Escaping Madness: Age Of Madness - A Kurtherian Gambit Series (Live Free Or Die Book 3)

by Hayley Lawson

  Carter laughed and shook his head. “Me, a lightweight? You’re the one drinking water.”

  Ryder raised her eyebrow and smirked. “I can switch to alcohol if you’d like? Of course, it will be embarrassing when I totally drink you under the table.” She liked the idea.

  “You know, that’s just cheating,” Carter complained. “Have you always been able to get drunk on water?”

  Ryder nodded. “Yep. Well, as long as I can remember. The first time was funny. My mom thought I’d stolen my dad’s alcohol and tore him several new assholes. Then one hot summer’s day soon after, I drank loads of water, and it clicked for my mom. After that, I was on cow’s milk. No water for me.” Ryder sighed happily; she remembered the day as if it were yesterday. She shrugged and took another sip. “We’re living in a world with vampires and werewolves, and now the Mad. Is it really so crazy that water is like alcohol to me?”

  Carter grinned. “Can’t a guy be jealous? It would be way cheaper to get drunk on water.”

  “True,” Ryder agreed.

  The two were quiet for a moment as they remembered their lives before Afana. They looked at one another after they’d finished their drinks and smiled.

  Ryder wondered what he looked like under his wild hair. She could see that the warmth had returned to his brown eyes. She’d cheered him up and gotten him a little merry at the same time, and it sounded like the other men were getting merry as well. They were Massimo’s merry men.

  “Hey, are you guys having a party without me? And I’ve brought all the toys.”

  Ryder turned to see Graham. The blacksmith did look like he had some good toys. Ryder and Carter glanced at one another and grinned. They got to their feet and headed over to Graham, who was putting his armfuls of weapons down on the table.

  Carter reached to pick one of the pistols up, and Graham slapped his hand away.

  “Don’t touch the goods just yet,” the blacksmith told him.

  Carter raised his hands. “Easy. Have a beer and lighten up.”

  Graham gave him a skeptical look. “I’m not sure mixing alcohol and weapons is the smartest idea.”

  “Good thing I’m not smart then, isn’t it?” Carter replied. He grabbed a beer and passed it to Graham.

  “Looks like I’m in good company.” Graham chuckled and took a swig. Carter reached over for a weapon again and Graham slapped his hand without stopping drinking his beer, since he knew Carter would try to get the weapons while he was distracted. The weapons looked too damn cool.

  The others all made a big deal of the weapons as they gathered around the kitchen table.

  Carter rubbed his hand. “Will you stop slapping me now and show us the goods?”

  Massimo stood beside Graham and admired the weapons. “You’ve outdone yourself, Graham.”

  Graham was pleased that Massimo approved of his work. “Thank you, Massimo. I’ve been working on these for years, and there are quite a few upgrades—which is why I’ve been trying to stop Carter from touching them.”

  Carter rubbed his hand theatrically. “Oh. Well, you only had to say so.”

  First, Graham took a wooden spear off the table. It didn’t look like there was much to it. It actually looked like the most boring thing there.

  Koda inspected the wood. “Nice.”

  Graham smiled. “That’s nothing. Watch this.” He tapped the butt of the spear on the floor and lifted it up off the floor, and instantly 9-inch blades came out of the ends, making it a double-bladed weapon that was perfect for close- to mid-range fighting.

  Koda’s face lit up, and he held a hand out to Graham. “May I?”

  Graham passed it to Koda. “I thought this would be good for you.”

  Koda took the spear with wide eyes. “Thank you,” he told Graham warmly.

  “I’ve got these two sweet pistols for Byrant. I understand that you are very good,” Graham said, raising his eyebrow. “I also heard that Willard is a good shot, but when it comes down to it he buckles.”

  Luckily Byrant wasn’t looking or paying attention. His eyes were on the set of guns. He was the drunkest of all of them, and Ryder could understand why, after him flaking so badly in the fight against the Mad. Ryder knew that they had to get that sorted out quickly. It was pointless having the so-called Best Gunslinger in Town if he was too traumatized to fire a weapon.

  “I thought you’d like these.” Graham held up two shiny axes, and Carter’s face lit up like all his Christmases had come at once.

