Purpose (The Wanderer Trilogy Book 1)

by B. Buechter

  “As do you. Like right now. About this whole stupid thing.”

  “What do you mean stupid?”

  “Think about it Jake. Your brother just found out that the one person he looks up to just murdered someone. How do you think that makes him feel?”

  “He admires you too. Probably more than me.”

  “But the difference is that I have been killing since you first met me. I’ve already been tainted. There was blood on my hands long ago. The blood on yours is new.”

  “It’s not like I enjoyed it. It was horrible!”

  “It isn’t supposed to be a pleasant experience. Ugh. I really hope you don’t see me like that Olivia woman. I have never had fun killing anyone before.”

  “Well you shouldn’t. I mean. I never thought that. I mean… I would never think that about you. Or anyone. That woman is just nuts.”

  “But that’s just it. Many of the Gangs are like this. The people are like this. Like that. Which is why I urged you to kill that Tiger back then.”

  Jake got up and walked out of the room. Now they were separated. Just like I like it...alone. Eva reached in her bag and grabbed her journal, jotting down the day’s events. It was nothing special, just something to keep her mind busy.

  ***

  Another day had passed before the storm had finally subsided. As long as she was awake, Eva watched the other house to see if Olivia had left. Tommy bought some frostbitten vegetables from a garden near the house that were still edible. It was mostly carrots, but they were filling nonetheless. When they finally noticed that their target was on the move once again, they left in a hurry.

  It was much more difficult to stay silent when their boots crunched into the snow. Although it was lightly packed together, treading through the ankle deep trenches was exhausting work. It was likely that they would make it through No Man’s Land by midday. Eva was starting to suspect that this woman hailed from either the Serpents or Tigers. Either way, it was dangerous.

  Her guesses were confirmed a few hours later. She was from the Tiger compound. A Tigress. The brother’s father had shared the same masters as one of his children for a few days. But Tommy had no possible way of recognizing his father. He had left him so young.

  The three of them huddled behind an overturned truck as Olivia called for the gate to open. Her fellow Tigers pulled large ropes attached to the doors and she stepped inside. An unnatural heat permeated from where the gate had been opened. The forging fires of the Tigers trade, weapons. Sounds of bustling slaves, whipping, clanging, and yelling rose over the metal walls and barbed wire.

  “Second largest,” Eva said. “This Gang is the second largest in the region. Serpents only have them beat by a hair. Their walls are equally impenetrable and their inhabitants just as deadly. I have no clue how to even get in there at this point.”

  “What about the entrance we used before?” Jake offered.

  “They will have it either heavily guarded or destroyed by now. Infiltrating a Gang is not taken with ease. It makes them feel weak so we still have a target on our heads.”

  “What about that?” Tommy pointed to a building that barely rose over the towering walls. It was difficult to see originally, but they noticed that one side shared a border with the outside world. It was not protected by reinforced metal. Off to their right, the Serpents had a similar layout, but their building was surrounded by both a wall and the outer ring of the compound itself.

  “I wonder what that building is for.” Jake took a step towards the end of the truck and crouched.

  “The basement is likely where we found Tommy,” Eva stated. “The upper levels, if they are anything like the Serpents, is where the higher ranked members live. If they are out in the work yard, it may be a way in.”

  “I was only in the first floor and basement,” mentioned Tommy. “It was the prisons and the place where they prepared the food. Everyone there only had knives. Not guns.”

  “Okay,” Eva smiled. “Well. As usual, I am probably going to regret this, but we have to try. We are going to pose as servants.”

  Sentinels were stationed at the towers surrounding the compound, marching across its perimeter. Each one of them was clad with an assault rifle, staring out into the snow-covered landscape. Dense clouds obscured most of the sunlight, so their vision was drastically reduced. Only the faint outline of Eva, Jake, and Tommy could be seen if they stayed far enough away.

