Renegades: Badlands Next Generation

by Natalie Bennett

  We were almost to the side of the house when a loud bang echoed from behind it. A flash of lightning followed, illuminating a little girl running towards us. Ice immediately held an arm out to stop me from going any further.

  I shoved it out of the way and kept going. “Bro, it’s a little girl…” I trailed off as she charged right past me, damn near slamming into my shoulder. “What the fuck?”

  A second figure emerged right after. I couldn’t tell what their gender was, but they were much larger than the tiny thing that had just ran away from them.

  They froze the moment they saw us, jumbled excuses rapidly falling from their mouth.

  “I got this,” Ice grumbled, approaching them with a slow, lazy gait.

  “I didn’t know she was with you,” they pleaded, tripping over their own two feet.

  Ice crouched right beside them, and without another word, he drew his three-pronged icepick and planted it in their jugular. It was his signature kill. Quick, efficient, and somewhat bloody. The person on the ground coughed and sputtered, choking on their own blood.

  I watched Ice for a few seconds longer. He’d carve the Leviathan into their forehead to make an example out of them. They should have thought twice about trespassing.

  The Savages had claimed this place years ago. Once something became ours, we never gave it back.

  With this dumb fuck handled, I turned to go deal with the girl.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  The sun fell from the sky in the blink of an eye, leaving behind a seemingly infinite darkness. There was no moon or stars to help guide the way, forcing me to rely on my basic senses.

  I couldn’t hear anything but raindrops hitting the trees and earth. My hair was plastered to my head. The thick locks had become a mess I didn’t bother trying to detangle. I simply shoved them out of my face so I could at least pretend I knew where I was going.

  The white gown I had on was ruined. It clung to my skin, doing nothing to ward off the chill needling my bones. As my feet squelched and slipped across muddied terrain, soggy soil was forced between my toes, coating them in thick, cold clumps.

  Turning back wasn’t an option. All I could do was continue moving forward. That task alone was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. My body begged for rest, but my mind knew I couldn’t afford that. Even the growling of my stomach had ceased.

  The upside of all this was that the storm would wash away my scent if the Cardinal brought out his hounds. I hadn’t seen or heard anyone pursuing me, but that didn’t mean anything.

  There was no way A.R.C would simply let me go.

  Sweeping aside a bushel of large leaves, I squeezed between them and a contorted tree trunk and emerged into a small clearing, spotting what looked like a road just a few feet away.

  It was straight through a narrow passage. I blinked a few times to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. Fortunately, the scenery remained unchanged. It may not have been wise to be out in the open, but being lost in the woods wasn’t much better.

  I wrapped my arms around my middle and shuffled onward, leaving behind the semi shelter of trees and foliage. I would’ve kept going if I knew which way to go. I hadn’t thought too much about what would be lying beyond all of this. One thing was for sure, we’d been led to believe lies.

  Rot. Decay. Barren wasteland.

  That’s how the Badlands was described in my daily lessons. I didn’t remember it being that way before I was taken to A.R.C.

  Now I could see with my own two eyes that the only truth to that was how empty it was. The road I was standing on seemed as if it stretched for endless miles in both directions, leading right into more darkness.

  Since I had been with A.R.C for the past eight years, I couldn’t remember where I had lived before then or my exact surroundings, but there had to be more than this screaming silence.

  Where’d all the other people live? Where had all those strangers come from before they stumbled upon the covenant?

  A flash of lightening illuminated a fence that had once surrounded the overgrown field on the other side.

  It was now barely standing. If I followed that, it might lead to some sort of civilization. Hopefully.

  I crossed the asphalt and moved into the tall grass, deciding to go right. I walked for ten to fifteen minutes before another burst of light flashed overhead.

  Through the rain, I could see the outline of two buildings up ahead, one larger than the other. As the light faded from the sky, the darkness threatened to swallow them up.

  I broke into a slow jog, the jingle of a chain and slight weight on my wrist reminding me I was still wearing handcuffs. I slowed when I neared the end of a driveway, breathing in with my mouth and out through my nose to slow my pulse.

  The asphalt ended at the turnoff point, becoming a mess of mud. Closer than I’d been before, I was able to see the buildings were nothing more than an older house and a barn.

  There wasn’t any light coming from either. It could have been because whoever lived here had no electricity, but both abodes were skeletal and had telltale signs of abandonment.

  I took a few steps towards them, grimacing as my feet were once again sucked down into cold, thick sludge. Continuing up the drive, I couldn’t believe that neither structure had succumbed to the beckoning lure of gravity.

  The barn was missing a decent portion of its roof, and with every blow of wind its walls shuddered, making the depleted home my choice for the night.

  There was something painted on the front door, a symbol of sorts. Since it didn’t look like it opened, I bypassed the porch altogether. I doubted I would find food or water here, but it was only a temporary shelter until morning.

  I circled around, relieved to see there was another way in. Approaching the rear entrance, I hesitated a minute before trying to go inside. Something told me not to enter, a feeling in the pit of my gut. I shook it off and proceeded to open the door, gently.

