‘Someone could have stolen it,’ Skink said. ‘But, you seem to know a lot about this man. Maybe you’re a NAG spy.’
A red mist swamped Enyo. The worm in front of her was always watching her, lusting after her and trying to come between her and Rebus. Before she could help herself, she fired a fist at his face and heard the crack of cartilage.
‘You bitch. You’ve broken my nose.’
‘Enough of this shit,’ Rebus said. ‘Skink, get down to the river bed and pump that bloody water.’
‘But, Rebus, she could be a spy. How does she recognise the Bounty Hunter?’
‘I won’t hold her back next time, nephew. Move it.’
Enyo watched Skink walk away.
• • •
Rebus gripped the rope handle of the old Indian tomahawk axe leaning up against the side of his chair. Anger coursed through his body, and he felt the bile rising in his throat. Why was all of this happening to him? What had he done to deserve it? Their plans were crumbling around them. Luka was dead. The Bison’s spies within the camp would be reporting everything back to their leaders. Watching Skink run off down the hill, he looked across at the generals. They would pay, but not yet. He needed his senior men for a while longer.
‘Enyo, dear. What are your thoughts about these NAG bastards chasing after the Hooded Man?’ Rebus said, laying the axe on his lap.
Her eyes flicked to the long black blade he’d just had sharpened. A twitch of fear as she glanced at it then back to him. Good, she needed to be kept in her place.
‘They seem to be headed to the same enclave we’re attacking, so perhaps the warlord has made contact with them.’
‘Should we attack them and take all their vehicles?’ Rebus said.
‘We’ve lost a few vehicles today to the Hooded Man, and the enclave warlord, so attacking a large NAG patrol will only increase our losses. I would advise against it.’
‘I thought that would be your answer,’ he said and lifted the axe, resting it against his cheek. The smell of metal from the sharpening stone flooded his nose.
‘What you’re saying is that the Hooded Man has won this battle.’
‘For the time being, yes.’
‘No,’ he said, swinging the axe as he sat upright, his legs pulling off the prisoners in front of him. The axe wedged into the top man’s neck as he groaned and went limp. Getting to his feet, Rebus pulled the axe loose and started smashing it into the dead man’s back. The prisoner below screamed as blood filtered down onto his face. Rebus stomped on the man’s head, again and again, the sickening crunching sound drowning out the scream.
Standing back, he looked at the carnage. ‘Issue the order to retreat, generals. We have to move back north for a few days. We cannot engage in a battle with them. It will endanger our drugs routes and weaken us.’
The men nodded and turned to run down the hill. Yes, he would kill them soon for their failures. A warm hand on his shoulder sent sparks up his neck. Enyo had walked up behind him and was wiping the blood droplets from his bare neck and shoulders. He spun around and pulled her towards him, grasping her firm backside.
‘I am so fucking horny now. Let’s get naked right here.’
She smiled. As she pushed him back, he tripped over the prisoner’s bloody arm and fell into the chair.
‘Oh, you want to play it like that do you?’ he said, trying to grab her arm, which she swatted away, her raised knee landing on his groin as she launched herself forward. He groaned with pain.
‘Now is not the time for shagging, Rebus,’ she said. ‘Stop being such a needy teenager. You must cremate Luka first so we can bring his ashes with us.’
‘We can do that later,’ he said and moaned as she slapped him across the jaw.
‘You’re not thinking straight,’ she said, lifting a little silver charm hanging from the end of the staff. She twisted the top off and brought out a small spoonful of cocaine. When she pressed it under his nostril, he smiled and took the hit.
Snorting loudly, he threw his head back. ‘I’m worried that I’ll look weak now that we’ve had to pull back. What will the Bisons think?’
‘Who cares what they think? Who are they to judge you or your strategy?’
‘But we meet with them in four days.’
‘And you’ll tell them that the NAG forced your hand. They’ve given way to the NAG on many occasions because it’s unwise to fight battles on two fronts.’
‘That may be true, but we should be doing things better than them.’
‘You can change your mind right now and attack the enclave again.’
‘But you told me not to.’
