by KM Fortune
"Especially Simon," Toby interjected.
"Don't forget Matthew solved the crazy password riddle," Brody said. Raven looked warmly at Matthew and saw him blush a little.
"And the cure? Was it there?" she asked. The group all looked from one to the other and then Kaleb shrugged.
"We're not sure," he said. "We have a lot of data disks, but so far haven't had time to examine them."
"At least we have a chance," Matthew added. "Using the computer in Hector's kingdom, I hope to start searching soon." He turned to Kaleb. "Both of us."
"Well, I say we hit the road then," Hector said. "Our work is done here. We saved Raven and I don't figure anyone in the city will mess with us as we leave."
Raven saw Blaze frown. "Now wait a minute," he said. "The Duke is still out there. We can't just let him get away."
Hector shrugged. "Not my problem," he said. "Sure, he's a bad dude, but I've heard of worse. So he goes back to running this city. It doesn't matter to me." Blaze's face turned red and Raven could see another argument was about to break out. She held up her hands to stop them.
"Just wait," she said. "I think he is actually eviler than you know, Hector." She turned and looked at Kit who was perched on the edge of the cage platform, watching the room. "Kit described a place where The Duke has slaves working for him. Under horrible conditions." Raven saw Kaleb react and turned to him. "You knew about this?" she asked. Kaleb sighed.
"I've seen it," he answered. "It is hell on earth."
HECTOR GRITTED HIS teeth. The conversation around him was not going the way he wanted. He needed to get back to Helen and his realm and now that his promise of helping them find Raven was done, he was ready to leave. Who cares about some slaves? he thought and then paused. He could almost hear Helen’s voice in his ear. She would tell him she cared about slaves and she would remind him he was about to be the king of his people. A good king would never stand for cruelty or slavery, even if it was humans involved. He rubbed a paw over his face. “So, what are you proposing?” he asked, already knowing the answer. Raven looked at him. Her face was solemn.
“We need to go see,” she said. “And if it is true, then we free them.” The rest of the group nodded.
“Indeed, we should!” Simon exclaimed. “Slavery cannot be tolerated. It is a festering wound, which must not be left ignored and it is our obligation, as moral individuals, to lend the downtrodden aid. I salute you, Ms. Raven and I shall follow your luminous torch of goodness into the blackest corner if need be. Why I shall—" Hector had enough and waved his hand to shut Simon up.
“Alright, we get it, hero,” Hector said. “So, how do we get there? And when do we leave?”
Blaze interrupted the conversation. “I’m not going,” he stated. Hector raised an eyebrow in surprise. Is this kid really saying he doesn’t care about slaves? Hector wondered. He was curious to see how that would play out. As if sensing the group was thinking exactly the same as Hector, Blaze flushed but held his ground. "I agree, the slaves should be freed, but I think we need to split into two groups. One to hunt for The Duke and one to go with Raven." Hector nodded. What Blaze said made sense to him now that he thought of it. It would even be smart for Blaze's group to set up a secure base within Reno to operate from while they searched. This would help keep The Duke from returning and getting dug in while everyone was away.
"I'll stay with Blaze," Hector said. "With half the team, we can hold down the fort here."
"An exceptional plan," Simon said before Raven or any of the others could respond.
Hector rolled his eyes. Here we go again, he thought and let the strange little man run with it.
KIT RAISED HER EYEBROWS as she listened to the stranger in the oversized combat helmet and flak vest ramble on about slavery and righteousness and a bunch of other things she did not follow. It was evident she was not the only one in the group at a loss when it came to understanding what he was saying. Hector and Blaze looked especially frustrated. No doubt, having traveled with the long-winded man, they were tired of the sound of his voice. Kit was growing tired of it quickly herself. "And so, in conclusion, I strongly advocate for a speedy exodus to said "pit" and proceed to liberate the indentured and downtrodden," Simon said, puffing out his chest and taking on a solemn expression. Kit guessed he was trying to look stately, but considering he was only at best two inches taller than she was, he struggled to pull it off. Kit saw Hector blink as if he had been in a trance, apparently lost in thoughts far away during Simon's speech.
