Bounty Hunter

by Michelle E Lowe

  “Fraud,” Pierce whispered.

  “It is Jaxton,” Itza-chu confirmed mournfully.

  “I have to cut ’im down,” Pierce stated, pulling the ivory-handled blade from under his belt.

  The branch Jaxton hung from stood several feet off the ground. Pierce stood on his tiptoes to reach the slipknot with the blade. Harsh, searing pain tore into his wounded shoulder when he tried holding the body still. He couldn’t use his arm. He couldn’t cut the rope. His eyes stung with tears of frustration.

  “Dammit!” he cursed angrily.

  A hand clasped his shoulder. He looked over at Waves of Strength. “I . . .” he started saying, “. . . I can’t cut him down. I . . . I can’t . . .”

  “Shush,” she ordered, pulling him close and embracing him.

  He could not help but weep heavily. Everything cascaded down upon him. The pressure of having so many lives to save, the torment of the ghouls inside the sandstorm, the nightmare encounter at the mission, being accused of being unfaithful, nearly being killed by the Shawnee, his wife’s kidnapping, and now this! The amount broke him.

  “We have him,” Chief Sea Wind announced.

  Pierce stepped away to see the chief slicing the last rope strand of Jaxton’s noose. Wind in the Sails held the body as the rope broke and caught Jaxton when he slumped over. They laid the poor bugger down on the ground. Pierce knelt next to him and slid his fingertips over Jaxton’s eyelids to close them completely.

  “Bloody hell, mate,” he whispered to Jaxton.

  He really had nothing more formal to say.

  “Landcross,” Waves of Strength urged. “We must go, for time is not on our side.”

  Pierce knew she was right, but the sorrow he felt over the loss of his friend made him feel guilty for leaving.

  Pierce turned his chin up to her. “Jaxton can’t be left like this.”

  “I’ll stay,” Itza-chu offered. “He was my friend, too. I shall find him a proper place to be buried.”

  “And I will help,” Waban volunteered.

  “Go, Landcross,” Itza-chu ordered. “Get to your wife.”

  Pierce nodded and rose to his full height, wiping tears away. “Right. Let’s crack on.”

  They mounted up and headed out. Pierce expected to have to enter the city to find the people he’d come to see, but it turned out they were heading straight for him.

  “Well, I’ll be damned,” Pierce said, halting his horse.

  Down the road, slowly approaching, was none other than Captain Geming Xiong and his airship.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Airship Flight

  Ame-No-Mi-Kumari sat on her transport wagon, large steel wheels squealing as they carried the grand weight. They needed eight horses to pull her. A short gal, wearing a stovepipe hat, plain vest, and a dusty coat, drove the wagon. A second carriage rode ahead of the airship. That carriage came to a stop as it drew closer to Pierce and the others.

  “Morning, Cap’n,” Pierce greeted Captain Xiong, sitting next to the driver in the leading wagon.

  “Pierce Landcross,” he replied, scanning the company with him. “You weren’t kidding about your kinship with the natives, were you? Are you going to Guaymas?”

  “Not now since I’ve run into you.”

  “Oh? You were looking for me?”

  “Aye. How’s the ship?”

  “Ame-No-Mi-Kumari? She still has a broken hull.”

  “What about the propulsion? Can she fly?”

  The captain considered him. “What is this about, Landcross?”

  Pierce rode up beside the carriage. “I have a substantial favor to ask you, Cap’n.”

  Pierce told him what he needed from him and why.

  “My ship?” Captain Xiong exclaimed. “You need my ship?”

  Pierce didn’t have the foggiest notion if he would be willing to sail his aircraft to save Taisia, and he dreaded what would happen if he refused.

  “Aye,” Pierce answered anxiously. “I need her, Cap. Without her, I risk losing my wife to this madman for good.”

  Captain Xiong seemed to study him as if trying to read what Pierce was prepared to do if he rebuffed the man. “Ame-No-Mi-Kumari has never traveled so far in the air. We may not have enough fuel to return.”

  “Ah.” Pierce attempted to tap into the captain’s aspiration. “An uncertain outcome and nomadic Goth sprites. Sounds like an adventure, though, eh?”

