Chapter 49

Thus a Prophecy

As I let Bandera out to now grow up in the jungle like a genuine Huntress, I took my time to rest. I didn’t have much to do, but I slept and slept, I really needed it. It must have been three days later before I had been able to get out of bed walk around, then another day or two before I left.

Bandera came back from her round trip of the jungle. “Glad to see you up and about.”

“Thanks. I’m glad I am too. How’s the jungle and it’s creatures?”

“Flourishing,” she said. “The only problem is that the Felines still haven’t relocated.”

“I guess that’s what happens when you’ve leave it up to the males,” I told her. “But it is hard to relocate a whole village. Why don’t you go down there and figure it out.”

“Sounds good.”

“By the way, they can be a little hostile. They had a hard time with the hit last year. As they say, the wound will fester, but sometimes it heals. I just hope there’s no real infection now.”

“True, but don’t worry about me. I can take care of myself, and yourself too. As I’ve found out.”

I smiled and left it up to her. She left with a spring in her step.

Now back to business. Real business.

I had called the Eclipse with my remote a few hours ago and it had just arrived outside. I escaped out the pedestrian door of the hangar and boarded.

Not sure when I’ll be back. Try to keep Bandera busy. I’ll be up to the usual.

I went vertical out of the jungle and tuned in to Jack and Gerome’s radio.

It was about time. They had finally found Caine, he made it to Xenobia, and they sent Freddy in to stir up something’s about “man’s best friend”. That was yesterday’s recording. Today, it was almost noon, their planned start of the party.

It sounded like they were going to attempt a well planned hit on Caine now.

I sped on, making it to Xenobia in thirty minutes flat, then another thirty minutes through the city and into location, watching the traffic go by, watching Caine through security cameras and listening to Jack and Gerome pep talk their mafia friends into a full scale riot.

I sat in my Eclipse, listening to their tactics and plans. I had a good chance I would get a hit on Caine. But in the mean time I mine underneath Caine’s ship, one that wouldn’t go off until hit. It landed on the front number, that’s fine, I’ll be able to shoot it.

They were still rioting around in there, nothing exciting yet. I just had to keep listening. It was getting a little tough with the code words, but I had heard everything from the beginning.

Gerome had come by and landed on a nearby building, dropping an EMP to gain security access to the rooftop for himself. I watched him as he shook with anxiety, tried to calm himself, shoot a test bullet into an A/C unit and wait, just like I was.

There was a fireworks display, someone by the name of Rocket had tons of ammo, missiles and grenades, making it a safe place for the mafia team. The police showed up and was taken out and halted by some well placed explosions.

Then I heard the cue on the radio, “The wind has picked up.” Meaning that Caine is leaving through the roof.

A few moments later Caine had marched out and onto the roof. People already there were taunting him but still staying out of the way of Gerome’s shot.

I laughed, jumped out of the Eclipse and onto the roof top, just as Gerome was taking aim.

This was my cue. Something I didn’t really plan, but something that would change our lives forever.

I parked the eclipse at the edge of the roof, keeping it in stealth mode, it was invisible, unless you were looking for it. I jumped out and onto the roof. Gerome hadn’t seen me. He wouldn’t, keeping his eye in the scope. I pushed him over, the gun fell out of his hands and he rolled.

Caine was making it over to his ship, just a little too slowly for my taste. I gave him a wake up shot to hurry up.

“He’s mine.” I told Gerome as he eyed me angrily.

Caine dived and rolled under his ship. Close enough.

I shot the front bumper of the ship. The ship flipped and smashed back to the roof upside down.

What the hell did you do that for?”

“I said, he’s mine.”

“I’ve been up here for the last thirty minutes, you can’t say—”

“I put that bomb underneath the bumper last night. You only helped me and chased him out.”

He was still confused. “I know he isn’t well liked, but, I had it all under control. You can’t just come in and take over our mission.”

“I just did. And no you didn’t have it under control, you wouldn’t have been able to shoot him with that while he’s running.”

“He wasn’t running, he was opening the door.”

“You’ve never shot one of those either.”

“Sure, but you didn’t let me,” he said. He looked frantically around, waiting for the next plan of action. But he was done, Caine was dead.

