Lord of Ends

by Sam Ryder

  I commanded Chuck to remain at the bench, then stood up and turned right, hoping I would find something good.

  I wasn’t too thrilled about leaving them alone on the bench, but as long as people were deferring to Hannah, we were in good shape. They were safe, and I could move around. If I heard a commotion, I would make tracks back to them ASAP.

  A smell wafted through the air and entered my nostrils. It was a fantastic aroma—coming off a grill somewhere. It reminded me of the pre-Blast days, when walking through a neighborhood on a warm weekend meant sniffing plenty of barbecues and grills blazing hot with meat cooking over them. This smell wasn’t burgers or hot dogs, but it still had that smoky loveliness I missed.

  I followed it to a little stand where a short man operated a little makeshift grill out of an old barrel he’d lopped in half and converted. The coals blazed, and several racks of meat hissed over it, droplets of juice falling and sizzling when they hit the coals.

  “Hey,” I said, walking up to him and pulling out some coins to show I could afford whatever he had. “What are we selling here?”

  He smiled. “This is skinned hog,” he said. “Fifteen cents per sandwich.”

  Fifteen cents was a little steep, but he said “sandwich” and I was all ears. Behind him was a small bowl filled with freshly baked buns. I could hardly contain my excitement—roast animal and bread. It was exactly what we needed to fill our bellies and improve our mood.

  I handed him forty-five cents and ordered three sandwiches. We all could eat and drop a few bites down to Chuck. With a handful of bread and meat, I walked eagerly back to the bench. Gehn was looking slightly better, but still cowering amongst the crowd while Hannah made sure her bracelet was showing, drawing the lion’s share of the attention.

  Without saying a word, I dropped a sandwich in each of their hands, then tore off a chunk and fed it to Chuck.

  The sandwiches tasted even better than I expected. Hog meat was rare in the outskirts of the Ends, but like most rare things, it was much more common in Rome. The chewy bread mixed with the salty meat was perfect. And based on the silence of the other two, they concurred.

  Still, Gehn’s skin remained ashy, more so than usual. Trouble occupied her brain, like a storm brewing in a cloudy sky. I just hoped her nervousness was a result of the past and not the future.

  Chapter 27

  Rome 2

  After we finished eating, I wanted to explore some more. Gehn was hesitant.

  “I just...don’t know,” she said. “My stomach is in knots.”

  “Let’s put it this way,” I said. “If you stay on this bench, are you going to feel any better?” She shook her head. “Okay, then let’s walk. If at any time you want to head back to the wagon, just say the word.”

  That seemed to help. She nodded and I helped her to her feet. We picked our way through the crowd, which continued to be easier because of Hannah’s presence. She paused at a hat dealer as if we were just normal people doing normal things, glancing over the now-fashionable top hats that so many women wore. Thank God for that. The top hat gave Gehn just enough room to hide her horns without them sticking out. If they weren’t fashionable, she’d be a dead giveaway. At least she could walk freely without drawing too much attention to herself.

  Pretending to find nothing of interest, Hannah wandered in front of us, pausing every few steps to glance over the wares of another seller. I had to admit: She was a damn good actress.

  As Hannah stepped over to a dressmaker to inquire about a type of fabric, I pulled Gehn back by the shoulder and whispered into her ear. “How are you feeling? Any better?”

  She swallowed hard. “Worse.”

  Damn. Not the news I was hoping for. At the same time, she hadn’t requested to go back, so that was something. She was dealing with it. I admired her quiet strength. Still, we needed to move things along.

  Hannah, however, didn’t seem to be in much of a rush. She calmly walked from table to booth, trying out free samples of food and window shopping the clothing. While the two of us hung behind her fearing for our lives, she waltzed along like she had all the time in the world.

  Technically, she did. As long as nobody found out she was running with an Ender, she could do as she pleased in Rome.

  At least that seemed to be the trend, until I heard her hiss, “Shit!”

