He noted another dragon inside the pen. He opened up the cage. The dragon didn’t budge from the driftwood she was latched onto. It was Sapphire. Her skin had shed all over the cage. With his fingers, he gathered the husk of skin. “Somebody’s getting too fat for her old clothes.”
He petted the dragon. She batted her eyes. Even though the dragons weren’t very different in appearance, they all at least had one distinction. The scaly hide of the females wasn’t quite as rigid as the males. It had a bit more of a sheen to it. Other than that, he could tell them apart by the varying black, dark-brown, and gray patterns on their bodies. Size, girth, and tail length could be unique too. Sometimes, the gamers even got the dragons mixed up, but Gabe never did.
He closed the cage and took the skin to the waste well. He lifted the lid with a grunt and dropped the skin into the black hole. Dusting his hands off, he said, “Now, before I get at it, it’s time to spend time with my favorite dragon.” He turned his attention to Squawk’s cage. The dragon lay flat on his belly, front paws and clawed legs stretched out in the front and back. His head was up, following Gabe’s movement. “That’s a funny position you are in.”
Gabe tried to open the cage. A shock went through him. It was locked.
CHAPTER 54
Breaking out in a cold sweat, Gabe jerked at the locked door. It had a small key-locking mechanism. His fist banged into the cage. This can’t be happening. His head whipped around, and his eyes scanned the room. He tested some of the other cages. Only Squawk’s was secured. He staggered back, holding his head. What is going on? He bumped into the workbench, rattling the contents of the drawer and some of the jars and canisters on the table. He flung the drawer open. A ring of keys was inside.
“Garland! You better quit playing games with me!” he yelled.
“What?” The word barely came through the thick walls.
“You heard me!” He snatched up the keys. That was when he noticed a piece of paper underneath them. He often went in the drawer for one thing or another, but no paper was ever in there.
“What is this?” The paper had his name written right on it.
He dropped the keys and picked the paper up. It was a small sheet, folded in half. The writing was done in pencil. He unfolded the note. Squinting, he gazed at the words within. In Newton, children were given a very rudimentary education. They learned to read small pamphlets the teachers received from the dominion. To Gabe, it was nothing but a bunch of rules and nonsense. Most everything he learned had come from his father or by doing.
His lips started to move. It had been a long time since he’d read anything. He wasn’t even certain if he was right about what he was reading. Concentrating, he read out loud, “All you know is a lie. Be ready. Life changes fast.”
The dragon den quieted. His nape hair stood on end. He read the parchment over and over, blinking repeatedly. At first, he thought Garland was playing a joke on him, but he seriously doubted the little man could write. The handwriting was so smooth and fluid that he assumed it came from a skilled hand. Maybe Mandy was messing with him. He wouldn’t put it past her.
He set the note down. “This has to be a joke.”
He picked up the key ring and tried the keys on the lock to Squawk’s cage until he found one that fit. He twisted the padlock, and it popped open. “Whew!”
He slung the keys and lock back in the drawer and slammed it shut. Then he took Squawk out of the cage. Holding him like a baby, he said, “So did you write me that mysterious note? Huh? Did you?”
Squawk blinked.
“So one blink for yes and two blinks for no?”
Squawk blinked again.
“Now, is that one or two? Never mind.” Convinced that someone was playing with him, he set Squawk down on the table and went to work. Fifteen minutes into the routine, he began to whistle a tune that he’d heard the citizens play inside the pavilion the other day. It was an uplifting song. It had no words, but it made him think about the dragons. While he worked, Squawk scurried along the floor and climbed up and down the support beams. He perched himself up in the rafters, tail hanging down and wagging side to side.
“You just stay up there and relax, Squawk. I’ll do all of the work.” He started pushing a broom across the floor. “No worries at all, little champion.”
Gabe did have worries, though. Squawk would have to battle again. When that might be he didn’t know. It could be weeks or months. In the meantime, Gabe was determined to be as prepared as he could be and to get Squawk ready. He needed more time with Mandy to do that, and the next time he saw her, he’d have to work her over, convince her the way he had that last time.
