by Vivi Anna
Two tall metal posts with lanterns hanging from the tops flanked a high wooden gate. The lights weren’t lit by flame but by electricity. There were four large men with rifles standing guard at the gate, and there was a small sign that hung from the wood. Its letters were crooked, as though a child had written them. The words WELCOME TO INFERNO were painted on the gray metal sign.
Painted blood red.
Inferno City.
A sense of dread surged up her spine. Or was that the feeling of being so close to Baruch? If she paused for a moment and concentrated, she could feel his presence. She had an impression that he knew she had arrived and was anxiously waiting to see her. That thought made her shiver again.
Sar was out of the vehicle, talking with one of the guards. After a few minutes, they both turned and looked at her. She could just imagine what the little rodent was saying. “Look, behold, the great Hell Kat. I caught her.” Soon she hoped she’d get the chance to squish the life out of the little bastard.
With a curt nod, the guard took a distancing step away and motioned to the other guards on duty to open the gate. Sar slid back into the passenger’s seat and grinned maliciously at her.
“Welcome to your new home, pussycat. Baruch will be delighted to see you.”
Kat slunk down into the transport’s bed as they drove through the gates, too tired to waste her words with a clever retort. She was going to need all her strength, all the energy she could possibly muster, if she was going to survive long enough to have her revenge.
If she was going to die in Inferno, she’d make sure she took some of the assholes down with her.
Sar and Baruch were the highest on her list.
Sar would be easy. He was weak and easily manipulated. She would need all her energy for Baruch.
Already she could feel him digging in her mind, planting erotic images of their union, and brushing his energy against hers. The moment they entered the city, she could feel a slight caressing of her skin, as if fingers trailed up and down her body.
Shuddering, she tried to focus on something else besides the growing sense of lust. While they drove, Kat concentrated on the surroundings. Subconsciously mapping out buildings, places to hide, and escape routes.
Inferno was nothing she had expected. She’d heard about the great vibrant city. A place where the decadence, vigor, and violence of the past still thrived. All she witnessed was the same dirt, decay, and desolation of every other town she’d been to.
People milled about in the dirt streets, faces drawn and marked with filth. Shanties made from old wood and leftover pieces of aluminum metal lined the roads. Homes not fit for animals. But families of four or five lived there. Children with torn clothing, hugging broken toys, stared at her as they passed by.
This could not be Inferno City. What could this place possibly offer Baruch? Besides a source of food, she couldn’t fathom a reason he would’ve set up camp here. Because she knew he was here for a reason. Baruch was an intelligent being and did things to benefit himself. But of what profit could this place be to him?
The vehicle stopped. Sar and the driver jumped out. Seconds later, the tailgate dropped and Sar was pulling on her chains. She didn’t fight him this time.
He looked surprised when she rolled out of the vehicle without a word. But Sar wasn’t entirely stupid. He kept her wrists shackled together and kept hold of the chain so she couldn’t run.
Another guard met them. He was just as large as the other men attending the gate. Kat wondered if that was how they grew them out here. Big and complacent.
He led them to an unremarkable brick building with a slanted roof. Once inside, Kat scanned the surroundings again, looking for doors, windows, places to hide, anything that might help her in the future. What she saw was a gutted old warehouse. Dirt and debris scattered everywhere. They kept walking.
Finally they came to a box-shaped contraption made out of rusty metal pipes with a short metal gate. The guard opened the gate and motioned for them to enter the box. Sar went in, pulling on her to follow. Another two Dwellers followed her in, and then the guard brought up the rear.
He shut the little gate and pulled on a lever. The floor underneath them moved, and they started to descend into the ground.
Another underground city. She should’ve figured that. Being so sensitive to light, Baruch would want a place where he could roam without worrying whether he’d be barbecued or not.
The moment they passed the first level of concrete, Kat understood the rumors she’d heard about Inferno City. She understood why Baruch had come here.
The smells hit her first.