I brought his attention back to me. “So why are you trying to kill Caine too?” I asked.

“To go home,” he said. He was still waiting for something to happen, or try to leave and meet up with his party. “Some clique of his came in and overthrew my city. My friend Jack and I were the only two left from the Mafia so we made a plan. Now, Caine’s dead and I can go home.”

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“Then what? What do you do at home? Sell drugged up girls, rob men, sell drugs and Booze? Sounds real fun.” I said sarcastically.

“And what do you do, kill for a living?” He said. “Jump in and ruin everybody’s plans?”

We stared at each other. It was all true enough accusations.

A pair of jets flew over, missiles deployed, and a few helicopters spread over the horizon.

“So what’s your name?” He asked with impeccable timing. I was just over the ledge and jumping back into the Eclipse.

“It’s Dawn.”

“I’m Gerome.”

“I know, just jump in.”

I waited for Gerome, he peered over the ledge looking like he expected me to have dropped to my death. I pulled him by his shirt, then reaching behind his neck, I took a little necklace off of his neck. It was a strong pull, so I didn’t think he would notice it. He didn’t.

After avoiding a nervous fit and calming himself down he got seated and I locked us in with the canopy and seatbelts. I took a second to study his necklace, a simple chain with a silver ring of dolphins. Interesting. It must have some important significance.

The jets flew over once more, pulling my attention back to the present. Now I had the pleasure to give them the usual disclaimer, “This is a tribal affair, do not get involved. I repeat, do not get involved.”

The jet’s replied, “Request granted under circumstances given. Damage to governmental and/or city property will be dealt with separately.”

I agreed to that, the damage wasn’t mine. It was the mafia’s damage and Caine’s building. But the police force and street explosions were Rocket’s. I’m sure Freddy can cover it.

I sped off to the east and out of Xenobia city. I didn’t really have a plan, but I knew a place where I could go and be safe for a while. Figure something out. I had Gerome in the back seat for reasons I hadn’t figured out myself. I’m sure I could drop him off somewhere.

We flew over buildings and then sparse orchards and into the desert. I knew where I was going, I’ve found it before. It only took me once to redirect course.

I landed in front of a crumbling temple. Nothing much to show for any life. It was a ruin in the desert and in my heart.

I let Gerome out and the two of us walked in through the front door, or what was left of it. I had never been in here before, not in this state, but I think I knew my way through. It wasn’t that different. I just had to watch my footing and keep my bearings with half the place fallen apart.

Gerome stopped as soon as we got into the temple. It was dark, I forgot that he had no sight whatsoever without light. I held him by the hand and took him to the usual spot that I would talk with Ares and watch Xeres and the rest of the Ancestors talk politics.

We sat down and Gerome tried to turn on a flashlight. “They don’t like that.” I said, instead lighting a fire on the stone table.

I sat and closed my eyes.

“You’ve fulfilled your request.” Ares said. “Ready to come back?”

“No.” I said. “I have fulfilled my request. My life is still my own. I’m alive and I have things to do.”

“What is it you want to do, Dawn.”

“Save another planet. Another species. I have more lives to give. More to save.”

“Fair enough.” She said. “But may I ask. Who’s life will you save now? What planet?”

“I don’t know yet. There’s only been a handful of days of peace. I already spoiled it by taking out Caine. But five days may be a record for me.”

“Who is this sitting next to you? I see a flicker of someone beside you.”

“Who, Gerome? I just brought him along. I haven’t figured out why yet.”

“Gerome? That boy who’s done nothing good with his life.”

“I guess so. I haven’t figure out why I brought him along yet. He seemed like he needed recusing from the rooftop.”

“He didn’t. He had a car.”

“Well then, I guess I’ll figure it out soon.”

She gave up trying to save me from myself. “So you’ve chosen life. A life with a purpose.”

“I’ll go somewhere I don’t know where. Search for something, I don’t know what. Maybe bring it back, but I don’t know how soon.”

“Then that’s your choice.” Ares said.

Xeres was standing near us listening in. He didn’t say anything at first, but he smiled when I saw him.

