by Ruth Silver
“Oh, I told her she was done for today.” Maya shrugged, as if it were no big deal to let a six-year-old run free in town.
“Where'd she go?” I glanced around, running a hand through my hair.
Maya turned around on her heels, having a look around. “I can't remember. Did you check home?”
“I just came from there.” I shook my head. “She's not at the recruit center; I don't know where she'd be without me. It's not like there's a playground around here.” I knew it was a cheap shot but it was the truth. Adelaide had only what was made specifically for her, the town wasn't set up for kids.
Collins glanced at Maya. “How about I help you look for her?” he offered. I knew he was trying to be helpful but I didn't think he'd have any more ideas than I did where to look for her. “Did you try Cate's house?”
My stomach flopped. “No.” I knew I should be relieved. If she was visiting Cate and considered her a friend, at least she'd be safe. I felt a twinge of jealousy at the thought that Adelaide would prefer Cate over me. No, I couldn't think that way.
“Let's try there first,” the Chancellor suggested, offering a warm smile as he gently took my elbow, leading me away from Maya.
I heard it first: the loud high-pitched scream of a child. It was Adelaide. No doubt in my mind. I took off running in the direction of the sound, west. Her screams didn't diminish in the slightest. “Adelaide!” I called, hearing the ear-piecing scream of a child. She sounded afraid. My heart pounded and my nerves wrestled with me. There was nothing I had to be frightened of. Adelaide was okay, she was screaming, right? That had to be a good sign?
“Olivia!” Her voice answered me with another shrill scream as I tore through tall grasses, running towards the stream where I'd been just before our last council meeting. I could hear Collins lag behind me, trailing in my footsteps. He wasn't far but he wasn't as fast either.
“I'm coming,” I answered, my knees lifting higher as I stopped dead in my tracks, finding a bloody corpse. I glanced up, seeing Adelaide bent over the body, her clothes covered in blood. Her cheeks flushed and eyes filled with tears.
“He's dead!” She wailed as I bent down to pick her up, trying my best to shield her from what she'd seen, though I knew it was too late.
I could hear Collins’ muttered curse as he finally caught up, seeing the disfigured corpse. “This isn't good,” he rasped, glancing from me to the little girl. “Take her home, get her cleaned up. We're having an emergency meeting this afternoon,” he announced. “There's an outlaw near Shadow.”
I carried Adelaide all the way back to town and home. I locked the doors, something we'd never done, and helped her trembling body up the stairs and into the shower. I turned on the faucet, making sure it wasn't too hot before leaving the bathroom while she stripped down to shower and wash the blood away. Glancing down at my own clothes, caked in blood from carrying Adelaide, I sighed and took a quick shower of my own.
It wasn't long before Adelaide was downstairs, curled up on the sofa, snuggling into a pillow I'd brought down for her. Her eyes were heavy and after the morning’s events, she was exhausted. I heard a knock on the door and quietly walked to the front, having a look before opening it to Joshua. “Hey,” I smiled weakly, throwing my arms around him.
I felt his warm embrace and closed my eyes for the briefest of moments. “I heard what happened,” he whispered. I nodded faintly, pulling back to secure the lock on the door behind him as he took off his coat.
“Adelaide's asleep on the couch right now. She's showered and cleaned up. Collins is planning on having an emergency council meeting this afternoon.”
Joshua nodded. “I know. I ran into him outside. In about an hour, everyone's getting together to figure out how to handle this situation.” I studied his features, his face hardened.
“What is it?” I asked.
“I'm not thrilled with leaving Adelaide on her own while we're at the meeting. How long do you think she'll sleep?” Joshua asked, glancing towards the living room.
I had no idea. I shook my head. “Maybe we could ask Taron to watch her? Just while we're at the council meeting.” He wasn't my first choice to look after Adelaide but my first six or seven options were all involved with the council.
Joshua nodded slowly. “That could work. It'll only be an hour. Hopefully, Adelaide won't even wake up while we're gone.”
