by M. R. Forbes
“That’s not necessary here,” Wall said.
“I’ll decide what’s best for my crew,” Camila replied. “Dutch, you have first watch.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Dutch replied.
The two followers took the two rooms near the door, eyeing one another silently before glancing at Isaac. He didn’t like the look on their faces.
What was Camila up to?
“Where’s your bedroom?” Camila asked.
“Mine?” Justice Wall replied. “All the way in the back corner. I’ve got a view of the horizon.”
“I want your bed.”
“I thought you might.”
“I should pick a room,” Isaac said.
“We’ll get to that,” Camila replied. “I need to talk to you.” She lowered her voice. “Without them listening in.”
Isaac nodded. “I see.”
Justice Wall smirked at the exchange, leading them down the corridor to an open space at the back. The furniture there was in better shape than the other rooms, the couch aimed at floor-to-ceiling windows that looked out past the village.
“You don’t worry about trife?” Isaac asked.
“We’ve got guards on the roof watching for trife,” Wall replied. “But they don’t come this way much. I don’t know why.”
Isaac did. Because they were close to Shurrath, and he needed some people alive.
The bedroom had been an office at one point. The desk was shoved in the corner, while the unmade king-sized bed was kissing the windows in the corner. It was covered in silk sheets and heavy fur blankets, kicked to the bottom. A lingering smell hung in the air.
“If I had known you were coming, I would have cleaned up,” Justice Wall said. “I’m sure you want some privacy. Well, as much as you can get in here. I’ll be sleeping on the sofa outside, in case you need anything.”
“Thank you,” Camila replied.
Justice Wall left the room, closing the door behind her.
“What is this?” Isaac asked, turning to Camila.
“I need to know I can trust you, Ike,” she said.
“You can trust me.”
She laughed. “Yeah, I guess because you said it.”
“You took off the shackles. I did nothing. You gave me a gun. I did nothing. We’re here alone now. I’m doing nothing.”
“Maybe that’s the problem.”
Isaac stared at her a moment before he understood. “I told you about my family. My wife.”
“Yes. They’re gone. You need to let go of all of it. I can’t trust you until you do.”
“Why do you even care about trusting me? I’m a prisoner, not an ally.”
“I’m not a monster. I’m still human.”
“No, you aren’t.”
“That’s not a kind thing to say.”
“If you want to trust me, then I need to be honest.”
“Orsk is more lenient than most khoron. He likes my emotions. All of them, not just the fear and the pain. The excitement, the pleasure, the love.”
“You shouldn’t do this. I shouldn’t be here.”
“Why not? You want to be part of this, don’t you? Then you need to let go of the past. Make a new start.”
Isaac stared into Camila’s eyes. He knew what she wanted. It was reckless and foolish. Maybe that’s what her khoron wanted. Could Shurrath see into her? Did he know what she was thinking? What she was feeling?
Was this his seduction as much as hers?
But anyone could fake passion. Anyone could act out lovemaking without feeling it. Was that what she expected from him? A performance for her own satisfaction?
Or was this all part of the test?
“Don’t you think I’m beautiful?” she asked. “Most men do.”
“You wanted honesty,” Isaac replied. “I can’t see anyone past Amanda.”
He wasn’t sure how she would react. It all depended on the answers she was looking for. Did she want dishonest sex or honest refusal?
She smiled, her expression disappointed but satisfied. “You’re a good man, Ike. I appreciate your honesty. It helps build trust. If you don’t mind, I’m feeling the wine a little bit and I’d like to get some rest.”
“You trust me out there on my own?”
“Dutch is covering the exit. Other than that, yes. More so now.”
Was that why she had positioned Dutch there? For him, not for outside intrusion?
Isaac smiled. “Goodnight, Cammy.”
“Goodnight, Ike.”
He backed out of the room and closed the door, turning around and leaning against it. Justice Wall was sitting on the couch, looking at him.
“I didn’t expect to see you so soon,” she said.
“I’ve got a headache,” he replied.
He had said and done the right thing to earn more of Camila’s trust. He hated to be so disingenuous, but this was war, and he was a Marine.
The time had come to put an end to this bullshit.
Chapter 26
Justice Wall walked with Isaac, leading him from one corner of the floor to the other where she opened the door to a bedroom along the western side of the building. Like the room Camila was in, the windows were floor to ceiling, except from here there was a view into the distance. They looked out past the scattered shanties and tents to the communal garbage heap. It was piled nearly three meters high, a mess of mostly organic waste mixed with discarded scraps of wood, metal and even plastic.
“Beautiful,” Isaac said, entering the room. It was smaller than the master but larger than the rooms Matthias and Dutch had taken. A queen-sized, four-poster bed sat in the center, covered in scavenged pillows and worn blankets.
“You should have stayed with your boss if you cared about the view,” Wall replied with a laugh.
Isaac turned around, giving her a quick once-over. She was an older woman, a little overweight and ordinary. She wore a black leather coat over a newish-looking black denim shirt, black jeans and cowboy boots that had been stitched back together more times than he could guess. More importantly, she had a belt around her waist held closed by a big brass buckle.
