Blood Red Road (45 page)

I say we take him out, says Ike. There’s six of us an only three of them.

Ike, he’s holdin a shooter to Emmi’s head, I says. The way I see it, we ain’t got no choice. I’m goin down.

No, says Lugh. We’ll think of somethin else. You cain’t go. I ferbid it.

She’s my sister, I says.

Jack catches my hand. I look down at him. I know what he’s thinkin.

If it’d bin Emmi they took, he says, Emmi an not Lugh
 … 
would you of gone after her?

When he asked me that question, back at Darktrees, the answer was no. If he asked me agin, if he asked me now, I’d answer yes. Without stoppin to think. Yes.

He squeezes my hand. Says, Whatever he says, don’t trust him. We’ll be coverin you.

Saba! Lugh says. Come back here!

I make my way down the hill, my feet slidin on the scree. I stop when I’m ten paces or so from Pinch an Emmi.

All right, Em? I says.

Yes, she whispers.

That’s my girl.

How touching, says Pinch. Throw your weapons down.

I pull my quiver over my head an lay it down beside my crossbow.

Is that it?

I nod.

Check her, he says to his men.

They dismount.

DeMalo walks towards me. That closed face. Those shadowed eyes that flick over my face, jest once, as he starts to pat me down. The feel of his hands on me. Quick. Light. Cool. I hold my breath. He finds the knife in my boot sheath.
He takes it, along with my bow an quiver.

She’s clean, he says to Pinch.

Take the child, he says. If Angel here tries anything, break her neck.

While the other Tonton covers me, DeMalo lifts Emmi down. Pinch slides from his horse. He lands badly, on his caged leg, an curses.

DeMalo hands Emmi back to him.

Pinch holds her in front of him, the bolt shooter to her head once agin. He takes a few steps towards me, swingin his leg. He’s wet through with sweat. Must be in a lotta pain.

I can smell him from here. That sour, sweet, rotten smell.

So, Pinch says. At last. The Angel of Death. The King has a personal score to settle with you.

What? I says. That I took my brother before you could burn him to death?

Your brother, he says. Of course. That tattoo on your cheekbone. The King should have killed you then and saved himself a lot of trouble. No, it’s not that.

Then what? I says.

He pulls his sheema away from his face. It’s a mess. Burned. Raw pulpy skin, angry an red. His gold face paint’s all flaked an melted into the flesh.

He stares at me, breathin high an fast. His black eyes hard. Full of hatred an … an somethin else. Madness.

Look what you’ve done, he says.

I says naught.

Look what you’ve done! He yells it.

It was a accident, I says. I didn’t mean to.

The King’s leg. Look what you did to his leg.

You was chasin us, I says, an the landboat turned over. I didn’t make it turn over. It was a accident.

They were not! Accidents! He screams it at the top of his voice. All the veins in his neck pop out an spit flies outta his mouth.

I take a step back. Emmi stares at me with huge eyes. Her face is white.

The King requires your life in payment, says Pinch. It’s simple. You give yourself to him and they all go free. Your precious brother, your innocent little sister and your friends.

I don’t say nuthin.

No one is holding you, he says. You’re free to walk away. But the moment you do, his finger will slip and … pop! No more little sister.

I stare at him. Frozen.

DeMalo’s watchin me, his face blank.

Think, Saba, think!

Ah, says Pinch, so many questions going through your mind. Does he have more men? Waiting out of sight? Your friends probably told you not to trust him. You’re thinking, how do I know if he’ll keep his word?

He pauses. Then, You don’t, he says. That’s what makes this so delicious.

Let her go, you bastard, I says.

His face twists. He backhands Emmi across the face an she falls to the ground. Right away, he hauls her back up by one arm. There’s a ugly red mark spreadin over her cheek.

Your fault, he says.

The red hot rushes through me. I’ll do whatever you want, I says, but you gotta let her go first.

A show of good faith? He shakes his head. No.

I feel sweat tricklin down my back. I look at Emmi. I look back at Lugh, Ike, Tommo, Ash. Watchin me. Waitin. An Jack.

Ah Jack.

None of ’em move.

The blood pounds in my ears. My heart’s in my throat. My belly twists.

I turn back to Pinch.

You win, I says.

I hold my hands up slowly.

He waves a hand. DeMalo stays where he is an the Tonton guard runs over. He jerks my hands behind me an ties ’em tight.

Now let my sister go, I says.

Pinch don’t move. He jest stands there, starin at me fer a long long moment. Then his lips stretch in his ruined face. He’s smilin.

For every winner, he says, there must be a loser.

He raises a hand. DeMalo lifts a twisted piece of metal to his lips an blows. A loud noise splits th’air. A flock of birds rises up in a flurry

I look around wildly, my heart racin.

Tonton step outta the woods at the top of the hill. Right behind Lugh an the rest. Twelve of ’em, with crossbows an bolt guns aimed an at the ready. They must of circled out to come at the hill from the north.

I hear a strange sound. Like … a hammer poundin a nail in. I whirl around.

Behind Pinch, from the direction of Freedom Fields, even more Tonton, at least fifty armed men by the look of it, come into view. They run towards us, across the plain, keepin in step with each other. The ground shakes as they approach.

