by David Angelo
“Oh, shut the hell up!” Fin said. “Don’t piss on my feet and tell me it’s raining. My team and I know that you’ve got something to hide in there, and we’ve currently got you surrounded. So if you don’t want us to cover you in arrows and feed you to the crows, do as I say.”
“I don’t want to be fed to crows,” Grog gasped, tears forming in his eyes.
“Then tell me what I want to know,” Fin replied.
“Don’t say a word,” Togo said.
“They worked for me on the final night,” Grog said. “Before our departure…both of them…at the same time…”
“Grog, what are you doing?” Togo asked.
“What are you talking about?” Fin asked. “Tell me.”
“Don’t tell him anything!” Togo snapped. “He’ll kill us all if you do!”
“Don’t listen to him,” Fin replied. “Go ahead, tell me what you have inside that cart.”
“Two of them…related…siblings…so soft…”
“Shut the fuck up!” Togo stood up and aimed his pistol at Grog. “I swear on your mother’s grave, if you keep jabbering away, I will blow your brains out right here!”
“Have you lost your goddamn mind?” Crues asked, panicked. “Put that away before they gut us.”
“Your driver’s right,” said a voice from within the trees. “I’d put that down if I were you.” Togo looked in the direction of the voice and came face to face with Kaw-Ki, perched on the branch of a tree, with an arrow aimed at his head.
“Do as she says,” Black-Tooth added, emerging from the other side of the road, his crossbow aimed at them. “Drop your weapon, and exit the cart.”
“And keep yer hands where we can see ’em,” Chok added, coming out at the back, his ax cannon at the ready.
Grog was now crying profusely. “You’re the prophet, aren’t you?” he asked.
“Yeah,” Fin said. “Why do you ask?”
“I’ve been a very bad man,” Grog whimpered. “The Elder’s going to be very mad at me. Does the Elder forgive sins?”
“Um…I think so,” Fin replied, rather perplexed. “What does this have to do with anything?”
“Because I’m about to commit one more,” Grog whispered.
“What’s that?”
“Murder…”
Unbeknownst to Fin, during the tense moments leading to this conversation, Grog had managed to work his hand down to where his pistol was located, wrap his fingers around the trigger, and pull it from his belt. By the time Fin realized his error, Grog had already freed the gun and aimed it at his stomach. But before Grog could pull the trigger, there was a mighty whoosh, a snap, and a scream as an arrow pierced the blubber of Grog’s arm. Grog dropped his pistol and clutched his bleeding arm. He fell to his knees and screamed bloody murder as Fin kicked the pistol aside.
Togo sighed and dropped his pistol. “Fine, you win,” he said reluctantly. He and the driver got down from the cart, where the members of the resistance moved them over to the side of the road.
Scarlet emerged from the woods near Fin, still holding her now-empty crossbow.
“No one hurts my man,” she said, picking up Grog’s pistol and sticking it in the strap of her quiver.
Fin smiled, relieved. “What would I do without you?”
“Fend for yourself and give your right hand a girly name?”
Fin snorted. “I guess this makes us even.”
“Maybe,” Scarlet replied.
Fin kissed her on the cheek. Then they turned their attention to Grog.
“Okay, big guy,” Scarlet said. “Get up.”
Anger flashed in Grog’s teary eyes. “I don’t take orders from women,” he growled.
Scarlet grabbed the fletching of the arrow in Grog’s arm and yanked it out, the barbed head pulling a chunk of flesh along with it.
Grog cried and buried his face in his arm. “You bitch…you fucking bitch!”
“Keep calling my girl that,” Fin snapped, “and I’ll—”
Scarlet held up her arm. “It’s okay, Baby. I can handle this.” She rolled Grog onto his back, took out a pistol, and placed the barrel right between his legs. “You might not like taking orders from women, but today you have no goddamn choice. So unless you want to lose your favorite organ, I suggest you move your ass.”