"Oh," he said. "Are you done?" This elicited a chuckle from the twins. Simon opened his mouth to reply, but Blaze stepped forward to interrupt.
"Yeah, he's done," he said. "Okay, let's split up. Who's going to the pit?" Raven, Matthew, Simon and Kaleb raised their hands. Kit stayed put. To be honest, since Kaleb volunteered and probably knew the way better than she did, there was no reason she should tag along. In fact, she was not planning to stick around period. She was sick of Reno and the wide-open spaces were calling. Hopping down from her perch on the edge of the platform, she went to hug Willow goodbye for now. As soon as she made a move, Simon piped up.
"Oh good," he said. "I was hoping you were joining the rescue team. It is not often I encounter someone I can see eye-to-eye with. You'll be a perfect fit for the sidecar and we can revel in discourse while we ride to our destination." Kit turned to look at the stranger, while Hector laughed and Raven hid a smile. "What?" Simon said looking around. "Did I say something humorous?"
Raven shook her head. "Simon, Kit cannot talk," she said. Simon frowned and looked at Kit.
"Not even one word?" he asked. Kit shook her head. "How unfortunate," he said, but then perked up. "I shall not be deterred! You will journey with me and I shall converse enough for the both of us." This time Hector, Blaze and the twins snickered. Kit was not sure she liked it. The little man was strange, it was true, but he came across as completely sincere. Setting her jaw, she made a snap decision. After a sharp glance around to quiet the laughing, Kit turned to Simon and before she could change her mind, gave him a sharp nod. She would ride with him after all.
CHAPTER 7
The pit was worse than Matthew imagined. As the group, both his friends and a few cat mutants who came in support, stayed hidden atop the ridge which overlooked the area, Matthew could see the hopelessness of the people trapped there. Using the telescope Simon carried on his motorcycle, Matthew had been able to survey the situation. By his estimate, and it was confirmed by both Kaleb and Kit, there were only six guards. It seemed like a small number but considering they were armed and the others were not, it apparently sufficed. Not to mention many of the slaves are so sick from the poison they are digging up, there probably is not much fight left in them, he thought. After a last look through the eyeglass, Matthew crawled back from the edge and then crouched in the circle to confer with the others. “Okay, this should be doable. Six of them and a dozen of us. Plus, we have better weapons,” Matthew said.
“Which won’t be necessary, I would reason,” Simon said. “Once they see our advanced numbers, any intelligent individual would immediately surrender.” Matthew saw Kit give Simon a look of pure incredulity. It did not surprise him. Kit’s answer to everything was to attack first, ask questions later. Figuratively speaking, he thought considering Kit’s mute state. Simon apparently saw the expression as well.
“What is it, Kit?” he asked. “Can we not approach this in a civilized fashion? Must everything be a gunfight?” Kit shrugged and pulled a knife from under her cloak and held it up for him to see. Simon tilted his head. “Or a knife fight,” he added. Kit frowned and even though the circumstances and surroundings were dire, Matthew smiled a little. It was clear Simon had grown an attachment to the small woman already and he wondered if Kit realized it yet. Probably not, Matthew thought. Or she would most likely have headed for the hills. He did not see her as the attachment type.
“I’m with Simon on this one,” Raven said. “We did not come h
ere to kill anyone. Instead, our mission is to help our fellow men, women, and beasts.” She looked hard at Kit. “Can you disable the two guards furthest from us? Without mortally wounding them?” Kit looked thoughtful for a minute and then with a slightly frustrated glance at Simon, nodded. “Good,” Raven said. “Kaleb, can you lead a group to take out the team on the left?” Kaleb nodded and Raven looked at Matthew. “And you’re with me?” Raven asked. Matthew smiled.
“Always,” he said.
