Purpose (The Wanderer Trilogy Book 1)

by B. Buechter

  “Why are you smiling bitch?” he panted. “You’re losing.”

  Eva pointed at his thigh. During the scuffle, he did not notice that she had stabbed him. A painful scream and the clang of her blades on the ground at her feet. He clutched his leg. In an instant, the howl was cut to silence. Eva’s blade sung as it entered through the bottom of the Chief’s chin, now dripping with crimson beads. She clutched the blade above her head as her sweat covered chest rose and fell. But it was a short victory. All she heard was Jake screaming her name then felt her arms nearly being dislocated from her shoulder. She was kneeling again. Someone grabbed her hair and yanked backwards revealing her neck.

  Jake was hysterical. He was screaming through the barrage of punches coming from the Wolves around him. Spit, blood, and mucus sprayed out of his face as he frantically tried to crawl to Eva before being held down and beaten. She closed her eyes as the cold blade, her blade, pressed against her throat. This was the end. Breaking her first rule turned out exactly how she feared. Staring up at the peach-colored sky as the sun rose to greet her for the final time, she smiled as a single tear rolled down her cheek. The man above her noticed.

  “Why’r’yew smilin’?” he spat. “Y’er about to die.”

  “It’s just... funny.” She held back tears of unexpected euphoria. “To have my life ended by the very weapons that I have used to end countless others. But - I suppose - I have always been ready for death… when the time truly came.”

  Suddenly, an explosion detonated at the gate. It shook the ground and the shock wave knocked them over. Everyone went deaf, but through the mist and dust, they could see the spark of guns firing in all directions. Eva jumped to her feet and sprinted straight for Jake and Tommy.

  They were dazed, but she pulled them behind a metal lean-to. The ringing in her ears was irritating. Tommy and Jake’s faces were covered in dirt and sweat as they scrambled to unbind each other. Jake’s features were swollen and oozing blood as he tried to scream directions to Eva, but she couldn’t hear him anyway. Their father found them at the lean-to and watched as a shower of bullets pelted both slaves and Wolves alike. First, there was a shifting sound, and then the four cowering behind the sheet of metal regained their hearing. Screams of horror and pain, the explosion of gunfire, more screaming. Only one word was audible through the firestorm.

  “Rats!”

  A horde of enemies flooded into the common area. Servants were being used as human shields for both sides. Eva peered around the corner. One of the assailants spotted her. Two shots whizzed past her head, but he was out of bullets. He beckoned to a couple of his comrades to follow him, ducking through the cloud of war. At their feet were Eva’s blades.

  Jake and Tommy’s father looked at The Wanderer for their next steps. “What do we do? There are too many.”

  “I have to get my blades back,” she yelled over the crowd. “Stay here.”

  Jake nodded.

  A cloud of smoke formed between Eva and the two Gang members, making it nearly impossible to see. A second bomb exploded near the far corner, but it was much smaller than the first. The sound of spraying shrapnel echoed through the compound. She sunk down on all fours and reached around blindly for her weapons. Both hands met familiar metal. Finally. One blade was still on the ground when someone stepped on her hand with their thick boot amidst the chaos, but they did not seem to notice. With a firm grasp around the hilt of both blades, Eva grimaced and scrambled back to the safety of the lean-to. As the dust began to clear, the attackers were upon them.

  As the two Rats rounded the corner to where they were hiding, Eva buried her blade deep in their chest cavity. Blood spattered across her face as she wrenched out one sword and buried it into the next foe. They were dying at her feet. She let out a rage-filled yell and rushed out into the battle, cutting down everyone in her path. For a moment, Jake and Tommy stayed behind, frozen in their tracks. They looked at their father who motioned for them to lead the way. Off in the distance, they could see Eva, just as bloodthirsty as the Gangs surrounding her. Her fury was unrecognizable, but it had cut a path for them to escape.

  They took their chance. Jake grabbed Tommy by the arm and ordered him to hold on tight. He took two guns from the bodies beneath them, handing one to his father and kept the other for himself. With his face still stinging in pain, he trudged through the chaos and slaughter. The gun he found was cocked. He pointed it at each passing Gang member but he did not pull the trigger. He would only kill if they attacked them first.

