Concurrence

by KM Fortune

  “The loser of the bet had to kiss the twin who was not awake. Something about Sleeping Beauty and a prince,” Matthew said.

  Blaze barked out a laugh. "I'd have paid to see that one," he said, but Raven did not find it funny. The wager was intentionally meant to be humiliating to both Matthew and the other twin. Ironically, Raven knew Blaze would have jumped at the bet. Not a good sign, she thought.

  “I’m glad you were smart enough to say no,” she said. “I don’t want any of us to start making bets with him. Let’s just talk to him about what we need and see how much it will cost.”

  Matthew sighed. “It won’t be so easy, I’m afraid. Gambling is the mainstay of this town. We won’t be able to negotiate without some sort of game,” he admitted. “Apparently, people come from hundreds of miles away to try their luck here. Winners can become quite rich and famous among the residents.” Again, Raven did not like the sound of what Matthew was telling her.

  “And the losers?” she asked. Matthew shook his head.

  “I asked. I could not get a straight answer out of him, but my guess is the outcome is most definitely not good,” he replied.

  Kit held perfectly still as she paused just inside the revolving door. The room was dark, lit only by the dull daylight filtering in through the few intact front windows. Even though her instinct told her she was alone, Kit waited while her eyes adjusted. Slowly the outlines of a lobby appeared. The space looked well maintained but smelled off, slightly stinging Kit's sensitive nose. It seemed to be coming from the floor especially, and Kit lowered herself to examine the surface. Again, she was impressed with how perfect it looked and reached out to touch it. It was slightly damp, and after sniffing her fingers, she realized the scent had something to do with keeping the floor clean. This is a special place, she thought, more curious than ever. Scanning the room, she saw some doors leading off of it, including a set of stairs. Going up the steps seemed the safest route as there was no way to know how noisy the hinges on the doors might be. Moving with silent swiftness, she ascended to the next level. Now the space was more expansive but filled with a few rows of chairs. There was a bit more light, yet it seemed to be coming from below. Puzzled, Kit moved along a row until she was at an aisle, where she turned to follow it toward the source of illumination. It led to a short wall and Kit realized she was up on a ledge which overlooked the level below. She was about to poke her head over when she heard the distinct sound of whistling.

  Freezing in place, Kit pulled her knives and tried to locate the source of the sound. After a moment, she realized it was coming from the floor under her and was some sort of tune rather than a warning. It has nothing to do with me, she thought, and she guessed her presence was still not detected. Not sure if she should stay and see if she could learn more, or sneak back out, she suddenly heard a loud series of clicks and then the space below was flooded with light. Instinctively, Kit ducked down lower, but the balcony remained in shadow. It was definitely time to leave, but again, Kit was immensely curious as to what was happening on the floor below her. She could not for the life of her imagine why anything would need so much light. Finally, unable to contain herself, she ever so slowly raised her head above the rail and paused to look down. What she saw was even more confusing.

  There was a ring with walls made of stiff, black netting and the whole thing was surrounded by more rows of chairs. All of the lights in the room were trained on the center. It’s some sort of cage, she thought. But what do they keep in it? Maybe an animal? Still not sure, Kit saw a hint of movement to the right, and before she could duck down, a skinny man with a broom stepped into the edge of the light. "You're plenty early, stranger," he called up to her. "Fights don't start for hours yet." Kit ducked back down behind the short wall again and wanted to kick herself for being so careless. She had been distracted by the strange sight and not realized she was being observed from the shadows. Not sure what was her best move, she was surprised to hear laughter from below her. It sounded sincerely amused and held no threat. "Come on down," said the man from below. "Since you're so curious, I'll give you a tour. No charge."

  CHAPTER 5

  There was a spring in Samuel's step as he ascended the stairs, which led to The Creator's private chambers. It was rare for Samuel to go there as he would typically wait and send a message to The Creator requesting an audience, but this news was so incredible, he could not wait. Morning communion had just finished, and the flock was now gone, so Samuel knew The Creator would be awake and in good spirits after having just given a short sermon on piousness. The timing was perfect. Samuel's devotion could not be stronger, and at last, he would have an opportunity to bridge the slowly growing divide between him and his Maker. Ever since the woman from the ice was brought into Eden, The Creator seemed displeased with Samuel. Soon, this would no longer be an issue.

