Drifter

by Leslie Georgeson

  Or she’d be forced to fight off the hyenas in the dark. It was black as pitch out here at night. Kate wouldn’t be able to see a thing in the dark. How would she fight the hyenas off if she couldn’t see them?

  Trembling with fear, Kate rose to her feet as the hyena heads bobbed at her through the grass again.

  “Go away!” she screamed, waving the skinny branch at them. “Get out of here!”

  The beasts darted away, laughing and whooping in their creepy hyena language.

  But they didn’t go far. Circling back around, they eyed her again. Assessing. Waiting.

  Kate glared at them. She vowed she would keep this up all night if she had to.

  Even though the thought terrified her.

  Mitch had saved her more than once. Now it was time to save him.

  If there was ever a time to overcome your fear of hyenas, it’s now.

  Kate snorted. She drew in another deep breath for courage.

  She crouched, the stick held ready, and waited for the hyenas to come back.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

  When Mitch woke, it was dark out. He sat up slowly, confused, trying to get his bearings. The last thing he remembered was falling asleep at the base of the tree, but that had been in the middle of the day. Hours ago. How long had he been out?

  “Git!” Kate’s voice came from off to his right. He glanced toward her. She was standing a few feet away, waving a skinny stick at several hyenas that eyed her from the tall grass. The beasts leapt back at her scream, but he could see they were getting bolder and less afraid of her than they’d likely been at the beginning. The hyenas immediately came back, inching closer.

  Her terror floated over him. She was scared shitless, yet she was fighting off the very beasts that had eaten her brother and haunted her for years. Sympathy tugged at him.

  Kate was facing her biggest fear.

  Pride consumed him. She was so brave. So strong. And so his. She was incredible. She’d saved his life. If he’d been sleeping since noon, the hyenas would have snatched him up long ago if Kate hadn’t been there to protect him. God, he loved her.

  Mitch jumped to his feet. “I’m here, Kate.” He stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. She let out a relieved sigh and slumped against him, dropping the skinny stick. She trembled, her body shaking with adrenaline and fear. He turned her in his arms and held her tight. “It’s all right,” he whispered. “Everything’s all right. I think you conquered your fear now.”

  She choked out a laugh, then started to sob. “Why wouldn’t you wake up? You left me alone to fight them off! And I couldn’t see them, it was too dark! I had no idea where they were, so I just waved the stick and shouted, and prayed and prayed so hard that they wouldn’t eat us.”

  He ran his hands soothingly down her back. “You did good, Kate. I’m so proud of you.” He tilted her head back and kissed her. “You did good. Thank you for saving me.”

  She hitched in a breath and stared into his eyes. “I still hate hyenas.”

  He chuckled and kissed her again. “I know. But you conquered your fear, Kate! You beat it!”

  Her lips twitched. She let out a soft laugh. “Yeah, I did. I can’t believe it.” She stepped back and glanced behind her. “Are they gone?”

  “No, but they’ve moved back. I think they realize now you’re not someone to mess with.”

  She turned back to Mitch. “Can we go now? I want to get out of here.”

  “Yes. I’ll teleport us as far as I can. But I think we can make it to the mountain this time.” He pulled her back into his arms. “Hang on tight.”

  She did. Her arms squeezed him. Her head nestled against his chest. Her heart beat next to his. All of her goodness surrounded him, seeping into him.

  He’d once thought Lisa was his soul mate. But he’d been so wrong.

  Kate was his soul mate. Sweet, brave, loving, kind, courageous Kate.

  She was his everything.

  He should let her go. Set her free. Before it was too late.

  But he couldn’t. He loved her. He was selfish and wanted to keep her.

  And now he might be leading her into death.

  * * *

  Ronin made it about a third of the way to the mountain before exhaustion took over and he collapsed at the base of a small tree. He would need several hours rest before he continued on. He’d come alone, not bringing any soldiers with him, because it would have taken too long for the army to try to keep up with him. He couldn’t teleport nearly as fast as Mitchell, which pissed him off. But he was still too fast for his soldiers to keep up with him. He hadn’t wanted to wait. He’d wanted to get to the mountain as soon as possible so he wouldn’t lose control of the drifters. Now he was beginning to doubt his decision to come alone.

