Purpose (The Wanderer Trilogy Book 1)

by B. Buechter

  “Pounce?” Jake repeated, sitting beside her, still mulling over their exchange on the street.

  Eva lit a candle from the table between them. “Well, I need information. And one way or another, I am going to get it.”

  “I already told you the Tigers have Tommy.” He watched her illuminated face.

  “Yes.” She pulled out her gun and set it on the armrest. “And I trust you, don’t get me wrong. But I need to know the best way to get Tommy out. Do they have a secret entrance? Is it going to be guarded? Any additional information that will avoid us having a repeat of our last ‘adventure’.”

  “Fair enough,” Jake crossed his leg at the ankle and laid his axe beside him. Truthfully, he was eager to find Tommy. Lying in wait did not sit well with him. Arguing with Eva was just as bad of an idea in his mind. His only hope was that a Gang showed up soon so they could be on their way.

  “The Tiger and Serpent compounds are built around structures from the Old Times,” she yawned. “A network of tunnels and basement levels span around each one of them. Usually, that is where they keep their slaves. The cold, dark, and damp basements.”

  “Must’ve been a prison during the Old Times,” Jake offered.

  “Maybe for the Tigers,” she nodded. “But the building in the Serpent’s Nest was just a building that we made into living quarters. The low levels were rigged into prison chambers and torture rooms. I spent time both looking in and out of those cold, damp cells.”

  Jake stayed silent.

  Neither the Tigers nor the Serpents came to the Post that night. Eva and Jake had fallen asleep for a few hours, their hands hanging from the armrests almost touching. It was the sound of migrating geese that startled them both awake the next morning. When they realized that no one had come, they decided to stay another night.

  “Let’s try one more,” Eva suggested as they sat on the back porch. “If no one shows up, then we will just have to go off of my memory.”

  Jake reluctantly agreed. She left him for an hour that morning to bring back a few rabbits she had caught. Much to her surprise, Jake had picked up the skill to clean animals in his time at the Rover colony. It was something she never took the time to learn, so it was a chance to watch him carefully.

  “I’m impressed Jake,” she mentioned while cooking a meal.

  “Yeah,” he laughed. “I actually learned something useful.”

  “I mean I wasn’t going to say anything,” she chuckled. “Other than ‘see what happens when I leave you alone under threat of death’.”

  For the next few hours after nightfall, their tone was lighthearted. Jake was warming back up to Eva, despite what the Nomads had told him. They were, once again, sitting in their chairs, waiting. Tension replaced the jovial tunes from before. Everything that Jake had heard of Eva the past few days started eating away it him again. Despite everything, he could not help to care for her. Still, he decided to tell her everything.

  “I just can't get over the fact that you created the Serpents,” he started. “You were part of the people trying to kill us.”

  She shuffled uncomfortably in her seat. “Yeah. I know Jake. Trust me. I really understand how you feel. It's just… really difficult to explain to you how survival works in this world. As a child… Especially when you grow up alone in all of this. I witnessed so much death growing up. Perhaps, instead of hating them, I envied the Gangs. Their power, their prowess.”

  Jake was hoping Eva did not notice him frowning in the candlelight. “Mhmm, but on the other hand, I care about you more than anyone else in the world. I sound so stupid, but I really do, Eva. I can’t imagine a life without you.”

  She paused, smiled, and sighed.

  “Despite everything… I think I feel the same way. We both know how we feel. But, right now, there is too much out there that could end everything. The Gangs can and will use our feelings against us. You saw how they acted in the Wolf’s Den.”

  “I get that,” Jake replied. “And I understand the risks involved. Could we not try to be together?”

  She shook her head. Jake bit his tongue. “Not until this is all over. And I’m not just talking about saving Tommy. As soon as I feel that we are safe for a while. Maybe then we can try.”