  It was a weak strategy, but Pierce had little to work with. It wouldn’t be difficult to overtake this lot. They weren’t actual pirates, after all, just engineers, mechanics, and operators for the airship. Even so, Pierce really didn’t want to take the vessel by force or take hostages because they couldn’t figure out how to operate the damn aircraft.

  Captain Xiong smirked. “All right, Landcross. We’ll sail you there.”

  It took a bit of time to funnel enough hot air into the large balloons to lift the ship off the ground. Pierce gave the captain a rough idea where the nomads were. Some of Captain Xiong’s people stayed behind with the wagons and horses while the others, including Chief Sea Wind and his crew, boarded the aircraft as she slowly became airborne. The chief was in awe of the flying contraption. Pierce had never seen the man look so giddy.

  Pierce stood on the starboard side as the airship steadily rose, watching as the land beyond became visible. The mountain peaks, miles of ocean, and endless desert plains all came into view at once. As he marveled at the splendor of being so high, an overwhelmingly familiar feeling came over him. As it was with smoking the tobacco with Chief Victorio, Pierce suspected he’d experienced this sort of thing before. He shook it off.

  Once the ship rose to a certain altitude, the captain steered her in the right direction and ordered his crew to fire up the propulsions.

  “This is very stunning, Landcross,” Waves of Strength remarked, strolling up to him. “But, I hardly doubt this ship can move any faster than the Ekta.”

  The humming of the propulsions grew louder from the stern. Remembering the races, Pierce grabbed hold of the ropes. He smiled widely in anticipation. “No?”

  He could have warned her but decided against it. The propulsions powered up and Ame-No-Mi-Kumari surged forward. Waves of Strength lost her balance and tumbled onto the deck. Pierce burst into laughter.

  “Landcross!” she screamed.

  The flying vessel eased into a fast but even pace, giving Waves of Strength the chance to stand. “You best hope I never get my hands on another brander!” she threatened before storming off.

  Pierce grimaced and rubbed the figure-eight scar on his chest. And just like that, things were normal again between him and Waves of Strength.

  The sensation of flight and the freedom of soaring through the air was truly invigorating. Eventually, Pierce went over to the bow where the earth was gliding beneath the airship. The vessel was moving swiftly over the beach below and steadily chasing the horizon beyond. Tall mountains rose over the shores, and the waves crashed at their feet. What kept Pierce from losing himself in the airspace journey was the fear of losing Taisia. She was still so many miles off, and it didn’t help his nerves when the ship slowed down.

  “We need to conserve fuel,” Captain Xiong explained. “We’ll keep her at a constant pace from here on out.”

  Pierce did his best to not stress about it. According to the chart, they had already covered a fair amount of ground. As long as that Goth spirit kept her word, they stood a chance.

  * * *

  After bypassing the mountains, the nomadic tribe traveled along the shoreline. They aimed to reach the forest area in the north within days and stay there until Taisia gave birth.

  Ada followed, as always. She had done so for centuries only because she wanted to see what came next. It was the same for everyone who didn’t wish to remain idle in the In-Between or who wasn’t ready to rejoin the living world. Traveling with the fantasy creations, Gog and Magog, who had taken on a life of their own, had proven interesting
.

  Still, this recent act committed by Gog was most particular. Stealing a woman from her family to claim as his own? A woman who already belonged to another man and who carried his child? Gog had taken a family that wasn’t even his to have. Ada did not know how she felt about it. She once had a husband and a few children. All of them had long crossed over to the afterlife and moved on to other lives. She remembered them, mainly now as vague shadows, but she remembered she had loved them very much.

  Once in a while, she’d glance at the woman, Taisia, riding in the bed of a wagon padded with furs and blankets. She didn’t appear to be a whole person. Despite Gog’s mind control to stop her from fighting, the despair was clearly there. Whatever lie Gog had tried to use to convince Taisia, she was fighting it. Ada saw it in her constantly shifting eyes. None of this seemed right.

  Ada dug deep into her own recollections of being a living person. She remembered suffering illnesses when she was with child. She came up alongside Taisia, who took no notice of her. Ada placed her hand upon hers where it rested on the edge of the wagon. Ada sent those sickening memories through Taisia and made them real.