Grog scrambled to his feet and rushed over to the side of the road, where Black-Tooth, Kaw-Ki, and Chok tied him up alongside his comrades. By now, Kemp, Kyu, Rocklier, and Chinaw had already emerged from the woods and were rummaging through the back of the cart, ripping open the overnight bags and spilling their contents onto the road. When Fin and Scarlet approached, Kemp hopped down from the cart and met them.
“Thanks for the heads-up back there, Kemp,” Fin said.
“My pleasure,” Kemp replied. She glanced over toward their captors. “I wonder who will crack first when we put them under pressure. Right now, I get the sense that Togo will die before he reveals anything, seeing as his mind is so strong. Same with the driver, who’s had brushes with death before and is all but numb to threats on his life. However, the fat one is not only weak in mind, but the ordeal you put him through has made him even more feeble. If anyone is to break first, I bet it’ll be him.”
“Um, guys,” Kyu called from the cart, “we’ve searched all of their belongings, and there doesn’t seem to be anything of value.”
Togo grinned when he heard this, but before he could say anything, Chinaw held up his hand.
“Hold on,” Chinaw said. “I just had a flashback.”
“What kind of flashback?” Black-Tooth asked.
“A flashback to my old life,” Chinaw replied.
“Chinaw, you’re not like that anymore—” Rocklier started to say.
“I know,” Chinaw interrupted, “but now that everything’s out of the way, there’s something about the cart that looks familiar.”
Chinaw hopped down from the cart and crouched, observing the underside.
“Look at this,” Chinaw said, pointing. “If you come over here, you’ll notice that the floor of the cart is raised. If I remember correctly, that means there’s a secret compartment under there.”
“Are you sure about that?” Rocklier asked.
“It’s worth a look,” Fin replied, making his way over to the cart. “Hey, Chok, you mind helping me break this floor open so we can look inside?”
“Sure thing,” Chok said, readying the blade of his ax cannon. “I can’t wait to chop this thing to bits.”
“Wait!” Kemp said, holding her hand out to keep Chok from approaching. “Something’s not right.”
“What’s bitin’ you?” Chok asked. “Don’t you wanna see what’s in there?”
“Something just came to me,” Kemp said. “I think I know what’s in there.” She turned to the team, the color drained from her face. “Or in this case, who.”
Kyu looked down at the cart and grimaced. “You don’t mean…”
“It makes sense,” Chinaw said. “Pimps used to use wagons like these all the time to traffic people under the police’s watchful eye.”
“Dear Elder,” Kaw-Ki replied, shaking her head. She glanced down at the three Cullidons at her feet. “You guys are real sick, you know that?”
“Before we do anything else,” Fin said, placing his claws back in their respective scabbards, “let’s open her up as carefully as we can.” He climbed into the cart. “Guys, help me look for something like a handle or a door.”
Crouching on their hands and knees, Fin and his comrades felt around on the floor of the cart. After checking every inch of the cart’s surface, Fin noticed a squared-off section at the back, where the wood was slightly lighter in tone than the rest of the floorboards. Fin stuck the tip of his nail into the side of the square, but it was too big to pry it open.
“I found something,” Fin said, “but I need a prying tool.”
“Hold your horses,” Kyu said. She hopped down and went through the pile of junk that
was spread over the road. “I found this in one of their bags,” she said, handing a crowbar to Fin. “I bet this is why they had it with them.”
“Thanks,” Fin said. He inserted the flat end of the crowbar into the crack. He pushed down, causing the lid of the compartment to slowly rise and lift out of its cavity. A wave of hot air, laced with the sickening stench of urine and other vile smells, spilled out in its wake, forcing everyone who was around the cart to back away. Holding his hand over his mouth and trying his hardest not to gag, Fin peered into the darkness of the compartment and saw two pairs of yellow eyes looking back up at him.
“Don’t hurt us,” squeaked the voice of a young girl from within the darkness. “Please, we’ll do anything. Anything. Please, just don’t hurt us.”
“Step aside, guys,” Kaw-Ki said. “Scarlet, Kemp, could you please help me with this?”
“Need any assistance?” Black-Tooth asked as Fin and the men climbed out of the cart.
