Concurrence

by KM Fortune

  “You’re serious, aren’t you,” she said. It was not a question. Gabriel answered anyway.

  “Yes. If you try your way, you will not make it within three feet of the gate before being gunned down,” he said. The woman rubbed her chin thoughtfully, no longer amused.

  "So," she said. "I'm supposed to untie you and basically put my life, and perhaps the girl's life, in your hands. One of the Patrols. The vilest enemy of my people. Based on what? You not yelling to alert the Patrols who just passed us?" Gabriel understood her distrust. He hated her for what she represented too. The only thing motivating him was Hannah.

  "It's complicated," he answered, not sure how else to explain. Again, the woman nodded as she pulled a large hunting knife from the scabbard on her hip. Gabriel watched her carefully, but was resigned to whatever came next. Overall, he had no regrets. If she killed him, Gabriel would accept it. He was her enemy, same as she was his. The woman stepped up to him and held the knife out.

  "Put out your hands," she said, a look of determined resolution on her face. Slowly, Gabriel raised his arms. The woman paused and stared at the bindings around his wrists. Gabriel knew to keep his mouth shut. There was nothing else he could say to convince her to believe him. Suddenly, the woman moved with such swiftness and strength, Gabriel barely saw the knife blade as it flashed forward and cut through his ties. He was free. Now he could do anything, including fight the woman and escape. He lifted his eyes, and they locked with hers. She still held the knife, but now it was pointed down toward the ground. She is trusting me on this, he thought and realized as much as he cared for the little girl and keeping her safe, it was nothing compared to what the woman felt. Strangely, this insight touched him. Making up his mind to see the plan through, Gabriel held out his hand.

  “My name is Gabriel,” he offered. The woman paused, but then grasped his hand hard in hers.

  “Willow,” she said. “Now what is the plan?”

  Raven locked eyes with The Duke as Matthew passed him. The wiry cowboy did not look happy, and for a brief moment, she regretted kissing Matthew. Why did you goad him? she thought, but then lifted her chin. Because he doesn’t own me. The Duke seemed to see her resolve and his look turned to one of admiration. A smile played on his lips, and he dropped her a wink before turning away to announce the champion. Using the same sort of showmanship as he had with Matthew, only this time singing the fighter’s praises, Raven watched as a muscular man, his body laced with tattoos, appeared in the aisle. He was not much taller than Matthew, but his arms and chest were massive. It looked like the champion could easily break Matthew in half. You have got to be kidding me, she thought and glanced at The Duke. He was watching her and chuckled when he saw her look. Something about the laugh bothered Raven more than anything else so far. The Duke was up to much more than a harmless fight. She could feel it.

  Stepping back to let the champion enter the ring, she noticed the tattoos were faces of men in horrible pain. “You don’t suppose those are all guys he’s beaten, do you?” Raven heard Toby ask his brother.

  "For Matthew's sake, I hope not," Brody answered. Raven hoped not too and reached for Kit's hand. The woman took it and squeezed gently as if trying to convey reassurance. Suddenly, Blaze was beside her too, and all of them watched the show together.

  "Alright then," The Duke said now that both fighters were in the cage. "Are we all ready for a fight?" The crowd roared its answer, and The Duke smiled broadly. "Everyone got their opening bets made?" he called out. Again, the crowd shook the building with their reply. Raven had never seen anything quite like it. She knew she had been to sporting events, but the feeling of danger from the onlookers permeated the air. Raven moved in tighter with her group. "Perfect," The Duke said and turned his attention to the two men standing in the ring with him. "Fair fight, got it, boys?" he asked them. Raven saw Matthew and the champion both nod. The Duke removed his hat and held it high, preparing to signal the start of the battle, and then he dropped his arm and ducked out of the ring.

