The Hound of Hell

by Rory Nelson

  Two other soldiers who were sitting next to him rush Bella. One takes a bottle and smashes it against a chair, creating a jagged edge. As the first soldier tackles her, she sidesteps at the last second. As he moves past Bella, she pivots into him, using his momentum to propel him across another table.

  While too stunned and drunk to retaliate, the soldier flies off and hits his head on the side of a table.

  A large soldier grabs Bella from behind, trying to squeeze the life out of her. But she is much too fast. She kicks using the heels from her boots. Then she smacks them as hard as she can into the bear of a man. He cries out and loosens his bear grip on her. She twists her body and swings her elbow into his jaw. With a loud pop, he grabs his face and screams in agony. Again, she swings her left elbow and connects with his eye. As Bella moves away from him, she sweeps her feet, upending the soldier.

  He falls to the ground, wailing in torment. She kicks him hard in the face, knocking him unconscious.

  Another group of men rush her. Julia and Tamara, two of the deputies, throw two targeted punches to the midsection of two soldiers. The men bellow over in pain. Julia takes the butt of her gun and smacks it hard into back of a soldier’s head. He drops to the floor, unconscious.

  Another soldier extracts his oversized buck knife and lunges for Tamara. He swings wildly in a large arc, trying to catch her on the side. She deflects the knife and jabs him with viciousness in the face. It stuns him but he continues his assault. As he swings his right arm with the knife, her left arm comes up and deflects it. She intertwines his right arm with her left. With a punch from her right arm, she breaks his arm in the middle. He cries out in a piercing wail.

  Her repetitive punches break a few vessels in his face. A spray of blood emits with each blow. She lands a powerful upper cut right on his chin. His head snaps back and he drops to the floor, unconscious.

  As Drake watches the proceedings, he smiles in amusement. Two soldiers, unaccustomed and chagrined at being accosted, reach for their pistols. Drake instinctively reaches for his own and fires twice.

  The first bullet enters one of the soldier’s hands, causing him to drop his gun. The other shot blows off two of the other soldier’s fingers. Several soldiers on the table reach for their own gun, but Vanessa stops them.

  “Don’t think about,” she warns.

  Bella and the other deputies pull their shooters as well. “Think we’re good with our fists, boys? Trust me, we’re much better with our guns. Take your men. Get out! If I ever see any of you disrespectin’ fuckwads in here again, you’re dead. You ken?”

  The men look at her with contentious glares. She sees one man in the corner getting riled and fidgety. She fires her gun, taking off a chunk of his ear. He wails in excruciating pain.

  “You fucking cunt!” he cries.

  “The next one goes in your kneecaps,” she threatens.

  “Ai. You have our word. We’ll leave. For now. But if you think this is over, you’re wrong. Commander Proximus will hear of this and when he does, set watch and warrant it, there will be payback.”

  The soldiers limp out, painfully while retrieving their wounded soldiers. “We’ll be back!” promises the man with the ear wound.

  “Make sure you tell him you were all done in by a bunch of ladies. I’m sure that will go over well,” she chides.

  The women holster their guns, after the soldiers at the table leave. “Go back to your games, gentlemen,” commands Bella.

  “And keep your fuckin’ hands to yourselves!” yells Tamara. A few of the regulars snicker. They know the rules too well and would never risk bodily injury for such a cheap thrill. It’s better just to pay for it outright.

  Drake takes off his hat and nods at her. She looks at him, and laughs. “Drake, the fucking Kill-Smith!” she cries. She runs to him and throws her arms around him. Tamara and Julia light up, realizing who it is.

  “It’s been too long,” replies Bella. “How are you?”

  “A little worse for the wear. But still here.”

  “This calls for a celebration,” she says.

  She looks at the bartender. “Anther, bring me your finest bottle of horsepiss!”

  Anther rolls his eyes. “I jest of course,” says Bella. “I wouldn’t touch the whiskey, but the scotch is pretty good.”

  Drake shrugs. “Whatever you’re drinking.”

  Anther gets out five glasses and pours, but Tamara stops him. “Drake, Julia and I need to make the rounds. Also, we need to make sure those cocksuckers leave this town, as they’ve promised.” They hug him fiercely. “Stop in to see us before you leave,” says Julia.

