Rage

TWENTY-FIVE

The commander, his helmet off, took steps forward. With armored gloves covering his hands, he whipped the back of one across Dan Hagar’s face, sending him flying to the floor.

Two Enforcers-their protective face masks covering their faces, making them look more like robots than men-stood to the side, each one locked on an arm of Loosum, holding her tight.

Dan saw his daughter pull against the grip of the two Enforcers.

“Bastard,” she spat.

“Loosum!” Dan said.

“The Visionary cautions against such disrespect of his emissaries. The rules of the Authority, in fact, make it a crime.”

His daughter-always a quick temper.

And this commander, someone of rank, his face marked by scars. Someone who had seen a lot of fighting, whether with mutants, bandits, or settlers.

Someone who knew exactly what he was doing.

“Get up.”

Dan stood up.

“Now-I will ask you again. The survivor. Where is he?”

Halek stood to the side, cringing. Dan knew if he had any hope of coming out of this, it would depend on Halek keeping his damn mouth shut.

“I told you. He was sent to the Outriggers and-”

The commander’s hand went up. “Yes, same story. You dealt him for supplies. Yet-somehow he escaped. Resourceful, wouldn’t you say?”

“He’s military. Trained.”

“We’ll see how trained he is. When we find him. But that’s the future. Let’s focus on the past a little while longer.” The commander started walking around the weapons shop, picking up odd pieces, looking at gun bores, stocks, bullet chambers. He stopped and turned. “So after he escaped… he came back here, yes?”

Dan shook his head. “Of course not! Why would he do that? If he escaped, if he knew we tried to deal him for the supplies we needed? Makes no sense.”

The commander walked over to Loosum. “You know, the Authority can always use new blood. Smart people, male, female, who know how to live out here. Who know the ways of the bandits, the settlers.” He raised a hand to Loosum’s cheek. Gave it a caress.

She whipped her head back.

“And as you know, the Authority doesn’t have to ask for volunteers. We take them.” He took a deep breath. “All for the good of the people.”

Dan’s eyes had locked on Loosum’s. She didn’t look scared. But she did look ready to explode. The wrong move, the wrong words, and she could get both of them in trouble.

“You there. In the shadows. Come here, into the light.”

Halek came forward, his face showing his fear.

“Tell me about this… ‘deal.’ ”

“This deal. Yes, it was… medical help for a survivor. That is what the Outriggers sent to us.”

“The deal went wrong?”

Dan watched Halek nod, lick his lips. So damn nervous. “Y-Yes… Commander.”

“Look,” Dan said, “my brother-”

The commander removed a control stick from his side, and smashed it into Dan’s midsection, doubling him up. The blow left Dan gasping, looking down at the ground, trying to get air into his lungs.

“You will wait for questions,” the commander said nonchalantly. “Next time, I’ll turn this on.” He directed his attention back to Halek. “Where do you think the survivor, this Raine, is?”

Dan looked at Halek, his brother’s eyes darting back and forth. If anyone looked like they were ready to lie, it was Halek.

Finally, Dan caught Halek’s eyes. Trying to project the message:

Shut the hell up.

“I-I, er, don’t really know. N-Not here. Of course not here-”

Said too damn fast.

The commander nodded. “Really. Then-where?”

“To Wellspring. The city. Has to be there.”

“Hasn’t shown up yet. Least as far as we can tell. Though with all the human cattle who come into the city, he could easily disappear. But sooner or later, everyone gets found.”

An Enforcer came up and whispered something in the commander’s ear.

He paused and turned back to Dan. “Oh, good news. A real prize has just been captured. A much bigger fish. I’m afraid… we’ll have to go.”

Maybe we’re off the hook, thought Dan.

“These settlements. You know, the Visionary tolerates them, as long as they are of use to the Authority and Capital Prime. That tolerance can end, Hagar. I’m sure you haven’t told me everything.”

“We have,” Dan said.

The commander dismissed that with a wave of his hand. “So here’s what we are going to do, in case the survivor comes here. Just in case this Raine shows up in your settlement… or you hear about him.” He leaned down, getting right in Dan’s face. “Or you get any damn information at all. A bit of encouragement for you to come forward and do your duty.”

He turned to the two Enforcers holding Loosum.

“Take her.”

“No!”

Two other Enforcers by the door, their guns ready, came and stood by the commander.

“It’s called the Authority for a reason, Dan-no matter what you think out here, we’re in control. The sooner you grasp that, the sooner you can see this pretty young girl. You might even want to do some digging yourself. Until that time… your daughter will be a guest in Capital Prime.”

“Sick bastards,” Loosum said as she was dragged away.

The Capital, Dan knew, was usually a one-way destination. Ostensibly anyone who went into its prison never came out. What did they do with the inmates? Kill them? Let them rot? Use them for experiments?

“Don’t,” Dan said. “Please. We’ve cooperated-”

He could still hear his daughter yelling as they dragged her into one of the Predators waiting outside. Just the appearance of the armored vehicles had been enough to clear the streets of the settlement when they arrived earlier that day.

One of the armed vehicles could obliterate the settlement in minutes.

“Listen to me, Hagar. Your daughter will be safe. My word, and the word of the Visionary. Just remember your part of the deal… let us know anything you hear about this survivor.”

“And if I hear nothing?”

The commander looked at the two faceless Enforcers, signaling them that it was time to leave. “Let’s just hope that somehow-for her sake-you do hear something.”

The commander reattached his control stick to the side of his uniform. He put on his own helmet, shaped like an Enforcer’s protective face mask, but with silvery insignia to indicate his status.

“I look forward to your news of the survivor.”

The commander turned and walked out of the shop.

The Enforcers stood a second longer, the necessary moments until they knew their officer was in the Predator. Then they, too, turned and left.

When the two Authority vehicles pulled away, roaring out of the settlement like avenging animals, Dan sat down. Loosum taken away, a price set for her freedom.

And Dan kept thinking, wondering… what was he going to do?

For now, he didn’t know at all.