by Sam Ryder
He shook his head as he turned the roasting animals over on the fire. They sizzled and spat as grease dripped from their fat. “No, I have not seen your friends. I’d heard rumors of a man matching your description traveling with a First and an Ender. I suspected Hannah was the first, and the Ender was likely her sister, Gehn, but I knew nothing of you until we met. That’s when I realized they were no longer with you, which meant something bad had happened. And most bad things in the Ends are linked to either Elias or Atticus or, lately, both.”
“Why is everyone talking about us? Just because we are a mixed group?”
He pursed his lips. “It is much bigger than that—much bigger than you can possible know. You are on the radar of the Rising, and Atticus himself, and not because Elias told him, which he didn’t.”
“How do you know this?” I asked, narrowing my eyes. My skepticism was growing; only someone still in the inner circle would know such things.
“Before I left the Guild, I heard things. Intel passed between the Rising and the Guild. Just before I left, I heard something. I believe you, Hannah and Gehn are the Three.”
“Is that supposed to mean something to me? Yes, we are three people, so-fucking-what?”
“Atticus is a man of great ego,” he continued. “But he doesn’t take threats lightly, even those that are…unorthodox. This is why he banished Enders from society, and why he wants them all dead. He believes a rebellion of Enders would threaten the power he has over the Ends. So he is proactive in that approach. He has a great fear of Enders. He’s also a superstitious man. Which is why he fears the Three.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“In the fortress of Atticus’, deep in his chambers, he keeps a stone slab that was discovered during Rome’s construction. Etched on it is a small passage—or at least, a portion of it.”
“What does the big ass hunk of rock say?” I asked, struggling to keep the sarcasm out of my voice. This was getting weird.
“It says, ‘The Three will raise an army...’”
“That’s it?” I asked. “Why would anyone think that has fuck-all to do with my and the sisters?”
Killian shook his head. “The passage stops there. But he keeps an Ender as a slave. He tortures her, forces her to perform all kinds of insidious acts…she informed him the mysterious message was penned by an Ender woman based on a vision. That the stone slab is part of Ender lore, and that the Enders believe the Three are real and will unite them, raising an army.”
He pulled one critter off the fire and poked at it with his fingertip, testing the meat. Not satisfied with it, he returned it to the flames.
“Atticus believes this prophecy,” he said. “He’s watched for a sign that the Three were coming. When you three—a First, an Ender, and a warrior like yourself—three people who would not normally be traveling together, caught the attention of the Ends, he became convinced that you were fulfilling the prophecy.”
“So he’s the one who hired Elias and the Wanderer’s Guild to take us out?” I asked.
“Exactly,” he replied. “Part of their alliance. He needs someone to kill you before you can fulfill the prophecy.”
“Little does he know, Elias is a sadist. He could’ve fulfilled his contract, but instead he abducted the women so he can toy with me. He wants revenge more than anything.”
“That fits my understanding of the man,” Killian said.
“What else do you know about the Grid? Is it all about the money for Atticus?”
“The Grid is the endgame for Atticus,” Killian said. “Think about what that control gives him. Access. Production. Growth. He doesn’t want to charge for it. He does, but that’s not his main concern. Atticus wants to cut off Enders from it. If the Rising controls the Grid, he can keep that advantage to his people. Firing up the Grid and activating it under his control ultimately secures his safety and power for life.”
It made sense, but I still had another important question for this man, who seemed to know more about the inner workings of both the Guild and the Rising than anyone I’d ever met. “Do you believe the Three are real? That me, Hannah and Gehn are part of some weird Ender prophecy?”
Killian looked me in the eye, answering my question with one of his own. “What brought you out here, Cutter? Why did you embark on this journey?”
“An Ender had a vision about me leading them into battle with the Rising,” I said.
“And what happens in that vision?”
“We charge into the city of Rome and kick ass and take names. Charge into the fortress of Atticus himself.” I didn’t mention the part about the dream ending before the battle’s conclusion.
“I think you’ve answered your own question, Cutter.”
Chapter 36
Parting ways
The air filled with the savory scent of roasted meat. The cooking was done, and it was time to dine.
I was excited. Even though I was learning a lot from this guy, I was more excited about getting to eat a decent meal. My body needed the fuel to recover. My laser focus on getting back to the city had prevented me from acknowledging my hunger. Killian forced me to eat, which renewed my strength and energy.
As I picked the meat off the bones, I tossed the remains to Chuck, who eagerly munched on them.
As we ate, I took the opportunity to try to glean more information from this well-connected man. “Elias’s men had me dead to rights,” I said. “But they didn’t kill me. I mentioned my belief that I was spared so Elias could toy with me, get revenge for when I ‘wronged’ him years ago. You didn’t comment on that.”
“An astute observation.”
“Because you don’t believe that’s the full truth,” I said.
“You’re underestimating the man,” Killian said. “Atticus may want you dead. But he is too insecure to leave it at that. He needs to appeal to his ego. And his ego says killing you isn’t enough. He needs to hold his power over you. Think about how he runs things. He doesn’t just make food available to everyone. Atticus makes you pay for it. He hoards it so you have to come to him and to his people. It’s not a money thing - nobody needs money out here! Or they didn’t.