“What?” she asked, noticing him looking her over.
He glanced up, meeting her eyes. “I was just wondering what your plans are for the evening?”
“I thought you had a headache?”
He smiled. “You know what they say about mixing business and pleasure.”
“I got the impression you and Camila were together.”
“No.”
“So you’re propositioning me?”
“What if I were?”
“I’ve got lots of girls in the settlement you can choose from if that’s what you want.”
“I told you, that was a bullshit charge.”
Justice Wall shrugged. “Whatever. I have any age you want. Thirteen, thirty, sixty. They know how to sacrifice for the good of the community.”
“What if I want you?”
“Why me?”
“Because you’re the Justice. None of the other girls are...”
“Forbidden fruit?”
“Something like that.”
Justice Wall smiled. “Still forbidden.” She backed up a step.
Isaac came toward her. “I can pay.”
“I sell everyone else. I don’t sell myself.”
“I can make it worth your while. Camila has a secret.”
Wall froze. Isaac could see the curiosity in her eyes. “Oh?”
“She has a Space Force stamp. She makes her own notes. That’s how she can pay you so well.”
“What?”
“Yup. You spend the night with me, and I’ll get it for you.”
Wall stared at him, gears working in her mind. She shook her head. “No deal. She’ll think I stole it, and then.” She dragged a finger across her throat.
“You outnumber us fifty to one.”
“No. I don’t want to get into a fight like that. Too risky. Besides, there’s no way having sex with me can be worth that muc
h to you. What’s your real game?”
Isaac sighed. He had never been good at the charisma thing. “Fine. Look, I’m not her associate. I’m her prisoner. She’s taking me south so her boss can cut me open and see what makes me tick. I don’t want to be cut open.”
“That’s fucked up. But not my problem. How would sleeping with me help that?”
“I was going to take your belt after you fell asleep, and then I was going to sneak out and use it to kill Dutch and get the hell out of here.”
Justice Wall shook her head. “You must be some kind of idiot. You just told me your whole plan.”
“Not the whole plan. Only the part after I take your buckle.”
“What about the part—”
Isaac didn’t give her time to finish the sentence. He lunged forward, grabbing for her at the same time he grabbed one of the pillows from the bed. She opened her mouth to cry out, but he shoved the pillow into her face, locking his foot around her ankle and expertly pushing her to the floor. Her arms were wild as he put his weight on top of her, pressing the pillow into her face. She tried to scratch and claw at him, fingernails tearing at his clothes, but he didn’t relent.
If she were someone else, he might not have been able to do it. But knowing she was willing to trade in children, just like Junk, was enough to let him justify suffocating her to death.
When she finally stiffened and stopped moving, he didn’t feel guilty for killing her.
He lifted the pillow, checking her pulse to make sure she was gone. Then he quickly undid her belt, separating the buckle from the cracked leather. He ran his finger along the edges. Not the sharpest, but sharp enough. Even so, he took a moment to search the rest of her body, smiling ferally when he found a small knife tucked into her boot.
He took the knife, buckle and belt, and went to the door, opening it just enough to slip through and closing it behind him. He moved carefully through the apartment, retracing his steps. He paused when he reached the sitting area outside the master bedroom, tempted to go in and stab Camila and her khoron in her sleep.
Too risky.
He made his way toward the stairwell door, taking the longer route down the eastern hallway. He stopped at the corner, leaning out to look around it. No sign of Dutch. Isaac could picture the coach driver leaning against the wall of the central passage, eyes closed and half-asleep.
Isaac held the knife ready as he started down the hallway, headed straight for the door. He moved slowly, trying to stay as silent as he could. He had done maneuvers like this before as part of his training. Back then, he never imagined he would put it into practice in a situation like this.
He made it to the corner, pressing close against the wall. He could hear Matthias snoring in the bedroom a few meters away. What about Dutch?
He took a couple of quick, quiet breaths, set himself, and then swung around the corner, knife up and ready to attack.
Dutch wasn’t there.
What the hell?
Isaac froze in place, thrown for a loop and unsure what to do next. Where the fuck was Dutch? It didn’t matter. He spun around, rushing to the door turning the knob and shoving it open and starting through.
Dutch’s hand shot out like a lightning bolt from the other side of the door, grabbing his throat.
“Gotcha,” he said, a big, satisfied smile on his face. “I knew you were a fucking bullshitter.”
Isaac didn’t hesitate. He would only have this one chance. He swung his arm up, jamming the knife into Dutch’s eye.
The other man didn’t expect him to have a weapon. He didn’t even try to block the move. The knife sank deep, the surprise lasting just long enough for Isaac to throw his weight into the driver and send them both toppling down the stairs.
They rolled together, end-over-end until they crashed in a heap at the bottom, the knife still lodged in Dutch’s eye. Isaac grabbed Justice Wall’s belt, quickly wrapping it around Dutch’s neck and yanking on the two ends as hard as he could.
Dutch tried to punch him, hard blows that nearly knocked him off-balance. But Isaac landed in the better position, and he managed to maintain his leverage. Just like with Justice Wall, Dutch struggled and then passed out. The difference was that the khoron would revive him again, and Isaac knew it. He let go of the belt, reaching into the man’s pocket and grabbing the microspear.
