by K. A Knight
“But I will be,” Dray snarls from behind me. He darts an arm out and grips the collar of the captain’s shirt, pulling him close and getting in his face. “If you so much as breathe on her again, I’ll skin you alive.” Dray’s icy eyes penetrate the captain’s stare for a long moment before he abruptly pushes him away, making the older man stumble back.
I laugh and look up at my savage man.
“You can call me daddy if you want.” He wiggles his eyebrows and I snort as I turn away.
We’re marched straight to my father’s office where men are stationed outside and the captain follows us in. It looks exactly the same in here. Dray glances around, laughs, and then sprawls in the chair in front of the desk. Grinning, I perch on his lap and he wraps his arms around me. He looks calm, even half asleep, but I know he sees everything, his body tense under mine. The captain glares at us as my father sits heavily in his chair. His eyes flicker to Dray and he frowns before he looks back at me.
“What happened?”
He looks tired, really tired, and not as put together as he was when we last spoke. Is that blood on his arm?
I tilt my head. “I could ask you the same thing.”
He frowns, rubbing at his head and looks at the captain. “There has been unrest here.”
“Enough, we tell her nothing, daughter or not. You shouldn’t have brought her here in the first place, and now she has led a whole army here. You have been stripped of your leadership. Now, savage, why are here you?” the captain snaps.
I freeze, my father isn’t the leader anymore? What the fuck has happened since I have been gone?
Dray stiffens even further, and I lean back on him to stop him from ripping the man apart. “You are really going to have to stop insulting me,” I point out casually.
“What are you going to do, little girl?” he sneers.
“Not me, him.” I jerk my head back at Dray. “He’s more… savage, as you call us. Doesn’t take well to me being insulted.”
“What happened to your other…erm, boyfriends?” my dad stumbles over his words.
“The Cities,” is all I say, and they both straighten. “That’s why I’m here, not to invade you, so you can keep your little fucking bunker for all I care. I only need one thing.”
“And what’s that?” the captain says sarcastically.
“I need the maps I saw on your desk the last time I was here, the ones of the Cities.”
The captain swears and looks at my father in disgust. “Why?” is all my dad simply asks.
“Because they are starting a war, and I plan to stop them before it escalates, get my men back, and lead the people who took them into a trap. You can either help or hide down here.”
“Your war has nothing to do with us,” the captain snaps, crossing his arms over his chest with a scowl turning up his thin lips.
“You really think once they’re done with us ‘savages,’ as you call us, they will stop? They want Paradise, they always have. If we don’t stop them, they will storm this place and take it for their own. You’ve been separated from the rest of the Wastes, from the world, for too long. It’s time you joined us, because without our help, you will burn.”
“How do you know?” my dad queries, ignoring the muttering captain.
“My men, they were originally sent to the Wastes to find Paradise for the Cities, they never planned to go back though. I’m guessing the Cities took them to find out what they know. My question is—why are they curious about a bunker in the middle of nowhere?” I lean forward on Dray’s lap, my expression speculative and my tone suspicious as I press, “What are you hiding?”
The captain and my father share a glance then and I know whatever they say next will be a lie.
“A safe place, that is all,” the captain deadpans.
“Bullshit,” I snarl. “But keep your secrets, I just need your maps. I won’t ask how you got them, just give them to me and I will take my army away and stop the threat before they kill you all for whatever you’re hiding.”
The door opens then, and we all glance over at the soldier looking in. “Captain, we have a problem.”
He nods and turns to glare at Dray and me, before turning a stern expression on my dad. “Give them nothing,” he demands, his jaw clenching. “Don’t even fucking speak until I’m back, you’re on thin ice.”
He strides away then and slams the door behind him. I blink as I turn to see my father scrambling across the desk to stand in front of me, grabbing some papers as he goes, watching the door before looking at me. His eyes are wide and filled with panic.
