Far Too Young To Die: An Astraea Renata Novel

by Wayne, Douglas

  “What do you want with me?” I said when my neck stopped spasming enough to speak.

  “If you hadn’t showed up with the narc, we wouldn’t have wanted anything to do with you. We know all about your little infatuation with healing magics. How you rolled up on the wrong accident and saved a man sentenced to die. If you had chosen differently, we would have applauded you for your heroism. In fact, we’re surprised someone like you even exists. Most people wouldn’t have the guts to do what you do.”

  “What are you trying to say? I should’ve left him in the car to die?”

  “No, no, little witch. You couldn’t have left him in there to die any more than a doctor could willingly walk away from a patient he could save. We had no problem with you saving the narc.”

  “Then what is the problem?”

  “The problem is that you keep saving him. We promised our investor you would be out of the picture tonight, but it seems like someone failed to do their job. We’d hoped the medication one of my associates gave you would be enough to keep you away, but I see we were wrong. It seems we are going to have to kill you if we want him to die. It’s a shame we have to kill a beautiful Georgia peach like yourself, but that’s the cost of business.”

  “That’s all this is to you? Business?” I kept my voice at little over a whisper, not wanting the shock collar to go off again.

  Black hair nodded. “That’s all any of this is about.” He walked across the room and grabbed a bucket off the floor and brought it back. He set the bucket on the ground next to the cage and sat on it. “Aiden here was one of our better runners. Because of that, we paid him well. In fact, I believe he saved his estate from collapse with this job, isn’t that right?” he asked, looking over at Aiden who was still curled up in a ball on the floor.

  “Go to hell,” Aiden spat as he sat up, face red in anger.

  “One day, Aiden got a little too greedy and ended up being caught by the police.” Black hair shrugged. “Cost of business. It happens to the best of them, but we manage.”

  “What was I supposed to do? Rot in jail until they finally let me out?”

  “No,” Black said calmly. “We would’ve had you out before daybreak. Instead, you did business on your own. Tried to sell us out so you could go free. There are always those looking for the fastest way out, even when it’s not the best option.”

  I glanced over at Aiden who was now holding his head between his legs sobbing. I could tell he genuinely felt bad for doing what he did. But deep down, I couldn’t help feeling like he’d done the right thing. Eventually he’d get to a point where he wanted to get out, and regardless of what these guys were saying, they didn’t seem like the type of people to let someone walk. What was he supposed to look forward to? The day when he went up to whoever was in charge and tell him it was time to move on? What would happen then? Would they throw a retirement party and give away a golden watch? Somehow I didn’t believe these people were even remotely that type of people. Businessmen or not.

  “So what are you planning on doing to us? Burning us at the stake?”

  Black hair laughed. “No, little witch. Unlike your kind, we learn from the history books. We know better than to think a little fire, or water, will kill you.”

  I placed my hand around the metal collar at my neck. “Looks like you have that part covered.”

  “And waste a special order collar? We aren’t going to do that. Not when there is a better option.”

  My mind raced just thinking about what kind of better option they had that they weren’t willing to lose a small trinket taking out an apparent threat? What type of hellish fate did these two have in mind?

  “I don’t know what you’re planning, but if you think you’ll survive two seconds once this collar is off my neck, you have another thing coming.”

  “She’s a feisty one,” the bald one said, licking his lips while he looked at me like I was a medium rare porterhouse steak. “How about we do it here?”

  Black hair shook his head. “You know as well as I do, that we need to set an example. It’s been far too long since we showed the people what we are capable of.”

  “And that is?” I asked, leaning in close to the bars as if to dare one of them to reach inside to hit me.

  “Don’t you worry, little witch. You’ll find that out soon enough.” Black shifted his view to the single window at the back of the room. “Soon the moon will be at its peak for the evening. Once it is, you will find out what we speak of soon enough.”

  “You realize tonight’s not a full moon, right? Your werewolf powers won’t kick in on their own.”

  “For that little insolence, I’m going to take longer with your friend. What we intend to do to you requires far more finesse than the pups are capable of.” He smiled and reached in the cage to caress my cheek. “Sit down and relax. One of my associates will be here to collect you in a few moments.”

  “You afraid to take me out there yourself?”

  Black hair laughed. “Of course not. We haven’t been the most gracious of hosts. Our people have been waiting on our arrival all day. It is time for us to make an appearance.”

  I screamed and shouted, desperately trying to keep them in the room with us, but they ignored my plea, which I imagine became easy once they shut the door.

  It was dark and late. Part of me was roaring and ready to go. Mainly to the bar, but anyplace would be better than here. Though through the nervous jitters, I couldn’t help feeling tired and weak.

  Truth be told, I was scared. Not so much for anything they would do to me. Even with my brand new necklace, I’d be able to cast a spell to dull my senses while they did what they did. I worried about what they would do to Aiden. He acted like a tough guy. Like he was ready to do what it takes to get the job done. But deep down I knew he wasn’t prepared for tonight. Sure, he’d put on a good face at the beginning, if for nothing else than to make sure everyone knew he was taking it like a man. Eventually they would break him. Then they would break him some more. Before they gave him the mercy of death, they would make sure there wasn’t anything of him besides a shattered husk of meat and bones.

