As the morning went on, they got ready, and Alisa tried to soak in every moment. She wanted to capture it in her mind and never let go just in case this was the end. Eventually, it was time to go, however, and they headed for the gate to go inside. Two guards were stationed outside it. Alisa sighed, knowing exactly what was coming. New Vegas’s guards had never been kind to outsiders. This was going to be trouble.
“What are you lot doing here?” one of them asked with a look of anger, but he was also hiding glee in his voice. Some guards seemed to live for showing their authority.
“I’m scheduled to fight in the pit, and my sister is my plus one,” Henry explained and showed his pass that had been sent to the house the week before.
“Very well, but we’ll have to put an anklet on her. We don’t want street filth overstaying their welcome.”
Henry wanted to take up for his sister, but he knew where that would land both of them. The guards were looking for a reason to detain them, beat him, and maybe even rape his sister. It wasn’t uncommon for the guards to take pretty girls and do what they wanted with them. Henry had never seen Alisa in that light because they were family, but he could tell by the gazes she received from passersby that she was just the type of girl sick guards like these would target.
Henry nodded for him to put the anklet on her, and Alisa stepped over beside the guard. The other man walked inside a little building that looked like a toll booth from the past world and stepped out with the device. Then he handed it to the guard with the sick expression who made sure to slide his hands down Alisa’s body from her stomach to her hips, where he hesitated for a second and grinned. Finally, he lightly moved his fingertips down her bronzed legs. It sent a shiver down her spine, and she felt the acid in her stomach begin to collect as she suddenly felt the need to vomit. These sick insiders truly took whatever they wanted. They were already taking her brother. Why did they feel the need to humiliate her, too?
“All done. Now, don’t go making any trouble in there,” he said and clicked the anklet on. Then the guard rose up, placing his hands back on her hips and looking her straight in the eyes with his face only inches from hers.
“Yes, sir,” Alisa said cheerfully, although she wanted to knee this guy in the groin and teach him a lesson about touching the wrong girl.
“All right, thanks to both of you. You’ve been very helpful,” Henry said and took her hand, hurrying her along toward the gate. It opened, and as they stepped inside, Alisa sighed and shivered as a chill went over her body. She felt dirty being touched by a man like that.
“Are you okay?” Henry asked, his usually cheerful manner gone.
“I’ll live. What is wrong with people like that, though?” she asked and shook her head.
“I don’t know. I wanted to deck him, but we both know how that would’ve ended.”
“I know you couldn’t do anything. I just wish we could change things.”
At that exact moment, she stopped thinking about the guard and everything that was awaiting Henry. Alisa looked around and saw the city that she had been kept out of her whole life. She had heard the stories about the inside, but they were nothing compared to the real thing. Homes seven and eight times bigger than theirs were everywhere, and shops of all kinds were spread throughout the city. Then there were the roads. They were fully paved with street signs on every corner. As they walked, she discovered that there was even a park.
“It’s something, isn’t it?” Henry asked in amazement.
“Yes, it is. I can’t believe they get to live in a place like this when we’re stuck out there.”
“Me either, but Alisa, someday we’ll be in a place like this,” he said and smiled.
“How could you possibly believe that?”
“Because I just have a feeling.”
“A feeling? Really? You are the biggest optimist I’ve ever met, and it’s getting kind of annoying,” Alisa said with a grin.
“You know you love that about me. Now, come on. You can explore the city more after I’m done in the pit.”
They walked to the stadium that surrounded the pit, and after he had shown his ID, a guard motioned for Henry to come with him. Alisa started to follow them, but he told her to stop. She didn’t understand. Alisa thought she was going to be with him every step of the way until he stepped into the pit. Did they have to say goodbye now?
“I’ll be fine, sis. Just explore the city, and be back here in time for the show. I want to look up and see you after I’m victorious,” Henry said and smiled.
“I don’t know if I can watch. I’m nervous.”
“I thought it was my job to be nervous,” he joked.
“You’re right. I’ll be there, and Henry, I know you’re going to be great,” Alisa said and hugged him. She didn’t want to let go because a part of Alisa knew the truth. She would never really see her brother again. He would either die or walk out of that pit a changed man who could no longer see the beauty in this world. Either way, this was a goodbye forever.
“I love you!” she called out as he started to step inside, holding back tears in the process.
“I love you, too, and don’t worry. I keep telling you that things are going to be fine. Believe me.”
She nodded, and the door shut. The last thing Alisa saw was his smiling face. Would she ever see Henry again? Would she have to watch him be ripped apart by a man they used to call a friend? The questions were too much. She didn’t want to think about what could happen. In fact, the only thing Alisa wanted to do was forget about all of this. She wanted to drown her worries in a sea of booze, and that was exactly what she planned to do.
