Avarice Unfortunate Sons

This is the fourth and latest book in the Avarice saga. I am currently still actively writing it at this time. It will be ongoing for some months. I thank you all for reading my work.

The rusted iron grate was resting in place just as they had left it, and it was easily pushed aside. The maw of the shaft loomed ahead of the raiders darkly, the entrance into the lowest level of the Wolf Lord’s domain.

Bennett pushed Nathan into the breach just ahead of him. “Stay close.” He whispered hoarsely.

Nathan ducked down and entered. It felt strange for him to lead. He had no intention of straying too far from his master’s protection. The shaft sloped gently downwards; it was not tall enough for a man to stand. With not a word exchanged between them, weapons at the ready, they headed into the engulfing darkness.

The raiders had all wrapped their boots in rags to further muffle the sound of their intrusion. There was no source of light in this tunnel, and they carried no torches. At times, they had to carefully grope their way along the metal corridor. The sensation this blackness wrought was claustrophobic. The walls were slick with condensation, and the air was thin. Bennett didn’t remember these conditions the last time he was here. He wondered, had the enemy run so low on fuel that most of the fortress had gone dark, and even essentials like the ventilation were being shut down?

At the first intersection, Nathan paused briefly, trying to recall the way. He could feel Bennett’s broad warmth behind him. Last time he was here, they were burdened by a gravely injured Sven and were being pursued.

Knowing that he was protected by a pair of expertly wielded machetes gave Nathan more confidence as he turned right. His own hand rested on his knife for extra reassurance. This shaft was larger, and Nathan could see a vague light emanating towards its end.

The fortress was unusually quiet. There was, however, a distinct, faraway hum of the diesel generator, though it seemed much quieter than before.

They made their way along this larger shaft. Where they could almost stand in its circumference, making their progress swifter. The end of this tunnel again terminated in a T Nathan chose to go left. There was still very little light to see by.

Bennett watched Nathan’s slender black clad silhouette before him, his men advancing behind. Being a large man, he had to be doubly careful to move silently. The space was too tightly confined for his size. He had hoped for this night for many months, and part of him had never expected this invasion to come. Yet here he was at last ready to strike.

The tunnel began to narrow again, and they had to crawl the remaining distance to the entry point. Bennett could remember this particular location from their exodus. It had been a struggle to maneuver Sven through this area.

They came to a wire grate, which overlooked the storeroom where they had hidden before their escape. Unfortunately, the grate had been repaired. But Bennett had expected this. He signaled to Todd to pass up the bolt cutters and began to cut the mesh one thick wire at a time. It was tedious and tight work; there was very little space for him to maneuver. The sound of each individual wire being cut echoed loudly in the small metal room. He would make one cut, then listen and wait. At this critical phase in the invasion, they could not afford to be heard.

Under the cover of darkness, Pig and the five boys ran down the slope toward the fortress. Ready to sow the seeds of chaos.

Danny was excited as he clutched the battered military issue rifle to his chest. As long as he could remember, he had always loved to shoot. The Austeyr he carried tonight was a far superior rifle compared to the ragged collection of guns he had learned to shoot as a boy. He loved the way this particular weapon felt in his hands, the weight of it. The short, compact stock made it easy to maneuver in tight spaces. It was a weapon designed for practicality and purpose.

When Danny took up a firearm, it was as though all the distractions of the world ceased to exist. It was just him and the gun. An inner quiet would envelop him, and he felt entirely at peace. Shooting with accuracy was easy, and he had shown uncanny skill even as a small boy.

Tonight, he would kill his first man. He didn’t know quite how he felt about that. Sure, he had played at soldier with his brothers and his friends growing up; tonight, though, it was going to get real. The excitement of the mission somewhat deafened Danny’s sense of morality. The ones that lived down there were the bad guys after all. He had heard the stories relayed by these raiders of what they did to their captives. The raven-haired youth also longed to live in that stronghold with every convenience he could imagine.

