His mind rolled through the thoughts in his head. Black fur, and a small fire to keep them warm. She was with the Hounds.
He didn’t know which ones; Pit’s side of the family was numerous, to say the least. That meant figuring out where they were going to go.
The only place he could think of was back to Four Water Lake. There was a Bluecoat encampment near there - Kindle had seen it with their own eyes. She would know how to get back. The Hounds would need that; they were known for their ravenous impatience, inherited from their father and grandfather. Kindle got a little of that from her Uncle Pit too. They would want to try something.
Appetite growled, fastening the weapons to his waist. He hated this. He hated doing things without a plan. But it was what it was.
Armed to the teeth and stuffing some protein bars into his pockets, Appetite journeyed out into the dark for a late-night hunt.
Chapter 3
Red Fires to Keep Warm
Kindle
“She’s tough, reliable, and dependable.” --Appetite
“She’s a nice girl, that Kindle.” --Vermin
“Oh. I’m talking about the gun. Kindle’s much more than those things. I ain’t comparin’ no gun to my baby girl.” --Appetite
Kindle knew it was a stupid idea when the Hounds showed up to the cabin as the sun’s light fell into crimson.
She had finished her chores for the day with every expectation to relax and enjoy a vid or a good nap. Grand-uncle Pit’s Hounds showed up at her doorstep: Bulldog, Mastiff, and Dane. They were the children of Shepherd, the meanest of Uncle Pit’s children, the only ones left on-planet. They had all inherited his large size, thick black hair, and cold red eyes, leaving nothing of their soft-spoken mother aside from her warm skin.
Dane approached first. When it came to it, she was the leader of this pack of Hounds. She was the tallest of the three with thick muscles, soft pink-red eyes, and hair shaved at one side. When Kindle was younger, she’d thought that Dane was the coolest thing on this side of the universe; now, a little older and with more awareness, Kindle saw that there was something deeper than cruelty in her cousin’s eyes. She listened to Dane’s intoxicating words of glory and fun all the same. She went with them despite every part of her body telling her otherwise.
She had gone, tied to the steep promise she knew the Hounds couldn’t keep.
She sat in their beat-up truck frowning and hoping. The Hounds liked her well enough, but not enough to let her sit up front with Dane; she sat beside Mastiff in the backseat. He wasn’t as tall as his sister, but he was well-muscled, and covered with cheap tattoos and poorly healed scars. The embers of his cigarette glowed in the dark as he stared off into the trees. They hadn’t exchanged a word since she entered the jeep. Kindle tried; Mastiff was never the talker. Tonight though, the Hounds didn’t speak at all. They rode in tangible silence through the bumps and turns of the road, not even the sound of a radio or a disc to fill the gap. Kindle opened her mouth, taking in a mouthful of ash and smoke. Her coughing earned her the smallest smile from Mastiff. Might’ve imagined it; it’s mighty dark out.
They continued down the dirty road and through the forest. The Rippling Creek to the Four Water Lake was a well of interesting things. Even through the dark of the night, Kindle saw remnants of the Great Exit from the Old Planet. There were parts of their civilization littered all around them; cars, broken down buildings, up to a certain point where it all stopped. The Caldwells had long ago scraped those things of any value when Grandpa and his brothers landed, but it was still a wonder to see the remains of what was once a great civilization now gone and scattered amongst the planets. Only they remained, and even they were different, not even entirely human anymore. Anyone who had seen her grandfather transform or her father eat knew that. Things evolved, and the old things remained rusted and abandoned. That was life. That was all she ever knew.
“Ain’tcha gonna ask where I saw them?” Kindle said after a measured time on the road. “You don’t know if you’re going to the right way.”
“You would’ve told us if we weren’t,” Dane said from the front seat, hands casually on the wheel.
“I guess that’s true, but I can’t be sure. Can’t see as well in the dark as you guys.”
“Gotta point there,” Bulldog said, the shortest of the three Hounds. He grinned over the seat, his sharp teeth stark white against his smushed face. He kicked his feet up on the dashboard. Out of the three, he was the loudest. “But you gotta know where we at. You know the Four Water Lake better than the three of us combined.”