  The wood had become soft and hollow from neglect. I worried if I blasted right through the whole thing would break in two. As expected, the inside was the poorest excuse of a home I could imagine. I inhaled a heavy tincture of mildew and screwed up my nose.

  After easing the door shut, I stepped over a mid-sized hole in the floor. It was deathly silent in here, turning the rain I’d just escaped from into a sudden comfort. I took in some cupboards that had warped over time, and severely mold-grown appliances.

  Someone had come through here and did a fine job ransacking the place. More than a few broken dishes and overturned drawers laid on one side of the kitchen along with some dust-covered pans. Nothing amongst them looked as if it would help me remove the cuffs from my wrist.

  I crept forward, being careful where I placed each filthy foot. The last thing I needed was to fall through the floor. To my immediate right was a doorway. I peered through it, seeing a long table still set with plates.

  A flash of lightning showed each one rested near a set of bones that spiders had turned into a home.

  There definitely wasn’t anything in there that I needed. Continuing down a short, narrow hall, I emerged into the room that the front door would have led me into.

  Old clothes more akin to rags were haphazardly piled all over the place. Cobwebs seemed to cling to nearly every surface, their intricate silk no longer white, having turned dull and brown.

  I caught a flash of movement in the corner of my eye, causing the hair to rise on my neck and arms. I stiffened as a bulky mass rose from the shadows, relaxing marginally when it spoke.

  “Oh, you’re just a girl,” the form said, their voice too dry and brittle for me to identify if they were male or female.

  They left the corner they’d chosen to crouch in, revealing more of themselves. Their outfit was just as shabby as the rags covering all the dust-ridden furniture, while the disaster on their head was as large as the bushels in the woods.

  I couldn’t see their eyes clearly, but I felt them slithering over my body. I got the sense the
y were sizing me up.

  “You lost? Or a runaway?”

  The way the question was poised made me think they already knew the answer. It wouldn’t take much intelligence to figure out. I was wearing what was essentially a night dress and had on no shoes. There was also an empty handcuff to account for.

  I may have been kept away from the rest of the world for a few years, but I knew this wasn’t typically how people dressed.

  “I was looking for somewhere to rest until morning,” I explained.

  “Lost, running from something, it makes no difference to me. As long as you’re not a Savage.”

  I glanced down at myself, taking in my ruined gown and muddied feet. There was nothing feral-looking about me. I didn’t have any qualms about taking a life. I was instilled with a primal need to survive. Beyond that, I was as far from a savage as someone could be.

  The person stepped a smidge closer, and the muscles in my legs locked in anticipation of fleeing or fighting. A flash of light revealed a grime-smeared face with a large smile in place.

  My eyes went to their mouth, which was nothing but a gross hole.

  Where there should have been two rows of white was nothing but chipped, discolored fragments.

  “I’m sorry to disturb you. I’ll go now,” I stated, making it a point that I’d be leaving.

  “No need. This was my uncle’s place. It needs a bit of TLC, but it’s fine for a roof over your head. My partner should be back soon. He’s friendly.”

  Did that mean this was a woman? I still couldn’t tell. Either way, I was uncomfortable with the idea of sleeping here. One suspicious stranger was bad enough, but two? My instincts were never too far off, and right then they told me I needed to distance myself from this place.

  “That’s all right. I’m sorry for intruding. I’ll just go.”

  I took a small step backward, not trusting them behind me.

  A raspy laugh floated in the space growing steadily smaller between us.

  Their breath reached out and slapped me right in the face. The smell of it was akin to fermented squirrel guts. My gag reflex was automatic. I failed to withhold my cough, causing them to laugh louder.

  “Are you afraid?”

  “More like disgusted.” I continued to retreat all the way back into the kitchen, preparing myself for if they lunged.

  At the last second, they did. The floor groaned beneath the sudden motion. Fearing it was about to give out, I shoved them away before they could grab me, narrowly missing the hole in front of my exit. I leapt over it and forced the door open.

  “Hey!”

  The spare end of the handcuffs snagged, sending a searing pain ricocheting up my arm.

  A soft cry fell from my mouth. I gritted my teeth and pulled with every ounce of strength I had, desperate to get away. In the process, I forced them closer to the hole in the floor.

  “Stop!” they demanded, grabbing the warped frame to steady themselves and stop from falling in.

  I took the opportunity to slam the door, trapping their fingers. His or her hold was relinquished behind a bellow of pain.

  Stumbling down the rickety set of porch stairs, I was saturated immediately with a downpour that seemed to have only gotten worse since I’d gone inside.

  Two figures came from around the corner of the house.

  Stopping to see who they could be was the last thing I was going to do. My mind was like a rat in a maze. Nothing mattered but finding a way to escape.

  Feet sliding, I almost collided with someone, dodging around them just before our shoulders met. I rushed past the front of the old house, heading towards the drive.

  The barn was no longer an option, and I didn’t want to go back through the field. If luck was on my side, there’d be another shelter somewhere nearby. If not, I would have to take a risk and sleep in the woods.

