James Axler – Gemini Rising

“Mebbe,” Overton said thoughtfully. “But not for certain. Those packs of dogs they have are a formidable weapon.

“Besides,” he added, annoyed, “our boss wants everything low-key and quiet. Don’t let the neighbors know what’s going on here until it’s too late for them to do anything.”

“Bah,” Ki said, making a face. “I detest stealth.”

“Tough.” Placing the dusty wine bottle on a rolltop desk, Overton took a key from a pouch inside his belt and unlocked a drawer. Reaching inside, he withdrew headphones, clicked the switch and worked the dial on a old-style portable shortwave radio. Frowning, he flipped a gang bar, boosting the flow of power from the nuke battery to the maximum. After several minutes, he turned off the electronic machine.

“Still too much static,” he said, removing the headphones and tucking them beside the shortwave radio. “Damn thing will never reach the cave, much less headquarters. Better send a pigeon. Do we have one?”

“Six came in the caravan with Stephen.”

“Tell the boss what happened and ask for instructions.”

“At once. However, there are many sting-wings about nowadays, and sometimes the birds don’t arrive.”

Locking the drawer, Overton nodded in understanding. “An interesting idea, but we dare not try. The sec men are loyal to him and the great project, not to me.”

Ki gave a bow of respect. “What now?”

“I’m going to a party,” Overton growled, brandishing the bottle as if it were a club. “You stay with Nathan. Monitor his every move. Don’t ever let the man talk privately with Ryan.”

“And what about the others?” the sec man asked softly.

“Send some of the boys to see what they know.”

“But be sure to leave them alive,” Ki suggested. “So we don’t incur Ryan’s famous temper. A hostage, perhaps?”

“We have enough of those,” Overton snorted. “Kill his friends, rape them, castrate them, nail them to a wall and feed their guts to the hogs. I don’t care. Just get me some information!”

As the door slammed shut behind the baron, Ki chuckled softly and withdrew a long thin knife from a sheath attached to his forearm. The blade was abnormally thin, as if a regular knife had been honed to beyond razor sharpness.

“By your command, my lord,” he said with a chuckle, stabbing his palm with the blade and watching the blood drip like rubies onto the cold stone floor.

OVERTON HEARD THE CELEBRATION long before he entered the main dining hall; badly played music and off-key singing were rampant in the fortress. People cheered his approach for the first time ever, servants bowed with respect and sec men in brown shuts actually saluted.

He returned the gesture smartly, all the while marveling over the incredible change. That vagabond from Deathlands gave him a hug, and now the people who were ready to die protecting their baron bowed before him in homage.

Stupid cows, he sneered privately. They all deserved to die.

Throwing open the doors to the great hall, Overton was buffeted by the waves of heat and light, the smells and cheers of the people and the musicians in the corner struggling to force tunes from their instruments.

“Here it is!” he cried, slamming the bottle down on the table. “The last of the predark wine.”

A steward produced a corkscrew and opened the bottle, intending to let it breathe for a few minutes. But someone grabbed the container and started to fill glasses.

“To the new allegiance!” cried a drunken sec man, slopping some of the wine onto the table.

“To peace,” Nathan said, lifting his mug listlessly.

“To victory,” Overton added, forcing a smile on his face.

“Death to our enemies,” Ryan finished, slamming his mug into theirs so hard the pewter was almost knocked from their hands.

Everybody else at the table lifted mugs along with the Cawdors, J.B., Doc and the others sipping their well water and acting as if it were strong home brew.

As the three Cawdor men tossed off their drinks, servants poured new ones from clay jugs.

“It’s been quite a while since you were last in this room in happy times, hasn’t it, Uncle?” Nathan said.

“Having just as much fun,” Ryan admitted.