Chapter 23
Antonito, Colorado
Three days after the
military took Artemis
Brir
Pain tore through me when my eyes opened. I looked up at a dirty ceiling with dust hanging off the blades of a non-working fan above me. Pain laced through my chest, making me moan as I tried to turn my head. Shadows danced along the wall, and I realized candles lit the room.
A wisp of smoke curled lazily from the flickering flame, the scent foreign and bitter. I could hear the distant scuttling of creatures in the walls, my senses heightened by the stark stillness in the room. I tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness crashed over me, forcing me back onto the firm mattress.
The room was sparse, save for a worn-out armchair that sat brooding in one corner. Its faded upholstery was a testament to countless hours of use. Against the far wall stood a bookshelf laden with dusty tomes, titles long since erased by time.
“Oh shit, you’re awake!” said a voice beside me. A man I couldn’t see jumped out of another chair and approached me.
His silhouette was hazy, a mere specter in the gloomy room. I squinted, trying to make sense of his features as my vision swam in and out of focus. “Easy there,” he breathed, his voice a sonorous rumble that filled the otherwise silent space.
He pressed a cool rag against my forehead. It offered momentary relief against the pounding in my skull. “I didn’t think you’d make it,” he added, a note of surprise evident in his deep baritone.
Gunner’s face hovered inches over mine as my vision tried to focus on him.
“Where am I?” I managed to croak, my voice sounding foreign in the quiet room. His eyes darted around nervously before returning to meet mine. For a moment, neither of us spoke.
“You’re safe,” he finally replied, although his words did little to assuage my growing unease.
“I hoped you weren’t going to die, Brir, but I don't know many people who can take two bullets and fucking live.” Gunner's voice was shaking with an emotion I couldn’t place. He was staring at me, his eyes searching my body. “You’re one tough bastard.”
“Art…” My voice came out as a croak. My throat was dry and hoarse. The last thing I remembered was the burning sensation on my face as they took Artemis from me.
Gunner hesitated, his eyes skirting away from mine. “Don’t move too much; you’ve been out for a while,” he warned. The stern tone in his voice barely concealed the relief that poured from him. His hands shook slightly as he held a glass of water to my mouth after helping me sit up.
“Drink,” Gunner instructed. The water was lukewarm but refreshing, and I drank greedily. When I finished, I leaned back on the bed, wincing in pain.
“What happened?” I tried to push myself up again, but my body felt weighed down
“I have no idea,” Gunner said. “Dune dragged your ass all the way here. Bleeding, I would like to add, from two bullet holes in your chest where your heart should have been.” The words hung in the air, heavy and ominous. My heart pounded loudly in my chest, reverberating throughout the silent room. Cold fear clutched at my stomach, a feeling of dread washing over me. “No,” I whispered. His words echoed in my mind, refusing to sink in.
“Take it easy, Brir,” Gunner admonished, an edge of panic creeping into his voice. He put a hand on my shoulder, attempting to comfort or perhaps prevent me from trying to rise again.
I felt as though I were floating through an abyss. Artemis. I had to get Artemis. They had taken him.
A hard lump formed in my throat. “I… I need to find him,” I croaked, each word sounding more desperate than the last. Gunner looked at me with sympathy in his eyes but said nothing.
Instead, he helped me sit up again and propped some pillows against my back. He handed me a ragged blanket that smelled faintly of stale smoke and damp earth. Wrapping it around myself, I shivered from the cold that seemed to seep into my very bones.
“Don’t go getting any bright ideas,” Gunner grumbled, turning away from me to reach for a bottle next to him. “You’ve been out for days. You’re weak, though I was shocked that your wounds closed up like they did.”
“Your body needs to recover. You can’t go out in this state, Brir,” he added, pouring what looked like a thick syrup into a metal cup. The smell was pungent. It filled the room, making my eyes water.
I didn’t care about his warnings. My singular focus was on Artemis.
“No, I have to… Artemis… he needs me,” I tried to argue, my words muffled through heavy breaths and the dizziness creeping back in. My vision blurred as pain seared through my chest, a grim reminder of the wounds I had sustained. “They took him.” My head throbbed, and a sharp sting of pain pierced through my chest when I tried to move. I grimaced, the movement sending a wave of vertigo washing over me. The world swam in front of my eyes, and I had to close them again to stop the nausea.
“Where am I?” The words were barely forming on my cracked lips.