Floating up her nose were a plethora of aromas so delectable she started to salivate. The greasy scent of fried foods, the pungent odor of human sweat, the yeast of fresh-baked bread, and the sweet flavor of cinnamon wafted over her. The remarkable and interesting bouquet caused her to lick her lips and peer around hungrily at the surroundings as they descended.
She’d never seen so many people before. As the crowd was crammed together on four levels of metal overhangs and walkways, crisscrossed over a huge open area, she couldn’t tell if the people were coming or going. Glancing down, she saw the area that they were descending into was a type of marketplace. What looked like hundreds of carts and storefronts stood open and bustling with people of all occupations. The sound was almost deafening as people haggled over wares and talked shop.
Although everything seemed to be hectic and confusing, a baffling ball of chaos, Kat did notice that there were guards stationed on every level. Someone still had control over this place, even if it didn’t look that way. Maybe Hades’ warning about Satarah wasn’t unfounded. Kat guessed she’d soon see as the lift came to a stop at the bottom, and two different guards ushered them out. Again, both were huge and dumb looking. Obviously someone favored muscle-bound males with not too much upstairs, with all their brains in their pants.
Kat smiled wistfully, thinking that she had thought of Hades like that when she first met him. He had proved her wrong rather quickly with his charming wit and strength of character. Her smile faded when she remembered that beautiful muscular frame swinging from a rope.
“Satarah is expecting you,” one of the big guards said as he pointed toward a large metal door with the sign EXIT over it. Another two guards flanked the door.
When they neared the door, one of the guards opened it and stepped to the side. The moment the door opened, Kat forgot about the hustle and bustle of the people behind her and the strangeness of the city and immediately thought of Baruch. She could feel him here. As if he were standing next to her, his dark eyes drinking in his fill of her body. She trembled violently and wanted to squeeze her eyes shut to block out the sight of him naked and smiling, his hand stretched out toward her.
Sar must have noticed her trepidation. “What’s the matter, pussycat? Scared?” He chuckled and pulled her over the threshold.
As they walked down a narrow, drab hallway, Kat ignored Sar’s comments and tried to put one foot in front of the other, when, in reality, she wanted to slide to the ground and curl into a ball.
She knew meeting Baruch again would be difficult. But the contradicting sensations that surged over her were almost too much to bear. Loathing and fury for the Dweller raged over her like wildfire. But, at the same time, raging hot desire boiled inside. She could feel it leak out from between her legs with every step as her thighs quivered in anticipation. She wanted Baruch between them. But in the same thought, she imagined poking her thumbs into his eyes and ripping them out, delicious hot blood gushing over her.
Her stomach roiled. Coming to a halt, Kat bent over and vomited on the ground. Nothing but bile came up, as Sar had conveniently forgotten to feed her anything. Her last meal had been with Hades in his kitchen before Dwellers invaded the small village.
Sar yanked her up. “C’mon, bitch, Baruch won’t wait all night for you.”
Yes, he will. Kat had a feeling Baruch would wait an eternity
for her. He was obsessed. She could feel his obsession digging at her mind like an earthworm in fresh black soil.
At the end of the hallway, they came to another door. The leading guard knocked twice and then opened it, stepping in. Sar went through and pulled her along into a whole other world.
The first thing Kat noticed was the color. Explosions of vibrant color were everywhere. On the walls, on the floor, and on the stunning redheaded woman smiling at them in greeting. Satarah.
Kat felt a strange pull at her mind when she glanced up at the woman.
“Welcome to my city.” Her voice was low and husky. A voice for sex. She addressed the lot of them, but her eyes were only for Kat. Kat could feel them trying to penetrate her mind.
Kat shut her eyes, trying to keep the woman out. The rumors Hades had heard had been right.
The woman had some sort of power.
Baruch was here, standing close. She could feel his heat embracing her as if he had already wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. Licks of pleasure radiated up her legs. She wanted to clamp them together to shut out the roving psychic appendage. But it was too strong. Kat nearly moaned when she felt the probe tickling her at her very center. Instantly her sex started to tick like a clock.