“We don’t have much time,” he says urgently. “I’m not in charge anymore, Tazanna. You need to get out of here and fast. Here.” He hands the maps over, his hands shaking. “Unrest was an excuse, it’s a fucking uprising with the army in charge and they’re taking no prisoners. I’m so sorry. I thought what we were doing here was to save people, but apparently I was so wrong, forgive me,” he rushes out, with tears in his eyes.
“Come with us,” I beg. There is no love lost between us, but it seemed like last time maybe, just maybe, we could work through those feelings in time, but when faced with the idea of leaving him here with a clear fucking psychopath, all of that love comes flooding back.
He smiles sadly then. “I can’t, these people need me. He’ll kill them all if they step out of line. I wasn’t brave enough to save you, but I will save them or die trying. I’m trying to be a better man, one you would be proud of. Let me have that. Now, you must go,” he urges, shooting nervous glances at the door.
“We can fight this,” I argue, standing. “Please, let me help,” I implore.
He smiles at me then and cups my cheeks. “I’m so proud of you, you’re so strong, just like your mother. But your family, your real family, needs you. Go. I will keep him from following you.”
“He won’t be happy. What if he tries to kill you?” I ask, worried.
“Then I die protecting you, something I should have done a long time ago.”
“Soulmate, it’s his choice, we have to go,” Dray rumbles as he stands, wrapping his arm around my shoulders.
My dad looks at Dray, his eyes widening as he takes in the weapons, scars, and everything that is just Dray. “I love him,” I whisper, and my dad sighs, peering at the Seeker King.
“Keep her safe.”
Dray looks at my father, his eyes cold and deadly. “Always, though it tends to be her keeping everyone else safe.” My father and Dray exchange a nod before Dray strides to the door, peering out and scanning the hall, before stepping out to keep watch.
I smile to myself as he leaves. My ‘savage’ man is giving me a few private moments with my dad.
Holding the maps close to my chest, I turn my attention away from the door and fix my gaze on my father. He’s so much smaller now, weak, but I see a fire, a fight in his eyes that I didn’t see before. “You’ll always be my father,” I admit quietly, earning me a smile.
Reaching out, he gently squeezes my shoulders and then releases them. “Go.”
I search his watery gaze for a moment longer before nodding and turning to leave. My heart clenches in my chest, knowing that this will probably be the last time I’ll see the man who raised me, the last member of my real family. But sometimes, you have to let someone make their own paths, their own decisions. To stop that would be to take away their free will, their freedom, and I will never do that. He has made his choice, chosen to take a stand, and he’s found the thing he is willing to fight for. I can respect him for that.
“Tazzie,” my dad grates out, his rough voice full of unspoken emotions, making me freeze in the doorway and glance over my shoulder. “Stay alive. I don’t know what the Cities want from Paradise. All I know is the captain will kill anyone or anything to stop that secret from getting out. It’s bad, really bad.”
I stare at my father, surrounded by his books, office, and luxuries, and for once all I feel is love and regret. Maybe in another life I could
have forgiven him and we could have been a family. But maybes are for dreamers, people who wish on stars. That isn’t me. All we have is one life, one chance to make a difference, to love, live, and laugh as big and as much as you can. He made mistakes, he wasn’t perfect, he was human. But all I see when I look back into his bright blue eyes is the man who read me bedtime stories.
Yes, he made mistakes, but he was my father, and the world will be a little bit darker without him in it. All that we can hope is for is that our loved ones remember us, still love us, and pass on our memories. I can ensure that.
I will never forget him.
Even when he forgot me.
“Goodbye, Daddy,” I whisper, and then rush after Dray.
My father made his stand, now it’s time I made mine.
Kill Count
We get lucky as we run through the corridors of the underground bunker. All the guards seem to be distracted by something, so we manage to slip through without being noticed. We head straight for the door, intent on getting outside, but as we head to the hangar, a guard turns the corner, his eyes widening in alarm. Before he can sound the alarm or ask what we’re doing, I sprint forward, leap into the air, and tackle him to the ground. I smash his head into the white floor below, and he’s knocked out instantly. Climbing to my feet, I grin back at Dray who’s staring at me like he wants to tackle me to the floor.