  I couldn’t keep going. My entire body ached. Each step was a mental negotiation. Spotting more than one vehicle in the center of the driveway, I tried to slow and change course, sliding across the ground like a drunken fool.

  My legs slipped out from beneath me, sending clumps of mud airborne as I landed on my side. I scrambled to my feet, dripping in it, hair all over the place.

  A set of headlights flickered on, blinding me further. I ignored the throbbing in my hip, holding a hand up as if it could ward them off.

  What had I gotten myself into?

  My decision of where to go was snatched away the second I turned around and smashed into a wall of steel.

  Hands came up and locked around my forearms, preventing me from escaping a second time. I tilted my chin to try and get a look at who had grabbed me, shaking my head to clear my view but ultimately failing.

  Without warning, I was spun back around, still caught within this stranger’s iron grasp.

  “Don’t move,” he commanded, placing a hand over my mouth and pulling my flush to his solid chest.

  His skin was soft yet calloused. Unable to move my hair out of my face, I was stuck peering through the strands.

  I could barely make out two more people approaching, thanks to the glaring headlights.

  As they got closer, I assumed one was a man, the other a woman. He was the first to speak.

  “What’s this?”

  “Not a fucking squatter,” the man holding onto me replied, tightening his grip.

  “Obviously,” the girl retorted, “but what are you going to do with her? It’s freezing and raining, so whatever you decide, please do it quick.”

  “I’m bringing her home with us.”

  This was the last thing I’d expected him to say. Where was home, and why was he taking me there? I knew it wasn’t because of some grand act of kindness. Whatever the reason, I wasn’t keen on finding out.

  He removed his hand from my mouth.

  “Please let—”

  “Don’t speak.”

  I was nudged forward with a gentle shove, him guiding where I went. I resisted at first, smashing into his chest a second time as I tried to loosen his grip.

  This didn’t do anything but almost make me fall again and irritate my captor. He kept me on my feet with a rough little shake, followed by a warning.

  “You do that again, I’m knocking your ass out and dragging you home behind the truck.”

  I fought against the urge to rebel and complied immediately. Logic would keep me safer than stupidity. I wasn’t going to test if he was bluffing or not. I had no idea what he or his companions were capable of.

  On the off chance I did manage to break free, I would be outnumbered. There wasn’t any other option than to begrudgingly go with them.

  “Think you can handle her? Or do you want me to switch seats with you?” he asked someone I couldn’t see.

  “I got her,” a different male responded.

  The man behind me brought his mouth to my ear and spoke lowly, his voice sending a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the cold.

  “Be a good little girl, k?”

  Little girl? Those two words had my mind conjuring an image of Hendrix.

  I kept my mouth shut and took the insult on the chin. I’d been called a lot worse.

  I was traded from one pair of arms to another, these ones not as large but just as solid.

  I instinctively tensed. No harm came to me, though. I remained where I was as my original captor pull open the door of a dark SUV, and then whoever had hold of me spoke.

  “I’m going to help you in,” he explained softly.

  His touch seemed cautious, as if he knew I wouldn’t take kindly to the way he was about to grab me. Doubting he would let me go even if I asked nicely, I nodded that I understood.

  His hands went to my hips and gripped them just hard enough to assist me with climbing into the backseat.

  The heater was on, filling the SUV with a warmth both me and my numb toes appreciated. The other man got in behind me and shut the door, pulling my body towards him when I went to slide across the seat.


  “Stay close and don’t try anything,” he ordered in the same soft tone.

  I clasped my hands together on my lap and settled back against the leather seat to make myself seem as small as possible. I wanted them to see that I wasn’t a threat. Maybe then they’d set me free.

  Doors continued to open as his companions all climbed in, the girl winding up beside me. I felt her eyes on me, but I didn’t acknowledge her.

  I was choosing to remain silent, peering through my hair and dripping muddied water all over the seat.

  The SUV began to move forward, swinging around in a half circle to complete a U-turn.

  “I don’t know where she came from, but that other woman was for sure a squatter,” the driver announced.

  “I figured that. What’d you do with her body?”

  “I propped it up on the back porch. Maybe this time they’ll get the memo to keep their asses away from that house.”

  His words created a tightness in my chest. I wasn’t bothered by the woman’s death as much as I was about what this could mean for my own wellbeing.

  My fate wasn’t mentioned. I was left to wonder what they were going to do with me.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  I had been tempted to turn Luce down tonight, which wasn’t all that uncommon for me. I knew why he came like clockwork to create a break in my torture sessions. I’d assured him on multiple occasions that it wasn’t necessary. Luce had already made his mind up that I needed interventions.

  I could see where he was coming from. I knew why he’d came to this decision.

  I had a lot of chaotic thoughts constantly swirling around inside my head, none of them good. I was doing better than before. Better than I had been a week ago.

  For the most part.

  I still had days where all I wanted was to drag a piece of steel across my skin again. I wished I could tear myself open and carve out all the hurt and regret so I could get the fuck on with my life, but when you’d been immersed in pain and self-hatred for as long as I had, going down the darkest roads there were didn’t seem like such a bad thing anymore.