Chapter Five
“The sheer brilliance and potential for HBRS cannot be understated. Only through the American defense budget coupled with Aeon Dynamic’s opaque nature could a fraction of this research be made possible. Because of them, this world has been transformed into what it is today.”
–Mother, “Notes on HBRS-15.21”. 6 Years After.
* * *
The truck rolled to a stop.
“How are we doing back there?” Liam asked, his hands locked on the wheel as he scanned the horizon.
“She’s sleeping again,” Evelyn said, rubbing Leah’s head.
The sight of that woman touching his daughter after what happened the night before tied a knot in his stomach. Liam still hadn’t gotten the chance to tell her just how strongly he felt about the unilateral decision she made in drugging Leah. But true to form in this hellhole, there was a time and a place to stand his ground against such lunacy, and this moment was neither.
The morning sun cut through pine glades on the side of the cracked road, reminding them that they had been on the run all night. It had taken less than an hour to reach the hidden truck they loaded with supplies for just this type of emergency, but conditions had greatly deteriorated once they left Cheyenne’s valley, so it cost them the better part of the evening to cover enough ground on streets that were still usable. They dared not stop until Cheyenne was far below the horizon, pushing north towards Denver while clinging to the foothills where they would be harder to see.
But at least for now, they were safe.
Liam leaned back and closed his eyes, his limbs suddenly spent. It seemed that whatever adrenaline that carried him this long had finally been expended. Oh, how he wanted nothing more in this moment than to rest it off. Just for a bit…
“What’s the plan?” Evelyn asked, piercing through the momentary calm.
He grunted and rubbed his head. “We must have gone fifty miles from Cheyenne, and there’s been no sign of our pursuers. I’m starting to think that they don’t have vehicles.”
“What makes you say that?”
“Well, for starters, we were stuck in those hills for hours, and they didn’t catch us. It’s also become clear that there aren’t many roads still operational, which means the likelihood that they’re driving around through different routes is low. If they’re out there, they’re either just as lost as we are or they don’t have the same means of transport that we do.”
“Cars or not, we’re still not free of them,” Evelyn pointed out. “Rezzers can easily cover fifty miles in a day on foot. Hell, they can do well over a hundred if they’re nourished and know where they’re going.”
Liam nodded. “True. We’ve bought ourselves some time, but not enough to evade them for long.”
“So what’s the plan then?”
How am I supposed to know? He scoffed. “Last I checked, Evelyn, spending the rest of our lives underground was the plan.”
“Right. Which is why we’ll need to retake it from them.”
“With just the two of us? Are you out of your bloody mind!?”
“Keep your voice down,” Evelyn said, shushing their daughter before she could wake up. “We don’t have a choice.”
Liam exhaled before anger got the better of him. “It would be suicide to try to fight them by ourselves. We’d have better luck finding another bunker, if you know of any other end-of-the-world bunkers we could take,” he quipped.
“There’s Raven Rock and the Greenbrier,” Evelyn stated with no hint of catching the sarcasm. “Both are in the Black Zone though, where the nukes got dropped, so we can’t risk it unless you want Leah coughing up blood before she’s two. Mother’s only other candidate was the Diefenbunker up in Canada, but it’s too far with our fuel, and we don’t know what we’d find there.”
Again, Liam rubbed his head. Always a struggle with this one. “Be that as it may, we can’t do anything against rezzers without getting ourselves killed, Evelyn.”
“Well, what do you think we should do then?”
“We should get help.”
Evelyn grunted. “We don’t know who sent these Hunters.”
“We don’t even know if they were Hunters,” Liam countered. “If anything, the lack of vehicles of their own suggests they don’t have Pandemonium’s resources. Did you see any guns, either? I didn’t see any. Only a couple crossbows amongst their ranks.”
She leaned back. “That’s true… Still doesn’t feel right. They knew that you were here. You, Liam. Not anyone else. How else could they have gotten that information?”
I don’t know, but I do know who I can trust. He had been thinking of it all night, ever since that moment when the breach first happened. There was nobody else. They had only one other ally in this world.
“We’re returning to Pandemonium,” Liam said.
Evelyn winced. “If you aren’t right about this, it’s not just your life or mine in danger, but our daughter’s too. You’ll be killing us if you’re wrong.”
Just like you almost did. “It’s like you said, Evelyn. We’re over a barrel on this one and won’t last long out here on our own. We need help.”
He breathed deeply. “We have to find Leah.”