“You’re at my house at the trader post. I thought you were dead. But I guess you’re harder to kill than whoever shot you thought,” Gunner replied, his gaze turning to the small, grimy window that revealed a desolate landscape of cracked earth and rocky outcrops. His tone became more distant. “We’re tucked away in an old safe house. It isn’t much, but it keeps us hidden. And you, sir, need to stay hidden.”
I swallowed, my throat feeling like sandpaper.
“Military fucks shot me. Then they took Artemis.” I struggled to sit up.
Pain flared anew, but I bit back the howl that threatened to escape, my throat raw from days of unconsciousness. The room spun around me, a whirlwind of dull colors and undefined shapes in the dim candlelight.
My vision swam back into focus, lingering on Gunner. His tough facade softened momentarily, revealing a fleeting look of concern before his habitual scowl quickly chased it away. He pushed me gently back down onto the bed with surprising tenderness, his large hand a comforting weight on my shoulder.
“You ain’t in any condition to go anywhere,” he said gruffly, shaking his head. “You need rest. That’s non-negotiable.”
Gunner looked me over, a moment of silence hanging between us. The candle flickered, casting a soft glow on his weathered face. His eyes bore into mine, and I held his gaze, my eyes pleading.
Gunner’s lips pressed into a thin line. He held a crude flask filled with a murky liquid from which he drank. “Listen, Brir, I don’t fancy dying today, and I’m certainly not saving your reckless ass again. If this guy you’re after is the same one the military assholes are talking about, that means you’re going against dozens of soldiers. Those military bastards that came through here have guns. Vehicles. You can’t go alone if you’re trying to save this Artemis, Brir. You’re going to need help.”
I nodded slowly. The room spun around me, and I blinked several times to clear my vision. Eventually, the room stopped spinning. Finally, Gunner broke our gaze and stared at the dirt floor. “I ain’t got much to offer you, Brir. I can’t go with you. Do you know anyone? I’m too old to help you fight the military, Brir.”
“Is Dune okay?” I asked, lifting my head.
“He seems fine. Legs are burned, but he won’t let me look at it. He also won’t move away from my door,” the trader replied. “What the hell happened to you, Brir? What the fuck did you get yourself into?”
“More like whom.” My voice was shakier than I would have liked, but I didn’t look away from Gunner.
“Brir, please don’t tell me you had that guy that those military fucks were looking for,” Gunner said, his eyes wide and his face pale.
“His name is Artemis,” The sound of Artemis’s name made me smile. “And he is perfect, Gunner, and I have to figure out how to get him back.”
“They found him with you?” Gunner asked, taking a seat in a chair next to me.
“Yeah, they shot him with something and said it would kill him, so I had to let them have him. Then they shot me.” A bitter laugh escaped my lips. “I should have guessed they wouldn’t have let me live. But all I saw was Artemis on the ground.”
“Tell me exactly what the fuck happened after you left here, Brir, every fucking detail,” Gunner said. His eyes narrowed at me, his lips pinched and his arms crossed. He was pissed. I could tell. So I told him—every detail. From the moment I saved Artemis from the cage to the second they took him from me.
“God damn it, Brir! Those fucks have been tearing up this area fucking looking for him,” Gunner said, his hand slamming down on the table next to him.
“He’s mine, Gunner,” I snarled at him through my teeth. I didn’t care what they did. Artemis was mine, and I wouldn’t feel bad about that. About keeping him safe… until I hadn’t. “They can’t have him.”
Gunner chewed on his lower lip, his usually cocky demeanor wavering. “Brir, you’re talking about going up against the military. The odds are stacked high against you. And with your state…” His gaze slid over my bandaged body; the unspoken words hovered heavily in the air between us.
“I don’t have a choice.” My voice was hoarse from all the talking.
Gunner looked at me for a long moment, the silence heavy between us. Then he sighed, running his fingers through his gray-streaked hair, his expression weary. “I ain’t ever met a man as hard-headed as you, Brir.” He shook his head. “But I see it ain’t no use trying to talk sense into you.”
“I just need Artemis back.” My heart clenched at the thought of him in their hands again. “He’s everything…”
Gunner held my gaze, his eyes searching mine for a long moment before he finally sighed deeply, running a hand over his weary face. He got up and moved to a table where a pitcher was sitting. He poured another glass of water and brought it to me. Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I gripped the edge of the mattress to keep myself upright as the room spun. Pain tore through my chest. “Easy, Brir. Take it slow,” Gunner said, returning to my side. He handed me the glass of water, his rough hand guiding mine to take it. Each sip of water felt like life returning to my parched throat, each gulp easing a fraction of the pain coursing through my body.