  There was no one to defend him from dangerous predators out here. No one except himself.

  But he was the drifter king. He was powerful. He had his sword. He could fight off anything.

  Not when he was weak. And certainly not when he was asleep.

  His eyelids drooped, exhaustion trying to claim him.

  He sat up straight, determinedly pushing the weariness aside. He needed a place to hide so he could rest without being attacked by hungry predators.

  He let his gaze scan the savannah, searching for a place to hide.

  Movement in the grass caught his attention. Large tan shapes steadily creeping closer.

  A pride of lions was heading straight toward him. Stalking him.

  His breath caught. His heart slammed into his ribs.

  Fuck.

  How long had they been following him?

  The tree was probably too small to climb, only about 15 feet tall. He could either run or fight them off. If he ran, he wouldn’t get far. If he stood his ground and fought, he might be able to kill a few of them with his sword.

  But he was so weak, even lifting his sword from its sheath proved difficult.

  Grabbing a branch, Ronin hauled himself to his feet, leaning on the sword and using it to keep himself upright.

  The lions approached, slipping silently through the grass. He could feel them all around him, moving steadily closer.

  “Come on, you bastards!” he shouted. “I dare you!”

  He lifted the sword and waved it at them, then lost his balance and fell into the dirt.

  Rolling onto his stomach, he used the sword to maneuver himself up off the ground. As he lifted his head, pushing upright, he came face-to-face with a huge male lion. The lion’s thick mane appeared to sprout around its face like angry black mambas, becoming a thing of menace all on its own. Ronin sucked in a breath.

  The beast growled, then attacked, knocking Ronin backward into the dirt. Ronin cried out, flinging the sword this way and that, blindly trying to strike the beast.

  The lion latched on to the back of his neck and bit down, its sharp fangs pressing deep into the muscle.

  Ronin screamed.

  His life flashed before his eyes, memories pulling him away from the present.

  His childhood, dull, boring, until Maddy came into it.

  Days spent warding off her annoying questions and her persistent demands that he play with her. Finally giving in and finding out she wasn’t so bad. Just a silly little girl.

  Then later, killing those bastards for hurting her.

  Prison. Hell. More violence.

  The asteroid shower and sudden freedom.

  Forming the army and overtaking the colonies.

  Getting bitten by the drifters and realizing his true destiny.

  He was meant to be king.

  He jerked back to the present as pain careened through his entire body. He opened his eyes to find lions all around him, gnawing away on his body.

  “No,” he whispered hoarsely. “I’m supposed to be king.”

  He struggled to move, pulling his arm up. Where was his sword? Had he lost it when the lion tackled him? The male lion’s fangs were no longer sinking into his neck
. The animal must have let him go. Ronin now lay on his back, completely exposed and at the mercy of the hungry beasts.

  He squirmed and fought, trying to dislodge the lions. He looked down, saw his entrails spilling out of his abdomen as the lions ripped into his stomach.

  Motherfuckers!

  He reached behind him and grabbed onto the trunk of the tree. He took a deep breath and pulled himself toward the trunk.

  One inch. Two.

  And again.

  Another inch. Two. Three.

  The lions growled, their fangs sinking deep as they latched on to him and tried to hold him still. But he was the drifter king. He wasn’t supposed to die.

  Ronin pulled again. And again.

  He kicked out at the beasts, cracking a few of them in the head and dislodging their jaws.

  They came right back, biting his legs, tearing his flesh, ripping his intestines out.

  Ronin pulled and pulled and pulled until he was sitting up against the tree trunk. Though the tree was small with a thin trunk, it would have to hold him. It was his only chance to survive.

  He continued pulling and pulling his body upward, with the lions hanging on to his legs, not wanting to let him go.

  Up he pulled.

  Up. Up.

  Until he was in a standing position, hanging on to the tree for dear life. One of his legs had been badly mauled, bits of flesh sticking out. Nausea threatened to overtake him at the sight, and he retched, spilling the contents of his stomach all over the ground. The lions jumped back, startled, confused.

