Drifter

by Leslie Georgeson

  “How so?”

  “You know the guy, right? I want you to lure the giant drifter out so I can kill it.”

  Mitch’s stomach churned. Lure Ethan out so Ronin could kill him? Impossible! But what choice did he have? If he refused, Ronin would kill Kate, probably torture her first, and make Mitch watch. Mitch forced the bile back into his stomach. There was no way in hell he could withstand that.

  What the hell would he do?

  You’ll do what Ronin ordered. Even if the thought sickens you.

  It was the only way to keep Kate safe. Having to choose between Kate and Ethan wasn’t that difficult. Mitch would choose Kate any day. He didn’t regret getting involved with Kate. She owned him now. She was the very air that he breathed, the heart that beat in his chest, the blood that pumped through his veins, the soul that screamed that without Kate he was nothing.

  “I think you would be smart to get information out of him before you kill him.”

  Ronin nodded. “Oh, I will. He won’t die until I’m ready to kill him. You help me get him and I’ll take it from there.”

  Mitch would do what Ronin wanted. To keep Kate safe.

  He would just have to find a way to help Ethan escape before Ronin killed him.

  * * *

  Kate yawned, stretching widely. She rolled over, seeking Mitch’s warmth, but Mitch’s spot in the bed was empty.

  Kate sat up.

  Had he already gone to the crater with Ronin? What if she never saw him again?

  Kate jumped out of the bed and quickly dressed, a sickness settling into her stomach. How could he leave without telling her goodbye?

  Kate scurried down the stairs. Several soldiers and some of the residents of Aftermath were in the dining area, eating breakfast, along with a couple of traders Kate recognized. Platters of scrambled eggs, pancakes and bacon sat half empty on the center table, along with a large jug of orange juice. Kate searched the room for Mitch, but he wasn’t there. Neither was Ronin. Her heart sank.

  Mitch had left without saying goodbye. That hurt more than she wanted to admit.

  Maybe Ronin didn’t give him the chance to say goodbye.

  “Good morning.”

  Kate turned as Maddy, the South African doctor who’d patched up Mitch’s arm last night, approached with a steaming cup of coffee. She held it out to Kate.

  “Sleep well?” There was a twinkle in her eyes that left no doubt she knew exactly what Mitch and Kate had been up to last night.

  Flushing, Kate took the coffee from her. “Thank you. I slept like a log.” She hesitated, her gaze searching Maddy’s. Did Maddy know where Mitch was? Would she tell Kate if she asked? “Have you seen Mitch this morning?”

  Maddy took her arm. “Come. Sit. We can talk over breakfast.”

  Kate followed Maddy into the dining area. A few people glanced up at them, but most of the morning diners didn’t pay them any attention.

  Kate filled her plate with eggs, bacon, and pancakes while Maddy refilled her coffee cup and chewed on a piece of bacon. They ate for several moments in silence before Kate couldn’t stand it anymore. She had to know where Mitch was.

  “So…do you know where Mitch went?”

  Maddy nodded. “He and Ronin left about a half hour ago. They went to the crater. Mitch asked me to look out for you until he returned.”

  Kate had figured as much. Hurt settled into her chest. Why had he left without saying goodbye?

  Maddy squeezed Kate’s hand across the table. “Don’t look so upset. Mitch cares for you. Whatever he and Ronin are doing, Mitch is doing it for you. You’re the first woman I’ve ever seen him with, you know that? Until you, he was a loner, always staying back away from everyone. You must be someone special to break through his walls. Don’t worry. He’ll come back. As will Ronin. And when they do, we will be waiting here for them.”

  Kate swallowed hard, forcing the hurt aside. “I know exactly what they’re doing. Ronin is forcing Mitch against his will. He threatened to kill me if Mitch didn’t do what he wanted. Ronin is pure evil. Why are you helping him? Why don’t you help people who actually deserve it?”

  Maddy lowered her gaze, running her finger along the rim of her coffee mug. She let out a sigh. When she lifted her gaze to Kate’s again, there was discomfort in her eyes as well as sadness. “Ronin isn’t all evil, Kate. And I help him because I owe him.”

