“Yes?” Dr. Fredericks leans in, wanting more.
“We’ll exterminate the entirety of the rogue Exalted with the help of the Third Republic. We have Exalted on the way there now to let them know of the situation. Then we’ll take a few from here and a few from there and repopulate the Second Republic.”
Dr. Fredericks is nearly salivating—the idea of so much destruction is titillating. “That sounds excellent. Excellent! So when do we start?”
“In a few days time. The others are anxious to get this unpleasant disruption behind them. They're calling it a fluke. They think we're nearly there—we've nearly bred and conditioned their unpredictable and violent natures out of the Exalted." Dr. Leon leans forward giving Dr. Fredericks a sickly sweet smile. "I know how much you enjoy witnessing these things first hand . . . You’re welcome to tag along with our soldiers,” Dr. Leon offers to his colleague, while secretly hoping he goes along and never returns. Actually, that’s exactly what the others in South America are hoping for as well. They can’t rely on him to rebuild the Second Republic when he’s already let it crumble under his rule.
No, Dr. Fredericks will be out—one way or another.
Chapter 45 / Ethan
The days following the fires pass by slowly. It’s been a strain on the village to take on so many new people all at once. Feeding all of them is the biggest problem. Everyday Cap sends out more hunters than usual, but the hunters are weary and frightened of the forest. Each hunting group has to be accompanied by an Exalted for protection.
The displaced refugees also need housing, since the two bunkhouses were never meant to hold so many people at once. Half of the uninjured male refugees along with several Exalted have been given the jobs of building each family a makeshift structure until actual homes can be built for them. Tiny four-walled shanties with thatched roofs are being erected south of the village—away from the one open access meant to draw in the Republic. There are so many refugees to help with the work that the process takes no time at all.
The other half of the new villagers are placing the bombs along the road with trip wires, setting up booby-traps, and constructing a hidden bunker for the children and the adults that didn’t train as archers. The hope is that they’ll stay safe and go undiscovered, even if we lose the fight.
Cap petitioned the Exalted to dig an enormous hole in the earth, south of the village. Once that was complete, he had us carry something called a mobile home over to the hole and drop it in. Then, the villagers took over, camouflaging the shelter with the branches of pine trees, but leaving some open area for airways. It’s pretty amazing. Unless you’re looking for a giant metal home under the earth, you’d never know it was there.
Most of the women are helping with the hunting, cooking, and sewing of new clothes. A few that can stand the sight of blood are shadowing Jenna, Tommy, and his mother with their medical work. The village needs to take full advantage of their skills, and they are. Jenna is an especially great teacher. She is patient and kind, and when she's not working with medicine, Az is training her with the bow. The girl never stops.
The rest of the Exalted are on non-stop patrol. I feel like I’m back in the Republic, mindlessly walking the fields, only here I am mindlessly walking the forest. The urge to run and never turn back is strong, but that’s not the kind of man I want to be. I will see this war to the end, but that is all. I’ve decided to leave the second it is finished.
Maybe one day I’ll return to my old Republic to see my parents, but I don’t feel a bond with them like I see the children here have with their parents. Child/Parent relationships in the Republic were only about status. There was no emotional connection. I hope that is something that changes for everyone who remains in the walled cities.
After walking for hours without any sign of oncoming trouble, I stop to practice my knife throwing skills. I choose a tree that has soft wood. First, I practice just throwing from one spot. The use of my knife arm feels good, but after a few minutes, the repetitive action begins to bore me. A makeshift obstacle course would be much better. I remember passing a fallen tree about a half-mile back, so I retrieve it. After bear hugging the trunk and pushing down with my foot at the end of the tree, I snap it into several smaller pieces. I stack a few on top of each other and leave other single pieces scattered on the ground.
When my work is done, I smile. Time to have some fun, I think to myself just before charging the course. Though my neck is still sore, I don’t let it keep me from exercising and practicing. It feels too good to be moving like this again to stop.