“So what’s your plan?” Gunner asked, finally breaking the silence once I had finished my drink.
“I don’t have one,” I stated simply.
“So, what? You just going to ride in there, guns blazing?” Gunner asked, his eyes narrowing on me.
I laughed. “I don’t have a gun.”
“Yeah, well, I noticed Dune didn’t bring your sword back with you either.” He reached over and grabbed a package before opening it. The side of the package read MRE. Gunner took the glass of water from my hand and dumped the rest of the contents into one of the packages. I watched him wait a minute before dropping the brown pouch inside the one he dumped the water into. He took it out a few minutes later, tore it open, and handed it to me with a plastic fork.
“What the hell is this?” I looked at the mush in the package.
“Tortellini in tomato sauce,” Gunner said to me, looking exasperated. “It’s on the side of the fucking package.”
“Why are you handing it to me?”
“Brir, I know you’re not this dumb,” Gunner said, crossing his arms. “You need strength, which means you need food.” He gestured to the pouch. “So fucking eat while we talk about a plan because you can’t go after these fucks by yourself, and I can’t go with you.”
I had shoveled some of the mush into my mouth before his words registered with my pain-filled brain. “What the hell do you mean, Gunner?”
“I mean, you have friends in that city of yours, yes?” Gunner asked.
“Of course.”
“Then you need to take Dune to that city, and you’re going to get yourself some fucking help.”
“And why would I do that?” Despite his help, he was starting to irritate me.
“Because I think I know where your man is, but I’m not telling you until you promise me to go get help,” Gunner said with a crooked smile.
???
I lasted about an hour before I broke and promised Gunner I would get help. That honestly was the smartest move. I wasn’t a hunter, I didn’t have a weapon, and as Gunner pointed out, I was healing from two bullet holes that should have killed me.
“You must love him very much,” Gunner said, sounding surprisingly tender. I turned my gaze towards him, shocked. “To go through all this for him…” Gunner continued, a strange mix of emotions flashing through his tired eyes.
“More than you’ll ever understand,” I replied quietly, my voice thick with memory and longing. I couldn’t escape the images in my mind—Artemis, bound and scared, in the hands of men who would not hesitate to break him. I stared at Gunner, the realization hitting me like a freight train. My grip on the glass of water tightened, my mind racing with thoughts. I hadn’t told Artemis how I felt when I had the chance.
“How do you know where they are?” I asked.
“They came through here a few times,” Gunner explained, “the last time, the fucker leading them killed a few of ours.” Gunner’s face looked grim. “I’d been following them through their radio signals. They’re stupid—they radio there often. I’m pretty sure I know where they are because a second military team confirmed their location and position after calling in to meet the first time and taking over their mission. They said they would hold the position for the reinforcements to get to Pagosa Springs. So you have some time, and if he is as injured as you say, I don’t think they will move him right away, but I will keep my ear to the radio just in case.”
“That’s our window then,” I muttered, trying to process the information. The tortellini had turned to ash in my mouth, but I swallowed it, needing the calories to help heal. I felt a pang of gratitude towards Gunner. Without him, I would have died.
Gunner stopped talking, and silence filled the room. He stared at his hands, his fingers laced together in a display of tension mirrored in his face’s lines. “What are you not telling me, Gunner?” I asked, taking in his nervous demeanor.
Gunner closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and released it slowly. There was a moment of silence before he opened his eyes and finally looked at me. “There’s one more thing, Brir,” he started, his voice unsteady. “The last time they came by here looking for your man, people started getting sick. A few people haven’t made it. The kids you like. They have a fever. I think they got whatever those fucks brought here.”
The last thing Gunner said hit me like a punch in the guts: the kids, the innocent ones who had nothing to do with all this mess. I felt nauseous. The reality of what was happening was far too grim. A cold chill washed over me, replacing the warmth of the tortellini. The kids? What Artemis told me flashed back into my memories. Silence lingered between us. I was lost in thoughts while Gunner stared blankly at me, probably unsure of how to continue the conversation.
“Are you telling me…” I began, choking on my words, “They made people sick here?”
