Nero turned back to Nyx, but she was alone and getting to her feet. Scanning around, he saw the katana girl disappear between buildings, before vanishing altogether.
Looking around the suddenly silent courtyard, Nero moved over towards Nyx, but watched and waited for any other attacks, just in case they’d missed anyone. But no one appeared as Nero reached Nyx and pulled her in for a hug.
‘Are you okay? She beat you, didn’t she.’
‘She did. I underestimated her completely. Thanks for the save, by the way,’ she said, looking tired.
‘No problem, that’s one less I owe you,’ Nero answered with a wry smile on his lips.
Nyx looked up at him, eyebrows raised. ‘Keeping count, are we?’ she said, poking him in the chest with her finger.
Nero smiled. Looking back down at the dead men, Nero surveyed the carnage as some of the camp’s residents started to reappear. ‘Who were these guys?’ he muttered to himself.
‘The queen's guard,’ said a voice from nearby. It was the man who’d been leading the talks with this gang when Nero had first seen them. He was in his forties with greying hair and a scraggly beard.
‘This is the queen that lives in Midway City, right?’ Nyx asked.
‘That’s the one, yes,’ he said.
‘And you work for her?’ Nero asked, adjusting the grip of his gun.
‘Kind of. We take a toll for using the bridge, and the queen takes offerings from us for being close to her territory. This isn’t the first time her guards have come here and caused trouble.’
Nero raised the gun slightly. ‘Are we going to have any trouble because of this?’
The camp leader raised his hands. ‘Hell no. In fact, I was about to thank you. They would have probably killed more of us had you not stepped in,’ he said.
Nero lowered his gun, the man lowered his hands and stepped forward, offering one to Nero. ‘I’m Pol, nice to meet you. My guys tell me you arrived last night. Are you heading towards the city?’
‘That’s right, they have something we’re looking for,’ Nero said.
‘Okay, let me offer you a piece of advice: Queen Latrix is bad news; you’d do right to avoid her,’ he said.
‘I’ll take that under advisement,’ Nero said. He’d dealt with enough camp leaders with a god complex to know how these guys operated. ‘Thanks, but we really should be leaving,’ he said, before looking at the bodies and then up at the windows they’d jumped out of. Chain was still in his room, but he might recognise these guardsmen. The fact that he and Nyx had just killed several of the queen's guards while harbouring one of the queen’s own family members was not lost on him. Seeing these guards and how they acted, and seeing Chain’s superior attitude, threw new light on the people who had kidnapped him. Where they raiders or rebels fighting for a better future? Had he sided with the wrong people by saving Chain? It was entirely possible that the kidnappers were the good guys. It would also explain the comment that last one made before Nero had killed him.
This was all one big mess. Nero turned to Pol. ‘I think you need to get these bodies hidden quick before more guards turn up and see them,’ he said.
Pol nodded, and, putting his fingers in his mouth, whistled once, loudly. Several guys ran forward. Pol pointed to the bodies. ‘Get rid of them, quick,’ he said. The men nodded and set to work. Nero felt much happier bringing Chain out with these bodies gone. He didn’t want to have to answer any awkward questions from the man.
‘We’ll get our things,’ Nero said to Pol before walking back up to their guest rooms. ‘I’m glad we could help these guys, but looks like we just killed some allies of Chain’s,’ he whispered to Nyx.
‘Hopefully, he’ll never know,’ Nyx said, her face betraying her concern over the matter. ‘Let’s just get out of here, shall we?’
‘Good idea,’ he said as they climbed back up the steps. Nero stepped over to Chain’s door and knocked once. ‘It’s Nero, are you ready to leave?’
‘Yes, I’m ready. Is it safe to come out?’ Chain answered. ‘I heard gunshots.’
‘Just some raiders. Don’t worry about it, they’re dead now.’
