by KM Fortune
CHAPTER 2
Sneaking into the forbidden city was easier the second time. After shadowing the road back from the pit, she merely watched for the latest patrol to pass and the men in the nearest guard tower to look away. Once the coast was clear, she slipped back through the same gate near the power station she used before and raced over to the protection of the shadows among the city buildings. Now the task was to find Raven and somehow make her understand what Kit had seen at the pit. She needs to know about the slaves dying there most of all, Kit thought. Even though the young warrior of a woman focused predominantly on her own survival, as well as fiercely protecting those she loved, even she was moved by the horrific conditions in the tent city. Not to mention the poison being excavated from the ground, which was clearly making the people near it sick. Something needs to be done. Raven will know what to do.
Moving through the nearly empty streets of Reno, Kit made her way back to The Duke’s hotel. Since it was still morning, no one challenged her. Only once did she see a pair of The Duke’s men on foot and she hid easily before they spotted her. After they passed, Kit jogged to the hotel and went inside. A guard in the lobby held up a hand to stop her progress. Kit did her best to look innocent and even smiled a little. “What do you want?” the guard asked. Kit mimed going to the elevator and riding it upward. Luckily, the guard recognized her. It made sense being she was only four feet tall and wore an oversized black cloak. “You’re here to visit The Duke’s woman?” he said. Kit frowned, not liking the man’s choice of words. The Duke’s woman? she thought and wondered if the marriage had taken place already. Eager to see her friend now more than ever, Kit nodded. "Fine," the guard said and turned to yell down the hall. "Roger, take this gal up to see The Duke. He's in his penthouse." The man named Roger came walking down the hall, a rifle cradled in his arms and a large revolver in a holster on his hip.
"Got it," Roger said and motioned toward the elevator with a lift of his chin. "Let's go." Kit followed him inside and took deep breaths while the small chamber lifted them. She hated being trapped in the confined, moving space, but after a moment, it opened at the top floor. Two men Kit recognized flanked the French doors.
"Well, look who's wandered back," one of the men said. "I thought you'd left the reservation." Kit was not quite sure what he meant but waited patiently while he used the intercom to announce to The Duke he had a surprise visitor. After getting the go-ahead, the guard opened the door for her and bowed with a mocking grin. "Enjoy your visit," he said. Kit rolled her eyes and went into the penthouse. The Duke stood behind the bar, making some sort of drink, and she saw Raven standing near the windows across the room. There were others with them and it took Kit a moment to register what she was seeing. Blinking her eyes, slowly she realized the woman standing beside Raven was Willow. With a gasp, Kit dashed across the room and threw her arms around her tall friend's waist. Emotions, stronger than she had ever felt, made her heart beat faster. Willow hugged her hard.
"Kit!" she laughed with joy. "I can't believe it." The two women pulled back and looked at each other. Willow looked tired and Kit furrowed her brow, to ask if everything was okay. Willow smiled. "I'm as good enough as could be expected," Willow answered. Kit nodded and moved to hug her again when she saw movement to her left. Glancing that way, she saw a second man in the room. He was dressed in the black and gray of the Patrols. Acting on pure instinct, Kit leaped between Willow, Raven and the stranger while simultaneously pulling two of her knives from under her cloak. Dropping to a crouch, she made ready to attack.
"No, Kit," Raven exclaimed. "He's with us." Kit frowned. Another one? First it was Matthew and now some old guy? she thought. “Please,” Raven continued. “Put your knives away. Let Willow explain.” Kit glanced at Willow and saw the woman nod in confirmation. Slowly, Kit relaxed. As she slipped the knives back in their sheaths, The Duke walked over to them. He was shaking his head.
“You sure you don’t want to work for me?” he asked looking at Kit. “You are one badass little girl.”
MATTHEW HELPED LOAD the rifles, ammo, and other gear into the Humvee and minivan. He was not completely convinced Blaze’s strategy of riding back into Reno with a show of force was the best move, but without a better alternative to suggest, Matthew let it go. Ideally, they would roll up in the vehicles full of armed men and cat mutants, threaten mayhem if they were not let in, and insist on Raven’s release. If The Duke did not cooperate, Simon would race back here to the kingdom to have reinforcements sent. Everyone agreed the last thing they wanted was a war with The Duke, but if need be, Blaze fiercely promised he would do it. Matthew knew better than to doubt him.