  Raven watched as the two men circled each other, sizing up their opponent. She was relieved to see Matthew looked confident with his hands raised and in loose fists. Perhaps he will be okay, she thought and in the next moment, the champion charged in like a bull. Only by dodging at the last possible second, Matthew missed taking the brunt of the attack and got out of the way. Again, the champion closed in, tried a vicious flying knee at Matthew’s head, yet Matthew ducked to the side. He had yet to throw a punch. The crowd booed. It was clear to Raven they wanted blood and she worried they would settle for nothing else. As if realizing this, Matthew waded in and on the champion’s next pass, threw a right jab and caught the champion on the temple. “Good job, Matthew!” Raven yelled but then watched in horror as the muscular fighter only paused to look at Matthew, completely unfazed. Then he laughed and the crowd jeered. The fight was ridiculously one-sided and Raven knew Matthew stood no chance. Suddenly, The Duke stepped back into the ring and waved his arms over his head.

  "Stop!" he yelled. “Enough of this already. I want entertainment!” An expectant hush rolled over the room. Raven watched as The Duke slowly turned, clearly wanting her to know the message was specifically for her. A sick feeling started to build in Raven's stomach. "How about we liven this up a bit?" he asked the room. The audience screamed their answer, and the words cut through Raven like a blade.

  “Deathmatch,” the people chanted. “Deathmatch!” Raven watched The Duke nod.

  “No!” Raven yelled to be heard over the chanting. “We never agreed to that.” Seeing The Duke did not care, Raven opened the cage’s gate and stormed to the center of the ring. The crowd loved it. Blaze was right behind her. The Duke only smiled as they approached.

  “Problem?” he drawled.

  “You said this would be harmless!” Raven accused. The Duke laughed.

  “Harmless for the crowd,” he said. “I never said anything about the fighters.” Raven had never been so angry. Pushing past the still laughing cowboy, she grabbed Matthew’s arm.

  "We are leaving," she said and pulled him with her. Suddenly, The Duke stopped laughing, and in a flash, he had his gun in his hand. It was pointed at Matthew's head.

  "No one is leaving until I say so," The Duke said. "We are having a Deathmatch, or I blow his brains out right here." Raven shook her head, unwilling to be bullied.

  "You wouldn't!" Raven said through clenched teeth. Slowly, The Duke smiled. It was anything but friendly, and he gently cocked the revolver. A hush fell over the room, all eyes filled with eager anticipation.

  “I would. Happily,” he said. “But there is another way. Maybe you should think about that for a second.” Raven caught her breath and knew she had been tricked. She looked to Matthew and then to Blaze. There was no doubt in her mind The Duke would kill them both in the end. There was only one choice to make.

  "All right," Raven said. "Let them all go and promise you will never hurt them." The smile on The Duke's face widened, and now a twinkle had come to his eyes.

  “And if I do?” he asked, but she could tell he already knew the answer. Raven shook her head, hating what she was about to say, but knowing it was the only way to keep the people she cared about alive.

  “I’ll marry you,” she said.

  TO BE CONTINUED

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  NOW FOR A PEEK INTO THE NEXT EXCITING EPISODE OF THE

  DYSTOPIAN SERIAL NOVEL

  FOREVER WINTER

  BOOK IX: TRIBULATIONS

  Raven Winter is engaged to The Duke. Her future freedom or even her life will depend on the success of Blaze and Matthew’s quest. As the two men race to find a way to save her, they encounter frie
nds and foes along the path. Hector and Helen make the acquaintance of a seasoned traveler who reluctantly aids them, while back in Reno, Kit finds the root of the forbidden city’s evil.

  BOOK IX - CHAPTER 1

  Blaze’s head ached. Reaching up, he felt a slightly wet and crusted gash on his left temple. Peeking his eyes open, he looked at his fingertips and saw they were bloody. What the heck happened? he thought and slowly turned his head to look around, realizing he was on a bed in one of the hotel’s rooms. Matthew sat on the edge of it. “Blaze, can you hear me?” he asked. Blaze blinked. The man’s voice was fuzzy and seemed far away even though he was sitting close. “Blaze!” Matthew said louder this time. “Wake up.” Blaze grimaced. The last thing he needed was shouting.

