Drifter

by Leslie Georgeson

  Ronin’s gaze narrowed. Then he smirked. “You’d give up your friends to save a woman?”

  Mitch nodded. “In a heartbeat.”

  Ronin chuckled. “Why am I not surprised? Okay, Mitchell. We have a deal. You tell me where your friends are hiding, and I’ll let the woman go.”

  “Not yet.” Mitch wasn’t a fool. “When Kate is free, then I’ll tell you.”

  Ronin scowled. “You’re not in a position to bargain, Mitchell. If I decided to kill you now, what’s stopping me?”

  Mitch shrugged. “Nothing. But you won’t get the information you need.”

  Ronin rose from the table in one swift movement, knocking his chair backward. Mitch held his ground, his gaze never wavering from Ronin’s as the bigger man leaned down, shoving his face in Mitch’s personal space. Mitch blocked the anger steaming off Ronin like hot lava, grateful for the gift Kate had shared with him. Without it, he wasn’t sure he would be able to do this.

  Two soldiers burst from the tunnel behind Ronin.

  “There’re drifters in there!” The man in the lead dropped to his knees, breathless, blood oozing from several bite wounds. “They tried to kill me.”

  The second man walked around the first. He approached Ronin, who spun around to face them. “The drifters killed Marty and Lou.” He motioned to the man kneeling behind him. “And severely wounded Will. They’re all over in there. And there’s a giant one that seems to be their leader. I don’t know if the other soldiers are still alive or not. We all separated and went down different tunnels in search of the woman. I didn’t see her in there anywhere.”

  Ronin rubbed a hand over his face and turned back to Mitch. “The very large drifter…do you know what he’s talking about?”

  Mitch nodded. “It’s my friend, Ethan. The one who wrote all those notes on the drifters.”

  Ronin snagged the arm of the soldier who’d been talking. “Take me to this giant drifter. I want to see it with my own eyes.”

  He turned to Mitch. “You’re coming with us.”

  Mitch didn’t argue. He wanted to be there when Ethan and Ronin met in the dark tunnels. And if Kate was in there somewhere, Mitch would make sure he got her to safety.

  Almost as soon as they entered the tunnel that led into the drifters’ lair, the mountain called to Mitch.

  Shira. Come inside.

  Shira. We’re waiting for you.

  Shira. Shira. Shira.

  Mitch paused behind Ronin and gave a rough shake of his head, trying to force the voice aside. He would need all his wits about him in order to escape with Kate.

  Ronin turned to him, narrowing his eyes. “This place is powerful. I can feel it.”

  Mitch nodded. “Is it calling to you?”

  Ronin scowled. “No. But the earth is humming. Can’t you feel that?”

  Mitch could. If the mountain wasn’t calling to Ronin, that was a good sign, right? It meant he wasn’t one of the chosen.

  Low growls filled the dark tunnels and they were suddenly surrounded by drifters. Literally hundreds of pairs of eyes focused on them. As part drifter, Mitch had earned the beasts’ respect, but there was no respect coming off the creatures right now. There was a bloodlust in the air. The drifters were in hunting mode. They were ready to kill. It didn’t make sense to him. Unless…

  Ronin turned to Mitch. “Why don’t they respect us? We’re drifters. We’re more powerful than them.”

  Mitch shrugged, though he sensed Ethan was somehow responsible for the beasts’ sudden change in attitude. “Ethan is their boss now. He must have ordered them to kill anything that entered the tunnels.”

  Ronin let out an angry hiss and turned to face the drifters. “Bring it on, you bastards! Come on, I’m stronger than you! I’ll kill you all!” He puffed out his chest and waited for the beasts to attack.

  The drifters flew at him, their intent to kill apparent by the snarls and growls that echoed off the walls.

  Mitch turned and teleported across the tunnel to the other end while Ronin battled the drifters behind him. He wasn’t sure why Ronin didn’t teleport to safety. He could only assume Ronin’s arrogance forced him to remain and fight, that Ronin truly believed he could kill them all.

  Which worked just fine for Mitch. He had another agenda. Find Kate and get her to safety.