Gunner shook his head in response, his expression grave. “Brir, I don’t know. I watch these fuckers like a hawk. They didn’t bring out anything. Didn’t open anything. Didn’t give anyone anything. Hell, the only contact they made was shaking some guy's hand, but over a dozen people are sick, and nothing I’ve tried has worked.”
“So these people might be carriers of it then.”
“It’s a possibility,” Gunner admitted, scrubbing a hand wearily across his face. “I’ve got no way of knowing for sure. But the timing… it’s too damn convenient to be a coincidence.”
The room fell quiet again. In the silence, I could hear my racing heart pounding in my ears, its steady rhythm sounding like a death knell. This was bigger than I’d imagined—and far more dangerous. “And what about us?” My voice was barely audible but sharp as a blade. “Are we exposed to whatever this is?”
“Maybe,” he replied simply, not meeting my eyes. The word hung heavily in the air. “I know I am, but you have been around Artemis for weeks. Nothing happened to you, so maybe you can’t get it.”
My mind was reeling, trying to comprehend the unimaginable horror of it all. I swallowed. “Have they…” I didn’t know how to say it. “Started losing things?” I tried to ask delicately. “Artemis said his hair fell out. His nails…” I didn’t want to tell Gunner about the scales that now covered Artemis’s limbs.
Gunner connected the two just then. “No…” He looked like he was thinking, “Should I be looking for that?”
“If they caught what Artemis had, then, probably.”
“Fuck. The mother is dead. The two kids have been living at my place… How the hell do I help these kids?”
“I don’t know.”
Gunner nodded slowly, his gaze distant as he absorbed my words. “I’ll keep an eye out,” he said finally, a note of uncertainty flickering in his tone. The grim reality of our situation was settling in, a bitter taste more potent than the tortellini I’d forgotten on the table.
Our silence stretched onward, a lifetime passing in mere minutes. I was stunned by the cascade of events, each revelation more shocking than the last. Artemis’s condition—not just his perilous captivity but also his mysterious ailment—the sudden illness spreading amongst the innocent—was an avalanche we couldn’t seem to escape. There were far too many unknowns, and lives were at stake. I felt the weight of my inaction, the guilt for not being there for Artemis, come crashing down on me with a newfound force.
“You should get the kids to Arya. She is the one I’m going to ask for help. She will help you. Give them asylum in New Pharia, which will probably be their safest place if things turn bad. There is a healer there, Elex. He could probably save them.”
Gunner rubbed his face in his hands, a weary grimace inked across his features. “I hope it won’t come to that,” he sighed, “and not just for the sake of those kids.”
“I know.” My voice was a mere whisper in the dimly lit room. A silence stretched between us—heavy and loaded with unspoken fears.
Gunner looked at me inquisitively. “New Pharia… that’s where you’re from, right?” he asked, thoughtfully running a hand through his scruffy beard. I nodded, a small smile curling on my lips. “Yeah. It’s the safest place in this godforsaken world because of Arya.” He acknowledged with a nod and fell silent, his gaze unfocused as he contemplated the idea.
After a few moments, he looked back at me and changed the subject. He didn’t want to talk about those two kids getting sick. “You promise me you will go there for help? You will get this Arya woman to help you get Artemis?”
“Yeah, I kind of have to. She would kill me if I didn’t.” It hadn’t slipped my mind that Arya had also called everyone home. “Now, as much as I love sitting here in my underwear talking to you, I need to get there. Where’s Dune?”
The trader moved over to a dresser and grabbed clothes off it. I put on the clothes he offered, searching for some sort of distraction or painkiller in his room. Despite the pain, my mind was still focused on finding Artemis.
“Get Dune for me,” I finally said. “Please, Gunner.”
His gaze flicked towards me, a scowl forming on his lips. But a softness in his eyes told me he understood. He didn’t move for a moment, seeming to contemplate my request before eventually sighing and pushing himself up from the table he was leaning on before pulling open a door. Lying on the ground right outside was Dune.
“He hasn’t left the door since he dragged you here,” Gunner told me, leaning against the door frame and looking at the Lepot.
Gingerly, I placed my feet on the floor, pulling the borrowed pants up my legs. They were too big, but they would work for now. The pain radiating through my chest almost took me back to my knees as I approached Dune. His ear twitched at my touch, and his eyes opened, blinking back at me. Dune was up and off the ground in a heartbeat. He let out a soft grumble of greeting and nudged his snout against my hand. “Hello there, my friend. We need to go find Artemis, buddy,” I whispered into his neck. “Can you take me to Arya?”
