The Divide_Legacy

by Mitchel Grace

  “I have good news for you. I’m going to let you and your son go home. Your helpers will die today, however,” Charles said.

  “Wait a second. That doesn’t make any sense,” Alex said.

  “Oh, it makes perfect sense. You’re just not seeing the full picture yet. Go home, and get everything ready for me,” he said with a smirk.

  “We will, but first I need my people,” Alex insisted.

  “Well, their first bout is scheduled for about ten minutes from now, so there can’t be any cancellations. I’ll make a deal with you. If they can survive ten rounds, they’ll go free. Let me give you a word of warning, though. No one survives ten rounds in the pit. It’s a death sentence, even for a group of fighters.”

  “Then let me fight with them!”

  “Me, too,” Sarah said.

  “Interesting! The heroes of Raines fighting valiantly for their people; it’s a good storyline for my audience, and I’ll still have the boy to send back to Raines and give any message I wish. I like it. Be warned, though. I once saw a group of eight go through the gauntlet. They made it to round nine before the final one’s head was cut clean off his shoulders. Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “We’re positive. Now hurry up, and send word to delay that fight until we can get ready,” Sarah said.

  “Very well,” Charles said and waved his hand to a guard who immediately walked out to notify the announcer that there would be some changes. Then Alex and Sarah were escorted out of the suite. Neither of them knew if they could survive, but to save Lee, they would have tried anything.

  Chapter 13

  A Death Sentence

  Alex and Sarah were escorted down to the pit where they were directed to a holding area on the edge of the fighting grounds. There they found Lee and Alisa. Sarah immediately hugged her son. Alex, on the other hand, was concentrated on something else. Alisa’s ankle looked swollen. She was standing, but it was clear that just doing that was painful. He had thought they would have four people on their side, but they were already down to three.

  “Why did Travis say he was you?” Sarah asked.

  “I think he was actually being brave. He thought that it would be easier if they believed he was your son. We didn’t know what kind of plans they would have for me, and he was willing to take the bullet for me. I went with it, for lack of a better option, but neither of us could’ve known it would land me here,” Lee said.

  “How long do we have?” Alex asked, more focused than anyone else in the room. He knew that these questions didn’t matter, and neither did potential goodbyes. If they didn’t focus on the task at hand, then they wouldn’t stand a chance at all.

  “We were told we would have ten minutes from the time you got in here,” Alisa answered.

  “Good, then everyone should listen up. We’re going to fight in a triangle formation, almost back to back. Alisa, you’ll be in the middle of that. You should only act when absolutely necessary.”

  “That doesn’t make any sense. I have to fight, too, if . . .”

  “You can barely walk. You would die in the first round if you tried to go all out immediately. Sarah and I can probably get us through the first few rounds without help. Rest, and pick your spots in the meantime. Now, what weapons are we using?”

  “We have the choice between these,” Lee said and showed him to a table that had a few knives and short spears laid out on it.

  “Do you still have Jake’s knife?” Alex asked.

  “They didn’t take it. As a matter of fact, they said I could use it if I wanted to. That was what I planned to do.”

  “You’ll take a spear. That’ll keep any potential enemies at a distance. I’ll be fighting with the knife. What do you want to use?” Alex asked as he turned toward Sarah.

  “This will work just fine,” Sarah said as she found a dagger.

  “And you?” he asked, looking at Alisa.

  “I don’t know. I’ve never had to fight in a situation like this,” Alisa said nervously.

  “You’re already hurt, so we don’t want people getting too close to you. Try this,” he suggested and handed her a spear.

  She nodded in approval, though it was clear neither of them were ready, and how could they be? Lee was still technically a child, and Alisa had only been an adult for a year. Regardless of age, however, no one could be completely prepared for a situation like this. Sure, Alex had been in plenty of life or death scenarios and come out on top, but that didn’t make it any easier. He knew that someday his time would come, and he was afraid it was now. Ultimately, only one thing kept him going. Alex knew that it didn’t matter if he died today. The only thing that was truly important was his family’s safety. If he could somehow get them out of this, then he could die happy.

