A burly one-eyed woman approached. She was as big as the men, bigger in most cases, and rubbed a swelling knot on the side of her head. She had something smeared on her lips. Jack slipped farther behind Trooper. “My head hurts,” the woman said.
“Ah, this is Daphne, my granddaughter. She had an accident… recently. She’s a bit clumsy.”
“Don’t play me for a fool, Mister President. I’m Dominion. A Deathrider. I can smell the lies as soon as they come from your mouth.”
“Yes, I heard your thunder bikes awakening the city, Deathrider. Can you blame us coming out to satisfy our curiosity? But we are merely scavengers. Survivors. I assure you. We don’t have any ill intent toward you.” Potus lifted his hands. “We live day by day, peacefully.”
Trooper kept his aim. “What are you scavenging for?”
“We hunt game the same as you. Dig for trinkets. Nothing more. It’s a day-by-day thing. You know that, and I have to take care of all of these people.”
“Hunting parties are usually smaller. I’ve counted more than twenty heads out here. I think you’re looking for someone—or something,” Trooper said. “And I’d be curious to know what that is.”
Jack lifted his brows. At first, he didn’t put together what Trooper did, but when it hit him, it made sense. The Eyewatch were looking for the same person that they were. Shadows flitted overhead. He looked up. A large bird chased a flock of smaller ones.
Without taking his eyes off of Potus, Trooper spoke from the side of his mouth. “What was that, Jack?”
“A big bird chasing smaller ones, Trooper.”
Laughing, Potus said, “There are many gamma vultures that feast on the smaller birds and other carrion. We trap them with netting in the buildings. They are our number-one food supply. As a matter of fact, we are checking them now. We would be happy to share some rations, Trooper. We respect the Dominion and don’t want our simple way of life to be misconstrued as trouble.”
“Misconstrued?” Trooper said. “No, but your guile could be interpreted as the Resistance. The penalty for that is death.”
“We live by the Blood Law here, Trooper. I assure you, no resistance, and there should be no penalty of death without a jury trial of peers.” Potus swallowed. “Please, lower that weapon. It’s giving an old man weakening heart fits. I hope to keep the peace and die peacefully.”
“Jack,” Trooper said, “did that big bird have a tail behind it?”
Jack nodded. “Yes.”
“Tail feathers or tail, like a dragon? Was it long?”
“It was high up, but now that you mention it, it was pretty long. I don’t think it had any feathers.”
“Neither do I.”
Trooper blew smoke “You have five seconds to tell me what you are looking for, Mister President, or I’m going to shoot your guts out. One.”
“Listen to me.” Potus licked his lips. “If you kill me, every member of the Eyewatch will come down on you like rabid dogs. I am their prophet! They’ll be incensed without me!”
“Three!” Trooper’s voice rose. “Four!” His finger tensed on the trigger.
Potus threw his hands up. “Okay! Okay! I’ll tell you everything. No need for threats. Isn’t there enough madness in the world?” He labored for breath. “There was a boy and a dragon. His name is Gabe. He disrupted our worship, attacked us, and took one of our members. As you can see, he took a club to Daphne and brutally beat her. All we offered was sanctuary and peace. He and that lizard brought nothing by trouble.”
“And now you are searching for them?” Trooper rested the rifle back on his shoulder.
Potus sighed. “Yes, as I assume you are. Please understand. I would never cross the Dominion, but I had to protect my own interests until I was absolutely certain that you are who you are. There are many imposters, and I’m more accustomed to seeing the Blue Guard, though, that has been some time.”
“You are very well informed, Mister President. I take it you spent a lot of time among the Dominion.”
“I’ve been here since the world fried and the Dominion began. The latest decades have not been kind, but I’ve survived. Trooper, let the Eyewatch aid you in the capture of these troublesome minions. It would be an honor.” He clacked his cane on the ground. “We would seek the Dominion’s favor.”
“I bet you would, Mister President, but the Dominion isn’t fond at all of obstructionists. And you are an obstructionist.” One handed, Trooper lowered the rifle to Potus’s belly and squeezed the trigger. Boom! The cartridge flew up and clattered on the ground with a ping.