Pig had guided the boys to a spot where they could overlook the fortress and take up position on the targets. As Bennett had indicated, there were very few sentries on duty. The keen-eyed Danny could only make out three watchmen.

“Should I begin counting?” Louis asked Pig impatiently. He wanted to do well on this, his first mission.

“Give 'em a minute,” the ugly, scarred man replied, as he squatted down to remain unseen behind some low brush. His one good eye leered out from under the dirty piece of rag he always kept tied over his empty eye socket.

Owen and Barrel were also taking up position on either side of Danny. Rifles trained on each target, waiting patiently to begin the countdown. Danny sighted in his rifle on the black clad figure patrolling the front gate. The world went quiet about him as he concentrated on his task. He knew it was important that this man fell, and Danny felt confident he could make the shot, even possibly get the other men if Owen and Barrel failed.

The grate cut the men entered the small square room. Where mostly domestic supplies were stored, all stacked neatly on metal shelving. The door to the adjoining corridor was not locked. Bennett opened it quietly and peered into the dimly lit hallway. There was not a soul present; the air was thin here as well, making breathing labored. It was obvious that this lower level had been vacated.

Bennett signed to the others with a cryptic hand signal. The raiders had been together for so long that they had developed their own silent language. Gareth flanked Bennett, gripping his sharp axe, with Dwayne close at his shoulder, bow taught.

Bennett then looked at Nathan and pointed up the hallway. Nathan knew his master was asking if that was the direction they must go. Nathan nodded in the affirmative, and the men silently filed out of the storeroom. Wyatt, Murray, and Josh, the least experienced of the men in the rear, were being led by Todd.

Josh didn’t like being placed as rearguard; he wanted very much to use this chance to show Bennett what he was made of. He had promised himself that tonight he would prove his worth and move up in the ranks of the raiding party. He was hoping for a choice of the women that he was sure this fort housed.

They moved silently in unison along the hallway to an area that was brightly illuminated. They still hadn’t encountered a soul.

It was then they heard a call from somewhere behind them. The gravelly voice of an older gent. “Henry, is that you?”

The raiding party turned about, but they could not see the owner of that voice. Whoever it was obviously hadn’t seen them either, and was not yet far enough along the corridor to do so.

Before Bennett could react and dole out orders, Josh broke from the group and darted down the passageway in a headlong sprint and was lost in the darkness.

The others did not move a muscle; every man’s eyes engaged their leaders in silent request. It was taboo to break ranks on a raid; the senior men knew that. Bennett’s left cheek twitched with a barely suppressed fury. His blue eyes gleamed malevolently in the dimness. A series of thuds came to their ears, followed by a strangled wet sound. Bennett was ready to just let Josh go as collateral damage. He hadn’t followed orders, and he was not jeopardizing this raid for the recklessness of one man.

Bennett made to turn about and signal the wide-eyed Nathan to continue forward when he heard the sound of feet behind them. It was the blond-headed apparition of Josh, blood splattered and grinning crazily from ear to ear. He held a disembodied head clutched by its short gray hair.

Bennett gazed at his errant warrior with a look of molten fury, but this was not the moment for retribution. Though he would be sure to make an example of Josh later. With an impatient flourish of his black gloved hand, he ordered the young man back to the rear.

Josh was disappointed; he had expected high praise for eliminating this threat. He tossed his grisly trophy down on the metal walkway with a thud, and it rolled away into the dark. He had now killed his first man, and he had to admit it was far easier than he had expected it to be.

Nathan again went forward. He was almost nauseous with fear. He could feel beads of sweat breaking out on his brow and upper lip. His heart was pattering in his chest, and each tiny noise infused in him a new wave of panic. He wanted his revenge, but of this place and its denizens he was deathly afraid. He crept forward on silent feet, knowing with certainty where he was.

They came to a set of metal open rung stairs. Nathan pointed upward toward the next level. The level that contained the prison and the kitchens. The youth shuddered at the memory as his feet began the ascent. The rest of the men behind him.