Kat opened her eyes and met his gaze. He didn’t look any different. Long black hair cascaded over broad shoulders. Skin pale and flawless. And eyes that promised so much pain and so much pleasure she licked her lips in anticipation.
She wasn’t strong enough to resist him. She’d been a fool thinking she might have a chance. His power over her had only increased in the past seven months. He’d had time to seethe over her escape, how she’d gotten away from him with his stolen merchandise. She glanced down at his arm and noticed the absence of his left hand. Although Dwellers were remarkable healers, Kat knew he couldn’t grow back his hand. She was certain she’d pay for that as well.
Taking a step toward her, he grinned. “Yes, welcome to Inferno City. I’m so glad you could come, Katarina, my love.”
He held out his hand to her. She felt the pull instantly. Swallowing down the bile that rose in her throat, Kat glided to him as if she were floating on air.
11
Hades didn’t want to open his eyes. Without seeing, he knew exactly where he was, once again. He could feel it all around him like a wet, sticky fog. The dream world had become so ingrained in his life he could walk through it blind. And that’s what he wanted to do now.
Because he knew what he was going to witness, and he didn’t think he could keep himself sane if he did.
“Don’t you want to see her, Hades?”
The voice floated to him on a whisper of air and caressed him like a lover. Hades quivered with revulsion. He knew that voice and hated it. However, the words prompted him finally to open his eyes.
Kat was there, just as he knew she would be. And so was Baruch.
She was seated on the edge of a silk-covered bed, dressed in a filmy black gown that revealed more than it covered. Baruch was kneeling on the bed behind her, his hand stroking her head as if he were petting a loyal animal.
“So beautiful, my Katarina,” he purred as he traced his finger over her lips. They parted on a sigh, and her eyes fluttered closed.
“She’s not yours, asshole.” Hades took a step toward the bed, his hands fisted at his sides. He was vibrating with fury.
“Isn’t she?” Baruch smiled, his elongated fangs peeking out from between his full red lips. He moved his hand down, trailing his fingers over her neck and down to her breasts. With one swift pull, the flimsy fabric covering her tore open, revealing her perfect pale flesh.
Kat let out a small moan as Baruch’s hand slid over her skin and rubbed her nipple.
Hades could stand no more. He took another step forward but found it hard to lift his leg. It was as if he moved in water. Finally, when he was able to put his foot down, he found his entire body growing cold, like ice.
Baruch laughed as Hades froze on the spot, only his eyes able to move and shift.
Another form wavered into view. A woman with long, fiery hair moved into the room as if stepping out of the walls. With eyes glowing like moonlight, she walked toward Hades, her long, flowing, emerald gown blowing behind her as if the wind itself belonged to her.
She stood in front of him and cocked her head to the side while she did a thorough perusal of his form. “Hades. How delicious to finally see you.”
“Satarah.”
“I see our reputations have preceded us.” She smiled. “That will make it much easier to get to know each other, won’t it?”
“Fuck you, lady. You aren’t getting to know shit.”
She gasped in mock shock and glanced over her shoulder at Baruch. “Baruch, he certainly doesn’t have any manners, does he?”
“No, he doesn’t. But I’m sure you can cure him of that, Satarah.”
Chuckling, she turned her attention back to Hades. Her eyes glowed brighter like white flames.
She leaned toward his ear and whispered, “Don’t fight me, Hades, I can help you.” Lifting her long, slim hand, she reached toward him….
Hades jerked awake the moment he felt the hand on his shoulder. He had his knife out and to the intruder’s throat within seconds.
“It’s me, Hades.”
Blinking rapidly, Hades focused on Leucothea’s pale, frightened face. Quickly he withdrew his knife and sat up.
“I’m sorry. I…I was dreaming.”
Backing up, she rubbed at her throat. “About what?”
