James Axler – Demons of Eden

The pirates were just outside of blaster range. To fire at them would be a waste of ammunition. Ryan fixed his eye on the giant form of Hatchet Jack, and a fury swelled within him, the homicidal rage that made his heart and temples pound.

Up until that moment, Hatchet Jack and the Red Cadre were problems of a tactical nature, not personal. Now they became enemies to be destroyed.

Hatcher bellowed something. Because of the distance, the word was faint, but Ryan understood the meaning nonetheless. The word was “Soon.”

Chapter Seven

The westward horizon swallowed the sun, the dying rays turning the sky variegated shades of magenta and purple.

Fires flared in the street of Amicus. The faces of the people were bathed in flickering light, and red pinpoints gleamed from the many pairs of frightened eyes fixed upon Autry and Ryan. The crowd set up a clamor, wanting to know what was happening, and more importantly, how they should react.

Autry managed to quiet them with a few words and announced, “We’re in a predicament, but Amicus has been in a number of them during its short history.”

“Nothin’ like this!” a man croaked. “Not even when the Sioux had hairs up their asses did they bottle up the town this way.”

Autry ignored the outburst. “Inasmuch as we’re a democracy, I’m soliciting your opinions on our best course of action.”

That was the cue for a general bickering session to commence.

“What can we do against the Cadre?”

“They hold a grudge against us, remember?”

“Let’s absquatulate at first light!”

“First light, hell! Let’s get over the back hills now!”

Autry lifted calming hands. “Even if we could skulk out of here, and if the Cadre indeed harbors inimical feelings toward us, they could easily track us and catch us out in the open.”

“And if we stay here,” cried a man sounding half-crazed by fear, “we’ll die penned up like groundhogs!”

People shouted their agreement with that sentiment, voices clamoring at once, trying be heard over their neighbors. The Amicans went into criticisms of personal habits and snared themselves in their own arguments. They would switch sides or even forget on whose behalf they were speaking. Finally, when hands clutched at weapons, Ryan realized Autry had lost control of the democratic process, so he stood up beside him.

“Listen to me, listen to me !” Ryan had to yell in order to be heard over the frightened babblings. “This place is defensible. If the Cadre mounts a siege, we’ll be able to hit them hard every time they stage an attack.”

“And then what?” roared the man Doc had identified as Eli. “Our food supplies won’t last more than a week.”

“And the Cadre’s provender probably can’t be stretched out more than two days,” Ryan retorted.

“They can at least hunt,” a woman said. “We’ll be eating our dogs for breakfast if the Cadre decides to wait us out.”

Eli stabbed a grimy finger at Ryan. “It’s your scalp Hatchet Jack wants, outlander. I think we oughta just turn you over to him, all dressed out and gift wrapped.”

There was a muttering of agreement, and a segment of the crowd surged forward. Instantly Jak, Krysty, Doc, J.B. and Mildred materialized around Ryan, hands on blaster butts.

Autry lost his temper, shaking clenched fists. “You goddamn fools! Hatcher wouldn’t spare us now, no matter what we do to appease him. It’s a matter of principle, of pride. His ego won’t allow us to live!”

“What do you want us to do?” Micah asked, his voice quavering.

“All I want,” Autry snapped, “is for you to do something that might save your skins and the ville. God knows you’ve been leaving that responsibility up to others long enough.”

His declaration was countered by a few derisive hoots and sarcastic comments.

“I ain’t gonna die because of some outlanders,” Eli snarled. “There ain’t no need to.”

“Who’s asking you to die?” Ryan asked sharply. “If you can’t see the real threat, you’ll die with us outlanders, not because of us. That’s the godawful bastard truth.”

Felicity suddenly stepped into the firelight. Her face was an emotionless mask, and she spoke hesitantly. “My husbandyou all knew himwas murdered by the Cadre for no other reason than they wanted to murder someone and Spotted Hawk was close at hand. And it’s funny, since we came to Amicus three years ago so we wouldn’t always have to be looking backward to see who was going to shove a blade into us.”