  Kate let out a snort. “You’re delusional if you think there’s some good in him. What can you possibly owe him for?”

  Maddy cleared her throat. She held Kate’s gaze. “Ronin is my stepbrother.” Her words were soft, barely more than a whisper.

  Kate sucked in a breath. No way.

  “My mother married his father when I was six and he was ten. He was once a sweet boy. He was always kind to me. He looked out for me, Kate. Protected me.”

  Kate scoffed. “He’s not a boy anymore, in case you haven’t noticed, and he’s tortured and killed many people. He’s raped women, Maddy. How can you think he’s not evil?”

  Maddy stared down at her coffee mug as she continued to run her finger along the rim. “I know,” she whispered. “But the boy he once was is still in there somewhere. He comes out sometimes. I see him. Ronin’s never violent around me, Kate. He’s still protective of me. He makes sure his soldiers leave me alone.”

  Kate shook her head, still unable to fathom how Maddy could condone Ronin’s actions. “Just because he keeps the violence away from you, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. I don’t understand your loyalty. Why are you defending him?”

  Maddy was silent for so long that Kate thought she wasn’t going to answer. Then, at last, she spoke. “When I was fifteen, I was brutally raped and beaten by four men who broke into our house. I won’t go into the gory details, but I will tell you that Ronin went after them later, killing them all. He went to prison for me, because I was a broken mess of a girl, unable to testify, unable to tell the truth of what had happened that night. He was charged with first-degree murder and because of the brutality of the crime, he was sentenced to death. He was only nineteen. It was because of me that he suffered. I will forever be in his debt. So whenever he needs something from me, I’m there. Whatever he wants, I do it.”

  Dear God.

  Kate remained silent, unsure how to respond to that. Sympathy tugged at her. Maddy must be very strong to have survived something like that. Ronin had once been a hero? He’d gone to prison for killing the brutes who had brutalized his sister?

  Maybe he really is human somewhere deep inside.

  Kate thought of Mitch having to watch Ronin’s men rape Lisa. The very idea sickened her. She just couldn’t picture the Ronin she knew caring about another human being. It didn’t matter how much Maddy believed Ronin was good, Kate would never believe it. How could a “good” person do something like that?

  “So if Ronin asked you to kill someone, you’d do it, without question?”

  Maddy lifted her gaze to Kate’s. “I’m not a killer, Kate. I wouldn’t do that. Ronin would never ask me to.”

  Kate fought back a retort that would only upset Maddy. She sighed. As far as Kate was concerned, there was no excuse for the way Ronin treated people. “Okay. I get it. You’re loyal to him because he’s your family and he went to prison for you. But I don’t like the guy and I never will. If you knew what he did to the girl Mitch once loved, you would be sickened. And if you saw what he subjected me to yesterday evening, you wouldn’t be so damn loyal to him.”

  Shame flashed across Maddy’s face. Then sorrow. “Whatever he did to you, please accept my apologies for him. He wasn’t always like this. Prison—and life—made him this way.” She didn’t comment on what Ronin had done to Lisa, which made Kate wonder if she was too uncomfortable to talk about the things Ronin did.

  Whatever. Right now, Kate needed to find Mitch. She needed to help get Ethan out of that crater before Ronin killed him.

  A tense silence followed. “I’m going to the crater.” Kate rose.
“Mitch needs me.”

  Maddy jumped to her feet. “Then I’m going with you. I promised Mitch I would look after you and I will.”

  Kate eyed Maddy. Maddy stared back. “If you come with me,” Kate said, “then you’ll have to either help me or stay out of my way. Mitch is trying to save Ethan before Ronin kills him.”

  Maddy flinched, her face paling. “Ethan’s in the crater?”

  Kate nodded. How well did Maddy know Ethan?

  “Mitch mentioned you helped Ethan. How well do you know him?”

  Maddy flushed, her gaze darting to Kate’s, then away. “I’ve known him awhile, probably ten years, but he never noticed me. He was dating my friend Claire back then. But she was in love with his brother Gabe.” She sighed. “I didn’t like Ethan back then. He can be such a narcissistic asshole. But he still gets to me, you know, in here.” She patted her chest. “I hated him but was attracted to him at the same time.” She made a face. “Sounds pathetic, doesn’t it?”