I left Joshua with Adelaide while I ran down Taron and asked him to keep an eye on her for a little while. He seemed a little hesitant to be around a child, but after I assured him she'd likely sleep the entire time, he agreed to it. Joshua and I locked up the house as we headed together for the council meeting. I reached for his hand, giving it a tentative squeeze.
“Nervous?” He asked, glancing down at our adjoined hands.
“I'm not sure nervous is the right word. Stressed? Yes.” I nodded vigorously. “I don't think I'll sleep until we find whoever killed that man out by the river.”
Joshua glanced at me as we headed inside. “Do you know what Adelaide was doing out there on her own?”
I shook my head no. It didn't seem a good time to ask her either. Walking into the council room, I took my respective seat at the table. Joshua sat beside me, our hands no longer entwined as I tapped my fingers over the wooden surface, a nervous habit I couldn't consider breaking at a time like this.
Chancellor Collins stepped into the room last and took a seat at the head of the table. “Thank you all for meeting on such short notice.” He looked frazzled, dismayed by what had occurred only a few short hours ago. “By now, most of you know we have a killer just outside of our town, an outlaw. It worries me that not only one man but two have found our town. We would have suspected the two were working together, except one was brutally murdered.”
Cate frowned, her face looking slightly disgusted. “It doesn't mean they still weren't working together. Maybe one of them turned on the other?”
Collins nodded. “It's a possibility, but the body was mutilated.” He cleared his throat trying to keep himself composed. “I can't fathom how we were found or even if we were. This man we found was on the outreach of town. Our community was barely visible but it's possible we've been spotted.”
Aidan spoke up, “Do you think the government is coming to destroy us?”
Collins sighed, “I don't believe that's the case, at this point. We know there are outlaws, men who were banished from cities in Cabal. It's not unfeasible to think one may have found his way to Shadow.”
Joshua's face was hard. “But there were two men, Chancellor.”
Collins agreed. “Yes, and that's why we need to take action, to ensure no more will follow. We need to send a message, a strong one, and protect our town.”
“How?” I asked, feeling as though I already knew the answer.
The Chancellor cleared his throat. “We're going to send a team out to hunt down and kill whoever's out there. Do I have any objections?”
The room was eerily silent.
“Good,” Collins continued. “I need two sets of patrols. One to head west and the other to protect Shadow. The last thing we need to do is send our best soldiers away from town, leaving ourselves vulnerable.” His eyes landed on Joshua and myself. “We're down two members already. I'm not crazy about putting either of you on patrol but we need the extra manpower right now.”
“I'm fine with it.” I knew it would be a good first assignment. There'd be plenty of council members to back me up and it would involve real hands-on fighting, not training. There was something to be said about truly experiencing a situation and not just planning for one. I could feel the anticipation bubbling beneath my skin, itching to tear its way out.
Collins glanced at Joshua, waiting for his answer.
“I'd prefer to be on patrol in Shadow, if I get a choice.” His answer surprised me.
“We can do that,” Collins quickly agreed. “Olivia, Cate, Aidan, and Maya: I want you to go west and track the outlaw. Joshua, Elsa, Hazel, and
I will stay and keep Shadow safe.”
I glanced at Joshua, seeing the steely look on his face. He didn't look pleased that Collins had chosen me to accompany the others beyond the town’s border. “What are our instructions if we find the outlaw?” I needed to know we had permission to kill him, if necessary.
“We don't take prisoners, Olivia,” Collins remarked. “It's evident that whoever is out there is a brutal, merciless killer. Do whatever is necessary to protect yourselves, each other, and this town. Come back with the body and we'll burn it. Dead or alive.”
Joshua looked slightly pale. I ignored him. For once, I couldn't disagree with Collins’ decision. I'd seen the deceased in the grass just outside of town. Adelaide had been covered in blood; I hadn't even asked her if she'd witnessed what happened. Now, I wish I had. Our town was bathed in the shadows, kept in secret from outsiders. I wasn't always in agreement with their methods but this time I didn't stray from Collins’ decision. I'd seen what one outlaw was capable of and didn't want havoc wreaked on Shadow.