  “For crying out loud,” he murmured. “Why are you yelling?” He heard Matthew breath a sigh of relief. Blaze suddenly realized his mouth was bone dry. “Can I have some water?” he asked.

  “You bet, buddy,” Blaze heard Brody say.

  "Anything you need," Toby answered as he rushed to the bedside and held out a canteen. Blaze reached for it and tried to nod his thanks, but the movement sent a burst of pain through his head. It was all he could do to take a drink. The water tasted fantastic, and he started to guzzle it. Matthew stopped him and reached for the canteen.

  "Slow down, Blaze," he said. "Little sips." Blaze did not fight him and closed his eyes once the water was out of his hands. "What happened?" he asked.

  "The Duke whacked you with his big revolver when you went for his throat," Toby chimed in. "Dropped you like a stone."

  "He's not kidding," Brody added. "I thought you were dead."

  Suddenly the memory of what happened rushed back at Blaze. The crowd. The fighters. The threat of a deathmatch. Raven …

  Blaze's eyes flew open at as the image of her filled his mind. "We have to help Raven," he cried and tried to sit up, but immediately felt like he was going to vomit. Matthew put his hands on Blaze's shoulders.

  "Easy," Matthew said. "She's safe enough for now. We left Kit with her with instructions to kill anyone who tried to come in the room." Blaze relaxed. If anyone could guard Raven, it would be his little clan sister. Still, it did not resolve the more significant problem. Raven had promised to marry The Duke. All to save Matthew, he thought feeling his temper rising, but then checked it. Right now was not the time to fight with Matthew. He needed to focus on Raven and make sure she was alright.

  "I want to see her," Blaze said. "We need to talk her out of this."

  "Yes, we do," Matthew agreed. "But first we are supposed to meet The Duke in his suite for breakfast again. I'm just hoping Raven will be there."

  "So, uh, you don't think it is a trap, do you?" Toby asked.

  "Yeah," Brody added. "He wasn't exactly friendly after he called off the fight."

  Blaze looked at the twins. "What happened after I was knocked out?"

  "Well, the crowd went crazy," Toby said.

  "And The Duke had to call on his guards to surround us," Brody said.

  Toby nodded. "It was looking pretty serious for a few minutes there."

  "But then Kit stabbed a couple guys," Brody said with a small chuckle. "Nothing particularly fatal. More of a deterrent. They cleared a path quick then."

  Matthew stood up from the bed and the shift of his movement made Blaze wince, but he buried it. It was time to get up himself. "Well, if it is a trap, I'm going down swinging," Blaze said as he sat up and swung his legs off of the bed. It was excruciating, but he ignored it.

  "Me too," Matthew agreed. "This is my fault, and I plan to make it right."

  You got that right, Blaze thought but kept his mouth shut and stood up. It was time to go see what was going to happen next.

  Samuel looked down at the sleeping child. Her dark hair was fanned out on the pillow, and her cheeks were rosy from the warmth of her slumber. It really is an angelic face, Samuel thought as he stared. For a female. He wished he knew the source of The Creator's strange infatuation with the little girl. Samuel knew it was not physical, but rather as if his Maker looked at the child as one of his own. And not a wastling from outside the walls of Eden. Samuel sighed and knew Gabriel had a touch of it too, but, his motivations for wanting to be around the girl seemed more protective than anything. How do these creatures pull reasonable men in? Samuel shook his head and wondered about Gabriel. The leader of the Patrols jeep had been found late yesterday, and multiple search parties were sent out to look for him. So far, they had turned up nothing, and Samuel considered the whole thing very troublesome. If Gabriel could not be located, then Samuel would have to send another man to go to the forbidden city and find the escaped female. It was all such an inconvenience.

