Chapter 45

Get Ready

I visited Clyde before the day was over.

“Had any luck narrowing down the Nightmare’a location?” I asked.

“That’s your job,” he said.

“I figured. I’m wrapped up following Gerome. Caine is quite high on my hit list.”

“Really? Why is that? He not a suspect is he?”

I scoffed. “First of all, he sided with the Ancients to overthrow me. Secondly, he is possessed by the Nightmare. Thirdly, he and I have a track, before I was the Huntress and he was a young pup he visited me in the jungle, in my dreams. He warned me that him and I won’t be getting along, and he wouldn’t have it any other way, he had allowed a brief acquaintance before we grew up, before the betrayal started. And last, if that doesn’t explain it all, by nature we’re supposed to fight. He’s a Canine, I’m a Feline.”

“Despite me lack of memory in that era, it sounds like a rough friendship.”

“Hardly. I’ll get to the Nightmare soon enough. Tomorrow I’m still in the east, and for now I’m going to bed.”

———

We started the day early, getting up with enough time to hear Gerome getting up as we were flying through the city.

I dropped Bandera off at the bar to keep an eye on Jack. This was the next level of training for her, after listening for days and days, getting a picture of the scene, she now needed to get some hands-on work in the field.

I told her to stay safe and get some good info. I rushed over to Gerome’s apartment to find him and Griff setting off, he made a quick stop at the Jungle and then headed off to some park a few hours away.

With my driving and ship’s capabilities, I felt like I was taking a Sunday drive. Gerome was staying low and keeping to the speed limit, most likely the top speed of his antique car.

I listened in to their audio, they were looking for some assassin in Xenobia Central Park. That’s great, because I can see Xenobia Central Park from headquarters, and it doesn’t take two hours.

Slowly I followed and listened to their banal conversation.

We had made it there… just shy of two hours.

I watched them as they got out and walked around trying to find someone to talk to.

I parked as well, actually I found out that there was an auto pilot function on the Eclipse. I jumped out in the park and set it to land at headquarters a few blocks away. If I needed to get somewhere it would come at the touch of a button.

I watched them from a distance. Gerome was wandering around staring at the Xenos, looking like a tourist.

I jumped up a tree as they stopped to talk to someone. Focusing my goggles I could hear what they were saying. They had asked a Canine about someone who could shoot and were then directed to someone named Killer Smith at the night market.

They kept walking looking for the night market. Stupid, they’d have to wait half the day before the night market vendors were even starting to set up. That’s why it’s called a night market.

I didn’t feeling anxious about sitting in a tree for half day and I was about to jump down when I noticed them getting ambushed by a swarm of Murids. Undoubtedly they could smell the money in that duffel bag. I contemplated saving them but a friendly Feline came by and scared them away, starting to play with one of the Murids. Playing with Murids, by Feline standards.

After a while they had said their thanks and ventured off looking for food.

The rest of the day passed on boringly. I managed to get myself something to eat as well.

Finally it was getting dark and they had found the street market right in front of them the whole time. Vendors of all species were there selling guns, potions, electronics, food and snacks and drinks. I wasn’t interested in any of that, ignoring guys attempting to rob me, or sell me things, I kept on walking, following.

They had found Killer Smith. An Equine, doubly self-assured and pompous as Roland. I listened to them bargaining, snickering at the pretentious attitude of the Equine and Gerome’s inability to answer.

Finally they had their assassin paid and they left back home.

I called the Eclipse and made my way back to the east side, taking the high road, while listening to Bandera’s feed. I had left her to keep her eyes and ears on Jack at the bar.

She was fighting, I could here her grunts, someone else’s agony and a whole lot of Xenos cheering around her. Fight club?

I took a breath and prayed to Ares that she would be fine.

“Round six,” I heard a commentator’s voice announce.

I heard more fighting and grunts and screams of agony.

“Round Seven.”

More ohh’s and ahh’s from the crowd.

I hesitated syncing her vision to mine as I was flying, heading back to her location.

I was scared to get into an accident, seeing something from one eye and the real world from another wasn’t something I had practiced.

“Round eight.” How many rounds would there be?

I got her location and had to redirect as she was a quite a ways up north from Freddy’s bar.

I sped up, turning off the double vision, and hoped that she would still be alive when I got there.

I made it to her location. But by the time I got there they had finished the tournament already. By the sound of her feed she was talking with someone. The voice was familiar. Jack’s voice? The two of them apparently got in a car and we’re headed back to the bar. By the sound of her voice she was perfectly okay, thought they didn’t talk for most of the drive.

I started snooping around her previous location, some large town square, Xenos were pouring out from an entrance to an underground parking lot.

I got out of the Eclipse, leaving it in standby thirty feet off the ground. Instantly I was ambushed. Xenos who thought I was Bandera had tried getting my autograph or tried throwing punches in revenge for their fallen allies. I handled them all well, trudging my way through the crowd and into the parking lot.