“No,” Kaw-Ki replied. “I have a gut feeling they may be afraid of men at this point.”
The team watched in silence as Kaw-Ki and her female compatriots pulled a pair of Faranchie girls out of the compartment. They were both young, about fourteen years of age, and identical in color. It was obvious to Fin that they were sisters, the stolen goods he had been warned about. The thought that they had been treated like cargo didn’t surprise Fin, but it still left a pit in his belly that made him want to puke.
“Can you walk?” Kaw-Ki asked. The girl looked back at Kaw-Ki, her pale, sunken face staring back in confusion.
“Don’t hurt me,” she replied, before fainting into Kaw-Ki’s arms. With all her strength, Kaw-Ki hoisted the girl into her arms.
“Let’s take them over to the side of the road,” she said. “Scarlet, do you have that medical satchel on you?”
“Yeah,” Scarlet replied, unslinging a burlap sack that hung around her shoulder. She followed the women to where the girls were taken. “Also, Kemp, if it’s okay, could you stay here and help interrogate them?” She gestured to the captives.
“You sure you won’t need my help?” Kemp asked.
“I think I’ll be fine,” Scarlet said. “If I need any help, I’ll call you. Right now, we need to get to the bottom of this situation.”
“Okay,” Kemp said, heading back to the other side of the road.
Togo bit his lip and frowned as all the men of the resistance stood around him and his crew, looking on at the women as they tended to the victims.
“If I were younger,” Rocklier said, “I suppose seeing something like this would make me lose my faith in dragons. If anything, though, this only cements what I’ve known for ages.”
Chinaw turned his head away from the girls and winced. “To think that I used to do shit like that all the time,” he said.
“Now, now,” Chok said, patting Chinaw on the shoulder. “Don’t get all guilty ’bout it. You’re a changed man.”
“You used to traffic too?” Togo asked.
“Shut up, Horseface,” Chok snapped. “Can’t you see he ain’t proud of it?”
“Hey,” Togo said with a shrug. “It’s a pretty lucrative business, providing you don’t get caught, of course.”
Fin got on his knees and looked Togo straight in the eye. “You think forcing young girls into sex slavery is a good business strategy?”
“They aren’t slaves,” Togo retorted. “Sure, they may have been forced from their homes and such, but I pay them a share of what I make. And trust me, if their friends knew the sort of clients who use my services, they’d beg for me to come for them.”
Kemp jumped off the cart. “No, they wouldn’t,” she said. “Because you’re a lying sack of shit.”
“I forgot to mention,” Fin said. “My purple friend over there can tell when you’re lying, so I’d recommend that you tell the truth from now on.”
Togo sighed, as the rest of the team moved back to give Fin and Kemp enough room to conduct an interrogation.
“All right, you got me,” Togo said, rolling his eyes. “Their parents owed taxes to the local collector, but they didn’t have enough rallod to pay it off. So we bought their daughters as financial compensation for the amount that they owed.”
“He’s telling the truth,” Kemp said.
“And look on the bright side,” Togo with a smile. “Their parents’ debt was erased, so they won’t have to sell off any of their other offspring.”
“You think that changes your situation?” Fin said. “Besides, we’re only just beginning. Where did you take them from?”
“The village of Dunderland,” Togo said, “about a day’s trip from here. We picked them up yesterday afternoon, then stopped at another village for the night and left early this morning.”
“He’s telling the truth,” Kemp said.
“Where were you taking them?” Fin asked.
“The village of Drack-Chan,” Togo said.
“He’s lying,” Kemp said.
Fin grabbed Togo and punched him square in the face.
“Where are you taking them?” Fin asked, his fist ready for another go.
Togo turned to Fin, his face bloody, and tried to speak. But as he did, he choked on the blood pooling in his mouth and only managed to say something like “Sheebeth” before erupting into a fit of coughs.
“What’s that?” Fin asked, cupping his hand to his ear. “I didn’t quite get that.”
“He said Sebeth,” Kemp said.
Black-Tooth whistled. “High-profile work, eh? Who were you selling them to?”