  “That I will,” promises Drake. Anther, Drake and Bella sip the concoction, which has a particularly fierce after burn. Anther goes back to work, serving other patrons across the bar.

  Bella smiles longingly at Drake, the fading remnants of a pining love not yet dissipated. She slaps his leg affectionately and rubs at it. Drake pats her hand and the warmth of it spreads throughout her body. The scotch adds to it.

  “God it’s good to see you, Drake,” she says. “Is this a friendly visit by chance or are you here out of duty and a sense of expediency?”

  Drake pats her hand on his leg. “I’m afraid it’s the latter, goddess.” He looks over at Vanessa, who stands in the doorway with Sebastian and Katelyn-Sue.

  “Their names are Katelyn-Sue and Sebastian. Most recently orphaned.”

  “Something to do with one of those impossible missions you’re always almost getting killed over?” she asks with a hint of resentment in her velvety voice.

  Drake nods. “Ai. That it does.”

  “Where’s Renault?” she asks. “The girls would love to see him as well.”

  Drake forces a smile. “He’d be here if he could.” She scowls but doesn’t press.

  Drake quickly changes the subject. “Those children have been recently orphaned I’m afraid. I was hoping you could help reunite them with their next of kin.”

  “Of course,” she says. “Consider it done.”

  She looks at him in a piercing, assessing matter. “You know there was an interesting story in the Sentinel yesterday. There was some kind of shootout aboard the Filmore Express. Several were killed. No one knows who or what it was about. But there was speculation it might have been a diversion. You see, the other line was commandeered by the Sene-Gauls to transport the infamous Sandonista, Crixus to his trial.” She pauses, trying to gauge his reaction. “Does that have anything to do with your mission, Drake?”

  “You know I can’t divulge such information.”

  “A yes or no will do,” she says.

  Drake reluctantly nods his head.

  “I knew the moment I read about it. You and Renault had something to do with it.” She removes the folded article inside her coat pocket and hands it to Drake. “You should read it. It’s a pretty good story. You ken?”

  “I’m sure it is,” says Drake.

  “The article also states the train which held Crixus was completely destroyed, presumably blown up.” She pauses. “But I have another theory. The rest of the train sits at the bottom of Lake Pontrachain. That about right?”

  Renault’s sighs. He nods and looks at her while forcing a smile. “You always were too smart for your own good.”

  “What happened out there, Drake?”

  Drake hesitates.

  Bella puts her hand on his and implores him with her mesmerizing eyes. “Drake, please. Tell me. Are we in danger here? At least tell me if we’re in danger. You’ve got to trust me.”

  “I do trust you, goddess. It’s everyone else I don’t. That’s the problem.”

  She looks at him in desperation. “We’re in a real spot here, Drake.”

  “How so?”

  “You know the copper mines recently discovered?”

  “In the Ghettic Mountains? Of course,” says Drake. “They’re under the jurisdiction of Visi-Gaulia.”

  Bella shakes her head and she frowns. “
No, they’re not. Those lands reverted back to the Borsiac tribes. The Visi-Gauls needed funds when they invaded Gilleon, so they sold it. Oriza bought those lands back from the Borsiac for a pretty penny we had saved. At the time, a gifted land speculator and surveyor painstaking surveyed those lands for us, to see how valuable they were. He was an up-and-coming captain in the Terra-Gaulian army. You heard of Duelyn?”

  Drake looks at her dubiously. “You mean Governor Duelyn? The Governor of the Terra-Gaulian territories in the City States of Kent?”

  Bella nods. “Ai. That’s him. It’s rumored he bribed his way to the governorship.”

  “Likely with the profits from the mines,” says Drake.

  “No doubt,” says Bella. “And yet-”

  “He never turned on you,” offers Drake.

  “Never. He’s given me every courtesy, every grace. I suspect he may be holding out on King Aleksandr though.”

  “I don’t suspect. I know. It’s a treacherous offense which could earn him a death sentence, if it were ever discovered,” says Drake. He sighs heavily. “Do you trust Governor Duelyn?”