‘I gave you my opinion, lover. I’m not the 38s leader, you are. Go with your gut.’
‘I think we should keep up the attack until we make them pay for Luka. This NAG group might only ruin our revenge when they get here.’
‘Then do it. The Bounty Hunter is two days away by the scouts’ reckoning, so we have to get it done by then.’
‘It’s a gamble, Enyo.’
‘Yes, it is, but these types of tough decisions are what make great leaders. We could get the warlord and his militia to hand over the Hooded Man if you promise to leave them alone. Offer them your protection from other gangs too.’
His hands slipped up to her breasts, and he tried to slide them under the tight binding that she had across her chest. ‘Snap out of it,’ she said, placing her hand on his forehead and pressing his head back against the headrest area of the chair. He moaned as she pushed herself off him.
‘You’re such a tease.’
‘But I’m right, and you know it.’
Rebus nodded and stood up, pulling the axe out from the top corpse. He turned to the two teenage boys. ‘Put all the things in my truck and get it moved down the road.’
‘The bodies too?’ one of the boys asked.
‘No, my little lamb. Leave those here,’ he said, grabbing Enyo by the hand. ‘Coyotes have to eat too.’
Walking down the old tarred road, they could see a 38 roadster member waiting for them alongside a thin man who was dressed in combat clothes.
‘What is it?’ Rebus said.
The thin man was pushed forward. ‘Sir, I was sent to tell you that we are losing ground in the Knoxville hamlet. The Hooded Man has driven us back with help from the warlord’s troops who have joined him in leaving the enclave. They have destroyed another battle truck.’
Rebus’s head swirled with the cocaine buzz. He turned to Enyo. ‘Deal with this please.’
She reached back for the machete and swung it down onto the man’s head. As she yanked it out, the man fell forward, and she swung it down onto the back of his neck. His legs twitched as she stepped over him. ‘Let’s go and give sweet Luka a good sendoff.’
Chapter 15
University Medical Centre, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA – 2043
The thin blue ribbon weighed heavily in his hand. A ribbon that once encircled blonde hair so fragrant he could almost smell it. A life snuffed out by the changed world he lived in. How was he going to keep everyone around him safe?
‘Gibbs. Are you with us? It looks like they’re bugging out,’ Smithy said as he let another volley of rounds into the side of the nearest battle truck. The metallic clanging sounds were drowned out by a new sound. A loud siren emanated from a truck near the back of the carnage. It had been parked on the horizon waiting as wave after wave of fusion vans attacked. It finally drove down with its larger 20mm gun once the circling vans had failed to breach any defences. A second booming siren came from the speaker on the roof of the cab.
To a man, the attackers started to move backwards, gang members running to reversing vans and trucks. Those who were too slow died where they stood under renewed fire from the enclave wall.
‘Hold your fire, everyone,’ Gibbs shouted and stood up, his SA80 trained upon the attackers. ‘Watch them carefully. They may rally and attack again.’
A cheer broke out to Gibbs’s left. Rando
m shots were fired in the air as it dawned on the men on the wall what was happening before them. ‘Don’t waste your ammunition, people,’ Smithy said, joining Gibbs as he walked along the wall and climbed down the closest metal ladder.
Older men and women who sat in groups, loading rounds into box magazines, looked up and smiled at Gibbs as he approached. Behind them were three captured 38 Roadsters from a group who’d managed to get a ladder up against the wall and jump in. Their plan ended badly as most were neutralised by the reserve men from inside the wall-walk. They were now being beaten and kicked.
‘Want me to stop them?’ Smithy said.
‘They need to take their anger out on something. If the warlord is happy with them meting out justice in this way, then I have no qualms about it.’
‘Wow. How things have changed.’
‘Why?’
‘You used to be the prisoners’ champion back in our SAS days. You never let anyone touch a prisoner unless it was part of an official interrogation process.’
‘These are 38s who’ve been murdering and raping across this region.’
‘How is that different from the Islamists we used to hunt and capture?’