The four of us wasted no time in strapping on gear and heading out together just past the edge of town. The few times I'd ventured west, it was always alone and without telling anyone where I was going. It felt strange, particularly with Cate at my side, Maya leading the pack and Aidan in the rear. Maya was the most skilled of the four of us, having been our instructor during training, and also an incredibly skilled tracker. I directed her to where the body had been. The grass was brown and dead, smashed to the ground and coated in red. Clearly, the body had been here. I hoped Collins and the others had provided a proper burial.
Cate glanced around, shifting the bow she carried over her shoulder uncomfortably, letting out a sigh as she shuffled her feet. I couldn't tell if she didn't like being out here away from Shadow or the fact that a crazed outlaw killing people was on the loose. “Which way?” She sounded bored, distracted.
Maya examined the dormant winter grass, noting footprints leading north. “This way.” She gestured.
“Any idea how far he could have gotten?” I asked, patting my hip, feeling the dagger sheathed at my side. In all my training, I'd succeeded best at hand-to-hand combat. I had no idea why. I was smaller in size than most of the guys and had far less experience fighting. It didn't matter though: something with the Mindonsiphan had made me special. It had enhanced my ability to fight, or so Maya had once explained to me.
“Not everyone can be like Cate with a bow,” Maya quipped as she handed me a set of daggers. “Rumor has it you're pretty good against the guys in a brawl.”
“Am I?” I hadn't thought about it. I wasn't bad at blocking, but there were other things I was bad with; for instance, I could not start a fire if my life depended on it. Jaxon could make fire with his hands. I couldn't even make fire with two sticks or stones, or whatever you were supposed to start a fire with. Some talents couldn't be achieved, not that I cared.
“Come here.” Maya gestured me to come closer. “I want you to give me everything you've got.” She wanted me to fight her. I wasn't ready for it. I'd been here three months and spent every waking hour training with the different council members. No longer was I supposed to refer to them as recruits. They weren't recruits and neither was I. It felt strange, different, but I got used to it.
“You want me to fight you?” It wasn't that I thought I had a chance in hell I'd win, I just didn't think she'd be interested in going up against me. Maya was the best instructor. Out of all the council, she'd had the most training and the most experience in years. I had learned to expect a win against the boys.
Maya smiled, “I've heard things: I want to see them for myself. I'll start easy, I promise,” she offered.
I wanted to scoff at her, and tell her she didn't need to go easy on me. The reality was I hated hand-to-hand combat. It was tough, especially when I was paired against Jaxon or Aidan. Both boys were twice my size and had much greater physical strength because of it. I hadn't lost against either of them in two weeks though. I'd gotten quicker with my movements. I wasn't great at offense but I had a strong and mean defense.
Standing in the gymnasium, I could see the floor was covered with blue padding for today's exercise. I stepped closer to Maya, albeit reluctantly; I didn't hesitate. Her hand came out at me and I blocked her attempt at a hit. Had I not, she'd have certainly slammed me in the face. She did the same motion with her left hand, and again another block. She moved quicker and I matched her movements just as quickly. “Break,” she called and I stopped. She grabbed some water and I did the same, downing it before we got ready to continue. “I want you to use this,” she told me, handing me a dull blade. It wouldn't kill a bug, except for maybe the handle if you squashed it. “Get the hang of the weight and feel,” she informed me.
“I've used one before.” I took it from her, having a look at it. It didn't feel any different than the daggers I'd practiced throwing at a target.
Maya nodded knowingly. “I'm aware, but this one is made especially for you. We have a dagger the exact same weight and size, just sharp enough to kill. Use that one successfully today and you can have a real one.”
I didn’t know if she was serious or not. My mouth hung agape as she came at me. I had to react quickly and spun out of the way only to find her holding her own training dagger, her hand at my stomach. She'd have gutted me if this had been a real fight.
“Try again,” Maya insisted.
This time I was prepared for her movements. I knew the way she fought. She came up like she had before, her fist preparing to smack me in the face. I didn't let it. I blocked her blow and used my legs to trip her down onto the ground. I wasted no time in pinning her, the training blade at her throat.
“Good.” She smiled up at me. “Seems the boys are right about you; we should have given you the dagger sooner.”
