faster.”
“When you leave these walls,” Char said, “you both know you probably will not be coming back, right?”
“Why do you say that?” I asked.
“Even if you make it that far, against all odds, what are the chances you can make it back?”
“Yes,” Makara said. “We know.”
I gave no reaction, but it was not something I had given much thought. It made sense, though. We would not be coming back. It seemed strange to think that. We might not even make it in the first place.
“The only reason I say that is because of the Great Blight — the one that starts, and doesn’t end.”
I frowned. “What is the Great Blight?”
“Just like it sounds,” Char said. “It starts at Ragnarok Crater — or at least I assume it does — and spreads hundreds and hundreds miles outward in each direction. It grows every year — our last patrol reported it starting somewhere a little ways into what used to be New Mexico. It’s probably farther by now; that was last year.”
“If we don’t do anything,” I said, “one day everything will be the Great Blight…Raider Bluff included.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Char said.
He sat quietly for a few minutes, thoughtful. It was hard to read what was going on inside his head.
“I hate to see you go, so soon after getting back,” Char said to Makara. “It’s good, what you did to Brux. No one liked him, anyway. He had it coming, although you should probably keep what really happened between us. Mutiny is mutiny, and someone who has it out for you could make trouble if they found out.”
“Humph,” Makara said. “You think I don’t already know that?”
Char rose from the table. “Thank you for your information; it was most useful. I’ll go check on Samuel.”
Before Makara could answer, Anna rushed in, her eyes wide.
“What is it?” Char asked.
“Trouble, at the Bounty,” she said.
Makara stood. “Why? What happened?
“Some men loyal to the Empire heard about Rex,” Anna said. “They’re holding Lisa hostage. They’re hoping to use her to get out of Bluff somehow.”
“I have to get down there,” Makara said.
“Makara, wait!” I said.
But my words went unheeded. Makara took off for the doors.
“Anna, go with them,” Char said. “I will join you soon.”
Anna turned to me, drawing her sword. “Let’s go.”
Chapter 5
Anna and I ran into the courtyard, chasing after Makara. We rushed out the compound gates. The Bounty wasn’t far — maybe half a mile down the winding dirt road.
A few minutes later, we were there. The crooked frame of the building looked as it were barely holding together. White paint peeled from years of the relentless wind. The front door was wide open in front of us, revealing several upturned barstools and glittering broken glass. No sound came from within. It might as well have been abandoned.
Makara pushed her way through a small crowd that had gathered outside the Bounty. She stopped before the front door.
We caught up to her.
“Makara…” I said.
“Look out!”
Someone had yelled from behind. A man appeared in the top window, aiming a rifle down at Makara. But instantly every Raider in the area aimed his gun at the man and shot, the gunfire shocking my senses. The man screamed, slumped from the window, and crashed into the dirt below.
“Well, there’s one less now,” Makara said. “We can’t hope any of the others are that dumb.”
“What do they even want?” I asked.
“I don’t know the whole situation,” Anna said, “but somehow Lisa found out that these guys are traitors working with Rex. She raised the alarm, so they ended up taking her hostage. They want out of the town in exchange for her life.”
“Char won’t let that happen,” Makara said. “He doesn’t want a single one returning to Colossus to tell the Empire.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Anna said.
As if mentioning Char were a summons, I spotted him walking down the road from the direction of the compound, surrounded by a contingent of Raiders. He appeared calm, in control — Makara and I were anything but.
Char approached us. “What’s the situation?”
“They’re still holed up in there,” Anna said. “Two, maybe a few more, are on the top floor. They want out of Bluff in exchange for Lisa’s life.”
Char faced upward. “Alright,” he yelled, “I’m here. What do you want?”
Everyone quieted. Only the wind blew through the dust-strewn street. The people in front of the Bounty began to murmur.
A full minute passed with no response from the bar.
“I demand an answer!” Char bellowed.
“Let us out of here,” a voice said. “You know what happens if you don’t.”
“You kill her, then what?” Char asked. “You die.”
“We’ll do it if you leave us no choice.”
“There is no need for that,” Char said. “I am glad to let you scum out of my town if it means saving Lisa.”
It was quiet. I could imagine the men in that upstairs bedroom, debating quietly what they should do.
“How can you guarantee our safety?” the same one said.
“I promise, none of my men will lay a finger on you. I’ll have them set down their guns when you come out. We can escort you by Recon on your way out, which should protect you if anyone decides to go commando on your sorry asses.”
“I never agreed to that,” Makara said.
Char held a hand up, silencing her. “Work with me, Makara.”
The men on the second floor were quiet.
Then: “Have everyone drop their weapons,” the man said. “We agree.”
Char scowled, and waited a long moment. I didn’t see why he hesitated — this seemed like the best deal he could get. Finally, he answered.
“Alright. In another minute, everyone outside will have dropped their weapons. All of them.”
“How can we be guaranteed of that?” the man asked.
“I guess you’re just going to have to trust me on that one, aren’t you?”
Char waved for everyone to set their guns down. Grumbling, the men did as they were told. Makara seemed least happy of all to do it.
Nothing happened for a long while. It was hard to tell whether they had accepted or not.
“Are the weapons on the ground?” the man asked.
Char grunted. “Yeah.”
The shutters of the window upstairs slammed open. Inside was a man with a rifle, aiming right for Char.
“Get down!” Makara yelled.
But no shot came. Instead, the man screamed. Inside the window stood Anna, her blade slicing toward the man’s neck. It cut through, severing the man’s head from his body. The head flew out the window, landing at