  “Wh . . . what do you think we’ll face out there?” Lee asked nervously.

  Before he had looked somewhat composed, but the cracks in his bravery were starting to show. This was like a really bad nightmare for Lee, only this time he wouldn’t get to wake up safe in his bed again. This time his nightmares were coming to life, and the only way to get out alive was to face them without hesitation. Truthfully, Lee didn’t know if he had that kind of courage in him.

  “I don’t know, but I do know this much. If we stay together and use our heads instead of letting fear take over, all of us will get out of this alive,” Alex assured him.

  He couldn’t tell if his son actually believed that. The truth was that Alex didn’t even know if he believed what he was saying, but he needed them to take him seriously. He needed everyone to know that somehow he would keep them safe.

  About that time, they heard a horn, and a guard stepped into the room. Without saying a word, he motioned for them to leave. He didn’t seem to take any pleasure in his job. A look of guilt was permanently plastered on the man’s face. Alex noticed that he wasn’t a young man either. He looked to be in his mid-fifties with a gray receding hairline. He wondered. Did the signs of age tell the story of this guard’s life, or did his guilty expression? How many times had he escorted people to their deaths, and at what point did it start to crush him?

  As they stepped outside, Alex shook off the guard’s expression and focused on his own problem. He was a man who knew how to do three things. One was loving his family, while another was keeping his head in bad situations. The final one was something he now despised, but it was exactly what Alex would need to do to keep his family safe. Alex was an excellent killer.

  On the other side of the pit, four people stepped out of their room. They were a ragged bunch. Two of them appeared to be under age. Alex would have guessed the boys were somewhere between fifteen and seventeen, and then there was an older man. He walked with a slight limp, and Alex guessed he was in his early sixties. Finally, there was one good fighter in the group. Alex thought he was probably in his mid-thirties. He was just old enough to have some experience and still young enough that he had the full extent of his strength available to him. He was tall with big arms and a wide chest. Obviously, he was a worker, and if Alex remembered one thing about being an outsider it was who you should and shouldn’t pick a fight with. The farmers, pharmacists, and clothes makers were fair game in a fight, but the builders were a different story. Outsiders didn’t have machinery like in the days of old, and everything had to be done by hand. That meant that only the strongest were chosen for those jobs, and judging by the man he was looking at, Alex guessed that was the exact type of person he would be up against.

  All in all, it wasn’t a bad opponent to draw. Three out of the four could be taken down with ease. Alex would leave them to the others and take care of the real threat. He just hoped that he was still as good a fighter as he had been when he was a young man. Alex didn’t want to die under any circumstances, but he absolutely couldn’t in this fight with his family watching. It would destroy them at the very beginning of this nearly impossible task.

  “Ladies and gentlemen! We have a special treat for you today! Very s
pecial guests will be going through the gauntlet! Coming all the way from Raines, the legendary heroes, Alex and Sarah Morgan, will be fighting for their lives alongside two criminals who have murdered some of our own! Place your bets now or miss out on the take of a lifetime!” an announcer said over the loud speaker.

  The crowd cheered, and many people turned their attention toward electronic betting machines that were connected to their seats. They were no doubt betting against Alex and Sarah. After all, it would be a fool’s bet to think they could go through ten rounds of this, but they planned to make some fools very rich today.

  “And the time for bets is closing in three, two, one! Are you ready for the fight of a lifetime, New Vegas?” the announcer yelled.

  The crowd cheered, and the fight began. Just like Alex had told them to, they got into a triangle formation and waited as their opponents came toward them. There was only one problem. Alex didn’t know who the stronger man would come after. He didn’t want to break ranks, but there was no way he wanted him coming after Lee or Sarah.