“What the fuck?” Matthias said from behind him. “Cammy!”
Isaac rolled off Dutch as the other man started down the stairs. He didn’t try to fight him, instead getting to the bottom of the steps as quickly as he could. He was past the guards and out of the apartment, but he was hardly safe.
Gunshots sounded, the bullets hitting the wall beside him, intentionally close to his head. Isaac ignored them. Shurrath wanted him alive. They wouldn’t risk leaving him braindead.
He threw the front door open, only to find Jesse standing right behind it. Isaac bowled him over and sprinted at full speed toward the south side of the building and the garage entrance.
When he barreled around the corner of the building, another gang member was there, keeping watch over the entrance. He moved to block Isaac.
“Just where do you think—”
The man’s voice cut out as Isaac sank the microspear into his chest, spearing his heart and killing him nearly instantly. Pausing just long enough to retrieve the alien weapon, he heard glass shatter—it sounded like it came from the east side of the building—and then he heard a thump as something hit the ground.
Camila.
There was no time to worry about her. Isaac ran for the underground garage.
Three vehicles sat near the front of the parking level. Some of Wall’s gang, a dozen or so, were gathered around a fire in an old oil drum. Some kind of meat hung from a homemade rack over their fire. A dozen pairs of eyes shifted his way as he barreled into the area. Then they all started rising.
“Who the fuck are you?” one of them yelled.
“This area’s off limits to the trash,” another said.
Isaac came to a stop beside one of the motorcycles. The keys were in the ignition.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” another gang member spouted as Isaac hopped on the bike. Guns began to appear in their hands, pulled from pockets and belts.
Isaac didn’t let that deter him. He turned the ignition and twisted the throttle, making a u-turn to shoot up the exit ramp.
Camila appeared ahead of him, gun in hand. She scowled at Isaac, her gun swinging up.
Isaac gunned the bike, the rear tire spinning for a second before finding purchase. He headed straight for Camila.
Just as he hoped, she fired past him, the bullets hitting the gang members behind him before they could unwittingly kill her prize. She rolled out of his way and he launched past her.
Skidding into a hard right turn around the east side of the building, Isaac shouted for the residents of the settlement to move aside as he rocketed through. He cleared the buildings, looking back in time to see Dutch and Matthias reach the end of the village to watch him go.
He exhaled sharply, offering a silent apology to Amanda and Jason for the thoughts he had entertained—almost making himself believe he could really join Shurrath—to help hide his true intentions.
He was done with that kind of thinking, now that he was free.
Chapter 27
Camila lowered her pistol, narrowing her eyes to scan the line of gangers she had just finished gunning down. A few of them were still alive, moaning in pain and trying to crawl somewhere to escape.
But most of them were dead.
She turned around, heart beating rapidly. Not because of what she had just done. The gangers’ fear was delicious, a flavor that felt so fresh to both her and Orsk.
She was afraid because this taste would probably be her last.
Isaac was gone. Escaped. He’d gotten past her. Past Dutch and Matthias, and gotten away. They would chase him, of course. They had to. But he was on a motorcycle and
he had a head start. He would be two klicks away before they even started after him.
In other words, they were back to square fucking one.
And it was her fault.
She had fallen for his bullshit. She had believed he really wanted to be part of the Hunger. Part of Shurrath’s new order. She had even believed a part of him wanted her, even if it was too soon for him to see it. She had seen the way his eyes touched her body. Had sensed the warmth in his words. Hadn’t she?
Orsk had let her down. He was too fucking lenient. He let her do too much on her own, without bringing her back in line. It was his fault. Not hers.
But did it even matter?
Once Shurrath found out what had happened, they would both pay.
She hadn’t fully trusted Isaac. She had kept Dutch at the stairs to block his escape—should he attempt one—but somehow he had gotten past him. This was Dutch’s fault, not hers. If Shurrath were going to punish anyone, it should be him.
But Isaac had been her responsibility. She was in charge. She would be the one to pay.
She growled as she retreated toward the modbox. She would bring it outside and over to Dutch and Matthias, and the chase would begin.
Again.
Maybe if she could catch up to Isaac quickly, she could recover from this. Maybe she didn’t have to die.
“Camila.”
The calm, soft voice behind her sent a chill down her spine and caused her entire body to shake. Damn it. She wasn’t even going to have a chance.
“What are you doing here?” she asked without turning around.
“Shurrath sent me to collect Isaac. I arrived just in time to watch you lose him.”
“He got past Dutch.”
“I don’t care about reasons. Complications. Excuses. I came to collect Isaac from you. Isaac isn’t here. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
Camila could feel Orsk’s fear mingling with her own. She was sure Cyrus was enjoying every drop of it.
“Turn around,” Cyrus said.
Orsk was in agreement. There was only one option left.
Camila spun, falling to a knee as she brought the pistol up in one smooth, quick motion and fired.
The bullet cut through the air, shooting at nothing. Cyrus was already gone.