  Kate thought about how confused she’d been when she’d first met Mitch. She’d been afraid of him, yet attracted to him at the same time. “Not really. Our hearts are one thing we can’t control.”

  Maddy’s gaze darted back to hers. She chuckled. “I helped Ethan a few weeks ago. He was injured when Ronin’s army overtook Aftermath. I hadn’t seen him for several years before then, so imagine my surprise when I found him out on the savannah lying in a pile of bodies. They’d tossed him out with the other bodies, thinking he was dead. Mitch helped me bring him back to Aftermath and hide him while I tended to his wounds. Ethan slipped away one night and I haven’t seen him since. I wasn’t even sure if he was still alive.”

  “He’s alive,” Kate assured her. Maddy might prove useful. Maybe she could convince Ethan to leave the crater and head for the mountain with them.

  Maddy nodded slowly, her eyes lighting with relief. “Good.”

  Kate cleared her throat. “I met Ethan recently. He’s…probably not how you remember him. But I believe he’s a good person, underneath the drifter that’s trying to control him. He saved me from the drifters. Maybe you can help him to snap out of it.”

  Maddy’s gaze flew to Kate’s. “He suffered a serious wound that would kill a normal man, but he healed rapidly. I’ve seen his scars. I don’t know much about those who’ve survived drifter bites, but I can attest that they aren’t normal. Can you tell me what’s happened to him?”

  Kate squeezed Maddy’s hand. That was something that would be easier to understand if witnessed in person. If Kate tried to explain it to Maddy, she might just confuse her. “Come with me to the crater and you’ll see. I think between the two of us, we might be able to stop something terrible from happening.”

  Maddy squeezed Kate’s hand back. “I’ll do my best to control Ronin if you and Mitch promise to try to get Ethan out of there alive.”

  “It’s a deal. But it won’t be easy. And I have to know one thing first before we go there. Have you been bitten?”

  “No.”

  Kate nodded. “Then you’ll have to do your best to not show any fear. Mitch said the drifters are drawn to fear. It attracts them. There are drifters in that crater. Lots of them. The only safe place is the cast iron tub. So if they come after you, run to the bathroom and hide in the tub.”

  Maddy swallowed hard and nodded. Fear flickered across her face, then was gone.

  “You have to be prepared for anything, Maddy. We might not come out of that crater alive.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  “Where the fuck did they all go? Last night this place was swarming with drifters. Now they’re all gone.” Ronin turned to glare at Mitch.

  Mitch wondered the same thing. He and Ronin were deep in the drifters’ lair. They’d been here for over an hour, searching for them. But there was no sign of Ethan or the drifters. It was as if they’d all just vanished into thin air. If they were sleeping in here somewhere, it was somewhere farther into the crater. And what got Mitch even more was that the mountain wasn’t calling to him anymore, even though he was deep into the crater. Why?

  What had Ethan done?

  Uneasiness crept down Mitch’s spine. Had Ethan gone to the mountain with the drifters, thinking to control it on his own?

  “This is very strange,” Mitch murmured. He thought about the tunnels that led in every which direction. It was like a maze down here, tunnels going everywhere. He’d never followed one for long, because he’d always been interrupted by Ethan or the drifters. Where did the tunnels lead?

  “Shit.” Mitch turned in a slow circle. The tunnel they were in now looked like it grew narrower the deeper it went. If he followed it, got down on his hands and knees and crawled as it narrowed, where would it take him? Ethan had believed that the drifters were brought here with the asteroids, or had somehow appeared right after them. He had also concluded that the drifters lived at every location where an asteroid had struck. There had to be at least fifteen or twenty craters in the savannah that were the result of asteroid strikes. If all of those craters were like this one, and the drifters had dug tunnels beneath them, then where did all the tunnels lead?

  The answer came to him like a strike of lightning across the stormy sky above.

  Mount Kilimanjaro.

  “Holy shit.”

  Ronin turned to him, his eyes blazing. “What?”