  “Well, he is a Terra-Gaulian, so I should naturally be weary of him. Ai. On the other hand, he’s always treated me honestly, with due respect and integrity. He’s given me no reason not to.”

  “What’s changed here?” asks Drake.

  “That cocksucker Proximus Levander,” Bella hisses.

  “I’ve heard the name,” says Drake. “Does little to instill a sense of warmth. He is reviled by many.”

  “And for good reason. He’s an avaricious, sadistic child hawk with ambitions for the crown itself. If he learns of Duelyn’s treachery to the crown-”

  Drake cuts her off. “He will kill him. And likely seize the governorship for himself. And if that happens, it will be a dark day for us all.”

  “And if he finds out a single town holds the rights to those mines, a town run by women-”

  “But very proficient women I might add,” says Drake as he smiles.

  “But women, nonetheless. Not to mention that the previous Governor stole from the crown, there will be little opposition. Our fate will be little more than an afterthought.”

  Drake caresses her cheek. “I won’t let that happen, Bella. Set watch and warrant it.”

  “We’re doing our best to keep this under wraps. But you see we’re in a real fucking position here, don’t you?”

  “Ai,” replies Drake.

  Bella grabs on to Drake’s hand, almost in a pleading gesture. “You know what I’m up against, Drake. I’ve told you everything. It’s your turn.”

  Drake nods. “I’ll tell you everything, Bella.” He looks around suspiciously. “But not here. You ken?”

  “Let’s go to my office. At the shariff station,” she offers.

  Chapter 20: Mounting Troubles

  They walk into Bella’s shariff’s station. Once they are inside, she motions to three ruffians lying on cots in their cells. Bella shuts the front door and the cell block door. It normally remains open.

  “Just two rambunctious drunks and a deserter. They’re probably asleep, but I’m not taking any chances.”

  As soon as she sits down to her chair across from Drake, he takes out a pixie stick. He lights it by twirling the matchstick through his fingers and flinging it through his pixie, igniting it. The flame dissipates in a fading firelight inside the office.

  “Pixie?” she asks. “Didn’t know you partook of it.”

  Drake breathes it in and exhales the pungent aroma. “I don’t usually, unless I need to calm my nerves. You want a huff?”

  “Don’t mind if I do.” She grabs the pixie from him and inhales for a few seconds, filling her lungs with the comforting intoxicants. Bella exhales in a smoke plume.

  Drake smiles. “I see you’re no stranger to the pixie yourself.”

  “I’m no stranger to a lot of things, Drake.” She takes another drag. “So, spill it.”

  “Well, you know a good portion of the story. Merlin gave us a mission. Not an easy task at that. Rescue Crixus from the commandeered Filmore Express. Of course, we had men inside who infiltrated their regiment.”

  “Of course,” says Bella.

  “They were expecting, at most, an air assault from the Sandonistas, which they got.”

  “But they weren’t expecting you,” finishes Bella.

  “They weren’t supposed to, but we were tipped off.”

  Her eyes dilate. “Whalen.”

  Drake nods. “None other.”

  “That treacherous cunt,” she whispers.

  “Did everything he could to see us fail. Even sent a group of assassins after me and Renault.”

  “But you subdued them instead,” she says with pride as she smiles.

  Drake smiles. “We don’t go down so easily. As you can imagine, with them knowing we were coming, they prepared themselves. Not well enough. We met our objective, which was to free Crixus. But there were casualties which could have been avoided if we hadn’t been sold out.”

  “Who?” she asks.

  “Seven, Taintus, Coit, Penryn, Gellen. Those two children, their mother and oldest boy fell to their deaths. There was nothing we could do to prevent it. We barely saved them.”

  Bella takes the pixie. Again, she inhales deeply and exhales with intent, allowing its affects to calm her frayed nerves. “And Renault?” she asks. “Where is he now?”

  Drake looks away for a second and cannot meet her gaze for several more. Tears well up in his eyes. She reaches for his hand and grabs it a little too hard, and he winces. “What?” she asks. “Tell me. What happened to him?”

  Drake sighs and buries his face in his hands. “What?” she asks as the tears cascade down her cheeks. “What happened?”