“Later, big boy.” I tap his chest as I glide by him, and he quickly follows as I sneak back through the hangar door. I frown when I notice the blast door is slightly open, but it works in my favour, so I roll underneath it with Dray close behind and instantly sit into a crouch.
“Where are Evan and Archel?” I hiss, climbing to my feet and looking around at the empty ramp leading to the blast doors.
What’s going on?
Where is everyone?
An alarm blares then, coming from Paradise, and I spin, looking at the blast doors. I can hear gunshots, the siren almost covering them and…screams? Fuck! Looking down at the map, I debate my options for only a moment before I fold it up and stick it in the back of my trousers, then pull out my swords. I look at Dray to see he has his blades in his hands as well. We nod at each other, but a noise behind us has us whirling.
A blood covered Archel strides towards us with a pissed off looking Evan, who’s clutching a knife. I check them over, but it doesn’t look like the blood is theirs, so I roll back under the blast door and move away quickly. Ducking behind a truck just in case anyone is waiting to shoot us, Dray, Evan, and Archel join me.
“What happened?” I question, as I look around the corner of the truck.
“Fucking traitors,” Archel spits.
“The rogue Berserkers?” I growl, looking over at Archel.
He nods. “Attacked when they were changing guards, got under the door. I couldn’t stop them all, they left twenty outside and some slipped past while we were fighting.”
I grin then, unable to help myself. “Only twenty? You’re getting slow if it took you that long to get through them.” I tease.
“You want to wager that?” he challenges, smiling back.
“Most kills?” I offer.
“You’re on!” He stands up then and I follow him.
“You are all fucking crazy,” Evan groans while Dray laughs.
Archel heads around the right side of the truck and I go around the left, with Dray and Evan on our heels. I look back at Dray and motion to Evan. He understands and moves closer, protecting the doc. The hangar is filled with trucks, weapons, and supplies, but it’s deadly silent apart from the blaring alarm as the lights flash across the white utilitarian walls, creating a creepy effect.
We move silently across the wide open space, our eyes scanning everything until we get to the door. I press my back against the wall next to it, and Archel copies me on the other side. Excitement courses through me, my body moving smoothly, my adrenaline pumping. I grin at Archel and he returns it. I hold up a finger then drop it and we move at the exact same time. Rushing through the door, I spin left and he spins right, but no one is in sight. I press my back to his, and look down the empty corridor. Even the guard I knocked out is gone, leaving behind just a blood smear to show where I took him down.
“It’s too fucking quiet. They must be fighting elsewhere,” I mutter softly.
Just then I hear gunshots and I point down my hallway, going silent. Archel moves up next to me while Dray protects our back as we press up against the walls, stilling. Even though we haven’t really worked together, we’re comfortable with one another, but the most important thing is that we trust each other. I trust his skills and he trusts mine. I know Dray is looking after Evan, so I can concentrate on hunting down the rogue Berserkers who have laid siege to Paradise. I shouldn’t help, not after the captain’s rude behaviour, but there are innocents down here. They don’t deserve to die, not even the assholes, especially since the rogues are here because of me.
We move around the corners, ducking low in case anyone shoots at us. The gunfire is getting louder, so we slow down slightly, and I stop at the next corner, ducking low as I peek around the bend and spot the flashing of guns at the other end of the corridor, moving the other way. A line of soldiers are firing into what looks like a never-ending horde of rogues, who are ripping, slashing, and tearing these prissy guards apart.
I glance back at Archel. “Get ready to lose, assassin,” I taunt, before slipping around the corner.
I move to the back of the guards, hearing them shouting and swearing at each other as they continuously shoot at the Berserkers, the bullets just barely slowing them down. I hear a guard’s gun click empty and he looks up just in time to see a Berserker leap at him with a war cry. His screams start instantly, his blood spurting as he’s ripped apart. The line breaks as guards start to fight hand-to-hand.
