Drifter

by Leslie Georgeson

  And defeat Ronin.

  * * *

  Kate and Maddy were greeted by silence as they entered the dinosaur dig. Kate checked all of Ethan’s living quarters, the bedroom, bathroom and kitchen areas, then went out into the main room with the table containing Ethan’s fossils.

  Maddy approached the table with interest, pausing to inspect some of the fossils. “So this is where Ethan spends all his time,” she murmured. “I’d heard about this place before, but I’ve never been here.”

  Kate nodded. Where was Mitch? Had he gone into the drifters’ lair? Was it safe to go in there? Should she bring Maddy or leave her here?

  Indecision clawed at her. She wanted to find Mitch, but she didn’t want to die in the process. If she encountered drifters in the lair, they would likely attack and kill her.

  Kate’s bow and quiver of arrows were still in the lair where she’d left them last night. She had no idea where Mitch’s bow and arrows were. Did he have them with him? If she could find that room Ethan had led her to last night, she could use her bow and arrows for protection. She had a pretty good feel for the lair now and felt she could find her way back to that room.

  But what about Maddy? The woman seemed tough, but how tough was she? What would Maddy do if she were attacked by a pack of drifters? Would she fight back or flee? Would she be a hindrance or a help?

  “I’m going into the drifters’ lair to search for Mitch. You can come with me or wait here.”

  Maddy set the fossil she’d been studying back onto the table. “I’m going with you.”

  Kate handed her the lantern. “Okay. You hold the lantern. And try not to show fear if we encounter drifters.”

  Maddy nodded and they entered the tunnel.

  Silence greeted their ears. There were no scuffles of claws against dirt or snorts or grunts of drifters ambling about.

  Kate paused and listened. Maddy halted behind her, lifting the lantern and glancing around.

  “This is kind of creepy,” Maddy whispered.

  “Something’s wrong,” Kate murmured. “It’s like the drifters vanished.”

  They continued on through the dark, dank tunnels, the moisture filling their nostrils and seeping into their skin. The earth didn’t shake and rumble like it had before. Now it was just…silent.

  They passed the empty nursery and Kate led the way toward the area where Ethan had brought her to. The bow and quiver of arrows leaned against the wall where she’d left them. Gathering them up, Kate turned from the room.

  A soft groan came from just around the corner. Kate and Maddy exchanged glances, then went to investigate. Kate paused when she spied a room off to her left—the same room she’d woken up in after she’d fallen into the crater that first time. Kate peered into the room.

  A man lay on the small cot in the corner. He was on his side, facing the wall, with his back to them. A thin blanket covered him. Kate’s heart rate accelerated. Cautiously, she entered the room with Maddy right behind her.

  “Ethan?” she whispered.

  He stirred and rolled toward them, his eyes unfocused, his face unnaturally pale.

  “Ethan?” Kate said again, pausing in front of the bed. “Are you all right?”

  He blinked up at her in confusion. “No. I’m…hurt.” He slowly sat up. The blanket dropped into a pool around his waist. He was bare chested, probably naked underneath the blanket where it bunched around his stomach. Kate gasped as she stared at the huge, deep gash across Ethan’s torso. She forced back a gag.

  Maddy stepped forward, in obvious doctor mode, and pushed Kate aside. “Oh my God,” she murmured.

  Kate couldn’t look away from the ugly wound, the torn flesh and early signs of puckering infection. The gash started near Ethan’s collarbone and extended along his entire chest, disappearing down into his abdomen that was hidden beneath the blanket. Kate wasn’t sure if she wanted to see what had happened to the rest of him. What the heck had caused that? A sword? She swallowed hard and glanced at Maddy for guidance.

  “What can I do to help?”

  Maddy set the lantern on the floor. “Try to keep him still while I inspect the injury. It doesn’t look good.” Kate could see Maddy was having a hard time keeping it together, which told Kate how serious Ethan’s wound was.

  Kate urged him back on the bed. He didn’t fight, just laid back with a soft groan and closed his eyes. Kate stood near his head, ready to assist, while Maddy swept the blanket aside and inspected his injuries. “Jesus,” she whispered, crossing herself. “I don’t see how he can survive this, Kate. It’s…bad.”