Alisa spied the casino, a grand but somewhat ridiculous structure that outsider slaves had built years ago. It would have a bar and a lot of drunk men who might buy her a drink. She already had enough for one or two, which wouldn’t be enough to calm her nerves completely, but it was a start. Alisa headed that way, receiving sideways glances from rich pale strangers in nice clothes. She understood why they looked appalled at her. A tee shirt that was frayed and faded along with an old pair of shorts was all she was wearing. Her skin was oily, and dust from the desert outside glimmered off parts of her skin. In contrast, other women wore dress suits with pants, and none of them looked like they had worked a day in their life. Their pale bodies told that much, and their flabby midsections told the rest of the story. These people ate whatever they wanted for free while the slaves on the outside would starve, sweat, and even die just so they could continue their life of excess.
Still, they looked at her like she was the strange one. It was completely absurd, and for a moment, Alisa hated them all. She had never liked to generalize people, but it was hard not to in the situation she was in. Ultimately, Alisa did the only thing she could, however. She went inside, sat down, and ordered a drink. After a few sips, she knew the truth. The alcohol wasn’t making her worries disappear. If anything, it was making them worse as thoughts of her potential future without Henry ran through her mind at a now rapid pace.
Suddenly, she noticed a boy sitting a few seats down. He stared at her for a moment before realizing that she was looking back at him. Then he immediately looked away. She smiled for a brief moment, thinking it was cute the way he had been so flustered by a simple glance. That was the type of thing outsiders had no time for. If you liked someone, you acted. It was the same with everything else. They knew their lives were going to be short most of the time, so they acted without hesitation, telling themselves all the while that a short life without regret was better than a long one without brave actions.
There was more to this boy, though. He wore clothes that looked foreign, and they were obviously expensive. Then there was his skin. It was tan, but not like a normal outsider’s. There were no tan lines or burns. It almost looked like an artificial tan. She had read about that. A century ago, people had used something called tanning beds, but she didn’t understand that. Why would people willingly burn themselves? She would hav
e given anything to have a paler complexion because it would have come with a lot less work and fewer burns.
The last thing she noticed was his arms. They were small but not without definition. He was clearly a rich kid who had been pampered his whole life. He didn’t have to work, but he at least put some effort into something physical. That was intriguing, and in truth, he was simply cute to her. Alisa knew he looked a little younger than she was, but did that really matter? After all, they would probably never see each other again.
She realized how she was thinking after a second. How could she be thinking about some guy when her brother was going to be fighting to the death in just a few minutes? Alisa needed to get over to the pit and find a good seat. She had to be there for him, even if she didn’t want to. That was the problem, though. Alisa was too scared to move. She was afraid to know Henry’s fate. If it were bad, she couldn’t take watching, not after already losing her father.
“Is this seat taken?” she suddenly heard a voice ask and looked up to see the boy who had been eyeing her before. After that, her life was never the same.
Chapter 7
New Vegas
“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Sarah exclaimed and sighed loudly. Alex understood why she was so frustrated. They had come all this way only to find that their daughter was in the custody of some man they had never met before, and worst of all, that man would probably want something they couldn’t give for her safe return.
“Relax. This is good news. You and Alex are respected by most leaders. Everyone has heard about what you did in Raines. I’m sure New Vegas’s leader will be a reasonable person,” Roger said, though he didn’t know if he believed that. Still, he had to say something encouraging. Alex and Sarah were too close to this, so of course their minds were only going to the worst-case scenario.
“I’m not so sure about that,” Lee said and looked down.
“Why do you say that?” Roger asked.
“Because I don’t know much about politics, but I do know this. Every time Mom and Dad tried to get something from a politician, they had to give something big in return. This man wouldn’t be holding onto Veronica unless he thought he could get a king’s ransom for her.”
Roger conceded, but he wished that Lee would have simply gone along with the lie. Alex and Sarah needed to believe there was a glimmer of hope, even if that wasn’t true. Lee couldn’t be blamed, though. He was still a kid of only seventeen. More often than not, youth isn’t a time to hold your tongue. Experience teaches us to tell truths but also to carefully choose where we do. Now wasn’t the time, but they were past damage control at this point. All that was left to do was discuss a realistic strategy.
“All right, if he’s correct and this is going to be complicated, then what’s our plan?” Travis asked, now sounding a bit more composed than earlier. It was obvious that he still hadn’t shaken off the events of the last few minutes, but he was holding it together better than any of them thought he would. Just maybe he was cut out for this kind of thing, after all.
“That’s simple. We’ll go talk to him. If my memory serves me right, the man’s name is Charles Boyd. He was never the easiest person to negotiate with from what I’ve heard, but then again, I never actually met the man,” Alex said.
“No, we can’t all go to the city,” Sarah said while thinking intently.
“Why not?”
“Because we both know he’ll ask for something, and we’re not in a position of power anymore. We might not be able to give him what he wants. If that’s the case, then he doesn’t need to know everyone’s faces.”
“I see what you’re getting at. If our negotiations fail, then we’ll have to try to steal Veronica back, and having some people who can move around without being recognized will be paramount in that.”
“Wait a second. I just killed someone, and I get that I can do the same thing again if I have to, but I’m no thief. I don’t think these two are either. We have no experience sneaking into anywhere, and even if we did, we’ve never had to sneak into a place guarded by armed men,” Travis said.
