Gabe and Mandy were the last to leave. She gave him a peck on the cheek and put on his mask. “You’ll do fine today, Gabe. We’ll all do fine.”
“I know.” He petted Squawk. “We’ll be ready.”
Harlan fell in behind them. His footsteps thumped down the hollow corridor. The hall seemed unusually quiet. The roar of the crowd should have filled his ears by that time, but it didn’t. Mandy looked at him and gave a confused shrug.
They emerged from the private entrance into the arena. The seats were empty of people in all sections except that of the dominion. Their raised section was half full. The Count was among them along with some people whose garish robes were stained darker than the rest. Their faces were partially concealed beneath their oversized hoods.
The gamers and hunters took their places on and among the platforms, searching the empty stands with their eyes. Only the Blue Guard remained in the seats, spread out, with their backs to the games, watching the top of the wall.
A brisk wind whistled through the small stadium’s seats. The chill air was a reminder of the coming fall. Gabe wrung his leather-coated hands. He felt the goose bumps rise on his skin. Something was wrong. Behind him, Mandy climbed up the rungs and onto the stone podium. All of the gamers set the dragons at their feet. One by one they stood at attention and saluted the people in the stands.
From somewhere in the stands, the announcer spoke. His voice wasn’t amplified, but it filled the hollow stands of the quiet arena anyway. “The venue changes, gamers. A new hunt begins.”
The trapdoor in the center of the arena dropped open. A figure rose out of the hole. A cloth mask was over top of a lanky young man’s face. The mask was painted with raccoon eyes. A black-and-gray ringed tail was tied around the man’s waist. The dominion audience let out some mirthful chuckles. Gabe immediately knew who it was.
Jack!
CHAPTER 68
Gabe’s tongue cleaved to the roof of his mouth. The clothes the boy wore were the ones that he’d lost days before. The young man dressed as a raccoon shifted around, looking in all directions. His eyes glowed with fear.
The announcer continued. “We have a thief among us. A rotten little raccoon. He must be punished. In lieu of a dreadful punishment in the dungeons, he volunteered for this… oh, how shall I put it… experiment!”
The audience stirred more than they ever had before. They talked among themselves, shoved shoulders, and bumped elbows. Delight filled their eyes like the expression of a wolf ready to devour a lamb.
“Gamers, I dare say that the boy looks fleet. Soon the chase will begin. In this contest, the dragon that draws first blood of the wretched boy wins.”
Standing at the front of the platform, he could hear Mandy say to him, “Don’t worry about him, Gabe. He’ll be fine. It’s only a test. You need to prove to them that you can do this. Win for me, Gabe. Win for me, Squawk! Win!”
He swallowed the lump in his throat. He couldn’t care less about Jack, his on-and-off-again friend. But dragon bites could be nasty. Worse than that, he couldn’t help but feel that he was responsible. Jack must have been accused of stealing his clothes, which, in a way, he’d done, but that wouldn’t have happened without Gabe’s quest. His belly soured.
“Gamers, present yourselves! Present your beasts!”
The gamers presented their dragons with the usual rigmarole. Silver. Blue. Gold. Black. Squawk finished, wings spread, with a shriek from the top of Mandy’s head. A mild applause followed.
“Gamers, ready your dragons!”
The gamers with bigger dragons set them down on the stone platform. Mandy held out Squawk, perched like a falcon, on her arm.
“Let the chase begin! Go!”
The dragons launched themselves from their perches, wings beating wildly, and landed softly on the ground.
Jack made a dead sprint for the outer wall. The raccoon tail wiggled behind him as he ran in a panic. The dominion let out rousing laughter. They pointed, clucked, and screamed.
The hunt was on. Like a pack of wild dogs, the dragons gave chase. Squawk led. He was several lengths ahead of the others. Gabe could feel his heart racing as though the dragon’s blood was his own. It fed him.
Just a nick, Squawk. Just a nick. He visualized Squawk taking a bite out of the ankle.
He’ll live.
Huffing for breath, Jack started to slow. His stride became wild. His shoulder hung. Fear kept his legs moving beyond his energy level.
I need to end this.
