Sin City

by Jennifer Martucci

  “What’s a first aid kit?” Pike asks.

  I move my foot to the gas pedal and step down. The truck lurches forward.

  “Whoa!” Aaron’s voice sounds followed by a thump.

  “Are you alright?” Ara asks. I hear the giggle she’s stifling. I’m guessing Aaron stumbled forward.

  “I’m okay. I’m up,” Aaron says with a chuckle. Then to me he calls, “Hey Lucas, go easy on the gas! Especially when someone’s walking around back here.”

  Quiet laughter ripples through the group. I even hear the bass of Kai’s laughter. After hearing his agonized cries a few minutes ago, it’s a refreshing change. I can’t help but smile. “Sorry,” I call back. “It’s my first time driving”

  “Don’t worry about it, Lucas. You’re doing fine. Besides, you only knocked down Aaron. Not a big deal,” Xan says.

  More laughter erupts and my smile broadens.

  “Hey! Only knocked down Aaron? Not a big deal?” Aaron replies. “What exactly is that supposed to mean?”

  “Means exactly what you think it means,” Xan replies. I hear the amusement in his tone. I’m sure Aaron does, too.

  Everyone continues to laugh.

  “Do it again, Lucas!” Xan shouts.

  “Yeah, let’s see if he bounces when he hits the floor this time!” Micah says and incites more laughter.

  “No, please don’t,” Aaron says with mock fear. “I just might bounce next time.”

  “Nah, no time to take him down again with my terrific driving skills. He needs to work on Kai, get that bullet out of his leg and sew him up,” I reply. Reminded of Kai’s injury, the atmosphere turns from playful to serious. I silently curse myself for doing that, for killing everyone’s improved mood. “Besides, I want to wait and catch Xan on his feet before I do it,” I try but it’s too late. No one responds. What I’ve said doesn’t even receive a snicker. Shoulders slumping and smile fully capsized, I focus on the pathway ahead.

  “Yes, we need Kai back in fighting form,” Aaron agrees. “Then we can see about knocking Xan around with your driving.” To Reyna he says, “See that box behind you?”

  “The white thing on the wall?” she asks.

  “That’s the one. That’s what I need. It’s a first aid kit. In it are supplies for treating wounds. I need it please.”

  A quick glance in the rearview mirror reveals Reyna twisting in her seat and grabbing the box. She hands it to Aaron. He takes it and kneels in front of Kai. My eyes return to the road just in time to see a thin, low-growing branch before I hit it. Leaves scatter and the branch flies to the right without damaging the truck thankfully. All chatter halts for several moments. Then Kai cries out.

  “I’m sorry,” Aaron says. “I know it hurts.”

  Kai releases a loud whoosh of air then a few grunts.

  “Almost there. Stay with me,” Aaron encourages.

  Kai answers with a roar.

  “Got it!” Aaron calls out.

  “Got what?” I yell back to him.

  “The bullet! It’s out!” Aaron replies.

  “It’s so small,” Kai says, his voice still thick with pain. “How can something so small cause so much pain and blood?”

  “It’s what they’re designed for. Minimal size. Maximum damage. One of these bullets hits the right place and even the largest creature dies.” Aaron makes a clicking sound with his tongue. All of us have firsthand experience with how quickly lives can be taken by firing a well-placed bullet. Even a not-so-well-placed bullet. It’s how we escaped the Urthmen city that housed the arena and it helped kill the monstrous beast that stalked us in the Black Forest. “You’re lucky this bullet didn’t hit you a little higher up your thigh.”

  “I don’t feel very lucky,” Kai groans.

  “Trust me, you are. Any higher and it would’ve nicked an artery and you’d have bled out,” Aaron says.

  “Bled out? As in I’d have died?” Kai asks.

  “Yes, that’s exactly what would’ve happened. So you’re not lucky to have been shot. But all factors considered, you’re lucky the bullet hit where it did. It could’ve been much worse.”

  “I see.” I chance a glimpse in the rearview mirror again and see Kai nodding. “What about all the bleeding though? Isn’t that bad?”

