"Hey Toran, Duke's team is at the athletic shed, and it's locked, they need the keys to get some skis out."
Toran opened the key box, took the athletic keys off the hook, and jotted a note on the log sheet before tossing the keys to Garth.
"Would you unlock the shed?"
"On my way," said Garth, catching the keys.
"I'll just be over here if anyone needs me," called Colt, still in the jail cell. "You know, to sweep the floor or anything."
The Radio beeped again, and Wes answered.
"Sheriff's Office," said Wes, scribbling on a piece of paper. Okay, stay calm Sir, I'm dispatching a Gunslinger team now, do you have a safe place you can hide? Oh… umm… yes Sir, sorry Sir, I just got excited and was following the script from my textbook. Yes Sir, right away Sir."
Wes turned in his seat to report to Toran.
"That was Deputy Hargrath. There's a female perpetrator disturbing the peace at the dining cabin."
"You asked Deputy Hargrath if he had a safe place to hide?” asked Toran. "I don't think he's scared of any student."
"I'm sure he could easily resolve the situation," said Austin. "He's just following along with our hands-on training and letting us try to solve the problem."
Wes shrugged sheepishly. "It's what the textbook says to say."
"You did fine, Wes," said Colt. "Now will you let me out of here?"
Toran unlocked the cell with a crooked grin while Colt made a face and walked past his First Deputy Merit.
"Toran, you stay here with Wes," ordered Colt. "Austin, you're with me."
The two boys headed across the roll-call field to the dining cabin, the snow storm was picking up. Colt pushed open the door of the dining cabin and found Selina standing with her arms crossed and defiantly staring at Deputy Hargrath. Rebecca was sitting at the table with her head in her hands. Austin walked around the table looking over the shoulders of the Merit’s at the table. He picked up one of the textbooks, flipped a few pages and set it down.
"What's going on, Sir?" Colt asked Deputy Hargrath.
"The work crew is ready, and I have to close the dining cabin for two hours while they fix the broken water pipe, but Selina won't leave," explained the Senior Deputy.
"I… we… study… yes…," said Selina. "Food place... always open... yes... they say... have test ...later ... study now... no time go."
Colt looked down at Rebecca sitting at the table. "Are you okay?" asked Colt.
"I can't get her to listen to me," said Rebecca.
"You're not supposed to have to try to get her to listen," said Colt. "Selina, your under..."
"Selina," Austin stepped in front of Colt, interrupting him. "May I speak with you privately over here?" Austin didn't bother to wait for her to answer and walked over to a corner of the dining cabin. Selina watched him for a moment and then followed.
Colt could tell Austin was angry, but he couldn't hear what he was saying. Austin spoke with Selina, gesturing back toward the table. Selina was silent while Aust
in was talking. Austin didn't give Selina a chance to respond. He finished what he had to say and walked back over to Colt.
Selina returned a moment later and stood in front of Deputy Hargrath.
"I apologize for my behavior, Sir," said Selina. "I will ensure from now on I conduct myself in a more appropriate manner. Come, Rebecca, we will find another place to study before the test, and later we can speak more."
Salina turned to face Colt. "Am I free to go, Sheriff?” asked Selina.
Colt's jaw dropped open then closed, his eyes turned dark, "You speak fluent Imperial!" accused Colt.
Austin intervened again, holding his hand up. "You may go," said Austin, taking Colt's arm and leading him away."
Colt was furious but followed Austin outside.
"What was that about?" demanded Colt.
"That was an issue for Merits," said Austin. "Not for a Gunslinger."
Colt's temper was at the breaking point, and he didn't want to play games.
“I want to know what just happened,” demanded Colt, his voice low and dangerous.
"Did you notice the open book on the table with nobody sitting behind it?” asked Austin. "That was where Selina was sitting before we arrived, and that was the last clue I needed to put it all together."
"What are you talking about?" demanded Colt.
"She's further along in the book than the other girls," explained Austin. "She can read faster than they can, and can speak Imperial as well as anyone."
"So why is she pretending she can't speak Imperial?" asked Colt.
"Her people are more advanced than the Kesune know, but as long as the Emperor thinks they are just his pet to play with, he won’t bother sending troops to conquer them. If he knew, he would crush them the same as he did to all of us. But there is more, Team Rebecca is a fake Gunslinger Team."
"It's cold out here," said Colt. "Let's start back."
The boys headed back across the field while Austin explained his theory.
"Rebecca is weak, and so are those other three merits, the team is out of balance," explained Austin. "The Emperor put pressure on the Gunslinger Council to get his own private Gunslinger Team. So, the Gunslinger Council assembled a weak team that won't survive. When they get killed, well, everyone knows how brutal this training is. The Council can't be blamed when the Emperor's pet Andian can't hack it."