Lost in my own world, I don’t hear the group of armed Exalted approach. It’s only when one of them shouts that I spin on my heels with my knives ready to fire in their direction. Val is standing at the front of the angry group, “What are you doing, Ethan? We thought they were coming back for us.” Behind her, Everett and the other Exalted turn and stomp back toward the village, not caring to hear my irrelevant response. They probably want me gone as bad as I want to leave.
Val comes a little closer. The healing cut above her eye draws my eyes away from her sad expression. “What’s going on with you?” she asks.
“I was bored and they aren’t coming today.” My answer is that of a boy.
Val shakes her head at me like a trainer would do to a weak trainee. “I thought we were close, Ethan. You seem to grow more distant by the minute. I thought we . . ." Her words trail off.
Maybe we were, but I don’t want to be stuck here, even if that means getting to be with Val.
“I’ll go back on patrol and apologize to Cap later. Don’t worry. I’m fine. We’re fine.” I walk away from her to retrieve my knives that are stuck in various trees nearby. In my building frustration, I yank on them with more force than needed.
“Fine,” she mumbles as she drifts off into the forest from where she came.
Chapter 46 / AZ
Backup is finally here. Our old Republic decided to spare some Exalted since we sent the news of Dr. Fredericks’ recent attack and imminent return. You can physically see the relief wash through Cap’s entire body when a dozen Exalted make their way onto the training field. The field is full now that we have resumed training the villagers. Most of the refugees have joined us as well. The burning of their homes and the loss of their loved ones has outraged them. They won’t be running this time.
As the new Exalted get closer, we can see that they all look ill. There is a definite pallor to their skin, perhaps even a hint of green, they are all sweating profusely, and one of them even vomits on the training field as he struggles to keep moving forward.
Noticing their obvious state of withdrawal, Ryker marches over to them in a huff. I can hear him question them, “Who took you off the Pump? Did Basav really think this was the best time for that? Why did he send me sick Exalted? You’re no good to us like this!” His frustration pours from his mouth as he questions them.
“It’s already been a few days. It should be finished soon, right?” one of the males speaks up.
Cap hurries over toward Ryker and places a hand on his shoulder. “What he means is we’re thankful that you came even though you’re obviously going through withdrawal.”
Ryker’s jaw tenses. “That’s not what I said.”
“We had no choice,” a female Exalted says. “We blew-up the ESC. There isn’t any Pump left. Everyone is going through withdrawals.”
“What do you mean you blew-up the ESC?” Mena asks the woman. I find myself drifting closer to the new arrivals, along with the rest of the Exalted that should be training the villagers right now. We can’t help ourselves. Curiosity is winning.
“We ambushed the island. And when we were done, we blew up every building there. It’s gone,” she answers.
“And the people?” I ask before Mena gets the chance to ask.
“We let them choose—go to South America or return with us . . . Only a few returned with us.”
“Is Basav preparing for an attack there?” Ry
ker asks the woman.
“Yes. Everyone is ready. The city is on full alert, but we can assume that they are all ill as well. It may buy us some time.”
“Has Basav heard from the Third Republic?” Mena asks this time.
“No. We only know what you told us. Basav wants to keep them out of it in case they side with Dr. Fredericks. It will be easier to fight one Republic at a time. We can’t win against both of them at the same time.” The woman seems to literally wilt in front of our eyes, as if the withdrawal coupled with the barrage of questions has completely drained her of life. Behind her, someone else vomits.
Ryker shifts and points to the other end of the field, closer to the village. “Go sit and recover. We’ll call you if we need you,” he instructs the ailing group. They obey and stumble their way to the opposite end of the field, supporting each other as they go. I know they have to be embarrassed to be so weak they can’t even walk on their own. Hopefully they aren’t experiencing those feelings just yet.
“I’ll go get Jenna or Tommy,” I tell Ryker and Cap. “They should have something to help with the nausea, right?”