“They’re already purchased,” Togo said after his coughing stopped. “And the one who bought their services gave me more than enough for me to break even.”
“But who bought them?” Fin asked.
“Someone important,” Togo said. “Someone big. Someone who not only would put me through hell if I gave you his name but would hunt you down to the ends of Edon if you knew it. So for your sake, I’d suggest that you quit asking questions while you still have the chance.”
Fin turned to Togo’s crew members. “Can any of you give us a name?” But he only got blank stares in return.
“Togo’s right that his client’s a big shot,” Kemp said, “and each one of them knows who it is.”
Fin moved over to where she stood. “Can’t you just read their minds and find the name?” he whispered.
“If I could, I would,” Kemp replied. Her tone sounded annoyed. “The name is hidden there, buried, and it’s going to take more than a few questions to bring it to the surface.”
As they talked, Scarlet came over to where they were standing, a look of distress on her face.
“What’s wrong, Babe?” Fin asked.
“They’ve been assaulted,” Scarlet said. “Both of them, violently.”
Everyone glanced at Togo.
“Hey, don’t look at me,” Togo said. “My client paid for virgins, and he’d have my dick on a platter if I did so much as brush up against them.”
“He’s telling the truth,” Kemp said. “He never laid a hand on them.”
“Well, someone did,” Fin said, “and whoever did it better fess up soon.”
“Not me,” said the driver. “I like my head on my shoulders, thank you very much.”
“He’s telling the truth,” Kemp said. “Which leaves the fat one.”
All eyes turned to Grog, whose face had gone suddenly pale.
“Did you do it?” Fin asked.
“No,” Grog whimpered.
Kemp narrowed her eyes. “That’s a lie.”
“You big, fat, stupid fuck!” Togo spat a mouthful of blood at Grog. “I told you to keep your grubby hands off them. Why didn’t you listen?”
“I couldn’t help it,” Grog replied. “They were so young and…tender—”
“You goddamn halfwit!” Togo said. “This was going to be the biggest payday of our career, and you fucked it up!”
Kemp turned to Fin. “I think I found the w
eakest link,” she said.
Fin moved over to Grog. “You mind telling us who bought those girls?” he asked.
“Don’t do this to me again, Grog,” Togo said. “If you dare tell them our secret, I’ll—”
Before he could continue, Grog saw Chinaw come up behind, grab Togo by the head, and wring his neck with a crunch. Togo’s lifeless body fell over onto its stomach, while the driver recoiled in horror.
“While you’re at it,” Fin said, “get rid of the driver as well.”
“Leave that to me,” Chok said. He whipped out one of his sickles and slashed the driver’s throat. The driver seemed to crumple, his face falling into his lap, while his shirt slowly began to saturate with blood.
“Why’d you kill them?” Grog asked.
“Never you mind,” Fin said. He grabbed Grog by his collar and dragged him into the middle of the road.
“Ready to tell us who bought those girls?” Fin asked.
“No,” Grog cried, rolling onto his back. “You heard what Togo said. He’d kill us all.”
“Oh, trust me,” Fin said. “That’s the least of your concerns right now.”
Chok walked over to where Fin stood, running the blades of his sickles against each other.
“When a Faranchie male is convicted of sexual deviance,” Fin explained, “the penalty is to have him castrated while the subject is awake. It’s a very painful, humiliating experience for someone to go through, and Chok knows that pain all too well. His brother was castrated years ago for a crime he did not commit, and it cost him his life. There is no punishment, however, when a Cullidon does the same. In fact, Cullidons get away with rape all the time, and there is nothing anyone can do to punish them.” Fin turned to Chok. “I think it’s time to give our large friend here a taste of his own medicine.”
“With pleasure,” Chok said.
“No…” Grog gasped. “Please…”
“Isn’t that what those girls cried when you forced yourself on them?” Fin asked. “Tell us who bought them, and I’ll make it stop.”
“Oh, Elder,” Grog cried, “help me!”
Grog fell to the ground and began to writhe. Kemp stood above him, her unblinking eyes locked onto his crumpled figure.
“What are you doing to him?” Togo asked.