  “Take my place in formation,” he said to Alisa.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Just do it! There’s only one capable opponent here, and I’m going to take care of him,” Alex said and stepped away. He pointed straight at the biggest man and motioned for him to meet him in the center of the pit. The man only grinned in a cocky way. Alex couldn’t wait to wipe that smile off his face.

  They stepped to the center, and Alex readied himself. His attacker was holding a dagger that would give him a little more reach, but that didn’t matter to Alex. He would close the distance between them soon enough. Alex waited until the man took a step toward him, and then he went at him. His attacker slashed at Alex, but he quickly dodged the blow and circled around him, cutting the man’s arm in the process. That cocky smile was gone now as blood spilled onto the ground and the crowd cheered.

  “You’ve done this before,” the man said, sounding slightly impressed.

  “Not exactly like this, but yes. I’ve fought my fair share of battles. And you?” Alex asked.

  “You don’t survive in this world unless you fight,” he said before lunging at Alex. Alex stepped backward and avoided the hasty slash.

  “You’re obviously in fighting shape, but your form is rusty,” Alex said.

  “I guess you would know, old man. How are you even still alive? I figured some fool would have taken a legend like you down a long time ago just for the fame.”

  Alex didn’t answer. Instead, he went straight at the man. His attacker stabbed at him, but once again, Alex sidestepped the attack and circled around him, only this time he didn’t retreat backward. When the man turned around, he immediately felt an impact in his chest and looked down to see Jake’s knife sticking out of it. Blood was pouring out of the wound. He dropped his dagger and fell backward onto the ground.

  “To answer your question, I haven’t died yet because I go straight for the heart when anyone comes after me. You put up a good fight, and I hate that you had to die, but I’m not sorry it was you instead of me,” Alex said as he reached down, twisted the knife slightly, and pulled it out of the man’s chest.

  Blood immediately spurted out of the wound, and the man started to convulse. It was only a matter of time now, but Alex didn’t have a moment to spare watching him die. He turned to see his family in trouble. The older man who was against them was already down. It looked like he had taken a dagger to the chest, likely Sarah’s doing. They were still in the triangle formation with the two youths circling them trying to find a way to penetrate their formation and scatter them.

  “Sarah and Lee, you take the left one. Alisa, you stand back. I’ve got him,” Alex said as he stepped behind the older of the two boys.

  Lee drew their enemy’s attention immediately, and Sarah caught him in the back with her dagger, taking him down to the ground. He screamed and begged for mercy, but Sarah gave him none. It was a horrifying sight to be sure. Never had Alex or Sarah thought that one of their children would have to watch them brutally kill someone, but this was what men like Charles Boyd did to people. He turned them into nothing more than animals.

  “Your turn,” Alex said and motioned for the boy to come at him.

  The boy looked around to see that Lee and Sarah were closing in on him from behind. This wouldn’t be a fair fight. He was going to die, and he knew it. With little other choice, he threw his weapon on the ground and spoke.

  “Please, I don’t want to die! I was forced to do this. You probably were, too. I’m not your enemy, so don’t kill me,” he pleaded.

  “What will happen if I don’t?”

  “I’ll be punished and have to enter the arena all over again, but at least I’ll stand a chance of living through the next fight. You’ll move on to the next round.”

  “Then go,” Alex said and pointed toward the room they had originally come from.

  The crowd booed and threw garbage down on him as he left, but Alex knew it was the right thing to do. This boy didn’t have to die for them to win their freedom, and there was no use in appeasing a bunch of savages who only wanted blood. The only real question here was how they were going to make it through nine more rounds. Lee already looked shaken, and Alisa’s ankle didn’t seem any better than it had been before. Sarah was fine, as usual, but even so, he worried for his wife. She might have been strong, but that didn’t mean she was unbreakable.

  “And there you have it, folks! We have the winners of round one with no casualties to their team, but as you all know, it only gets harder the further up the ladder they climb,” the announcer said.

  The next four rounds would go by in a bloody haze. Their opponents were staggered with 3-man teams made up of very skilled fighters and 4-manned ones that were full of weaker people. Alex couldn’t say if the fighters were actually that much better, but he knew one thing. It was getting harder.