Jack’s heart froze.
Potus fell on the ground. The Eyewatchers bolted. All of them vanished except for one. Daphne held Potus in her arms. Blood seeped onto the ground.
Trooper stood over them with the rifle on his shoulder. “Never toy with the Dominion.”
With blood running out of his mouth and his eye glazing over, the old man spoke.
“What’s he saying?” Trooper asked.
Daphne bent over the old man. She put her ear down to his lips. “The one who rules the dragons is the one who rules the world.”
The blood stopped gushing. Potus’s body went still.
Trooper flicked his cigar away. “I’ve never killed a president before. Come on, Jack. It’s time to find Gabe and that dragon.”
CHAPTER 15
Rann lurched up so quickly that her backside practically left the room. “What was that sound?”
“Gunshot,” Gabe said. “Now get your head down.”
“How do you know it was a gunshot?”
“I know.” Gabe would never forget the sound that blasted out of the Count’s gun, but the crack he heard sounded even more powerful. It made him think of his father and the day he was shot. Gabe had nightmares about it and woke up in many cold sweats. “The first time you hear it, you never forget.”
“I’ve never heard a gun before—or seen one for that matter. They say they kill instantly.”
“I suppose.” Gabe kept his thoughts locked on Squawk. The dragon jetted from a building across the streets and landed on the roof near Gabe. He had a bird in his mouth. Taking huge bites, the dragon gulped it down. “You think with your stomach too much, Squawk.”
The dragon made a little purring cackle from his neck.
“Don’t back talk.”
“That was kind of cute.” Rann stretched her hand toward the dragon. “Are you sure he won’t bite or burn me?”
“No, not unless you are a threat to him or me.” Gabe reached over and clasped his hand over her fingers. “Let him come to you though. It’s better that way. He’s kind of like a dog, I guess.”
Squawk rattled his neck at Gabe.
“A really smart dog that is, that can breathe fire…and fly.”
As Rann leaned back, Squawk crawled into her lap. She started to pet him. “He’s warm, and his scales are so smooth. It’s creepy, but I like it, I think.” Squawk licked her face. “Ugh, that’s weird.”
“He’s smelling you. It’s a good thing.” Gabe got his own sense of Rann. To some degree, he tasted a little of what Squawk tasted, felt, or smelled, even the bird he’d engulfed. He burped. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. After all, I’ve been living in the dark hold with the smelly one-eyes for months. Anything outside is refreshing. I missed the sun,” she said with a contented smile on her pink lips. “I’m thankful for you, Gabe. I mean it.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” He watched as the riders ran back to their bikes that were parked down the street, hopped on, and revved them up. In seconds, they were all roaring down the broken roads. A pair of men on four-wheelers cruised past the fire station, their eyes looking ahead. They turned right two blocks away, disappearing behind the buildings. He could still hear the engines though, rumbling through the silent streets. “I think we should go.”
“If we go now, we’ll leave prints. I’m telling you, Gabe, lie low. They won’t find us, and they’ll have to move on. Besides, y
ou don’t want to leave. Aren’t you looking for the Resistance?”
“Yeah.”
“Then stay focused. If there is one thing I’m good at, it’s making a plan and sticking to it.” She cradled Squawk closer to her chest. Squawk nuzzled her bosom. She caught Gabe looking and said, “You look jealous.”
Gabe shifted his focus back to the street. She was half right. The thing that bothered him was that she reminded him of Mandy. He shook thoughts of the both of them out of his head. “You were saying something about a plan.”
“Yes, I had an escape plan from the Eyewatch. I started stealing from Potus the moment I got there. I’d hoard my food and pack it away until my time to go came. Then you came. I knew someone would come. The Eyewatch always noses in others’ business. See, my plan worked out.”
“We aren’t dealing with the one-eyed Eyewatch, are we? We’re dealing with the Dominion, and they have guns and knives. It’s a lot deadlier than the pipes the Under City loons carry.” Behind the parapet, he wrung his hands. Sitting still wasn’t easy for him. It never had been. He liked to be on the go. Keep moving. Keep living. Saul said that from time to time.
