by KM Fortune
“I mean I woke up to see you and that guy acting like buddies,” he snarled. “You want to explain what is going on?”
Matthew stared back at the shorter, younger man and, even though he disliked conflict, wanted nothing more than to send him sprawling. Before he could decide his next move, Raven was beside them.
“Stop it,” she insisted. “Blaze, this is not helping.” Matthew watched Blaze flick his eyes over at Raven. A look of uncertainty crossed his face.
“You should have seen him, Raven,” Blaze said.
“I’m sure Matthew had a good reason for acting that way,” she said. “Right?” It was Matthew’s turn to look at her. Curiosity filled her face, but there was no hint of suspicion. It reassured him to know she trusted him completely. With a nod, he stepped back from Blaze and turned to Raven.
“I did,” he said. “The Duke is dangerous. I can’t guess his exact plan, but he worked very hard to get all of us so drunk we passed out. Luckily, I met his match and stayed conscious.”
“How did you manage that?” Raven asked. “He was relentless.”
Matthew shrugged. He was not sure himself but figured it must have something to do with his engineering. "My genetic makeup maybe? We don't have anything fermented in Eden, so I never was exposed to any alcohol and had no idea how I would react. Fortunately for all of us, I felt fine. Maybe a touch of dizziness at the most."
“Genetic what?” Blaze asked.
Matthew looked at him. “I’m a clone,” he said. “I’m not human like you.”
CHAPTER 4
The man moved faster than Willow expected. She guessed he would bolt at some point, or at least she knew she would if the situation was reversed. Being shot would be worth trying to avoid whatever fate was in store for her. What Willow had not considered was his speed and skill. It was the gray beard and wrinkles around his eyes, which threw her off. Looking into the old soldier's face when she was able to get the drop on him, she realized he was the oldest person she ever laid eyes on. People on the wasteland of the high desert lived too dangerous of a life to normally survive long. Even the people who lived beside the lake struggled between having to fight the wolves and raids by the Patrols. In the end, the man's apparent advanced age made her underestimate him, and it was really only luck that she caught him at all.
They were nearing the spot Willow had picked out for them to temporarily hole up while she interrogated him. It was rockier than the normal landscape and packed snow had turned into ice in the crevices. A misstep onto a slippery patch was what made the old soldier stumble. It was enough for Willow to catch up and punch him with the butt of her rifle. She was trying not to hit him too hard because keeping him alive for the moment was critical, but Willow used enough force to daze the man and stop his attempt to run. As he clutched the back of his head and rolled over onto his back with a groan, Willow held the rifle ready to strike him again. Seeing her intent, the man held up his hand to protect his head. “Wait,” he said. “I give up.”
Willow lowered the rifle but keep her guard up as she pulled the scarf down to uncover her face. She was about to give him a warning when she saw his eyes widen with surprise. Willow frowned, puzzled by his response until the reality of the situation dawned on her. He didn’t know I was a woman, she thought and felt grim satisfaction in the fact his understanding she was female would not sit well with him. Willow smirked at the old man. "You assumed I was male, didn't you," she said, making a statement and not asking a question. "Well, the joke's on you then. Now get up. I have plans for us." Suddenly, the soldier growled and tried to trip her with a sweep of his legs. It was a good attempt and would have been successful if Willow was not as experienced a fighter. Instead, she skipped to the side and with a shake of her head, brought the butt of the rifle down again, this time straight into his face. She heard his nose crunch and expected a yelp of pain. Instead, the man shook his head to clear it and with bright red blood already pouring into his thick gray beard, he started to stand up with a look of loathing and defiance in his glaring eyes. With a frown over the man's stubbornness, Willow smacked him with the rifle butt again. Hard enough this time to knock him out cold. Just great, she thought. Now I’ll have to carry him.