  Rounding through an old parking lot and weaving between old vehicles, Eva led the way. As they approached, the compound loomed over them. The fence had now stretched into the back of the building. Not a single guard tower stood on that side. Broken windows dotted the entirety of the structure. Within them, occasional shadows moved about. Danger grew with each step. At the bottom, there was a section that had broken away from the rest of the structure, leaving just enough space for them to squeeze into the territory. Only a white, snowy clearing separated them now.

  Eva took a deep breath and lumbered into the field first, holding her hand behind her for the boys to wait until she made it across. She brandished her gun and aimed it up at the windows if someone were to see her. Anyone who passed by a window, though, did not look outside. She would have been able to run if it had not been for the dense snow. Finally, she made it to the brick wall and motioned for the brothers to cross. Next was Jake. Then Tommy. They were safe for the time being.

  “No one spotted us,” Jake said as they all peered into the opening. “I’m surprised.”

  “Let’s not get too overconfident,” she reminded. “We haven’t even made it inside. We have to do this with the utmost care. The utmost care.”

  They first had to dislodge a few bricks to free up enough space for them to crawl through the mud. On the other side of the wall was a small room. The door was shut tight. Eva dragged herself inside and cracked open the door. It opened into a desolate hallway with lanterns hung on either side. There was nobody in sight. Right behind her, Jake and Tommy dropped into the room, nearly knocking over a metal shelf filled with supplies and weapons. She shot them a look as they struggled to their feet.

  “Sorry,” Tommy whispered.

  Eva shook her head. “I’m going to check out the hallway. Stay here until I get back.”

  Holstering her gun and pulling out her blades, she opened the door and cautiously stepped into the passage with her head swiveling back and forth. The darkness brought back memories of her time as a Serpent. Odd, but she felt comfortable there. Her footsteps echoed through the corridor but none of the doors opened. At the end of the hall where it sharply turned right, she pressed her ear against one of the rooms, just to see if anyone was inside. Nothing. Further down the adjacent hall was a T-shaped corridor.

  Before she ventured further, she held up her hand at Jake and Tommy, who peeked their heads out of the cracked closet door. I will come back for you, she whispered to them. This next hallway was similar, but the entrances to other rooms were more spread out. Still, none of them were open. Every room was closed and the rooms were silent but she swore she saw movement underneath some of the doors. Could everyone be asleep? Or maybe these were other prison cells.

  Just as she made it to the end of the next hallway, she heard footsteps coming towards her. She backed up to the nearest door and tried the handle. It opened. Lucky for her, the room was completely empty with the exception of ancient desks overturned near the corner. She spun around and peered outside as a small group of Tigers filed down the hall. They were following one man dressed in the finest leather armor she had ever seen. The rivets on them held up small squares of shining metal. On one shoulder, a crimson half cape covered his right arm and down to extravagant boots. The moment his face was brightened by the beam of a lantern, Eva’s heart stopped beating.

  It can’t be, she repeated over and over in her head. No. This cannot be happening. No. No. No.

  “Chief McAvoy.” Eva stumbled a few steps backwards . “We still haven't found your sons. I have sent word to
the Serpents to look for them as well. As you commanded, I mentioned the reward.”

  “Good.” That voice. That face. “I hope to find them soon.”

  His chocolate hair tinged with silver strands combed back neatly on his head. A short but neat tuft of hair around his mouth bore the same color. Face with wrinkles of age, not work. But it was his icy blue eyes that Eva could never forget. She could not believe what was happening. The Tiger’s Chief was the father of Jake and Tommy, not a servant. No. She knew him before then, but under a different name. Dan Avery. This man, that stood right outside the door, was the one who had betrayed Eva while she was Mistress of the Serpents. He was the one that had destroyed her life years ago.

  Peering around the door frame to be sure her eyes were not fooling her only reaffirmed her fear. Her face reddened. She could almost feel her blade sinking into his chest. Even if the other Tigers spotted her, it didn’t matter. She had to kill him. He was much more dangerous now than he was all those years ago.

  But that is Jake and Tommy’s father, a little voice in her head spoke. They would never forgive you.

  Before she could make a decision, the Tigers and their Chief heard a noise and rushed down the hallway. It came from the direction of the closet where the brothers were hiding. Eva was glued to the floor. She heard Jake screaming her name.