‘These idiots happily parade themselves out in the open. If we can decimate their numbers faster than they can recruit new ones, we’ll wipe Rebus and them off the face of the Earth. Imagine all the slaves and people we could save.’
‘All you’ve been doing is whine about all the people who latch on to us and follow us around after we rescue them. Now you want to save more. You’ve become a weird man, Gibbs. As your oldest friend, I can tell you that your head is all over the place.’
Gibbs smirked and walked towards the canteen along a narrow footpath. His gaze focused on a patch where there were no paving bricks as dust blew across the path. He lifted the scarf over his nose and mouth. Looking up towards the wooden door of the canteen, he could feel the solitude within the yellow-walled building. He did need some time alone. A group of men and women started chanting ‘Hooded Man’ as he walked.
‘The destroyer of gangs,’ someone shouted.
‘Please don’t leave us,’ a woman’s voice rang out.
Gibbs and Smithy stopped as more and more of the enclave residents walked over. ‘Everyone. Can you get back to your posts, please? Keep doing what you’ve been doing. We have to regroup and see to the wounded. The battle may not be over yet.’
‘Hooded Man. Hooded Man.’ The crowd increased in volume and numbers until a tall man appeared on the steps outside the canteen door. He was dressed in combat pants and boots, his open brown jacket revealing two handguns tucked into the left-hand side of his belt. The left sleeve of the jacket was wedged into the pocket, not needed because the limb was gone. The man’s rugged face was unshaven, the grey stubble matching his grey hair.
‘Get back to your positions, everyone.’
The people slowly moved away just as Stuart ran up to Gibbs. ‘Dad, did you see the gang leader among the dead?’
Gibbs tapped the side of Stuart’s head lightly. ‘Errant words find the wrong ears, Stuart.’
‘Sorry, Gibbs.’
Looking to his left, Gibbs saw three male residents whispering to each other and nodding to Stuart. Gibbs turned towards them. ‘Head to your positions, people. Keep your eyes peeled on the horizon for the 38s or any NAG vehicles.’
Smithy walked up to him as the men sauntered back to the wall. ‘What makes you think we might see any NAG action?’
Gibbs grabbed Stuart’s shoulder. ‘Head up to the tower and find Warren. Help him pack up all our things. I think we have overstayed our welcome here.’
Stuart walked off, and Gibbs looked up at the warlord and then back to Smithy. ‘Someone spooked them. Something else stopped that attack. They weren’t making headway but could have continued for a lot longer. The speed at which they pulled out tells me that this is not simply a tactical withdrawal. Remember the last time we were fighting a gang, and they disappeared into the mountains? A few hours later, the NAG showed up.’
‘And you think that the warlord over there will hand us over?’
‘Yes, I do. And I’d do the same if I was in his shoes. Let’s gather our things and slowly get the stuff loaded into the truck. Make sure it’s topped up with water and whatever food you can scrounge.’
‘Scrounging for food is more your thing, Gibbs. All the women in that canteen love you, so I’ll let you say your long goodbyes.’
Gibbs smiled and faced the warlord. The man stared at him with dark eyes, then turned and walked into the canteen.
Chapter 16
Outskirts of Maryville, Tennessee, USA – 2043
The quiet of evening spread around the 38 Roadsters’ temporary encampment. Enyo walked between the rows of grubby army tents. The smell of burning wood and gas cookers mixed with the delicious aroma of sizzling meat wafted across her path. A gold hue from the horizon across the flooded river was being forced from view by the blackness of night. There would be no moon tonight. Dangerous for a woman to be walking around.
‘Hey, sexy,’ a voice echoed across to her. ‘Come and have a snort with us.’
To her right was the skeletal concrete structure of an old ransacked shop. The glass front had long since been removed, and all roofing materials had been recycled by Scavengers for their market stalls. A large fire in the middle of the floor flicked the warm air, red and orange glitter-like embers floating upward. Four men sat around it on old garden furniture swigging back bottles of home-brewed beer and moonshine. One laughed and reared back in his chair, tipping over backwards, setting off more laughter. A tall, well-built man stood up and walked to the edge of the shop. Bouncing down the three concrete stairs, he sauntered over to her. He limped a little, favouring his right leg, a dirty grey bandage wrapped tightly around his left thigh. Enyo turned to meet him and brought her staff across her body, placing both hands on the rope grips she’d fashioned. A small click with her left thumb released the hidden dagger. The man had a dark Mohican with beads and feathers woven into it. A damaged right eye was white from a cataract. He stopped and rubbed his unshaven chin.