Rann put her hand on his forearm. “Wait it out, Gabe. It’s the best chance we have.”
Grinding his teeth, he adjusted his goggles. Listening to the sound of the engines, he waited. The vehicle ran for a few more minutes when the engines finally sputtered, and one by one, cut off. Gabe watched and waited. Rann leaned against the parapet, keeping low, with Squawk still on her stomach.
“We should leave,” Gabe said under his breath.
“You worry too much. Don’t overthink it. Besides, if they catch us, you can use your fire-breathing dragon.” As she shifted in her position she grunted. “He’s heavier than he looks. But he has pretty eyes, like bright stones. Why did you name him Squawk?”
“It’s the first sound that he made, and it stuck. The other dragons don’t talk. They’re as quiet as any other lizards whose tongues lick the dirt.”
“You’ve seen many dragons? That’s fascinating. I’ve only seen this one. How many have you seen?”
“A bunch. My father was a dragon hunter. He captured them and brought them to Newton for the Dominion. I used to clean their dens and prep the gamers for the battles in the arena.”
“What?” She sat up a little more. “Newton had Dragon Games? I’ve only heard about them, but never seen them. My parents avoided the Dominion like the plague. But I always heard about the games.”
“You mean there are more in other places?”
“I guess. Even Potus told me stories about them. I always thought the dragons were bigger though.”
“When they get too big, you lose control,” Gabe said. The conversation eased his nerves, and for a long moment he’d forgotten his worries. That’s when he caught movement in the corner of his eye. He turned away from Rann. Down the street where the four-wheeled riders turned, the Deathriders walked Gabe’s way on foot.
CHAPTER 16
Trooper had Daphne by the scruff of her neck. The bearish woman was on her knees, looking at a net draped over the ground. She trembled.
“Is there where you saw him last?” Trooper said.
With a sob the ugly women said, “Yes.”
Jack looked away. The woman was hapless enough already, and the crying only made it worse.
“What else can you tell me?” Trooper said.
“I-I-I don’t know. I thought I was Gabe’s girlfriend. H-H-He leaved me. Made me mad.” She sniffled. “He’s a liar.”
“Either that or he has better taste in women.”
Many of the Deathriders chuckled. Grimly, their hard eyes scoured the ground. Jack joined them. It didn’t take long before one of the men said, “I’ve got a trail.”
Jack saw where the wind and grainy ground began to cover up the tracks of two people on foot.
“Tell me about the other one,” Trooper said to Daphne. “Who was that?”
“A woman. Young. Prettier than me. She was the prophet’s plaything.”
“Prettier than you, huh? That’s not saying much.” Trooper let go of the woman, hooked her under the armpit, and helped her up. “Is she armed?”
“Yes, sir, she has the both of them.”
“No, does she have a weapon?”
Daphne nodded. “Yes, the pipe that hurt my face. It’s an awful feeling.”
“It looks like it, even without the pipe.” Trooper gripped her neck and looked her dead in the eye. “Let me warn you, Daphne. Stay out of my business. Go back to your Under City, find a new leader, and don’t come out again until we are long gone. If you do, I’ll kill you. We’ll kill you. We will kill all of you. Nod your head if you understand, Daphne.”
She vigorously nodded.
“Good. Now get out of my sight as fast as those elephant legs can take you.”
Daphne bolted away with alarming speed. She hopped a pile of rubble and dove out of sight.
“Okay, let’s go. Gabe and that dragon can’t be too far.” Trooper took the lead. As he did, he loaded another bullet into his chamber.
Jack wondered how many bullets the man had. He only had enough to fill the cylinder of his pistol, but he’d need more at some point, he figured.
Trooper saw the motorcycle tracks in the road and said, “Way to go.” The treads of the four-wheelers destroyed the tracks. He kept moving with eyes like a hawk, scouring the ground. “Here we go. Pretty straightforward. Check inside all of these buildings we pass. I’ll stay on this trail, but who knows. They might have doubled back.”