  “What?” I asked, keeping my voice down. She stared off into the distance, looking like she’d seen a ghost. I followed her gaze, immediately locking in on what had drawn her curse. There was a bench, with people milling around it. Our view was partially blocked, but every so often a clear path would open, revealing the bench’s sole occupant. Elias, leader of the Wanderer’s Guild, leaning back like the king of the world. He was flanked by two burly Thirds, each with muscles the size of watermelon’s bulging through their shirts. They wore guns on each hip and looked the type to know how to use them.

  Shit is right, I thought.

  “Stay with Gehn,” I hissed. “Stay out of sight.”

  “What are you gonna do?” she asked with a frown.

  “Ask a few questions. That’s all.”

  She looked at me skeptically but didn’t argue, steering Gehn in the other direction, melting into the crowd. I turned the opposite way, Chuck at my side. We jostled through the crowd, which suddenly refused to part before us know that our First leader was gone. I made a beeline for Elias and, as I approached, his two goons stepped in front of me. Elias, however, had spotted my approach and said, “He’s fine. Reassume your positions.”

  Without question, the two thugs stepped back to the side so I could face their boss, who smiled a winning smile at me. The Guild leader really was a friendly asshole, with charm and charisma seeming to ooze from his pores. I could see how he’d managed to rise to power and influence. Still, I knew what he really was: a snake.

  “Cutter,” he said. “I’ve been awaiting your arrival, we have much to discuss.” His eyes flitted to either side of me, trying to see past. Looking for Hannah and Gehn, no doubt.

  I ignored him. “Give me a good reason why I shouldn’t put three bullets into your heart,” I said. His two guards’ hands automatically went to their weapons, though I hadn’t drawn yet.

  Yet—I liked that word. The temptation to do just that was tantalizing. Elias would be dead before either them could even draw a single weapon.

  Elias, however, was as calm as a cucumber. He offered a shit-eating grin. “Because you can’t,” he said.

  “Like hell I can’t,” I growled. I knew I needed to temper my anger, as righteous as it was. This man was a part of the torture that assaulted Gehn on a daily basis.

  “No, I know you could kill me. You’re more than capable of that. Hell, that’s why I wanted you to work for me to begin with. No, this is different. By now I’m sure you know I do more than just run the Guild. For now, at least, the Rising’s interests are aligned with mine. But I have nothing against the Enders. Yes, I never mutated. I kill for whoever pays me the most, which happens to be the Rising right now. But I have no long-term allegiances, see? I’m not your enemy, not really. We could help each other.”

  “No, thanks. You still haven’t answered why the next bullet I fire shouldn’t have your name on it.” My patience was growing thin.

  “Ah, I see you can’t be persuaded. I’m guessing the charms of the company you keep may have something to do with that. Trust me, though, if you work for me your bed will always be warm. There are plenty of flowers left in the ugliness of this world.”

  “Answer my question or die,” I said, not rising to his bait.

  “As you wish. Being a visible ally of the Rising here in Rome means I enjoy certain protections I don’t get elsewhere. For example, if you kill me, a mob will form so fast it would make your head spin—but you won’t be able to spin it because they’ll yank it clear off your body and feed it to your dog.” He gestured to Chuck. “So you could kill me, but it would be bad for your companions. They won’t have your p
rotection.”

  I knew he was right, but that didn’t mean I could daydream about putting a bullet between his eyes. “Fair enough, you’re not worth the bullet anyway. I’d have to get all messy digging it out of your skull.”

  Elias let out a belly laugh that turned heads. “You really have a way with words, Cutter. I like that. The only thing I don’t understand is why you’re in Rome when it’s the most dangerous city in the world for a trio like yours. It doesn’t make sense for a mouse to purposefully walk into a nest of snakes.”

  “Maybe we’re just dumb,” I said, not willing to give him any information.

  “You, maybe. But not Hannah. She’s as clever as they come. And I don’t just mean her skills in bed, though those are top notch too.”