On reaching the top of the staircase, Bennett pulled Nathan protectively behind him, ordering him to remain in the rear. He would no longer need the boy to guide him; he now knew exactly where he was.

The air quality was vastly better on this floor, but the lighting was still sparse. They stuck to the shadows as they moved toward the barracks. Bennett was feeling quite confident that they would easily take the fortress; it did seem as though it was almost deserted.

Unexpectedly, as they were passing, a door opened to their right. In the door frame was an Asian woman in her mid-thirties, with long dark hair, wearing a navy pencil skirt, a white blouse, and court heels. When faced with the raiders, she attempted to scream.

Will, who was closest, immediately reacted and, in a practiced move, stifled her warning shout with his hand, dragging her back into the room from whence she had come. The others paused while he bound and gagged the woman; she put up quite a fight.

As the armorer restrained her flailing hands, he gazed around. The room was orderly, clean, and a proper home. Something Will had forgotten the experience of. There were comfortable furnishings, a soft floor rug in bold blue and white, and a shelf lined with books. This is what they fought for: a better life, and today, if all went to plan, they would at last have it. No more sleeping on bare earth, living in filth, and surviving hand to mouth. Perhaps coffee, good food, and all the real cigarettes they could smoke awaited them?

The woman under his grip squirmed as Will checked her bindings to ensure she was well secured. She was very pretty, and Will hoped that there would be more just like her in this compound. He had also noticed the flash of gold on her wedding finger as she scratched and clawed. Married or not, he genuinely hoped that she would be allotted to him as a war prize.

Once she had been subdued, they continued forward. A lone guard ambled into view, a half-smoked cigarette hanging from his lips, but the man never saw the threat. Dwayne, now in front of the party, raised his longbow, and the soft twang of an expertly placed arrow sounded as the unsuspecting man crumpled to the walkway dead.

They were drawing close to the barracks and the officers' lounge. Bennett felt incredibly tense as he neared this location. This is where the real fighting would begin. He hoped that he could eliminate the men in this area before they sounded the alarm, and he had discussed this part of the operation with his men extensively.

They crept along the hallway toward the officers' lounge. Nathan, as instructed, hung back in the shadows, relieved he did not have to be involved in the heaviest fighting. Bennett didn’t expect many men to be in the lounge or in the barracks. If Lothar had indeed gone to war, Bennett was sure he would have taken his best soldiers and all of the high-ranked officers with him.

As they approached the partially opened doorway of the lounge, they paused, flattening their backs to the wall. Bennett was in front with Gareth at his shoulder. The sounds of cards being slapped on a table top were apparent, and the jovial banter of multiple men exchanging bets and boasts.

“I’ll wage my next coffee ration on this hand,” one man was clearly heard to say. Bennett grinned; it looked to him as though he would never get to make good on that bet.

Bennett took a quick peek around the partially opened door, hoping the man who was sitting facing him didn’t notice. The soldier, though, was engrossed in his hand. There were four men at the table, all in uniform, and they were armed with .9 mm pistols holstered on their belts. What Bennett didn’t know was how many men, if any, were in the barracks just up the hallway. It didn’t matter; the decider of the battle would be fought here.

Bennett signed his orders to his men. They all took up their arms. Nathan, Todd, and the three recruits were to wait in the hallway and intervene if anyone escaped the room, ran from the barracks, or if someone inadvertently wandered past. If they could prevent the alarm being raised for as long as possible, it would give the raiders the greatest chance of a smooth takeover.

Josh had heartily wished to go in with the others. The exclusion had irked him. He fingered his blood-smeared machete and tried to hide his simmering resentment.

The raiders poured into the dimly lit room, a formidable wall of black leather, fur, hide, and steel. The man nearest the door was instantly mown down by a sweep of one of Bennett’s twin machetes, which made contact with the side of his neck, burying the wide blade in his spine. Blood sprayed, and Bennett, with his superior strength, tore the blade from his target, who lay convulsing on the floor.