TAKING OVER RENO WAS proving to be more of a challenge than Willow expected. She understood Blaze's desire to secure the city now that The Duke was in hiding, but in his haste, Blaze had not accounted for how many loyal followers The Duke had behind him. Willow believed many of the city's residents lived in a state of fear, but there were a few others who would resist the change to the death. These were the people who were the problem now. Although Willow and the others had only had a short head-to-head skirmish with a group of The Duke's men in cowboy hats and with rifles, the random potshots from windows of buildings were doing the most damage. "We're going to have to go building by building if you really mean to take this place over," Hector growled at Blaze as he ducked down behind cover to avoid another volley. In answer, Blaze leaned out from behind a dumpster parked in the street and returned fire up at a second story window.
"Why exactly are we taking back the city?" Toby asked from where he crouched behind Hector.
"Excellent question, brother," Brody said in support.
"Because I'll be damned if I'm going to let The Duke go back to being an overlord," Blaze snapped.
"So, this is personal?" Gabriel asked from beside Willow and sounding none too happy. Blaze did not bother to answer and instead stepped from behind the dumpster and started to move forward.
"Let's go, if you're coming. I want to get to the main casino hotel. If The Duke's hiding anywhere, it is up in his penthouse," Blaze said. When no one said anything, he looked back and Willow saw his face fall with disappointment. She hated to see it, but she also knew trying to storm the building with just a dozen fighters would be dangerous, if not suicide.
"Blaze," Willow started but stopped when her friend angrily shook his head.
"You can't talk me out of it," Blaze said. "I'll go alone if I have to. Yeah, it is a little personal, but he's also an evil person. You heard Raven. The man forces people into slavery after he tricks them into owing him something when they come here." Still no one responded until Hector sighed and shook his head.
"Alright," Hector said, surprising Willow.
She looked at him and watched him lift his head proudly. For the first time, she actually saw a hint of the beast who would make a good king. "I don't know anything about this Duke person other than what Blaze and some of the others have described, but he does sound like someone who should be shut down," Hector said. "I would just prefer to not get shot in the process."
"Yeah," Toby said. "I can go along with that."
"Especially the not getting shot part," Brody added.
"So, then what's the plan?" Gabriel asked and the group all looked from one to the other until at last, they all turned to Willow. Oh, you have got to be kidding me, she thought realizing they expected her to come up with something. Now she had to figure out how to get The Duke out of his ivory tower and get the rest of his followers to put down their guns. With a sigh, she nodded.
"Okay, let's fall back. I think I have an idea," Willow said. "But I'm going to need our grenades."
NEWS OF WHAT RAVEN and the others had done spread slowly through the encampment. Raven could literally hear word passed from slave to slave and reactions were mixed. Some were immediately excited and rushed to pack their things to get away from the tent city as quickly as they could. Others were angry, knowing in their hearts the situation was temporary and The Duke would not only rectify matters soon but come down harsher than ever as punishment. For the rest, their reaction was outright fear. As Raven walked down the broadest aisle, almost a road, into the tent city, she was flanked by Matthew and Kaleb, both who carried rifles at the ready just in case. Men and women who had stopped work and filed out of the pit lined the muddy avenue. Behind Raven walked the six unarmed, slightly bloodied guards, bound at the hands and strung together with heavy rope. Cat mutants escorted them and Kit, with a proud looking Simon, brought up the rear.
Coming to the open space at the center of the camp, Raven stopped at the edge of the well and turned to look at the people around her. They were emaciated and covered with weeping sores. Their clothes were faded rags. Some were dirty, but not everyone. Raven could see some of the people were trying to sustain a life here, even if it was against their will. Some of them have not given up hope, she thought and knew these were the ones she needed to reach out to first. Smiling, Raven scanned the onlookers, meeting the eyes of some. Most glanced away, but not all. One man, in particular, held her eye. He was taller than most everyone and even dressed in clothes covered in patches, he looked proud. He looks like a leader. In fact, she could feel it radiating off of him. Raven stepped toward him and people cleared out of her way to make a path. When they were close, Raven stopped and they stood facing each other. A hush went over the crowd. “I am Raven Winter, from the City of Angels,” she said. “I am here to give you good news I hope.” The man regarded her with a steady look. His eyes were green like hers and shown bright out of his hollow face. For a long minute, Raven thought he was not going to answer but then he nodded.
