The Bargaining Path

  ***

  “What's your count?” Don whispered after we had ducked down behind the wooden outpost. The stand was most typically stocked with plants and tonics that induced mind-altering effects, specifically ones that involved heightened arousal and more adept physical endurance, if one catches my drift.

  “I count twelve.” Savannah told us.

  “I count twelve, too.” I answered, “What is your count? Don?”

  Savannah and I both looked in his direction.

  “Do you think this stuff really works?” He held up a bottle bearing a sticker with a very obscene picture of male genitalia engorged to ridiculous proportions.

  “The fact that you are asking me that at a time like this is aggravating. The fact that you are asking me that at all is disturbing, and quite humiliating for you.”

  “God, it’s not even like that!” He whispered with furious indignation, “I’m asking you because you're smart, and you’re the only person here to ask, and it's not humiliating because I don't need it, but it would be a good additive. It would be extra.” He was stumbling over his words in an attempt to explain. “You know what, if you knew who I was competing with, you wouldn't be looking at me like that right now.”

  Savannah was snorting through her nose as she tried to stifle her laughter, but I was too focused on the torches to be truly amused. Later, though, I would guffaw quite ridiculously at that moment with my so-called “leader.”

  “I am going to draw them to me.” I told them, “I am going to meet them right at the circle, and see what they want.”

  “We know what they want, Brynna!” Don hissed at me, “They want to come in here and kill us all! Does the ash circle keep everyone out?”

  “No.” I answered, “Just the tree-people. I do not think that they are here to fight. Twelve people will last mere seconds against us.”

  “There are only three of us.” Savannah whispered.

  “They do not know that, and even so, we are three mutated people, who are capable of speed and agility, and who have been blessed with rabid fighting skills. They have guns, and who knows how many? We have fifteen of theirs, and then all the Pangaean weapons. I do not know how many guns my father brought with him. No, they want to parlay.”

  “Parlay?” Savannah asked, “I've heard the term before, but what does it mean again? And also, why are you using the term 'parlay?'”

  “Yeah, yeah, yeah, parlay.” Don was nodding vigorously. “They want to make a deal.”

  “I remember now! That word was in that pirate movie!” Savannah said with a snap of her fingers, and both Don and I chuckled.

  “It was.” I told her, “It was also used throughout history. The film's depiction of how the term was used, namely amongst pirates and miscreants, is historically accurate. I loved those films.” I sighed heavily, “Ah, the joys of memory lane. I do so miss going to the theater to see films. Anyway...” The adrenaline was beginning to pump through us as we prepared for the fight, making all of our thoughts, even the most irrelevant, form into words that we spoke quickly. “Here is my plan, lady and gentleman.” I stopped and shook my head back and forth rapidly, “I did not mean for that to rhyme. Either way, Savannah, I want you to stay here and cover me. Don, you will come with me to parlay. It would be convenient if we had another able-bodied man or woman to crouch on the other side of this kiosk, as we would then be covered completely.”

  “Well, everyone is probably still crawling around in their houses. But I could go get your brother at the infirmary, which is approximately thirteen hundred nine hundred and seventy two yards from here. Does that sound about right?”

  We both started to answer, but she continued talking.

  “Give me three minutes, I can get there, find him or someone else…”

  “Ideally, someone else…” I added in quickly.

  “Yes, someone who isn't injured that badly, and I’ll bring them back here, and they can use this pistol.” Savannah pulled a pistol from her belt that I had seen her take from the arms cabinet in the infirmary. Yes, in times of war, even the infirmary needed to be armed.

  “That seems like a legitimate plan. But honestly, if you bring back Elijah, you might as well bring back a tree-beast. I would trust the latter far more than I would trust the former right now.”

  “Well, we’ll see what I can do in three minutes.”

  “Three minutes exactly?” I clarified with her.

  “Of course.”

  “Alright. I am counting.”

  She zoomed off and returned, beaming brightly, with Eli by her side.

  “He was right on the steps crying! I didn’t even have to go inside and look for him!” Her smile faded abruptly when she saw my face, “I know you wanted someone else.”

  “I was not crying!” Eli snapped at her, though even in the darkness, I could see how puffy his eyes were.

  “Whatever. Beggars can’t be choosers, as they say.” I rolled my eyes skyward and heaved a great sigh. “Elijah, my brother, so blinded in love for a woman I despise that he would attempt to kill me by pushing me over the ash-circle, no doubt at said woman’s behest… Please take that pistol from the hysterical Dr. Mack and try not to shoot me in the back with it while I parlay with the Old Spirits. Thank you!”