The remaining three card players sprang into action. The blond-haired man who sat directly across from the doorway pulled his pistol on the leather and steel-clad giant. The room reverberated with gunfire. His aim went awry, as Gareth, seeing the threat, batted him hard with the flat of his axe, sending the man sprawling onto his back. Another swing of the heavy weapon neutralized his threat.

Bennett felt the bullet that was meant for his head graze his right cheek as he sidestepped the shot. His fingers came away from his face, daubed in blood. He didn’t cease his assault; however, injuries and near misses were a common event in his life. He was already wrestling with another of the men, trying to divest him of his blade that was seeking his heart.

Dwayne skillfully employed his bow from the doorway as the others fought. He shot one of the defenders dead as they grappled with Will. The startled armorer looked up as the quivering arrow embedded itself in the man’s chest just inches away from his own face. The man beneath him ceased to fight.

Gareth rounded on the remaining man who was grappling with Bennett. He battered his opponent mercilessly with the heavy two-handed axe, beating the knife from his grip. The bloody skirmish was over in moments. The four defenders lay dead on a floor slick with blood.

There was a commotion in the hallway. Bennett’s neck snapped around, his blue eyes wild in his blood-spattered visage as he gripped his weapons tightly. Dwayne, who was halfway in the door, turned and let an arrow fly. The projectile missed its mark and its iron-tipped point scraped along the checker plate steel with a shrill metallic scream.

As instructed, Todd, Josh, Murray, and Wyatt attempted to chase down the lone man. However, they didn’t catch him until he had managed to sound the warning. The alarm rang out in the fortress, deafening in the confining hallways.

Bennett at once bounded like a coiled panther from the room, running at speed toward the barracks. His steel-shod boots echoed hollowly on the walkway. By the barracks, the group of raiders collided with three men who had appeared to be sleeping. They were half-dressed and poorly armed. They had not expected to be attacked, secure in the knowledge that their stronghold was impenetrable. That complacency was to be their undoing; they were mown down with brutal efficiency in frenzied moments.

Louis was beginning his countdown as the boys eyed their targets on the walls. Pig was just a spectator, as his eyesight wasn’t good enough to shoot anything reliably.

A shrill siren sounded down below, its blaring call to action galvanizing the men on the walls. Danny didn’t need to be told as Louis’ unfinished countdown faded to quiet; he sighted the man on the gate and squeezed the Austeyr’s trigger. The man dropped as Danny sought his next mark. Other shots rang out as the rest of the boys peppered the compound from above. Danny hit his next man in the back as he was running along the east wall to the stairs. He tumbled ingloriously many feet below and lay motionless in the sand.

Barrel had missed his mark, and the guard was fleeing, dodging the prevailing gunfire. Danny hit him in the leg, but he escaped.

Once they were sure the walls were unmanned, to the wails of the alarm, they moved from their concealment on the upper slopes toward the gate. Here they would wait and hope that Bennett and his men had successfully subdued the inhabitants.

Merton had been in the dispensary when he first heard the commotion. He had been as instructed by Victor, inventorying the precious medicines and making sure all the liquid antibiotics were properly refrigerated. He went toward the source of the sound and took a peek into the hallway. It didn’t take too much imagination before he realized that the fortress had somehow been overrun. If he didn’t believe it at first, the sound of gunshots was enough to convince him.

He shut the door and locked it from the inside with fumbling panic. Fortunately, the door to the medicine dispensary was built to withstand any attempts at breaking it down. Just as many of the doors were on the more important areas of the fortress, such as Lothar’s and Victor’s own private quarters, and the science lab.

Merton’s heart raced in his chest as he surveyed the room and wondered what he should do. His eyes were darting from one corner of the well-lit room to the next. The dispensary joined the hospital and the lab. Realizing with fear that he had best hurry to lock all the remaining entrances to those areas before the raiders came in that way.