  Footsteps on wood boomed through the house. Back porch, Eva mouthed and extinguished her candle. With Jake’s arm in one hand and her gun in the other, she pulled him over to the stairwell, opposite the back door. They watched as two armored Gang members stomped into the kitchen. One was carrying a lantern, illuminating guns and ammunition under winter robes. The two in hiding searched for any symbol that could indicate whether they were part of the Tigers.

  “Luck is on our side.” Eva’s voice was barely audible when she pointed to the back of the robe. Tigers.

  “Thought I saw a light in here,” one of the men grunted. “Not sure if we gonna get the shipment tonight. Serpents said something about the ‘quality of servants today’.”

  “Good that we found those Nomads,” the larger of the two chortled. “Had some kids in there though. Tiny fingers for cleaning the guns.”

  The first one cackled. “‘Till you chop ‘em off,” he added.

  “One looks like he ain't never worked a day in his life.”

  “Tommy,” Jake whispered. Eva put a hand on his shoulder.

  “On my signal.” She turned to him. “You grab the larger one by the arm and use as much weight as you can to get the gun out of his hands. I will take down the little one. Sounds like the big guy knows about Tommy.”

  “What was that?” The voices in the kitchen grew louder.

  “Shit!” Eva said and shoved Jake. “Go.”

  In an instant, Eva had pinned herself on top of the smaller of the two Tigers. Ripping off a piece of his shirt, she shoved it in his mouth to muffle his screams. She looked over at Jake who somehow managed to knock the larger one to the ground. He was now standing over his victim with a Tiger gun in his hands.

  “Who are you people?” the bigger one demanded.

  Eva ignored him and adjusted her legs to hold down the smaller man. “We need some information. Now, I am going to end your friend’s miserable life and make you wish you were him. That is, unless you tell me what I need to know.”

  “What the shit?” The man went to sit up on his forearms, but Jake kicked him down. He kept glancing over at Eva with a look of uncertainty and fear.

  “Tell me everything you know about those Nomads you kidnapped.” She pressed her short blade to her victim’s neck. A small stream of blood dripped down the blade from the tip. The man stiffened and inhaled sharply. “Tell me everything, or he’s dead. Now!”

  “W-w-what Nomads?” the man stuttered. His bleeding partner stared at him in shock.

  “I’m not playing around. One. More. Chance.”

  “You don’t have the guts to kill someone else.” He hoped she was bluffing.

  She wasn’t. Eva snarled and raked her blade through the Tiger’s jugular. Blood spurted from the wound as she stood up, covered in the red liquid, and took a step back. She wiped her eyes and watched the man scramble to his knees, holding his neck. He gagged and coughed, sputtering everywhere. His fellow Tiger watched in horror as the life drained from his comrade’s eyes and his movements weakened.

  Eva squatted next to the larger man’s face. “You test me Tiger. I am a very impatient woman.”

  With one quick motion, her blade was sheathed and her gun pressed against the man’s temple. She commanded him to get to his feet and disrobe down to his undergarments. Jake put the handgun in his pocket and rested his axe against the wall. Eva tossed some rope that the Tiger had brought with him and had Jake tie his arms and legs tightly to a nearby chair. She continued searching through his pockets, pulling out several knives and bullets. Tossing the bullets off to the side and laying the knives out on the table slowly and meticulously, Eva finally strolled over to the man.

  “Shall we begin?” she asked sarcastically.

&nbs
p; “Wh-whutareyougonnadotome?” the Tiger rattled off.

  Her tone sent shivers down Jake’s spine. It was calm, soft, and melodic. “I guess the first question you should ask yourself is ‘Who is this woman who stands before me?’.”

  “I’ve heard rumors.” He looked Eva up and down. “Always thought that The Wanderer was a man, though. Or a woman who was half-demon.”

  “Your second guess is truer than you realize,” her melodic tone rang with the clang of the blade she had in her hand. “So your second mistake is not knowing who you are dealing with. The first was kidnapping one of my friends.”

  “What are you talking about?” The man’s face bled instantly as Eva cut a chunk out of his cheek. He howled in pain and she shoved a piece of cloth in his mouth. When he quieted to a pant, she pulled out the gag and repeated her demands.