  Kate dared a glance down, forcing herself to see what had happened. Ethan’s abdomen was ripped open, his entrails and other organs hanging out. The bed beneath him was soaked with blood. Kate turned away, fighting back another gag.

  Dear God.

  “I can’t care for him here,” Maddy said, her words desperate. “I don’t have any medical supplies with me.”

  Kate turned back to her, keeping her gaze on Maddy’s face and away from the gruesome wound. “We can’t get him back to Aftermath alone. We need Mitch’s help.”

  Maddy groaned. “We don’t have time to try to find Mitch. Ethan’s not going to last long. Look at all that blood. I’m amazed he’s still alive.” Maddy’s breath hitched. She hesitated, her gaze coming back to Kate’s. “You stay here and watch over him. I’ll hurry back to Aftermath for my supplies. We have to save him, Kate. We have to.”

  Kate nodded, understanding completely. If Ethan died, Mitch and Gabe wouldn’t be able to control the mountain. The three cones would be no more.

  And Ronin would win.

  Maddy glanced back down at the wound, then lay the blanket back over Ethan. “Be still, Ethan,” she whispered, leaning over his face. “Kate will watch over you. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Ethan mumbled something, but he didn’t open his eyes.

  “Do you know how to get back out of the crater?” Kate asked.

  Maddy’s gaze filled with panic. She shook her head. “No.”

  “I’ll take you. In fact, I’ll just go with you back to Aftermath. I can help carry medical supplies. There’s really nothing I can do for him here, anyway. Let’s just let him sleep and come back as soon as we can.”

  Maddy sighed, then nodded. “You’re right. There’s really nothing you can do for him. Come on, then.”

  “Wait.” Kate paused. “I know a faster way than back through the tunnels.” She led Maddy to the narrow tunnel that went straight up out of the ground, the one she’d escaped from before. “Come on.”

  They climbed up out of the tunnel and several minutes later they emerged into the small grove of acacia trees. There was no sign of Mitch or Ronin as they made their way back to Aftermath.

  Kate could only hope Ethan was still alive when they returned.

  And that Maddy had the skills to save him.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Mitch followed the tunnel for a good hour, crawling most of the way, standing and stretching whenever the tunnel opened into a room. He found no signs of life. Where had the drifters gone, and why had they left? Had Ethan taken them to the mountain? Was Ethan even alive? If Ethan were dead, that would explain why the drifters had left. They might had gone in search of a new leader.

  Mitch stepped out into another small room and rose to stretch his aching muscles.

  The earth suddenly rumbled beneath him.

  Mitch froze, his senses alert for danger.

  Shira.

  Shira. Come closer.

  Shira. We need you.

  Shira.

  The mountain’s calls slammed into him, overwhelming him with its sudden persistence. He groaned, slamming his palms against his ears.

  Shira.

  Shira.

  Shira.

  Something moved in front of him.

  Mitch jerked back, ready to crawl back into the tunnel, his eyes wide. The giant Ethan-drifter stepped forward, its eyes glowing an eerie g
reen-blue.

  “Thank God you’re alive,” Mitch said. “I thought maybe Ronin’s clone had killed you.”

  The mountain’s voice faded, giving him temporary peace from its calls. Mitch wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not.

  The Ethan-drifter rose on its hind legs and approached him, flipping back its frill and hissing in his face. Mitch stood his ground, staring the beast down, as the giant drifter’s spittle splattered all over his face. The beast stared at him, then lowered to all fours. It walked around him, sniffing, then turned and went into a tunnel off to Mitch’s right. Mitch waited, hoping Ethan would return. If he didn’t, Mitch would follow him.

  Moments later, Ethan stepped out of the tunnel in his human form. He stared at Mitch for a long moment before finally approaching. He stopped before Mitch, his gaze searching.

  “Why did you come back here? I warned you to stay away.”

  Mitch held Ethan’s gaze. “Ronin forced me to. He’s somewhere back down that tunnel behind me. He threatened to kill Kate if I don’t do what he wants.” Mitch paused. “I can’t believe you tried to kill me, you son-of-a-bitch!” He lifted his bandaged arm and shoved it into Ethan’s face. “You damn near crippled me!”

