Shocked silence greeted me before Moses started laughing. “Girl, you’ve got balls bigger than Ezra’s head. I think I’m going to like you. Heck, yeah, I’ll cover my head. I want you around long enough to see what you can actually do. I don’t have a lot of faith in someone your age.”
Admiration shined from Fawke’s eyes, and he winked. “There’s some dark fabric around here somewhere. We’ll fashion those into some kind of a scarf.”
“And,” I added. “we all smear some Malignant blood on us before we venture out.”
“That’s a waste of water to wash off,” Kira said, frowning. “Water isn’t easy to come by if it doesn’t rain.”
“All exposed skin will have the blood. The dead one outside keeps them from coming in here. Why wouldn’t it work out there? There seems to be a waterfall of the bitter water flowing from above. We’ll wash with that.” I took my plate away from the others wanting a little time to myself. I didn’t know if my plan would work, but I’d try anything to stay alive during my ten years of hell.
When Kira finished eating, she retrieved long strips of tattered fabric and showed us all how to wind them around our heads, hiding everything but our eyes. It wouldn’t make breathing easy, but it might keep me alive. I made a small nose slit with my knife.
Dante went out and brought back a rusty metal can full of foul blood. “If this doesn’t make you want to die, nothing will.”
I immediately regretted cutting a hole for my nose. My stomach rebelled, and I swallowed against the rising nausea.
“Time to go.” Fawke said once we’d covered our exposed skin with gunk and fashioned our hoods. He got to his feet and glanced my way, seeming to wait and see if I’d issue an order.
Without speaking, I grabbed my weapons and fell in line. Who was I to question someone who knew the area? I’d already spoken up enough that morning.
Rather than go the way we had the day before, Fawke led us through tunnels deep underground. Cement walls curved over our heads. An iron rail stretched in both directions at our feet. Dirty water dripped down the sides.The only light came from cracks in the surface above us.
“You walk in the middle,” Kira said.
“No, as leader, I’ll walk behind Fawke.” I set my chin. “We’re equals now. I won’t be any more protected than the rest of you. I’d go ahead if I knew the way.”
The others fell back without argument. I ducked my head to hide my smile. I could get used to ushering orders. As the only child, I’d never had anyone to boss around before.
“Don’t get too big of a head,” Fawke whispered. “They may act obedient, but they’ll rebel if they feel strongly enough against something you want.”
“I’ll remember that.”
He put his finger to his lips, silently telling me no more talking.
The sound of scrapes, wails, and grunts came from every dark hole in the wall we passed but nothing charged us. I peered into the blackness, spotting the glow of greenish eyes on occasion. I wanted to ask whether the Malignants and us were really the only living things left in the city.
We’d formed a community of sorts on the other side of the wall. The city looked large and spread out from the sky. What if others had found refuge somewhere, too? Surely, Soriah hadn’t been the only survivors of the earth’s devastation. When the bombs had exploded, spreading disease and fear, others could have been separated from those left in Soriah. The planet was a big place according to the few books I’d seen.
Fawke stopped and turned left, heading up a set of rickety metal steps. He held up his fist to stop us, then stepped outside. After a few seconds, he waved us forward.
I squinted against the tepid glare of the pale daylight and pulled the goggles I’d brought with me into place. They’d provide protection from whatever particles the wind stirred up and, hopefully, keep my vision clear for fighting. I swallowed against a dry throat and glanced around.
We’d stepped into a space between tall buildings, something that might have once been pretty with trees and flowers, maybe a water fountain like I’d seen in a book once. A place too small for any flying aircraft to land, though. I didn’t think it large enough for a person to jump and land with any accuracy. Overhead, a wooden crate attached to a white chute floated in our direction. The plane that had dropped it already gone.
I pulled my sword from its scabbard. The blood on my face and neck had dried and cracked, making my skin itch. Kira might complain about the use of water, but I had barely any skin showing and could only pray I stunk enough to keep the Malignants away.