“It is good to meet you, Raven Winter, from the City of Angels. I’m Maximillian, from nowhere,” he replied. “Is The Duke dead?” There was a shifting in the crowd as people eagerly anticipated her answer. Before she could say anything, one of the cowboys tied up in the line called out.
“Don’t believe anything this wench has to say,” he threatened. “You all know the deal. When The Duke finds out what is happening here, he’ll send more of his guys and everyone will suffer.” More restlessness ran through the people gathered around. It is their worst fear, Raven thought. And I will never let that happen. No matter what it takes. “He’s wrong," Raven said, turning to scan the faces of those around her. "The Duke is no longer in power. Even as we speak, another group of us is taking over the forbidden city." Raven could feel the waves of doubt but hope as well, rolling off of the men and women.
"But he's not dead," Maximillian said with a nod. "Good, because I want to kill him myself."
CHAPTER 8
Waiting in the abandoned building near the casino hotel where The Duke was hiding, Gabriel listened patiently to Willow’s idea. It was risky, but not impossible. All we need to do is get a few of us to the roof, he thought. Without getting shot in the process. He frowned. Easier said than done. None of them knew much about the building. The doctor, Kaleb, who might have a clue, was away at the pit. The discussion at the moment was if they should wait for Raven and the others to come back before attempting to pull off their idea.
Gabriel was a fan of more power in numbers, having experience seeing the effect of overwhelming firepower on a smaller force. Feeling an unexpected pang of guilt as he remembered the horrific nomad massacre scenes he witnessed over his lifetime, especially years ago when the crusades were in full swing, Gabriel swallowed hard. I think we may have been wrong about all of that, he thought, remembering Raven’s words in the jeep. “You’ve been misled.” He shook his head thinking about it. So many questions. “You still with us, Gabriel?” Blaze asked sounding frustrated. “You’ve got the most military experience here so it would be great if you actually said something.” Gabriel blinked, coming back to the present.
“You’re right. Sorry,” Gabriel said. “I’m listening now.”
“We are trying to figure out how to get to the roof,” Willow reminded him. “Considering it is twenty-seven floors up.”
Hector paced the room. “There’s got to be stairs, but I’m not planning to walk up those. A sure way to get a big hole blown into me. No thanks,” Hector
said. Suddenly Gabriel heard gunfire outside the building. More potshots from the sound of it and coming from not too far away, almost like it was aimed at the main boulevard. Who is that? he wondered. He watched as Blaze moved at a crouch to look out one of the building’s blown out windows. Slowly, the young man peeked his head up to see over the lip and then paused as if surprised.
“It’s our Humvee,” he said and rose up with his rifle to send covering fire. Gabriel grabbed his gun and moved to the window to help and saw the vehicle start to turn their way, apparently having seen it was Blaze. Red-hair has its advantages it seems, Gabriel thought and fired up at a set of second story windows across the street where he saw some of the potshots were coming from.
“Somebody go to the front doors,” Gabriel called back to the others. “They are coming around from the left and will need to get in here fast.” Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Hector and Willow comply. The Humvee picked up speed, now that bullets were pinging off of the armor body of the vehicle.
As it came to a screeching halt, Gabriel switched out his combat rifle’s magazine, flipped the selector to full auto, and put it to his shoulder. “Okay Blaze,” he said. “Lay it on thick and let’s get those bastards to duck. Our people are on their way in.” With a grin, Blaze complied and the two of them lit up the street.
BLAZE STOOD TO THE side of the large double doors which led into the foyer of The Duke’s hotel. He wore his Kevlar helmet and vest. Across his chest on a bandolier were four grenades and in his sweaty hands was his combat rifle. Licking his lips, feeling nervous but also excited as he waited for the signal, Blaze tried to calm himself with a deep breath. Behind him, he could hear the twins doing the same. They were dressed for battle too, sans grenades, which Blaze believed was for the best. A person never knew what was going to happen with those two, he thought.