  In the mayhem, they lost sight of Eva. Jake changed his course to weave in and out of the battle to hunt her down. Tommy pulled him back to the outside of the horde and they continued towards the direction of the exit. The three of them coughed and gagged through the smoke, using their hands to navigate as it thickened. Distant moaning and sputtering faded when they finally felt the edge of the gaping hole where the gate once stood.

  Jake sighed in relief as soon as he thought they were safe. They made it to the old subdivision where the sewer entrance was. “Thank whatever is watching over us.” He dropped to his knees and tears began to flow from his eyes. Then, he realized that they were missing someone. Eva.

  Completely exhausted, he struggled to his feet and scanned the horizon. A dense cloud hung over the Wolf’s Den as sounds of battle continued. Tommy, Jake, and their Father waited eagerly for any sort of movement. No survivors. No one walked out of the gates.

  “Eva,” Jake pleaded. “Eva, please. Please hurry. Please be alive.”

  “Jake… I don’t think she…”

  Tommy looked up at his father who was watching Jake with a sympathetic stare. Just as the old man was about to finish his comment, Jake bolted. His younger brother hurriedly examined the horizon and saw a heap near the edge of the Wolves’ territory. He squinted as the dust and smoke cleared. The dark mass, whatever it was, was moving.

  Jake dropped to his knees near Eva’s prone body. He caught the glint of her blades as she slumped over. As his last bit of strength left him, he inspected her body for wounds. Her bright aqua eyes slowly turned up to him.

  “I am fine, Jake,” she coughed and smiled. “Didn’t get shot this time.”

  She rose to her feet. Her body and weapons were caked in blood and mud. Sweat marks drew tracks down her cheekbones. Her hair was matted. Sheathing her swords, she reached down and helped Jake up. He could barely take a step without stumbling and she was forced to use various trees for support. Both were breathing heavily by the time they made it back to Tommy and the McAvoys’ father. Eva smiled and nodded, but said nothing. From the look on their father’s face, she knew that her actions had terrified him. In fact, she reminded him of his captors. Ruthless like the Wolves or any other Gang, even though she used her skills to save others.

  The group finally reached the Western Rover colony after an arduous journey. Every street and front porch was completely desolate. William and his warriors had disappeared into the Feast Hall for their midday meal. Eva was not usually one to beg for hospitality, but she knew that they needed it, particularly Jake. They were enticed by the smell of freshly cooked food and nearly bumped into William as they limped through the doorway.

  “Legends ring true about you Wanderer,” he said taking her shoulders in his hands. “A true warrior.”

  She couldn’t help but to smile. Flushing underneath the layers of blood, she thanked him. William looked over Eva’s shoulder at Jake, Tommy, and their father. Eva turned to Jake, who was using a nearby table as a crutch, and asked for medical attention.

  “I know it’s pretty obvious,” she mentioned. “But Jake is badly -.”

  William interjected and quieted the other warriors. “Say no more. Healer! Please tend to the young man. Get these fatigued warriors some food and warm beds tonight. Let us show them what the Warriors of The West can do.”

  Eva, Jake, Tommy, and the boys’ father were all lifted off the ground by large men and brought to the back room. Eva was placed softl
y in an area with a pump for water. Elaine walked in and handed her a new set of clothing.

  Eva began rinsing her blood-stained body. “I will admit,” Elaine started. “You surpass any of the stories I’ve heard about you Wanderer. We heard the explosion from here.”

  “That wasn’t us,” she admitted. “Rats attacked the Wolves as I was fighting the Chief.”

  Elaine spun her back to Eva and laughed. “So you did get caught. Predictable. But, hey, you made it out alive. Better outcome than if any of us would’ve done it.”

  “We got lucky.”

  “Luck is what we live by day-to-day. As warriors. It is the only reason we wake up every day after the hunt.”