RAVEN LOOKED FROM ONE man to the other. They stood toe-to-toe, and as she observed them, she realized even though she cared deeply for both of them, they could not be more different. While Blaze was lean, quick to temper, and rugged from a survivor's life on the plains, Matthew's face was fuller with gentle, intelligent eyes, which reflected his even temperament. One similarity however was the dislike for the other she saw in both their eyes. Before the situation could become even more uncomfortable, Raven inserted herself between them, and they stepped back. "We have got to get along," she said. "We need a plan. I don't remember much of last night after a certain point, but what I do recall, The Duke seemed like a reasonable man."
Blaze frowned and looked at Raven. “You’re not serious?” he asked. “He’s a snake.”
"Not necessarily," Matthew interjected with a shake of his head. "I do agree he is dangerous, but I believe he will keep any promises. I spoke with him at length this morning. He's a betting man, and I think he would never go back on a wager." Raven raised her eyebrows. A betting man? she thought. Then she remembered they were in Reno, Nevada of all places. Being a gambler made sense, and it might account for how The Duke came to run the city.
“What kind of bets?” Raven asked.
"Pretty much anything," Matthew answered. "He tried to get me to make a wager on which twin would wake up first, but I declined. The stakes were not to my liking." Raven felt a hint of unease.
“What were the stakes?” she asked, somehow knowing the price for losing a bet to The Duke would be unpleasant if not dangerous. Matthew shrugged.
“The loser of the bet had to kiss the twin who was not awake. Something about Sleeping Beauty and a prince,” Matthew said.
Blaze barked out a laugh. "I'd have paid to see that one," he said, but Raven did not find it funny. The wager was intentionally meant to be humiliating to both Matthew and the other twin. Ironically, Raven knew Blaze would have jumped at the bet. Not a good sign, she thought.
“I’m glad you were smart enough to say no,” she said. “I don’t want any of us to start making bets with him. Let’s just talk to him about what we need and see how much it will cost.”
Matthew sighed. “It won’t be so easy, I’m afraid. Gambling is the mainstay of this town. We won’t be able to negotiate without some sort of game,” he admitted. “Apparently, people come from hundreds of miles away to try their luck here. Winners can become quite rich and famous among the residents.” Again, Raven did not like the sound of what Matthew was telling her.
“And the losers?” she asked. Matthew shook his head.
“I asked. I could not get a straight answer out of him, but my guess is the outcome is most definitely not good,” he replied.
KIT HELD PERFECTLY still as she paused just inside the revolving door. The room was dark, lit only by the dull daylight filtering in through the few intact front windows. Even though her instinct told her she was alone, Kit waited while her eyes adjusted. Slowly the outlines of a lobby appeared. The space looked well maintained but smelled off, slightly stinging Kit's sensitive nose. It seemed to be coming from the floor especially, and Kit lowered herself to examine the surface. Again, she was impressed with how perfect it looked and reached out to touch it. It was slightly damp, and after sniffing her fingers, she realized the scent had something to do with keeping the floor clean. This is a special place, she thought, more curious than ever. Scanning the room, she saw some doors leading off of it, including a set of stairs. Going up the steps seemed the safest route as there was no way to know how noisy the hinges on the doors might be. Moving with silent swiftness, she ascended to the next level. Now the space was more expansive but filled with a few rows of chairs. There was a bit more light, yet it seemed to be coming from below. Puzzled,
Kit moved along a row until she was at an aisle, where she turned to follow it toward the source of illumination. It led to a short wall and Kit realized she was up on a ledge which overlooked the level below. She was about to poke her head over when she heard the distinct sound of whistling.
Freezing in place, Kit pulled her knives and tried to locate the source of the sound. After a moment, she realized it was coming from the floor under her and was some sort of tune rather than a warning. It has nothing to do with me, she thought, and she guessed her presence was still not detected. Not sure if she should stay and see if she could learn more, or sneak back out, she suddenly heard a loud series of clicks and then the space below was flooded with light. Instinctively, Kit ducked down lower, but the balcony remained in shadow. It was definitely time to leave, but again, Kit was immensely curious as to what was happening on the floor below her. She could not for the life of her imagine why anything would need so much light. Finally, unable to contain herself, she ever so slowly raised her head above the rail and paused to look down. What she saw was even more confusing.