He made his way over to one of the wooden cupboards and gathered a stubby jar. It was filled with some large fire ants and had holes popped in the lid. He twisted the lid off. “Hungry?”
The dragon flapped down out of the rafters and landed softly. Squawk grabbed the jar in his paws. He half stuck his head inside. His tongue flicked out. He gobbled up the ants one at a time, catching the last one then slipping by and climbing up the beam.
Gabe took the jar and twisted the lid on. “Looks like it’s time for a refill.” Garland’s door popped open. The door scraped over the stone. Without turning to look, Gabe said, “What’s the matter, Garland? Getting hungry for some more dragon poop?”
“I’ll pass,” the voice said.
Gabe lost his breath. It was the Count. The note on the workbench caught his eye. He stuffed it into his pants and commanded Squawk to go into his cage. The dragon obeyed, leaping from the table and landing quietly inside. Gabe closed the door just as Angela stepped into view.
“How are you today, Gabe?”
“I’m doing well.” He swallowed. “Very well.”
“You’re shaking.” She stepped toward him. Reaching down, she took the jar from his hand. “Why do you tremble?”
“You took me by surprise is all. I wasn’t expecting you. I thought—”
She placed her fingers over his lips and gently shushed him. “I don’t mind if you have a little fun, so long as it isn’t at my expense.” She glanced inside Squawk’s cage. “We haven’t had a chance to talk since the dragon games. I must admit I was shocked just as much as I was pleased.” Her fingers caressed his neck. “I’m curious, Gabe. Did you control that improbable outcome?”
Inclined to say yes, for some reason Gabe resisted and told the truth. “No. That was all him.”
Her cold fingers froze on his neck. “So you lost control of him?”
“No, I still have control of him, but I had to let him fight that fight on his own. I think it’s called… inlinked or something.”
“Instinct, Gabe. Instinct.”
“Sorry.”
“Don’t be. You aren’t expected to know such things, but you can learn more. You are certainly capable. Like your father, you are a tricky man. It’s not a bad thing. Not at all. Cleverness is very useful. I liked that about Saul. He was meek but wise as a serpent. There is so much of you in him.”
He trembled under her touch. It didn’t seem right for the woman who’d killed his father to speak so fondly of him. “Uh-huh.”
“Gabe, I sense that your heart is heavy.” She turned him around and looked deep into his eyes. Her expression darkened. “Is there something you need to confess? Something that you are hiding?”
The note. All he could think of was the note tucked inside his pants. But that was a joke, or at least that’s what he told himself. “No, no. Nothing.”
She draped her arm over his shoulder. “I need you to come with me.” She led him out of the den. The last thing he saw was Garland’s pie face filled with worry.
The Count took him up the alley steps, escorted by two guards and not saying a word.
Oh no, I’m being taken to the tick tank!
Horror numbed his limbs. He couldn’t think of anything he’d done that was so terrible. Not one thing. He’d done everything he’d been asked to do. He’d done it well too
.
People in the streets parted as soon as they saw the Count coming. Gabe could feel eyes all over him and her, ever watchful. He shifted underneath her arm, but she held him fast. Chin up, eyes forward, she strolled through the compound like a queen.
They were no longer walking toward the tick tank. Gabe breathed a little easier. The Count led them right to Sage’s cove. Several members of the Blue Guard stood outside, their eyes filled with suspicion. Searching faces, he found Jack squeezed in among the people. The boy glared at him.
Angela led Gabe inside the apartment. There were a few other men posted within. One of them was Malak. The hard-eyed redhead didn’t even look at him. He stood in Sage’s kitchen, dipping his finger in the honey jar. Several flies buzzed about the room.
They need to close the door. Sage will be furious—if he can get furious.
Gabe searched the apartment, fully expecting Sage to emerge, expressionless but angry. Led by Angela, he went down the hall toward the bedroom and detected an odd smell. He held his nose. The buzzing thickened. They entered the bedroom.