“You guys aren’t normally this quiet though.”
“Ain’t it the truth?” Bulldog said, laughing. More like barking. “You’ll see why we’re quiet in a sec though. Keep your voice down.”
A few more miles of silence passed before Kindle heard the familiar rolling waves of the Four Water Lake. The smell hit her first, punching a hole through the cloud of cigarette smoke.
Kindle leaned out of the window to see the shore, bask in its glory. The yellow moonlight touched the surface of the water of reds, blues, greys, and soft silvery-whites. Each section of the late housed a color, divided by lines of black-barked trees and redgrass. There were even different fish in each part of the lake; from normal fish like the catfish in the white waters, to monstrous super fish in the red ones, which Kindle knew from her hundreds of visits. It had become a blessing of sorts to her father; it meant that he wouldn’t overfish if he played his cards right. It was odd being here without him. This was their spot.
Kindle frowned, feeling a little guilty. He wouldn’t care, it’s just a lake. ...our lake. Her frown deepened.
That was when she saw them. Sprinkled on the edge of the shore glowed a line of campfires. Dane slowed the jeep, turned off the headlights. The Hounds exited their car, leaning low as though the people on the other side could see them. No, that wasn’t right - they lowered their bodies like this was some hunt and on the other side was prey, living meat they could consume.
Kindle’s eye caught a waving blue flag on the other side. She couldn’t make out the symbol on its surface; a white….something. She hoped, prayed that it wasn’t what she thought it was. “Guys, I think--”
She only earned three sets of red glares as response. Bulldog, at least, had the decency to shush her with his finger.
They loaded their guns. Mastiff brought out his familiar red-painted axe from the back trunk. Kindle remembered the first time seeing it cleave through a man when she was only eleven. She remembered the man’s face, red spray leaking from his gawking mouth, eyes glazed. It came with the awful memory of a rancid smell and Bulldog’s barking laughter. Only a year later, she’d killed her own first man, like her pa always said she would.
That memory she couldn’t hold clearly. Kindle pushed it away; not that it bothered her. She’d made her peace with that. Tonight, she had to focus on the here and now.
Slipping Coal--her pistol--from its sling, she stalked after the hounds with a dryness caught in her throat. In too deep now. The Hounds needed her.
“Alright,” she whispered in a low voice, assuming a more commanding tone, “since you dragged me along to this, I’m leading.”
Dane arched an eyebrow. She opened her mouth to speak, but Bulldog stopped her.
Kindle squared her shoulders, unperturbed. “You heard me. And we leave when I say so. We ain’t going to get ourselves killed ’cause you guys can’t keep your fingers off triggers.”
The three Hounds made a perfect “o” with their mouths as though they hadn’t expected such authority. Kindle shouldered ahead to take point, her trusty pistol in her hand. Everything her grandpa and pa taught her flooded through her head. Her cousins were older than her, that was true - but that didn’t mean they were wiser. Quite the opposite, really. Yeah, deep inside, she wanted a fight, but common sense overrode her urge to prove herself. This needed to be recon and nothing else. Judging
by the amount of campfires on the other side, there were at least ten squads, much more than what they had seen on the lake today. The bad feeling clawed her stomach with every step forward.
She led them through the trees on the edges of Four Waters to a dirt road that cut through the winding maze of tall trees and grass. Small local wildlife scurried around them, accompanied by glowing green eyes or a rustle of leaves in the canopy. Small bipedal mammals with green and silver fur and a naked tail scurried into the branches. A massive Abk stomped past them, its black fur caught in the moonlight and hooves thumping. They snuck past, through the Souring River, and passed a small hill of old cars and abandoned buildings they had named the Old Grounds. She needed to keep that in mind in case things got bad.
After more than a few miles, they were on the other side of the lake. She hushed the Hounds as they stalked through the trees.