He ran from the room, trying to make as little noise as possible. Closing all the doors that allowed entry to the immediate areas, as he had been drilled to do. That exercise seemed just like pointless theory to him at the time. He had never thought that the fort would ever be overrun.

He leaned against one of the hospital beds and tried to catch his breath. He could barely function as his heart hammered in his ears. He would be safe for now, but what would he do?

The raiders moved through the stronghold like hounds on the scent of blood. They cleared the levels methodically, one room at a time. Mowing down any resistance and capturing soft targets. Some of the doors were locked, and they could not be breached. They knew that citizens were hiding within, and it would be some time before this prize could truly be counted as theirs. It could take many days before those holdouts could be breached.

The war party reached the upper level; it was still dark. The compound above consisted of many workshops. A ramshackle collection of open-sided corrugated iron structures and the tools for each essential craft housed within. They moved through these swiftly, covering each other’s backs. They found no resistance there.

Dwayne noticed some movement once they had reached the open courtyard. He reflexively let an arrow fly. It found its mark and buried itself in the chest of an injured guard.

They saw no one else on their path to the gate. Just the bodies of dead men slumped on the upper walls. Bennett smirked, greatly pleased with his new boys, especially Danny. This had to be his work. He would be sure to reward him for such good marksmanship. The boy had boundless potential, and he was glad he had not listened to Gareth’s advice. He remembered when the war broke out, they were not much older, and look what they had become and were now capable of.

The leather and steel-clad leader signaled to Dwayne to peel off from the group and cover them from above. The dark-haired man bounded away and raced to the top of the metal walkway. He signaled from his viewpoint on the battlements to the group that the compound was indeed clear, but he kept his bow at the ready and his eyes peeled.

The party made their way toward the gate, not letting up on their vigilance. Bennett knew that the most dangerous fighting took place in urban environments. One could never be sure if any area was safe.

They reached the gate, and the men eased it open, but only enough to admit Pig and the recruits who were patiently waiting outside. Will could not help but gaze up at the blackened barrel of the flame cannon. The grisly images of the past defeat had never fully evaporated from his memories. He was glad at last that they were on the inside of the wall.

The worst of the fighting behind him, his mind began to stray to the lovely Asian woman he had imprisoned in her home, and if she would be granted to him.

In the subsequent hours, the raiders remained on high alert. Breaching locked rooms and further securing the compound. They took many prisoners. Most of these prisoners were civilians. They were craftsmen and women, mostly the wives of absent soldiers, and there were even a few children.

Bennett’s men were exhausted by the time they had secured the fortress city to their satisfaction. Even then, they still could not completely rest. They had the prize in their clutches, but it could still be taken, should they be careless. The new recruits would be sent in shifts with rifles to patrol the walls. Bennett was very aware that a well-thought-out stronghold such as this would have some back door built in. A secret entrance that he would not easily discover. It was imperative that the boys maintained the watch. It was easy work for youth and keen eyes, while the older, more battle-hardened men completed the sweep of the stronghold.

The chosen few had all earned their few hours' rest. Though sentries still must keep watch. Will was one of the fortunate ones. He was beyond weary, but also excited, and he had hurried with eagerness down to the second level to take possession of his new domicile and the beautiful woman within.

Will closed the door behind him and positioned a heavy dresser in front of the opening. Knowing the slight woman could not move the stout furniture piece. Though he was tired, he didn’t wish to waste this moment. In all his years with Bennett’s war band, he had never earned a reward as substantial as this one. A comfortable domicile to call his own, and a woman. Sure, in the past, he had shared the women they had captured. But this petite Asian beauty. She was all his.

The armorer had many initial ideas and fantasies about what he was going to do with his few hours of respite. He was expecting to satisfy all of them. He knew that the complete securing of the fortress was far from over yet, and he’d have to be out there tomorrow and possibly many days thereafter. Breaking down more locked doors and capturing holdouts. But that was a task for the morning.

