CARNAL (EXILED Book 1)

by Victoria Danann

  The boy’s father grabbed him. “It’s raining. And cold.”

  Carnal looked at the man. “I’m Carnal, the Extant’s son. We will consider this a personal favor.”

  The man loosened his hold on the boy, who said, “I’m Max.” To his father, he said, “I’ll get my raincoat.”

  Max was gone no longer than a minute and was half into the coat before he arrived at the door.

  “Have you ever ridden on a motorcycle, Max?”

  The boy’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets. “No,” he whispered, like he was on the verge of receiving keys to the kingdom of his dreams.

  Carnal couldn’t help but smile. “Get on behind me. Hold onto me. Lean when I lean. Show me where to turn and where to stop.”

  Max nodded. He kept his right hand on Carnal’s shoulder and motioned with his left. In less than three minutes Carnal was barging into Comstock’s house.

  “It’s an emergency. Get dressed now. You’re accompanying me to City Hall. You have five minutes.”

  “What…?”

  “I’m here as the Extant’s proxy with the full weight of his authority. Do it!”

  Comstock rushed toward the back of his house as his wife peered around a doorway with wide eyes.

  Carnal looked down at Max. “You okay, human?”

  Max grinned. “Yeah. The ride here was…”

  “Cold and wet.”

  “No. Well, yeah. But it was… the best. You know what I mean?”

  Carnal was thinking that if the human got that much of a thrill from a three block ride at a pace Carnal could match jogging, there was no telling what he would think about a flat out sprint across the wasteland.

  The woman staring with one eye from the doorway was starting to bother Carnal. “I’m not going to hurt your husband. We just need him to help with organization. That’s all.” She blinked, but didn’t move otherwise. “Tell him he has two minutes. No more. Or I’ll drag him out of here in as-is condition.”

  She disappeared from view. Within a minute Comstock emerged looking like he’d slept in his clothes and pulling on a ratty raincoat that, like the boy’s, looked like it had seen much better days.

  Carnal turned to Max. “You want to go home or you want to hang around and help?”

  “Help,” he said simply, eyes alive with excitement.

  “Can you jog over to City Hall?” Max nodded. “Meet up there?” The boy nodded and took off.

  “Get on,” Carnal said to the mayor.

  Comstock looked at the bike like it would devour him. “I’d rather…”

  “Get on!” When Carnal roared, the mayor completely forgot about his fear of the motorcycle, quickly deciding that it was less of an evil than the Extant’s burly son.

  Rosie stood when they burst through the door.

  Carnal acknowledged her first simply by looking at her and blinking, but he spoke to Yellow. “Light that fire in the conference room.” To the mayor, he said, “After you.”

  Comstock followed Yellow down the hall. Carnal gave Rosie a quick kiss when she was near enough to grab, then said, “Rosie, this is Max. He’s going to help us wake the humans.”

  “Hi, Max.” She smiled.

  He returned her smile, but looked suddenly shy.

  Observing that reaction, Carnal said, “Yeah. Don’t feel bad, kid. She makes me speechless, too.” Max blushed at that. “Can you be trusted?”

  Carnal watched Max closely for changes in his heart rate, his breathing, and dilation of his pupils.

  “Trusted how?”

  “To not betray us to the Rautt?”

  Max scowled. “Why would I do that?”

  “Yes or no.”

  “Yes. You can trust me.”

  “Then come with us.” Carnal put his arm around Rosie and walked her to the conference room. He let her go as soon as they entered, saying, “Mr. Mayor. We have a situation.

  “In about twenty minutes my brethren will be arriving here. We’re crossing the wasteland tonight, attacking the Rautt in the early morning. Your weapons and your people who are trained to use those weapons are going to help us.”

  “That’s insane!” Comstock was too shocked to hold back and be politic.

  “May. Be. But we’re doing it and your people are going to help.”

  “With no plan? How are we going to…?”

  “How many people were preparing for the attack planned six weeks from now?” The mayor pursed his lips. “Do I need to remind you that I can tell if you lie?”