‘I’ll be right with you, then,’ he said. Gathering their things, they soon left the rooms behind and loaded up the charger once more. Nero made sure to get Chain inside as quickly as he could before he walked over towards the gatehouse and retrieved his other weapons. As he slipped the knife into its sheath and the gun into its holster, Pol walked over with a box in his arms.
‘Here, I want you to have this. It’s not much, but it’s the least I can offer you after stepping in this morning to help.’
Nero took it and looked inside. The box contained the supplies he’d handed over for the night's rest, as well as a few extra bits. ‘Are you sure you don’t need this?’
‘Quite sure, now get out of here; and good luck on your hunt. I hope you find what you’re looking for,’ he said.
‘Thanks,’ Nero said and went back to his car, loading the box in the back before climbing in.
‘What was that all about?’ Chain asked.
‘Nyx and I helped out with the raiders this morning; that was his thank you,’ Nero said, feeling like he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
‘Oh,’ Chain said. Nero thought he didn’t sound at all convinced, but he had no proof of anything. Pulling out of the carport, they were waved through the gate and allowed over the bridge without further issue and were soon on the open road again, heading towards Midway City.
The road they were on was clearer here and they made good time, able to keep their speed up most of the way, shaving hours of their journey time.
Before long, the ruins of the city could be seen ahead.
‘Aaaah, there it is. Home sweet home,’ Chain said.
‘Looking forward to getting back?’ Nyx asked.
‘I sure am. You’ll come and meet the queen, won’t you? You did save my life, after all,’ he asked.
Nero felt uneasy about this. He never much liked visiting these warlords. They always seemed to think they were better than everyone else and were prone to throwing their weight around just to prove a point. He looked over at Nyx and saw consternation on her face as well. After having only really just escaped one despotic ruler, he could see it on her face: the worry. The approaching city made it seem all the more real, and after having seen how the guards treated others, and how the camp spoke of the queen, Nero’s confidence in visiting this individual was fading.
But he didn’t want to offend Chain, as that could be worse for them.
‘Well?’ Chain asked, noticing their hesitation.
‘Sure, we can swing by, but we won’t be able to stay; we have business elsewhere,’ Nyx said.
‘Of course, I understand,’ he said, sitting back in his seat.
Nero looked over at Nyx. Nyx gave a subtle shrug. He shared her internal conflict on this.
They needed to visit the city, though, that much was clear. Nyx’s memories were there, so that’s where they needed to be. Before long, they were threading their way through the remains of buildings that slowly rose up around them. Many were partly buried in the sand or standing at strange angles, their windows blown out, with cracks down their sides or with whole portions collapsed with time and decay.
The highway moved deeper into the city and was clearly used a lot. The cars that had once blocked the road had been shifted to the sides or thrown off the road entirely, leaving a clear way into the middle of the city. As they got deeper into the concrete jungle, signs of habitation could be seen from the flickering light of fires inside of buildings to jury-rigged, makeshift contraptions sticking out of windows or bolted to the side of buildings. Man-made bridges spanned the gaps between the taller towers, allowing the residents to move unmolested by zombies or worse. This deep into the city, the highway had been fortified with spiked barriers and roadblocks to keep it clear. But before long, Chain directed them off the highway and along another main r
oad towards what looked like a walled-off building with classical architecture, including a colonnade of pillars out front. Guards on the top of the impressive looking metal wall waved them to stop, at which point Chain climbed out and demanded entry.
He was clearly well known by the guards as the gate was quickly opened up and they were allowed inside. The compound was impressive, with a large central courtyard filled with customised armoured vehicles, many of which had guns and such mounted on them.
The main classical building lay before them. An ornate sprawling affair with a domed roof in the centre, but with the lower windows of the building barricaded with metal bars or wooden planks. It was a strange look for such an otherwise attractive structure.
More buildings surrounded the central courtyard, all of them smaller than the main building, although they would be considered big in most other contexts.
A guard directed them in to park alongside the other vehicles, which Nero did, choosing a spot that left his charger somewhat hidden behind other, larger vehicles.
