Skin Game

by Tonia Brown

  Gill strode by the fence, head held high, leading a goat and cart toward the road away from the small town. A group of men flanked her, an escort for the journey to Iron Station I presumed. So she really was going. And if I had my guesses, Vincent was laid up in the bed of the wagon. Good then. Best they both get out of here and away from Dillon. Neither were entirely away from his influence, but at least they were out from under his thumb for now. Maybe Vincent could finally heal. I sat back on the bench again and said a quick prayer for their journey, and for Vincent’s recovery.

  By the third or fourth morning I was sitting on a bench just outside of the pen, waiting my turn at this horror of horror shows, when the guards threw open the gate and another man was all but thrown down onto the bench beside of me. This was odd as the volunteers to this debacle usually waited in another area. No one ever joined my special section of this hell.

  “Hey,” the man said as he righted himself and rushed to the now locked gate. “What is this? I didn’t do anything wrong. I just got here.” He pulled on the gate, rattling it on its hinges.

  The guards ignored the tall man, leaving him with me as they wandered off.

  “God damn it!” he shouted after the men. “I didn’t do nothing’!”

  “You must’ve done something,” I said.

  The tall man turned to face me, his eyes widening a bit, as if he had seen a ghost. He raised his hand. “Hey there.”

  I raised my chin, which was the best I could do since I was in shackles. Dillon took no chances with me. I might get fresh air and sunshine, but I still spent most of my time in chains.

  “I’m Stretch,” the man said. He raised a hand to me.

  “Nice to meet you Stretch,” I said. “I would shake your hand but…” I raised my shackles and gave them a little shake for effect.

  “Ah, yeah. I figured you would be chained up.” He covered his mouth, cursed himself, then grinned. “I mean, I heard they had…I mean…you’re Theophilus Jackson. Aren’t you? Only, well, it’s your, you know.” He pointed to his own eyes.

  I couldn’t help but roll my frosted eyes. Word gets around. “Yeah, I am.”

  “Good. I mean, yeah, good. I heard you were here. Some of the men said you were sort of like the guest. They are coming from all over to watch you fight.”

  “And you?” I said.

  “Me?”

  “What did you come here for? I take it wasn’t for the chance to prove yourself to this crowd?”

  Stretch laughed a bit. “Ah, no. I was just looking for a place to hide.” He moved in closer, lowering his voice to add, “I got someone looking for me. I think she’s close. Too close, if you get my meaning.”

  I narrowed my eyes at him. There weren’t many women in the Badlands. Who would be after this tall drink of water? “She? You’re running from some gal?”

  “Well, yeah. I’m sure you’ve heard of her. Mad Mab?”

  Understanding pushed aside my worry. Mad Mab the bounty hunter was probably the only person in the Badlands slightly crazier than me. A little spitfire of a gal who spent her time hunting criminals and dragging them back east for what little bounty they produced. I never personally crossed paths with her, and that was through both design and luck. I didn’t want to meet up with Mab so I made sure we were always in different places. Besides, I didn’t run with the folks she was after, so there was no need for us to do business.

  “Ah, that lunatic,” I said. “I thought she gave it up awhile back?”

  The man took on a hurt look. “I wouldn’t say she was a lunatic. She’s not exactly normal, but she ain’t all that bad.”

  His reaction gave me pause. He was awful hurt for a man supposedly hiding from the bounty hunter. “I thought you said she was chasing you.”

  Stretch looked surprised again. “Oh, yeah, she is. One hundred percent on my trail. Should be here soon. I think. I mean I hope not. But she might be. Who knows. Right?” He laughed nervously.

  Something strange was going on with this man. Too bad he would be dead before I’d have a chance to find out.

  “Theo!” Dillon shouted from the edge of the fence. “I see you’ve met your new partner in crime.”

  I nodded to Stretch. “This supposed to be a joke?”

  “That’s no way to talk to this fine man,” Dillon said. “Mr. Williams here is our guest. You should treat him with respect.”

  “I appreciate the hospitality,” Stretch said, crossing his arms and kicking his longs legs out. “It’s a mighty fine town you got here. I could use a glass of water though.”

  Dillon cracked a grin, his smile getting wider and wider until laughter bubbled forth from him like a frothing brook. Between these giggles he said, “I’m afraid you don’t understand. Everyone at Truth pulls their weight. You won’t just sit and take up precious space.”

  Stretch straightened up in his seat. “Oh, right, of course. I can do whatever you need. Just put me to work.”

  “That’s what I plan on doing. You’re going into that pen to provide my men entertainment.”

  All of the color drained from the stranger’s face. “I’m gonna what?”

  “You’re going to fight revenants. For fun.” Dillon raised his eyebrows at the word fun.

  “I think you don’t understand what fun means,” I said.

  “What’s wrong, Theo?” Dillon said. “I thought you would enjoy a partner after your experience with Sam.”

  At the name of my girl, the stranger’s eyes flicked toward me, and I saw in them something like concern. Or worry. For who, I don’t know.

  “You know I prefer to work alone,” I said. I held my bound hands up to Stretch. “No offense meant.”

