Entreaty
It was just after the noon meal when the messenger arrived from Winterville. I had been braced for bad news since I heard Stalker’s report, so I wasn’t surprised by the urgency. The runner was ragged and thin; and by his various wounds, he wasn’t accustomed to traveling. The odd thing about his injuries, though … they didn’t look as if a Freak had inflicted them. I strode up to the guards listening to his breathless stammers—and my status in town had changed to the point that none of them questioned my presence. They were used to seeing me roam in and out of HQ, consulting with Colonel Park on concerns she didn’t share with anyone but her advisors.
“We need help,” the man was gasping.
“Muties?” Morgan asked. I had learned that he was married to the colonel, not that they were effusive in their public affections.
Since Winterville was closer than Salvation, it was possible we could mount a successful defense, depending on the nature of the attack. The weather wasn’t ideal for mobilizing, but if we packed well and moved fast, we might be able to hit them from behind. As I recalled, the research annex was mostly built from a peculiar, wrinkled metal, so at least it wouldn’t burn before we got there. The rest of the houses might well be gone, however.
The messenger shook his head, startling us all. “Dr. Wilson said to find Deuce. He said to tell her there’s trouble on the south side—that she’ll know what it means.”
I bit out a curse. Whatever they had done with their feral humans, containment must’ve failed. And from what I recalled of Winterville, they had no dedicated warriors. It was an odd little town, no mistake, but that didn’t mean they all deserved to be killed because Wilson was a madman who invented crazy potions and tested them on his own people.
“Get this man some medical attention,” I said to the guards. “Then find him some hot food. I’ll take it from here.”
It wasn’t until I was walking away, and I heard Morgan say, “Come on, we’ll take you to see Doc Tegan first,” that it fully sank in just how much things had changed.
Those men took my orders without question, and they weren’t even part of Company D. My shoulders squared, and I walked a little taller on the way to HQ. Inside, the colonel was waiting for my word on the situation.
Quickly I summarized the problem, then reminded her of what Wilson had told me. She listened with her usual acuity. Since our go-round earlier in the year when I’d threatened to cut her throat, the colonel treated me with caution and respect. I’d come to the conclusion she wasn’t a bad person, but like Silk, she had the ability to make awful choices for the good of the whole. It wasn’t a trait I coveted.
“Do you have any idea how many infected souls we’re talking about?”
I shook my head. “They won’t be as smart as the Muties we’ve been fighting, though. Wilson said their higher brain function was compromised.” Though I wasn’t fully clear on what that meant, I guessed they’d be like the Freaks I fought first, down below.
“So you don’t know how many men you need.”
“I have forty-four at last count.” Such a small crew, compared with the horde, but we’d likely be equal to the problems in Winterville.
“Then handle it. By the way, I’ve decided to commission Company D formally for rescue operations. Given what we know of mutant intentions and numerical advantage, it seems likely more of these requests will arrive. You’ll retain command and will assess all threats and determine the best response, according to our resources.”
“I thought I wasn’t old enough to enlist,” I said.
“And you haven’t. Elite squads aren’t subject to the same regulations.” By her smug smile, she was pleased at getting around the rules while still finding a use for my team.
“With respect, sir, I decline your offer. I intend to take anyone who will join up, not just men from Soldier’s Pond.” I struggled with how to word my explanation. “Our cause still isn’t about defending towns … Company D is meant to end the Mutie threat. So while we’ll handle appeals for help if they come while we’re in town, I can’t guarantee we will be. The fight’s out there, and I intend to be too, as long as the weather holds. Right now, we don’t have the numbers to face the horde, but someday…” I trailed off, my meaning plain.
This time, she didn’t laugh.
“I understand.” Her eyes were sad, but her tone was brisk when she added, “You’ll need to brief your men and get moving. No telling how bad it is in Winterville.”
“Yes, sir.” I didn’t salute her when I left, as the others did.
Colonel Park wasn’t my leader. I shared information with her out of respect, not obligation. I’d meant it when I said she’d get nothing else out of me. I wasn’t a little black piece on her maps, willing to move against the red markers at her will.
When I met the men, already assembled in the shed for afternoon training, I gave them the quick rundown. I finished with “Get your gear. We’re moving in an hour.”