“Dawn. This shed light on a prophecy I remember little too well. None shall slay the sunset, none shall order the Huntress but the order of the universe itself. Sound familiar?”

“That’s my prophecy. Told by…”

“Myself,” Xeres answered. I find it funny how true it held. Every single one of them. When we told them we didn’t really have a clue, but we shaped this world, this planet and indeed, the universe with those fortunes.” He laughed and smiled a little. “I still remember that day, over ten thousand years ago, when one of our children asked us what they will do when we’re gone, and then when they’re gone, what will their children do? So Ares and I sat down and wrote poems and stories on the basis of someone reading them and wondering if this actually happened what would be the smarter choice in their life. You see, we didn’t give them any answers, just some life and poetry.”

“Thank you Xeres. What you two have done, has saved our lives.”

“Well, what I can say now is that you shouldn’t take everything so serious. Look around at the order of the universe and make it bend to your will, the more love you put into it, the more it sways in your direction.”

“You’re saying I loved the Ancients and the Nightmare? And Caine?”

“Not at all, but the love you had for… everyone else.”

That was touching, I did have love for everyone, my adventures and misadventures, they stood out because I loved what I was doing.

“It was why you were doing it.” Xeres said.

Ares looked at me, she didn’t have her airy goddess look, but one of wisdom. She said, “You’ve made your own choices and never steered yourself wrong.”

“You’ve never steered me wrong either.”

“So the least I can say is: may luck be on your side, Huntress.”

“Thank you Ares. Thank you Xeres.” I bowed respectfully.

“But there’s one more thing I have to say before you venture off without us.”

“I won’t be without you.” I said.

She chuckled, “Of course you won’t. You are the Xeno’s savior, Huntress. You’re our friend, Cora. Our daughter, Dawn.”

Xeres added, “Which I’d like to bring to your attention. Dawn, the rising of the sun. The light which brings a new day. Dawn isn’t the end. Dawn, you’re only the beginning.”

———

I opened my eyes.

Gerome was there as if no time had passed, sitting next to the fire trying to make things out of the darkness.

“So are you now holding me hostage and taking me away from my people?” Gerome asked .

“In a way.” I replied. “There’s something not quite right about all this”

“What’s not quite right?”

“I was told about you, I found you and now you’re sitting here in front of me. But you’re not like the other men.”

“Wait. Are you the Feline that Jack took to The Jungle club? …Bandera?”

“No, she’s a friend. But I knew you before that. I knew of you for a while, I could say, and I am only meeting you now.”

“I hope this isn’t turning into a love story, I have to get back and go home.”

“Then tell me your story Gerome. I’m sure there’s not much love in it.”

He did so. It was the long version, starting from his childhood, parent’s death and finding the mafia as a surrogate parent all the way through to the incident on the rooftop. “...and that’s when I was about to land my winning kill and go home, when you came out of nowhere and took it all away.”

I laughed and nodded, accepting the truth of his last statement “You’re a bad man, Gerome, but a good kid.”

“What is that supposed to mean?” He said, looking offended.

“Well, not so bad. You didn’t do that much bad, you were in a rut in life. You killed one person, and tried being like the one who took you out of that rut.”

He closed his eyes and looked like he tried real hard to keep himself from crying.

I let him ease up a bit and asked him, “You want to hear my story?”

I told him, it was a story for the books, genuine heroism, though I left out the part about Ares’s and Xeres’s frequent visits.

“You’re a killer. Left to the whims of those in charge. But a good girl through and through.”

What am I supposed to say to that?

I sat there thinking it over. “Everyone’s got a second chance, believe me, I’ve had nine. But I lost count.”

“You’re right.” He said. “I am scared, everyday of my life. Time’s ticking and I can’t rely on luck forever.”

“I have something for you.” I pulled out a chain from my pocket, a little necklace with a ring of dolphins.

I handed it to him. “For starting over.” I said. “It’s the only thing you’ll have to remember this little ‘accident’ on a crazy planet called Xenobia. We’re partners now.” I stood up, pulled out my weapons and laid them on the table. “Partners in crime.”

I took the necklace.

“To a new life.”

“To a new life.”