His hard-won prize was very much where he had left her. Hogtied on the blue and white shag pile rug. She looked up at him not with fear, but with the eyes of a spitfire. He had not truly anticipated Bennett would allot her to him. Many others had wanted to lay claim to her; Todd being one contender. However, it appeared that their leader had other concerns on his mind, and Bennett had agreed to Will’s request with little hesitation.

Will, on seeing her lying there helpless, stood for some moments taking this new reality in. A wife and a home...it seemed too good to be true. He had been reluctant to try for this prize again, but now he realized he would have been a fool.

This dark-haired beauty with raisin colored eyes didn’t plead and beg for his mercy like he had anticipated. She was calm, at least as calm as one could be in her predicament. He was pretty sure she had not shed one tear. Her demeanor unnerved him a little, and he realized in a moment of strong empathy how he must appear. Will didn’t want to be like the others, a savage, a rapist, a man who had so long lived in the wilderness he had been reduced to baseness. The armorer had always had a strong sense of propriety. Sure, he did bad things to survive, but who didn’t in this new age? However, he wanted this to be more. The start of something sustainable, beautiful even. Sure, she was a war prize, but he suddenly found, as he stood there, a deep sense of inadequacy rose in him in the face of her calm scrutiny. His initial plans tumbled out the window.

His words came with hesitancy. He was aware he needed to choose the right ones and not make a fool of himself. He knew what she was expecting, and Will had already decided he would not deliver that.

“Alright,” he said, “I’m gonna untie you.” His hands were uncharacteristically clammy as he fumbled with the cords. “We are all adults here. I think you know what I want from you, and pretty lady, if you cooperate with me, it’s gonna go easy. I can protect you from the others, and trust me, I’m gonna be gentle compared to some of my buddies out there.” He was already rambling. He was tired and uncertain.

His words didn’t seem to faze her. She was either very good at hiding her emotions, or she had no concept of the peril she was in.

Will eased the woman from her bonds, expecting her to try to flee. Once freed, she did not give off the air of a frightened victim. She stood, straightened her clothes, and ran her fingers through her tangled hair, regarding her captor all the while.

“So what’s yer name, lady. I’m Will Swinford, though I rarely be using me last name.”

“I am Euhang Hawkins, wife of Major Hawkins.” She replied calmly as she met his eyes without hesitation.

Will wasn’t sure what she had said; tiredness was overtaking him. “Err, Eu hung, hang, that’s a difficult name to say. If yer don’t mind, I’m gonna call you Eu”

“Eu is fine. But before we begin...”

Will realized then that she was expecting the inevitable ravishment. Something he very much wanted, but was by now, after hours of fighting, too weary to go through with.

Before he could correct her expectations of his motive, she further quantified with little feeling. “I want you to know that I had no love for my husband. I was a war prize, given to him by the Wolf Lord. He is far from here, away, fighting, but if you help me. I will agree to be your woman. Perhaps, though, first you could bathe?”

She pointed to a small room where Will could see a large freestanding tub. He looked down, his leathers were crusted in dust and blood. Her request wasn’t at all outrageous. He could not remember the last time he had bathed in a tub. Probably not since the war.

Part of him wanted to forgo her request and just curl up in the adjoining rooms' double bed on that real mattress with this lovely lady by his side. However, he realized that if he wanted to get the best from his prize, he needed to play along, despite his weariness. “Help you, how?” Will sensed some kind of entrapment, and yet he was intrigued.

“There is warm water,” she said, “come.” Will followed, leaving a trail of items scattered on the floor in his wake, as he, unabashed, shed his filthy attire. She ran the water, and as the bath filled, he peered into the shaving mirror that hung on the wall. He was shocked at the lined and scarred face that stared back at him. He hardly recognized it as his own. He looked away, disturbed. Had he really changed that much in eight years?