  Samuel approached the closed door of The Creator's suite of rooms and knocked softly. After a pause, there was a buzz and the lock to the door released with a click. Samuel, trying hard to keep the gleeful smile off his face, entered. The Creator was in his chair, hooked up to the resurrection machine he used multiple times a day. It pumped rejuvenating plasma and other fluids into his frail veins. Samuel immediately went into a deep bow. "My Lord," he said. There was a long moment of silence, and Samuel began to feel uncomfortable. With his eyes trained on the floor, he had no way of knowing how The Creator looked or what he was doing. Is He displeased at my intrusion? Samuel wondered and frowned with frustration. If only he could raise up and explain, then everything would be clear, and The Creator would understand why Samuel was in such a rush. As the awkwardness continued and his impatience began to mount, Samuel considered peeking up to see if The Creator had perhaps fallen asleep. Before he could act, Samuel heard the whirring noise of The Creator's chair.

  “You can turn it off now, Hannah,” The Creator said as if Samuel was not even in the room. Samuel blinked in surprise. Is the wastling here somehow? he thought. Impossible. Yet he heard the sound of light feet come closer and unable to contain himself any longer, Samuel lifted his eyes and took in the sight of the little dark-haired girl carefully but confidently pushing a series of buttons on the resurrection machine. The device shut down and Hannah stepped back with a smile

  “Feel better?” she asked The Creator.

  “I do. Thank you,” The Creator answered. “Now perhaps you can draw me another picture? I need to talk to Samuel for a moment.” Samuel quickly returned to staring at the ground, but not before he saw Hannah nod and then heard her skip back across the room to a spot outside of Samuel’s peripheral vision. What is going on? Samuel thought, his mind racing. Why was the child here? Where was The Creator’s usual attendant? None of it made sense. “Okay, Samuel,” The Creator said to him at last. “I expect you have a good reason for coming here uninvited.” Samuel raised up from his bow and nodded. His previous excitement over his news was now muted as dozens of questions swirled through his head. Not knowing where to even start, Samuel opened his mouth and then snapped it closed again. Should I say anything in front of the girl? He was not sure. She was smart and might guess he was talking about the woman Samuel now knew was named Raven. His instincts told him she would not only figure it out but somehow the child knowing would be bad for him. Following his intuition, Samuel gave The Creator a small nod.

  “I wanted to tell you how powerful I found this morning’s sermon,” Samuel said. It was lame even to his own ears, but it would have to do for now. Until he could do something about the little girl. Something permanent.

  Blaze paced back and forth across the hotel room as the three of them strategized the best way to approach The Duke with their request. Everyone had a different idea. Matthew wanted to immediately begin careful negotiations, while Raven thought they should work on building trust first. Blaze thought they were being soft and said so, yet when Raven pressed him, he had to admit he did not have a solution to propose. One thing they all agreed on was the fact they needed gun
s and hopefully a group of volunteers willing to help infiltrate the Great Cave. Matthew thought he would be able to take them to Mouse, the little girl stolen from Blaze’s clan, but the hint of uncertainty in the man’s voice did not reassure Blaze. Then there was the problem of not having much to trade for what they needed. With The Duke, Blaze knew there would be a high price to pay. But how high will it be? he wondered. Coming to the window, Blaze stopped and looked out onto the snowy landscape below. Based on the position of the sun trying to shine through the overcast sky, Blaze knew the day was slipping away. Just as he was about to insist they come to a final decision, there was a knock at the hotel room door. Before Blaze or either of the others could react, the door opened, and The Duke poked his head in. "Hey there, did you all fall asleep or something?" he drawled. Raven stood up from where she sat on the end of the bed and went to open the door the rest of the way.

  “Come in,” she said. The Duke entered with his hat in his hand and immediately focused on Raven.

  “Thank you so much,” he said. “I was missing you and thought I’d check and see if everything was a-okay.”