He shook his head, not wanting to relive his nightmarish images. Seeing Kat in Baruch’s hands sickened him. And he couldn’t help thinking that his dreams were merely his own worst fears realized. But what if they weren’t? What if they were like his dreams before, scenes of possible futures? Premonitions of things to come? If they were, then the woman Satarah had given him a warning.
To hurt or to help? He couldn’t be sure.
“Nothing,” he finally answered while glancing around and up into the sky. “What time is it?”
“It’s midday, I think.”
Hades scrambled to his feet. Pain ripped up his side, and he doubled over, putting a hand to his ribs. “Why did you let me sleep so late? We’ve lost half the day.”
She looked him up and down, and he could see the worry in her face and the way her eyes lingered on his injured side. “Because you need it, dumbass.”
His lips twitched at her words. That was exactly something Kat would say. Shaking his head, he straightened and went about seeing to his gear. “Let’s get going, then. We’ll definitely make it to Inferno today.”
“How are we going to get in?”
“I don’t know.” He set his pack into the saddlebags on the bike and rubbed a hand over the stubble on his chin. “We’ll have to go in at dark, I would think, so we’re not seen. Other than that, I don’t know a damn thing.” He sighed in frustration.
Leucothea took a step toward him and set a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll find her alive. I know we will.”
Nodding, he continued to secure the gear onto the bike. He had no doubt they’d find her. Images from his dream still lingered in his mind. He was just afraid of what they would find. Hell Kat or their worst nightmare.
They came upon the walled city of Inferno a little more than five hours later. Hunkering down behind an outcropping of jagged rocks, they watched the city from a distance. From the indication of the quick, flashing red light on the tracker, Kat was definitely somewhere inside the city.
Hades had no idea how they were going to get in. The wooden wall wasn’t incredibly tall, but the main gate they were staring at was heavily guarded. The guards carried rifles.
He was never any good at silent and sneaky. He had always preferred the direct approach. Guns blazing, fists flying. This slinking-around shit pricked his ass. However, if they were going to live, he supposed that was exactly what they had to do.
Peering over a rock, stay
ing out of sight, Hades surveyed the surroundings. The road to the city was open, with nothing but dirt and rocks covering it. Except for a run-down shack with what looked like a gasoline pump, there was nothing around the city except barren land. It was essentially impossible to go in unnoticed.
Sliding back around to lean against the rocks, Hades went through his pack and took out the shotgun shells. He started loading up.
Leucothea watched him, her newly formed eyebrow arched in question. “So, what’s the plan?”
“We wait till dark. Crawl to the shack, then crawl to the wall, and jump over.”
“That’s it?” She stared at him incredulously.
“Yup.”
“I think—”
Hades put up his hand to stop her words. “Don’t think, kid. Take this time to get some rest and to practice loading that gun.” He motioned to the weapon he had laid next to her. “You’re going to need it.”
She glared at him for a few moments longer and then slouched against a rock and rummaged through her pack, coming away with some dried fruit. She offered him some.
He shook his head. He couldn’t eat. In fact, he couldn’t do much of anything. Pain was his constant companion now. Even breathing was causing him some problems.
Turning his attentions back to his gun, Hades continued to load up. The continual movement of his right arm forced him to cough. He hacked violently as if something had been lodged in his throat. He put his hand over his mouth. The moment he did, and felt the wet on his lips, he knew what was wrong inside.
Without looking at his hand, Hades wiped the moisture on his pants so Leucothea couldn’t see.
Out of the corner of his eye, the blood streak stared back at him in confirmation. He was definitely fucked.
12
The feel of the soft, silky sheets against her skin stirred Kat from her deep slumber. Rolling over onto her side, she gathered the inviting fabric to her chest and took in a deep breath, thinking the decadence of it could be only a dream. The moment the familiar aroma of Baruch entered her nose, Kat’s eyes sprang open. She definitely was not dreaming.