  “None taken,” he said. “I’d rather not fight if it’s all the same, sir.”

  “It’s not all the same,” Dillon snapped. “Neither of you have an option. You will fight. Together. Whether you die together is up to you.” He stalked away, pouting, and leaving the stranger to wallow in his new found misery.

  “Fight?” the man said. “I don’t wanna fight revs. I don’t wanna fight anyone.”

  “You don’t get any weapons either,” I said.

  He groaned.

  I didn’t mean to make his situation worse. I just thought he should know.

  The man put his hands over his face. “Great. Just great. That’s the last time I let that woman talk me into anything.” He uncovered his face as he barked an empty laugh. “I guess it really will be the last time, considering I am about to get myself killed.”

  I considered him for a moment. Sure he was all arms and legs, but his height might give him an advantage. One I could use. “You’re not going to get killed. Not if you listen to me.”

  He looked to me. “Mister, if you can keep me alive, I will do anything you say.”

  Turned out he not only listened, he followed direction. I laid out a few simple moves we could use, thank to his height, and while he was doubtful he went along.

  Our first fight was again a single rev. Easily done. Between the pair of us we had that rev down out in thirty seconds flat, to which the crowd roared their approval. The second round saw us fighting two revs. I dispatched mine with ease, then moved on to help Stretch eliminate his. In the third round, the man began to waver. His fear rose to an obvious distraction and I had to hustle to keep him alive. Four revs ran into the pen on the fourth round and that was when Stretch finally lost it. He hollered and ran in the other direction. The watching crowd loved it, laughing and whooping it up at Stretch’s terror as two hungry undead chased him around and around. I moved in on the other two, pitching them against each other until I got chance to snap each one’s neck. I immediately took off after the other two, calling out to Stretch as I chased them down.

  “Stretch!” I yelled. “You have to calm down!”

  “I’m gonna die!” he sc
reamed as he rounded the pen and ran back toward me.

  “You’re not gonna die,” I said. I held my ground, waiting for the revs to round the loop and head back to me as well.

  Stretch ducked behind me and collapsed, gasping for breath. “I can’t do this. I can’t do this. I’m not like you.”

  He wasn’t like me. I had the unfair advantage of being immune. I couldn’t blame the man for running his fool head off. One bite and he was a goner. These things could gnaw on me all day and it wouldn’t matter. “My immunity isn’t the issue here. Either you fight or you die. End of story.”

  He whimpered behind me.

  “Get up and fight,” I said. “Get up and fight or you won’t see that lady friend of yours again.”

  This spurred him into action. He drew himself to his feet jut as the revs tumbled back to us. I instructed Stretch to take off in a run again, which pulled the attention of one of the revs. This left me one to deal with. I bull-rushed the beast, knocking it to the ground then twisted its neck with a loud crack. There came another crack from the other side of the pen. I looked up to find Stretch had killed the over rev with the same move.

  And the crowd ate it all up like it was meant for them. Stretch, God love him, was on his feet and bowing. Actually bowing. And waving, the idiot. Dillon waited for us back to the benches, a look of smug satisfaction on that scarred face of his. I grabbed the tall man by the elbow and guided him toward the bench.

  “Quit waving, you moron,” I said.

  “Why?” he said between heavy breaths. “The crowd loves us.”

  “Congratulations. Your adoring crowd just sealed your fate. Hope you liked fighting those things.”

  He gaped in horror. “I don’t like it. I don’t like it at all.”

  When we reached the bench, Dillon led us in with a slow clap. The crowd behind us quieted down and began to disperse. There would be others fighting that day, yet none would draw the attention I always did. It was true about folks coming from all over to watch me fight. It was disturbing to say the least. I had spent so much time avoiding attention, and now I as the center of it. Sam used to say something about irony being a cruel mistress. I supposed this was what she meant.

  “Well done, boys,” Dillon said. “Well done. I knew if I provided the proper incentive you would put on a much better show, Theo. I should’ve known protecting the weak would bring out the animal in you. And just in time for tonight’s festivities.”

  “Am I done here?” Stretch said. “Because I really need to get a move on.”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose. This man was a good soul, to be sure, but he wasn’t the brightest sun in the sky.

  “I know you’re in a rush,” Dillon said. “But you don’t have to worry about Mab. You’re in my protection now.”

  The tall man jawed the air for a surprised moment. “Mab? I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

  Dillon leaned over the fence to look up at the much taller man. “I know she is after you and I promise I will do my best to keep her from capturing you. In exchange, you will provide Mr. Jackson here the incentive he needs to make this fight interesting for my men. It’s that simple. You remain alive and by morning I will let you go.”

  “That simple,” Stretch echoed, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

  Maybe he wasn’t a complete idiot after all.

  Dillon snapped his fingers at me. “He goes back in his shackles and take the pair to the basement. Put them together so Theo can really get to know this one.” Dillon faced me and added, “Isn’t that what you like to do? Get to know folks?”

