by J. N. Chaney
Then the Boneclaw snorted and straightened, its thick back and arm muscles bunching visibly even beneath taut skin and thin fur with the movement. It swung around to face Mario and took a step closer.
As it came toward us, even the cavern seemed to yield. The ground rumbled and the walls trembled with each step, just as surely everyone else did.
That was when I saw the monster’s face clearly. It had eyes. Not the empty sockets of its smaller counterparts, nor the milky vestigial organs of the one I’d seen in the archive footage. These were the same blue as mine and every other person in the compound.
It wasn’t the fearsome glare, or even the fact that it had eyes that terrified me. What sent a shiver down my spine was the intelligence behind them. His eyes weren’t darting around the room searching for threats or prey. He was looking with calm intent. He was regarding Mario.
Instead of the usual three talons, this creature had razor sharp claws closer in composition to fingernails. The appendage closely resembled my own hand, complete with four fingers and an opposable thumb.
I was still taking everything in when the Boneclaw settled down on his haunches with something like annoyance on its face.
And it spoke.
“You insult me, Mario.” His voice—a decidedly male tone—reverberated through the cavern, the deep timbre strident and as penetrating as the darkness from which he’d emerged.
No one made a single sound. Either everyone in the cavern was already aware of the creature or they were too scared to speak.
Except for Mario, who stepped forward, though I noticed he didn’t stray far from the tunnel we’d come through. “One person every day. That’s the agreement, Tiberius.”
My brain exploded with questions. Had Mario done this somehow? Was this some kind of hybrid? Could there be more than one?
I may have hated the man but the fact that he could talk to the hulking creature without shaking was impressive.
The Boneclaw, whose name was apparently Tiberius, looked back at Laurel and curled its lip. “The old one hardly qualifies.”
Something like a snort sounded like it came from the Elder, but I couldn’t be sure.
“She’s a retired hunter who has killed many of your kind in her lifetime,” Mario assured him.
“Bastard,” I snapped, unable to stay quiet. The impressed feeling I’d had a moment ago faded with his words. “Only a coward would sacrifice an Elder like this.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, and I saw that my outburst had drawn the Boneclaw Tiberius’ scrutiny.
He studied me for a few heartbeats before shifting his gaze back to Mario. “I want this one.”
“I’m not his to give away,” I said. “But, I will trade places with Laurell. Gladly.”
“No, she is instrumental in making Cyril surrender,” answered Mario.
This seemed to interest Tiberius more than my outburst had. “His offspring?”
Mario nodded.
“Very well. I will take her when this is over,” said the monster.
Mario shrugged evasively. “We’ll see.”
Satisfied for the interim, Tiberius emitted a series of clicks and grunts to his soldiers, then picked up Laurell in a single, giant hand. She fit easily inside it and I prayed this experience would soon be over.
To my relief, the Boneclaws returned to the tunnel they had emerged from, shaking the cavern with as much force as when they had arrived.
13
The walk back to the part of the facility Mario and his rebels were using as a base of operations felt heavy and tense without Laurell’s presence. Even Prime Lambert had a shell-shocked look, walking as if on autopilot. No one spoke and the only sound was that of dragging feet on the ground.
I no longer cared that I was exhausted and sore. The event in the cavern had rattled me, but it had also opened my eyes. On the surface, it looked as though Mario was only looking out for the colony’s survival, but I believed there was more to it.
The appearance of the Prime Engineer had been disconcerting, to say the least. I doubted that anyone at the compound knew of his deceit and I had no way to warn them. He would be able to feed the people there selective information and sway opinions. Doyle could make Mario the hero in all this.
That last thought both scared and angered me. The Prime had not only failed to uphold the responsibility of his station, but he was also going out of his way to betray the sworn leader of the colony and its people. The question was, why?
Everyone’s lackluster attitude only added to my suspicion that Mario's hold over them was out of fear, not loyalty. Seeing him so easily sacrifice a member of the community as revered as Laurell had to have bothered others as much as me.
Now that I knew what the Reckoning entailed, it was more important than ever to get everyone out of here. I wanted to get back to Mark and fill him in.
When we left the caves and entered the facility again, Mario ordered everyone to stop. “Put Lambert back with the others,” he instructed. “I want a word with Miss Visaro.”
Allan did as instructed, and Nero remained by his father’s side.
“Alone,” Mario said pointedly, turning to his son.
“Do you think that’s wise?”
Mario glared at him. “Don’t question me, Nero. Father or not, I’m in charge.”
Nero nodded tightly, then spun on his heel and left.
Two guards stayed with us as he led me to a room, presumably to protect Mario, but remained outside. Either he didn’t see me as a threat or didn’t think I’d try anything to avoid putting anyone else at risk. He was on the mark about the latter. I had indeed learned the lesson, though it only added to his list of crimes in my head.
Inside his office, Mario waved a hand genially at a chair facing a large desk as though we were having a casual meeting. The space he had commandeered was overly large, and nearly half of the room was empty. When he took the big chair on the other side of the desk, I had to stop myself from rolling my eyes at his own sense of self-importance.