  Ethan snorted. “That wasn’t me. That was my clone.”

  What? Ethan’s words rocked Mitch back on his heels with shock. Ethan could clone himself too? “Fuck. Me. You’ve got a clone too?”

  Ethan made a face. “Yeah, but he’s dying. I made him to create a distraction when the soldiers entered the lair. My clone was badly wounded by Ronin and his duplicate. Even as I stand here before you, I can feel his heartbeat fading. He won’t last much longer.”

  Mitch was silent a moment as he absorbed that. What other secrets had Ethan kept from him?

  “Can the drifters duplicate themselves as well?”

  “Some of the more powerful ones can. Ronin and I can only make one duplicate of ourselves at a time, but the drifters can create multiple clones.”

  Mitch sighed loudly. Was that why there had been so many drifters swarming the crater last night? Because some of them had created multiple clones of themselves?

  “What the fuck, Ethan? Why have you been keeping all these secrets from me? We were supposed to be working together, sharing information.”

  Ethan turned away from him. He took a deep breath, hissed it back out. He raked a hand through his unruly, sandy-blond hair, leaving several locks in further disarray. Finally, he turned back to Mitch, his eyes glowing green-blue in the dark tunnel.

  “The mountain speaks to me too, Mitch. It told me to trust no one. I’ve already set everything in motion. There’s nothing you can do to stop it, unless you kill me.”

  Mitch glared at him. “What the hell does that mean? What have you done?”

  Ethan smiled, but it wasn’t a genuine smile. It was more of an evil smirk, a look Mitch had never seen on his friend’s face before. “Is the mountain calling you now, Mitch?”

  Mitch hesitated. “Not right at this moment, no. But it was a few minutes ago. Why?” It didn’t escape his notice that Ethan chose which questions to answer and which to ignore.

  What was Ethan up to?

  Mitch recalled Ronin saying creating a clone weakened him. Could the same be true for Ethan? Was that why he’d fled into the tunnel? Because he was weakened? If so, this might be the best opportunity for Mitch to overpower him. Though Mitch wasn’t a shifter, he did have superior strength. If he could knock Ethan out somehow, he could drag him back to the dinosaur dig and bring him to the surface. And try to talk sense into him.

  There was a small prison in the ground at Aftermath. The same prison Ronin had locked Kate in. Mitch could toss Ethan down in that hole until he came to his senses.

  As much as Mitch didn’t like the idea, it might be the only way to get through to his friend.

  But of course, there was the problem of Ronin. He couldn’t just march past Ronin with Ethan slung over his shoulders and expect Ronin to let him go. If Ronin saw Ethan, he would want to interrogate him. Mitch had no doubt Ronin wouldn’t let Ethan go alive. He would kill him when he was done with him.

  Could Mitch pretend to help Ronin by bringing him Ethan? And then help Ethan escape before Ronin killed him?

  “Whatever you’re thinking, don’t,” Ethan warned. “You can’t beat me, Mitch. I have control of the drifters. If I call them all back here, they’ll come. If I tell them to kill you, they will. Don’t make me do that.”

  “And how will you do that?” Mitch demanded. “Call them back here? How do you speak to them?”

  Ethan’s gaze bored into his. He didn’t answer.

  “I figured out where all these tunnels go,” Mitch continued. “It explains why you don’t come above ground.”

  Ethan quirked a brow. “Really? Where?”

  Mitch smirked. “To the mountain, but you already knew that, didn’t you? That’s where you’re headed right now.”

  Ethan let out a snarl. “We aren’t working together anymore, Mitch. So back off. Go back where you came from and stay away from the mountain. Unless you want to die.”

  Mitch glared at him. “Your brother’s there waiting for you. Remember him? Gabe? He’s Kibo, remember? The dormant cone. At the mountain’s core, he’s more powerful than you or I. Possibly even Ronin.”

  Ethan let out a snarl, glaring back, his face scrunching in obvious annoyance.

  And Mitch attacked.

  He launched himself at Ethan, knocking him backward toward the dirt and rock wall.