  From there I suspected they wouldn’t even let him die then. They would make him watch them do whatever they had planned for me first. Just so to make sure they rubbed in how much of a failure he was in life. One final act of suffering before they finally let him feel death’s embrace.

  “How you holding up over there?” I took a seat close to his cage and reached out for him.

  “How can you talk to me now? They are going to kill you because of me.”

  “Who says we have to die?”

  Aiden looked up at me, his eyes red and raw where he had been rubbing them moments ago. “How are we going to get out now? Huh? They have you in a collar and me in a cage. Even if we were to get out of here, the door is locked and probably under guard. It’s over.”

  “It’s never over until you die, or you give up.” I lowered the tone of my voice to sound less preachy and more encouraging. “You aren’t giving up yet, are you?”

  “You have a plan?”

  “Not yet, but I’m quick on my feet. Anything we are going to do will have to be done wherever they take us. When the time comes, don’t think, just act. You have one friend with you, assume the others are here to kill you. They might not be, but they are probably out there with soda and popcorn to watch us die. That makes them worse.”

  Aiden nodded.

  “Don’t go out of your way to hurt them, but don’t go out of your way to avoid it either. If they get between you and getting the hell out of here, do what you have to.”

  “I won’t hold back. If anyone gets in my way I’ll…”

  “Don’t become them. We are better than that. Do what you need to escape and move on. Once things happen, most of the crowd will just be trying to get away. They are the key.”

  “I don’t get it.”

  “What?”

  “How you can be so calm.” He wiped
his face on his shirt. “Look at me. They locked me up in here and I’m bawling like a baby. You are calm and collected. Not letting anything get to you. Aren’t you scared?”

  “Terrified,” I said, honestly. I was scared out of my god damned mind. There wasn’t an escape plan. Not one I could come up with that had any degree of certainty. But I refused to let my fear define me. When I learned what I could do, I learned quickly how bad others would want me out of the picture. I was too valuable to the right people, and too dangerous to others. But never once did I run. I still live in the same town I did growing up. I wore that fact on my sleeve. It was as much a point of pride for me as it was an open defiance to anyone who had the balls to make a move against me.

  “How do you do it? You don’t look any different than normal.”

  “I decided long ago, that if it is my time to go, then I’d rather do it with a friend.” I stretched my hand out one more time. “As long as you are my friend, I’m OK with whatever happens tonight.”

  “Even after everything that’s happened to you, you don’t hate me? I’d be furious.”

  “I’m here because I want to be here. There’s been plenty of chances for me to walk away. Never once have I even considered it.”

  Aiden gave in and scooted over to the edge of the cage and reached out. His hand met mine and our fingers entwined immediately.

  - 19 -

  Our hand holding lasted all of three minutes before the door opened again. This time, instead of the two guys who had visited us earlier, we were in the company of a dozen men. For the most part, they were all wearing black pants and black shirts though the rest of their attire and looks varied wildly. All but two held guns at us. Those two held a ring full of keys of differing sizes.

  “Enough of that, lovebirds,” the one holding the keys to my cage said. He was taller than the others though just by a hair. His face sported bushy looking mutton chops that were just begging to be shaved off, because they didn’t come close to complementing his military style crew cut. “The boss has something special planned for the two of you. Look at the positive side of things, you both get to die tonight.”

  “Maybe,” I said, releasing my grip from Aiden’s hand. “Then again, maybe you will be the one who dies tonight.”

  He laughed. “The boy is a weakling and you are wearing a collar. The two of you together aren’t a match for any of us alone.”

  I shot Aiden a wicked grin. “Want to test that theory?”

  “If the boss wasn’t insistent on handling this himself, I’d be all over it. That’s the difference between me and your little narc boyfriend. I can follow orders.”

  Aiden jumped up and darted for the door. “I can follow orders too.”

  “Then how’d you end up in the poke? Boss tells us not to deal with people on the street. Let the houses handle it.”

  “I’d sold to him before. More than once. How was I supposed to know he was a cop.”

  “You shouldn’t have dealt with him to begin with. That was the job of the house crew, not yours. Your job was just to run the stuff there.” He looked over at me. “Guess you should feel lucky the boss wants her dead already. We’d have to kill her for hearing this conversation otherwise.”

  “You going to keep slinging around testosterone, darlin, or are you going to escort us outside? I believe your boss is on a strict schedule.”

  “You hear that, narc? Your lady friend understands the business better than you.” He stepped forward and inserted his key into the lock. “Now take a few steps back before you get yourself shot.”

  “If I don’t?” Aiden said.

  A gunshot went off, sending a loud echoing bang throughout the room. Aiden dropped to the ground immediately, clutching his leg that was now pooling blood onto his pants, staining them a dark shade of crimson.

  “Aiden!” I screamed as I rushed the cage door, not caring that I had five guns trained on me.

  “Easy, lady. He will be OK.” He laughed. “Well, he will get to the boss in one piece anyway.”

  The other guy with keys standing in front of my cage looked at the other guy, wide eyed. “You shouldn’t have done that. They hate when you waste it.”