“Speak for yourself. When I was a kid, I had to steal all the time before I met Alex,” Roger said.
“And that was a long time ago. All of you know exactly what I’m getting at. It’s nice in theory to think that we could sneak in and get Veronica back, but it’s also unrealistic.”
“You’re right, but what other options will we have if we fail to negotiate with him?” Alex asked.
“I don’t know, but getting more people captured won’t help anything.”
“Maybe we could find someone on the inside to help us,” Lee said thoughtfully.
“How? We don’t know anyone in the city,” Sarah said.
“Actually, that’s not true. When we started trading with New Vegas, we sent an ambassador to negotiate with them on our behalf. That’s been about fifteen years ago, so who knows if he’ll still be loyal, but he’ll have access to information and places that we won’t,” Alex said.
“Okay, then it’s a plan. We should hurry. Every minute that she’s in their custody is another that she could be hurt.”
Alex didn’t really think that New Vegas’s people would hurt their daughter. The city wasn’t as civilized as theirs, but it was just good business to keep someone safe and healthy if you were planning to use them later. Even so, he remembered stories about New Vegas and understood why she would worry. Supposedly, they had a fighting pit inside the city where outsiders were drafted to entertain them and win a few credits if they were victorious. The elites used it as an entertaining way to bet their own fortunes. From what he heard, lives were won and lost in that pit. It was barbaric, but it was also the way of the real world. Alex didn’t know if the others remembered that. The little slice of paradise they had built in Raines was the exception to the rule.
Once they were back on the road, Sarah reviewed the map to find that they were only a couple hours from New Vegas. They were all pretty tired, and the rations they packed for the trip weren’t exactly hitting the spot, but she wanted to get there as soon as possible. No stops or even preparation time was acceptable in her mind. They were going to know exactly what kind of man they were dealing with before the day was over.
When they finally got to the city, they found that the entrance to the indoor portion was heavily guarded. That was to be expected, but these people didn’t look friendly. As they pulled up to the gate, Sarah noticed the closest guard scowling at them. These guys just wanted a reason to make trouble, or at least that was the impression she got.
“Show an ID, or hit the road,” The guard rudely said as Alex rolled his window down.
“I’m not a citizen, but . . .” Alex managed to say before he was cut off.
“Then get out of here while you still can. We don’t take very kindly to people who try to get in illegally,” he said with a threatening look.
“I have this,” Alex said, ignoring the comment, and passed him a badge. It was a pass that allowed political members from other cities to enter on business. A lot of cities didn’t recognize them, but a few places across North America had adopted a system with Raines that allowed diplomatic entry. Thankfully, New Vegas was one of them.
“Let’s see . . . you’re the representative of Raines. Impressive! We’ve even heard stories about you here, Mr. Morgan. I’ve got to say they don’t live up to expectations,” the guard said and looked him up and down as if to imply that Alex was a bit flabbier than the tales had described.
“I don’t care what you’ve heard or even who you are. We’re on important business, and if you don’t let us through soon, then I can promise that you’ll regret it,” Alex said plainly.
“Are you threatening me?” the guard asked with a crooked smile. It had been a boring day, so he welcomed a little action.
“You’re damn right I am! Now . . .” Alex said before Sarah cut him off.
“What he means is that if you don’t let us through now Mr. Boyd will
hear about it. We have incredibly important business with him, and he won’t be pleased if we’re delayed.” Sarah would have loved to see Alex put the cocky guard in his place, but they didn’t have time for that. If being gentle with someone who didn’t deserve it would get her closer to her daughter that much quicker, then Sarah didn’t mind one bit.
“Right. My apologies,” the guard said, now coming to his senses. If there was one person he would never cross it was Charles Boyd. Their leader didn’t like waiting, and if he got in the way of something important, Charles might have him kicked out into the harsh elements with the outsiders who he had treated like garbage for years. Even worse, he might make him fight for his freedom in the pits.
“Thanks. I could’ve handled that, but your way was much easier,” Alex said.
“No problem. A softer touch is going to be needed for negotiations, though. Can you do that?” Sarah asked without much confidence.
Alex had always been quick to anger when it came to negotiating. It probably had a lot to do with how things worked on the outside and the fact that he had to fight for everything he had before he was able to get inside Raines. He had always been gentle and patient with Sarah and their children, but she knew this man. If Charles wouldn’t give them their daughter back, he would try to take her by force right there, and that wasn’t what they needed. They might just have to live to fight another day in that case.
“Of course, I can,” Alex answered.
“I’m being serious here. We might not get her back yet. If we don’t, we’ll have to accept that and find another way. We can’t do that from some prison cell.”
“I promise you that I’m going to be on my best behavior in there. I have to be. Veronica’s life could be at stake.”
Those were sobering words for Sarah. Could she be at her best? She knew that she wouldn’t freak out and do anything stupid, but would she be able to negotiate better than she ever had? Sarah had negotiated trade deals and peace among the citizens of Raines. This would be far more important than any of that, though. Now she was negotiating for her daughter’s life, and no price would be too much for that.
The Divide_Legacy Page 7