  “We were trying to save them all, but we couldn’t.” He shakes his head, as if trying to rid himself of a bee buried in his scalp. “The train plunged into the lake and it took Renault with him.”

  Bella shakes her head as the tears stream down her face. “No, it can’t be.” She looks at Drake desperately. “His body? Where is it? I need to see it.”

  “At the bottom of Lake Pontrachain, more than likely.”

  She wipes the tears from her face and perks up at the mention. She laughs. “You say you don’t have his body?”

  Drake shakes his head.

  “He’s not dead, Drake, set watch and warrant it, he’s alive.”

  “It’s impossible, Bella. No one could have survived the fall. That’s nearly a thousand-foot drop.”

  “But Renault could have survived it.” She maintains. “That lake is said to have an endless bottom, as in no one has ever seen it. Renault is alive, Drake. I would know if he met his end. I would feel it in my bones. And in my soul. He’s alive. I swear it.”

  Drake cups his hands over hers and squeezes. “Bella, please.”

  She shakes her head. “No, Drake. He’s alive. I feel it. Say it! Say it!”

  Drake takes a deep smoke on his pixie, looks at her while the tears flood his eyes. He nods his head and relents. What the hell? Give into her fantasy for the time being. “Ai, love. You’re right, set watch and warrant it, he’s alive.”

  She walks around the desk and hugs him tight. “What’s next?” she asks.

  “We’re to meet at the rendezvous point in three days.”

  “Where?”

  “Pillar’s Cove.”

  Bella nods as if she had expected as much. “Of course, in the heart of Terra-Gaulia.”

  “You think that’s significant?” asks Drake.

  “The Terra-Gauls and Sene-Gauls are heated enemies. There’s something we’re missing though. Some crucial pieces to this puzzle.”

  “Perhaps Whalen is a part of it. I wouldn’t put anything past that two-faced cunt. The mess he put us all in.”

  “One thing is certain, though,” Bella says. “Whalen betrayed you once. No doubt he’ll do it again. We also know the Terra-Gauls have been itching to kill the Hou
nd of Hell. They’d do anything to get him. Pay any amount to have his head. And we also know Whalen and Renault are mortal enemies. Does Whalen know his true identity?”

  Drake sighs and nods. “He does indeed. Renault left his calling token buried in Tinsmore’s chest. He knows the name well now for sure.”

  Bella smiles. “I heard of that from his last rescue. Thought it was a cute gesture. But you see how notoriety can be a bad thing.” She sighs. “Sometimes he’s too goddamned impulsive for his own good.”

  “Ai, no doubt.”

  “Drake, you’re walking into a trap. You, Renault, all of you. I know you won’t take my advice and not go to Pillar’s Cove—”

  “You’re right. I wouldn’t.”

  “Then promise me you’ll take every precaution. Whalen’s a greedy snake who would sell out his own mother for a gold pence. I wouldn’t be surprised if Whalen was working with Proximus. God knows he’s trying to make a name for himself. The glory and the fortune from bringing in the Hound of Hell? Can you imagine?”

  “God help us all if that is the case,” Drake mutters.

  “Watch your back and Renault’s. God knows he’s going to need it.”

  If he still lives thinks Drake but does not say.

  “When do you leave?” she asks.

  “First thing in the morning.”

  Her seductive smile warms his loins. “Good.” She throws off her hat like a disc and kisses him with passion. “That means you can stay the night.”

  Chapter 21: Convenient Allies

  Whalen Jeffries saunters into the large, well-maintained barracks and armory of the Terra-Gaulian Fourth Regiment. This is home to the illustrious Commander Proximus Levander. He is a handsome gentleman in his early fifties with curly salt and pepper hair. Every other day, he trims his goatee to perfection. With short, clipped fingernails, his clean hands appear bereft of dirt. Although a rarity among the troops, he prefers not to have dirty hands.

  Despite his cleanliness, he is a gifted gunslinger and not afraid to use his speed shooters. He sides towards expensive indulgences as his barracks and armory reflects those choices. The grounds are immaculate like swept floors polished to a dark brown luster. The weaponry is in perfect symmetrical order. Organized in the front from smallest to largest weapons, the flamethrowers and scatter rifles sit in a perfect pile.