“Yes, that’s a good idea, Az. Thank you,” Cap says while Ryker just stands with arms folded across his chest, jaw still tense.
Before I leave, I have to say something about the new arrivals and their state. “They'll be over their withdrawals in time, won't they?” I ask.
“I sure hope so,” Ryker answers. "They better be of some use to us. Including them, we only have 28 Exalted on our side. I know Dr. Fredericks won't show up here with less than fifty fighters. Us winning is a long shot, but if they're not better soon, it'll be a massacre." He's cold and blunt, but I know he's just worried about the people he loves. I feel the same about Jenna's wellbeing, which is why she needs to help these new arrivals feel better—fast.
***
Jenna is in the new indoor/outdoor infirmary that was recently constructed by Trudi and Kwan next to the older, smaller infirmary. They did a pretty good job. It has a roof that is held up by four posts, mosquito netting is hung around the four sides of the roof to the ground, and wooden cots are set up in rows inside the airy structure. There are currently two patients occupying two of the twelve beds. Besides the two patients, Jenna is alone. Tommy and his mother must be sleeping. They’ve been so busy since the fires.
“Knock. Knock.” I say from outside the mosquito netting.
Jenna smiles as she turns around. “Hey,” she answers. She quickly adjusts the dressing on one of her patient’s legs and then hurries over to the flap opening of the building. “Is something wrong?” she asks, her smile falling when she see my melancholy expression.
“Oh. No. Well, not with me. The Exalted from our old Republic just got here. They’re all sick. They’re coming off the Pump. I wanted to see if you have anything for nausea.”
“That’s nice of you,” she says, smiling again.
My chest swells as a result of her compliment. Trying to recover some of my masculinity, I add, “They’re no good to us if they’re sick. They can’t fight if they’re feeling like that.”
Jenna’s forehead wrinkles. And then, she laughs. “Okay, Az. Whatever you say . . . Go see the cooks. They should be able to make them some ginger tea. That’ll help.”
“Thanks, Jenna.”
“So, will I see you later? At dinner?” she asks. She quickly turns away, but I can see the blush climbing up her pale neck.
“I’ll be there.” I can’t help but smile. “I wouldn’t miss it. Practice after?”
“Sure. I’ll see you then,” she says before returning to her patients.
Chapter 47 / Ryker
We’re all here. Mena, Az, Ethan, Val, Trudi, Kwan, Dixie, Everett, Conall, and the villagers practice archery on the training field. The new Exalted are still useless. I sympathize with them for how they’re feeling, but we have to protect this village. And I have to protect Mena. All I can do is prepare the people here to the best of my abilities in the short amount of time that we have . . . and hope.
If it comes to it, I’ll get Mena, Lily, and our friends out of here. I still have the keys to the Humvee. They never leave my pocket. That vehicle is my back-up plan.
Trudi and Kwan have taken on working with the females of the group. Az seems to be mainly focused on the man with the prosthetic hand, John. Ethan, Val, Dixie, Conall, and Everett are overseeing everyone else. Mena and I are focused on the half-breeds. They’re our next best chance if the Exalted fail.
“You need to throw harder. Faster.” I charge the one male half-breed that has been allowed to train with knives. Ducking my head at the last minute, I slide under his over-sized arm, grab it, and twist the knife away from him.
“Hey,” he complains.
“They’re stronger than you. They’re faster than you,” I tell him as I toss his knife back to him. “You need to use your assets and don’t let them get close to you. You need to do the unexpected.”
The male half-breed nods. “Okay. Let’s go again.”
This time, when I charge him, he spears the knife toward my shin. I jump out of the way just in time. I was not expecting that move. Exalted usually attack up top, not below the knee.
The male half-breed laughs, "Like that?"
"Well done,” I smile with admiration. “Remember, use your brain."