Tricked.

Trapped.

No way out.

The Tonton line up in formation behind DeMalo.

I watch as my friends lay down their weapons. Jack an Ike, Lugh an Ash an Tommo. The Tonton on the hill make ’em all lie flat on the ground with their hands behind their heads. They git a kick in the back when they resist.

So.

After everythin we done, after all we bin through, this is the way it ends. Not even the chance to die fightin. To die together.

Twelve Tonton on the hill. Another fifty down here. Pinch ain’t gonna let us die easy. My mouth’s dry. The red hot’s gone.

I’m small. Weak. Alone.

Saba, says Emmi. Saba, do somethin. She starts to cry.

Please, I says to Pinch. You got no reason to hurt her. Let her an the boy go. They ain’t done you no harm.

Oh no, he says, they’ll be the first. So the rest of you can see what’s in store for you.

I go down onto my knees. Please, I says. Let ’em go.

A long pause. Then,

No, he says.

I look to DeMalo. Our eyes meet.

Help me.

My lips move. But no words come out.

Pinch strokes Emmi’s face with the bolt shooter.

Slowly or quickly, he says. Cutting or shooting. He kisses the top of her head, looking at me.

Please, I says. Please.

He breathes in deeply. There’s nothing like it, is there? he says. The smell of fear.

Suddenly a hoarse cry rings out—caw! caw! caw!

A black bird sails out over the red ridge to the west.

It’s a crow.

My heart stops.

Time stops.

There’s a low rumble of hoofs. A long line of horses an riders appears at the edge of the ridge. It’s the Free Hawks. But it’s more’n jest them. There must be another thirty or so riders who ain’t Hawks. Maev’s right in the middle. Nero swoops above me, screamin in triumph.

The red hot kicks me in the gut. Slams into action. I leap to my feet.

Nero! I yell.

A small group of Free Hawks, maybe ten of ’em, come runnin outta the woods on Pine Top Hill. They take the Tonton completely by surprise. Lugh, Jack an the rest leap up an grab their weapons. The fightin starts.

Maev comes thunderin down the ridge in a cloud of red
dust, with the riders spread out behind her. They whoop an holler as they head straight fer the Tonton lined up behind DeMalo. Arrows fly ahead of ’em. The Tonton start to reel back, scream, as they hit their mark.

What? shrieks Pinch. What is this? He looks around, frantic.

DeMalo walks towards me. He’s got my bow an quiver slung on his back. He’s holdin my knife in his hand.

That’s it! says Pinch. Slice her!

DeMalo stands in front of me. He drops my bow and quiver at my feet.

What … what are you doing? says Pinch.

DeMalo puts his arms around me. Holds my eyes. With one slash, he cuts the ropes tyin my hands behind my back.

DeMalo! Pinch yells.

Until next time, DeMalo says softly. He tosses the knife on top of my other weapons. He turns to go.

DeMalo! Pinch screams. Are you mad?

DeMalo swings hisself onto his horse an rides off, away from the action, back in the direction of Freedom Fields. A few of the Tonton see him go an run after him.

DeMalo! Pinch howls after him. DeMalo! Where are you going? Attack! Attack! He circles like a mad dog, wavin his bolt shooter. His lips is drawn back over his teeth. Like a wild animal in a trap. He’s still holdin Emmi to his chest. She looks terrified.

I run at him, leap at him feet first. I kick his hand an the shooter flies up in the air. He yells in pain, spins away.

Run, Emmi! I yell.

Pinch lunges at me. A arrow whistles through th’air. Hits him in the chest. He screams. He staggers an falls back. I look to see who’s saved me.

Maev gallops up. She’s got Hermes in tow behind her. He rears up, squealin with excitement.

About time, I says. Who’re yer friends?

The raiders from the western road, she says. We called a truce. They’re a wild crowd. When they heard there might be a fight, I couldn’t keep ’em away. She tosses me Hermes’ reins. Just outta interest, do you go lookin fer trouble, or does it jest find you?

I wish I knew, I says.

See you later! she says. She rides off to join in the fight.

I swing Emmi onto Hermes. Put the reins into her hands.

I point to the ridge that the Hawks jest rode down. See that? Git yerself to the top. Stay outta the way till this is over an fer gawdsake, hang on this time.

But I wanna fight! she says. You gotta let me stay an fight!

No way! Heeya! I slap Hermes on the rump an he takes off like a shot. He’ll keep her safe.

Up on Pine Top Hill, the fight’s over. All quiet. Them twelve Tonton’s eether dead or fled.

Lyin on the ground below, Pinch ain’t movin. A arrow sticks outta his chest. He won’t be gittin up no time soon.

Nero calls. He swoops down. I hold up my arm an he lands
on it. I stroke his feathers, kiss his soft black head, breathe in his dusty bird smell. Gawdammit, Nero, I says. You sure took yer time.

He’s a crow that likes excitement, Nero. If there’s somethin happenin, he ain’t gonna hang around. He flaps his wings at me, caw-caws an flies off to watch the action from high above.

I start runnin. Head fer the thick of the fight. Hawks, western road raiders an my friends aginst the Tonton. Excitement races through my body, speeds my feet.