Hector stepped up beside Matthew and stacked another half dozen combat rifles in the storage compartment of the minivan. “I think that’s it,” Hector said. “Any more weight and this thing won’t be going anywhere.”
“I agree,” Matthew said as he nodded. It would take a bit of luck to make it at all with the gas tank near empty. Only by using some from the extra gas can on the Humvee did they have any chance. We are going to need good fortune on our side to pull this off, Matthew thought as he watched Hector close the van's hatch. Turning away together, Matthew looked up at the large cat mutant.
"Thank you for taking the time to show us the laboratory off of the crypt," Matthew said. "If we can figure out how to get past the password, I believe the computer there will work to read the discs. Not to mention the other equipment could be used to run tests on whatever we find out." Hector patted Matthew on the shoulder with his big paw.
"Glad if it can be of use," he said. "I know this is a big deal to you humans." Matthew smiled a little.
"You mean those humans," Matthew responded. "I'm only a clone." Hector paused in his steps and looked at Matthew.
"No kidding? Well, I guess we're the odd ones out in this mission," Hector said. "I hate getting mixed up in a human versus human war." Hector's gaze turned to look into the distance. "I am only doing this for Raven."
"I know," Matthew said. "And we all thank you for it." Hector sighed and turned back to Matthew.
"Let's just hope it gets resolved quick. My kingdom needs me here," Hector said. Matthew saw Helen slowly and carefully walk up beside them. Her knife wound, which was held by stitches and well wrapped in a dressing, clearly pained her, yet she had insisted on seeing them off. She laid a paw on Hector's arm and he turned to her. A look of love and respect passed between them and Matthew wondered, not for the first time, how a connection like theirs would feel. Would Raven ever look at me that way? he wondered. At times, he felt the connection to her was strong. There would be something in her eyes when her gaze met his. Unfortunately, it would be fleeting. Someday though, Matthew hoped they would find a time when life was not so hectic and filled with peril at every turn. Then maybe we can see what is between us. Matthew saw Helen smile.
“There is much to be done here,” she agreed in a quiet voice. “But it can wait a little while longer. You need to honor your word and help them get Raven away from the evil man she is engaged to.”
Hector sighed. “I know it,” he said. “And I know leaving you here to oversee things will leave the kingdom in more than capable hands.” Hector took Helen’s face in his paws and looked into her eyes. “But it does not mean I won’t worry every second while I’m away.”
“I know,” Helen said and kissed Hector. Matthew politely glanced away and saw Blaze striding toward them. The redheaded man did not look happy.
“You guys about done?” he snapped. Matthew heard a low growl come from Hector as he stepped back from Helen.
“Don’t get your shorts in a wad,” Hector said. “We’re ready.”
“Fine,” Blaze said. “Then let’s go.”
CHAPTER 3
The Creator watched as Hannah skipped into the room. She came and went from his chambers as she wanted now. Her free spirit should not be contained, and he knew it. There were whispers from the brethren, mostly stemming from curiosit
y, about whom the child was and why she held such favor with their Lord. Thankfully, aside from the brother Samuel, there were no signs of animosity over it. The Creator had assigned two of his following to be Hannah's caretakers when she was not with him. As much as he would have liked to, traveling from his chambers was too fatiguing. Even when she asked him repeatedly to come to the colony's vast and beautiful gardens with her, he had to decline. It was where she was returning from right now, and her face was flushed with the excitement only a child could feel. In her hand, she held a paper bag.
"Look what I found in the garden on my favorite bench?" she asked as she plopped into her small chair at her special table. "Someone left this behind." The Creator wheeled his chair over so he was closer. Curious, he leaned in.
"What is it, my child?" he asked. Hannah smiled broadly and dumped the contents out. Inside was an apple, a piece of cheese, and two small tea cookies dusted with sugar.