  “What? I would never do that! You think I would shoot you in the back?”

  “Oh, I am sorry. Do you have dignity? Integrity? Would you shoot me in the front?”

  “Brynna, you’re my sister! I wouldn’t shoot you at all!”

  “Right. Because pushing me over the ash-circle into the trebestia-infested woods did not have almost the same effect. It was certainly done to achieve the same means that shooting me would achieve. You were trying to kill me.”

  “Listen, she never said what was in the woods. She just said if I did it, she’d… Look, she knew I was mad at you for getting back with James, and if you want to talk about integrity, let’s just look at him for a second…”

  “Let us not. Come along, Don Abba. We have governmental duties to uphold. Savannah, keep one eye on the parlaying, and one eye on him. If it looks like he is going to shoot me…” My eyes turned over white briefly as I looked at him, “…shoot him first.”

  “Aye-aye, Captain!” She told me, before giggling hysterically. “I’m sorry… So much adrenaline…”

  I strode ahead before Elijah could even get out one word of protest.

  “It was him?” Don asked.

  “Yes.”

  “But why?”

  “Because he is in love.” I dragged the word out, mimicking Don’s habit of doing the same when he was incredulous or confused. “But that is neither here nor there, as they say. Here they come.”

  The woman they were holding was dressed head to toe in black and wearing a bag over her head. They were careful to keep the torchlight away from her so that I could just see her shadow; just from that, I could not discern if she was thin or round, let alone if her bone structure resembled my mother's. My father's arm was linked around her neck, holding her close to him as his eyes, so black in the darkness, bore with powerful spite into mine. Of course, his spite was nothing compared to my own.

  “Where is he, Brynna? Today is the day, isn't it?” My father asked.

  Beneath the hood, the woman gave a feeble cry that was muffled. Beside me, Don stared at her hungrily.

  “Look at me.” I hissed at him. “You remember what you said, do you not?”

  “I do.” Don nodded vigorously and blinked his massive blue eyes several times. “You're right. You're right, I'm sorry.”

  “Those tree demons must have really done a number on y'all.” One of the men standing on one side of Rich Bachum informed me snidely. “That's where your almighty leader is, ain't it? Probably holed up, crying for his bitch-mother.”

  “He is on his way.” I informed him, “Now, he is unaware that he is walking into a trap, so I highly recommend that you all hide behind the largest trees you can find, and then ambush hi
m. She will more than likely be with him, but she is not that hard to take down. I did so just this morning. Now, because I am not a fool, I will require that one of you remain right there...” I pointed, “…behind that oak, with her so that as soon as Adam and Janna are grabbed, you can throw her to me. I do not want any trouble. I just want to make the exchange. Are we clear and agreed on that?”

  “Do you really think that I am going to take orders from you?” Rich snarled at me.

  After an over dramatic gasp, I turned my head on the side so I could see the thick, jagged lines of flesh jutting out in long, white puffs down one side of Rich's face; his skin was like a hard egg shell and the fleshy scar looked like the whites and yolk, bursting through a crack in that shell after the egg had become too hot.

  “My stars...” I shook my head slightly. “Nice face, Ace. I did not notice that the last time we met. Perhaps the darkness was just too potent. Perhaps I was distracted. Oh, well, it does not matter. My sister got you good, as they say.”

  The woman jerked forward, trying to break my father's grasp, struggling against the ropes keeping her hands behind her back.

  “I don't think so, honey. You're not leaving me yet. Not until she holds up her end of the deal. You thought you got rid of her, didn't you?”

  “I asked if we are clear and in agreement on the terms I have set forth. If you would like for me to call out to Adam and set this plan into motion, then I recommend you either take the terms, or we can settle this other ways.”

  “No. There is no need for that.” Another man I did not recognize told me. He was Pangaean, more than likely standing in for Tyre.

  “How is your wife?” I asked Rich, just to infuriate him further. “Is she well? I have not killed her yet, as your sniveling mind suggested I would just before you ran from our fight in the city. Oh...” I grimaced comically. “I do not care for your angry face. With your injuries, you look like a comic book villain.”

  “Look at that! He does!” Don told us. “Alright, gentlemen, are we taking the deal or what?”

  “We're taking the deal.”

  “Good then.”