  “For me?” Carter cooed, holding the axes against his chest.

  Graham rolled his eyes. “Yes, for you.”

  “I think you’re my new best friend. Sorry, Ryder, you’re out. Come here, you.” Carter clutched Graham in a bear hug, and Graham hugged him back, laughing.

  The two men released each other with a grunt. “Was it good for you?” Graham asked with a wink.

  “Yeah, I’ve still got a semi-on.” Carter grabbed his crotch and thrust in Graham’s general direction. The other men around the table began to laugh.

  Graham patted himself on the back. “Looks like my work here is done.”

  “Well, you can finish me off if you want to,” Carter stated.

  That got Massimo chuckling, which made Ryder laugh as well.

  Graham put his hands in the air. “Not on the first date.”

  Carter rolled his eyes and asked Ryder, “What’s with him? He’s such a dick tease.”

  Ryder shook her head in amusement. “Are you two done with your dick jokes?”

  Carter folded his arms and smirked. “I’ve got more if you want them.”

  Massimo began collecting the empty beer bottles. “Save them for later, Carter. It’s getting late, and we have a big day tomorrow. Let Graham finish his demonstration now.”

  Carter patted Massimo on the back. “Will do, boss.”

  Massimo turned to Graham with a resigned sigh. “Graham, why don’t you show us what else you have?”

  “Sure thing.” Graham passed out all the different weapons. He had cool knives, guns, swords, and crossbows, and he gave them all out to the newly-named Merry Men.

  Tightwad went for the swords, which were long and impressive. Ryder hadn’t expected Tightwad to go for that type of weapon.

  He swung them a few times to get the feel and nodded with satisfaction.

  Ryder thought he looked strange with his two swords and his colorful sweater, but then she glanced at the table and wondered what weapon wouldn’t look odd with his outfit. She grinned. Actually, the weapons had nothing to do with it. He was just going to be the funniest looking vampire slayer in the bunker.

  “And last, but not least...” Graham held up a cloth-wrapped package.

  Ryder’s fingers were tingling with excitement, ready to get to hold of her new weapon. She took it from him almost reverently, already certain what was within, and opened the cloth. “It’s…it’s beautiful…”

  “It’s more than beautiful,” Graham told her. “The arrowheads are made from metal instead of the flint you’re used to. No more breakages.”

  “Thank you, Graham.” Ryder giggled as she examined the bow. The craftsmanship was far better than her old bow, and the stronger arrowheads would mean she could be a little less fussy about where she aimed the next time they were fighting. “This is going to make a huge difference.”

  “That’s not the best thing. Watch this.” Graham walked over to Massimo’s hard alcohol. I thought he was going to show me something, not just drink more.

  “Do you mind if I steal this?” Graham asked Massimo.

  “Be my guest.” Massimo was happy to have people drinking in his house. Ryder noticed that Fluffy wasn’t walking in a straight line as he came over to the group. He was drunk. Ryder looked down at him, fondly shaking her head as he came to lie down beside her. “Oh, Leandro.” She rubbed the spot between his ears. “What is the world coming to? A drunk wolf.”

  Leandro looked up at her and rolled his eyes.

&nbs
p; Graham was ready to continue his demonstration. He lifted the bottle to his lips and then laughed as the fumes made his eyes water. “I’m kidding, relax. This shit’s probably too strong for human consumption.”. He motioned to Ryder to bring the bow, the arrows, and the bottle of liquor and headed outside, with everyone following close behind him.

  He made for his cart and grabbed a few rags from the back. Graham had brought Black Beauty and another horse with a wooden cart to carry all of the weapons, water, and food to the bunker. That way they could save their energy so they would be ready for the fight.

  Graham busied himself for a moment. He tore a few strips from a rag and tipped a small amount of the alcohol on them before laying them on the top of a flat rock. He tore more strips from another rag and held one out to Ryder. “Wrap the arrowhead,”

  Ryder did as he asked while Graham readied his flint and steel and set the alcohol-soaked rags alight. “Fire?” she asked.

  Graham nodded. “You can’t do that with flint.”

  Ryder grinned and nocked the arrow. “Cool!”