  Mitch searched the tunnels for her, his superior senses alert to any other presence. He passed several drifters, but quickly teleported away from them before they attacked. Something was definitely wrong with the drifters. It was as if they’d all gone into a crazy, killing mode. They were extremely dangerous like this. Was this the beginning of the end? Was the mountain’s intent to kill everything off?

  Mitch didn’t know. But he had to find Kate.

  A giant drifter darted in front of him, blocking his path, and bringing him to an abrupt halt. Glowing green-blue eyes bored into his.

  “Where is she?” Mitch asked. “Please, Ethan, take me to her. Ronin’s in the tunnels now. He’s fighting the drifters back there. We both know what will happen if he wins.”

  The Ethan-drifter hissed, spraying spittle in Mitch’s face. Then it attacked, knocking Mitch backward. Mitch hit the dirt, letting out a groan as the giant Ethan-drifter latched on to his arm, its sharp fangs sinking deep. Pain seared his arm. He gasped, squirmed. The drifter bit him again, deeper, its sharp fangs tearing his flesh. Mitch fought, hitting out at the drifter with his good arm, trying to knock it aside. If this was indeed Ethan, he wasn’t Ethan anymore. He’d lost his humanity. He was now a beast. Shit.

  Kate. Mitch had to find Kate. If she got caught up in this crazed battle, she would die.

  There was a flash of movement as Ronin suddenly appeared on Mitch’s left.

  And his right.

  What the hell?

  The Ronin on Mitch’s left tackled the Ethan-drifter, while the Ronin on Mitch’s right yanked Mitch to his feet. Mitch stared as one Ronin battled the Ethan-drifter a few feet away.

  “We have to get out of here.” Ronin’s voice snapped Mitch’s gaze back to him. “This place is out of control. This way!” He dragged Mitch after him, turning into an empty tunnel. Mitch pulled back, trying to break free of Ronin’s grip, but Ronin held on to him like a vise grip. Blood oozed down Mitch’s injured arm. Pain made him dizzy and weak. The Ethan-drifter had nearly severed his arm. Ronin noticed his injury all of a sudden and released his arm.

  “Doctor Maddy is on her way back to Aftermath. You’ll have to have her take a look at that arm. It doesn’t look good.”

  Mitch gently cradled his injured arm against his side. Thank God, Maddy was coming back. If he didn’t tend to the wound soon, he might lose his arm. Would she be able to save his arm?

  Bangs and grunts, growls and groans came from the tunnel behind them as the Ethan-drifter continued to fight with the second Ronin. Mitch pulled his gaze back to Ronin. “What the fuck was that? There’re two of you?”

  Ronin grinned. “When I want there to be, yeah. I can duplicate myself. It comes in handy from time to time.”

  Ronin could duplicate himself? Holy shit!

  “What happens if that giant drifter kills your clone?”

  Ronin shrugged. “Then I create another.”

  Mitch swallowed hard. Fuck me. How the hell would they kill Ronin if he simply made another one of himself whenever he wanted?

  A more pressing question nagged at him.

  “Why did you save me back there?”

  Ronin narrowed his eyes. “Because whether I like it or not, right now I need you. I need more answers in order to control the mountain. I can’t figure it out on my own. But you and I together, we can do it. So for now, I won’t let you die. Not until I know everything I need to know.”

  Mitch stared at Ronin. He could take advantage of this. He would take advantage of this. He could team up with Ronin to find out all the answers they needed. Then he’d find a way to get rid of Ronin. He wasn’t sure what to do about Ethan at this point. He w
asn’t even sure if Ethan could be saved. Ethan’s mind was gone. He wasn’t Ethan anymore. He’d become a beast. Mitch’s injured arm was proof of that. Ethan could no longer be trusted. Mitch wasn’t even sure if Ethan was part of the three cones anymore. He wasn’t sure if Ronin could be defeated.

  But he had to try. Mitch still intended to get revenge for what Ronin had done to Lisa.

  He still intended to make sure Ronin didn’t control the mountain.

  But right now, Mitch needed to find Kate. Before it was too late.

  “You and I could make a great team, Mitchell.” Ronin studied Mitch, his face expressionless. “With our combined powers, we can control the mountain and rule the world.”

  Mitch let out a disbelieving snort. “I thought you didn’t want to share the power with anyone, that you wanted to do it on your own.”