  Max jerked his head to look at Carnal and blinked a couple of times. He then looked at Rosie for confirmation. When she nodded, Max’s gaze returned to Carnal with a whole new layer of respect bordering on hero worship.

  Rosie knew how to recognize that special something that Carnal had. Her father had it. It was an indescribable quality that can’t be learned or acquired, an inherent alpha trait that causes even the baddest of bad asses to make a subconscious agreement to follow.

  “Two hundred, give or take.”

  Carnal stared at the mayor for a few seconds. “You believed you could murder all of us with two hundred humans? You must have a lot of faith in your weapons.”

  Max was clearly stunned by the news that Farsuitwailians were planning to massacre the Exiled. His young face scowled and he shrank back from the mayor as if he found being near him suddenly distasteful.

  Comstock swallowed hard. “We do.”

  “All right,” said Carnal. “We can take one hundred thirty-six. We need your military leaders here first to help us decide who will go and who will not. People who can make decisions quickly. Do any of those people live nearby?”

  Comstock raised his chin. “Yes. Three come to mind. Thon Borgen. Clave Sychon. Rhod Forshep.”

  Carnal looked at Max. “Do any of those names sound familiar to you?”

  Max nodded. “Mr. Forshep. Ms. Sychon.”

  “You know where they live?” The kid nodded again. Carnal looked at Yellow. “Let Max show you where to find these people. Get them out of bed and bring them back here. Don’t allow them to dawdle. They don’t need to be at their best. They just need to be here. Now.”

  Yellow started for the front door, assuming the kid named Max was trotting along behind. Max didn’t get any warm fuzzy feelings emanating from Yellow, but he was excited about a second opportunity to ride on the back of a bike.

  For an undetermined number of repetitions, he was congratulating himself on being in the right place at the right time. He was delirious about the fact that Carnal had come knocking at his house when there were so many others he might have chosen. Max had no idea why he’d been so lucky, but he owed his good fortune to his father’s middle-of-the-night heartburn. The discomfort had caused the man to rise and light a lamp in the front room. It was as simple as that.

  By the time Yellow reached the front door of City Hall, Carnal’s crew was arriving with Dandy on the back of Easy’s bike.

  Yellow looked at Clash and Joy. “You two come with me.”

  In twenty minutes, Clash, Joy, and Yellow returned with Max and two of the architects of the plan to annihilate hybrids. The mayor had identified the address of the third and given directions so that Carnal and Easy could fetch him.

  By the time they were all assembled in the conference room, Free and the rest of Exiled were arriving.

  Rosie made her way over to Dandy and whispered, “How are you doing?”

  Dandy looked at her with eyes too bright. “Hopeful?”

  Rosie nodded and squeezed her hand.

  “Report,” said Free as he entered the room like a force of nature.

  “We have three of the military leaders. Two will cooperate.” Carnal pointed to Clave Sychon and Rhod Forshep.”This one is out. Put him under guard,” he told Joy.

  Thon Borgen bared his teeth at Carnal, intending to look menacing, but the sight of short flat blocky teeth being displayed as a threat struck Carnal as so funny he laughed out loud.

&nb
sp; Carnal turned to Free. “They have two hundred people who know how to use the weapons, but we can only carry a hundred and thirty-six. The six fuel rigs will haul as much weaponry and ammunition as we can carry, and Crave’s Promise gets a place on the back of one of the bikes. Almost all of those two hundred are at the munitions plant.”

  Free looked at Sychon and Forshep. “Do you understand what we’re doing?”

  “Yes. You’re attacking the Rautt,” said Sychon.

  “We’re attacking the Rautt,” Free corrected. “We need your people out of bed, in their clothes, ready to move an hour ago. We’re going to carry them across the wasteland on our bikes. We’re going to go in and extract a prisoner. When we have him safely away, we expect your people to rain the fire of gods down on the miscreants until no one and nothing is left. Are you prepared to lead your people?”

  Sychon looked at Forshep, then back at Free. “Yes,” she said. “We are.”