Exiting the car, Nero checked his weapons before placing them in their holsters and following Chain as he walked away. Nyx stepped up next to Nero and fell into step beside him. He could almost feel her nervousness.
The man’s whole demeanour had changed. Outside of these walls, Chain had looked scared, worried almost, but in here, his confidence had returned with a vengeance, and he was strutting about like he owned the place.
‘Take us to the queen,’ he ordered the closest guard, who nodded deferentially and led them across the open courtyard towards the main building. Nero almost laughed at how Chain now walked, with his hands clasped behind his back, acting like the lord of the manor, surveying his estate. They were led up the steps and through the entrance hall, past several guards and others standing or sitting around the room, talking in small groups. Mumblings spread through the room as they spotted Chain and then Nyx and himself. He wondered what they were saying. The room was huge, but not well looked after with cracks down the walls and dirt all over the floor. Debris and rusted makeshift contraptions were dotted about the room, such as water dispensers. It was a curious mix of pre-apocalypse splendour and post-apocalypse decay.
The guard spoke briefly to someone, who ran off before he continued to lead them through into the next room. A long, rectangular space, the far end of which had been set up like some kind of throne room with a raised platform made from reclaimed metal and scaffolding. On top sat a single throne, made from what was once a minimalist metal chair that had been added to with all kinds of embellishments. Several broken neon signs had been attached to it and arranged to spell out “rule”, while parts of other signs, metal struts, wires, and more had been arranged to create a large, curious looking throne. As they walked in, several guards were entering through the far door, followed by a woman with long black hair, wearing tight fitted leathers and belts that had seen better days. Everything apart from her face and chest was covered, and she had a half skirt that was open at the front to reveal her leather-clad legs. Her naked breasts wobbled as she stepped up to her throne. Nero noticed, with a raised eyebrow, that she wore a pair of nipple clamps, attached by a chain that swung lazily between her boobs.
The woman stopped before her throne and looked down at the trio before her. Nero guessed this was the queen. Chain bowed deeply.
‘My Queen, I am so thrilled to see you again, I had thought I would not survive. But, because of the valiant efforts of these two people here, I have been returned to you.’
The queen smiled thinly. ‘It’s a joy to have you back with us, Chain,’ she said, without much elation in her voice. ‘I’m glad these good samaritans were around to liberate you,’ she said.
Nero watched her closely and kept one eye on the guards that were now spread around the room. The queen kept looking up at Nyx and himself. More towards Nyx, though, he thought.
‘As am I. They were magnificent, and a force to be reckoned with,’ he said.
‘I thank you for your efforts,’ the queen said to them. ‘Now, what brings you to the city to see me?’ the queen asked.
Nero looked to his right at Nyx. She looked back at him and raised her eyebrows. Nero wondered how much Nyx would reveal to this strange bondage queen.
Chapter 13
Nero
Nyx looked back up at the queen, who was watching them both keenly, still standing before her throne.
‘Actually, we’re here to find my parents. Specifically, a monument that I remember seeing as a child when I was still with my mother and father.’
Nero was a little surprised by Nyx’s honesty. He’d not expected her to be so candid, but, he supposed that it really didn’t matter if she told this queen why they were here; it made little difference to her or their mission.
‘A monument? There are plenty of those within the city. Maybe one of my aids can help you narrow it down. So, you lost your parents?’
‘When I was very small. I don’t remember much about them,’ Nyx said.
‘Were you taken from them, little one?’
Nero thought the comment was a little patronising, but Nyx answered it anyway.
‘I was kidnapped and brought up as a slave,’ she said, ‘until I was saved.’ She glanced at Nero, a slight smile playing on her lips.
‘I see. Well, it’s good to know there are still people with principles in this world. Jaks, take them through the middle door and organise their gift for them,’ she said to one of her guards. She looked back at them and smiled. ‘I’m sure we can think of a suitable thank you for you returning Chain back to me.’
‘That’s very kind,’ Nyx said.