  “Look at how she ignores you. How she pretends you're not even here.” My father was whispering in the ear of the woman I knew now was not my mother. Whoever she was, her thoughts were screaming that I was being played and that soon, I would know that. She feared that I would discover that she was not my mother long before the trade was made, and that she would be dragged off, back to the Bachum camp, where she had disobeyed too many times. That was how she had landed in her current predicament; she had tried to run, she had fought others, fought the husband they had forced on her after they had taken her long-time boyfriend and married him off to another woman because they were too “passionate.”

  Frenzied convulsions of sobs took hold of her, and my father looked pleased with himself and pleased with her. She was playing the part, just like she had been told. He believed that I was buying their act without question, but he forgot that I wielded a great power. Actually, he did not forget, he simply underestimated, which was unsurprising, given his bottomless stupidity and his blinding arrogance.

  The woman's boyfriend had helped her escape, telling her he would follow her tracks in the snow that same day. He had told her to run and just keep running; he would find her. But it had been Rich and her new husband who had found her and dragged her back. Their punishment had been public, though I could not see what it was. All I knew was that it ended in her boyfriend being sent off into the wilderness on his own, with no shoes or coat, and that the wind and snow had whipped up behind him almost like nature was cracking a whip at him as punishment...

  “I do not like playing games.” I said, because I could not bear to see anymore. “Daniel, do you remember when I was a little girl how very little I enjoyed games in which people deceived other people? There were many card games that Maura and I played together back then, ones that required what is now most frequently referred to as a 'poker face.' We were not playing poker; no, I had many vices that I could have learned from her, but gambling was not one of them. But I did not like them because it was always my belief that one should never deceive, because deception it is dishonorable. Granted, I have relaxed my principles on that here of late, and goodness knows my boyfriend and the truth have a troubled relationship, but still, lies like this one right here irk me terribly. Do you honestly think that I believe this is my mother?”

  There was silence between us all.

  “Don, they were trying to play us.” I looked at Don and beckoned with my eyes towards the forest. He looked where I was directing him, beyond the heads of the men and woman standing there beside us. The tree-people had gathered but could not approach because of the firelight.

  “That is very rude.” Don said.

  “It is. So, could you do something for me to make my irritation dissipate?”

  “Anything, my dear.”

  “You know how I love the rain, how I find it calming. Could you whip up a storm for me?”

  “I could. You know how I hate liars. I hate men who hide guns behind their backs.” He pointed at two men, and two shots fired from two sides of us. Elijah and Savannah had taken their shots and hit their targets perfectly. Two men crumpled to the ground, dropping their guns beside them. It appeared that they were the only ones who were armed, but the other men were scrambling to pick up the weapons.

  “I hate when people insult my intelligence, when they underestimate what we are capable of.”

  “Of what we are capable…” I corrected him quietly, my eyes turned skywards.

  “Who do you think you all are dealing with?!” Don shouted, and overhead, the thunder began to rumble.

  “With whom do you think you all are dealing?” I corrected him under my breath, still looking up at the sky as the clouds began to swirl.

  “You think we're stupid?!” He continued, his body trembling viciously, his eyes burning red. “You think we're that easily played?! Well, let me show you right now that it's a mistake to underestimate us.”

  “You stop it! You stop it!” My father was bellowing as he backed up into the woods, getting closer and closer to the tree-people. The rain began to fall in soft drops spaced apart at first.

  “Let me show you how much you’re going to hate this world once it’s ours!”

  Quite perfectly, the rain began to pour and immediately, the fire light was extinguished. In a flash, I jumped over the ash barrier, grabbed the woman and both of the guns, and jumped back over just as the trebestia attacked.

  “Nice playing with you, boys!” I called over my shoulder before jumping back over the circle. Savannah and Elijah came out, completely drenched by the rain just like Don and I were. They held their guns on the ten men who had just turned around to face their natural, monstrous enemies. When one man tried to run over the barrier to safety, Savannah shot him down with ease and cocked the gun for another hit, her expression set in stone. In the flashes of lightning, I watched one unfortunate Pangaean man get lifted off his feet and bitten right in the face by one of the largest, most demonic-looking trebestia.

  Of course, my father and Rich scrambled away, Rich firing his shotgun wildly over his shoulder in our direction but missing by many feet. Indifferently and unanimously, we all looked sideways as one of his bullets hit a barrel beside us and sent wood flying in all directions.

  “Do you see how easy that was? That is what happens when a colony is run by all men.” I told Savannah as we both shook our heads in the upmost condescension. “God or Gods, I am starting to think we have nothing to fear from these people…”