  “Tell me everything you know about the Nomads that you and your people kidnapped.”

  The Tiger paused for too long so Eva sliced at the meat on his chest. This time, he did not scream. He just bit his lip hard enough to draw blood and spit it on the ground at Eva’s feet. Jake watched as she responded by smiling and wagging her finger at the man.

  “You are making a huge mistake,” she warned. “You have two choices: tell me what I want to know, or, face a painful night.”

  “Why does it matter? You’re just gonna kill me anyway.”

  “Maybe. But do you want to risk the possibility of leaving here a free man?”

  The man paused again, considering his choices. Eva grew impatient. She knew that every second wasted torturing this Tiger could mean the end for Tommy. Flipping the blade downwards in her palm she buried the blade deep into his thigh, missing his artery. Her victim screamed as she twisted it deeper. Jake leapt to his feet and gagged the man, looking down at Eva.

  “Someone is going to hear us,” he said over the cries. “He isn’t telling us anything.”

  Eva shot a glance at him. “He will. He looks ready to tell us something.”

  Jake removed the gag, now soaked in saliva, blood, and sweat. The man was gasping violently, but kept his eyes glued to Eva. Her hand was still firmly grasping the handle of the knife. From the open door, a frigid breeze chilled the tension in the room.

  “Ready to talk?” Eva’s voice was firm, almost to a yell.

  “We took them back to the compound,” he blubbered. “They were processed and sent to work. P-please don’t kill me.”

  “Tell me about the younger children you took,” she ignored him. “The one you said looked like he never had a hard day's work.”

  “He is working as a food runner.” The man was growing more pathetic by the moment. “I am sure of it.”

  “Easiest way to get to him,” she sped him up. “Easiest and safest way for us to get in there.”

  “Part of the basement was dug out into the tunnels further down. Please don’t kill me.”

  “How do we get into the tunnels?”

  “Any of the sewer entrances out here will lead there. We marked the way a long time ago. Red “Ts”. Follow them. But please, let me live. I don’t want to die. I don’t want to die like this.”

  “What?” Eva taunted. “You mean die like the low life piece of shit that you are? Oh dear, you are way past that point.”

  Eva turned to Jake and handed him a knife. At first, he had no clue what she wanted him to do. Then, she used her thumb and drew it across her neck. His face felt hot as he took two steps toward the man pleading for his life. Even though a life had already been taken by his hands, it had felt like an accident. This guy was not even able to fight back. His hands were bound. He was begging for his life.

  “Don’t think about this scum,” Eva ordered. “His people have your brother and may have killed a few of the Nomads that night.”

  “You have more blood on your hands,” reminded Jake.

  “Yes, I do,” she said shortly. “But if you do not do this, he will go back and tell the others. And then they will torture and kill Tommy.”

  The mere thought of his brother suffering at the hands of the Tigers was infuriating. Something in the back of Jake’s mind finally clicked. Everything made sense. Survival was about you and your family, first and foremost. People who did not possess the strength to protect themselves would be enslaved or killed. The Gangs take what is not theirs, like his brother. He recalled the gruesome scene right below his feet, picturing the victims with Tommy’s face. Every victim knew that they were going to die that night.

  “Jake,” Eva softened her voice. “You have to do this. These people never change.”

  “I understand now.” Lifting the knife over his head, he took one last look at the Tiger. Fear. Tears and blood dripping down his face. Something hard stopped the knife as it came down into the man’s skull. It scraped the back of his head. A hole now replaced his left eye. Silence spread through the room as another cold chill ran up their spines. Then, a soft hand. It was covered in blood, but it slid its fingers to interlock with Jake’s hand, gripping tightly. Eva took a step closer and leaned her head on Jake’s shoulder while he stood in the kitchen, completely numb.

  “I am proud of you Jake.” She turned her eyes up to him and then back down to the Tiger. “It doesn’t get easier, I can tell you that. That feeling of emptiness. Yeah, that is what makes it look easy. Unfortunately, you have to embrace that feeling.”