  I sneered at him as I held out my hands. The guards slapped a pair of manacles on my wrists and pushed Stretch and me toward the basement door. In my daily march from the basement to the pen, I passed by four other doors down the long corridor. I assumed one was a kind of recovery room, the very place Vincent spent his last few days before leaving for Iron Station. One door was clearly marked storeroom, so no mystery there. The third had bars over a small window at the top, which led me to think it was another prison. The last door belonged to Chambers’ laboratory. I only knew this because the day before, whether by design or accident, the door to the room stood open as I passed. Chambers stood with a group of four men, all in filthy once white coats, all exhausted as hell. They were grouped around a blackboard, talking in low whispers. Chambers saw me as I passed, and nodded, grimly, as if sharing with me whatever secret topic they discussed.

  That door was closed now. I didn’t think I would see the mistake of it being open again.

  The guards pushed Stretch and me into the prison, slamming the door behind us. I shuffled my way to the wooden bench and made myself at home. Stretch beat on the door a few useless time, then turned and lowered to the floor in a slow drop as his knees gave way under him. He rested his head against the door with a tired sigh.

  “Great,” he said. “This is just wonderful.”

  We sat there for a bit, each of us getting our breath after the excitement of the pen. I eyed him warily, wondering what in the world could send this man into Truth of all places. He wasn’t here for the fights. I suspected he wasn’t here to hide either.

  “I need to apologize about earlier,” he said.

  “About what?” I said.

  “Earlier, out there. I said I wasn’t like you. I didn’t mean anything by it.”

  “It’s all right. I get that a lot.”

  “I just meant I ain’t no fighter. I’m a squabbler at best.”

  I found myself laughing and damn it all, I had the feeling this stranger was going to end up as a friend. It couldn’t be helped. The man had a genuine honesty to him I didn’t often see out here. I made my mind up then. I was going to do everything I could to keep him alive through this. I had to. I couldn’t let another friend suffer at my hands.

  “Tell me about yourself,” I said.

  “What about?” he said.

  “You can start with the truth.”

  Stretch looked up, raising his eyes to the open slot in the door. “Can we talk here? Safely?”

  I looked up to the slot. A familiar pair of eyes locked with mine through the narrow gap. “We can talk, safely.” As I said this the slot slid closed, covering Kevin’s knowing eyes.

  Good kid, that Kevin.

  “You still might want to move over here,” I said.

  Stretch complied, joining me on my side of the room. He eased himself onto the bench with a wince at my chains. “They gonna leave you locked up like that all night?”

  “It’s better than being up there.” I nodded to the manacles hanging from the wall.

  “I’ll say.”

  I looked Stretch square in the eye and said, “Who are you?”

  The tall man considered this question for nearly a full minute, weighing his words gingerly before he spoke. “My name is Scott Williams, but most folks call me Stretch. That much is true. I ain’t waiting on Miss Mab. I mean I am, just not as her prisoner. I am working with her.”

  “You’re a decoy,” I said, finally putting it together.

  “Yeah, a decoy. I run in here and she comes in after me. Meanwhile, we both get the lay of the land instead of coming in blind.” He paused to look down at his feet in embarrassment. “At least, that’s how it was supposed to work. Now…now I guess she’s gotta rescue me too.”

  “Who else is she here for?”

  He looked up to me again, a sly twinkle in his eyes. “Well, for starters, she’s coming for you.” He waited here, gauging my reaction.

  I had to admit, I was a bit surprised. “Is she?”

  “Yes, sir. You and, well…” He drew closer to me and lowered his voice. “There are these missing folks that might have a cure based on your blood.” Again he glared at me, as if waiting my reaction to his news.

  “You’re in luck then, because they a
re here.”

  He started, shocked. “They are?”

  I nodded.

  “Good. At least we got that much right.” He stood and began pacing the room. “I can’t wait until Mab and Sam find out.”

  “Sam?” I said, my heart fluttering at her name. Could it be?

  Stretch turned on his heel, glaring at me with surprise. “Uh, yeah, Sam is her guide. Came out here with her from back east. He’s a bit mouthy for my taste, but he’s a good kid.”

  I settled myself. Of course it wasn’t my Sam. My Sam was long gone, returned to God’s light and love. I couldn’t get overworked at every Sam that came marching through the Badlands. “How far out are they?”

  “They should be about a half of a day behind me. Maybe less. I practically ran here to get ahead of her.”

  “Then she should be here by nightfall. Which means we have to keep you alive through the next fight.”

  “Aw gee, I had almost forgot about that.” Stretch collapsed onto the bench again. “I don’t know if I can do this again.”

  “You’ll be fine.”

  “I won’t. That out there was just sheer luck. I won’t last another four rounds. I won’t last one.”

  “Yes you will. The trick is not to lose your head.”

  “I don’t plan on losing anything, thank you very much.”

  I laughed aloud. “No, I meant don’t panic. That’s the number one mistake on the field. I have seen so many men get out there and lose their cool. Revs are wild animals at best. Like any wild animal, you can out think them if you keep calm.” Stretch opened his mouth to say something, and I cut him right off. “And before you say it, I know it’s easy for me to keep calm when I am immune, but it’s more than that. I have been around these things for a long time. I know how they think. I know how they move. I can keep you alive. You just have to promise me one thing.”