  I wonder why he did not go with a squad to get her, he thought with a frown. A pack of trade goods had been found in the jeep, so Samuel reasoned the man planned to try and negotiate for the female. It was not the strategy Samuel had in mind. In fact, Samuel wanted much more force to be used against the woman. A few broken bones perhaps, he thought with a smile. But alive. He wanted her brought back still able to see and understand him. The woman needed to be punished, and Samuel intended to make sure it happened. Personally. So who do I send?

  Suddenly, Samuel had an idea. Perhaps I am approaching this wrong. Might it be better to just have my spy there in the city grab her and smuggle her back? The plan was perfect. He would just need to send a message as soon as possible, with the promise of a great reward when the man returned home. Living in such a den of sin must be horrible, Samuel thought, his mouth twisting with revulsion. The man would indeed be grateful to have a chance to see his brethren and hear the glorious words of The Creator once again. Samuel would most definitely send a communication this morning, but first, he would wait and watch the little girl. Any minute now, she would wake up and see her keeper, the dirty nomad with the port wine mark on his face, was gone and would not return. A smile played evilly across Samuel's features. He was looking forward to her reaction. Finally, he would break through the little girl's defenses and make her suffer the pain and sadness she deserved.

  Willow heard a noise and was instantly awake. Grabbing her knife by instinct, she sat up and scanned the shadows cast by the early morning light. Her first thought was wolves, and her heart raced as she considered her best means of defense. Then she realized the sound had been more of a scuffle and she knew it was Gabriel. Trusting him was a mistake, she thought and jumped up from her sleeping mat. Ducking to clear the lean-to she had strung up to help ward off the winter cold, she looked around their meager camp. The remains of the small fire he helped her build the night before had been revived and a haunch of a rabbit roasted on a spit. Turning now in complete confusion, Willow saw Gabriel returning to the clearing. He was carrying a few dead branches and stopped when he saw her. Their eyes met for a moment, and Willow saw the flicker of dislike pass through them. There’s something else though too, she thought but was unable to read it. Before she could decipher the look, Willow watched Gabriel’s eyes glance down at the knife in her hand. Realizing she was in a threatening stance, Willow relaxed and slipped the weapon back into the scabbard on her hip. “I thought you ran,” she said, not ready to apologize for anything she did in regards to the old soldier. Even though they were now partners in a strange plan to get into the Great Cave, she still hated him for what he was and always would be.

  “I gave you my word,” Gabriel said and started forward again to drop the bundle of wood beside the circle of stones around the fire. “Where I come from, lying is a sin. You’re safe from me now that I have promised it.” Willow felt only somewhat reassured. Safe from him, she thought. But I notice he doesn’t say I’m safe from everyone. She knew expecting so much was a waste of time. The plan was simple, but not without extreme risk. To her especially. Last night, they had discussed the options, and in the end, it came down to what Gabriel proposed all along. She would let him tie her up and then lead her as a captive into the Great Cave. Once t
hey were clear of the guards, he would untie her and lead her to where Hannah stayed. What happened after that was still unclear, but for Willow, it worked for now.

  "You're sure Mouse is okay?" Willow asked as she squatted down to warm herself across from where Gabriel also knelt and turned the rabbit.

  "Her name is Hannah now, but yes. She was well when I left," he said, not elaborating. Willow nodded.

  "Good. Matthew said she would be kept alive until she was older," she said. "I just did not know if I should believe him under the circumstances."

  Willow saw Gabriel raise an eyebrow. "What were the circumstances?" he asked.

  "Being an ex-Patrol. His life depended on his answer," she said. The old soldier grew quiet and stared hard into the flames of their fire. Did that insult him or something? Willow thought. She could not read his sudden distracted expression.

  “I don’t suppose you knew his history,” Gabriel finally said, his tone even. Willow narrowed her eyes. What is this about? she thought." A scientist," she said. "Why?" Gabriel shook his head in disbelief. "What?" Willow asked. "Do you know him?"

  “I know him,” he replied. “He was the one who helped the female escape from the colony. The woman who basically started the chain of events which led to Hannah being in Eden.”