by E S Richards
The thing that Cain worried most about however was how the commander would react to the presence of Zahyra. There were no women who lived within the base; at least not that Cain had come into contact with before. Her low generation ranking was also an issue, as although she could pretend to be a Gen 1 there were mutants within the base who would still happily hunt Gen 1’s for their lowly status.
Zahyra was confident she would be fine, knowing this was the only way of standing a chance of rescuing Asher, but Cain knew there would be a big decision to be made if at any point her safety became at risk. She would sacrifice herself to save Asher, but Cain was unsure whether he could do the same.
Their journey through the forest was thankfully uneventful. Cain knew that the biggest threat amongst the trees were the wild dogs and they would already be drawing in on the warped settlement, the allure of food too tempting to stay away.
Their clear path meant that they made good progress and soon Cain began to recognise the forest around him, just as darkness started to creep in. After another mile Zac confirmed his suspicions, saying that he could smell the mutants not far from where they were. As the light had all but faded by that point, Cain made the decision for them to sleep where they were and continue the rest of the journey at first light. Tired and battered, the three of them quickly gave in to sleep.
Chapter 17 – Cain
Cain tried to remain calm as a familiar black bag was tugged down over his head. He had anticipated this and hoped that Zahyra and Zac were doing the same as him, handing over their weapons and complying to the shouted orders that Cain believed were coming from Mace, the commander’s right hand man with a mutation that allowed him to fly.
Once his rucksack and rifle had been removed from him Cain was hauled back up to his feet and marched forward. He could only assume was being taken to the commander’s office, as had been the protocol the first time he arrived at the base. Just like the last time he was pushed down into a chair in the building he had entered – almost certainly the office as he’d guessed – and his hands were tied behind his back. He wondered whether anyone had recognised him yet, the look of surprise on the commander’s face when the black bag was removed seconds later answering that question for him.
“Cain?”
“Commander,” Cain nodded politely at the man, placing the rope on his desk that he had already managed to remove from his wrists. The commander’s mouth broke out into a small smile as he did so but then quickly morphed back to his authoritative stare.
“You have got some explaining to do.”
“I know,” Cain nodded at the commander again. “But first can I ask about my two companions that I arrived with just now: do you know where they are?”
“I do, are they friends of yours?”
“Yes,” Cain tried to keep the desperation out of his tone. “I just ask that you please keep them safe while I explain things to you. I think you’ll be very interested in what I have to say.”
“I have no doubt about that Cain,” the commander replied slowly. “I have wondered what happened to both you and Repo, I haven’t received contact from the safe haven since I sent you over there to join him.”
“I’ll explain all of it sir,” Cain reasoned with the man. “Just please assure me that my companions will be safe in the meantime?”
“They will be. I have told Mace to watch over them until I am finished with you. Now, please tell me what you have come here to say. I take it, from your appearance and your companions that you have not been within the safe haven for some time?”
“That is correct. And thank you for keeping the others safe for now. What I’m about to tell you may be rather hard to hear.”
Cain launched into his story about the safe haven, formulating lie after lie about his time there, hoping that the commander didn’t have any way to try and corroborate his tale. He told him that a few days after his arrival himself and Repo had figured out what the safe haven was working towards, telling him about the Tocsix that could stop a mutant from being able to use their mutation. The commander was shocked to hear the safe haven had managed to invent such a powerful and dangerous device but remained quiet, letting Cain continue his story.
He proceeded to explain that Zac had been a member of the red band with him inside the safe haven, although the boy hated the values the facility stood for and had actually been an ally of Repo’s from the very beginning. Moving on to explain Repo’s disappearance Cain fabricated a story that he hoped would add wood to the fire of the commander’s hatred for the safe haven.
“One day, shortly after the safe haven revealed they had invented this device, they called forward for volunteers. Naturally no one stepped up, death being preferable to being stripped of our mutations. Sadly for Repo, that is how it ended up for him.
“As no one volunteered they pulled men from the red band instead, members they didn’t trust completely or were displeased with. I think because Repo had been a part of so many trade deals with you – so many of which that had ended badly – they suspected foul play on his behalf. Therefore they called him up to be a test subject, firing at him with their new device. His mutation faded immediately, leaving him disorientated and confused. He killed himself later that same day.”
Cain paused for a moment, assessing the commander’s face and analysing whether his story about Repo was going to be believed. He had tried to tell it so it twisted his feelings towards the safe haven even more, making it look like they had punished Repo because of his link to the commander’s party. Therefore placing a distinct portion of blame for Repo’s death in the commander’s hands.
As Cain drew out the silence between the two of them he realised that was exactly what the commander was thinking. His face had changed into a mask of sorrow and guilt, and then slowly anger started to break out into his expression.
“How did you get out?” The commander asked steadily. “You and the other man, how did you get out? And who is the girl you brought here?”