There was a ring with walls made of stiff, black netting and the whole thing was surrounded by more rows of chairs. All of the lights in the room were trained on the center. It’s some sort of cage, she thought. But what do they keep in it? Maybe an animal? Still not sure, Kit saw a hint of movement to the right, and before she could duck down, a skinny man with a broom stepped into the edge of the light. "You're plenty early, stranger," he called up to her. "Fights don't start for hours yet." Kit ducked back down behind the short wall again and wanted to kick herself for being so careless. She had been distracted by the strange sight and not realized she was being observed from the shadows. Not sure what was her best move, she was surprised to hear laughter from below her. It sounded sincerely amused and held no threat. "Come on down," said the man from below. "Since you're so curious, I'll give you a tour. No charge."
CHAPTER 5
There was a spring in Samuel's step as he ascended the stairs, which led to The Creator's private chambers. It was rare for Samuel to go there as he would typically wait and send a message to The Creator requesting an audience, but this news was so incredible, he could not wait. Morning communion had just finished, and the flock was now gone, so Samuel knew The Creator would be awake and in good spirits after having just given a short sermon on piousness. The timing was perfect. Samuel's devotion could not be stronger, and at last, he would have an opportunity to bridge the slowly growing divide between him and his Maker. Ever since the woman from the ice was brought into Eden, The Creator seemed displeased with Samuel. Soon, this would no longer be an issue.
Samuel approached the closed door of The Creator's suite of rooms and knocked softly. After a pause, there was a buzz and the lock to the door released with a click. Samuel, trying hard to keep the gleeful smile off his face, entered. The Creator was in his chair, hooked up to the resurrection machine he used multiple times a day. It pumped rejuvenating plasma and other fluids into his frail veins. Samuel immediately went into a deep bow. "My Lord," he said. There was a long moment of silence, and Samuel began to feel uncomfortable. With his eyes trained on the floor, he had no way of knowing how The Creator looked or what he was doing. Is He displeased at my intrusion? Samuel wondered and frowned with frustration. If only he could raise up and explain, then everything would be clear, and The Creator would understand why Samuel was in such a rush. As the awkwardness continued and his impatience began to mount, Samuel considered peeking up to see if The Creator had perhaps fallen asleep. Before he could act, Samuel heard the whirring noise of The Creator's chair.
“You can turn it off now, Hannah,” The Creator said as if Samuel was not even in the room. Samuel blinked in surprise. Is the wastling here somehow? he thought. Impossible. Yet he heard the sound of light feet come closer and unable to contain himself any longer, Samuel lifted his eyes and took in the sight of the little dark-haired girl carefully but confidently pushing a series of buttons on the resurrection machine. The device shut down and Hannah stepped back with a smile
“Feel better?” she asked The Creator.
“I do. Thank you,” The Creator answered. “Now perhaps you can draw me another picture? I need to talk to Samuel for a moment.” Samuel quickly returned to staring at the ground, but not before he saw Hannah nod and then heard her skip back across the room to a spot outside of Samuel’s peripheral vision. What is going on? Samuel thought, his mind racing. Why was the child here? Where was The Creator’s usual attendant? None of it made sense. “Okay, Samuel,” The Creator said to him at last. “I expect you have a good reason for coming here uninvited.” Samuel raised up from his bow and nodded. His previous excitement over his news was now muted as dozens of questions swirled through his head. Not knowing where to even start, Samuel opened his mouth and then snapped it closed again. Should I say anything in front of the girl? He was not sure. She was smart and might guess he was talking about the woman Samuel now knew was named Raven. His instincts told him she would not only figure it out but somehow the child knowing would be bad for him. Following his intuition, Samuel gave The Creator a small nod.
“I wanted to tell you how powerful I found this morning’s sermon,” Samuel said. It was lame even to his own ears, but it would have to do for now. Until he could do something about the little girl. Something permanent.