I found the makeshift arena, a white chalk circle drawn and redrawn on the pavement, blood streaks and fur all over, and a few dead lined up to the side.

“Glad you came back. You sure are the silent type.” And old man had greeted me. “I never got your name.”

“I don’t have a name.” I said. “I’m also not the one who was just here. Could you tell me what happened.”

“Tell you?” He said. He looked more confused, sizing me up as if I wasn’t the one who just won the tournament. He figured I wasn’t and answered my question, “Well, there’s a lot to say. To put it succinctly, you, I mean she tore it up, made it to the top of ten rounds in the tournament faster than I had ever seen!”

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I sighed in relief. “Who was she fighting?”

“The top fighter of the last year, a Canine with muscles like an Ursine. And she was a newbie, had no record with us, nobody recognized her, but she insisted on entering the contest. She was the first, usually the rookies go first before fighting the seniors, gets them out of the way and let’s the old champions sit and watch, see the fighting styles, gloat on their throne until their turn comes.”

“So she beat all of the champions?” I asked, mesmerized and glad she hadn’t got herself killed. “All of them?”

“Yeah, won the jackpot too. Some black hair fellow came up and snatched her out of here faster than the blink of an eye.”

It all made sense. It was Jack, I already knew that, but the fight was unbelievable according to professional street fighting standards. I warned her, she shrugged it off, but she was the one with the skills, she is herself and can do as she pleases. I figured I have to give her a little slack, I’m not her mom. I’ve been training her to be me. I should expect her to be me, not a Feline kitten.

———

Making it back to the Jungle brothel I kept an eye on Bandera. She was already halfway there in the car. I tried to listen in on the bugs we had planted, then on her goggles. There was nothing. A silent drive back.

I spoke to her via the goggles. “What are you doing?”

The was lag on her replying back. I finally got a message a minute later, she must have been typing with her coordinated-eye keyboard and could speak out loud.

I’m collecting data. Like you wanted.

“Yes, but I don’t need you kidnapped by him.”

What do you mean? I already found out a bunch. I’ll just stay a while and get more data. He’s hired me. I can ask him anything now, face to face, no secret espionage.

“No. That’s not part of the plan. We’re sticking together and I need you back at headquarter. I need backup.”

Fine.

I waited for her to get out. They stopped at the Jungle. Jack said it would be a great place to sleep.

“I’m outside in the ship. I can see you.” I told her, in case she needed backup.

She went inside with Jack.

“Get out of there.” I told her as she follows jack into the Jungle, the brothel.

She didn’t come out.

“Make something up. You’re in whore house, run like you’re scared.”

I heard her through her goggle’s mic. She made something up alright, scared Jack too. She ran out the front door and jumped up to the roof. I picked her up from there.

I tried a little laugh as she came in and sat down. “Great acting.” I said.

“Thanks.” She was obviously upset.

“Alright. I know this was your plan, but I do need your help at headquarters. I’ll tell you when we’re there.”

She seemed to ease up a bit with that. “I was getting data.” She said. “I was so close, I could have been the one to kill Caine.”

“I know that.” I thought about it now, thinking a bit less like a mother. For espionage it really could have been a great advantage on our side. “But you have to tell me. How did you get yourself into a fight club, not even over night, and then slaughter them all?”

“The fighting wasn’t the hard part. Getting in took a bit of proving. I first had to get the attention of Freddy, finding him early in the morning. Telling him that I’ve been watching Jack, I know he’s trying to kill Caine and needs some help. He told me that he would gladly have him meet me, but I said ‘No, I need to prove it to him.’ He said that I hardly need to do any proving, that I already look like a vicious Feline with my claws and spy outfit. I told him what I had in mind.”

“You told him about your plans to joining a fight club?”

“Not exactly, I told him that my way of proving him would be to watch me in the tournament, that way he’d see how I fight, how well in do. Plus it covers myself up, not letting Jack in on the fact that we’ve been watching him and know everything he’s been doing for the last month.”

I could see her reasoning. Very smart.

“Do you still have that electronic wave disorientor with you? The one Clyde gave us all?”

“Of course. It’s small enough to keep with me.”

“Good we’re going to need it soon.”

We landed in the middle of nowhere, a sparse orchard east of Xenobia. The only landmark being my tunnel I had dug while falling from the sky in a metal crate.

“Keep watch over the ship,” I told Bandera.

“Where are you going?”

“I need some help. I’m getting the Talpas back.”

Before she could ask what I was doing I jumped out and ventured into Talpas kingdom.

———

We arrived back to headquarters pretty late, the sun was already starting to come up. The Talpas should be here in a day or two. So we slept for a bit before Jack and Gerome got up, before they had their nightly talk at the bar.

Jack was obviously pissed that his assassin had run away unexpectedly, apparently he had quite a drunken episode last night which he doesn’t remember. Gerome had more game and success telling his account of his trip and previous heist while they drove over to the Jungle brothel. They loitered for a while before getting to business, shaking up the customers for their long unpaid tabs, usually done with quite some persuasion.