  I shot the leader a sideways glance. “Waste what?”

  The leader laughed. “I can’t let that cat out of the bag just yet. But don’t worry, you will find out soon enough. Now stand back away from the door before we do the same to you.”

  As much as I wanted to stand there in defiance, it wouldn’t do us any good to have both of us hobbling around on one leg if we hoped to escape. Our chances of getting anywhere were already as close to zero as they could get, and that was before they shot Aiden. I stepped back until I was against the rear bars of the cage.

  They opened the door and motioned me to come out though the armed guard grunted for me to do it slowly while pulling the hammer back on his gun to emphasize his point. I did what they instructed and stepped out, stopping three steps outside the door with my hands behind my back.

  The leader grabbed my wrists forcefully, wrenching my arms back so far I swore he’d rip them off. Another guy in the back holstered his gun and grabbed a roll of duct tape from the nearby desk and wrapped it around my arms three times before stopping. They did the same to Aiden though they knew he couldn’t fight back.

  The wound on Aiden’s leg pulsed blood with every heartbeat, staining his pants a dark shade of crimson as they dragged him down the concrete hallway even as he tried to walk on his own. I couldn’t see his face, but I could tell by the way he held his head up as they marched us down the hall, he was holding together remarkably well, considering the circumstances.

  They opened the doorway leading under the wooden deck and pushed us outside. The sky was full on dark and cloud free, except for a few shadowy wisps floating just above the trees. Down in the back, well past the pool, hundreds of people gathered around a bonfire as it roared three stories high. I’d been to my fair share of bonfire parties in my time, but never once had I seen one this crowded, or a fire that big.

  One of the armed thugs escorting us raised his pistol in the air and fired off a shot. Almost instantly, the crowd got quiet as their heads turned on us.

  I struggled to draw in a breath as I felt hundreds of eyeballs all focused on me. For the most part, I do well in crowds. It’s hard to hold down a bartending gig otherwise. But this felt different. Just like at the bar, they were all looking at me to be the enabler of a good time. But in this case, I wasn’t here to serve them drinks and get them tipsy. I was here to fuel a primal desire I didn’t realize existed like this. Sure, I’d read about gladiators in school, but this is the twenty-first century. We no longer kill people for sport. Instead, we pay our forty-seven bucks to watch two people beat the crap out of each other for a few minutes at a time. Unless you are crazy enough to pay for a Rousey fight, anyway.

  The looks on the crowds faces is a mix of anger, resentment, and in some cases pity. A few of the people on the outer edge clutched their beer bottles upside down as if they planned on throwing them at us as we passed. One quick glance at the men holding guns around us changed their tune. I couldn’t blame them. Not sure I’d want to piss off a man with a loaded gun either.

  On the backside of the bonfire I noticed an empty wooden platform hidden by the crowd until we got close. In the middle of the stage there were two six-by-sixes erected about ten feet apart from each other. About eight feet up on both boards rope ran through a hole. It dangled down each side about a foot down. On the positive side, I’d have my duct tape handcuffs off in a few more moments. Damn shame it would be replaced with something else.

  The men with the guns stopped on either side of the wooden stairs in the middle. Half of them kept their eyes on us as we passed and kept it that way while we were on stage. The other half faced the crowd, acting like a perimeter guard as the large crowd closed the gap that brought us here.

  As the man holding my wrists lead me to the leftmost pole, I tried to get a g
auge on my surroundings. Behind the stage was a moderate sized dock on a rather large lake. The moon above reflected on the rippling waves caused by the steady gust of wind flowing in the open air. There was a small boat on one side of the dock, but I couldn’t see a motor attached to it at all, which meant it wouldn’t help us get out of here. The next closest dock was five or six hundred yards down the beach. If I knew it had an outboard motor attached it might be worth the shot of running that way, but I wasn’t about to stake my life on there being one.

  The man turned me around and cut my wrists free. He didn’t bother removing the duct tape, which I was thankful for since I knew it wouldn’t be pleasant if they forcefully ripped it off. Not just that, but having the tape still on me would help protect my wrists from the rope if I struggled against it to escape. As the man lifted one arm in the air and tied it up in the rope, I glanced over at Aiden and noticed they left his wrists the same way.

  He tied my other wrist up a moment later while I looked over the crowd. Except for a few scattered whispers across the crowd, they were still being silent, as if they didn’t know what to expect. I got the impression that most of them had as much of a clue about what was going to happen to us as we did.

  Once he was sure my wrists were secured enough, he nodded to one of the armed thugs as he walked down the wooden staircase to take a place at the front of the crowd. I looked over at Aiden and noticed his guy doing the same.

  Footfalls approached on the platform behind me. I tried to turn my head to look, but the awkward way they’d tied me made it difficult. Whoever it was didn’t make me wait long to see who it was. I saw the familiar short black hair and goatee of the man who’d captured us earlier. He stopped at my board and tugged at the rope holding my wrists then moved over to Aiden and did the same. Apparently pleased at the tie job, he nodded his approval until his eyes stopped at something low on Aiden’s pants.