Sage was hanging from the ceiling. The dead man swayed. The rope around his neck creaked.
Gabe vomited.
CHAPTER 55
Gabe sat on the sofa of Sage’s cove with his shoulders hanging. A warm cup of honey water was in his hands. The guards hauled Sage’s body outside. He didn’t cry even though his heart stirred. He rocked back and forth, holding his elbows. Sage had been decent to him. Fair. Better than expected. He’d provided Gabe with the sanctuary that he needed. Now that was gone. He’d be moving again to a new family.
Nearby, Malak sucked honey off his finger.
Gabe set the cup on the table.
Angela leaned back against the wall, eyeing Gabe, arms crossed. Her fingers drummed on her elbows. “We’re going to need a moment, Malak.”
“You’re going to need a new right-hand man too.” Malak set the jar of honey down. “I’d be honored, and I could take care of this whelp again.”
“Dismissed, Malak.”
She pushed off the wall as soon as Malak departed, leaving her and Gabe in the room all alone. “You know, this kind of thing happens. It’s unfortunate. Tragic.”
Gabe managed a feeble nod. He knew what she was talking about. Times could be hard. Food scarce. It was particularly tough in the wintertime. Some of the citizens would take their own lives. He knew. He just knew little about it. People didn’t discuss such things.
“I try my best, Gabe.” Her tone was soft. “I don’t want the people to be discontented. I give them as much to live for as I can. Sage was special. This hurts me deeply—very deeply, as much as Saul.” She shook her head. “I just don’t understand why he would leave me now, when things are going well.” She sat down beside him and put her hand on his knee. “I don’t want you to be worried. Okay?”
He let out a shuddering breath and nodded.
She lifted his chin toward her face. “Gabe, tell me everything you know. What’s been going on the last few days with Sage? Was there anything odd? Suspicious? He’s a very routine person.”
He blinked. A tear streamed from the corner of his eye. She wiped it away. “Nothing,” he said.
“Think harder.” Her grip tightened on his leg. “There must be something. Did he seem agitated? Disturbed? When he was with me, he seemed distracted. When was the last time that you saw him?”
He cleared his throat. “Uh, today we rose early as we always do. He sent me out to run errands. I picked up oats, rice, and honey. Paid for it with a coin. Before that, I cleaned the cove. I washed clothes on the roof. They’re still hanging up there. He left not long after I got started with all of that.”
“It seems he gave you a very long leash. I should have been more aware of that. I guess in the back of my mind I knew. After all, he spent much of his time with me, and you weren’t present. Maybe I assumed too much by thinking you were cleaning dragon shit all the time.” She eased back into the sofa and sighed. “It won’t be easy to find a replacement. He was unique.”
The pair sat in odd silence for minutes that became an uncomfortable eternity. The shock began to wear off. The haze in Gabe’s mind began to lift. Sage was dead. Hanged from a rope. A coarse rope. It seemed so unnatural and out of place. He glanced up. Angela’s eyes sucked him in. “What are you thinking, Gabe? Tell me.”
He was thinking about the note stuffed down in his pants. It crinkled and scratched at his inner thigh. He shifted. With his thoughts fixed on the note and Sage’s odd death, he said, “Where am I going to live now? I don’t want to live with Malak.”
“I don’t know, Gabe. I don’t know yet. I have much to decide.” She pulled him close, nuzzling him in her bosom. Her fingers stroked his hair. “Whatever happens, I assure you it will be for the better. Right now, I just want you to think hard about anything that strikes you as odd. You are a smart young man, and I’m sure that you’ll think of something. Just close your eyes. Breathe easy.”
He wasn’t certain what she was fishing for, but there was something. He closed his eyes, squeezing them shut. He thought of his father. This was the woman who’d killed Saul. At the moment, she was comforting him. He found it pleasing. He scooted in closer. He’d never had a mother that he knew of. Angela provided nurturing, an odd warmth. I shouldn’t be so comfortable with this.
“Gabe, did you do anything to upset Sage?”