  Carnal stepped forward. “Swear your allegiance to us as allies.” He searched the woman for signs of deception, but found none.

  “We are your allies in this.”

  “Can you speak for him?” Free nodded toward Forshep. “Is he mute?”

  “I’m not mute,” said Forshep, sounding a little offended. “I’ve been hauled out of bed in the middle of the night to lead an unplanned battle with people we’ve not previously considered friends. Women are more flexible.”

  Free nodded at the wisdom of that. “Are you prepared to make a shift in your perspective?”

  “Why now? At whatever fuck in the morning? Why couldn’t we sit down at a reasonable hour and discuss this in a civilized way?”

  “The rain.” Free waited to see if the human would put it together, but there was nothing in his expression but blankness. Free cocked his head. “When the Rautt attack your city, we’re always here to defend it before they arrive. Do you know how we know when to come?”

  Forshep’s expression remained blank and he was actually beginning to look impatient. Free was astonished that the humans, even the military leaders, knew so little about how they’d been protected.

  “We know because traveling the wasteland raises high plumes of dust that can be seen for ten miles from here, farther from the hill where we live.”

  Finally, Forshep seemed to put it together.

  “It’s raining to the north. Wet sand won’t float on the air,” Sychon said. “They won’t know we’re coming until we’re there.” She sounded genuinely impressed.

  “The last time the wasteland was wet was nearly twenty years ago,” Free added. “This opportunity is worth losing a little sleep for.” Free nodded toward Carnal. “My oldest son, Carnal, gets the credit.”

  Forshep flicked a glance at Carnal. While he took in a quick deep breath, he seemed to make a decision to man up. “Yes. I’ll fight with you.”

  “Good,” Free said. “It’s good that we’re able to resolve this amicably and quickly. Forgive me for feeling I need to add a caveat, but since you were planning to murder all of us, I’d be remiss by not saying that anyone who turns on us in the heat of battle will find their body in one place and their head in another. Clear?”

  “Fair enough,” said Forshep.

  “While your people are waking up, getting dressed, and preparing their weaponry, you will discuss strategy with us.” Free motioned to the elders standing behind him. “Assuming that the two of you are going, that leaves one hundred thirty-four people. Can we find that many qualified people at the munitions facility?”

  Sychon answered, “Yes.”

  “Good,” Free said. “You can be deciding who makes the cut on the way.” He pointed to Sychon. “You ride with Serene.” He pointed to Forshep. “You ride with Cage.”

  Cage grinned at Forshep, showing off his fangs. “That’s me.”

  Forshep pulled back instinctively, but to his credit, didn’t run.

  “Mr. Mayor,” Free said to Comstock. “Someone in your city has been colluding with Rautt.”

  “That’s impossible,” he said.

  “Not only is it possible, but we have proof. We can’t stop word of our preparations from getting out, but the wasteland north of the city is being patrolled by young warriors. Anyone who tries to get a message to the Rautt will be executed on sight. I’m making you aware of this so that, in the eventuality of a death, you’re a witness to our accusation of treachery. After all, no one would be leaving Farsuitwail to travel across the wasteland for any other reason. Right?”

  The mayor nodded reluctantly and begrudgingly. “Yes. That’s true. But we have a time-honored, traditional structure in place for handling wrongdoings, a system of laws. People who commit crimes are tried in a court of law where guilt and punishment are decided fairly.”

  Free barked out a laugh. “Were you planning on putting all of us on trial before you murdered us in our sleep? In six weeks’ time?” The mayor looked away. “That’s what I thought.” He leaned toward the mayor, not caring that Comstock blanched as Free towered over him in a threatening manner. “Executed. On. The. Spot. Do you understand?” Comstock nodded, trying to shrink away, but Free stopped him. “You’re riding with Thorn. He’s not a fan of humans.” Thorn held up his hand for identification purposes and laughed darkly. “Your presence will be required for reassuring your people until we’re ready to leave. Then you can stay behind.” Free thought about that for a second. “Unless you want to go.”

  “Me? Uh, no,” the mayor stammered. No one seemed surprised.