* * *
It took almost a week to make it back to California. Their escape truck was outfitted with bullet-proof plating and had wheels that could roll through the worst of it, but after so much time without upkeep, much of humanity’s infrastructure had given way to the elements. Tunnels were caved in, bridges collapsed, and entire roadways were swallowed beneath landslides. And that said nothing of the herds of hollows that still roamed these wastes. Were it not for the sheer volume of biofuel they stocked their truck with, they would have never escaped Colorado alone.
It did not help that they were traveling as one. Evelyn had never learned to drive herself, leaving the task to Liam alone. He had done well to catch up in such a short time, but his mind could only stay active for so long, and their daughter still had her own needs to attend to. The two of them ended up breaking into shifts, with Liam forced to handle the brunt of the time until he could find a suitable hiding spot to sleep. Nothing short of perfection would do in Evelyn’s eyes, though the two were in agreement for once.
His initial confrontation with her had also gone far better than expected. He’d only need to see the shame in her eyes to know how difficult it had been to sedate their daughter, and part of him had come to recognize the urgency of the moment. Not enough to forgive her completely, but enough to move past it.
At least for now. Leah’s safety mattered more than everything else.
That was what made this sight such a godsend. A great wall spanned the length of the horizon, formed from a motley of buildings, sheet metal, and storage crates. The streets nearby were freshly paved, with not enough debris for even a mouse to hide behind. Where the rest of the outside world was a ruinous wasteland, the Styx that surrounded Pandemonium still stood firm, an island standing obstinate above a dead land.
Liam rubbed the fog from his visor now that he was alone. The heat was sweltering beneath the clothes he had scavenged, but it was a necessary precaution. Rezzers would be able to detect his scent if given the chance.
It all felt so familiar, marching up to this undead asylum wrapped in far too many layers…
Even Charon remained exactly where he’d been left, still in his corner shop near the gate. His black cloak hung loosely over grey skin that could’ve been carved from stone, with an assault rifle poking from his back. His red eyes flicked Liam’s way as he drew near, but he otherwise remained motionless.
“Haven’t seen you before,” Charon said. “You got papers?”
“I’ve got none,” Liam responded in the deep, gruff voice he had practiced before this point.
“Don’t know where you think you are, but newcomers have to report to immigration before they get in. I could send you an escort if you’d like.”
“That won’t be necessary. I’m here to see someone.”
“Who’s that then?”
“Leah.”
It wasn’t easy to make out movement against his hairless scalp, but that seemed to have gotten Charon to raise an eyebrow a fraction of an inch. “That so? Who should I be telling her has come to visit then?”
Who, indeed? They’d never planned this far out. “Tell her I’m an old friend who traveled the country with her.”
“If you say so,” Charon said. “Do me a favor though, and wait back there.”
Liam complied while a couple of Charon’s men stood nearby. The sight of armed soldiers dressed as death incarnate could have been alarming, but he’d had the good sense of leaving Evelyn and his daughter with the truck a mile back, and this would all be easy to explain the moment he had the chance.
The gate creaked open after some time, but instead of seeing his long-lost friend, three militarized trucks barreled through the opening before slamming to a stop nearby. The doors opened, and dozens more black-cloaked soldiers burst into view. Within moments, they had him surrounded, guns aimed to kill.
“Hands where we can see ‘em!” one shouted.
Liam threw his arms up high, the air caught in his throat. What was going on?
Then he watched as another door opened.
Light glistened off the surface of a pair of freshly polished combat boots before revealing the faded jeans that lay behind. A black-gloved hand gripped the side of the door, followed by another on the roof. He caught sight of the sheepskin jacket next, jet black and falling past her waist, this one with an abundance of grey wool overflowing along the trim. Even the buttons stood out, glittering in the midday light, as did the aviator sunglasses above.
But it was the scarf that Liam knew best. That burgundy silk fabric wrapped around her pale face before trailing in the wind behind. It might have been used to cover the wound that disfigured her cheeks, but she had since taken it as her own form of identity. A woman who defined herself through her defiance of the world she’d been given.
Leah stepped forth, the light dancing off the Hunter’s badge atop her chest, now cast in gold. “Well, well. If it isn’t our little thief.”
“What are you talking about?” Liam asked, barely able to keep the gruff tone.
“Thought we didn’t see you driving here with one of our trucks? Please. Watchtower spotted you hours ago. Speaking of…” She turned to one of the soldiers. “Anyone find where he stashed it yet?”
He muttered into a radio before it crackled back. “Looks like the other team’s got it blocked in, though they’re saying someone else is there. They’re armed too, boss.”
“Great, just great. Have them fire off a couple warning shots, but don’t engage yet. I want that truck in one piece.”
“Wait!” Liam shouted before the order could be relayed. “What are you doing, Leah!? It’s me.”
She chuckled. “I know a lot of Mes, but I don’t recognize you.”
