muddy shore that a person could run along and keep going for days with no walls to stop them.
A roar sounded, similar to what our own metal bike let out, and I turned quickly. Samuel didn’t seem alarmed, so it was likely the others arriving. I’d known we weren’t alone after the guards at the gate had been shot down, but over the roaring bike, I hadn’t heard their presence.
He stood in the opening as two riders, another male and a female, pulled up alongside him. That was it? We’d only had two shooters up against all those guards at the gate? I didn’t know anything about warfare but I couldn’t help but be impressed. I would’ve thought there were a lot more of them for the damage they’d done to the government’s numbers.
The new guy was on the larger side and had scars running everywhere. They were on his arms where they were exposed by the short sleeves of his dark shirt, and there were even small ones crisscrossing his face.
The female didn’t look like she’d stand much taller than I did but had a muscular leanness and a cold glint in her eye.
The two of them got off their bikes and they formed a semicircle, all eyes trained on me. It was time to get some answers. I approached the group, waiting to see what I’d find out as I neared. He hadn’t offered me up any hints of who he was, but I had fresh meat now. There was no way I’d draw a blank with all of them.
As I got within ten feet, an image of the female killing a teenage boy in combat entered my mind. Not so bad. The kid had been ready to slit her throat and she’d acted in self-defense.
Then I got a read off the scarred man and I started to laugh. It was so shocking I couldn’t help myself. That was the memory burned into his brain? He’d gotten caught feeding stray pups? It was a new one for me. I could see how it might have been embarrassing to such a hardened-looking man, but really? Maybe my Plaguer’s delusions were losing some of their oomph.
The three of them looked at me as if I were crazy as I laughed aloud at what they thought was nothing. I didn’t care. Being a Plaguer, it was something I was accustomed to. If they only knew the truth, we’d see who was crazy and who’d be running for cover.
I continued to march right over to them. When I got within four feet, both of the newcomers took a step back. He’d had me wear gloves but his people were obviously in the loop about what I was. That was something else I was used to, especially from people from the Wilds. Whenever someone from the Wilds had landed in the compound, they’d feared getting near me even worse than the people from Newco. I’d discovered from an early age that people from the Wilds were a very superstitious lot and believed that once you’d had the Bloody Death, you never really got rid of it and could still give it to others.
I was glad they were scared. They weren’t going to fight me if they were too scared to touch me. I didn’t think they’d shoot me even though they all had guns strapped to their hips. It lowered my possible combatants down to one when I decided I was ready to break off on my own.
But oh what a one. If I had a choice, I’d take my chances on the two newcomers combined instead of him. The way he shut down his emotions, expected to be listened to as if no one ever dared not. When I finally decided not to toe his line—and I was near to positive it would happen, as I had an instinctual aversion to lines—he was going to be a big problem.
“Who are you people and what do you want?” I asked.
“She’s haughty for someone who should already be dead,” the woman said. “Let’s see how tough you are outside your safe little compound.”
I eyed her up. Green pants that had leather patches sewn over the knees, a tank top that showed just how lean and muscular she was. Her dark hair was cropped short, only a couple of inches long and probably better for fighting.
Then I thought of how I appeared. Still in the white
A roar sounded, similar to what our own metal bike let out, and I turned quickly. Samuel didn’t seem alarmed, so it was likely the others arriving. I’d known we weren’t alone after the guards at the gate had been shot down, but over the roaring bike, I hadn’t heard their presence.
He stood in the opening as two riders, another male and a female, pulled up alongside him. That was it? We’d only had two shooters up against all those guards at the gate? I didn’t know anything about warfare but I couldn’t help but be impressed. I would’ve thought there were a lot more of them for the damage they’d done to the government’s numbers.
The new guy was on the larger side and had scars running everywhere. They were on his arms where they were exposed by the short sleeves of his dark shirt, and there were even small ones crisscrossing his face.
The female didn’t look like she’d stand much taller than I did but had a muscular leanness and a cold glint in her eye.
The two of them got off their bikes and they formed a semicircle, all eyes trained on me. It was time to get some answers. I approached the group, waiting to see what I’d find out as I neared. He hadn’t offered me up any hints of who he was, but I had fresh meat now. There was no way I’d draw a blank with all of them.
As I got within ten feet, an image of the female killing a teenage boy in combat entered my mind. Not so bad. The kid had been ready to slit her throat and she’d acted in self-defense.
Then I got a read off the scarred man and I started to laugh. It was so shocking I couldn’t help myself. That was the memory burned into his brain? He’d gotten caught feeding stray pups? It was a new one for me. I could see how it might have been embarrassing to such a hardened-looking man, but really? Maybe my Plaguer’s delusions were losing some of their oomph.
The three of them looked at me as if I were crazy as I laughed aloud at what they thought was nothing. I didn’t care. Being a Plaguer, it was something I was accustomed to. If they only knew the truth, we’d see who was crazy and who’d be running for cover.
I continued to march right over to them. When I got within four feet, both of the newcomers took a step back. He’d had me wear gloves but his people were obviously in the loop about what I was. That was something else I was used to, especially from people from the Wilds. Whenever someone from the Wilds had landed in the compound, they’d feared getting near me even worse than the people from Newco. I’d discovered from an early age that people from the Wilds were a very superstitious lot and believed that once you’d had the Bloody Death, you never really got rid of it and could still give it to others.
I was glad they were scared. They weren’t going to fight me if they were too scared to touch me. I didn’t think they’d shoot me even though they all had guns strapped to their hips. It lowered my possible combatants down to one when I decided I was ready to break off on my own.
But oh what a one. If I had a choice, I’d take my chances on the two newcomers combined instead of him. The way he shut down his emotions, expected to be listened to as if no one ever dared not. When I finally decided not to toe his line—and I was near to positive it would happen, as I had an instinctual aversion to lines—he was going to be a big problem.
“Who are you people and what do you want?” I asked.
“She’s haughty for someone who should already be dead,” the woman said. “Let’s see how tough you are outside your safe little compound.”
I eyed her up. Green pants that had leather patches sewn over the knees, a tank top that showed just how lean and muscular she was. Her dark hair was cropped short, only a couple of inches long and probably better for fighting.
Then I thought of how I appeared. Still in the white
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