BLAZE PACED BACK AND forth across the hotel room as the three of them strategized the best way to approach The Duke with their request. Everyone had a different idea. Matthew wanted to immediately begin careful negotiations, while Raven thought they should work on building trust first. Blaze thought they were being soft and said so, yet when Raven pressed him, he had to admit he did not have a solution to propose. One thing they all agreed on was the fact they needed guns and hopefully a group of volunteers willing to help infiltrate the Great Cave. Matthew thought he would be able to take them to Mouse, the little girl stolen from Blaze’s clan, but the hint of uncertainty in the man’s voice did not reassure Blaze. Then there was the problem of not having much to trade for what they needed. With The Duke, Blaze knew there would be a high price to pay. But how high will it be? he wondered. Coming to the window, Blaze stopped and looked out onto the snowy landscape below. Based on the position of the sun trying to shine through the overcast sky, Blaze knew the day was slipping away. Just as he was about to insist they come to a final decision, there was a knock at the hotel room door. Before Blaze or either of the others could react, the door opened, and The Duke poked his head in. "Hey there, did you all fall asleep or something?" he drawled. Raven stood up from where she sat on the end of the bed and went to open the door the rest of the way.
“Come in,” she said. The Duke entered with his hat in his hand and immediately focused on Raven.
“Thank you so much,” he said. “I was missing you and thought I’d check and see if everything was a-okay.”
“That’s very kind of you. We are fine aside for a bit of a headache, thanks to you I might add,” Raven said with a smile. The Duke chuckled and gave her a wink.
"My apologies," he said, but it was clear he did not mean it. Getting her and the others intoxicated had definitely been on his agenda. Blaze watched the whole exchange, and it did not sit well with him. The last thing he wanted was for Raven to risk her safety by befriending the leader of what was called the forbidden city by everyone Blaze knew. Even though things seemed pleasant enough on the surface, he was not convinced. In his heart, he felt there was something evil here. More than just the risk of falling into one of The Duke's wagers. The question was what was it. I need to get away from the group and do some looking around, Blaze thought. I just need an excuse. Before he could come up with one, The Duke looked around at the others.
"The twins are up finally, and we ordered some lunch. Anybody in the mood for some roasted game hens?" The Duke asked. Blaze felt his stomach growl at the idea. As much as he hated their host, the food he was providing was plentiful. Apparentl
y Matthew and Raven were just as hungry as they both nodded at the offer.
“That would be much appreciated,” Matthew said. “And maybe we can talk business too?” The Duke waved off the comment.
“Business can wait. I figured after we ate, I’d take you all for a short tour of our fine city. It’s the entertainment capital of the world, you know. Of course, that’s easy to say, considering not much else is standing,” he said and laughed at his own joke. Raven and Matthew joined in on the laugh, but Blaze continued to frown. He saw nothing funny about The Duke. Nothing at all.
GABRIEL WOKE UP. HIS whole body ached, and when he tried to move his hands to assess the damage, he realized they were tied tightly in front of him. Only able to open one eye because the other was swollen shut, he tried to look around and see where he was, but all he could make out was some brush and rocks on the ground. "Oh good, you're awake," said a woman's voice from above him. "I thought maybe my last strike was a little too much." Gabriel blinked his good eye and remembered where he was and the situation he was in. Someone, a woman of all things, had waited in ambush for him on the road. When he tried to get away, she clubbed him. More than once if his memory served him. He rolled over onto his back and glared up at the stranger. She returned his look. "You're a tough one, I'll give you that," the woman said. "Almost had to shoot you when you kept coming toward me."
“You should have,” Gabriel mumbled through a split lip. “I’ll kill you before this is over.” The woman nodded.
"I'm pretty sure one of us will be dead," she agreed and stepped away to feed a small fire in a ring of rocks. Over it roasted a small hunk of meat. Still not sure where he was precisely, Gabriel sat up. It hurt his ribs to the point he had to grit his teeth to stop from moaning. There was no way he would give this heathen the satisfaction of sounding in pain.