“Myself and Zac fled from the safe haven shortly after Repo’s death. We heard they were going to continue testing the device and didn’t want to succumb to the same fate. Plus, I figured that was the information you were searching for – so with that knowledge I could return here: where I want to be.
“The girl has a fire in her I have never seen before,” Cain continued, carefully choosing what to say about Zahyra. This was the part of his plan he was most worried about as if anyone saw the number on her arm – although they had done their best to disguise it – she would be discovered and most likely killed.
“She was like me, Repo and Zac. She was working in there trying to figure out a way to take the place down from the inside. But they got to her first. They stripped her mutation from her and left her just like Repo, a shell of who she was before. I couldn’t stand by and let her take her life like he did, so I invited her with us when we escaped. She’s one of us though boss, she wants that place brought down more than anyone I know.”
Cain tried to keep his explanation of Zahyra as vague as possible. To do this they had decided to act as if neither Cain nor Zac knew her very well, or what her full story was. They would focus on her hatred for the safe haven, but keep Asher and her reasons why hidden from everyone else. They had all agreed it was best not to tell the commander everything about Asher and the other boys. If he knew there was a New-Wave of more advanced mutants within the safe haven, that a new generation number had been developed, they couldn’t predict what he would do.
Neither of the outcomes Cain had envisaged ended well for Asher and the other boys if the commander knew. On one hand Cain thought he might try and take control of them, recruiting them into his own army; on the other he thought the commander might try to kill them, seeing them as a threat to his base.
It was hard explaining everything about the safe haven without mentioning what they were doing to the boys. That was why Cain had to lie so fiercely, focusing all his attention on this new weapon that h
ad been created and how it had inadvertently led to Repo’s death. He hoped he could convince the commander to wage an attack on the safe haven with the sole intention of destroying this weapon, and leave the rescue of the boys entirely up to himself, Zahyra and Zac.
Waiting to find out if the commander was buying his story was excruciating. Cain believed he had said everything he could and now just had to hope he had created enough anger within the commander to get him to lash out at the safe haven.
He reminded him that the safe haven would undoubtedly be moving out soon, using their new device to destroy advanced mutants near to them. The commander agreed that their trades had become less frequent, the safe haven no longer needing as much from them as they had in the past.
“On our way here,” Cain started talking again, pulling at the last bits of propaganda he had that could turn the commander onto his side. “We passed through a mutant settlement, or at least, what remained of one. There was only one old man that was still there, living amongst the ruins of a settlement that must have once held over a hundred. He said it was the safe haven that had destroyed it. Stripping the more advanced mutants of their mutations and then killing them anyway. He said they took certain mutants back with them, but just killed all the rest.
“I worry, sir, that the same thing could happen here. I want to remain in your base; I want to make this place my home. But I don’t think we can be safe here with the threat of the safe haven hanging over our shoulders. With their new weapon they are too dangerous a foe. We need to stop them somehow, if not only to strip away their advantage but also to avenge the death of Repo. They took everything from him in his final hours. His mutation yes, but most of all his dignity.”
Cain could see the mention of Repo’s name again was what angered the commander most. He hoped he had said enough to convince him, knowing that if he had failed then not only his life, but the lives of Zahyra, Zac, Asher and all the other boys the safe haven had turned into Gen 6’s would be put in even more danger.
“You’ve given me a great deal to think about Cain,” the commander spoke finally. “As I’m sure you’re expecting I will have to question your companions too, I must ensure that their stories match yours. The girl in particular I am especially interested in – I note you have not said a great deal about her.”
“I do not know her very well sir,” Cain lied. “She was close with Repo however and I know she has a strong hatred for the safe haven. She hasn’t revealed much other information to us, but she helped greatly in our escape from the safe haven and for that reason I think she is a valuable asset to have around. Plus I believe she knows the location of the Tocsix’ within the safe haven; something we will need when we break in to destroy them.”
“Hmm yes, that would be a valuable snippet of knowledge.” The commander ran his fingers through the stubble on his chin, apparently deep in thought for a moment. “I will speak to your companions now Cain. I trust you will be comfortable waiting around the base while I do so?”
“Yes of course,” Cain started to rise from his chair. “It will be nice to see some of the guys again.”
Walking back out into the mutant base Cain was immediately met with too very familiar faces.
“So it’s true,” Hunter said walking forward and holding out his fist for Cain to bump. “How have you been my boy?”
Cain was surprised by the welcome, not expecting anyone to have remembered him aside from Mace and the commander and certainly not expecting anyone to welcome him back. Atom, Hunter’s son, was more as Cain had predicted. Simply standing slightly behind his father, offering Cain only the smallest of nods as he noticed the younger boy.
“Not bad,” Cain spoke loudly, accepting Hunter’s fist bump. “I didn’t think I’d get to see either of you again for a while that’s for sure. Life has not been easy since I’ve been away.”