“Do you understand now?” he asked, leaning forward and steepling his fingers, imploring me with excited eyes.
“Understand what?” I retorted. “That you sacrificed your own people to the Boneclaws?”
He sighed heavily and leaned back in his chair. “I had hoped you would see it differently. Then you could have gone to your father and made him see reason.”
“What reason?” My tone was rife with disdain. “You didn’t have to do any of this. Innocent people are dying under your command here. Purposefully. Why didn’t you bring this to the Director?”
“I did,” he replied flatly. “Cyril didn’t believe me. I don’t suppose I can blame him there. A seeing, talking Boneclaw? It sounds preposterous.”
I thought of my own shock, first at realizing that Tiberius had working eyes, then again when he’d spoken. The two of them seemed to have a civil relationship, which told me this had been going on for some time.
“How long have you known?” I asked.
“Months. Just after the first group went missing. I was sent to track them down. And Tiberius. He was just sitting there as if he’d been waiting for me to come along.”
“He left the trail, didn’t he?”
Mario nodded. “Of course, but I didn’t realize that until later.”
“What did he want?” I asked. “In the cavern, you mentioned an agreement.”
“Tiberius wanted us to stop killing the Boneclaws for good. I told him I wasn’t in charge but that I would talk to the person who was.”
“And he understood everything you were saying?” I asked, remembering how Tiberius had spoken our language flawlessly.
“Oh yes. Tiberius told me that he had been born different, though the ability to speak came later. He learned by observing us for years.”
I looked at Mario sharply. “He was watching us?”
He nodded, a note of admiration in his expression. “It’s quite impressive, really,
learning our language by ear alone. Although I’m amazed no one spotted him before.”
I thought about that for a moment. “I guess it would have been easy for him to hide in the valley, especially in a snowstorm. We already knew their hearing was superior. All he’d have to do was sit back and blend in. Are there any more like him?”
I swallowed my distaste since Mario was being so forthcoming. The dialogue between us had turned almost conversational. The way he spoke reminded me of someone who had been dying to tell a secret, and finally could.
“Not that I know of. Tiberius is one of a kind. At least as far as we can tell,” he answered, looking pensive. “When I tried to tell your father and the Primes, they brushed me off. Thought I was delirious from being outside too long.”
“And we kept killing them,” I guessed. “But we don’t actively hunt them, it’s only in self-defense,” I pointed out.
Mario raised an eyebrow and gave me a pointed look. “So, the Boneclaw you killed on your last hunt attacked you first?”
“No,” I admitted. He had me there. That particular Boneclaw had been eating the frost horn we were tracking.
Now that I thought about it, I couldn’t remember a single instance of a Boneclaw attack that didn’t start with us. Had it always been that way?
I shifted uncomfortably at the memory of the keening wails coming from the four Boneclaws that had entered the gorge. It irked a little to know that my misgivings had been correct. Even if they didn’t all speak like Tiberius, there had to be some familial connection between the creatures.
“When Tiberius learned that the killings were still going on, he attacked a hunting party. The next time we met, he showed me the tunnel they’d created. He said the cave systems and our compound were no longer safe until we stopped attacking and repaid our blood debt. He wanted a tribute every day until our dead equaled theirs.”
“Which you agreed to,” I said, disgusted again.
“What choice did I have?” Mario asked, throwing his hands up. “It’s better to lose a few than to die out completely.”
“Where did Karin fit into that plan?” I said bitterly.
“That was circumstance. A mistake I deeply regret.” He paused, a mournful expression on his face, then continued. “I have it on good authority that your father will make a full recovery. That means he’s still the Director.”
“I know what you’re going to ask,” I said, holding up a hand to stop him. “And the answer is no. I won’t help you kill more people.”
“What if the death of one could save the colony?” Mario asked quietly.
“What do you mean?” I didn’t like the gleam in his eye.
“If I deliver your father to Tiberius, the debt is settled.”
“No!” I whispered, feeling sick to my stomach. “There has to be another way.”
“See? You are just like him. Unwilling to make the hard decision for the good of the whole.”
“Would you give up Nero?” I countered.
Whatever civility we had during our conversation vanished and Mario fixed a hard stare on me. “That’s irrelevant, Miss Visaro. And you’re going to help, whether you want to or not. Now, as far as the staff goes? You will do as you’re told.”
I glared at him. “I don’t understand why you need it. You seem to be in control of everything here just fine with the other weapons you stole.”
Mario blinked, then his lips twitched up into a hunter’s smile, as if he had prey in his sights. “As intriguing as Tiberius is, he’s too dangerous to be left alive. With the power we saw on display in the hover tunnel, I think he can be killed with it.”
Mario leaned back in his seat. “If you refuse, I will send someone you care about for each Reckoning until you agree. I think I’ll start with Mark. Do we have a deal?”
I nodded, furious.
“Good. I’m aware you’ve had a long day. Get a few hours rest, then you can start.”