When the tub was full. Euhang invited him to step into the warm water. It tingled strangely at first. He was unused to anything but a plunge into a cold body of water or the briefest wipe down with an often shared cold rag. He sank beneath the inviting warmth, and the action made him doubly sleepy. He could feel every tense muscle relax. He closed his eyes and let his new woman scrub him. He was wary, though; she had put him in a position of vulnerability, and he was unsure if she would act on it.

Although Will was not a tall man among his peers, standing at about five ten or so, he was comfortable in his ability to overpower her easily. Euhang was so tiny, the top of her head only came up to his chest. A woman like this would get a man via stealth; her physical attacks would be no more bothersome than swatting at the flutterings of a butterfly.

So he closed his eyes and almost drifted off, but then he realized he had never followed up on the conversation she had started. “You said I could possibly help you. What did you mean?” He said lazily as she scrubbed his back.

“I want to find my sister. I know she’s out there somewhere.”

“Your sister?”

“Yes, Chi. She is my older sister.”

“I mean, sure, but I don’t know how I can help you. I’m part of a raiding clan, and this is now our base. I can’t make promises, but if I can help, I will.”

That seemed to placate her, and she resumed her diligent scrubbing. Will could not remember anything so heavenly.

After the bath, they went to the bedroom. The bed looked so pristine and comfortable. He took a long look at her and then at the bed. “I’m sorry Eu, but I don’t completely trust you yet, and I’m dog tired.’

He grabbed a thick, soft duvet from the bed, grasped her firmly by the arm, and to her credit, she did not resist. He walked her to the closet and escorted her inside. Promising, “tomorrow I will think of something better, good night.” He closed the door and barricaded her inside. She would have to earn his trust.

Will lay down on the soft mattress surrounded by fresh-smelling linen. The sensation was heavenly. It wasn’t quite the night he had imagined, but it was a good night, and he was out like a light.

The shadows were growing long as Bennett strode with purpose across the dusty compound, his boots crunching loudly on the gravel. He was holding a solitary shovel in one hand. The new recruits had been talking about the raid and its excitement, while sharing a packet of real cigarettes they had found on a dead guard. They turned as their black clad leader approached with Nathan trailing in his wake.

Without a word to any of the boys, Bennett struck Josh with force in the face. The punch glanced from the youth’s cheekbone and into his left eye socket. Josh reeled backward and fell flat on his back, looking up at his superior. The rest of the boys scattered, afraid, dropping their half-smoked cigarettes onto the hard-packed earth. All eyes were on their formidable leader.

“You ever break from the group like that again, you will suffer.” Bennett admonished Josh with vitriol. Josh nodded contritely, holding his injured eye, bewildered and dazed from the punch. “You boy, are on body duty, so get and dig those holes!” He then threw down the shovel with a loud clatter at Josh’s feet. Josh slunk away to do as he was told.

“I want you, Louis, Owen, Danny, and Barrel up top on the watch tonight. No one sleeps, you got it.”

The boys nodded and mumbled ‘yes’ as they turned to man the walls.

“Danny.”

Danny turned sharply, his Adam’s apple visibly bobbing as he gulped in fear of being singled out.

“You did well today and will be rewarded accordingly,” Bennett announced.

Danny nodded curtly before spinning on his heel and shouldering his battered rifle. A grin split his face from ear to ear, hidden beneath his wild black mane. He had done well, and that was all that mattered

Bennett had let his principal warriors get some rest. He should rest as well, but he was still running on pure adrenaline. There would be time to secure the rest of the compound in the coming days. He was a little nervous; this was not his home ground. He had no idea if areas of the fortress would be booby trapped. Or how many civilians still remained at large. Those who had been captured had been imprisoned in the jailhouse. Fourteen men, none of whom he deemed military, and seven women, not counting the little Asian piece he had given to Will, and five children.