  Ronin’s lips twitched in a half-smile. “Oh, I’ll still be the king. You’ll just be my right-hand man. Think about it, Mitchell. We can rule this entire continent, and perhaps even the world. Just think of all that power waiting to be unleashed from the mountain. I want that power, Mitchell. I want to control it all. Don’t you want to help me?”

  Hell no.

  Mitch would play along with Ronin as long as he needed to. Then he’d take the bastard down. Right now he was the one with leverage. Ronin believed he needed him, and as long as Ronin thought that, Mitch would be safe.

  “I’ll be your right-hand man. I’ll help you control the mountain. But not until Kate’s free.”

  Ronin chuckled. “Perfect. What are we waiting for? Let’s find her.”

  * * *

  Kate hid in the corner of the small cave-like room while sounds of fierce battles echoed through the tunnels below her. It sounded deadly down there. Horrendous. Was Ethan winning the fight? Was Mitch in there somewhere? If so, was he alive? Had the drifters attacked him as well? Was Ronin in the tunnels, fighting the drifters? Fighting Ethan? Who was winning?

  It occurred to her that the smartest thing would be to get out of the drifters’ lair and away from the danger. If the tunnels were teeming with soldiers and drifters alike, the battle could go on for hours. If she was foolish enough to venture out into the tunnels, she would die.

  Kate crawled across the dark room until she reached the opening. She cautiously peered below. Nothing but darkness surrounded her. She waited, watching for glowing yellow eyes that would indicate the presence of a drifter.

  There!

  A flash of yellow as a drifter darted past beneath her.

  Kate jerked back, holding her breath. She needed to get out of this crater. Before one of the beasts spotted her. The drifters were drawn to fear, so she would have to block her emotions.

  You can do this, Kate.

  The bow and quiver of arrows would probably hinder her as she climbed up out of the narrow tunnel that led to the surface, so she reluctantly set them aside. She could always come back for them later. Kate rose to her feet, concentrated on blocking all her emotions. Taking a deep breath for courage, she entered the tunnel that climbed up out of the crater. Grabbing at the dirt walls, Kate began to climb, using her hands and feet for leverage.

  Up she went.

  Up. Up. Up.

  Snarls and growls came from beneath her, but she didn’t dare turn around. Didn’t dare look back.

  The snarls grew louder. The drifters were chasing her.

  Crap!

  Kate frantically climbed faster, her fingers slipping in the dirt, her feet losing grip on the wall. She slid backward several feet, then managed to catch herself.

  She glanced down, her heart pounding with terror, as a pair of glowing yellow eyes peered up at her from only a few feet away.

  Scrambling for a hold, Kate climbed back up the dirt and rock wall, trying to elude the drifters’ sharp fangs. The beast was right behind her as she scrambled up, its fangs slashing and snapping several times as it reached for her.

  Hide your fear, Kate. Hide it.

  She struggled to keep her fear at bay, but it was hard to concentrate when she was trying so hard to stay ahead of the fierce beast behind her.

  She climbed and climbed.

  And climbed.

  At last she reached the surface and stumbled up out of the ground. Lunging to her feet, she raced for the tallest acacia tree and climbed, knowing it was the only place she would be safe. The tree’s thorns pricked her hands and feet as she scrambled up the trunk, slicing through the tender skin on her bare legs and scratching her naked arms. Still dressed in the flimsy black lingerie outfit she’d fled Aftermath in, Kate shivered as a cool breeze picked up, sending goosebumps along her bare arms and legs.

  The drifter came up out of the hole behind her. It wasn’t alone. Two more pairs of glowing yellow eyes followed it. They circled around the tree beneath her, their gazes intent on Kate where she clung to a branch about six feet up.

  “Go away, you little devils! Git!” She glared at the beasts, willing them to go away.

  More drifters emerged from the ground and gathered around the base of the tree, waiting. Before long, the base of the tree glowed with the yellow eyes of too many drifters to count. Did they expect her to fall? Dear God, if she fell, she wouldn’t last long. They would gobble her up as soon as she hit the ground.

  Kate shifted on the branch, tightening her hold, trying to ignore the prick of the tree’s thorns. She wasn’t falling, dammit. The drifters wouldn’t eat her. She wouldn’t let them.