It didn’t take long to raid my footlocker and pack my things. I was lacing up my boots when Momma Oaks found me. She was carrying a bundle; I first thought she’d made some more clothes. Then she unfolded the fabric, and the shape marked it as wrong for a shirt or a gown.
The material was plain, the first I’d seen since my arrival that hadn’t been dyed olive drab. She had cut it into a triangle and banded the edges in green. Square in the middle sat a stitched version of my personal token, a black spade with a two on top of it. The dark symbol looked powerful against the pale background, more so because she’d embroidered a red border. She had precious few supplies left from her seamstress work in Salvation, and I couldn’t believe she’d used them up to make such a thing for me.
I also didn’t know what it was.
“It’s a pennant,” she explained. “I read in a book where warriors used to fly their colors when they went to war, so all their enemies would see them and despair.”
This … this was the truest love. She hated it every time I went out, but because she loved me, she supported me, even though it scared her. A fist tightened around my heart.
“Thank you,” I said. “It’s wonderful. How am I supposed to display it?”
“On a short pole, I think. I have Edmund working on it.”
“We’re leaving soon,” I said, hating to disappoint her.
“I know. He’ll be along shortly.” Momma Oaks paused. “Do you trust me, Deuce?”
“Of course.”
“Then let me have your token.”
My hand went to the hidden pocket in my shirt reflexively. Over the course of my travels, the card had become more bloodstained, but I had never lost it. I fought the urge to ask why; instead I proved my faith by producing it and offering it to her without a word. My mother smiled as she got out her needle, then she sewed the card into the center of the banner.
“Now it’s finished. This represents your fighting spirit and I truly believe as long as you keep it safe, you cannot fail.”
Tears sprang to my eyes at how she had combined her greatest skill with my custom, one she probably didn’t even believe in. Shakily I hugged her and whispered, “Thank you.”
She pushed out a long breath, then said, “Rex wants to go with you.”
I froze. “How do you feel about that?”
“When we first arrived, he was grieving over Ruth, and I was afraid he’d do something foolish. But now it’s been long enough…” I heard what she didn’t say. She wanted him to follow his heart, even if it was worrisome.
“He hasn’t said anything to me or attended any of our drills. Tell him if he still wants to join up, it needs to be after he’s worked with us some.”
“He’ll ask why you’ve accepted strangers over him, no questions asked.”
“Because they’re trained soldiers and he’s not. It would be irresponsible to take him into action without first teaching him how to fight.”
“That sounds fair.” She was visibly relieved that we weren’t both marching off today.
I ended the discussion with a hug, but I couldn’t linger. It wouldn’t look good if I ordered the men to be ready in an hour and I showed up late. Lead by example, Silk always said—and though I didn’t agree with everything she’d shouted at me, that tenet stuck. Momma Oaks accompanied me to the gate, and as she’d promised, Edmund arrived soon after with a light metal rod. It wasn’t so long it would be unwieldy or so heavy it would be a problem to carry. In efficient motions, she stitched the pennant to the pole while I counted heads. Fade was here, Thornton and Tegan too … Zach Bigwater, Harry Carter, all the scouts, along with Morrow, Tully, and Spence. I’d memorized all the men’s names because they weren’t numbers to me. I ran down the roster mentally.
“Everyone’s present,” I said. “Company D, move out.”
It was a miserable march, though our official flag cheered the men up considerably. They took turns carrying it and eventually took to wagering over who got the privilege. I had nothing to do with that; they awarded it to one another for whimsical reasons: a good song, stealthy movements, a cheerful tale. Though I expected some of the new men to complain, as they weren’t used to life in the field, none of them whined. That was a good start.
The ground was marshy from melting snow and frozen by turns, so I watched my step. Stalker and his scouts ran vanguard, finding us a good, safe route to Winterville. Since I didn’t know what we’d face once we arrived, it seemed best not to expend our energies more than necessary. There would definitely be fighting in town, and I hated the thought of killing humans. The handful of times I’d done so, I only enjoyed it once. Gary Miles, the Salvation soldier who thought girls were good for only one purpose, was no loss to the world.
Despite the weather, we made good time.