  Taisia clutched her midsection as her cheeks flushed. Ada knew exactly what she was experiencing. The rise in body temperature and the swirling in her stomach that sank deep and pulled the whole body down before the real sickness rose up. When Taisia gagged, she covered her mouth as though she could stop it from happening. The second wave proved too much. She leaned over the side of the wagon and retched violently.

  “Gog!” Ada called out.

  Up ahead, Gog rode his steed next to Magog. Upon hearing his name, he halted his horse and turned it around.

  “She’s ill!” Ada announced as Taisia tried sucking in air before another wave of nausea swept over her. “We need to stop and allow her to rest.”

  * * *

  The airship had long passed Bahía Kino. Pierce used a spyglass to search for any signs of the nomads. According to the Goth ghost who had spoken to Grandmother Fey, the tribe was following the coastline. As the minutes ticked by, he worried the ghost had steered them wrong, lying in order to remain loyal to her leader. He kept asking the navigator where they were until the man threatened to throw Pierce overboard if he bothered him anymore. Pierce decided it best to leave him be and go up to the crow’s nest to keep watch.

  Just as his wrecked nerves were about to snap completely, he spotted a cluster of people on the road. He adjusted the diopter lens of his spyglass to get a closer look. When he got it in focus, he saw them clearly. He scouted the small crowd until he spotted Taisia sitting on the edge of an open wagon tailgate. She was drinking water and spitting it out. She didn’t look well. Standing before her was none other than that bastard, Gog.

  Pierce lowered the spyglass, feeling his rage rise. “You bloody bugger. I won’t let you take her from me.”

  It had become apparent to him that Gog had plotted to take Taisia this whole time, starting with the crashing of the Wheel that day in the square. Pierce had overcome all his tricks, and now he would face the arsehole head on.

  “Cap’n!” Pierce hollered down to Captain Xiong. “Up ahead!”

  The captain gave him a salute from the wheel. “Kill the propulsions and ease up on the hot air,” the captain ordered. “We’re dropping anchor!”

  As his orders were carried out, Pierce clambered down and met with the Sea Warriors on deck.

  “What’s the plan, Landcross?” Chief Sea Wind asked.

  “Once we land, I’m marching straight over there.”

  “That’s your plan?” Waves of Strength said. “You’re just going to approach them?”

  “Yip. But since they’re dead, I have no idea how to hurt them.”

  “You cannot,” Sees Beyond interjected. “They’re practically nothing but energy.”

  “Grand,” he grumbled. “In any case, I can’t imagine how I’ll sneak up on a bunch of spirits.”

  Everyone turned to Sees Beyond, who knew a thing or two about the subject.

  “He’s right,” she concurred. “His best approach is to confront them directly.”

  “We’re coming with you, Landcross,” Chief Sea Wind stated. “You will not face this alone.”

  “Cheers, Chief. I need to warn you, though. Mum told me they held her back when she tried to stop them from taking Taisia. That means these buggers can physically touch us.”

  “Use your own energy against them,” Sees Beyond advised.

  Pierce wasn’t too clear on what she meant, however, the ship had nearly reached land, and they needed to crack on. The captain kept Ame-No-Mi-Kumari hovering just enough to prevent any more damage to the hull. That didn’t stop Pierce and the Sea Warriors from scaling down on ropes and dropping to the ground. They had to hurry to reach the nomads before they set off again, and so ran for it. When they eventually reached the tribe, Pierce’s chest was burning from the mad dash.

  He slowed down and marched through the cluster. He worked to catch his breath as he glared at the ones he passed. The spirit nomads were an odd sight to behold. They were the souls of people long dead, and yet, they appeared like any living person. Their floating movements, however, would never be mistaken as belonging to anyone with a working pulse. None of them looked horrifying in any sort of way, unlike the ghouls in the sandstorm. He saw only pale faces glaring at him. Everything they owned, even the animals, had a certain transparent manner to them as if they existed behind a pane of foggy glass. The ghosts studied the intruders, muttering curiously amongst themselves.

  The moment Pierce had enough air in him, he called out, “Taisia!”