The crate landed with a thud. Still nobody moved.
“What are you waiting for?” I whispered.
“I’m wondering whether we’ll give up our cover if we take the box. The Malignants have no need for our food and water. They’re scavengers, preferring dead over alive. They kill us and let us rot before they feast on our carcass.” Fawke shook his head. “Something’s wrong. It’s too quiet.”
“They’re confused,” Gage said. “They know we should be here, but they can’t smell us. We should take the crate and run back into the safety of the tunnels.”
“Safety or a trap?” Ezra sneered.
Before we could speculate further, Dante pushed past us, grabbed the box and hefted it on his shoulders. As if on cue, a dozen Malignants sprinted from the buildings around us.
“Don’t just stand there!” Dante raced past us. “Run.”
We didn’t have to be told twice. We turned and ran, our steps thundering down the steel steps and back into the tunnel. Fawke again took the lead, ducking into the first small tunnel that branched off the main one. We stood there, barely breathing, while Malignants milled around just a few feet away. Now that we weren’t in sight, we’d confused them again. I couldn’t stop a grin from spreading across my face. My plan had worked.
Once our predators gave up and left the tunnel, we slipped from our hiding place and headed home. My steps were lighter than they’d been since spinning that cursed wheel. Maybe I had leadership qualities after all. Me. Crynn Dayholt, barely eighteen-years-old, leader of a group of warriors.
When we arrived at what we called home, I got pats on the back. Even Kira smiled as she handed out wet rags for us to wash with. I knew the Malignants would eventually figure out our ploy, but I’d enjoy the warm feeling of success while I could.
Because of his bravery or stupidity, whichever way one wanted to view his actions, Dante got the privilege of opening the crate. “More water sanitizer.” He held up a bottle of silver liquid, his dark eyes settling on me. “Do not drink any water that hasn’t been boiled or had three drops of this added, Boss. You’ll die very painfully within minutes.” His teeth flashed bright against his dark skin.
“I’ve some tablets in my pack,” I offered.
He pulled out foil packets of food and a…chocolate bar? I hadn’t enjoyed chocolate since Christmas morning three years ago.
Dante divided it into eight pieces and handed each of us a piece that had turned chalky. “It’s old, but it’s better than nothing.”
I agreed. “You get the extra piece for snatching the crate. Don’t act without unanimous agreement again, though. We can’t afford to lose a seasoned fighter.” I popped the piece of candy into my mouth and closed my eyes as the blissful taste of chocolate filled my mouth. “Where did they find this?”
“Who knows and who cares?” Gage laughed. “Every once in a while we get a little luxury in our crate.”
“It has to come from somewhere.” I glanced around the group. “There wasn’t chocolate at the feast, and that night is the most luxurious event Soriah has.”
“I’ve never thought to question,” Ezra said, leaning his back against the wall. “I’ve been here so long all I care about is surviving from day to day and doing my part to rid the world of Malignants until I die or get lucky enough to be pardoned. Not holding my breath on that one.”
“Pardoned? Who has that authority?” I had far too much t
o learn about the world I lived in.
“Somebody living in the Great Hall. Nobody knows for sure.”
I’d thought the Great Hall deserted. The once white mansion had been riddled with fire and bullets or so history said. Children grew up being told it was off limits because of poisonous fumes. “Is there a place on the wheel that sends you there?”
Moses looked at me as if I’d grown a second head. “The red spot. Everyone knows the Great Hall is where the entertainment is.”
“Obviously not everyone. We grow up believing it to be a place of death.”
“That’s for your protection, sweetie.” Kira laughed derisively and clapped me on the shoulder. “If you’d been unlucky enough to land on that square, you’d have found out the truth. As pretty as you are, you’d have been very popular.”
I curled my nose. “I think I prefer it here.”
“You might not if you knew that those in the Great Hall live in luxury with furs and silks. Even the girls that entertain live very well.” Fawke smiled.