A buzz of conversation rose through the night air. Bluecoats unlike Kindle had ever seen walked through the black of night, large white lights dangling from their hands, flashing from one side to the next. They were taller and meaner, far better trained with weapons. From here, Kindle could see a massive tent erected on the other side, flanked by posts topped with glowing, translucent blue orbs.
On the shore walked two men, each with a Coat she didn’t recognize. The first man caught her eye. His body was lean, his shoulders and arms wide. Though much shorter than the man with him, he held a scary, confident air; his walk was more casual in comparison to his partner. Every step he made came with the sound of metal hissing and a small puff of smoke from his knees. In the light of his white lantern, he looked normal, with his wide stubbled chin, cropped short black-and-grey hair, and pale, scarred white skin. What was different were his eyes made completely of metal, moving back and forth with a clearly audible hum like metal shutters opening. He was smiling towards the other man, who flinched as though prepared for a slug in the face.
The second man gritted his teeth, hand stuffed in his pocket of his finely-pressed blue uniform. He was much taller, made of harsh angles like he was wood-cut by a rickety saw. His bald head glistened with sweat against his light skin and the odd red scales on his cheek. His beady green eyes blinked. To Kindle, it looked like he was hoping that the first man said nothing - it was written all over his face in layers. She recognized this one, saw him once on a trip down the mountain into increasingly rare land that the Caldwells hadn’t claimed. Captain Owen Xan of the Sixth Battalion of the Bluecoats Fleet. “I’m not saying I’m here to make you uncomfortable, Xan, but - I’m here to make you very uncomfortable.” The shorter man had a familiar backwater planet twang to his voice, much like the Caldwells, though softer and emphasizing different letters. It had an almost charming quality to it. “Come on, talk with me, Owen.”
Kindle’s heart throbbed in her chest, so loud that it beat in her ears. Who was this other man that shook Xan so badly?
“Second Major Debenham,” Xan started.
“You can call me Steve, I insist.”
“Second Major Debenham.” The Captain squirmed. “I don’t see why you’re here on C’dar. It doesn’t require your attention.”
“I don’t plan to do anything. I’m here to observe, is all.” Major Debenham continued to stare with those chilling metal eyes, the lights within them blinking red for a brief second. He cocked his head. “Is there a problem, Owen?”
Captain Xan froze, silver-colored sweat dripping from his face. “We have everything under control.”
“Do you, though?” Major Debenham squinted. “Even the mutant problems I’ve been hearing so much about? The ones in the mountains?”
“The Caldwells aren’t--”
Major Debenham grinned. “Oh they have a name? That’s nice.”
“The Caldwells aren’t a problem, sir.” Captain Xan forced out a nervous cough. “I’m handling it.”
“Our definitions of handling it must be very different. Having a 7-A stripped and carted off doesn’t quite seem to be...optimal for what we’re trying to do here. Do you care to explain?”
“I--”
“Don’t answer that.” The Major put a metal hand up. “That was a rhetorical question. You need--”
Kindle felt herself being pulled away by the arm. She turned, Bulldog nudging her with his elbow. A mild irritation washed over her, being torn from the conversation like that - but Dane and Mastiff were gone. She clenched her teeth, turning away in a wave of panic. They had left her to inspect the campsite further, or worse - try to take something. Kindle stifled a scream of frustration, knowing all too well the men on the other side of the trees would hear them. She centered herself, stepping back with careful steps, keeping herself aware of everything underfoot.
Kindle and Bulldog stepped away from the shore and a little back to the clearing. “Where did they go?” Kindle hissed. “I told them to follow me.”
“And they did, until they saw something they liked.” Bulldog shrugged.
Kindle wanted to punch him in his stupid squashed face. “There’s a Captain and a Second Major of the Bluecoats. Here. We aren’t the people to be making this call. We can put our whole family in--”
Gunshots.
Kindle wanted to strangle her cousins. Sirens began blaring around them, lights flashing. She raised Coal and slipped through the trees and shrubs. Another squad of Bluecoats rushed past a hair’s breadth away. How many are here? Bulldog stepped forward, grinning with his weapon in hand. It took all her power to stop him from lunging at the men.