  Naturally, it drew the attention of everyone else who hadn’t yet noticed the visitors.

  “Taisia!”

  He continued on his way with the Sea Warriors following behind and did not stop until Taisia and Gog came into view. Taisia had heard him and was already on her feet. Taisia appeared unsteady.

  “Pierce?”

  She held the cup of water in one hand and clutched her stomach with the other. Her face looked drained and washed of color.

  “Aye,” he confirmed, approaching. “I’ve come to bring you home, darling.”

  “You have no right to be here,” Gog growled furiously.

  Pierce halted and looked at him crossly. “Bloody hell I don’t, wanker! She’s my wife! You fuckin’ dare to steal her away?”

  Gog stiffened and looked at Taisia. “This man doesn’t love you the way I do, Taisia Kuzentsov. Otherwise, he would not have bedded another woman.”

  What he said hardened her expression.

  “I did no such thing!” Pierce bellowed.

  “You did!” Taisia shouted back. “You admitted it to me.”

  He recalled what Grandmother Fey had told him about what Gog had done to Tarak’s state of mind. Gog must have used the same dirty trick he had pulled on Tarak and implanted lies into her.

  “I did not, Tai,” he promised in a calm and sincere tone. “This cocker has gone into your head and twisted the truth around. He wants to tear us apart.”

  He began to approach when Gog commanded, “Stop him!”

  The surrounding Goths advanced on him and the Sea Warriors. When they touched him, an icy chill spread like winter’s frost all over his body. Pierce saw no one holding him, but he bloody well felt their grasp. The cold snap stiffened him completely, locking him in place. The same happened with the Sea Warriors. None of them, not even Sees Beyond, could move save for their chattering teeth.

  “What are you doing?” Taisia demanded of Gog. “Don’t hurt them!”

  Gog gently and lovingly touched her cheek and smiled. “For you, my bride-to-be, they will not be harmed.”

  He leaned over and kissed her on the lips. To add insult to injury, Gog looked over at Pierce with victory in his blasted gaze.

  That only fueled Pierce’s rage, which burned deep within his core.

  Use your energy against them.

  The heat of his fury melte
d the frost that kept his muscles fastened in place. The invisible hold weakened, and Pierce tore himself from their cold clutches. The Goths who were holding him reappeared, looking rather shocked.

  Pierce marched over to Gog and yanked him away from Taisia before punching him hard across the face. “Get your bloody hands off my wife!”

  Gog stumbled back a few steps, looking astonished.

  “I’m not going to let you do this to us, you bastard,” Pierce seethed. “I won’t allow you to take Taisia away from me.”

  He turned to his wife. She looked at him with confusion, sadness, and anger.

  “You chose someone else to be with,” she accused him with tears falling down her cheeks.

  He shook his head. “No, Tai, I haven’t. I choose no other in this world to be by my side then you.”

  He took a final step so to stand face to face with her. When he did, Gog approached, aiming to intervene, when someone—a dirty gent with a long beard—suddenly appeared and grabbed his arm.

  “Let go of me, Magog,” Gog ordered.

  “Wait,” Magog ordered.

  Pierce fixed his sights on Taisia, offering her the deepest, most sincere look he could. “Come home.”

  “I thought you loved me.”

  Apparently, the lies Gog had threaded through her mind were very well knitted in place.

  “I do love you,” he declared. “So much it bloody aches sometimes. Never do I want to be without you.” He unholstered his pistol and put the gun in her hand. “I give my life over to you, Tai, and to you alone. If you want it, take it.” He put the end of the muzzle to his chest and held it there for her. The metal rested cold above his heart. “I have not betrayed you, darling.” He thumbed back the hammer. “But if you believe the lies of another over the truth I’m telling you, then pull the trigger.”

  This was no game Pierce was playing. This was a test to see if Taisia’s affection for him was as strong as his toward her.

  Finding Taisia had been his finest discovery. She’d made him a whole person. She was home no matter where they were, even in this burning wasteland. He was nothing without her, for she had simply taken up too much of his heart. If she was going to allow the falsehoods of someone she barely knew to mold her final decision to turn away from the man she had vowed everlasting devotion to, then it was best for them both if she just ended him right there.