Squawk raced up to the floundering boy’s heels. Jaws open, he launched himself onto Jack’s leg. His teeth and claws sank deep.
Jack went down with a slobbering howl of pain.
The other dragons caught up. They piled on, biting and slashing.
Blood filled Gabe’s eyes. Jack’s screams shattered his ears. “No, stop this!” Gabe screamed. “It’s over! It’s over!”
The hunters rushed over, wooden spear-like staves in hand. They poked at the dragons, who were in a blood frenzy. Not a one of them seemed to have any control over any of them. Gabe was the only hope for saving Jack before he was chewed to death.
Jack kicked and screamed.
Make this end, Squawk! Make this end! On instinct he put his fingers on his temple. Squawk, stop this now!
The tiny dragon let out an earsplitting shriek that would crack a window. The dragons, all of them, broke from the frenzied pack. Blood dripped from their snouts. They slunk back. Squawk backed all three of the dragons toward the wall. They hissed and snapped at him.
Tearing off his mask, Gabe rushed over to his friend. “Jack! Jack! Are you okay?”
Jack, clothes all bloody, had a glassy look in his eyes. Numbly he said, “Gabe? What are you doing here?”
“Somebody get him some help. He’s bleeding badly!”
The gamers and hunters had him surrounded. The hunters lowered their staves. Mandy rushed by his side. “Come on, Gabe! Come on. The boy is done for. You must let them finish the game.”
“What?” He shook his head. “No! This game is over. They tried to kill a boy. He must be saved.”
“Don’t be a fool, Jack! He’s a thief. He’s not worth saving.” Mandy pointed and poked at him like a goodwife gone mad. She grabbed him by the shirt and pulled. “Call Squawk off!”
Gabe’s jaw hung. The blood seemed to flow from his body. He found Malak’s eyes behind the gold mask staring at him with deep intensity. His spear tip shifted from side to side. “This is wrong, Mandy.” He shoved her aside and yelled, “Wrong!”
Jaw jittering, Jack said, “Someone help me. Someone help me. I’m freezing.”
Gabe ripped off his sash. In a frenzy, he tried to staunch the boy’s wound with it. The dragon bites were nasty. Jack bled from his neck to his toes. “You’re going to be fine, Jack. Hang in there.”
In a weak voice, Jack said, “You know what, Gabe?”
“What?”
“I hate you.”
“Good, hate makes you strong. So hate me all you want so I can scrub those walls for you.”
“I’d rather be dead than scrub another one of those walls.” His eyes fluttered up into his head.
Gabe kept tying off the wounds. “You’re sick! All of you. You should help. He can’t die. Remember the blood law!”
A commotion stirred at the top of the stands. A man hung outside of the upper rim. The Blue Guard rushed him. In a glimpse, Gabe caught sight of the hollering man. Dirty as a sewer pipe, Jack’s father said, “They’re killing my son! The dragons are killing my son!”
The guards tried to knock him down. Fingers locked in the chain link, the man hung onto the fence for dear life. “Help my son! Help me, citizens! Save him from the dominion’s lies!”
CHAPTER 69
The Count appeared inside the arena. Arm waving, she said, “Clear out! Clear out now!”
In the background, the members of the dominion dispersed. The robed figures hustled into their entrance tunnels and disappeare
d. Around the upper rim of the arena, heads and arms of citizens started popping up. The Blue Guard beat them down with clubs, but the oncoming sea of people climbed the fence anyway. Angry citizens spilled into the arena like a crashing tide.
Angela’s face was a storm. “Secure the dragons! Secure the dragons!” She smacked Malak in the back of the arm. “Malak! Don’t let Gabe out of your sight!”
“Look at all of them,” Mandy said, gaping at the flocks of swarming people. “We must go, Gabe! We must go!”
“I’m staying.”
Malak picked him up from behind. “No, you’re not. Tell your rotten friend good-bye.”
“Put me down!”
“Do you see that horde coming? They’ll show no mercy to any man or beast. Now, call your dragon!” Malak held him in a fierce bear hug. “Call him now!”
The gamers scooped up their dragons. One by one, they hustled into the corridor. Squawk fled into Mandy’s arms. All of them hurried off, leaving Jack for dead with the raging people gathering.