I caught sight of Nell on my way from Mario's office, but she wouldn’t meet my eye. In fact, the other prospus kept her head down and pretended not to notice me at all.
One of the guards handed me food and a container of water before ushering me back into the room they were using as a jail. When I stumbled in, the people nearest to the door cringed back.
What’s going on? I wondered, then scanned the faces looking for Mark. When I didn’t see him right away, I worried Mario had done something with him.
“Lucia, over here.”
I let out a sigh of relief at the sound of his voice and made my way over to one of the far walls. He was sitting on a mat and patted the empty one beside him. I took it gratefully and sank down next to him.
“I was worried when you didn’t come back,” Mark said, giving me a searching look.
Not wanting everyone around us to hear what I had to say, I told him in hushed whispers what had transpired in the last few hours. By the time I’d finished, my friend looked stunned.
“And here I thought they were making it up,” he said.
“Making it up? You knew about this?” The question came out like an accusation, which I instantly regretted.
“Only just after you left,” Mark said, his voice taking on a defensive tone. “Will Butler heard the guards talking when they let him out for a restroom break.”
Recalling the discontent I’d noticed in the cavern, it made sense that the guards would have been talking about what happened. It also explained why everyone had been so jumpy when I entered. No one wanted to be next.
I opened the ready-to-eat meal that had been shoved at me, recognizing it as one made by Janus’ food synthesizer. It annoyed me that on top of everything else, Mario had raided the compound’s food supply. What else had he taken?
Dim light provided by oil lanterns didn’t offer much of a view, but I didn’t see Prime Lambert anywhere. As cramped as the room was, they probably had another.
“Look,” I said, talking around a mouthful of food. “I only agreed to help with the staff to buy some time.”
“You want to come up with a plan,” Mark guessed. “Do you have anything in mind?”
“Not yet,” I admitted, then finished off the meager meal before speaking again. “My brain is running on vapor right now.”
“I’ve gotten some sleep here and there. Why don’t you do the same and I’ll try to work on something in the meantime.”
“It feels wrong to sleep in the middle of everything going on,” I said, chewing on my bottom lip.
“You’re no good to anyone in your current state,” Mark said loftily, reminding me of Prime Lambert. He always had a precise way of speaking that sounded stuffy, though not in a bad way.
“Yeah, you’re probably right about that,” I said, trying and failing to suppress a yawn.
The events of the day were certainly catching up to me. Whatever energy I’d gleaned from the forced power nap was long gone and exhaustion had me struggling to keep my eyes open.
“Sleep. I’ll wake you if anything important happens,” Mark promised.
“Alright. Don’t let me sleep too long, okay?”
He smiled wryly. “With these mats it won’t be a problem.”
Unable to fight it any longer, I curled up and let the weariness take me under.
This time when I woke up, the first thing I noticed was the smell. With so many people together in close quarters without bathing, the air had taken on a certain pungency.
Sitting up, I wrinkled my nose and checked to see if Mark was still sitting next to me. He was.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“A little better. You?” I stretched to work some of the kinks out and felt a satisfying pop somewhere deep in my back. No one in the community was a stranger to hard floors and uncomfortable nights, but this one had been rough, even for me.
Mark too, was showing signs of wear. Dark circles marred the skin under his eyes and gave them a hollow look. The swelling around the injured one had gone down, though the br
uising was a dark mottled purple, and the fat lip had shrunk back down to normal size. His white hair stuck out at odd angles as though he’d been tugging on it.
“I haven’t come up with much,” he replied, brows furrowed in frustration. “I tried to get my bearings during the last bathroom break but it’s only down the hall.”
“It’s okay,” I said with forced cheerfulness.
“No, it’s not,” Mark said listlessly. “They came and took Wendy Cooper while you were out.”
“What? Why didn’t you wake me up?” I hissed.
“Because you wouldn’t have been able to stop them,” he said in a voice barely above a whisper, before nudging a chin discreetly at the other prisoners. Our conversation was starting to draw attention.
I wanted to argue but he wasn’t wrong. We didn’t have any weapons and most of us were beaten to hell from the chaos at the ceremony, but I didn’t have to like it.
“Fine,” I relented, trying to think logically. “Nero will probably send for me soon. I’ll see if any of the rebels will talk to me. Not all of them looked very accepting of Mario's leadership style in the cavern.”
“That’s a good idea,” he agreed. “I don’t see how we’re going to find a way to escape without help though.”
“Why don’t you work on rallying our people,” I suggested. “Maybe the next time the guards come we can overpower them. It’s not like a bunch of them can come in at once.”
Mark seemed to perk up at that idea. “That could work. It’s worth a try at least, and better than sitting around feeling sorry for ourselves. I just wish I could get my hands on a datapad.”
I did too. My fellow prospus might not have been the gutsiest person I knew, but if he could get his hands on one of those our chances of escape would improve drastically.
The door opened, prompting some of the other prisoners to stir nervously.
Allan’s large form stepped into the room, eyes scanning until they fell on me. He jerked a thumb wordlessly at the door and waited to see if I would comply.
Deciding to save my breath and energy, I did.