  I knew he was baiting me again, and I managed to grit my teeth and ignore the comment and the reminder that we had her in common. It was almost as if he wanted me to pull a gun on him in this crowded place. At least he hadn’t spotted Hannah and Gehn or our little foray into Rome might’ve been cut very short. “We have our reasons. That’s all you need to know.”

  “Fine. Keep your secrets. I’ll learn the truth soon enough.”

  It was a cryptic comment, but I suspected it was a bluff. The only thing I couldn’t figure out was why he hadn’t made any move to kill me. Given everything he’d said so far, it seemed well within his authority. That had to be a reason.

  Regardless, I would take advantage of the situation. Casually, I eased down to sit beside him, just two old friends having a chat.

  Elias chuckled to himself in appreciation of my gall, then reached his arm across the back of the bench, stretching it towards me. He put his right foot on his left knee.

  “Where did we go wrong, Cutter?” he asked with a smile on his face, grabbing my shoulder. “You and I started out in the Ends on the same side. I gave you money, and you gave me bodies. What made you quit that life?”

  I spat on the ground at his feet. “You do dirty work, Elias,” I said. “I grew tired of not knowing why I was being paid to do what I did. At first, I felt like our targets were people who deserved to die. At some point it changed. You lost your way.”

  “A man’s gotta eat,” he said. “What’s wrong with earning a little coin in this world?”

  I shot him an angry glare. “You know what’s wrong with it. We were protectors of the Ends. We cleaned up the place. We were the solution, not the problem. Why do you think Hannah joined you in the first place? She thought you were different. But you’re no better than the Rising, another architect of genocide.”

  Elias looked up at the sky. “Cutter, you and your heart of gold. Listen, this place is the Wild West...”

  “...it doesn’t have to be,” I interrupted. “We were fixing that. Every day, we took care of the troublemakers. I thought the Wanderer’s Guild would establish a little normalcy in the world. Peace. And then you just started killing indiscriminately.”

  “That’s not true,” he hissed. “We did our jobs. You were doing just fine. Hell, you could run this show by now. Do you know how much money you could have in your pocket? People in Rome, especially, pay top dollar for my services. My men make a killing, no pun intended.”

  “What good is money if you’re killing innocent people?” I barked. “The Enders are misunderstood. It’s not their fault they mutated. People like Gehn…they are good people still. They don’t deserve to be killed.”

  He retracted his arm sharply and rested it on his knee as he burst out laughing. “What the hell is an ‘innocent person,’ Cutter?” he asked. “We both know there’s no such thing anymore. There’s those who eat and those who get eaten. Nothing more.”

  In some ways he was right, but by now I’d bought into that slice of hope pie that Gehn had fed me. I shook my head. “Who within the Rising hired you this time?” I asked. “Who wants us dead?”

  “Christ, everybody,” Elias said. “That’s why I’m doing this. The pay is…well, you wouldn’t believe it. I won’t have to work again after this payout. The word of your little trio spread like wildfire throughout the Ends. A First, an Ender, and a former Guild assassin are all traveling together? You three are quite the threesome. Nobody knows what you’re up to, but everyone is suspicious. Nobody trusts that combination, not even the Enders. Especially with Hannah in there. I’m surprised you trust her given her history. You should be suspicious of a woman as familiar with me as she is.”

  I stared off into the distance. The stranger’s warnings about Hannah came back to me. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Come on,” Elias said, narrowing his eyes at me. “What’s a First have to gain by doing any of this? She’s solid. Watch her walk around the city. She commands respect wherever she goes, and she doesn’t even look like she’s trying. So you tell me; why the hell would she risk getting killed by running with you two? My guess is, she’s not risking a damned thing. She knows what she’s doing, and she’s willing to take those risks.”

  That’s when I realized he didn’t know about her familial relationship with Gehn, and I wasn’t about to clue him in. That was the piece of the puzzle everyone was missing. Still, I felt like there was something else he wasn’t telling me.

  “So you don’t know why the Rising cares so much about killing us?” I asked.

  “Wait…what? You’re joking, right? It’s because of Gehn, of course.”