Liam looked around – at the dozens of strangers aiming automatic weapons – and had many regrets about how his life had led to this point. “Can you just come over here and talk to me for a minute?”
“Think I’m fine over here.”
Does she really not remember me? “Bloody hell, Leah! Just come over here and look into my eyes already.”
She tilted her head to that and raised a hand. All at once, the soldiers lowered their weapons.
Leah closed in and removed her aviators. Liam swallowed the lump in his throat. Her violet eyes were burning with a vibrant intensity he’d never seen before, almost as if they were glowing of their own accord. Had they always been so bright and full?
Liam lowered his goggles, letting Leah see into his own. A moment passed in silence as she studied his living, human eyes.
The soldier with the radio suddenly stiffened and started to walk over.
Leah grabbed the radio and held it to her ear, though she never broke eye contact. “What’s going on out there?”
“We’re in a standoff with the guy in the truck, but we managed to get a peek inside and… Ugh… You might want to see this for yourself.”
Her violet eyes bugged out as the implication settled in. Again, she looked at Liam, piercing deep into his soul.
“You fucking idiot.”
* * *
The convoy drove through the streets of Pandemonium as their passengers waited inside.
Liam and Evelyn kept their daughter in their arms, but she merely blinked with curiosity at the creature on the other side. Leah watched back, her legs crossed.
“So that’s her, huh?” she said at last.
Liam smiled meekly. “That’s our daughter, alright.”
“She looks well.”
“Aye, she’s a fighter, just like the woman we named her after.”
“Where have you been?” Evelyn interjected.
Her eyes flicked over. “Good to see you too, Evelyn. I see you’re still as charming as always.”
“It’s been what? Seven, eight months since you’ve made a delivery?”
“In case you hadn’t noticed, I’ve been busy.” She sighed. “Besides, last I made the hike, it seemed like you two didn’t need me anymore.”
It was true. Leah had been separated from Liam after his final showdown with Hades, and she had disappeared in the chaos that followed. It was well over a year before he saw her again when she showed up out of the blue with a truck filled with canned food behind. The two had caught up soon after, where he’d introduced her to Evelyn and the current state of affairs. Ever since then, Leah vowed to help them when able and had made a habit of dropping off fresh supplies every other month like clockwork. But then she’d stopped right before their daughter’s birth, disappearing as quickly as she had come. The last thing she’d said was that she wasn’t sure how many trips she’d make. Liam always assumed that that number would be more than zero.
“You could’ve at least kept your goons at bay,” Evelyn said. “I nearly blew their heads off.”
“Blame Liam for that,” Leah said before turning back. “‘Old friend who traveled the country with you…’ Seriously? Could you have been any more vague? Why didn’t you just give Charon your name, asshole? No one knows who you are.”
“Told you we were better off coming in on foot,” Evelyn followed.
“I wasn’t sure who we could trust,” Liam squeaked, now feeling the weight of both these women on him. “It felt safer.”
Leah grunted. “Safe went out the window the second you got down here. For fuck’s sake, I’ve got the whole valley under lock and key.”
“Look, you can give me a hard time for the execution of how we got here all you want, but that won’t change the facts of the situation. We are still in danger.”
Leah nodded. “Right, a bunch of guys in black cloaks. I’m telling you that there’s no Hunter crew called ‘The Inquisitors’. You sure they were Styx security?”
Liam shook his head. “I got a good look before I detonated the tunnel. The trim of their clothes was completely different. Not anything like what Charon or the others wear. They reminded me more like monks than the embodiment of death.”
“So you’re telling me that you’ve got a bunch of warrior monks chasing you?”
“All that we know is that we were attacked,” Evelyn said, leaning in. “I overheard them myself. They knew that we were there, Leah. As far as we know, the only ones left alive from Cheyenne are the three of us. Unless something’s changed.”
Leah sat still, her face revealing nothing from behind her scarf. The moment dragged on before their van came to an abrupt stop.
She knocked on the window to the driver’s seat. “How we looking?”
He opened the visor. “Area’s clear, my Lady.”
“Good.” She turned back. “Don’t think I ever told you what’s been happening around here, have I?”
“What’s that got to do with it?” Liam asked.
“You’ll see.” She opened the door and stepped outside, then nudged over her shoulder. “Come on, you’re good.”
Liam scooped his daughter into his arms and followed, with Evelyn behind.
They had reached the Lodge, with its immaculately trimmed hedges and sandstone walls. The crystalline windows were as polished as he remembered, and the water flowing through the fountains was just as clear. But what stole the breath from his lungs wasn’t the venue but those within. Or rather, the lack thereof. Though raw meat still lay on the plates in the outside dining area and soft music played from speakers, not a single soul remained in sight.