Chapter 48 / Mena
The training field is packed with Exalted, archers, half-breeds, refugees, and villagers. Everyone has come together to protect this village. It’s amazing. Those not training are making new arrows—even the children are helping by gathering sticks for the shafts.
Surprisingly, my mother has put aside her feelings and is here helping as well. If I didn't know better, I'd think she was still on the Pump. Her face and body are cold and void of any emotion. She’s obviously here to redirect her anger and sorrow, as am I.
The Exalted who came to help us have been here for two days now, and they're back at their physical peak. Although they occasionally have odd outbursts because of their new unexpected emotions, they’re learning to deal with them as best as they can.
I still can’t believe Az transitioned so well. He seems so kind and respectful of others. Jenna seems to have won him over. I rarely see them apart, except when she's treating her patients.
Ethan is still distant, but he’s doing his due diligence. He’s here training and patrolling when the village requests it. Sadly, I’ve also noticed he and Val are growing apart. I actually thought there was something romantic going on between them. It saddens me to see them avoid each other. I wish I could help them in some way.
I was able to pull Val aside and ask her about it briefly. She said she didn't know what was bothering Ethan. She's as clueless as I am when it comes to him and his moodiness. Only time will tell, I suppose.
Ryker and I haven’t stopped yet. We train, eat, and train some more. I think Ryker goes along with my seemingly endless pace because he knows it’s keeping my mind off my father.
Eventually, he does make me stop though. There’s not enough light at night to do more work anyways. We sleep side-by-side on a blanket in the middle of the training field—right where I need to be to start working again when the sun rises.
The stars are nice. Counting them helps me fall asleep. It gives me something to focus on while my mind is running wild with thoughts of how I will kill Dr. Fredericks.
I’m ready for this battle.
***
“Mena. Mena,” someone calls to me. “Mena.” I’m shaken violently by my shoulders. I immediately react by reaching out to wrap my hands around Dr. Fredericks’ throat. I will kill him!
“Mena. Stop it.” That's not Dr. Fredericks’ voice. No. It’s Ryker.
I stop struggling against him. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper as I release my grip on his exposed throat. I dig my fingers into the short grass of the training field, trying to get a handle on what's happening. “I guess I was having a nightmare. I’m still not entirely used
to them.”
“They’re coming.” Ryker warns.
“What? Now?” I sit up with a jolt, trying to get my bearings.
“One of our scouts just ran past. We have to get ready. They’ll be here by sun-up . . . Are you okay?” he asks as he takes my hand.
“Yeah. I’m fine. I’m ready. Let’s go.” Truthfully, I’m a little shaken. Between the dream and the surprise of imminent battle, my heart is pounding in my ears. I’m disoriented as I try to standing. The training field sways under my unsteady legs.
"Mena, hurry!" Ryker shouts as he runs toward the village. I jog after him, still shaken from my dream, but finally awake. It’s not until we reach Cap that my head clears, but adrenaline quickly fills my body.
A battle is coming.
Dr. Fredericks, my father’s murderer, is coming to kill us. Kinah is coming to kill us. And what of The Third Republic? Will they be coming at our backs? We won’t survive if they join against us.
These could be my last breaths. These could be my last moments with Ryker, my mother, and my friends.
While Ryker is in deep discussion with Cap, I weave my way through the crowd that has gathered in the center of the village. Finally, I spot my mother. She appears to be solemn, but her fists are clenched. She’s ready to fight. She wants her revenge, as do we all.
When she sees me, her hands relax. She turns to me and wraps her powerful, but gentle arms around my neck. “I love you,” she says with tears threatening to spill from her haunted eyes.
“I love you,” I say in return as I rest my check on her shoulder. I notice that she no longer smells of the stolen lemons from the Republic’s orchards. It's a smell that I've always associated with her. This realization makes me long for days past when I knew nothing of the truth—nothing of the secrets of the Republic and the Pump.
United (Exalted Trilogy: Book 3) Page 12