  I blinked, genuinely surprised. Not because the Rising wanted an Ender dead, but because the way he said it made it seem like so much more than just a contract killing on any ol’ Ender. Him coming after us to retrieve Hannah made perfect sense. She knew too much. Which meant Gehn and I knew too much too. But why was he focusing so much on Gehn?

  “Jesus Christ,” he said, reading my confusion. “You really were out of the loop, Cutter. Let me fill you in: Gehn is a legend amongst her own kind. The Enders think she is the one to save them. Think of her like a Savior.”

  “Explain,” I said.

  “I can’t, because I’m not an Ender. But trust me—everyone is talking about her. Everyone on both sides.”

  Shit. Why didn’t I know this? “Listen,” I said. “You don’t need this job. You have plenty others. Like you said, you’re untouchable. Just back off us for a while. For Hannah’s sake.” I felt foolish pleading with him like this, but I needed some breathing room so we could do what we needed to do and get out. Then we could resume our feud.

  “Nah,” he said. “Like I said, this one job will feed me for years.”

  “If you’re not dead first,” I said, fresh anger rising.

  He laughed. “You’re right. But hell, I know how you work. I know your strengths and your weaknesses. Not only am I going to kill you and your women, it will be a hell of a lot of fun. I can’t wait, I wish I could do it right now.”

  That made two of us. All I wanted to do was yank my knife from the holster on my leg and bury it into his heart. I could make quick work of him. But if I did that, the ensuing mob would overwhelm me, leaving Hannah and Gehn to fend for themselves in hostile territory.

  “Well, for now, I need to get going,” Elias said casually, patting me on the shoulder again, acting for all the world like he hadn’t just threatened to murder me and those I traveled with. “I miss chatting with you, Cutter. You always a good talker. I look forward to the next time.”

  He stood and sauntered away, his men falling into line at his side. He believed he had me dead to rights. But he didn’t know I wouldn’t allow that to happen.

  Elias knew I’d put up a fight, but he didn’t know when my back was to the wall was when I was the most dangerous.

  Chapter 28

  Rome 3

  I sat on the bench for another minute or two, just drinking in the world of Rome. Elias had pissed me off, and the last thing I wanted to do was walk around pissed off. Plus, I wanted him to get well away before I searched for Gehn and Hannah. He would probably try to have me followed, but I could deal with that.

&
nbsp; When I got angry, my senses dulled. My rage clouded my judgment. At an outpost? Not a big deal. But here in the city of Rome? A much bigger problem. I needed to remain calm and use that big chunk of mass between my ears. I may not be a First, but I wasn’t a dumbass. At least not all the time.

  Gehn had Beta, as well as her sister, so that provided some comfort. And Hannah had the benefit of status. They’d be okay until I could find them. It helped having Chuck at my feet. I stroked his fur, which always helped steady my nerves.

  Once I felt sufficiently calm, I stood and pushed through the crowds, pretending not to notice the two shadows I’d picked up. Elias’s men, no doubt. I didn’t try to lose them in the crowd, content to let them track me through the market. Biding my time.

  I reached the end of a bustling stall, one that was selling something that was apparently in high demand. Then I made my break. I slipped around the edge, faking like I would go left but then sliding right, cutting through the middle of the stall. The owner protested, but I was already gone out the back, diving under a horse that was standing idle as its owner unloaded a cart piled high with grain sacks. I heard shouts behind me but I ignored them, making for a shadowy alley I’d made a mental note of as we’d first moved through the thoroughfare, Chuck right at my heels.

  I hit it at a full gallop, but then skidded to a stop, ignoring the lance of pain in my injured knee. I backed into the darkest shadows provided by an overhang above a doorway, dragging Chuck with me by his collar.

  Unsurprisingly, my two pursuers entered the alley at a full run, expecting me to be halfway down the alley by now. I let the first one pass me, lunging out at the second and using his own momentum against him as I elbowed him in the face, laying waste to his nose and a portion of his eye. He went down like one of the grain sacks that was being tossed off the cart just outside the alley.