"Ta-dah," she said and fingered one of the cookies. "I was going to eat them, but then decided to wait and show you. In case you wanted one too." A smile played across The Creator's lipless mouth. A cookie? he thought. How many years has it been since I ate a treat? Now his diet consisted of high-calorie liquids blended full of nutrients and medications. He did not know if he could even eat a cookie if he wanted too. With only a few teeth, it would be a significant challenge.
"Perhaps you should have them both," The Creator finally said. "I will take enough pleasure in just watching you enjoy them."
"Are you sure?" Hannah asked. "I can smoosh it up for you. Not even a few crumbs?" The Creator paused. Why not a few crumbs? A taste of sugar on my tongue, he thought.
"Alright," he replied. "A few crumbs, but then you eat the rest," The Creator said. The little girl nodded and broke one of the treats into halves. She crumbled a portion and then hopped out of her chair. Holding the bits up gently, Hannah helped him take the small portion of tea cake into his mouth. The sweetness exploded on his tongue. It was exquisite and memories of his childhood flooded him. Closing his eyes, he thought of his mother, baking, and letting him lick the spoon as well as eating cookies still warm from the oven. The Creator paused and savored the moment as the treat melted in his mouth. It was so good in fact, it made his heart flutter. A subtle change in the rhythm. Suddenly a ripple of pain formed in his chest and he popped open his eyes. What is happening? he thought. An alarm on his monitoring equipment sounded and he knew in seconds attendants would be there to help him. Is this it? Am I dying at last? As he started to feel dizziness set in, he heard the sound of someone retching and turned to look. It was Hannah. Her face was twisted with pain. “No,” he tried to scream but could only croak out. Her eyes were wide with surprise and fear, then she stumbled and The Creator watched helplessly as the child, his joy, fell to the floor. The last bit of uneaten cookie slipped from her hand.
GABRIEL FOUND HIMSELF in the most surreal situation he could imagine. All his life, he lived in the colony. The only time he left the confines of Eden was to serve as a member of the Patrols. The trips would be short and almost always in groups. Their mission was simple. Find waste people, kill the men, and capture the women to bring back for harvesting. Now, as he looked around the room, he found himself in the presence of multiple females. If he did not know he was awake, he would swear he was having a dream. Something out of an adventure novel, he thought. Like Jack London, only much weirder. Especially the little thing. Gabriel looked at the small woman in the oversized black cloak. She was quite animated now that the cowboy, the one who called himself The Duke, was gone. Gabriel had surmised she could not talk and there was nothing to write on, which was making things somewhat complicated. Assuming she can write.
Looking around the room, Gabriel tried to think of what he could have her write on. He wondered behind The Duke's bar and surveyed the many ornate bottles filled with clear or brown liquids. The Duke had tried hard to convince everyone to have a drink with him before he left, but Raven again asserted herself and told him no. The man had not liked her reaction much from the flush that ran up his cheeks, but he hid it well with a grin and a nod of his head. "So be it," The Duke had said and then dismissed himself as having work to do. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll be back in a couple hours."
Which was where the group found themselves currently, in the penthouse, trying to understand the girl, Kit. Glancing at them, he could see everyone was becoming frustrated. The only thing clear so far was Kit wanted Willow and Raven to come with her. Gabriel was not sure, hardly having met the man, but he would guess The Duke would not want them to go anywhere without his knowledge. Gabriel shook his head. It was all a bit of a mess. Still looking for something to write with, Gabriel opened some drawers under the bar. In the third, he found a fancy tin of salt. Dismissing it, Gabriel started to close the drawer when he had an idea. He picked it up and shook it. Pretty full, he thought and opened it to look inside. It was not as fine as he was used to in Eden, but it could work. “Excuse me,” Gabriel said, interrupting more questioning from Raven and Willow. “I have an idea.” The three women all stopped and looked at him.
“Okay,” Willow said. “What is it?” Gabriel poured the salt onto the bar’s top and spread it out with his hand.