On the outskirts of Winterville, I waited while Stalker and his scouts surveyed the opposition. The rest of us were tense, listening for any sign that the afflicted were venturing past the Winterville boundaries. Now and again, I heard inhuman shrieks, wordless growls, awful but distinctive from any sound I ever heard the Freaks utter.
“This is horrible,” Tegan whispered.
I nodded. The scouting party didn’t return a moment too soon.
Though the former Wolf was tough, even he was shaken when they returned. “I’ve never seen anything like it,” Stalker said, still panting. “Every house is barricaded from the inside, windows and doors. And the town itself…”
“Go on,” I prompted.
“There are people everywhere, attacking anything that moves … eating each other.”
Horror ran through me. Regardless whether the scientist, Wilson, had good intentions, he’d experimented without considering the consequences, and it now seemed that his work would end as badly as those that started all the trouble in the first place. If these people turn into Freaks … With some effort, I curtailed my urge to speculate and focused on the facts.
“How many?” I asked Stalker.
“Seventy-five to a hundred. That’s just an estimate.”
“Are they working together?”
Stalker shook his head. “No. If anything, they’re competing to get into the houses. It’s … grim, maybe the worst thing I’ve ever seen. You’ll understand when we move in.”
Considering what he and I had been through, that was quite a statement. But I didn’t doubt him. Armed with this disturbing information, I went back to the others and gave the orders. “We’re splitting into four teams of eleven. I’ll assign squad leaders to each, and you’ll follow their instructions as if I had given them. Understood?”
“Yes, sir,” they chorused.
I went on, “We have a devil of a mess to tidy up. While it’s true we didn’t make it, the people trapped in those houses are counting on us. I have no idea whether what Wilson did to these poor madmen is contagious, so protect yourselves from their teeth.”
Tegan bounced, which I took to mean she had something to add. “Blood can carry diseases, too, so be careful. Try not to get it in your eyes or mouths, and if you have any open wounds, make sure they’re covered before the battle begins.”
“Anything else, Doc?” She flushed with pleasure when I called her that, but she shook her head. That was the extent of her warnings, apparently.
“Excellent. Some of you may hesitate when it sinks in—that we’re fighting people. But remember, there’s no help for them. That’s the reason Wilson kept them penned up; he was trying to find a cure, but they’re broken beyond fixing, and it’s a kindness to put them down.” The words sounded hard and cold to my own ears, but the men were nodding. “Now then, team leaders: Stalker, Fade, me, Morrow.”
The storyteller looked surprised to be called out, but he was smart, and he’d lead his men with the same care and wisdom he’d offered Tegan during their training sessions. To avoid any question of favoritism and for the sake of speed, men counted off by fours and then divided up accordingly. I ended up with Thornton and Spence, but not Tully, along with Tegan, three scouts, Zach Bigwater, and three fresh recruits. It was a good mix of skills with enough veterans that we should be able to compensate if Zach panicked under pressure.
“Everyone knows who’s in their squads?” I asked.
They agreed in unison that they did.
“Good. Then, Stalker, you take the eastern section. I’ll go west. Fade, you have the north, and, Morrow, you’ve got the south, where the problem started. But from what Stalker said, there’s trouble all over Winterville now.”
“I’m clear on the objective,” Stalker said.
Morrow inclined his head. “Me too.”
But Fade stepped close, gesturing to his men to wait a second. They were checking their weapons, talking in low voices about the fight to come.
He leaned in with a furrowed brow. “Are you positive you want me in charge?”
I understood that he thought he wasn’t the Hunter he had been, and he had doubts about his leadership. But Fade needed to stop treading in my shadow; he was every bit as fierce and strong as he had been, maybe more so. Blasted few people could survive an experience like his. Even less would be able to wade into battle afterward. He was one of the strongest, bravest people I’d ever known, and it was past time for him to acknowledge that.
One step at a time.
When I met his gaze, I didn’t do so as the girl who loved him or the Huntress partnered with him down below. My tone was firm and cool. “Are you questioning my judgment?”
I read the shock in his gaze, quickly veiled by a thick sweep of lashes. Then he stepped back. “No, sir. I have my assignment.”
I pitched my voice to carry. “When you clear your quadrant, head for the lab at the center of town. You can’t miss it.” I described the building, just in case. “Now let’s get this done.”