Gabe had never seen anything like it before. The mobs howled with fury. Where did they all come from? How did they appear so quickly? The entire arena became a bowl of chaos as they overwhelmed the guards. They sprinted down the corridor and into the dragon den. The gamers locked their dragons inside the cages. The Blue Guard whisked the gamers away.
Mandy’s father, Oscar, waited in the den. “We must go, Mandy.”
She put Squawk in his cage. “Gabe is coming with us!”
“No, he’s not! Come now! Danger threatens us.”
Still locked up in Malak’s arms, Gabe said, “Go, Mandy. I’ll be fine.” He didn’t even look at her.
“I’m not leaving without you!” she said. Harlan scooped her up in his arms. She let out a furious squeal. Her fingers stretched out toward Gabe. “Look at me, Gabe. Look at me!”
He didn’t.
“You are a fool, Gabe!” Mandy said in a voice that seemed familiar. “An idiot! After all I’ve done for you, you dare turn on me over some two-legged varmint!”
He glared at her. The pretty girl’s face revealed nothing but poison inside. It was time to go. He was done with his life in Newton. He turned his face away.
“Look at me, you wretch! Look at me and know that you were never good enough for the dominion! Never! Nev—umph!”
From out of nowhere, the Count had clamped her hand over Mandy’s mouth. “Shut up, Mandy. Your performance is over. Your little wiles failed.” She gave Harlan a nod. “Take her back, and report back to me.”
“You should come with,” Oscar said. “It’s madness up there.”
She gave the man a fierce kiss. “I can handle it. Just go settle down our daughter.”
“As you wish, Angela, but be quick. Our guests will be restless.” Oscar departed.
Only a handful of guards and the dragon hunters remained in the den.
Angela drew her gun. Shaking her head, she said, “Today’s a fine mess. Just a fine mess. Put the boy down, Malak.”
Gabe’s feet hit the floor. He drew a breath.
Resting the gun on her shoulder, she said, “Something’s afoot. A stirring that I shall squash. Do you know anything about this little distraction, Gabe?”
He shook his head. He was still struggling with the concept that Mandy was Angela’s daughter. Mandy’s harsh words had his heart sinking in quicksand one moment only to have it thump out the next. Everything was a lie. He didn’t know what to believe.
“Of course you don’t. The tricky men never know anything.” She made her way to Squawk’s cage. She tapped the metal bars with the gun barrel. “This dragon controls the others. That’s all we needed to see. But can we control the man who controls the dragon? Hmmm… I thought I could seduce you. I thought I could seduce your father too. But good men like you are nothing but a thorn in my side. What to do? What to do? I was a fool to think there would be an easy way. Commanding great power is never easy. If I can’t have it, then nobody can.” She pulled back the hammer of the gun and lowered the barrel on Squawk. “A pity.”
“No, wait!” Gabe said. Malak clamped his hand over his mouth.
Easing back, Angela said, “No, let him speak, Malak. I want to hear what this boy is willing to concede.”
Inching away from Malak, Gabe said, “I’m not killing anybody, but I’ll let my dragon fight. That’s it. I’m not killing anybody. Not Jack, not anyone.”
“You’ll have to play by the dominion’s rules, Gabe.”
“What about the blood law?” he said. “I can’t just kill someone like Jack.”
“Some crimes are punishable by death. Why not make it entertainment?”
“Like my dad. Was he entertainment?”
“No, he was a deterrent. The same as these games will be. The blood won’t be on your hands, Gabe.”
He balled up his fists. The leather on his gauntlet creaked. “Have you convinced yourself that my father’s blood is not on your hands? Or Malak’s hands? My father was an innocent man.”
“Now he’s a dead man.”
“Then I’d rather be a dead man too.”
Angela gaped. Nostrils flaring, she said, “That can be arranged. I can accuse you of any crime and turn the dragons loose on you. How does that sound, Gabe? Son of the Dragon Hunter becomes the hunted. Let’s everyone see those skinny little legs of a murderer run!”
Jack’s horrified expression was etched in his brain.