  Eva nodded and Elaine left the room with her soiled clothing. Soon, the water ran clear and she dried herself in a large piece of cloth. She drifted over to the fresh pile of clothing and noticed that William had given her brand new armor. Her thick cargo pants had been replaced with leather pads woven through tightened and durable fabric, stained black as night. Underneath the pants was a gray tank top and new wraps for undergarments. Her favorite jacket had been replaced with a more form-fitting version, dyed dark green and pressed with metal rivets and a thickened hood. They had even gifted a new set of boots.

  Each piece of armor fit perfectly. With a genuine smile for the first time in ages, she made her way out to the Feast Hall. Jake was being patched up near the door. The Healer had cleaned his face, but it still looked rather grotesque. Tommy and their father were sitting right behind him, eating. She strolled over to them and displayed her new gear.

  Jake gave a thumbs up. “Very nice.”

  “How is your face?” she winced.

  “Better now,” he smiled then grimaced in pain.

  “You look like shit… You know that right?”

  “Yeah, I figured.”

  Eva laughed and pointed to the silver and black-haired man. “Have you, at least, said ‘hello’ to your father yet?”

  “Wait.” The man overheard them and turned around. “Father? I am not these boys’ father.”

  “What?” Her smile vanished. She felt like she had been punched in the gut.

  Chapter 8

  The entire feast hall went silent. Jake broke eye contact with Eva, becoming increasingly interested in his feet. His stomach churned. Tommy stared at his brother in confusion. The man who she thought was their father stood up and backed against a wall.

  “What… did you just say?” Her lip twitched, and her fists clenched.

  “I-I,” the large man completely flattened against the wall. Eva shortened the space between them, closing in on her prey. “I thought you knew that. I thought they would have told you. I am not their father, but I left with him. A family friend. Tommy does not have a clue what his father looks like, but Jake should remember something.”

  “Don’t blame this all on me Michael,” Jake squeaked. “I barely remember what dad looked like.”

  Eva spun around and grabbed a knife from a nearby table, baring her teeth like a dog as she took a few steps towards Jake. With a red face and white knuckles clenched around the handle, she held the blade up to his jugular. Warriors of the Rover colony waited silently for The Wanderer’s next move.

  “You-you knew?” She shot a look back at Michael. “And you said nothing?”

  Jake slipped away from Eva and backed up behind another table, hands raised. As he pathetically stumbled backwards, she grabbed dishes, cutlery, and anything else she could reach and hurled them in his direction. Food and dishes went flying in all directions, ringing through the food hall. Eva’s voice grew louder and louder. A few of the Warriors backed away from the quarrel.

  “You,” smash. “Knew,” crash. “Jake. You knew, and you said nothing while I stood there. I was almost beheaded right in front of you. You saw what happened after I was shot in the Nomad campsite. You’ve seen how much I struggle with my past as a slave. The torture I endured. I-.”

  “I had no idea that it wasn’t my father until I saw him,” Jake pleaded as she gained ground on him. “I swear. I would never had put your life in danger if-.”

  “No Jake,” Eva interrupted. Her voice was chillingly calm. “I have fought too many demons for you. For Tommy. I pushed all of my past away for you two. All against my better judgment. To save your father. And this guy I find out… is a nobody.”

  She tore her gun out of its holster and pointed it at Michael. Turning off the safety and cocking it, she paused with her finger on the trigger. Her vision tunneled. To her, he was a victim. A lie. He blubbered and pleaded for his life, falling to his knees as she took two steps forward, with the barrel pointing down at the top of his head. She wanted to squeeze the trigger. To end his life in front of all these people.

  But that was not her. Not anymore. She could never kill someone who had escaped the compounds. If his fate was to die, it would catch up to him, eventually. Noticing her hand was trembling violently, she lowered her handgun and flicked the safety back on. As Jake was about to get up, she let out a scream that toppled him back to his rear.

  “Do not follow me,” she ordered. “If any of you follow me, I will not hesitate to kill you. I’m done.”

  “Eva, wait.” Jake reached towards her.

  She walked over to the doorway and stopped. “I’m not joking Jake. If you even think about following me, I will kill you. Both of you. Slowly.”

