Warrior Princess

by Sebastien Woolf

  Salivating at the thought, she wiped the drool from the corner of her mouth, washed down her meal with a flat can of warm Pepsi Max and gave a loud belch, fizz tickling her nostrils. Siobhan never gave her behavior a second thought, there were no time for pleasantries or table etiquette out here in the badlands. Life continued on, if that’s what it could be called, for it was nothing more than a daily struggle to stay alive.

  Eat, sleep, kill a zombie or two, repeat – survival mode in the new world.

  It was all a far cry from her former life as a waitress, where she had thought she had seen it all. In the pub she had encountered many strange and bizarre individuals, the usual number of creeps and sleazes, pervs and weirdos. She had stepped into break up many a drunken brawl, given her slender shoulder to many an emotionally wounded soul and counseled broken couples back to good health.

  What this had done was create a certain hardness within her which had prepared her, allowed her to adapt fast to life in the badlands on her own. A new chapter had unfolded in her life and as a result of everything that had happened to her she had become tough, rugged and resilient. She was strong now, agile, alert, trained… ready.

  It felt like it had taken forever to plot, plan, scheme and prepare herself for the impending strike on these heathens whom she detested with every fibre of her being. She knew she was ready and she was champing at the bit to execute her plan.

  The location she had chosen to hide out in was ideal, she felt safe there and was relatively certain that she would not be found easily. Inside the casino she had cleared the upper levels, eliminating all creatures and setting herself up in an office on the second floor. From her vantage point she had a clear view out onto the street below, allowing her the luxury of detecting threats before they became dangerous.

  Down below she created booby traps, barricades and blockades to hinder the progress of any unwanted guests. Leaving the gaming floor open allowed her to attract creatures inside which provided both cover and distraction from human life-firms if they ever ventured inside. She set up exit routes that would allow her an easy escape if things ever went pear-shaped.

  Siobhan believed that she had done enough to gain the upper hand, but all that was all about to change on this warm summer’s evening.

  6

  Mistress of the Beast

  Siobhan was awake but barely when they came for her. Her tiredness disappeared quickly as she lay in the darkness shaking with fear at first, her body quickly coming alive as the adrenaline pumped through her body.

  Pinching her saliva drenched index finger and thumb over the candle wicks she killed the lights, all the while knowing that those that had come would know precisely where she was anyway. Darkness wrapped itself around her like a comforting blanket, enveloping her, protecting her.

  She had long realized that the greatest threat she faced out here in the wastelands was not the undead, it was not starvation nor was it illness or sickness. Man, as far as she was concerned were the scourge of the badlands. Mankind and their hatred of one another posed undeniably the single greatest danger to anyone out here.

  Three men all big burly oafs had arrived. Martin’s men. They had tracked her across the city finally finding here at the casino. Slowly the men entered the large darkened gaming hall, treading carefully so as to not make too much noise. They could not avoid the countless chips that lay scattered across the floor which crunched underfoot as they walked. All around dormant gambling machines greeted them in the eerie silence, each of them half expecting to hear one of the machines to come to life at any moment with a loud explosion of light and sound, announcing a jackpot win.

  “Hurry up man, stop fucking around!”

  At the head of the trio a big man with a long permanent scar that ran down his right cheek, stopped dead in the middle of the room. He turned and gave a scowl that tore the short chubby vocal man to shreds. Although lost somewhat in the gloom it still managed to deliver a stern message.

  “Ok, you’re the boss,” came the sarcastic reply.

  “Cut the shit you two,” whispered the third man. “She’s got to be up there,” he said, pointing his flashlight in the direction of a set of stairs that led to the floors above. “Let’s go!”

  The night was darker than normal on this particular night, pitch black in fact. They continued on anyway, affixing flashlights to the barrels of their rifles, flashing the beams all around the great hall, putting on a spectacular light show in the dark. The men had the feeling that they were not alone but lacked the fear most others might have, or at least they did not show it, believing in their firepower and weaponry to protect them no matter what lay ahead.

  In the darkness they heard a scratching sound, something was moving up ahead of them approaching from their right. There was a split second to make a decision when the first creature came at them, the short chubby man acting swiftly and instinctively. A loud gunshot echoed through the establishment, shotgun pellets flew through the air tearing at skin, splitting bone. The undead woman’s skull simply disintegrated into a million tiny fragments, her headless corpse crumpling to the ground where it lay in a rapidly increasing pool of blood.

  Chk! Chk!

  The shotgun pumped in his hand.

  A wry smile cut across Siobhan’s face as she heard the shotgun blast. Trap sprung, job done!

  Having had their stimuli lit more creatures came, surging from the shadows, staggering forward. They twitched, moaned and shuffled as one towards the men, surrounding them within seconds in the darkness.

  Torchlight highlighted the whites of the eyes of the third man, which were as wide as saucers. Darting in every direction, he searched in the dark for the next attack.

  “Are you frightened?”

  “I’m fucking shit-scared!”

  “Nothing to be scared of at all buddy, we got this!” The big man with the scar laughed loudly. “Come on fuck ya!” he yelled in a big booming voice, taunting the undead. “The more the fucking merrier!”