“How would you know that?”
He shrugged. “Rumors and speculation. Settle back, Crynn. All we do on Sunday is fetch our rations and rest up for the week of fighting we have ahead of us. Maybe do a little sparring. Could you use some practice with that sword?”
“I only had two days of training.” I’d killed one Malignant, but would be more confident with training.
Fawke tossed me a stick and got to his feet. “Let’s play.” His eyes sparkled over his grin.
I licked my suddenly dry lips and gripped the stick the way Alga had taught me, then took the stance. “Don’t hold back.”
“Don’t worry. I won’t.” He lunged forward.
I parried, the sound of the sticks clanking together loud in the concrete room. “The Malignant I fought didn’t have such style. Fight like you’re one of them.”
Soon, Fawke darted and leaped, spun and lunged like a dust devil with no rhyme or reason to his actions. My arm ached from defending myself. He gave an unearthly shriek and stopped the stick an inch from my neck. “You’re dead.”
5
After a week of wandering the city killing Malignants, I decided Ezra had a secret. One he didn’t want to share with me. I caught him studying a map he carried when he thought everyone was asleep and drawing an X through sections of the city. The man looked for something.
I quietly turned and headed back to my blankets in the corner. I’d bring up the subject over breakfast the next morning. As leader, I deserved, no needed, to know if we were there for a purpose other than killing Malignants.
“How many Malignants are there?” I asked the next morning over a bowl of watery oatmeal.
“How many humans were there before the bombs fell?” Kira shrugged. “Subtract the humans left and you have the number of Malignants.”
“Then the battle we fight is never ending.” I lifted the bowl and slurped the last of what remained. “We’ll never rid the world of them. What about the other continents? They must be in the same predicament as us. What’s the point?” I set my bowl on the floor next to me and stared at Ezra. “I’ve seen you consulting a map and crossing off sections. What are we really doing here?”
All eyes turned to our oldest member. His lips curled. “You’re smart for one so young. Those on the hill don’t believe the only survivors are in Soriah. A lookout in the tower has seen living things walking around on two legs and wearing clothes. That is not a Malignant.”
“Why haven’t you said anything before?” Dante frowned. “Did our former leader know?”
Ezra shook his head. “I was the only one told. As the navigator, those in power felt no one else needed to know.”
“So, our excursions are scouting expeditions,” I said.
“Exactly.”
Fawke pushed to his feet. “I’ve suspected something to this effect, but with only two years left here, I felt it wise to go along with…whatever.”
“If they were friendly, they’d let themselves be known, right?” Gage glanced around the group. “Or are we supposed to determine that after we find them?”
Ezra nodded. “They have to know we’re here. Anyone with eyes can see the choppers drop our supplies. I haven’t seen any other drops, so we need to assume it’s only a matter of time before these others try taking what we have. They may be waiting for us to clear enough creatures out for them to come here.”
“Maybe they’ll want to team up,” I said. “Maybe they’re too far away to make contact.” Killing Malignants was merely something to do until we accomplished our real mission. The malformed creatures would hinder any real searching we tried to do, thus, they needed to be gotten rid of when we ran across them. It seemed as good a theory as any.
I stood and went to stand in the doorway, stepping over the decaying body of a Malignant. Where would I hide?
“What are you thinking?” Fawke joined me.
“We haven’t seen any sign of other humans, which means they aren’t hiding close. I’m guessing the lookouts have seen scouts.”
“That won’t last. If there’s a group, they’ll venture closer and closer in search of supplies.”
I nodded. “Where would they hide outside the city?”
“The outlying sewers, subway tunnels, the mountains?”
“Why hasn’t Ezra asked to have home base moved to different sections of the city? Wouldn’t that make it easier to locate other survivors? We can only travel so far in a day.” I exhaled sharply out of my nose. None of it made sense.