  “I thought you’d like it.” Graham smiled.

  Ryder dipped her arrowhead into the flame and loosed it at a nearby tree. The arrow thunked into the wood with a hiss. “Oh, I like it.”

  Graham headed over to a bag on the porch while Ryder went to retrieve her arrow. “I’ve got extra knives for everyone in here. Also, I brought as many bullets as I had, which wasn’t too many. We’ll need to use them wisely.” Nobody disagreed with that. To have bullets at all was a blessing that they would not waste.

  “We need a plan. Let’s practice with the weapons, then head back inside and work it out over dinner,” Massimo suggested.

  Ryder had longed to hear words to that effect for years. Her heart soared with the knowledge that her dream of freedom for the people she cared about was finally coming true. They had the weapons and the team. They would find a way into the bunker and free everyone.

  Afana wouldn’t live to regret the day he’d kidnapped Ryder.

  The gang played with their new toys. Tightwad moved through a few sword techniques, confirming to Ryder that he had experience. She had to stifle a giggle at the juxtaposition of his serious face and his colorful sweater as he sliced through the air like there was a Mad in front of him. Ryder had underestimated Tightwad, and she was glad to have him in the gang.

  Carter stood with Byrant, encouraging him to practice. He lined up some potatoes for targets. Carter knew that he needed to get Byrant’s confidence up after he’d choked so badly today. There was a fun bit of banter between the two of them. Carter threw his axes at the potatoes, slicing them in two.

  Massimo patted Carter on the back. “Carter, you are in charge of chopping vegetables for dinner.”

  Vicky was using a crossbow, but the arrows went everywhere except the target she was aiming for. She spat as she threw it on the ground. “This is a piece of shit.”

  “Hey!” Graham snapped. He picked up the bow and cradled it as though it were his child Vicky had just cast away.

  “It’s not as good as my trusty shovel.” She retrieved her shovel from where she’d leaned it while she tried the crossbow and swung it up to rest on her shoulder. “At least with this I know I won’t miss.” She gave it a little swing for emphasis.

  Graham watched Vicky’s body as she swung. “If you move your hips a little…” Graham reached for Vicky’s hips. Vicky stepped back and made to swing the shovel at him. Graham held up his hands. “I just want to show you that if you move your hips just so, you’ll get a hell of a lot more power behind the swing, and you won’t have as much pain after a fight. Can I?” he asked.

  “Any funny business and I’ll be swinging this at your head,” Vicky said, raising her shovel again.

  Graham chuckled. “Funny business? Me? As if. Now, place your feet like mine.” She copied Graham’s stance and readied her shovel. He placed his hands on her hips and tilted them to show her how to pivot to add the power to her swing. “Now try it by yourself.”

  She swung again, then nodded at Graham. “Not bad. Not bad at all. Can you show me again? This time, your hands can stay on my hips a little longer.” She winked.

  Graham’s hands were on Vicky's hips before she could change her mind.

  “Everyone go grab some food. I’ll be in shortly,” Massimo told everyone.

  Vicky stepped out of Graham’s reach. “Come on, you. I know you’re…hungry.”

  “Get a room, you two,” Ryder teased.

  Vicky grinned. “Ooh, can we?” She winked seductively at Graham and strutted into the house.

  Massimo stayed on the porch with Fluffy. Even he had started to refer to Leandro as Fluffy. Massimo took a seat in the rocking chair and rocked a little. His hand trailed over the new cut marks in the chair arms. He put it down to Afana’s men and shook his head at the senseless damage.

  Leandro looked up at him and whined softly.

  “I know, son. So much has happened over the last forty-eight hours. The murder that wasn’t really a murder, the Mad in the Old Dog…” Massimo shook his head sadly. Even though he’d told Leandro he wasn’t upset about it, the bar turning into a murder scene had cut him deeply. “Then the fight, and… And you turning into a wolf full-time,” Massimo finished softly, stroking Fluffy.

  Fluffy rested his nose on Massimo’s knee, and Massimo ran his hand through his son’s thick white fur. Massimo smiled. Fluffy was the perfect name for him. “I wish you could speak to me right now,” he admitted. “I do miss the sound of your nagging.”