  “It’s not good, that’s for sure. But I’m going to clean it then sew it up. Then it won’t bleed anymore,” Aaron says. “I’m not going to lie, though, it’s going to hurt.”

  Kai inhales then exhales loudly. “I can take it.”

  “Yeah you can, big guy!” Xan shouts. “You got this!”

  “You’ve been hurt worse in the arena. This is nothing!” Micah agrees. “No pain!”

  “That’s right, man! No pain!” Xan yells again.

  “Do it,” Kai says in a low voice. Somehow his words manage to be less of a command and more of a request.

  “Okay,” Aaron says. “The stuff that I clean it with will burn. Badly. Ready?”

  “I’m ready,” Kai replies. Within seconds of him speaking those words, a sound somewhere between a growl and shout leaves him.

  Aaron apologizes over and over again. “I’m going to stitch it up now. I’ll be as quick as I can,” he promises.

  More tortured sounds escape Kai for several moments then there’s a rustling of paper.

  “Okay, you’re all set. You need to keep the bandages clean and dry for a few days and everything should be fine,” Aaron says. “Try to rest.”

  “Thank you,” Kai says. The sincerity in his voice grips me. And I’m not even on the receiving end of his gratitude. “I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me. I owe you, my friend.”

  “You own me nothing. You’d have done the same for me,” Aaron replies warmly.

  I hear the crackle of papers and conversations resume. Before long, Aaron is beside me in the passenger seat.

  “Is he going to be alright?” I ask.

  “He should be,” Aaron replies with a nod.

  “That was great by the way. What you did for him. It was great,” I struggle to articulate what I want to say, how impressed I am with his abilities. They haven’t ceased to amaze me yet. I can only hope to learn from him.

  “Thank you,” he says quietly as he stares straight ahead.

  “Where’d you learn how to do that? To remove a bullet and to clean and stitch a wound?” I ask.

  “Well, technically, I never learned how to remove a bullet. But I know it has to come out.” I glance at Aaron. He stares out the windshield but his gaze is unfocused. “As for all the other stuff, the stitches and cleaning, we were used for stuff like that. The bred humans were at the disposal of the Urthmen.” He spits the words bred humans with anger and shakes his head. “They used us for everything they could use us for. Everything they couldn’t do for themselves, which was a lot.” He removes his glasses and rubs his eyes before replacing them. “I’m just glad I learned. It helped Kai. That’s what matters now.”

  I’m not sure what to say. Not sure there’s anything to say. All I manage is, “Me, too.” I don’t bother fumbling for more words. I continue to follow the path I’m on, getting the hang of steering while my foot applies pressure to the gas pedal. Soon, the conversations stop. I assume many in the rear have fallen asleep. All I hear is the sound of the tires rolling over dirt and rock. I drive for what seems like eternity, without a clue of where exactly I am headed. Though I don’t know where I’m going and could arguably spend the quiet time to freak out about that and many other things, my mind is oddly lulled. I don’t know whether it’s the sunlight filtering in through the trees or the gentle bumping of the truck as it moves over the pathway, but my thoughts settle. My brain rests. It’s a welcome phenomenon. That rest is interrupted when a voice scrapes to life.

  “General Hild, do you have the humans?”

  The grating, inhuman voice jolts me. For a split second, I’m confused. “What the heck is that?”

  “It’s the radio,” Aaron reminds me.

>   “General Hild, come in.” The radio sizzles and snaps before it sounds again. “General Hild, do you copy?”

  “What do we do?” I ask.

  “Nothing. It’s not like we can answer it,” Aaron replies.

  “No. I suppose we can’t.” I shake my head. “But imagine how that conversation would go. ‘Yeah, hi, this is Lucas, a human who was your arena Champion, who publically killed Prince Cadogan and a whole bunch of your men as I fled one of you cities. Remember me? Oh good. Well, I killed General Hild, too. And my friends killed all of his men.’ Ha! That’d be great, wouldn’t it?”

  Aaron laughs. “That would be one they’d never expect.”

  I scan the woods on either side of the path, reality reminding me that we’re still in danger.