‘Come have a snort and drink with us. We can all relax and maybe show you a good time.’
‘I’ve better things to do this evening than waste my time with you losers, captain,’ she said. ‘Now go back to your little boyfriends and play without me.’
He rolled his shoulders, stretching his neck and looked to a nearby tent. Three young soldiers had come out to see what was happening.
‘Hey, Mikey. Throw her over your shoulder and bring her back here,’ one of the men at the fire shouted.
‘Don’t do anything stupid this evening, captain,’ she said, shifting in her stance.
The man clenched his teeth and grabbed his crotch, thrusting his hips forward. ‘I’ve seen you strutting around here like you own the place. You need to watch your pretty back and mind that mouth of yours.’
‘Just what do you think you’ll do on that fucked up leg?’
‘Maybe, I’ll rape you then pass you around to my boys back there before we bury your body in the dust.’
Enyo let out a loud laugh. ‘Better ask Rebus if you can do that to me.’
‘I don’t have to take orders from that prick all the time.’
‘Yes, you do, you oversized truck-monkey. He’ll cut off your little sausage and make you eat it.’
‘You’re a long way from your tent,’ he said. The three men stood up and walked away from the fire to the edge of the shopfront.
Snorting in all the phlem he could, he spat at her. ‘I’m guessing you’ll die tonight.’
Enyo kicked out at his left thigh, stamping her heel into his hidden wound. The captain roared and leaned forward, trying to catch her retreating leg. Jamming the staff down on the ground in front of her, she pole-vaulted over him, twisting in the air so she could land on his back. Whipping the staff up under his throat, she snapped it back, hearing a crack. He gargled as
his hands came up to grab the staff. Slipping the dagger out, she stabbed it repeatedly into his back, piercing the liver. He roared another gargled sound and flicked forward, throwing her over his head and onto her back. The wind pushed from her lungs, and a spasm speared up her spine. Turning around, she pushed up onto her one knee, seeing the other three men running forwards. Throwing her head back, she dodged one of his swinging fists and smiled as he reached around to pull the knife from his back. Pain etched onto his face as he pulled it out then dropped the dagger, reaching for a revolver that was tucked into a small holster on his belt.
‘Bitch,’ he rasped and raised the revolver.
His head exploded from a gunshot to her right, sending him to his knees then over backwards. Enyo rolled over and pushed up onto her knee again, and grabbing her staff from the ground, she looked down the barrel of a shotgun.
‘Are you okay, lover?’ Rebus said, standing over her in just his black leather trousers. He pointed the gun at the approaching men, his bare chest glistening from the blood that covered it. ‘Go back to your fireplace and drink up.’
The men nodded and walked back to the fire.
Rebus reached down and grabbed Enyo’s hand and pulled her up. She stood upright and smiled, just as he slapped her across the face. Her cheek stung as her head snapped to the side, her hands clenching down on the staff.
‘Stop killing my best fucking soldiers, will you,’ he said.
She held her burning cheek. ‘They were going to rape me. Most of your men keep threatening me like that.’
‘Has a single person done it?’
‘No, because I keep having to kill them.’
‘Ignore them, and they’ll leave you alone. If a single man touched you, I’d feed them to the coyotes.’
He looked at the three men standing next to the dwindling fire. Pointing the shotgun to the captain’s body, he fired a blast into the man’s groin. ‘You three. Hang his body in the tree near the food tent. That’ll be a message for all.’
Enyo smiled. Walking over to him, she stroked his face.
‘Now we are talking,’ Rebus said. ‘Go and take a shower, I don’t feel like a blood orgy this time. Bring three of the older ones from the harem, and use that nice lavender cream you make.’
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