Maya kept her head trained down, watching the path. Every so often she'd glance up, making sure she didn’t miss something important, I had to assume. Or perhaps she kept an eye out for the outlaw. “He could be a few hours ahead of us, on foot.” She glanced back at me before she continued tracking the trail he'd left. “There are no towns nearby and I'm positive he spotted our town. He probably headed far enough north to make camp, rest for the day, and I'm guessing tonight he'll head into Shadow when we least expect it.”
Aidan laughed darkly. “Sure, let him step into town. It'll be the last step he ever takes.”
Cate slowed down, walking alongside Aidan. “Never took you for the violent type.” I could hear the cheer in her voice. “Guess it makes sense: you did try and take off Joshua's head.”
Aidan's jaw dropped on the floor. “That was completely planned,” he justified his actions, though I wasn't sure if it was more to me than anyone else. “Collins and Maya put me up to it. This is different.” Aidan reiterated, “This crazy lunatic is out here killing people. We were lucky it wasn't someone from Shadow, which begs the question, who was it and how did two people find us?”
Maya held up a hand, telling us all silently to remain quiet and stop walking. We did as instructed and waited for her hand to come down and for her to speak first. “He's not far from here. I can smell the campfire.”
I took a deep breath in, but couldn't smell anything but fresh air. I lowered my voice, careful that wherever he was, he couldn't hear us, especially if it was a trap. “What's our plan?”
Cate's eyes narrowed. “You heard Collins: we kill him.”
I shifted awkwardly on my feet. I knew disagreeing would cause an uproar but I had to give my opinion before we went and killed someone. What if they were innocent and had killed in self-defense? I wanted to believe it but the body had been hacked to pieces and would likely give me nightmares. “Shouldn't we make sure he hasn't told anyone else about our town?”
Cate laughed. “So we torture and then kill him, I'm game for that.”
Maya shot Cate a look to shut up. “We will survey the scene first and make sure he's alone. Olivia's right, we need to
know we're safe and the only way to do that is to gather information before we kill him.”
Aidan shook his head no in obvious disagreement. “The minute you show up carrying a weapon and threatening his life, he's going to tell you whatever story he thinks you want to hear. Outlaws may be criminals but they're not all stupid.”
Cate slowly nodded. “Aidan makes a good point. The guy made it as far as Shadow, he can't be a complete idiot to survive the Gravelands this long. We interrogate him, then kill him.”
“We're not killing anyone!” I interrupted them, louder than I should have.
Aidan clamped a hand over my mouth to shut me up. “You're going to get us all killed. Be quiet,” he hissed. I nodded once to tell him I understood as he removed his hand from my mouth. “Collins’ word is law. He wants the guy dead. We can bring him back but he'll be burned alive in Shadow. Wouldn't it be kinder if we did it for him?” Aidan stared at me.
I don't know why I wanted this outlaw to be innocent. Maybe because in some strange way, wasn't I an outlaw? I was cast out of society and the Governor in Genesis would have me dead if he could. I wasn't a killer or a thief. I'd never hurt anyone and didn't have it in me to kill, even if I wanted to protect Adelaide and Joshua. I wasn't a murderer. “I don't have an answer, Aidan,” I whispered, “I don't know.” I was at a loss for words.
Maya shot me a look. “Good,” she said, happy I was keeping quiet. “We're going to surround his camp. He's about one klick north,” she explained. “Aidan, I want you to go around the camp, set up north. Cate, head east and keep an eye on him. If he so much as heads for any one of us, I need you to use that bow and arrow for more than just target practice.”
“I got it.” Cate grinned. She seemed as if she'd waited her whole life for this moment.
“I'm going to head west, which means you,” she stared at me, “stay on this path but don't make any noise. You're going to have to find a position to take cover. The last thing you need is to be the first one arriving. It's going to take time for each of us to get ready.” Again, she stared at me. “Give us ten minutes: that will be plenty of time. I'll run the risk of being seen first. Aidan, you sweep down from the north when he sees me and attack him. Cate, you're in charge of shooting the outlaw if things go sour.”