  Lightning flashed across the sky. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

  More lightning arced across the darkness, striking the ground not far away. Thunder rumbled, closer than before. The storm was moving overhead. Monsoon season was unpredictable. Some days the clouds would roll over, but not drop any rain. Other days it would rain heavily, soaking everything in minutes.

  Which was good for the grasslands and the migrating herbivores.

  But bad for Kate right now. She had nothing to cover up her nakedness. If the rain soaked her, she could freeze to death out here.

  Dawn was a long way off. She had no choice but to wait the drifters out.

  Go away, rain. Please just pass over.

  Kate shivered again as the first raindrops fell. Hiding up in the tree as she was, she was partly covered by the acacia tree’s canopy, but rain still trickled through the slender, narrow leaves, dropping on her bare arms.

  Trying to get more comfortable on the branch, Kate shifted position again and settled back to wait.

  The glowing yellow eyes feasted up on her. Waiting.

  A lion roared in the distance.

  A herd of wildebeest thundered past.

  Lightning flashed across the sky again, allowing Kate to catch a glimpse of what looked like two humans approaching across the grassland. Her heart pounded. Whoever they were, they’d better be careful or the drifters would attack them.

  Or was that what they intended? Had they seen the drifters’ glowing eyes and realized the beasts had corned her up in the tree? Were they coming to save her?

  Please, please, please. I want out of this tree.

  The drifters noticed the approaching people and bounded away. Kate stared as the glowing yellow eyes raced toward the people, snarling and growling as they went.

  She breathed a sigh of relief. At least they weren’t fixated on her at the moment.

  Then another—more terrifying—thought struck her. What if the two people were Ronin’s soldiers, searching for her? Coming to bring her to Ronin?

  Kate’s breath caught. She held as still and quiet as possible, hoping they wouldn’t notice her up in the tree. But how could they not notice her? The drifters had gathered at the base of the tree, staring up at her. The people had obviously seen them. She had no doubt that they knew she was up in the tree.

  Should she slip down from the tree and sneak away before they noticed she was gone?

  Sounds of a battle erupted from across the savannah, but Kate couldn’t make out any more than the
drifters’ glowing yellow eyes. Except when lightning flashed, and then she was able to make out glimpses of movement from the people as they fought with the drifters, though she couldn’t see their faces.

  Suddenly a pair of glowing golden eyes turned toward her.

  Kate gasped. She knew those eyes.

  “Mitch?”

  She hadn’t meant to speak out loud, but it was too late now. If they hadn’t known she was there before, they did now.

  “Kate?”

  The breath whooshed from her lungs. It was Mitch! He was okay. He’d come for her. Emotion clogged her throat. She swallowed hard.

  The drifters let out several squeals and grunts, then they all turned and raced back toward the hole in the ground until, one by one, they all disappeared into the earth.

  Kate didn’t waste any time descending the tree. Just as she reached the ground, another voice, one she recognized, one that terrified her, boomed across the darkness, “Come along, trader girl. Mitchell and I reached an agreement. You won’t be harmed.”

  Ronin.

  Kate hesitated, ready to climb back up the tree. What was Mitch doing with Ronin?

  “It’s all right.” Mitch’s voice was soothing. “He won’t hurt you. I promise. Neither will anyone else.”

  Kate stared into Mitch’s glowing golden eyes as he stopped before her. She trusted Mitch, but she didn’t trust Ronin. “You know we can’t trust him.”

  Ronin let out a snort, but Mitch ignored him. “You can trust me. I promise nothing will happen to you.”

  Kate searched his eyes. Then she flung herself into his arms.

  “Careful,” he grunted. “My arm.”

  “Sorry.” It was then she noticed the blood covering his right arm. “What happened?”

  “I’ll tell you later.” He gently cradled her against him while he hung his injured arm loosely at his side.

  Wait a second! Why would Mitch make a deal with Ronin?

  Ronin grunted behind them. “Come on, lovebirds, let’s get back to Aftermath. This place is out of control. There’re drifters everywhere. Something’s wrong with them. My clone is dead. We need to get to a safe place and come back at daylight when the drifters are asleep.”