  Ronin paused to catch his breath. Then he pulled himself higher, up into the tree.

  His feet came off the ground.

  One inch.

  Two.

  Higher he went, pulling harder, determination pushing him on.

  The tree groaned, its trunk bending under his weight.

  Ronin paused, breathing heavily, and glanced back at the lions.

  One leapt forward and grabbed his foot, trying to pull him back out of the tree. He kicked out at the beast, his foot connecting with its face. But he was weak and the blow barely dissuaded the animal.

  I’m the drifter king. I can’t die.

  I’m the drifter king. I can’t die.

  I can’t die.

  Tightening his arms around the trunk, he held on for dear life as the lions pulled at him from below, trying to dislodge him from the tree.

  I won’t die.

  They pulled and pulled at his legs, their fangs sinking deep, tearing at his flesh.

  He held on, refusing to let go, praying the tree would hold him.

  I won’t die.

  I won’t die.

  I’m the drifter king.

  I’m the king.

  Dizziness swam in his head.

  Then the darkness dragged him under.

  * * *

  They arrived at Mount Kilimanjaro just as the sun came up. Kate’s first view of the mountain wasn’t what she’d expected. It was massive, impressive, unlike any other mountain she’d seen in her lifetime. The base of the mountain was peaceful looking, flourishing with wildlife, trees and grasses and other vegetation. It was actually quite beautiful. The lowlands boasted banana and coffee crops that had grown wild after the asteroid shower. Higher up was a subtropical rainforest with numerous flowering plants.

  As she looked up, and up, the mountain’s surface changed, plant life disappearing and snow covering the peak. Clouds hung low around the mountain, hovering close and hiding a good portion of it from her view.

  She turned to Mitch. “Wow. It’s not…what I expected.”

  Mitch nodded. “Ethan and I did some research on this place. Well, actually, he did the research and shared it with me. It’s not a mountain in the traditional sense. It’s actually a giant stratovolcano that began forming millions of years ago. It’s composed of many layers of hardened volcanic ash, lava, pumice and—oh, what’s the word Ethan used?” He paused a moment, contemplating. “Tephra. Yeah, that’s it. Tephra is a fragmental material that is the fallout from a volcanic eruption, if I remember correctly. Ethan could probably explain it better with his scientific mind.”

  Kate turned back to the mountain. “I think you explained it quite well. It’s not a traditional mountain, but a mountain formed of volcanic ash, lava, pumice and tephra. Did I get that right?”

  “I think so, yeah.”

  “I do know a little about it,” she admitted. “It was one of the places my family planned to visit on our trip to Africa. I know that it’s the tallest free-standing mountain in the world and that it was once a popular place for climbers.” She turned back to Mitch. “How do the three volcanic cones—Kibo, Shira, and Mawenzi—relate to you, Ethan, and your friend Gabe? I’m not sure if I understand that part.”

  “I’m not exactly sure of that myself. That’s why we’re here. Let’s find Gabe and Claire and Honor.”

  Taking her hand, Mitch headed toward the mountain. Kate fell into step beside him, her gaze scanning the landscape, taking everything in. Large herds of grazing animals roamed near the base of the mountain, feeding on the lush vegetation surrounding it. It seemed peaceful here. Less frightening than the open savannah.

  Mitch had grown quiet, his gaze wary and watchful. Kate glanced askance at him. Was the mountain calling to him? Urging him closer? He seemed a bit distracted.

  “Is it speaking to you?”

  He turned toward her. “What?”

  “Is the mountain speaking to you? Calling you?”

  “Yes.”

  Kate hesitated, studying him. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah. It’s just…distracting. Shira, it says, over and over. Shira.”

  Kate squeezed his hand. “Is that good or bad?”

  He snorted. “I don’t know. It’s just annoying. It’s hard to concentrate, to keep a lookout for danger, with the damn mountain constantly in my head.”

  “I’ll help keep an eye out for danger.”

  Mitch smiled. “Thank you.”

