“Don’t back down,” she said, and she set off towards the men. Cy and Tom fell in stride to either side of her. Cy already had his gun out, although it was pointed at the ground. When they broke through the clearing and stood in front of the men, the crowd became quiet. Tom eyed the angles while Ellie and Cy stared grimly ahead.
“Can we help you?” Ellie asked.
One of the men, a broad fellow with patches on his fatigues and leather boots worn through on the steel toe, moved to the fore.
“Time to step down, Ellie,” he said.
Cy tensed but Ellie stilled him with a look, then turned back to her challengers.
“And who might you be?” she asked.
The man stood tall and pushed his chin out. “My name is—” he began, but he was cut off by a throaty boo, this from a scowling old woman with a four pronged walking cane that the men had unceremoniously shoved to the side in clearing the street. The man stared daggers at her and began again.
“My name is—”
But he was drowned out by more hecklers, and still more, old and young alike, until the three challengers were overwhelmed by the chorus of scorn. Then a small group of schoolchildren broke through the space and stood in front of Ellie, Tom, and Cy and faced the three men with their arms crossed impetuously. The crowd cheered and laughed as more people joined them until a line divided the two groups of three. Then it became a wedge, and the men were pelted with a cup of coffee, then a half-sandwich, and then a full shopping bag of fruit.
Ellie eased off her gun as the men turned and ran. Tom laughed like a maniac, and Ellie was about to speak to Cy about not shooting their way out of every situation when something caught her eye from down the street towards the floodplain, where a bridge formed a walkway over a concrete dam that stretched from the shopping area to the residential area.
It was a man, a thin man, hunched, with a head of shaggy brown hair. The man sparked a cigarette with a brass Zippo that flashed in the sun. Then Ellie was surrounded by congratulations and well-wishers and her line of sight was broken. When she looked out again, he was gone. She was afraid this might happen. She’d spoken with him so many times already in her dreams that she knew it was only a matter of time before her heart bewitched her brain and she started seeing him in the streets.
That evening, their rounds finished, exhausted and still jittery from the confrontation, they passed through the gate to their property, lost in thoughts of their own. Tom stopped to pick up a handful of long stemmed roses and two cards that had been placed there, a nightly cleaning routine that he secretly enjoyed, when he stopped. A note was taped to the inside of the gate: a simple sheet of paper that was folded and stuck in the jamb. He put the other gifts down and pulled it free, unfolded it, and read it.
“Ellie,” he said, his voice filtered through a smile. “I think this is for you.”
Ellie made her way down the lawn and took the paper, held it up to the light, and read it.
I said you could beat him. I said you were meant to. I knew I was right. I also said it has to be this way because I thought I’d never see another day. I was wrong. It doesn’t have to be this way, not forever. So go forward and lead them all. I’ll be waiting for you.
At the end were two words so small that Ellie marveled at how they plugged such a huge hole in her heart.
Love,
Finn.