  A flurry of gunshots echoed loudly. Shrieks followed like banshee wails, cutting through the night air. Bodies fell everywhere. Reloading, the men continued to unleash hell upon the countless savage beasts that were coming for them. Blood flowed freely as the men repelled their attackers, making short work of the hapless creatures.

  In the silence that followed nothing moved, not even the men as they stood back-to-back ready to ward off any others that may come for them. The smell of gunfire and the stench of death wafted past their nostrils, signifying that it was finally over.

  “Right, let’s go get the bitch,” said the short chubby man. He stepped over the twisted remains of a croupier and made his way to the stairs.

  Making their way down the hallway on the second floor, the men edged closer to the room where they believed their quarry may be hiding out. They had indeed seen the lights from the road and it was not a difficult task for these experienced trackers to pinpoint where she might be inside the building.

  “Siobhan!” yelled the man with the scar, placing his face to the door. “We know you’re here and you know why we’ve come. We don’t want no trouble now, so just come quietly.”

  Fiery, that was how her parents described her as she was growing up, fiery and hot tempered, wild and uncontrollable – untamed. Not much had changed for her as an adult, except perhaps the level at which she engaged with people, her tongue could be quite vicious and it often cut like a sharp blade.

  “Get fucked!” Defiance seemed to be as good a place as any for her to start.

  “Oh, c’mon, try not to be a major pain in the arse will you. We have orders to collect you and take you back to face trial at the compound. What happens to you is not our concern.”

  Clutching at the list in her hand, Siobhan mentally ticked off a name, before tucking the piece of paper into her jacket pocket.

  Jasper!

  Siobhan knew the big man with the scar on his face was one of the two men who w
ere responsible for Lisette’s death, but she was far from angry or upset. Instead, she tried hard to hold the smile as she pondered her good fortune at having him delivered to her doorstep. Stifling a little laugh she readied herself for the first act of vengeance, something had been longing for, praying for, desperate for all these months.

  “Martin’s will is God’s will, it cannot be changed. His instructions are clear and we will obey to the letter.”

  “Your words are meaningless Jasper. You and I both know why you are here and there is no diplomacy here, you understand that right?”

  Silence.

  “You are coming back with us either in restraints walking, or in a body bag. That choice is ultimately yours.”

  “Is this what you do now Jasper, kill people?” Siobhan’s tone had changed, she was sharper now, more direct. “You think that God has given you the right to just run around the wastelands racking up kill numbers? Well, here’s a newsflash you big fat fuck, I hope you brought enough body bags for each of you, because this bitch ain’t going anywhere with you today. You will all die here today!”

  Siobhan’s last words chilled the men to the bone, she meant business and they knew it.

  “Shit, I don’t need this!” said the short fat man. “I’m fucking exhausted, let’s get this over with and head home.”

  “You don't need this?” yelled Siobhan. “What a fucking joke you fat idiot. You come here threatening to kill me and you have the balls to say that, I should kill you right now you fucking twat!”

  “Do you have a mute button bitch!”

  “Stop this shit now fuck ya’s!” yelled Jasper, gaining immediate silence. “We have orders Siobhan, have to adhere to ‘em, you understand that right?”

  “Honestly, I don't give a fuck about your orders, the last time I saw you take orders you killed my friend, so you can just go fuck yourself. Martin has blinded all those around him who could see with his tainted views of the world including you lot, his lapdogs who do all his dirty work.”

  Chk! Chk!

  The shotgun pumped outside the door.

  7

  Warriors Blade

  Blood trickled from the open wound that stretched across the chubby man’s throat. Clutching at the skin that had peeled away cleanly he gargled as he felt his last breath, cool on his bloodied fingers as it crept from his severed windpipe.

  A drop of his blood fell from the tip of Siobhan’s sword as she held her pose, a ‘plow ward’ stance with her right foot forward, and the handle of her sword near her knees. The massive blade hung menacingly in front of the other two men.

  “You fucking cunt!” screamed the third man, removing his gaze from the dead man to stare viscously at the petite gothic girl in front of him. “Killing my brother was the last straw fuck you!” He was clearly distraught. “You will not leave here alive, I fucking promise you that!”

  “Anger is an energy,” replied a composed Siobhan softly, “an energy you are incapable of mastering. Take one step closer and I promise you, you will die angry!”

  Raising his rifle the man made a threatening move, which was to prove his final act on this mortal coil. The large blade hissed through the cool night air collecting him clean between the eyes, severing his skull in two. It was a brutal blow, delivered with the utmost precision and brutality, enough to ensure it was indeed fatal. Death came instantly and he dropped like a stone, collapsing in a crumpled heap on top of his brother’s body.

  The room when deathly quiet, Siobhan and Jasper stood there for what felt like an eternity eyeballing each other. None of this had gone to plan and the face with the scar on it began to twitch slightly. Swallowing deeply he began to wonder whether if this was a good idea or not storming in through the door like they did, but it was far too late for the pros or cons to matter now. Two of his colleagues lay dead and he was facing off with a master assassin, he needed to think quickly.

  “So, what now missy?”