“There’s a difference between being brave and being stupid,” Kindle huffed. “That would’ve been stupid. What is wrong with you people? How are we related?” She pushed an annoying lock of hair from her face. “Alright, we’re going to find your brother and sister before they get us killed. Then we’re leaving, got it? Do I need to put it in writing or somethin’?”
“My brother and sister are out there.”
“Didn’t I just say - nevermind. Follow me. They don’t know we’re here.”
The sirens screamed louder, and so too did the gunshots. Kindle rushed through the lines of trees adjacent to the shore. The soldiers didn’t notice notice anything, not yet; they were too focused on Dane and Mastiff.
Kindle knew better than to rush into a fight like this. There were too many factors. She scanned the Four Waters, seeing those massive mechanized monsters - 7-As - immobilized on the other side. Good. They didn’t have to worry about that for now. What they did have to worry about was superior numbers and firepower. Whatever the Hounds saw in that camp, she hoped it was worth it.
Through the mist rolling off the lake, Kindle saw them. Two forms were running away from the campsite, arms full of what Kindle assumed were guns. She ran in their direction, heart and feet pounding. More squads were coming their way, and even Dane and Mastiff couldn’t handle that number. It was now or never. Kindle took a deep breath, feeling the heat rising in her body. They needed to make it before the rest closed in. Deeper she pushed, the heat in her body pressing hard against her skin and muscles. The speed helped. She wasn’t nearly as strong or durable as her father, but she was fast. They could make it.
Heat rolled off her, burning in waves as she ran. Too much, she’d overheat and faint. Too much and she might burn everything around her, but she had never gone that far. Still she pushed as much as her body would allow.
She came bursting through the shrubbery to the other side and rammed into a large man; the contact sent the man flying, the heat from her charge scorching him. She turned, landing three shots and downing three men before they had the chance to respond. She went to shoot another, but they came for her fast. A rain of white and black energy whistled behind them, lasers from their energy-cell weapons - a mistake. Her body knew heat.
She put up her arm, the heat beams tearing through the cloth of her sleeves and shoulders. Small holes opened up in her skin, breathing steam out like a vent. The me
n frowned in confusion for a brief second. That moment was enough for Mastiff to cut through them with his raider’s axe. Dane was behind him, laying down cover fire with the familiar puttering of his rifle. They backed up together and formed up in the cover of the trees. Kindle protected them the best she could, using her body as a shield to absorb the energy from their weapons. She flicked from side to side, absorbing what she could and burning off the excess. Keep moving. Keep moving.
Kindle lead them away from the campsite, now noticing the sack on Dane’s shoulder. She cursed again. What was so dang important? At the very least, the Bluecoats knew there were three of them now. They had to double back. If not, they were going to -
The conventional weapons came now. Bullets, good ol’ fashioned bullets. Grandpa hated fancy technology for smuggling aside from batteries and cores; he’d much rather smuggle ammo, alcohol, and gas like a normal man. She’d inherited that. She liked the feel of the good ol’ fashioned weapons in her hand. She didn’t appreciate being shot at with them, though; those would hurt her, kill her if they had the chance. They had to keep moving, they had to.
Kindle looked over her shoulder to see that their pursers had curiously stopped once they hit the shrouds of shadows and leaves. She turned to see Captain Xan and Major Debenham standing before them, the stars on their long blue coats glistening in the moonlight. Kindle stopped. Fear gripped her tight the moment she saw them, and in that second, she knew they were unmatched.
She was the only one who realized it, though.
Mastiff charged at them.
Time felt slow for the moment in the moonlight. The smallest of smiles reached Major Dedenham’s lips in a way Kindle hadn’t ever seen on anyone but her grandpa before. Confident. Dominant. Like a god playing with a piece so below them that it wasn’t worth the use of his finger joints. There was a kindness in his face, in the crow’s feet against the corners of his eyes. Major Debenham pulled out what was left of a lollipop, spitting out the white stick and leaving small crystals of red candy speckling his perfect row of white teeth. He took one step forward. One, slow deliberate step forward and then...blood.
Dusk Mountain Blues Page 4