“Atticus wants people paying him their attention... their admiration. He wants you to grovel. If he didn’t kill you, then he will use your friends to bring you to your knees in front of him. That’s when he will kill you. Having you dead is only part of it. He wants to look into your eyes and make you know you failed, that you bow to him. That is the ultimate game.”
“What a sick son of a bitch,” I said, reading between the lines.
“Correct. Are you sure you’re not a First?”
“Not in this lifetime or any other,” I said. “No offense.”
“None taken. You’re right. Perhaps Elias wants to exact revenge on you, but I also believe he stayed his hand because that’s what Atticus ordered him to do. After all, he’s on Atticus’s payroll now.”
“Meaning…?”
“Atticus probably wants you dead, but he may want to speak to you first. He needs to know without a doubt that you and your companions are the Three prophesied about. That way he’ll be able to sleep easy again and not have to worry about the threat to his power anymore.”
Finally things were beginning to make sense. “Elias could’ve had his men abduct me too. That would’ve fulfilled his contract to Atticus.” I still felt like I was missing one piece of the puzzle.
“That’s where Elias’s sick mind comes into play. He probably told Atticus that you managed to escape, but placated the man by telling him of his plans to use the women as bait.”
I could see him doing that. He was a liar through and through. “Given that fact, where do you believe Atticus would want Hannah and Gehn to be taken so he could set his trap for me?”
He stared down at the burning coals, thinking. “If I had to guess, I would say they are in the Killing Field. If they’re not at his fortress, they’re at the Killing Field. Have you hear
d of it?”
I shook my head. The name spoke for itself, but I needed to hear it from this man.
“It’s where they kill Enders whenever they capture a group. It’s well away from the city limits. The area is littered with rocks, which are stained red with the blood of Enders. Sometimes they cut them, sometimes they bludgeon them. Regardless, they leave their bodies on the rocks for a while, then toss them into the wilderness to be picked clean by animals.”
My mind flashed back to the story that Gehn told me. She described her family being bludgeoned by rocks on the outside of the city. That must have been the Killing Field.
Now I was getting even more pissed off. Gehn had struggled enough, and she would have to stand there at the site of her family’s murders. This Atticus asshole needed his head cut off.
“Hundreds of Enders have fallen there,” Killian said.
“If you knew about this, why didn’t you fight it?” I asked. “Why didn’t it bother you when you knew it was happening?”
“I never though Elias would ally with the Rising. I thought he had a better plan. I was wrong about him. I’m ashamed to admit that.”
I sighed. Killian didn’t seem like a bad guy, just a pawn, if anything. But at least he’d had the guts to walk away from Elias the minute he smelled something rotten. “I understand,” I said. “Listen, come with me. Help me. You know Atticus. You know the Rising, the Guild, all their weak spots. Help me exploit them.”
He thought for a moment. “I can’t,” he said. “If this prophecy is true, then you must rely on yourself and your other two companions. I have given you all I can. But I am on a different journey than you. I am not out here to wage war on the Rising. I am traveling to find something else—peace.”
“But you could ensure peace by helping us,” I insisted. “If we want peace in the land, we need war first. Come with me, you can help me wage war on Atticus. We take him out and then establish peace in the land. And you can document it all for future generations, so we don’t make the same mistakes again.”
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I can’t do that. I am not looking for that sort of journey. I wish you luck.”
I sighed, frustrated. I couldn’t force this man to do something he didn’t feel was right for him. “I hope you find what you are looking for,” I said, getting up. “Thank you for the meal.”
We bid each other goodbye. Chuck and I headed in the direction of the city. There was still a few hours of night and I wanted to cover as much ground as possible while the darkness hid my tracks.
If anything, I was more motivated than ever. The pain in my knee was no longer excruciating—just annoying.
That wasn’t the only thing that annoyed me. Elias had gotten one up on me in all of this. He figured out a way to get to me. But he hadn’t killed me. I needed to make him pay for that mistake.
Chuck and I moved as quickly as we could, though honestly, it was still slower than normal. I could ignore the pain of my knee, but I couldn’t overcome the lack of speed and mobility. I could only do so much physically, which was frustrating to no end.
We spent the next couple days crossing the wasteland. Occasionally, we crossed paths with other groups. Knowing my reputation was now preceding me wherever I went, I kept my head down, tucking my face under the brim of my hat, keeping a low profile.
It worked. No one bothered me. Most people only recognized me when I was with the women. Traveling alone was a little easier. I still got stares, since traveling alone was so odd, but I no longer had a target on my back.
For a while, it felt good. If I wasn’t trying to save the two of them, I would have enjoyed it more. The feeling of being alone again was invigorating, and yet I missed the familiar warmth of Hannah and Gehn at my side. The two feelings felt at odds with each other.
Killian had told me the Killing Field was on the south side of the city, so I targeted a spot approximately west of Rome. I didn’t want to come in from the direction they would anticipate, probably assuming, in my rage, I would charge headlong into some trap. I needed to be smarter.