“On maneuvers with the Patrols,” he started, but then paused when both Willow and especially Kit shot daggers at him with their eyes. Maybe downplay the Patrols part, he thought and cleared his throat. “As I was saying, while out in the field, I would often give instructions to my ...” He paused again. Soldiers? Probably not a popular word either. "My brothers," he continued. "I would draw symbols for landmarks and such. Maybe she could try that?" Again, there was a pause where the three women seemed to consider his suggestion and then Raven smiled.
"Perfect," she said and walked over to the bar. "Kit, can you draw something with your finger? That might help us?" Kit and Willow joined Raven across from Gabriel. Kit jumped up on a stool and studied the salt. For a moment, Gabriel thought she did not understand what they wanted. Then slowly, she reached out and drew a circle. Inside it, she drew three triangles. Gabriel turned his head right and then left, but it meant nothing to him. He looked up at Willow and saw she was confused too. Then he heard Raven suck in a breath. "I know that one," she said. "Nuclear radiation." She put a hand on Kit's shoulder. "Keep going," she said. Kit sat back and did not need the salt for the next message. She crossed a single finger across her throat. This one Gabriel did know. A slit throat. Death to whoever was with the radiation.
"Where?" Willow asked. Kit rubbed the salt to make a clean slate and then began to draw a map.
RAVEN STOOD AT THE window and stared out. The information Kit was finally able to get across to all of them spun through her thoughts. I want to see this place, she thought. I need to know. The trick would be finding a means to get away from The Duke. They were not under lock and key necessarily, but Raven had no doubt the men outside the only door were operating under strict orders not to let any one of them leave. There has to be a way. Raven turned to look back at the group. Willow and Kit were on one couch, while Gabriel sat a bit away on a barstool. All were lost in thought, no doubt trying to figure out what to do next.
"We could fight our way out," Willow said, seeing Raven's look. "I know they took our guns, but with Kit's knives, we would be a force to be reckoned with." Raven shook her head. She had no doubt at least some of them would get away, but she would not risk any of them getting hurt in the process. They were all important to her, even the old soldier Gabriel. He had turned out to be quite an enigma. During a whispered exchange earlier, Willow had filled Raven in on how the man had helped her, even took up arms against his own people, in order to try and rescue Hannah. Raven had also noticed a shift in him after the brief exchange in the jeep about biblical verses. He looked at her differently now, but she could not quite make out the meaning in his eyes. It was definitely not hostile, but it was a little guarded. Raven looked forward to a day when they could talk. She had ma
ny questions for him and guessed he had just as many for her.
"There has to be a way," Raven mused as she walked across the room. On the walls were pictures and posters of legendary fighters. Undoubtedly valuable as they were relics from an age long dead. The man and his Fight Night, she thought and started to turn away. So far those had proven to be bad luck for her, but then she paused. If they all went to the fighting venue, they would at least be out of this room. Excited now, Raven walked to the intercom and pushed the button. A voice quickly answered.
“Everything okay?” said the voice. It was clear The Duke’s men were on edge after the latest events. No doubt The Duke gave them all hell over her kidnapping.
“Everything is fine,” Raven replied. “But I want to talk to The Duke. Can you reach him?” There was a pause and then the intercom crackled.
“I’ll call him. Is there a specific message?” the voice asked. Raven smiled and looked over at her friends. They all were staring at her, confused.
“Tell him I want to take my friends out for a treat tonight,” she said. “Tell him I want to go to Fight Night.”
CHAPTER 4
They drove hard through the day, and as night fell and covered the land with darkness, Blaze and his small army arrived at the outskirts of the forbidden city. It had not been easy. The minivan was done for with steam leaking from under the hood and two bald tires almost flat. Everyone was on edge. Blaze insisted they stop well before a spotter could see them. He was not going to be caught off-guard again. In fact, now he had the element of surprise on his side and as the group snaked their way on foot toward the front gate of the city, Blaze was looking forward to seeing the looks on the guards' faces when he stuck a gun at them. Everyone was armed with a rifle, including the eight cat mutants who came from the kingdom. Hector had given them a quick and dirty lesson on how to shoot. Blaze listened in enough to know the basic premise was to point at the bad guys and then pull the trigger until they fell down. It sounded perfect to him.