  Carnal pulled Max over. “Go home, kid. You did good. If you ever need anything from us, just ask for Carnal and tell them I owe you a favor.”

  “I’m sorry about…” Max looked at the mayor like he was ashamed of what others had been planning. ”And, um, good luck.”

  Carnal and his crew led the way to the munitions facility in the predawn darkness. Rosie clung to his back, arms wrapped tight around his middle, as the gravity of the situation began to settle over her soul like a pall.

  They stopped in front of the little shack that hid the humans’ great secret that carried the potential for both carnage and peace. The trailers were given priority parking near the entrance, with Carnal’s elite crew and the elders parking nearby.

  Clash located the spring that opened the floor to the stairway down. Someone lit a lamp so the humans, including Rosie, could see well enough to navigate descent to the rooms below ground. Yellow was one of the first to reach the bottom and went to work lighting the lamp sconces on the walls, as he had at City Hall. Rosie wondered if he had a proclivity toward pyromania or just liked staying busy.

  There were hallways branching off from the main room in several directions. Forshep, Sychon, Cage, Breaker, Thorn, Clash, and Easy began banging on doors, yelling, “Report for battle.”

  Doors were opening all over. People were stepping out into the hall in whatever they wore to bed, to get an explanation. Seeing Comstock, Forshep and Sychon seemed to calm everybody.

  “Get dressed for rain and cold and do it on the double. We’re taking it to the Rautt.”

  Sleepy people had looked at each other like they couldn’t believe what was happening, but they scrambled to comply and assembled in the big room, dressed and ready to go within minutes.

  “Everybody trained on guns, over there,” Sychon shouted and pointed to a corner. “Artillery, over there.” She pointed to the opposite corner then conferred with Forshep as people were moving into place.

  “What are you discussing?” Free said. He’d learned his lesson about human capacity for secrecy and subterfuge.

  Sychon looked up. “We think we should take everybody trained on artillery because that’s what will do the most damage, but somebody is going to have to figure out how much we can carry.”

  The Exiled had six vehicles that had been modified so that they could take fuel with them. They were motorcycles with two wheels in front and one in back, designed to pull two-wheeled trailers. Without a fuel load, there were fo
rty-six cubic feet of space in each trailer.

  In sync Free and Carnal looked at the walls of shelves holding pipe cannons.

  “Fill up five of the trailers with the pipe cannons and the bombs they propel, then decide how many people you need to manage that most efficiently. We’ll pair them up with Exiled. Strap a gun to every human’s back whether they’re gunnery or artillery and fill the sixth trailer with ammunition.

  “Get an instructor over here to demonstrate how to fire the guns and launch the pipe bombs.”

  “You mean right now?” Forshep practically gaped.

  Free dropped his chin. “I mean right now. We’re probably smarter than you think. Just do it.”

  Forshep shook his head. “Reynells. Come show them how to load and fire a rifle. Blathekin. Same with a cannon.”

  After a two minute demonstration, the Exiled nodded like they understood.

  “Questions?” asked Blathekin.

  Carnal said, “Yeah. Is it necessary to use a pipe cannon to launch one of these?” He held up one of the round balls in his big hand.

  “Well, yes. How else could you do it?”

  “We could throw them.”

  Blathekin started to laugh dismissively, but his smile faded when he realized it was a serious question. “How far do you think you could throw one of these?”

  Carnal tossed the ball up, testing for weight, then turned it over in his hand. “A hundred and fifty yards. About.”

  Blathekin’s mood turned serious as he looked at Carnal with what appeared to be a newfound respect. “Yes. That would do it.”

  “Okay, people, you heard that,” Forshep said. “It means we need more balls and less cannons. Let’s get those trailers loaded fast. Get a move on. We’re burning darkness.”

  Rosie grabbed Carnal and pulled him aside. “Carnal.”

  “Yeah?”

  “I don’t want you to go.”

  “Rosie. This is no time for joking around.”

  “I’m not joking! I don’t want you to go.”

  “Where’s this coming from?”