The queen smiled thinly, its corners never touching her eyes as she beckoned Chain up to her. The guard she called Jaks walked over to them. ‘Come with me. This way, through here,’ he said, leading them towards a side door. As they walked, Nyx pulled on Nero’s arm and with eyes wide, pointed off to the far side of the room, to the door the queen had entered through. Standing in the doorway was the katana girl from the camp, watching the proceedings.
Nero took her hand and looked Nyx in the eyes, pulling her in close. ‘It’s okay,’ he whispered. ‘Let’s see where this goes. Keep calm for now.’
‘Okay, sure,’ she said and followed Nero into a much smaller room that had no decorative touches.
The guard turned to them with a smile. ‘Okay, I’m going to go and box up some supplies for you as thanks. Just wait here, I’ll be right back,’ he said, and left through the second of three doors in this room.
‘I don’t like it,’ Nyx said, the moment the door was closed.
‘Neither do I,’ Nero agreed, unsure what action to take. ‘Do you want to make a run for it? I’m not sure we’ll get the car out through those gates, though,’ he said.
‘You won’t,’ said a new voice. Nero and Nyx turned to the third door, to see the katana girl closing it behind her.
Nyx reached for her sword as Nero went for his gun.
The girl raised her hands. ‘Wait,’ she said. ‘I’m here to warn you, I don’t want to fight.’
Nero trained his shotgun on her as Nyx stood beside him, her feet spread wide and her sword ready. ‘And why the hell should we believe you?’ he asked.
‘Because you might be my only ticket out of here,’ she said.
Nero frowned. ‘Go on,’ he said, curious to know where she was going with this.
‘The queen has my sister held hostage. I want to escape and take her with me, but getting to her will be no easy task. I saw what you did at the camp; I think you could help me,’ she said.
‘Help you?’ Nyx asked.
‘Look, we don’t have much time, the guards will be here for you in a second. They will take you into custody.’
‘They can try,’ Nero said, feeling defiant.
‘They will. They outnumber you many times over. You can’t stand up to that, no matter how good you are,’ she said.
‘You want us captured?’
Nyx asked.
‘That’s one option,’ the girl said. ‘Better captured than dead.’
Nyx stepped forward, threatening the girl again.
‘Look, I warned you,’ the girl said. ‘Do what you want, I’ll find you shortly. And with that, she moved out of the room as quickly as she could. Nyx stepped forward, taking a couple of steps after her, but she was gone.
‘What do you think?’ Nyx asked.
The sound of voices and footsteps approaching the doors all around them could just be heard. Nero looked back up at Nyx. ‘I think she might have been telling the truth, about the guards coming, at the very least. If the queen has her sister, she could be making that girl fight for her.’
He could see Nyx listening to the approaching sounds. ‘I think you’re right,’ she said.
Standing beside each other, looking at the doors, they started backing up towards the one wall without a door on it, when, seconds later, all three doors opened, and guards ran in. Nero pointed his gun at them, itching to pull the trigger, but there were so many of them and they kept on coming. Within moments, the room was swarming with guards, all of them armed with guns or melee weapons and Nero knew he had no chance against them. For a moment more, he brandished his gun, only to sigh and lower it. They were massively outgunned here, and Nero didn’t fancy dying today.
‘We can’t fight our way out of this one,’ Nyx said, lowering her sword, her voice dejected as she resigned herself to her fate.
‘Looks that way,’ Nero agreed with her, hating himself for getting them into this situation to begin with. Going into camps was always a risky business, but it was part of what he had to do to survive. Sometimes the camps were friendly, most of the time they were fairly ambivalent or neutral towards him, and then, sometimes, they were hostile. It had been a risk coming here and bringing Chain back, but it was a calculated risk as far as he was concerned. He’d walked into plenty of camps that had been openly hostile towards him as he’d driven in, only for them to be very fruitful visits without any real trouble.
Wasteland Road Knights Trilogy Page 25
