nothing.”
Within seconds Kat witnessed four flaming arrows soaring through the sky to land on the wooden roof of the church. She didn’t panic until she saw two red jerricans of gasoline tilted on their sides on the front steps.
Struggling against her chains, she screamed, “You cock-sucking son of a bitch! I’m going to fucking rip out your spine with my bare hands!”
Chuckling, Sar said, “Did you really think we’d let them live?” He patted the transport driver on the shoulder. “Let’s roll!”
With that, the transport roared to life and pulled away, tugging the horse with it.
Kat watched in horror as the animal walked out from under Hades and left him swinging by the neck with the church starting to burn behind him.
“No!” She yanked on her bindings again. She pulled and twisted until blood poured down her arms and dripped onto the vehicle. She pulled until a chain link burst. She pulled even more, but it wasn’t enough.
The metal held, and she fell to her knees, unable to hold in her grief any longer. As the transport sped up, she continued to watch as Hades struggled against the rope. She prayed to God that the branch would break. That it was not strong enough to support his weight.
But it held.
And Kat couldn’t watch anymore. She closed her eyes and curled into a ball as agonizing sobs racked her body.
6
I am going to die.
The thought circled his mind as Hades continued to struggle against the rope choking him. The more he struggled, the tighter the noose became. But he couldn’t stop and let death take him.
He’d been a fighter for too long to let go so easily.
His head pounded like a drum, especially behind his bulging eyes, as his air supply dwindled.
Thankfully he had a solid neck, but it wasn’t thick enough to keep the heavy rope from squeezing him like a vise. He had maybe another minute before he passed out and died.
He shouldn’t have let Kat make the deal. He knew the cowardly Dwellers wouldn’t keep their word. The sound of the raging fire behind him confirmed all his fears. He was going to die, so were the villagers, and so would Kat. He knew she wouldn’t allow them to take her to Baruch now. She would fight them the whole way and be shot down in the end.
Would they meet again in the afterlife? He certainly hoped so. There were many things he still needed to tell her.
Consumed by his maudlin thoughts, Hades almost missed the shape running through the town square. But he certainly saw the shotgun pointed at his head. Just as the blast resounded through the air, he closed his eyes and prepared for the end.
“Hades!”
Someone slapped him across the face. Was he in hell and the devil himself had come to wake him?
Slowly he opened his eyes.
A pale, young face with big brown eyes stared down at him. Satan sure is scrawny looking. And female?
“Take in some air, my friend. I need to save the villagers.”
Hades rolled over onto his side and sucked in much needed oxygen, which just caused him to cough and choke some more. Through the tears in his eyes, he watched as Leucothea rushed up the church steps and tore at the barricade blocking the doors. He didn’t think she’d be able to push the heavy timber out of the way before flames encompassed her.
Flipping over onto his stomach, Hades pushed himself up to his knees and started to crawl toward her. Maybe he could make it in time.
With one final shove, Leucothea moved the wood, and the door to the church burst open as the villagers scrambled out and down the steps to safety.
With a sigh of relief, Hades collapsed where he was and closed his eyes against the dark pain reeling in his head. He was very close to passing out. Between the blossoming pain from his ribs, which he was sure were broken, and his throbbing head, it surprised him that he still was able to move.
He cried out as he felt several hands on him, trying to turn him over. He opened his eyes and saw a number of faces looking down at him.
Within seconds Kat witnessed four flaming arrows soaring through the sky to land on the wooden roof of the church. She didn’t panic until she saw two red jerricans of gasoline tilted on their sides on the front steps.
Struggling against her chains, she screamed, “You cock-sucking son of a bitch! I’m going to fucking rip out your spine with my bare hands!”
Chuckling, Sar said, “Did you really think we’d let them live?” He patted the transport driver on the shoulder. “Let’s roll!”
With that, the transport roared to life and pulled away, tugging the horse with it.
Kat watched in horror as the animal walked out from under Hades and left him swinging by the neck with the church starting to burn behind him.
“No!” She yanked on her bindings again. She pulled and twisted until blood poured down her arms and dripped onto the vehicle. She pulled until a chain link burst. She pulled even more, but it wasn’t enough.
The metal held, and she fell to her knees, unable to hold in her grief any longer. As the transport sped up, she continued to watch as Hades struggled against the rope. She prayed to God that the branch would break. That it was not strong enough to support his weight.
But it held.
And Kat couldn’t watch anymore. She closed her eyes and curled into a ball as agonizing sobs racked her body.
6
I am going to die.
The thought circled his mind as Hades continued to struggle against the rope choking him. The more he struggled, the tighter the noose became. But he couldn’t stop and let death take him.
He’d been a fighter for too long to let go so easily.
His head pounded like a drum, especially behind his bulging eyes, as his air supply dwindled.
Thankfully he had a solid neck, but it wasn’t thick enough to keep the heavy rope from squeezing him like a vise. He had maybe another minute before he passed out and died.
He shouldn’t have let Kat make the deal. He knew the cowardly Dwellers wouldn’t keep their word. The sound of the raging fire behind him confirmed all his fears. He was going to die, so were the villagers, and so would Kat. He knew she wouldn’t allow them to take her to Baruch now. She would fight them the whole way and be shot down in the end.
Would they meet again in the afterlife? He certainly hoped so. There were many things he still needed to tell her.
Consumed by his maudlin thoughts, Hades almost missed the shape running through the town square. But he certainly saw the shotgun pointed at his head. Just as the blast resounded through the air, he closed his eyes and prepared for the end.
“Hades!”
Someone slapped him across the face. Was he in hell and the devil himself had come to wake him?
Slowly he opened his eyes.
A pale, young face with big brown eyes stared down at him. Satan sure is scrawny looking. And female?
“Take in some air, my friend. I need to save the villagers.”
Hades rolled over onto his side and sucked in much needed oxygen, which just caused him to cough and choke some more. Through the tears in his eyes, he watched as Leucothea rushed up the church steps and tore at the barricade blocking the doors. He didn’t think she’d be able to push the heavy timber out of the way before flames encompassed her.
Flipping over onto his stomach, Hades pushed himself up to his knees and started to crawl toward her. Maybe he could make it in time.
With one final shove, Leucothea moved the wood, and the door to the church burst open as the villagers scrambled out and down the steps to safety.
With a sigh of relief, Hades collapsed where he was and closed his eyes against the dark pain reeling in his head. He was very close to passing out. Between the blossoming pain from his ribs, which he was sure were broken, and his throbbing head, it surprised him that he still was able to move.
He cried out as he felt several hands on him, trying to turn him over. He opened his eyes and saw a number of faces looking down at him.
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