  Fluffy looked up at Massimo. He knew that despite the teasing his Pops was hurting.

  Massimo leaned back in the rocking chair. “What can we do?” he asked.

  Leandro whined again.

  Damn, he was cute when he looked up at Massimo with his large orange eyes. Massimo let out a little laugh and patted Fluffy’s head. “You weren’t a mind reader when you were a human, so why would you be now you’re a wolf?” He traced the scar in the chair arm idly. “I’m not as young as I used to be. Today I felt alive. I have to say, son, you looked alive as well. Have we both been hiding our true selves out of fear of the unknown?”

  Fluffy tilted his head.

  “Ah, you do understand me. I’ve been thinking. I can’t let everyone down tomorrow. How could an old worn-out vampire like me fight a mutant vampire?” He frowned. “I’m thinking I should do something I swore I never would.”

  His son looked no less confused, but Massimo didn’t notice. His mind was on the monumental decision he was coming to.

  “I should have stopped Afana years ago before any of this started. I knew what a monster he was back then, and I did nothing. That makes part of those people’s captivity my responsibility, and it’s about time I took ownership of it. It’s time to stop hiding in the shadows and face what my cowardice has brought about.” He looked at Fluffy, noticing the glazed look in his son’s eyes. “I’m rambling, aren’t I? I need to drink human blood and get stronger if I’m going to win against Afana.” Massimo paused for a moment.

  “What do you think?” he asked Fluffy, “One nod for yes, two for no.”

  Fluffy nodded.

  Massimo ran his hand through Fluffy’s fur. “Yes, then.” He smiled.

  She’d looked good with the flaming arrow, Leandro thought as he watched Ryder. She smiled at him before she loosed it. That woman was hot. Flaming hot. Leandro snickered to himself.

  He loved watching Ryder, and it was even more fun now because he could see two of her. Now it wasn’t creepy because he was a wolf, just staring up at her like a lost puppy.

  I’m thirsty again. Leandro had drunk more that night than he had in his whole life. Part of him wished he’d done it more often. He felt more courageous. If he could have spoken he’d have asked Ryder out, although he wasn’t sure where he’d take her. The Old Dog would have been the perfect location until all the deaths.

  Leandro turned around; everyone was walking back into
the house. Was it something I said? Leandro chuffed with laughter. I doubt it. More likely the gas I just let out…

  Massimo took a seat in the rocking chair, and Leandro sat down on the porch next to his Pops.

  Leandro rested his head on Massimo's knee, wishing he’d taken more time to just have a few beers on the porch with his Pops while he still could. He closed his eyes as Massimo stroked his head, right...right...

  Ahhhh, that’s the sweet spot, Leandro thought as Massimo rubbed him behind his ear.

  Massimo nudged Leandro. “One for yes, two for no.”

  What?

  “Yes, then,” Massimo said.

  What did I just agree to? Leandro wondered.

  3

  Ryder was having a hell of a lot of fun with her new arrows. They whizzed through the air and landed in the tree trunks with a satisfying thud each time. Her arms were tired from the battle that day and she knew she needed to save her strength for tomorrow’s fight, so she decided to call it a day.

  When Ryder went to retrieve her arrows, every part of her body ached. The water was leaving her body, and so was the relief it gave her. She’d have to have a few more shots to sleep tonight. She’d aimed for a tree that was far away from the house, which she realized was not the best idea now as she had to go get them. Then again, it was a good thing, since it was giving Massimo and Fluffy time to chat. They were deep in conversation. Well, Massimo was, given that Fluffy couldn’t actually speak.

  Ryder worked the arrows out of the tree, holding each one up to the moonlight to check for damage. She could make out that the arrows hadn’t been blunted by the force of hitting the tree, which was a good thing. She placed her finger on the tip of an arrowhead to double-check that it was nice and sharp.

  Ryder slung her bow over her shoulder and headed back to the house. She was hungry now and hoped that everyone in the house hadn’t eaten everything while she was out here training.

  Ryder turned at a rustle in the trees behind her. With all the extra people, they could do with the meat. She breathed in, and the foul smell of rotting eggs hit her. No animal smelled that bad, and Carter was inside, so it wasn’t his gassy ass.