  That was the last she saw of the McAvoy brothers. She slammed the large metal door behind her, and the rumble of voices started up again inside the food hall. The pleading look on his face was the last she saw of Jake. He seemed lost without her. For some reason, tears started welling up and her lip trembled.

  She set off towards the forest as the sun began its journey back to the horizon. I have no pity or feelings for that man. He betrayed me. Used me. His father probably isn’t even alive if he got separated from Michael.

  Eva made her way to the bluff, still seething from the confrontation. The cliff felt much steeper than before. On the ascent, she would have no supports if a foothold was missed. Nothing to break her fall if loose earth was mistaken as a sturdy root. The overwhelming feeling to get home was what carried her forward. It took a while to scale the rock wall, but she was careful to check every move. After reaching the apex of the hill, she took one more glance Westward. Smoke was still billowing from the Wolf’s Den and an orange glow lingered like coals. Off to her left, the Rover colony. The warriors were marching out of the hall and into their respective homes. A mix of rage and depression washed over her as she turned towards the darkness of the forest.

  Back to my life, alone, she thought. I am free of them. That burden is now gone. For good.

  Nightfall had long since passed by the time Eva reached the other side of the region. As she neared her colony, she spotted the lantern flame coming from the large building for the evening meal. Because of her clash with Jake, she had not eaten in an entire day. Her stomach twisted and groaned as she strolled towards the smell of food. The Rovers welcomed her with a hot plate of vegetables and venison, acting as though she never left. Each one greeted her with a fist on their chest. She nodded to each one of them, smiling softly, but a void in her chest still remained.

  “Where are the boys that were with you Eva?” they inquired.

  She grabbed her tray. “Dead.” She lied. “Died trying to infiltrate a Gang in the West. I didn’t find their father. They didn’t tell me that I was risking my life for an impostor. They were gunned down while I escaped.”

  They said no more and left her in peace. She sat down at her table in the corner and threw her hood over her head. For the first time in months, she was able to eat in solitude, without a care in the world. But slowly devouring her soul, deep down, was not peace. A gloom washed over her. A nameless sadness. It spread from her heart, blackening and rotting her insides, twisting them into uncomfortable shapes. The tears came up again. So she finished her food quickly. Once the door to her shack was closed, she cou
ld no longer hold it in.

  Eva crossed her arms over her knees and she slid to the floor, sobbing. The cold metal against her back gave her goosebumps. Why was she crying? The betrayal was still so raw, but the tears refused to end. She felt so pathetic. The only thing in her mind was the look on Jake’s face. That, and the kiss they shared.

  She wiped her red, puffy eyes. “What is wrong with me?”

  After a few moments on the floor, she tore off her weaponry and sank into her bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. A numbing sensation covered her entire body. She felt dead inside. Empty. Tears continued to trickle down the sides of her face as she let the emptiness consume her.

  “You have a choice Eva.” A Rover Elder was standing in her doorway. She hadn’t seen him enter her shack. Gradually, she sat up, shoulders slumped, head in her hands.

  She had only half-heard him. “What are you talking about?”

  “You have two choices,” he repeated. “You can let this sadness envelope your soul. Or, you can show your strength and get past this. He was just one man Eva. Tragedy to lose him and his brother, but that’s life. Remember, you chose to help those boys. You chose to help us. Now, you have to choose to help yourself.”

  He disappeared through the doorway, shutting it behind him, leaving Eva to ponder his words of wisdom. Images of her past began to arise. It’s about time I faced them. Perhaps, facing these demons would make me stronger. Perhaps, they will not return. They were becoming more intense by the minute, but she had suppressed them for too long. She stumbled into the next room as floods of claustrophobia and flashbacks repeatedly hit her. She couldn’t breathe. Her mouth was dry. Gruesome scenes flashed in her head. Being whipped mercilessly, feeling the metal claws across her back where her scars now lay. The pain was just as intense as before. She dropped to the floor on all fours, watching drops of sweat splash against the ground. The hallucination of a hooded man appeared in front of her and spoke in a metallic voice.