  In the third round, Sarah’s arm was slashed. Nothing vital was hit, but the cut was deep, and blood was slowly trickling out of it, making everyone worry that she might be too weak to make it to the end. In the fourth, Alex had a scare of his own when a man slashed his leg, making it harder for him to move. Finally, in the fifth round the thing that neither of them was prepared for happened. Lee took a stab to the back. The knife had entered into his right shoulder blade and broken off in the muscle. Alex and Sarah were almost positive that nothing vital had been hit, but that didn’t change the fact that he was now in a lot of pain, and they weren’t sure whether they should take the sliver of steel out or leave it in.

  “And now for the sixth round where things will truly begin! I hope all of you are . . .” the announcer said, catering to the crowd.

  Alex wasn’t concerned with what he had to say, however. They needed a new strategy. They were all getting beaten up too quickly, and there was no way they would last. Plus, he didn’t want his son fighting for another second when he was already wounded.

  “Listen up, everyone. We’re all hurting, but we’re still in this. Can you fight, Alisa?” Alex asked her.

  “Of course, I can. I’ve been waiting for you to ask,” she said, sounding sure of herself, even if Alex knew she was probably afraid.

  “Good, then get behind us, Lee. We’ll take it for a round,” Alex said.

  “What? There’s no way in hell that’s happening! I have to . . .”

  “You’re already hurt! Do what he says, or you’re going to die!” Alisa yelled at him.

  Lee nodded, although he didn’t know if it was in him just to stand back and watch. What if they got into trouble, or God forbid one of them died? How could he ever forgive himself if he only watched as it happened?

  “Good, then we’ll go back to back and do this together. Don’t break ranks,” Alex said and got into formation with Sarah and a very hobbled Alisa.

  It was at that moment when they saw their opponents emerging. There were four of them, and not a single one of them looked weak. This was t
he death round, and Alex knew it. No one made it out of this gauntlet for a reason. If they even got through the sixth round, there wouldn’t be much left of them, and no matter what was thrown at them next, they would go down.

  “I love you,” Alex whispered to Sarah.

  “And I love you, too, but why are you telling me now?” Sarah asked, slightly afraid to hear the answer.

  “I’ve never lied to you before, and I won’t start now. We’ll be lucky to make it out of this round. If this is the end, I need you to know that you’ve given me more in this life than I ever thought would be possible. As for you, Alisa, we didn’t get to know each other long, but my son trusted you, and you didn’t betray us. It’s an honor to end this with you beside us,” Alex said.

  “I feel the same way,” Alisa said, barely containing the tears that were starting to form in her eyes.

  “Retreat backward,” Alex said.

  “What are you talking about? We can’t . . .” Sarah managed to say before he cut her off.

  “Just do it! You have to trust me. It’s the only way,” Alex pleaded.

  Sarah and Alisa reluctantly did as he said, and then Alex stepped forward. He didn’t really think he could kill four men by himself, but maybe he could take out a couple and even the odds more for the others. He was walking toward his death, and he knew it, but all along Alex had been sure of one thing. He wasn’t getting out of this alive, but if the people he loved did, it wouldn’t matter. Alex could die knowing he had done his job as a man and a father.

  Chapter 14

  Death or Humiliation?

  Alex leapt forward onto the closest man, shoving Jake’s knife into his neck in the process. Before he could do anything else, though, he felt a dagger pierce his back and get stuck in the flesh as he jerked away out of instinct. Alex crawled forward quickly and got to his feet only to turn around and see a spear coming at his head. He ducked just in time as the crowd let out a gasp. Then he backed away for a moment and reached around to the dagger. He knew it would be better to leave it in. It would bleed less that way, but he needed a weapon. Alex pulled it out in one quick yank and bit his tongue to keep from yelling out. With that done and the fresh taste of blood now in his mouth, Alex was ready to do this.