6. Back to Mount Utopia
Chapter six
Back to Mount Utopia
Moni
I hadn’t expected to be back on Mount Utopia, especially tonight.
The mountain had an aura to it, something almost mystical.
The towering peaks stretched endlessly into the sky; their jagged silhouettes framed against a sea of stars.
Now, the moon hung low casting a silver glow over the landscape.
As we left the helicopter, the crisp air bit at my skin yet somehow, it felt invigorating too.
Remembering my earlier time with Lei, I headed in the direction that I knew the camps would be.
“No, Monique.” Leo pointed in the opposite direction then pulled out a flashlight and turned it on. “This is your path tonight.”
“Oh.”
The flashlight's beam pierced through the darkness illuminating the ground with a harsh white light.
Song, Leo, and their men headed that way.
Reluctantly, I followed.
Song took out his own flashlight and turned it on too.
Where are we going and why?
I tried to gather some clues as to what would be happening soon.
All I got was nature's nocturnal symphony—the rustling of leaves, the distant hoot of an owl probably on its hunt, and the soft murmur of the mountain wind.
After five minutes of walking, we reached a grove hidden amongst tall pines.
A clear brook flowed gently through it, reflecting countless stars on its shimmering surface.
Soon we journeyed through the grove.
God, I just hope whatever is going to happen won’t be. . .fucking horrific.
I gazed up.
The sky was so clear that I could see every twinkling star.
I put my focus back on Leo’s back as I did my best to keep the group’s pace.
The scent of pine and clean mountain air filled my nostrils.
However, each breath I took seemed to fill my lungs with a strange kind of energy, as if the mountain itself were breathing with me.
But there was something else on the mountain too.
This threatening tension that crackled like electricity making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.
Mount Utopia might have been stunning under the stars but being on here with Leo made the beauty feel sharp, like a blade hidden in a velvet sheath.
There was always more to Leo than met the eye, just as there was more to this mountain.
Its beauty was just the surface, but beneath that, I knew it held untold dangers—steep cliffs, hidden caverns, and secrets long buried.
Probably a bunch of skeletons. We could be walking right over them.
A cold shiver ran through me.
His dark coat flapped lightly around me in the breeze.
Finally, the ground began to elevate slightly and we trudged upwards on a narrow trail that twisted like a snake coiling around the mountain's bosom.
The light from the flashlights waned against the overwhelming darkness but it was enough to guide us along the path without fault.
The air started to turn colder as we climbed higher, taking on a biting edge that sent chills through my bones.
Crisp and refreshing, yet tinged with an underlying danger, a concealed threat that came with the territory of untouched wild beauty. Up here, where man was a visitor, not the owner; anything could happen.
Suddenly, Song held up his hand and signaled for us to stop.
Alright.
Leo turned to his men. “You all stay here. We will return when the training is done.”
They nodded.
Uh. . .maybe I can hang back with these guys too. . .
Leo turned to me. “Let’s go.”
Damn it.
Song, Leo, and I walked forward.
What the fuck are we about to do?
Then, I began to see a clearing bathed in moonlight and at its heart stood a rustic wooden cabin that looked like it had been planted there ages ago.
O-kay. So. . .a cabin. Why?
We walked toward it and right as we got in front of the cabin, Song and Leo took a sharp right turn.
Alright. So we’re not going to the cabin.
We headed around the structure, going to the back.
That was when I spotted a table with what looked to be tons of guns on it, and things further away that I couldn’t quite make out.
However, there were rows of something.
Leo stopped us right there.
Song went to the side and flipped on a switch.
Floodlights came on. Instantly, the harsh artificial light bathed the area.
Oh.
I checked out the place.
It was definitely a makeshift gun range, Leo’s monks must have set it up.
Massive targets were spread out far in the distance. Huge six feet tall and four feet wide wooden planks. Each one was painted in blue and black with a huge gold point in the center.
The targets varied in distance and were arranged in ten rows, each farther than the last.
The first row was about fifty yards away and the last row looked like it could have been a few hundred yards off.
I went up to the table covered in guns.
Leo got next to me. “Why do you think you’re here?”
I looked at the shotgun on the side. “You want to see how far I can shoot?”
“I already know. I just want you to remind yourself.”
He gestured to the guns. “Four Aces’ main business is guns. We make the majority of them in the East. Then, we export them to not only Paradise City but all around the world. Right now, you are looking at our top models.”
There were so many—different sizes, different styles, all gleaming under the faint moonlight.
Some were massive, designed for brute force.
Others were sleeker, lighter, almost delicate in their design.
And then there were the ones that looked like they were built for speed, their barrels short, their frames streamlined.
“Are you ready to play a game, Monique?”
I stiffened.
Oh, God. What the hell is he talking about now?