  “Help, Eva!”

  Then it was silent.

  Chapter 14

  The Wanderer was alone. She was in an empty room, sitting on the floor, with her head in her arms. Jake had begged for her to rescue him, but for the first time in her life, she froze. A shadow, the one that materialized time and time again, towered over her. It still bore her face and voice. The malicious laugh still rang in her ears and the suffocating shroud of dread was just as familiar.

  “I failed.” Eva sobbed into her lap. The Tigers who had kidnapped Jake and Tommy left only moments ago, but she still couldn’t move. That man has taken everything from me. And now, he has taken the only two people in the entire world that I care for.

  “You are a failure,” the Hooded Figure hissed. “End your life and others will no longer suffer. Give them your head on a silver platter and the Chief will treat the boys like royalty. Until then, you bring them nothing but pain and danger.”

  Eva no longer had the will to fight. The shadow would come back. It did not matter what she did to push it away, she could feel it getting stronger each time. Sweat dripped down her nose and onto the floor and she gasped for air. The shadow’s hissing became louder until it was right next to her ear. She did not even realize that she had a blade pressed against her throat.

  “Do it.” The shadow was inches from her face. “One swipe and it’s all over.”

  Eva banged her head against the wall and trembled all over. She could feel the heartbeat in her neck against the cold metal. The shadow continued to coerce her. For a while, that was the only sound in the empty room. Or rather, her empty mind. Suddenly, another familiar voice flooded through. It made her head swim. What started as a low purr grew in volume to combat any other sound around her. It was kind and gentle, almost melodic. The voice belonged to Jake.

  “You can’t give up Eva,” the voice pleaded. “You can still save us. Don’t give up on yourself.”

  Eva felt a surge of self-control and power. She chucked the blade across the room, causing it to skid and crash against the wall. The voices in her head silenced. Only the sound of her own weeping remained. The door to the room creaked open and she leaped to her feet. Her heart was pounding as she stared at the figure in the doorway.

  ***

  Tommy hung half of his body out into the hallway, waiting for Eva to return. The dim lights obscured the end of the passageway. Any movement would be impossible to see in the darkness. When Eva had turned the corner, the sound of her footsteps had fallen silent. Jake was trying to keep his brother in the closet, but to no avail.

  Jake pulled him back into the closet for the tenth time. “What if someone sees you?” When he closed the door, his brother pushed it back open.

  “There isn’t even anyone out here,” Tommy whined. “And maybe I can find dad if he works in here.”

  “If he is a Bondsman like Eva said,” Jake jerked him into the room again. “Then he probably works outside. Plus, you don’t even know what he looks like.”

  His brother ignored him. “I can see the end of the hallway. We can hide if the Tigers come.”

  Jake just shook his head and crossed his arms. Instead of arguing with his brother, he started pacing around the cramped space. The room would have been much larger if the shelves were not filled to the brim. He studied their contents. Most were packed with ragged clothing for the servants. None of it had ever been washed. Crusted, brown blood stains saturated some of the clothing. On the next shelf were a number of crates that were locked tightly. A large sign hung above them with the word Slave’s Belongings written in black ink. He tried pulling on a few of the padlocks. Not a single one budged. The last handful of shelves had rows of onions, carrots, and celery. Some of them were beginning to mold. The sign on that shelf read Slop.

  A cold wind blew in a small pile of snow onto the floor from where they had entered the building. When Jake turned from the opening in the wall back to Tommy, he saw his brother frozen in fright. That was when he heard the quickening footsteps. In a flash, he heard one of the Tigers scream “Intruders! Get them!” Black sacks were thrown over their heads and arms bound behind their back. Tommy cried an apology through his hood and Jake called out for Eva. He hoped that she had not been caught as well.

  “Help, Eva!” he screamed at the top of his lungs. Then, he felt the hard metal butt of a gun against the back of his head. The Tigers dragged Tommy and his unconscious brother down the hallway and down into the yard.