Compendium of Characters
Aldobrandi, Lorenzo: Sweeper of Team Gold
Alvarez, Lilia: Striker of Team White
Andizzi, Ignazio: Striker of Team Gold
Auldborne, Alex: Captain of Team Grey
Beauchamp, William Lee (Bill): Lead Engineer, Diode Development Team
Bernard: Assistant to Greer Nichols
Bell, Cyrus (Cy): Striker of Team Blue (Second Generation)
Brander, Goran: Striker of Team Black
Claudia: Russian translator
Crocifissa, Tessa: Captain of Team Gold
Darby, Father Brendan: Team Green Administrator
Elrey, Tom: Sweeper of Team Blue (Second Generation)
Finn, Ian: Striker of Team Green
Finn, Mary: Ian Finn’s mother
Finn, Peter: Ian Finn’s father
Foss, Sarah: Bill Beauchamp’s Research Assistant, Diode Development Team
Fuse, Tenri: Sweeper of Team Red
Guo: Sweeper of Team Jade (Unofficial)
Haulden, Max: Striker of Team Blue (First Generation, deceased)
Hix, Nicole (Nikkie): Sweeper of Team Blue (First Generation, deceased)
Hurley, Bailey: Pyper Hurley’s little sister
Hurley, Daniel: Pyper and Bailey Hurley’s father
Hurley, Pyper: Captain of Team Green
Jessop, Harry: US Diplomat
Jinbo, Amon: Striker of Team Red
Krueger, Falco: Striker of Team Amber (Unofficial)
Krueger, Felix: Sweeper of Team Amber (Unofficial)
Lockton, Allen (Lock): Tournament Courier/Investigator for Team Blue
MacQuillan, Kayla: Sweeper of Team Green (deceased)
Mazaryk, Edward (Eddie): Captain of Team Black
Nichols, Greer: Team Blue Administrator
Noel, Dominique: Striker of Team Silver
Noel, Tristan: Sweeper of Team Silver
Noel, Yves: Captain of Team Silver
Northern, John (Johnnie): Captain of Team Blue (First Generation, deceased)
Obata, Takuro: Captain of Team Red
Ortiz, Felix: Sweeper of Team White
Parker, Troya: Cy Bell’s ex-fiancée
Pez, Julio: Tournament Doctor, Mexican Region
Qui: Captain of Team Jade (Unofficial)
Radomir, Ales: Sweeper of Team Black
Stoke, Christina: Sweeper of Team Grey
Sturm, Astrid: Captain of Team Amber (Unofficial)
Tate, Draden: Striker of Team Grey
Tien: Team Jade Administrator (Unofficial)
Vasya: Foreman of the Black House
Vega, Diego: Captain of Team White
Walcott, Dr. Baxter: Tournament Doctor, United States Region
Walcott, Sarah: Dr. Baxter Walcott’s daughter
Willmore, Ellie: Captain of Team Blue (Second Generation)
Xiang: Striker of Team Jade (Unofficial)
Youngsmith, Frank: Investigator for Team Blue
Compendium of Characters by Team
Team Black (Russia)
Eddie Mazaryk: Captain
Goran Brander: Striker
Ales Radomir: Sweeper
Team Blue - First Generation (USA)
Johnnie Northern: Captain
Max Haulden: Striker
Nikkie Hix: Sweeper
Team Blue - Second Generation (USA)
Ellie Willmore: Captain
Cyrus Bell: Striker
Tom Elrey: Sweeper
Team Gold (Italy)
Tessa Crocifissa: Captain
Ignazio Andizzi: Striker
Lorenzo Aldobrandi: Sweeper
Team Green (Ireland)
Pyper Hurley: Captain
Ian Finn: Striker
Kayla MacQuillan: Sweeper
Team Grey (England)
Alex Auldborne: Captain
Draden Tate: Striker
Christina Stoke: Sweeper
Team Red (Japan)
Takuro Obata: Captain
Amon Jinbo: Striker
Tenri Fuse: Sweeper
Team Silver (France)
Yves Noel: Captain
Dominique Noel: Striker
Tristan Noel: Sweeper
Team White (Mexico)
Diego Vega: Captain
Lilia Alvarez: Striker
Felix Ortiz: Sweeper
Team Amber - Unofficial (Germany)
Astrid Sturm: Captain
Falco Krueger: Striker
Felix Krueger: Sweeper
Team Jade - Unofficial (China)
Qui: Captain
Xiang: Strik
er
Guo: Sweeper
FROM THE AUTHOR
B. B. Griffith was born and raised in Denver, Colorado. After graduating from Washington University in St. Louis with a degree in English and American Literature, he wandered the world a bit before returning to Denver to set up shop with his wife.
This story may be over, but there’s more to come from the world of the Tournament!
For more information about the Tournament series of novels, and to be notified of future releases by B. B. Griffith, join his mailing list online at
http://www.griffithpublishing.com/tournament/
There’s no spam involved, just a heads up whenever he has a new book out.
Thanks for reading!
The Tournament Trilogy Page 89