Dune responded with a low, guttural hum and turned his massive head to look at me. He seemed to comprehend my urgency, those intelligent eyes flickering with understanding before he got up to his full height, the expanse of his body dwarfing me.
“You will head to Arya first?” Gunner asked me, his hands fiddled with a piece of paper folded several times.
“I said I would,” I growled at the older man. “My word is my bond.”
“Just making sure.” Gunner held out the paper. “It’s a map.” Gunner handed me a human-looking sword that felt heavy in my weak grip. “Take this since I don’t think you know how to use a gun. I’ve circled where I think they are. Go get your man.”
I took the map between my fingers, and my other hand curled around the material covering the metal blade. “Thank you, Gunner.” I met his gaze, hoping he could hear the sincerity in my words. We shared an understanding then—a silent agreement that in this world of chaos and cruelty, we were allies. I climbed onto Dune’s back. His smooth scales were warm beneath me, comforting in their familiarity. I ran my hand over his neck, feeling the subtle vibrations of his purr beneath my palm. Gunner moved to stand in the doorway, watching as I adjusted myself on Dune’s back. He seemed to hesitate for a moment before he finally spoke. “You be careful, okay?” His voice was gruff with unspoken worry.
“Bring those kids to New Pharia if they get worse. Arya will protect them.” I sliced my hand open on a bit of metal on Dune’s saddle. “Come here,” I ordered, and Gunner stepped towards me. I drew my hand down his shirt. “My blood will bring Arya to the barrier. She will let you through.”
“Thank you, Brir,” Gunner said, looking down at the blood now smeared on his shirt.
I took a deep breath and commanded Dune forward. The Lepot obeyed, his powerful legs pushing off from the ground. I gripped his reins tightly as pain tore through me. His legs started to move faster as I pushed him in New Pharia’s direction.
???
It took a whole day to get to New Pharia. I could tell something was happening as soon as we crossed the mountains. The smell of burning ozone was heavy in the air. I pushed Dune harder until I could see the edges of the shimmering dome. Human aircrafts were circling, shooting rockets at the shield that protected the city. Panicked, I urged Dune to go faster despite the throbbing pain in my chest. A feeling like cold water poured over me as we passed through the shield. My seal burned on the back of my hand. I directed Dune to a lower bank in a rush. Ignoring the pain that lanced through me with each movement, I dismounted Dune and pushed him back.
“Down,” I commanded the large Lepot. I watched as Dune complied. His eyes were wild as his anxiety started to get the better of him. “I must help them, Dune, but you must stay here.” I pulled down the Lepot’s face as my eyes trailed his bleeding burns. He would be too slow against a pack or Raybax.
“Stay,” I begged the beast before I gripped the sword Gunner had given me. I took a deep breath and then another, trying to steady my racing heartbeat. The air was tinged with the metallic scent of blood and the acrid stink of burning debris. I could hear the distant cries of the human soldiers. They were still trapped on the other side of the wall, but huge holes were forming where the human aircraft had managed to break through with their weapons.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I smiled reassuringly for Dune. I knew fully well that he could sense my fear and uncertainty, but the least I could do was extend a gesture of feigned confidence. “I’ll be back,” I whispered, my hand lingering on his snout for a moment longer before I straightened up, holding the sword firmly. As soon as I stepped away, the tension in Dune’s eyes grew even more evident. He emitted a low rumble, echoing through the silent air around us.
My heart ached. I knew he wanted to follow me, to protect me like he was trained to do, but he had stayed with my command. I freed the sword, looking around where Arya and the others were slaying the feral creatures.
Running in their direction, I called out to her. Her eyes whipped to me, and she pointed to the city. I turned on my heels and headed in that direction, ready to protect the people. Thrusting the sword in front of me, I sprinted towards the city. Sweat trickled down my brow, stinging my eyes as I breathed heavily. Fear swelled up within me, making my nerves hum with anticipation.
The noises of battle—the screams, the roars of Raybax, and the clangs of metal against beast—were slowly getting louder, which only meant one thing. I was getting closer.
As I neared the city, scenes of devastation greeted me. Buildings were on fire. A few had collapsed. I saw a man standing with two younglings, a circle of Raybax snarling around them. The creatures would feed into a frenzy if I didn’t do something fast.
“Get down!” I screamed and lunged right for the leader of the pack.