  “That’s very kind of you. We are fine aside for a bit of a headache, thanks to you I might add,” Raven said with a smile. The Duke chuckled and gave her a wink.

  "My apologies," he said, but it was clear he did not mean it. Getting her and the others intoxicated had definitely been on his agenda. Blaze watched the whole exchange, and it did not sit well with him. The last thing he wanted was for Raven to risk her safety by befriending the leader of what was called the forbidden city by everyone Blaze knew. Even though things seemed pleasant enough on the surface, he was not convinced. In his heart, he felt there was something evil here. More than just the risk of falling into one of The Duke's wagers. The question was what was it. I need to get away from the group and do some looking around, Blaze thought. I just need an excuse. Before he could come up with one, The Duke looked around at the others.

  "The twins are up finally, and we ordered some lunch. Anybody in the mood for some roasted game hens?" The Duke asked. Blaze felt his stomach growl at the idea. As much as he hated their host, the food he was providing was plentiful. Apparently Matthew and Raven were just as hungry as they both nodded at the offer.

  “That would be much appreciated,” Matthew said. “And maybe we can talk business too?” The Duke waved off the comment.

  “Business can wait. I figured after we ate, I’d take you all for a short tour of our fine city. It’s the entertainment capital of the world, you know. Of course, that’s easy to say, considering not much else is standing,” he said and laughed at his own joke. Raven and Matthew joined in on the laugh, but Blaze continued to frown. He saw nothing funny about The Duke. Nothing at all.

  Gabriel woke up. His whole body ached, and when he tried to move his hands to assess the damage, he realized they were tied tightly in front of him. Only able to open one eye because the other was swollen shut, he tried to look around and see where he was, but all he could make out was some brush and rocks on the ground. "Oh good, you're awake," said a woman's voice from above him. "I thought maybe my last strike was a little too much." Gabriel blinked his good eye and remembered where he was and the situation he was in. Someone, a woman of all things, had waited in ambush for him on the road. When he tried to get away, she clubbed him. More than once if his memory served him. He rolled over onto his back and glared up at the stranger. She returned his look. "You're a tough one, I'll give you that," the woman said. "Almost had to shoot you when you kept coming toward me."

  “You should have,” Gabriel mumbled through a split lip. “I’ll kill you before this is over.” The woman nodded.

  "I'm pretty sure one of us will be dead," she agreed and stepped away to feed a small fire in a ring of rocks. Over it roasted a small hunk of meat. Still not sure where he was precisely, Gabriel sat up. It hurt his ribs to the point he had to grit his teeth to stop from moaning. There was no way he would give this heathen the satisfaction of sounding in pain.

  “Where am I?” he asked.

  “Miles from the Great Cave,” she answered. “Don’t bother yelling for help.” Gabriel blinked, unable to comprehend how he was so far away from the road and up under a rocky bluff along the treeline. The woman apparently saw his look and smirked.

  "Wondering how I got you up here?" she asked. Gabriel was torn. He wanted an answer but did not want to lower himself to having any sort of conversation with the woman. Finally, he spat a mouthful of blood into the thin layer of snow around him and shrugged as nonchalantly as he could despite his soreness.

  “Your men carried me,” he growled. The woman barked out a laugh.

  "Look around. Do you see anyone here but us?" she asked. Gabriel shifted his eyes from side to side. There were no fresh footprints or signs of others. His curiosity got the better of him.

  “So how then?” he said.

  “I carried you,” the woman said. “Dropped you a few times. You might have broken a rib or two when you landed on some rocks. But I’ll admit, you’re dang heavy. They must feed you well in there.” Gabriel refused to believe her. There was no way this weak agent of sin could pick him up and move him, let alone for miles. Unless she is channeling Satan’s power, he thought. Suddenly things started to make a little more sense. He knew now his life, or even worse, his soul was in more jeopardy than ever.