  They continued on, passing the grazing herbivores, and neared the mountain’s base. Mitch paused, turning his head. Kate followed his gaze, but didn’t see anything alarming.

  “That way,” he said, pointing off to his right. “I can sense the drifter in Gabe. He’s somewhere close. Come on.”

  Kate followed, her curiosity rising. What was Gabe like? Did he look like Ethan? They were brothers, so she imagined they shared some similarities. Ethan was a little strange, in Kate’s opinion, but he had a good heart underneath the drifter. And what about Claire and the little girl, Honor, Ethan and Claire’s daughter? What were they like? Kate didn’t have to wait long to find out.

  A shout came from a huge grove of trees at the base of the mountain. A woman with long, reddish-brown hair waved her arms at them, grinning wide. A little girl with bright red hair stood at her side, her grin as wide as her mother’s. A jackal pup sat next to the girl, staring at them as they approached.

  A tall man with shaggy dark hair and wide, powerful-looking shoulders stepped up behind them, a pair of sunglasses covering his eyes. The sunglasses took Kate aback. It had been a long time since she had seen sunglasses. Where had he gotten them?

  The man lifted an arm in a wave, but he didn’t smile. Kate’s heart sank. Why wasn’t he happy to see them? Had something bad happened?

  Mitch waved back and hurried his pace.

  At last they reached them. Mitch shook Gabe’s hand and nodded at Claire and Honor.

  “This is Kate,” he introduced, motioning Kate forward. “Kate, this is Gabe, Claire, Honor and…” he pointed to the jackal pup, “…Jack Jr.”

  “Hello.” Kate smiled and made eye contact with everyone.

  “Is that your wife?” Honor asked, eyeing Kate curiously.

  Mitch glanced at Kate, a question in his eyes. “Uh, technically, we’re not married.” He wrapped an arm around Kate’s shoulders and drew her against his side. “But we’re together. So I guess that makes her my
wife.”

  Honor giggled. “That means you’re in lo-ove.”

  Mitch chuckled, his gaze holding Kate’s. “Yeah, I am. And someday, little girl…” he turned back to Honor, “you will be too.”

  Honor wrinkled her nose. “Eww. Gross. Not me. Never. Ever.”

  Everyone chuckled.

  Then Gabe stepped forward, his expression serious. “Where’s Ethan?”

  Mitch cleared his throat. He glanced at Kate, than back at Gabe. “He was injured badly. Ronin tried to kill him. I managed to hide him before we escaped. Maddy is trying to help him, but she said she wasn’t sure if she could save him. You should know, he’s no longer the same. Not in the head. And not…in the body.”

  A tense silence followed.

  Mitch glanced down at Gabe’s leg. Kate followed his gaze, trying to hide her shock. He had a wooden leg? She hadn’t noticed it before. What had happened to him?

  “What do you mean, he’s not the same?” Gabe stepped forward and Kate jerked her gaze away from his prosthetic leg.

  “The mountain has taken a hold of his mind. He’s…almost manic, not all there anymore.” He hesitated. “And Ronin cut off his arm.”

  Claire gasped.

  Honor burst into sobs. “He cut off my daddy’s arm? How could he! I hate him! I hate him!”

  “Shh, baby.” Claire drew her daughter into her arms. “Daddy’s tough. He’ll be fine. Right?”

  “I’m sorry,” Mitch said gently, kneeling before Honor. “But your mother is right. Your dad is very tough. In fact…” Mitch rose, his gaze returning to Gabe. “There’s a lot we need to talk about. Ethan’s been keeping secrets from me. He’s a lot more powerful than you or I.”

  Claire rose, her gaze narrowing on Mitch. “He was bitten too?”

  Mitch nodded. “Right after the asteroid shower, apparently.”

  Realization crossed her face. “He said he’d found something spectacular down in that crater. I just assumed he’d unearthed new fossils. Oh my God! Was that when he was bitten? All those years ago?”

  “I think so. He’s been studying the drifters for years.” Mitch glanced back at Gabe. “He saved me after I was bitten the first time. I still believe he’s Mawenzi. He’s powerful, Gabe. He can duplicate himself. And he can shift into a giant drifter.”