Leah marched onward, her steps echoing off the marble tiles. “After Cheyenne, I spent a while on the road. We’d had our wonderful adventure together, Liam, and I thought I’d live for myself, as you’d said. For a while, it worked too. I traveled the country, saw a lot, had my share of close calls. But I’d always had that itch. Like I’d left something unresolved back here.
“Turns out I was right. We like to pretend that Pandemonium is this well-oiled machine, but when push came to shove, Hades and Mother were the only ones keeping it together. After they were killed, the whole place fell apart. I’m not talking riots either. It was some next-level civil warfare shit, block by block as different bosses fought for control. Just like that, the one bastion for my race had been brought to the cusp of ruin while I was fucking around in the woods.
“I might not have been able to cure the Hollowing, but the least I could do was help those who still lived with it, like me. So I returned, cleared up the chaos, and made the city my own.”
Liam blinked through the stillness. The last time he’d been here, this building had overflowed with bodies. Hundreds of Hunters and workers were buzzing about, only ever concerned with their lives. And yet, Leah had cleared this entire place by simply snapping her fingers?
“Are you telling me that you lead Pandemonium now?” Liam asked. “I thought you told us that you were only the head of the Hunters.”
“‘The Head Huntress, Lady Leah,’” she said with a yawn. “Ruler? Commander? Monarch? Whatever word you want to use, it’s all one and the same around here. Just as it had been for Hades.”
“How the hell did you pull that off?”
She shrugged. “How does anyone do anything these days? Through bullets and blood, and lots of both.” She turned a corner, heading upstairs. “Anyway, the first thing I did after taking control was to track down survivors from our battle. There weren’t many. Only Xander’s crew had been there, and we took most of them out during the fight. I finished off the stragglers once I had the chance.”
“Are you sure you did?” Evelyn asked as she studied the empty halls around them. “Do you think they might’ve told someone? Maybe one of your enemies? Or Mother’s?”
Leah waved a hand. “Relax, Evelyn. This isn’t amateur hour. I bashed the appropriate skulls and took off the scalps I needed. If anyone else in Pandemonium knew about Cheyenne, I would’ve either discovered it a long time ago, or it would’ve hollowed out on its own.”
Evelyn stepped closer. “What about the names then? Do you remember any of them? Ezekiel? Amos? Hiram? Russell?”
She started to shake her head but then stopped halfway through. “What was that last one?”
“Russell?”
“I think there might’ve been… Shit.” She rubbed her head. “There was one small group under the last of Xander’s officers that made a break for it. I tracked them as far as Texas before losing the trail. Now that you mention it, one was named Russell or something. I forgot until now.”
Evelyn was aghast. “How could you forget?”
She stared dully. “Ever hear of this thing called the Hollowing? Tends to fuck with your memory over time.”
“So you’re telling me that some of them did get away then?”
“Still wouldn’t be enough to mount anywhere near an assault as big as you’re claiming. That’s more bodies than they’d be able to muster, even if they had an outpost backing them. And again, I would’ve known if they’d done that.”
“Could be that they’re with an Enclave then?” Liam considered. “You know, one of those smaller settlements that rezzers form outside of here?”
“Too big for any I’ve come across,” Leah said. “Either way, I don’t like it. Might be bandits. Might be traitors. Might be an Enclave for all I know. The good news is that now that you’re here, they won’t get anywhere near you. I’ll make sure of it.”
Liam grimaced. “Why do I have the nasty feeling that you’re about to say there’s some bad news with this?”
“Bad news is that driving right up to the gates will cost us both. Some of my men saw your daughter. They’re going to talk, and whoever they tell will talk too. Even if I manage to shut everyone up, there’s no telling how long I can keep the rumors down. Like it or not, either we take out these guys quickly, or we’ll have a bunch more breathing down your necks soon enough.”
“Great, so it isn’t enough that we have to fight another army of rezzers or reclaim Cheyenne and set up the defenses again. We must also do it before anyone learns we’re here?”
They reached the top floor and began to walk across a balcony.
“I told you that you’re a fucking idiot,” Leah said. “But at least this won’t be like the old days. It’s not just the two of us against the world, Liam. Now, I’ve got one at my beck and call.”
Liam watched as she leaned back against a railing, Pandemonium to her flank. Her Hunter’s badge shimmered in the midday sun, its canine skull shape cast in gold, where her older one had been mere silver. Buildings rose into the sky, with neon lights flooding the streets below. Though the Lodge remained empty, hordes of rezzers scurried about in the greater city. They all seemed so small and insignificant compared to the warrior standing in front. The woman who lorded over them all.
A new dawn rose in their world.