  CHAPTER 6

  The two golf carts trundled along the city's main street. There were bumps from where the road was cracked or buckled, but for the most part, it was well patched and completely clear of debris. Still, Matthew held on to where he sat in the back of the first cart. The Duke was an aggressive and unpredictable driver, and it crossed Matthew's mind the man would be more than happy to send his extra passenger flying. The numbers dictated someone had to ride along with both The Duke and Raven, which The Duke was clearly not pleased about. It was obvious the cowboy wanted Raven all to himself, and Matthew was not entirely sure of his motives, but he had an idea they were not in Raven's best interest. All the more reason I’m in the car with them, Matthew thought. Blaze had not been too happy when Matthew jumped at making an offer to join them, but it was important he help keep Blaze and his temper away from The Duke. Although Matthew was not a fan of the stranger and agreed the man was trouble, he could at least keep his cool no matter what was overheard. So far, thankfully, The Duke was sticking to showing off his town. Matthew had to admit the sights were impressive.

  Among other things, they were driven to see Reno's landmark welcome sign as well as the one still functioning poker room. When Matthew inquired about the city's power and food sources, The Duke brushed him off with a vague answer about nuclear transformers and greenhouse farms in outlying areas. This led Matthew to want to ask another hundred questions, but before he could press The Duke for more details, the cart slowed to a stop at another interesting building. The second vehicle pulled up alongside, and Matthew glanced over to see a mixed bag of faces. The driver, the same mustached man who got the drop on Matthew and his friends out in the desert, was grinning. The twins in the back of the rig were looking around wide-eyed and curious, while Blaze scanned left to right. He’s up to something, Matthew thought with a hint of concern. The last thing they needed at the moment was a confrontation. He could only hope his comrade would keep his cool a little longer.

  Refocusing on where they had stopped, Matthew took in the sight of the building. It was not as tall as the other hotels where the city's residents lived, and some of the windows were covered with plywood, but otherwise, it was in excellent condition. The marque over the revolving front door was the most interesting. A hundred or more colored bulbs outlined the letters "The Stage." Matthew had no doubt it would be quite stunning when it was lit. "And now, let me introduce Reno's most exciting venue," The Duke said with a broad smile. "Entertainment every night."

  Matthew saw Raven nod and then look at her host. “Live theater?” she asked. The Duke laughed.

&n
bsp; “Not exactly. But live action for certain,” he said. “People come from long distances to take part in what we offer here. One night can change a man’s life.”

  Matthew frowned, not liking the sound of The Duke’s tone. He was proud, yet there was a touch of sinister. “What happens here then?” Matthew asked. “Some sort of competition?”

  “Good guess!” The Duke answered. “Welcome to Fight Night, boys and girls. Let me show you around.”

  Kit was impressed. The skinny man with the broom had coaxed her down and then proceeded to show her the place. She had not made it easy for him as the last thing she wanted was to interact with a stranger in this bizarre city. Still, when he offered part of his large lunch, Kit relented. A meal of any substance was welcome after many days of almost nothing to eat. Besides, the man appeared to be unarmed and was as thin as a stick. With her knives and fighting skills, she was sure she could kill him quickly enough if there were a problem. All of which was what led her to be standing in the center of the ring admiring the painted emblem on the canvas flooring. The stranger was just finishing up retouching some of the colors which had become stained. Kit was not entirely sure what the marks were made of, but based on the hue and resilience to being cleaned up, she guessed it was blood. It all made her curious. What sort of thing goes on here? Fighting? she wondered. The atmosphere mixed with the excited attitude of the man with the broom led her to believe the event in this ring was for entertainment. She could not quite see the point and wondered how she could ask when she heard muffled voices coming through the doors to the foyer.

  Kit started to bolt for the cage's exit. "Whoa, whoa," said her guide. "That sounds like The Duke. You should meet him." Kit had no interest in meeting anyone at the moment and kept going out of the ring and toward a row of seats away from the door. She did not know if there were other exits out of the building, so she ducked down behind a set of chairs to wait. If it came to it, she would fight her way out. As she watched, the foyer doors swung open, and she saw a tall, lean figure with white hair topped by a broad cowboy hat on his head. He was talking with gusto to the people behind him, obviously proud of the fighting arena. Kit looked past him, and her eyes widened when she saw the tour group consisted of Raven, Blaze, Matthew, and a couple other men. They did not seem to be in any danger, and she breathed a quick sigh of relief, yet still stayed where she was hidden to listen unobserved.