  “The mountain. That’s where all the tunnels lead. To the fucking mountain.”

  Ronin scowled. “That’s almost 500 kilometers away. You’re saying these tunnels lead that far through the earth to Mount Kilimanjaro?”

  “Yes.”

  Their gazes held for a long moment. Then Ronin threw his head back and laughed. “That’s a little far-fetched, don’t you think? You’re saying the drifters are like mole rats that burrow through the ground, and that their tunnels lead to the mountain?”

  “There’s only one way to find out.” Mitch motioned down the narrow tunnel. “You first.”

  Ronin choked out a disbelieving laugh. “Are you fucking kidding me? I’m not going in there. I’ll get stuck.”

  Mitch shrugged. “You asked. I told you what I thought.”

  They stared at each other. Mitch could see the thoughts swirling in Ronin’s head. Ronin turned away with an angry, “Fuck.”

  “So what do you want to do now?” Mitch asked.

  Ronin turned back to him with a growl. “I don’t know yet. I have to think about it.”

  Mitch was anxious to get back to Kate. And he’d had enough of being underground for a while. All these tunnels were making him claustrophobic. He hoped wherever Ethan was, he wasn’t doing something stupid, like trying to control the mountain on his own. But Mitch’s gut told him something wasn’t right. That Ethan wasn’t all there anymore. Had Ronin’s clone injured him during the battle last night? Was Ethan even still alive? And why wasn’t the mountain calling to Mitch anymore?

  “Do you know if your clone killed the giant drifter last night?”

  Ronin shrugged. “I’m not sure. I just felt my clone’s heartbeat slowing, then stopping. I can’t tell what he does in my absence. I just give him an order and hope he follows it.”

  Mitch sighed. “So the giant drifter could be dead, which might be why all the drifters are gone.”

  “Then where is it?” Ronin asked. “When a drifter dies, its body is worshipped by the other drifters, especially if it was a lead drifter. If the giant drifter is dead, wouldn’t we find a body around here somewhere? Or a swarm of drifters worshipping it?”

  “Maybe.” Mitch shrugged. “I guess it depends on where it died and whether or not the drifters hauled it off. I’ve seen them do that before, haul off a corpse. Why don’t you just create another clone and send it out through the tunnels to look?”

  Ronin’s brow wrinkled as he contemplated that. “No. Creating a clone weakens me. I need to rebuild my strength before I make another one.”

  Good to know. That was interesting information Mitch would save f
or future use. If creating clones weakened Ronin, was that why he’d fled the crater with Mitch last night instead of staying and fighting the drifters? Mitch had never known Ronin to be afraid of anything. The man was too powerful. But even the most powerful of beings had a weakness somewhere. What other weaknesses did Ronin have?

  “So how do you know for sure your clone is dead? We haven’t come across a body anywhere.”

  Ronin seemed reluctant to answer, then finally said, “When a clone dies, it disintegrates, because it’s not a natural form. We won’t find its remains.”

  That was interesting. “So now what? Want to head back to Aftermath and figure out what to do?”

  “No.” Ronin’s gaze narrowed on him. “We’re not heading back until we figure out what’s happened here.” He motioned down the tunnel. “Follow that and see where it leads.”

  Mitch hesitated. He really didn’t want to follow that tunnel. He wanted to get back to Kate.

  Ronin shoved him forward. “Go. I’ll wait here.”

  Mitch snorted. “You’ll just wait here? For how long? What if I’m gone for days? What if I never come back?”

  Ronin sneered. “You’ll come back if you want Kate to live.”

  And there was the crux. Ronin would use Kate as leverage to get Mitch to do whatever he wanted.

  Mitch sighed and headed deeper into the tunnel.

  “If you don’t come back with something useful, Kate dies,” Ronin called.

  Mitch quickened his pace. Oh, he’d be back with something useful. It might not be the truth. Whatever he discovered in this tunnel he would keep to himself. One thing Ronin couldn’t force him to do was tell him about something Ronin knew nothing about. So if Mitch uncovered more secrets in this tunnel, he would keep those secrets to himself. And he would use those secrets in whatever way he needed to help Gabe and Ethan control the mountain.