The Tournament Trilogy

by B. B. Griffith

  “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!