The Deathriders slunk into the buildings with their bladed weapons and hatchets ready. One of them carried Daphne’s net. Jack hung close to Trooper. From a sidewalk corner, he studied a red-brick, two-story building. “A fire station. Cozy.” There was a closed door on the side. Trooper put his shoulder into it with a grunt. It opened inward. “You first, Jack.”
Daylight revealed a large yellow truck parked in the lonely garage. Trooper said, “Now that’s a thing of beauty. Lots of engine. I like big engines. Take a look around, Jack.”
There were some hard hats with long bills in the back. Coats and full-body suits hung inside metal lockers. All of it was eroding. Jack grabbed one coat off the rack. The sleeves crumbled in his fingers. The hat he put on was chipped and cracked, but he liked it. There was an office with a desk and eroding papers. Ladders hung on the walls and on the truck. He wanted to ask what a lot of other things were, but he didn’t. He did find a metal whistle and stuck it in his pocket.
After a few minutes, Trooper asked, “Find anything?”
“No.”
“Come here, Jack.” Trooper stood by a pole that led up to a gap in the ceiling. “Can you climb?”
“Yes.”
“Then start.”
Jack shimmied up the pole to the loft. As soon as he got there, Trooper said, “What do you see?”
“Uhm, some cots, cabinets, a sink.”
“Do you see any people, moron?”
“No.”
“Look harder!”
“I don’t see anyone.”
“I don’t hear you looking, Jack. Open the cabinets. Turn over everything. Look for a door.”
Jack tossed over the cots and opened all of the cabinets. When he was finished, he sat down on the sofa and fanned himself. “Nothing, Trooper. Oh, wait, there’s a ladder up to the roof. Do you want me to check it?”
“Is the hatch open or closed?”
Jack got up and yelled down the portal. “Closed!”
“Well, climb up there, and open it.”
Jack did as he was told and climbed the ladder onto the roof. There wasn’t a sign of anyone, but there was a plastic wrapper blowing around. He picked it up. “Supper protein.” Looking over the wall, he noticed the dragon riders gathering around the fire station. He heard Trooper’s booming voice call out for Case. Jack didn’t care for Case. He was an annoying fish-eyed man with a blocky face. His ears were pierced wi
th metal studs. By the time Jack climbed back down inside, Case was up in the loft. The busy-eyed man walked the room.
“Find anything, Jack?”
“This wrapper.”
Case snatched it from his hand and dropped it down the portal. “Found this, Trooper. Someone’s been eating. And that’s not all.” Case moved to the corner of the room. A blanket hung over a length of pole. He removed the blanket, revealing Saul’s spear.
Jack started screaming, “I found it first! I found it first!”
Case slapped him hard in the face. “No, you didn’t.” Case looked down the portal. “Incoming.” He dropped the spear. The butt end bounced off the floor. Trooper snatched it.
“Jack,” Trooper said. “Get your ass down here.”
CHAPTER 17
The Deathriders spent another thirty minutes inside and outside of the fire station. Their talk died down and faded away. It took almost two hours before the motorcycles were heard in the streets again, riding away. Gabe huddled inside the body of the sofa. His body was wrapped up with Rann’s. Squawk had molded himself in with them. Whispering, he said, “I think it’s safe now.”
Rann’s fingers dug into his back. They were entangled like entwined snakes. With her breath on his ear, she said, “If you say so, but I’m starting to get used to this. But my arms are stiff, and I can’t feel my legs.”
As muggy and miserable as it was, Gabe enjoyed the tight proximity with her. It felt good. She felt good. “Okay.” He unhooked his arm from her waist and pushed the cushions off of the sofa. He couldn’t believe their hiding spot worked and thanked God for it. The sofa had been gutted underneath the cushions, and all they did was use their bodies as the frame. Jack had even sat on them. Emerging from the cramped spot, he saw the entire room had been turned over. “Geez, it’s a miracle.”
Flight from the Dominion (The Gamma Earth Cycle Book 2) Page 5