  Ethan’s head cracked into the wall with a thwack! His body twitched, jerked, then went still. Mitch crawled off his friend, then quickly bent to check his pulse. Steady. Ethan was fine. Just knocked out cold. Slamming Ethan’s head into the rocky part of the wall had been the only way Mitch could think of to knock him out. He wouldn’t have tried that on a regular man, because the force of the blow could easily kill him. But the drifter in Ethan’s veins made him stronger than a normal man, and Mitch knew Ethan wouldn’t suffer any long-term effects from the blow. Though he would probably have a lump on his head when he woke.

  “I didn’t want to do that,” Mitch told his unconscious friend. “You left me with no choice. I’m doing this for your own good.”

  Fortunately, Mitch had come prepared for this very situation. He removed two strips of leather from his back pocket and tied Ethan’s hands tightly together in front of him. The narrow tunnel made it impossible to tie Ethan’s hands behind his back, for Mitch wouldn’t be able to drag him out that way. Which, unfortunately, would make it easier for Ethan to escape if he woke before they reached the surface. Mitch would have to be prepared for Ethan possibly waking up and attacking him from behind.

  Leaning back, Mitch tested the leather, making sure it was tied tight. Ethan wouldn’t be able to free himself without some help.

  Now Mitch had to get Ethan out of the crater before he woke. Before the mountain controlled his mind again.

  You can do this, Mitch. You can outsmart Ronin. Ethan’s life depends on it.

  Mitch dragged Ethan toward the tunnel he’d come from. He paused a moment and listened for sounds of any movement in the tunnels, which might indicate approaching drifters. Nothing but silence met his ears. Good.

  The mountain had not called to Mitch since he’d come upon Ethan in the tunnel. Mitch suspected there was a reason for that, but he couldn’t dwell on the possible reasons just then. He needed to get Ethan to the surface.

  Dragging Ethan into the tunnel behind him, Mitch headed back the way he’d come, grateful for his superior strength that allowed him to move Ethan’s body with ease. Ethan was a big man, but not as bulky as his brother Gabe. Mitch had carried Gabe up to the top of his treehouse when Ronin had stabbed him a few weeks ago, and he’d done it effortlessly. So dragging Ethan—who was probably twenty pounds lighter than his brother—out of the tunnel would be a cinch.

  But it was a long way back to the dinosaur dig.

 
A lot could happen on the way back.

  A lot more could go wrong when they reached the surface.

  Mitch would have to be prepared for anything.

  * * *

  Kate and Maddy returned to Aftermath and gathered the necessary medical supplies. After packing two bags with items, Maddy handed one to Kate and swung the other over her shoulder. There was urgency in Maddy’s movements, in her actions, and Kate felt that same urgency in her own blood. They had to hurry or Ethan could die. It might already be too late for him.

  Loaded down with the supplies, they headed back to the crater. The sun was high in the sky by the time they made it back, indicating it was noon or perhaps a little later. They’d been gone for several hours.

  Kate snagged a lantern and lit it, and they headed back into the tunnels. Nearly an hour later, they reached the room where they’d left Ethan. Kate rushed into the room with Maddy at her heels.

  Maddy yanked open her bag and began pulling out medical supplies. Kate reached the bed and let out a soft gasp. She turned to Maddy, swallowing hard, and shook her head sadly.

  Maddy rushed forward, pushing Kate aside, her eyes wide with horror and disbelief. She stared at the empty, blood-soaked mattress, her gaze darting back to Kate. “He’s gone. Where could he be?”

  Kate sensed movement behind her and jerked toward the cave opening. Ronin loomed over them as he stepped into the room. His gaze was focused on Maddy.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” he growled. He jerked his gaze to Kate, his eyes filling with fury. “You brought her here, didn’t you!” It wasn’t a question. But an accusation.

  “Where’s Ethan?” Maddy whispered, facing her stepbrother. “Have you seen him?”

  Ronin scowled. “I’ve seen no one in here, except Mitch. I sent him into the tunnels to see where they lead.” He snagged Maddy’s arm and jerked her toward him. “I want to know what you’re doing in here. This place isn’t safe.”

  “We came to help Ethan. He was badly injured. When we left earlier, he was lying in this bed. Now he’s gone.”

  Ronin narrowed his eyes. He glanced at the dirt floor, then looked out into the tunnel. “There’s no blood trail anywhere. Was he bleeding?”