“Come and sit down,” Hunter continued, surprising Cain again with his hospitality. “Let’s get something to eat and you can tell us all about it.”
Cain followed Hunter and Atom over to the fire where, as usual, a pot lay simmering above it. Hunter picked up three bowls from the floor and handed two to Atom, filling up the one he kept in his hand and then offering it to Cain. He accepted graciously and waited for Hunter to fill the other bowls for himself and Atom before they sat down beside him.
“So tell us about it all,” Hunter said enthusiastically. “Apparently you escaped the safe haven? I don’t know anyone that’s ever done that before, how’d you do it? Or perhaps a better question is why? Why did you need to escape?”
Cain took a few mouthfuls of the broth he had been handed before retelling his story. He stuck to the same lies he had told the commander, knowing Hunter could be called upon later to corroborate his words. He also touched heavily on Repo’s suicide and the device the safe haven had made, hoping that if he could instil fear into the members of the commander’s base that might help convince them to attack. He used his story as a sort of call to arms for the other mutants and by the time he had finished three more members of the base had gathered around to listen.
A few of them asked questions about Repo at the end, clearly having shared a bond with the fellow mutant. Cain only felt guilty for a second as he lied about the way Repo had died, knowing that his lies were being told for a greater purpose. Repo was dead after all; nothing he said about the man could change that.
Eventually more mutants came back from a hunting party they had been on that morning and Cain was forced to tell his whole story over again. He spoke to many members of the camp he had never even seen during his first stay there and noticed those he did recognise treating him with more respect.
By the end of his third re-telling the other mutants were supporting him, agreeing that the safe haven needed to be stopped. They all agreed they should remain as the most powerful force and that this new device was too much of a threat to them.
Cain smiled as the other mutants agreed with him, pleased they could so easily be convinced to take his side. Of course, for most of them it was not for the same reason or overwhelming goal, but if they helped him achieve his own he didn’t care what they also got out of it. Besides, he also agreed with them on some level – the device the safe haven carried did need to be destroyed. He was glad that while he and Zahyra focused on saving the boys, the commander’s mutants would take care of that other matter.
Eventually Cain was called back into the commander’s office. He strode in confidently, knowing he had already got a large proportion of the base on his side. Entering the room he saw Zahyra and Zac sitting cautiously on two of the other chairs, Mace was also present and he offered Cain a small nod. Resisting the urge to go straight over to Zahyra Cain returned the nod and took up his same seat directly opposite the commander.
“I hear you’ve been enjoying catching up with some old friends here,” the commander started, leaning forward in his chair as Cain sat down.
“I have,” Cain agreed. “It’s been good to see them again, especially Hunter.”
The commander considered Cain again before speaking, looking over at Mace slightly out of the corner of his eye. Cain couldn’t see Mace from where he was seated, nor could he see Zahyra or Zac, both of them seated off to the side. It was clear Cain was who the commander’s focus was on.
“So,” he cleared his throat. “I have heard your story three times now,” the commander spoke confidently, “and luckily for you it has been the same all three times. Both of your companions agree with you: the safe haven needs to be taken down. Both have also respectfully offered their sympathies for it already claiming the life of Repo. This dazzling young lady seemed particularly upset by that last point.”
Cain watched as the commander shot Zahyra a charming smile and struggled to suppress a growl from escaping his throat. He knew Zahyra was only playing her part in their story but he couldn’t handle it if the commander starting taking a fancy to her as well, he already had enough with Zac on his plate.
“Yes sir,” Cain replied obediently. “They all wanted to hear what happened, especially as Repo was unable to return like myself.”
“He was a great friend. A great warrior.” Mace’s voice came from beside Cain and he spun to look at him, the mutant had obviously been very close to Repo, the loss of his friend hitting him hard.
“I’m sorry,” Cain said to Mace, pushing as much sincerity into his voice as possible. In truth he had never really known Repo himself and as it had ultimately been him who killed him, he struggled to offer sympathy to those mourning his death.
“Indeed, losing Repo is a blow to our camp,” the commander drew Cain’s attention back to him. “However, he will not die in vain.”
Cain held his breath, hoping this was the moment they had come here for as the commander continued to speak, increasingly becoming more animated as he went on.
“We will seek revenge on the safe haven for what they have done. We cannot let them parade around with this magical device, trying to reduce us to less than what we are. Less than what we deserve to be. We are the advanced. We are the superiors. Not them. We have earned our place at the top through years of genetic mutations and adaptations. They cannot push us back down to the bottom with one wave of a magical stick.
“No, I will not stand for it. You have passed the information onto my men Cain, now I will drive it home. We will wage a war on the safe haven that they will never forget. We will make them wish they had never tried to climb the ladder, make them wish they had remained as they were.