  An awkward silence followed, deliberately executed on Siobhan’s as a stalling tactic. She wanted to evoke the right amount of fear she needed in him in order to make slaying the first person on her list that much easier, not to mention satisfying.

  “Well?” said Jasper, glaring at her, “you gunna try and kill me as well are you?”

  Siobhan did not flinch, nor did she adjust her eyes at all, using instead her gifted peripheral vision to detect his finger twitching on the trigger of his rifle. “I wouldn’t if I were you,” she suggested strongly.

  Jasper’s finger froze, he could feel his heart beating loudly, wondered if it was loud enough for his adversary to detect his anxiety. Normally a strong and fearless individual, Jasper felt a twinge of nervousness about the situation he was facing, wondered if he would be able to get the draw on Siobhan the assassin in time to take her out and survive without a scratch. Wanted to believe it, but he doubted it very much.

  “Ok then, let’s talk,” he said, removing his finger from the trigger.

  Siobhan remained unmoved, holding her pose with the point of her sword aimed directly at his chest. “About what could you possibly want to talk to me about you fool?”

  “You know I had no choice with Lisette, I had…”

  “Don’t you fucking dare mention her name,” Siobhan growled at him, venomously through tightly gritted teeth. “I will cut you down in an instant if you say her name again, be fucking thankful I haven’t already!”

  “So, why haven’t you?” Jasper pushed his luck. “I mean you killed the Miller boys easily enough, they were just doing their job and you carved them up before they could blink. But here you are, waving your sword and talking to me. What’s the deal here Siobhan?”

  “Deal?” she spat at him. “There is no deal here, but we both know that already.”

  Jasper nodded slowly. “I know Siobhan. So, what fate do you have planned for me then?”

  “Just shut the fuck up!” Siobhan yelled, taking control back. Jasper had been cleverly tempting to manipulate the situation, she would not allow it as this was her moment. “You took from me the one person who I cared about in the world you fucking prick! You robbed her of a long life and what you did to her on that night was fucking inhumane. For that, for all of that, your death will be as excruciating as you could ever possibly imagine.”

  In the near darkness Jasper could still see her face clearly, her glare cut him deeper than her sword ever could. This was not a standoff it was the calm before the kill, much like how a big cat would toy with its prey in the wild before eventually killing it. The right side of his face with the long scar twitched uncontrollably as he thought about how he could escape this situation. Fighting his way out would be futile for Siobhan completely had the upped hand and he would be gutted in seconds. No, he had to escape and live to fight another day, just didn’t know quite how just yet.

  “You are not the first on my list, that spot is reserved for Martin sorry, but you’re just not that important.” Her face did not change expression as she belittled him, squinted eyes and upturned lip confirmed her intent. “One thing I can guarantee you though is this, you will most definitely be the first one I mark off and I will take great satisfaction in ruling a line through your name when I am done with you.”

  Jasper was done with her insults and threats, he was every inch a chauvinistic sexist pig, arrogant and opinionated. He was about to incur the wrath of the one woman he should not have messed with, but his misogynistic tendencies got the better of him.

  “Right, well I have had enough of this game of yours little lady, I think it is time you were actually put in your place and taught a fucking lesson.”

  “This ain’t a game Jasper and trust me, the only one being taught a lesson today will be you.” She stared down the long blade on front of her, marking the best point of entry on his chest.

  “You want to know something?” The big man felt the best way he could get out of this tricky situation would be to antagonize her. Piss
her off and get her angry. “You and your friend were on my own list for sometime, damn annoyed I never ticked you two off as well. I watched you a few times in your secret little get-togethers, watched you and your Lez-ette getting it on. Should have just raped you both when I had the chance.”

  Taking a small step forward Siobhan threatened him with her sword. “I fucking told you not to say her name!”

  “Settle the fuck down will you, you’re not dealing with the Miller boys now.” He gave her a spiteful smirk. “I tell you though, she had such a great little body on her, damn what a rack. That night, when I tied her up to the meet her fate I couldn’t help myself and gave them perky little things a bit of a squeeze, really should have given her one before she died.”

  “FUCK YOU!” Siobhan lunged in fit of rage, regretting her actions immediately. He had gotten to her, cutting deep under her skin and hitting a nerve.

  As the blade passed him by the big man lashed out with a huge fist, connected flush on the side of the Irish girl’s head sending her reeling backwards. In two strides he was out the door, vanishing down the darkened hallway leaving the dead Miller boys and the dazed assassin with the sword behind.

  8

  Daughter of the Wasteland

  Bone crunched as Siobhan moved her jaw in her hand. It felt broken but she couldn’t be sure, all she knew was it ached like fuck. Jasper packed a punch and had collected her flush on the point of her chin, twisting her lower jawbone. She hoped that her evasion skills were enough to avoid a break when she turned her head on impact, but right now there were far greater things for her to worry about than her injury.

  Stuffing her backpack with supplies, checking her weapons and pulling on her puffa jacket, she readied herself to leave. Jasper had a head start and she needed to leave soon in order to stay close. Tracking him would not be easy but she had a very effective set of skills, honed out in the wastelands over the past few months and if anyone was going to hunt him down out here it was going to be her.