  As if reading my thoughts, Aaron says, “It’s good that they’re just radioing for Hild now. It means they haven’t sent anyone looking yet.”

  “True,” I agree.

  “But we need to get out of the forest before they do or we’ll run into them head-on.” Aaron’s features harden.

  “I understand.” My brow lowers and my eyes narrow. “The last thing I want is to run into an Urthman convoy. I’m guessing that not hearing back from General Hild will warrant they dispatch one.” I stare straight ahead, straining to see as far down the road as I possibly can. “How much farther is it until the forest ends?” I ask.

  “I really don’t know,” Aaron answers.

  His words, honest and unapologetic, linger in my head as I continue to drive. Maybe it is okay to not know. Maybe I don’t need to have all the answers all the time. People are looking to me for leadership, but maybe leading doesn’t mean I always know what to say or do at every moment. Maybe leading means feeling confused, discouraged and unsure of myself sometimes, grasping for answers and feeling fundamentally alone every now and then. Maybe it means I need to step back, take a moment to consider matters and diagnose the problem before I regroup and move forward. I consider this and many other points as I continue along the path in the forest. Just as I see an opening in the trees that leads to a paved road, I realize that I can lead. I can lead and still be human. I can be me. I may not know where the road will take us, but I have a tankful of time to figure it out. We will fight battles as they present themselves to us. Fight for our safety. For our freedom. Long-range plans are hard, if not impossible, to formulate in a world where we are continually hunted. All we can do is live from one day to the next, and be grateful for each day we do.

  In my periphery, I see Aaron look left then right. The road stretches out in either direction. “Turn left.”

  “Okay,” I agree as I turn the wheel left.

  “Right leads us back to the arena,” Aaron says with disgust.

  “You’re sure?” I question.

  “Positive,” he affirms.

  I don’t ask anything further. The confidence in his tone leaves no room for error. “Let’s stay as far away from the arena and any Urthman city as possible.”

  “Ha,” Aaron laughs. “I don’t think they’d be welcoming Lucas the Champion back with open arms.”

  “No, I don’t think so either.” I shake my head exaggeratedly. I’m about to quip that I’m sure my rights to a slightly larger portion of food and unlimited training time have been revoked for killing the Prince when the radio hisses to life again.

  “We are sending reinforcements,” the voice on the other end says. “General Hild, do you copy?”

  Hearing that more Urthmen are being dispatched makes me step down harder on the gas pedal. The truck moves faster. “We need to get out of the area as fast as we can.” I want to put as much distance between the team that’s being sent for Hild and us as I possibly can.

  “Yes, we do,” Aaron agrees.

  I stare ahead in the distance and Aaron turns in his seat. The road is deserted in both directions. “The Urthmen don’t have many vehicles on the road. They only have the ones that’ve been rebuilt by humans. Mostly just Urthmen in official positions have access to them.”

  “So you’re saying that if we happen upon a vehicle now it’s going to be soldiers looking for Hild or working for the King?” I ask.

  “That’s exactly what I’m saying.” Aaron turns and looks directly at me. I take my eyes off the road and meet his gaze only for a moment.

  “I understand,” I say.

  “Captain, come in!” a voice sounds from the radio. “The intel we have is correct. We have him in our sights,” it says.

  “What’s going on now?” I ask.

  “Must be a different frequency or channel,” Aaron says and picks up the radio. He holds it in his hand and fumbles around with it, twisting a knob that worsens the pops and hisses coming from it.

  “Huh?” I ask.

  “It means we’re picking up different conversations. We’re hearing other soldiers in other areas, not just the ones who’re being sent to Hild,” he replies.

  “Oh wow. Really?”

  “Are you sure it’s him, Sergeant?” a deeper voice echoes from the radio and asks.

  “I’m sure it’s him, Captain. I’m looking at his long, matted hair right now,” the other voice replies. “We have him on the run.”

  Curiosity builds within me. Who do they have on the run? Who’re they chasing?

  “What’s your location?” the deep voice demands.

  “We’re just beyond the Gray Mountains,” the other replies.