At night, I slept as best I could with no one but Chuck’s big ears to alert me to danger. I never woke up refreshed. Each night was an unsettling sleep. Nobody was there to protect me. I slept with a gun in my hand and Chuck at my side. The thought that someone out there was actively trying to kill me kept me from relaxing.
Thankfully, nobody messed with me, giving me a much-needed reprieve.
Killian was right: the damage had been done. Atticus and Elias both wanted me back at the city, on their turf. They wouldn’t venture out to hunt me down again because they knew their bait would draw me back. It pissed me off, but they had me over a barrel. I was walking into a trap and there was nothing I could do about it except try to play the right cards at the right time. The only problem was that I didn’t have many cards left and none of them had faces on them. Still, a three of a kind comprised of all twos would still beat a pair of aces. I had to hope it would be enough. Ha, I thought. Three of a kind. Get it?
As I ventured, I considered my next move. Show myself coming, or try to sneak in. The latter seemed impossible while the former felt like suicide.
I could make out the city to the west now, which meant I needed to veer toward it to maintain my approach. Or…I could travel further north and come in from the complete opposite direction to what they’d expect…
The idea clarified in my head. I liked it. It would take longer but give me a better shot at success. I just had to hope they would wait patiently for me, assuming I was taking longer because of the damage they’d already inflicted on me.
Thus, I kept traveling north, maintaining a good cushion between my position and the city limits. I didn’t want to risk being spotted too soon.
I had a chance at making this work, and I didn’t want to waste it.
Chapter 37
The Killing Field
I entered the city limits at night, a shadow amongst shadows.
This time was so different than the first, when we rolled into Rome in our wagon. Back then, fear had hung palpable in the air; now, I feared nothing except not acting. Movement helped, putting one foot in front of the other toward some unseen destination. The city was not big like cities had been in the old days, and thus, I made short work of it, unchecked by friend or foe as I cut through the center like a dagger through a heart. I spilled out the other side, the southern flank, where the moonlight had risen high enough, piercing a thin shroud of clouds and rolling out a white blanket across the plains. Chuck was by my side, as always, my stalwart companion.
The Killing Field was rimmed by torches planted directly into the dirt.
Three men milled about the Killing Field, watching in all directions as they patrolled across the blood-stained rocks. Between them were Gehn and Hannah, tied together in the center of the field, sitting back to back on the ground. Gehn’s hat was nowhere to be found, her horns glowing dimly in the night. Someone had cut a hole in the back of her dress and forced her tail through it. Now it hung limply on the ground, lifeless.
Whoever touched her… I thought, anger roiling inside me.
I was tempted to charge the guards, guns blazing, but that would be a waste of all the effort to come through the city undetected. Still, I needed to make my move. I was about to take a step forward when I noticed there was a third woman, also tied to them. She was partially hidden by the other two, but when she shifted I spotted her. Holy shit, I thought, immediately noticing the glow of her horns—red—protruding from her hair. Another Ender. But why? What did she have to do with any of this?
It didn’t matter; I needed to get Hannah and Gehn back regardless.
There was something else strange: several black lumps rose around the women, objects covered by dark blankets. Stores of food or drink or supplies—I could only guess at what they might be.
I could stay here and perform recon all night, but I didn’t think the situation would change much. They were waiting for me, th
at much was clear. Well I’m here, I thought, creeping forward, staying low to ensure the dark backdrop of the city provided ample cover. I was also counting on the torchlight in the men’s eyes to prevent them from seeing much beyond the Killing Field—a foolish, amateur mistake on their part.
I reached one of the torches and dropped flat on the ground. Chuck did the same, licking at my face like it was some kind of a game. I kept my eyes trained on the three guards, two of which were turned away from me, patrolling the south end, where they likely expected me to appear. Sorry to disappoint, motherfuckers, I thought, waiting for the third game to complete a small semicircular path between also turning south. Clearly their focus was on that side…
I sprang to my feet, sprinting for the third guard’s back on tiptoes, drawing my knife from my thigh-sheath as I ran silently.
The blood-stained stones were a problem, rolling under my feet as I traversed them. A few made a noise so loud in the silence I might as well have fired my shotgun. The third guard started to turn at the noise but I was already upon him, roping my knife-hand around his throat from behind and sliding the blade across viciously. He dropped, blood bubbling from the wound.
I heard a voice—Hannah’s—say, “Cutter!” but I was already moving toward the other two guards, whose paths had been leading them toward a point where they would cross patrols within a few feet of each other, just as I’d hoped when I started my approach. Shotgun time. I raised the bulky weapon just as they spotted me, now only a mere twenty feet from them. Still too far, I thought, galloping now, my knee screaming and me ignoring it, focusing on reaching a particular point where a decent-sized rock rose from the smaller ones, crusted with old blood from past victims. The two men raised their guns…
My foot hit the desired point and I pulled the trigger.
BAM! The shotgun’s report might’ve been a cannon blast, echoing across the terrain. The buckshot spread out, entering each man in several spots, where blood immediately leaked through their shirts. Neither had managed to pull the trigger or I’d have been in big trouble if they’d had even the slightest degree of marksmanship given our close proximity.