A flushed guard rushed inside the room. “Count, the hinges are rattling on the doors! They breach in moments!”
She growled in her throat. “Ain’t that lovely!” She popped open the cylinder to her gun, checked the bullets, spun it, and slammed it shut. “Dammit! Do I have to do everything myself? Guards, come with me! Malak, stay with Gabe, and feel free to loosen his stubborn hide a little.”
CHAPTER 70
Malak caught Gabe up under his chin with the club. He dragged Gabe deeper into the room and said to Jubal, “Secure that door.”
Jubal obeyed, closing the door the Count had left through.
Gabe’s toes barely touched the ground. He’d made his mind up moments before that he was going to flee with Squawk. Now all of his hopes and dreams had become a nightmare of impossibility. The citizens rioted. Newton had become a madhouse. He’d be enslaved by the dominion forever. In that harrowing moment, all truth became clear. He understood how the likes of Angela and the dominion manipulated people for personal power and gain. It was just a shame he’d realized it all too late.
“You should have taken what you were offered, boy,” Malak said in Gabe’s ear.
He could feel Malak’s gruff chin whiskers on his ear. Somehow he choked out, “Death before the dominion.”
“Huh. I like that. My people can use that, Gabe.” Malak’s iron grip slackened, but he still held the boy firmly. “Listen to me closely now.”
Gabe? Malak had never called him anything other than boy. His fear-stricken heart fluttered. This must be it! I’m going to die!
Jubal leaned against the door. Four other dragon hunters unfamiliar to Gabe gathered around. Malak resumed his talking. “Saul was one of us. A brother.” The big man suddenly shuddered. “I did what I was told. What the Count said. Followed orders. Buggy died because of what I did. The Count made me do it—I swear it, Gabe.”
What is he talking about? “It’s too late for your confession. I don’t want to hear it.”
Malak let him go and dropped to one knee. His eyes were wet with tears.
Gabe rubbed his neck.
With a sob, Malak said, “All you know is a lie. Life changes fast. Be ready.”
The words stung with a heart-opening truth. “You wrote that?”
“I did.” Malak’s bullish face sagged. All of his sins had caught up with him. “I took it further than I should have. I was so angry over losing my son. It fed me. I let her manipulate me. I got away from myself. It just turned out so much uglier than I ever imagined. The Count is so despicable. St
ill, Saul and Buggy died because of me. I let it go too far. I need to make it right. I’m sorry for all I did. The Count wanted you to put your trust in her. I shoved you that way.”
A banging started on the other side of the door.
Malak burst into action. “Get your dragon! Wait until night. Mabel will meet you at the tunnel.” He handed Gabe a sack. “Put that winged chicken in here.”
Gabe took the sack. There were some other supplies in it. At Gabe’s whistle, Squawk slipped out of the cage and inside the awaiting sack.
Malak shoved him toward Garland’s door. The dwarf stood there with a grim smile. “Don’t think for a minute I’m going to clean those cages when you’re gone, whipping post.” He gave Gabe a stiff hug. “Let freedom reign.”
Turning to Malak and the others, he said, “What about you?”
Malak and the dragon hunters stood holding their spears. The big man banged his spear on the floor. “Don’t worry about us. Worry about you. We’ll throw that grouse off your trail. We have plenty of work to do. The fallen shall be avenged.”
Sack slung over his shoulder, Gabe bolted into the alley. He cast a final glance back. The door was sealed like a tomb. The sack wriggled. Squawk poked his head out of it.
“I’ll never see them again, will I?”
Squawk let out a little rattle.
Gabe took to the empty streets. Looking back in the opposite direction, he could see that an angry throng had crowded the arena by the thousands. The Blue Guard rallied against them. Clubs struck like falling rain. Wood shattered on skulls.
He slunk into the shanties. Even the poor and decrepit were engaged in the upheaval. With the walls empty of the Blue Guard, he jumped into the washout. It would be hours before nightfall. He squeezed into the pipe and waited. A crack of gunshots could be heard over the noise. After an hour, the shouts and screams died down. The charge that crackled in the air had fizzled out. The brawling and turmoil came to a stop. The lamentations began.
Squawk: Beginnings (Book #1) Page 24