Bennett knew from personal prior experience that his captives stood no chance of escape from the well-made cells. So he could rest easy. He would tomorrow assign the remaining women to his warriors and see which of the men should be spared. He still didn’t know what he would do with the children.

After deploying the watch, Bennett returned to the lower level, where most of his warriors were assembled, the kitchen. As he walked into the overly warm room, he felt instant drowsiness. A comforting place that smelled deliciously of baked bread and roast meat. He caught sight of Dwayne propped up in a chair, sound asleep. His bow and quiver were resting against the wall beside him. Bennett didn’t choose to wake the warrior. Dwayne had, after all, been on watch the night before the battle.

Nathan hesitated at the entrance to the kitchen, a place brimming with unwanted ghastly memories. He had never thought he would see it again. Robbie may have been gone, but the place had changed little in his absence. The large, weighty iron pots were still perched on the top of the wood stove, but today they did not steam or bubble. The cooking fire had long gone cold. But the heat remained trapped in this underground space. Cloying and overly warm.

Gareth, Pig, and Todd sat around the food prep table. They were still spattered in blood and gore. The trio looked up as their leader came through the doorway, all acknowledging him with a curt nod. Bennett pulled out a chrome bar stool, its steel legs screeching as he hauled it across the concrete and sat. Nathan lurked in the background, awaiting an order.

Bennett twisted about to face Nathan, and without an uttered word of instruction, he signaled for some food with a mere click of his fingers. Nathan was glad to have something to occupy his mind. There were too many terrible memories in this location, and he found his eyes kept darting to the dark, half-opened doorway where Robbie’s bedroom lay. Reliving that desperate time.

Nathan easily and quietly moved around the kitchen. He removed the lid from one of the cast-iron pots. It still contained passably warm stew, which he commenced to ladle into four bowls. He knew the men were hungry after their long fight, and this would pass as a substantive meal. He fetched a loaf of crusty bread and some freshly churned butter. It was not the freshest as it had sat out all day. The crust would be hard and chewy, but he suspected the men would not care.

He drew fresh drinking water from the faucet into real glass tumblers and set them on the table. This, he knew, was not the night for the consumption of alcohol. That kind of celebration would come later, after they were sure the fortress was indeed secure.

“I want Pig and Todd to keep watch tonight. Tomorrow we bury the dead and process the prisoners.”

The chosen men nodded; they had already known that the night watch would be their responsibility, as they had done minimal fighting and were the freshest of the warriors.

“I see ya got the willful lad diggin' them holes,” Gareth said with barely subdued mirth, as he thoroughly cleaned his bowl and held it out for Nathan to refill.

Bennett didn’t answer, but he did smirk at his second in command. A night up top digging graves on his own would do the boy good. Remind him of his own mortality.

The four men ate the remainder of their meal for the most part in silence. Bennett lost in his plans. There was much to do; owning a fortress of this size was a very new and real responsibility.

Josh transferred his anger into every strike of the shovel. His left eye was throbbing and swollen tightly shut. As far as he was concerned, he had done nothing wrong. He had answered the call and neutralized the threat. His leader should have been grateful.

As the darkness drew in, he wondered just how long he would have to remain here in this solo grave-digging effort? Yet he didn’t dare quit. Though he was rash, he feared Bennett. The weight of his punch and the pain in his face were a reminder that he was not a man to test. Perhaps one day, when he was older and stronger and more versed in the ways of war. He was no small youth, at six foot one, and he still hadn’t finished growing. Josh had aspirations of one day being the next warlord.

He had dug one good-sized hole and began on another. His arms had started to ache, and the palms of his hands blistered. The red sand was at least somewhat easy to dig. However, it poured annoyingly with any small disruption back into the graves. Negating his progress. A three-quarter moon rose in the partially clouded sky, and it ducked behind the scudding clouds. Light one moment and dark the next.

The young man paused temporarily from his labors, the light breeze cooling the sweat on his skin and making him shiver. Inside, though his blood boiled, as he again struck the earth with hatred.