I jump into the melee, my swords flashing as I arc one down and hack through the neck of the Berserker on top of the guard. He howls and falls to the side, bleeding out, and I spin with the movement and grab the back of another’s head. When he snarls into a guard’s face, I slit his throat and let him drop the floor.
“Two!” I call to Archel, and hear him swear as he appears behind me and takes down a Berserker who was trying to sneak up on me.
“One,” he replies with a wink, not sweating or even out of breath.
I move farther into the hall, and the Berserkers start to notice I’m here and yell as they all head towards me. “That’s it, you motherfuckers, come and get it!” I shout, swinging my swords in an arc as I walk towards them. A big bastard with a scarred face rushes me, his long sword coming down to cleave my head off.
I duck under his arm and stab forward, impaling him on my swords, and keep moving as I spin to the right. Pulling my blades free, I hear the thud as he falls behind me. I duck under an arrow and slide across the floor, thrusting my swords upwards, and cutting the femoral artery of a Berserker as I move through his open legs.
Jumping to my feet behind him, I grin at another Berserker as he narrows his eyes and waits for me to make a move. Playing it smart, I see. “Four,” I yell for Archel’s benefit.
I hear the sounds of his blades and the death gurgles following, and know he won’t be far behind me. I flick my eyes next to the Berserker, and like I predicted, he turns slightly to look, so I jump at him. He doesn’t even have time to raise his sword to stop me as I hack through his arm holding it. He howls, his blood spraying me in the face as his arm hangs half cut off from his shoulder. He blinks in shock as I spin and slash his throat, making blood arc behind me as I move on again.
A guard is firing at a Berserker who just keeps coming, so I wait for him to run out of bullets before I throw one of my knives, and it embeds in the Berserker’s chest. He freezes, looks down at it, and as the guard falls to the floor, crouching and protecting his head, I leapfrog from his back and throw two more blades before landing behind the Berserker and turning to find my next opponent. Only a few are still remain
ing, and I glance behind me to see Archel laughing and fighting two. I sweep my gaze and spot an open door at the end of the hall coated in blood.
“You clean up, I’m heading deeper!” I call, before rushing to the doorway.
Slipping in and crouching to the floor, I peek around the door, noting the occupants before forming a plan. There are at least fifteen Berserkers, with multiple dead guards on the floor, and what looks like a few innocent Paradise dwellers cornered while the Berserkers taunt them. Standing up, I swing my blades as excitement courses through me. I can fight some of my tension and anxiety over my men away. Let’s show both the Berserkers and Paradise who they are messing with.
Kicking open the door, I press my fingers to my mouth and whistle. Every head turns my way. “Alright, bastards, why don’t you pick on someone who can fight back? Unless you are all scared.” I grin then, my swords held loosely at my sides.
They are half turned towards me, forming a barrier between the Paradise dwellers and me. I see pale, fear-filled faces peeking between legs, silently begging me. Their sobs fill the air, and the familiar scent of blood hangs heavily in the room from the guards left gutted and ripped apart along the floor. I’m guessing this used to be some kind of canteen, since tables fill the big room, some turned over and covered in half eaten food, with some still standing.
“Fucking slave!” one of the men shouts, and it seems to wind the others up. Four men step forward.
I grin, walking farther into the room. “Only four? Damn, you should have brought more,” I sneer.
The other Berserkers stop and watch, still blocking the dwellers as the four rogues circle me. I note everything about them I can in under a minute, looking for weakness to use against them. One holds an axe, but seems to hold himself stiffly, maybe an old wound? One is faster, holding two daggers in each hand, which are covered in blood. But he has a patch over his left eye and seems to overestimate each step—he’s struggling to see, so the wound must be fresh. Another man is slow and lumbering, favouring his left leg. The last one I spot has no visible weakness, so I know he’ll be the hardest since he holds his sword with ease from years of use.