  Chief McAvoy paid little attention to the two boys as they were taken to be “processed”. He stood aside as his men dragged their motionless bodies down the hall and entered into the closet to see how they had gotten in. As he inspected the opening in the wall, a woman waltzed into the room. She had the tattoo of a Tiger above her left breast and wore a red nightgown that was strung haphazardly on her shoulders. She sighed loud enough for McAvoy to turn around with a knife pointed at her throat.

  “Calm down baby,” she cooed. “Relax. It’s only me.”

  “For the Old World’s sake,” he breathed and sheathed the hidden blade under his cloak. He turned and reached up into the opening, gauging how large it was. “You startled me Bethany. I could have hurt you.”

  “Why have you been so… on edge these past few months?” The barefoot woman with thick chestnut locks swirling down her back sauntered over to him. She caressed his bare arm and moved up to his neck, massaging it. “Hmm?”

  He slapped her hand away and turned. “You well know the answer to this foolish inquiry. Yet you ask anyway. The Wanderer has been making quite a stir. She was the one that infiltrated us months ago. I’d bet my life on it. And she is a very dangerous woman.”

  “Spare me the patronizing tone Daniel,” she said crossing her arms and frowning. “How could one woman be so frightening to you? She stands alone. You have an entire army.”

  McAvoy gripped her by the neck and threw her against the closest wall. She clawed at his grip, but he tightened as she struggled. After begging him to release her, he let her drop to the floor and gasp for air. His face remained unchanged, emotionless. Only his eyes flashed with rage.

  “I do not care which of my wives you are,” he said and crouched down to Bethany. Her hair was hanging in her face as her breath shallowed. “You have been with me since I took this post. Loyal, yes. But know your place, woman. I do not expect you to understand until you have seen the carnage The Wanderer has created.”

  He reached down and grabbed her chin, forcing her face to meet his. McAvoy smiled an empty smile. He was a handsome man and was granted many wives in the compound. His voice was soothing, but firm. Almost every Tigress fought for high
ranks within the Gang in hopes to become a wife. But even then, they would have to wait for him to choose them.

  Bethany left the room with him, their hands touching softly as she led him back up to their room. The hallway was silent. If only McAvoy knew that his enemy, The Wanderer, had only been a few doors down from where he stood moments ago.

  ***

  Jake had regained consciousness when the Tigers threw him and his brother into a frigid tub of water wearing nothing but their underwear. The guards had taken the brother’s armor and weapons back to the building where they were discovered. The boys trembled violently as the winter air stung their flesh. After a few moments of frozen agony, rag clothing was shoved into their arms to wear. One of the men brought over a white hot branding iron.

  “Gotta teach these new Bondsmen how to work,” he smirked. “Looks like they never worked a day in their life.”

  Jake dropped to his knees and pleaded. His eyes were drawn to the glow of the torture device. “We will work. We will work. I swear. Just please don’t hurt us.”

  The man turned to his comrades and roared with laughter. Tommy had backed up into a corner, cowering in fear. His brother pleaded again, but it made no difference. Where is Eva? Did they get her too? He screamed as the guards held him down and forced his arm on a table. They pinned it at an awkward angle. He thought it was going to break. A searing pain jolted his entire body as the poker pressed against his skin. When the iron was removed, a bubbling scar remained. His arm remained twisted on the table. Tommy watched in horror, but no words came to his lips as he knew that he would be next.

  “Please,” Jake whimpered on the cold ground when he was released. “Not my brother. He’s just a kid.”

  “You should’ve thought ‘bout that before sneaking in here, boy,” the man said as he returned with the brand reheated. “And now, you are property of the Tigers.”

  One of the guards was forced to sit on Jake’s chest while his brother was given his brand. Tommy’s scream was so piercingly loud, Jake though his eardrums would burst. A bright red “T” now blistered both their arms. A mark of ownership mixed with the pain of discipline. They were then hurled into a semi-dry tent with three others and were left there for the evening. Jake stared unresponsively at the vast yard while Tommy wiped the tears from his eyes, sniffled, and started asking questions of their roommates.