“Without proof, there’s no need,” Ezra said from behind us. “At the first sign of other survivors, we move. That’s my orders. Until we see with our own eyes that there are others, we continue on as we have been.”
I whirled. “You take your orders from me, not some unknown on the hill living among luxury. Do you understand?”
He gave me a sardonic salute and stormed away, leaving me thinking I’d made an enemy. The forbidden tears pricked at my eyelids. Being a leader had its drawbacks. As inexperienced as I was, I wouldn’t know until any damage was done whether I’d made the right choice.
“Don’t worry. Ezra is always gruff. Let’s go get this week’s supplies.” Fawke clapped me on the shoulder.
Which constituted our life. A week of fighting, one day of provisions and rest, then back to a week of fighting. Dread filled me that this would be my life for the next ten years. Spotting a group of Malignants across the weed-filled courtyard, I turned and followed Fawke back into the building.
A few minutes later, armed with our weapons and scarves tied around the lower half of our faces, we headed for the tunnels. My mind drifted to the precious supplies we’d left behind. If there were other survivors, and they found our hideout, they’d clean us out, leaving us with nothing. We needed to find a way to protect our supplies.
“Ezra will fetch the crate this time,” I said when we spotted the drop.
“Fine by me.” The big man darted forward, grabbed the crate and returned, flashing me a sly grin. “A man’s job, not something a tiny girl could accomplish.”
He was right, since I’d not be able to carry the weight, but the sarcasm which he said it rankled. Nose in the air, I went to turn, freezing at the sound of Malignants close by. We’d let our guard down and were now surrounded.
Ezra placed the crate on the ground. We formed a circle, backs to the crates, weapons ready, and waited to see whether the creatures would get past the foul smell of us and attack.
Snorts and the sound of calloused feet across concrete grew louder. They sniffed. The growing stench that rose above our own attempt at camouflage alerted us to their closeness.
I fought to regulate my breathing, to keep my heart rate normal. From the sounds around us, I guessed this to be the largest group we’d encountered since my arrival. Had Fawke and I trained enough for me to be an asset?
Gage’s breathing next to me came in gasps. “There are too many.”
“Shh.” Kir
a shook her head. “Remember your training.”
A group of ten Malignants approached at a slow crawl, heads raised, nostrils quivering. They stopped a few feet away, confused by our smell and stillness. One of them opened its mouth and shrieked.
Thank goodness I’d grown used to the sound and didn’t move to clamp my hands over my ears. My palm grew sweaty around the handle of my sword. They could see us, or we wouldn’t need the scarves to cover the black lines on my face. Humans who smelled like Malignants. How long until they discovered our charade?
They turned and darted away.
“I don’t think we’ll get away so easily next time.” Moses slung his weapon over his shoulder. “The leader studied us a little too long for my taste. Once upon a time, before the bombs and disease, they were like us which means they can think and learn.”
Ezra hefted the crate to his shoulder. “Let’s get out of here before they come back.”
Fawke stopped us at the mouth of the tunnels and listened. Nothing but a sour-smelling breeze came our way. He waved us forward.
Gage’s foot sent a rock rolling into a wall.
Shrieks rose around us.
“It’s a trap.” Dante took off at a sprint, the rest of us on his heels.
I increased my speed at the sound of pursuit to the point I thought my lungs would burst. In order to fight, we needed to be in the open. I glanced back to see Ezra falling behind. The weight of the crate kept him from running at full speed.
“Drop it!”
He shook his head. “We need this.”
I slowed, then stopped and turned around. As I did, so did the others. We formed our fighting circle and raised our weapons. “We don’t leave anyone behind, and since Ezra is determined not to lose our supplies, we fight. May the Supreme Being be with us.” I gave a war cry. The others followed suit.
The approaching creatures faltered in their race toward us. I raised my sword higher and gave another yell. Let them know we wouldn’t cower in silence anymore.
The Wheel: A Young Adult Dystopian Novel (Nightfall Book 1) Page 3