“Huh? No, I don’t think so.” The hairs on his arms rose. The Count’s soothing tone had a dangerous edge.
“I ask because Sage had mentioned to me that some of his items were missing. Nothing extraordinary, he said. Just some supplies. Little stuff but still meaningful to him.”
“I swear I didn’t take anything. I’d never steal. I’ve never stolen anything.”
“We all steal. We all lie. But nothing is unforgivable. It’s best that you confess now before it catches up with you later.”
He pulled away. “I have nothing.”
She gave him a shrewd look.
His thoughts raced. He ran his hands over his shirt and pants. He’d felt something he’d forgotten about. From his pants pocket, he produced a small coin. “I have this. That’s all. He gave me that, but I always give it right back to him. I swear it.”
She plucked it from his fingers. “It’s only a penny. Valuable, but I don’t think that was what he was talking about. He was a unique man. Did you know that he once had a wife?”
Gabe shook his head.
“Yes, she died years ago. She was one of the weak ones. The sickness took her. Her and the child she’d not yet given birth to.” She rose. “It was unfortunate. I’ll leave a guard to stay with you. In the meantime, you might want to cleanse what you can.” She flipped her hand at a buzzing fly. “And get rid of those nasty things. Sage would have appreciated that.”
Gabe stood. The note slipped down his pants leg. It stuck out of the bottom cuff of his pants. He shuffled his feet, trying to block it from her view. The note came all the way out. Gabe’s heart stopped. The note might as well have been glowing on the floor.
Angela spotted it. She picked it up and read. “Gabe.” She gave him a look he’d never forget. She finished reading. “Everything is a lie. Be ready. Life changes fast.” Her smile turned into a sneer. She clamped her hand over his shoulder. “You can say that again. Guards!” A pair of men rushed inside the room. “Haul this little liar away!”
CHAPTER 56
For five days, Gabe sulked inside a jail cell. He wasn’t alone. There were many people with him—hard cases, men and women. Some of them were angry. Others were deranged. They were the ones the Count couldn’t control. Extreme personalities. They were thieves, gamblers, liars, and whores. He was stuck in the midst of all of them. He curled up on a bench, holding his growling stomach.
What have I done? Why me? What have I done?
A gray day cast light over top of him from a small portal above. His cell was big enough for two, but he was alone with a benc
h and a toilet plus an occasional rat. On the other side of the metal bars was a courtyard. All of the other prisoners roamed outside there. He’d been locked within and kept safe from them, but he was constantly berated by catcalls. He’d cover his ears. They’d press their faces to the bars and scream.
Crying made the badgering worse. Gabe swore he’d never cry again. I hate Newton!
Every so often, he’d enjoy the sight of the guards whipping some of the more ornery ones with a club. They were evil people as far as he was concerned. They had it coming. They said and did the foulest things. He longed for the den.
Early on the sixth day, after another horrible sleep, he woke. A jangle of keys caught his attention. The courtyard was silent. Rubbing his eyes, he put his feet on the cold floor. A chill was in the air. Uncovering his eyes, he beheld a man unlocking his door. It was one of the Blue Guards, a sizable man with a beard and no hair on his head. He yanked the door open and waved his paw of a hand. “Come.”
Gabe didn’t hesitate, and the guard let him out of the courtyard. The prisoners shouted out in anger and dismay. Inside their cells, they clawed and spat at him. One woman, a ragged whore with frizzy hair, screamed, “Curse you! Curse your father! The dragons will feast on your innards. The Count will carve out your heart!”
The guard took him out of the small prison, which was built inside the basement of one of the main hospitals. They went straight to the Count’s office. He was taken up the stairs and into the room with the chilly air. The guard joined the others stationed outside and closed Gabe in the room.
The Count sat on the couch, eyeing the note on the coffee table. Her face was expressionless. “Did you miss me, Gabe?”
He said what he honestly meant. “Yes. Very much.”
“Inside that prison are people who will spend their whole lives in there. Do you want to be one of those people?”
Squawk: Beginnings (Book #1) Page 20