They left the jungle, and that’s when I found something interesting. An Aves by the name of Fer was scouting the Canines for them. The Aves had come down to meet Jack and Gerome. The message was clear: Caine had been moving around in the eastern forest. But it seemed strange, like the Aves had been tracking Caine for a while. It seemed vague but I understood their plan might be to lure Caine into the city and ambush him. I’ll have to be ready for this.

I also made a note to ask Farrow about this Caine hunting business, particularly about the fact that the Aves were part of it.

———

I hadn’t been holding meetings recently, partially due to the fact that Bandera and I have been out in the east and knew where things were going in this side of the city.

But I held our meeting now with the few Xenos who were still with us, my usual crew, plus John and Nancy.

“Thank you for all coming.” I said, knowing that they all ate dinner here at roughly the same time each day anyways. “I want to update you on business.”

“Please tell us,” Roland said. “It’s been dreadfully dull out there.”

“I thought you liked it,” Farrow replied, “sharing stories with the city folk.”

Roland said, “Farrow, that’s something else, I’m talking about leads to finding the Nightmare.”

I stopped their bickering, “And that’s exactly what I’m here to talk to you about. There been some good headway on finding his location, thanks to Clyde. You all have that device I had given you a week ago?”

They nodded.

“Good. That’s something you need to keep, I’ll tell you why. We have found the location of the Nightmare.”

A few of them gasped. “Really?”

“Yes. And we’ll be entering his territory very soon, so I need everyone to prepare.”

“Prepare for what?” Farrow said.

Roland quickly replied, “I’ve been prepared since we got here. I’m always prepared.”

Farrow gave him a sideways glance.

“Unfortunately I can’t tell you. But I can only guess weapons and armor and anything you might imagine would help to bring down this monster.”

“Dawn,” Farrow said. “If you tell us we’ll be going now I think we’d all be out the door in a flash. Don’t worry about us, this is why we’re here.”

“Thank you. But I’m afraid that there’s no door for us to go, he’s underneath Xenobia city. And I don’t have much else to say, I’m waiting for the Talpas to arrive, I only hope they make it here alive. They’re coming through his territory right this moment.”

“Then we’ll be fully ready by tomorrow morning.” Farrow said.

“Good. Then, a second matter. Caine.”

“Caine the Canine? The Caine?” Roland asked.

“Yes, he’s the other target. Most likely possessed by the Nightmare and/or working for him as well.”

“I thought so,” Roland said.

I continued, “But, I’ve found that my friends in the east are also hunting him down and tracking him nearly as well as I would. They have the Aves working for them, telling them every move Caine makes.”

Farrow looked up, “And they’ve been doing a good job too,” he added.

“So why haven’t you told me about it?” I asked Farrow. “It’s only been my ongoing surveillance for the last month.”

“I’ve only found out about it a few days ago. Since you been gone and we haven’t had any meetings I haven’t had the chance to tell you.”

I sighed. “Fine.” I said. “Then in the future, could you keep me updated on anything that has to do with Jack, Gerome, Freddy or Caine.”

They all nodded their approval with a grunt.

I quickly recited the vital data about Jack and Gerome so they knew what they would be looking for and let them finish dinner and wrap it up for the night.

The last night before things went crazy.

———

“Dawn.” I was woken up in the middle of the night by Ares.

“Ares, it’s been hectic. Spying, killing, hunting.”

“Don’t let it all get to your head,” She told me. “You’ve come this far.”

“I know. It’s all such a big task. I have grudges against Caine, and a bigger one against the Nightmare. I want them dead. I want them to stop plaguing this planet with their evil.”

“We all do.” She stepped forward and caressed my head. “I don’t think there’s anything you can’t do. Even now, you have a team of great warriors and you’ve even trained a young orphaned Feline into another Huntress.”

“But even that haunts my dreams. She even told me that when I’m gone she’s going to replace me. We both know she will, but I’m not old, not even half old. I can’t think of what’s going to happen trying to face Caine, or the Nightmare. I haven’t even seen the Nightmare at all, ever. I have no idea what I’m going up against.”

“You didn’t see Midnai before you killed her, nor Ophidon, nor Prince Dacoit.”

“Yes but you sent me on those missions, you knew what I’d have to do to get through and make it out alive.”

“And you did. So do you think I’m sending you on another mission just to die?”

“I don’t know,” I said apathetically.

“What do you think?” She said. “Would you send your daughter off to her death?”

I didn’t answer.

She continued, “When your daughter is a fearless, unstoppable killer?”

I nearly cried. “I just don’t know what I’d do after this?”

“Well, the village still needs some saving, they haven’t moved and it nearly been a year.”

“I don’t know if I could help them.”

“Then, save another planet.”

I mulled that over. Nothing better was in my imagination than another planet Xenobia needing saving from a mind altering villain.

She left and I went to sleep.