  “I,” he paused. “I think I am starting to get how survival works. Your story, though completely terrible, it - well - it makes sense. Why you did the things you did.”

  “Most of what goes on here is a reflex,” she lifted her head. “That is the part of your brain that keeps you alive. It doesn’t seem like much, but now there are two less men that can kill your brother.”

  “And we have some information,” Jake offered.

  Eva smiled and released his hand. He did not want to let go. She was already at the door when he grabbed his axe. Like always, she was right. Tommy was still suffering at the hands of the Tigers and that was their first priority. For once in his life, Jake felt confident that he could protect himself and Eva. It was time to show his true character.

  Chapter 10

  Eva and Jake, still drenched in the blood and memories of the Post, found themselves staring down into the sewer tunnels. Similar to those in the West, these tunnels were built in the Old Times, and were capable of crumbling at any moment. Eva murmured something about these tunnels being “completely unsafe.” However, her hesitancy came not from the sewers themselves, but what lie on the other side. Even so, she was the first to splash down into the ankle-deep, stomach-churning sewage system. But that did not stop animals from dying and rotting down there.

  Jake had snatched the Tiger’s lantern before they left, using it to illuminate the T’s they were instructed to follow. “How far to the compounds?”

  “Not sure.” Eva kept one hand on the wall at all times. “Could be a few hours, a few minutes… or a day.”

  “A day?” Jake repeated.

  “I don’t exactly know how complicated this tunnel system is,” she said and punched him in the arm. “If the easiest route collapsed, we have to take a detour. But what if that is impossible to get through? Then we find another way. It could take some time. I never make guesses with places I have never been.”

  “Sorry.”

  “Stop stepping on my feet. You’re going to get water, and whatever nasty stuff is in the water, in my boots.”

  “Sorry.”

  “And stop apologizing. Talk about something else or shut up.”

  “Sorry.”

  Eva sighed. The darkness and uncertainty of the tunnel made them wary of a trap around every corner. The thick air and the smell made it nearly impossible to breathe. If it had been a warmer season, they would have surely suffocated. The smell of rotting carcasses alone was enough to leave the taste of death in their mouths. Occasionally, a rat would skitter past their feet, almost startling them into the muck. They would laugh nervo
usly and continue on their way. With each step closer to the compound, their fear grew.

  “I hope Tommy is okay,” Jake mentioned.

  “Me too Jake,” Eva admitted. “He’s a strong kid. Give him some credit.”

  He sloshed through the deepening waters. “Oh I do. I just… have seen how merciless the Gangs are. I can’t imagine what I’d do if they hurt him.”

  “It is so different when you are a servant,” she breathed and slid her fingertips across another T on the concrete wall. “I think I was thirteen when I realized how many times I begged for death. Wh-when they beat me unconscious. When they would take me into their rooms and whip me or cut me. I never cried. Only begged for them to end my life.”

  Jake opened his mouth to say something when Eva continued.

  “One day, I made the decision that I wasn’t going to die. I couldn’t let them have the satisfaction. That was when I started training. When I took over the Serpents. When I rose to a level I could not control. Shit, even when I left the compound in the middle of the night so I wouldn’t be killed by my own men. Every time… I knew I was going to be alive after it was all said and done.”

  “Why the change of heart? Why change from a ruthless killer with so much power?”

  “Something clicked. I wanted to live. Somehow, one day, I knew I was put on this earth for… well… a purpose.”

  “And that was?”

  “I think… it was… to help people. To find and rescue you and your brother. That, for some reason or another - by deity or fate - is my purpose. And honestly, I didn’t realize it until recently.”

  Jake grinned sheepishly and then pointed to another T on the wall. This marking had an arrow pointing upwards. Next to the arrow was a ladder and, at the top, a latch to the surface. They looked at each other as Jake extinguished the lantern. Neither were sure how long they had been down there, nor where the door led out to. They were shaky. Ghosts of the previous infiltration still lingered and tainted their mind.