  “They have a human on the run,” Aaron says, his tone troubled. “They must or else it wouldn’t be on the radio. Anything Urthman-related is handled without a big deal being made.”

  My head snaps in his direction. Gaze pinned to him, I say, “We need to help.” Aaron bobs his head. “Do you know where the Gray Mountains are?”

  “I do, but—” Aaron hesitates.

  “But what?” I ask. “There’s a human being hunted by Urthmen. There is no ‘but.’”

  “We don’t know how many Urthmen are after him. We don’t know what we’re heading into,” Aaron protests.

  “We have to go,” I shake my head, unwilling to be persuaded.

  “We could be headed to our deaths. This is madness!” Aaron throws his hands in the air and allows them to land in his lap with a slapping sound.

  “I don’t think so, Aaron. We have to go. If there’s a human and he’s wanted, there must be a reason. He has information. He can tell us where we need to go.”

  Aaron looks at me, the small muscles around his jaw working as he thinks. “It’s dangerous,” he says. “But you may be right.”

  “I don’t care about being right. I just want to get us someplace safe. And I have a gut feeling this guy can tell us where that safe place is.”

  Aaron doesn’t argue or discuss it further. Instead, he directs me to the Gray Mountains.

  Chapter 3

  Heart drilling my ribcage, I stomp down hard on the accelerator. The truck races forward. “How much farther?” I ask Aaron.

  “The turn off should be coming up any minute. Once you make the turn, you can’t miss the mountains,” he answers.

  “What the heck is going on?” Xan calls from the back. “Why’re you driving like a maniac?”

  “We heard over the radio that the Urthmen have someone on the run. They’re chasing him down now,” I shout back to him.

  “So? What’s that got to do with us?” Xan asks.

  “Everything.” I glare at him in the rearview mirror. But my expression loses its edge in the small, reflective rectangle. It would also help if Xan actually saw me glaring at him. “He’s human, or else the Urthmen wouldn’t be after him. And they recognize him, which means he’s gotten past them before.”

  “Okay. That’s great. But I still don’t understand why we’re risking our hides and going after him. Urthmen are swarming. Isn’t that what we’re trying to avoid?”

  He’s right. That is what we were trying to avoid. The plan was to just drive until we find a destination or run out of fuel.
Hardly a plan at all. Hearing of a human who’s escaped the Urthmen before leads me to believe he may be able to help us find refuge. “Since this guy’s dodged the Urthmen before, I’m guessing he has a safe place where he hides out. And maybe he’s not alone.”

  “A safe place for us to hide out would be great. More people, too. But the last safe place we visited didn’t turn out so well. Neither did the people,” Xan says flatly.

  Heat snaps up my neck at his words. My gaze returns to the rearview mirror. I expect to see a bitter look on Xan’s face, or a smirk at least, but to my surprise, his features are relaxed. His demeanor, like his tone, is devoid of challenge. The warmth and color drains from my cheeks. My initial anger is diffused. “He could help us. We’re going back. Period,” I reply with the same flat tone he used and leave no room for more discussion.

  Xan doesn’t say anything else. He simply stares vacantly.

  “Is he gonna be a problem?” Aaron tosses is thumb over his shoulder, referring to Xan.

  “No. I don’t think so. Xan is a lot smarter than he’s given credit for.” I think back to times where I saw him as little more than a gladiator who shed the blood of his own kind for the Urthmen’s amusement. “He’s a warrior through and through, but he asks the right questions. If something doesn’t make sense to him, he asks about it.”

  “I don’t blame him for it.” Aaron says. “I wasn’t saying anything bad about him.” He’s taken what I’ve said as defensive. Perhaps he’s right. Maybe I am defensive of Xan. Of anyone here who’s risked his or her life to fight alongside me. I’m grateful for them. And protective of them. “The same things he said went through my mind for a split second.”

  “How come you didn’t say anything?” I ask.

  “Because I realized what you were thinking, the pieces you’d put together with this guy the Urthmen are chasing. I thought of all the things you mentioned: a place to hideout and possibly more humans like him wherever he’s staying. So I didn’t need to say anything. I didn’t need to respond the way Xan did.” Aaron shrugs.