Banished Worlds (6 page)

Big Chin forgot we were fighting. He played to the cheers.

The jaw hurt, I spit blood, but the body shots had been absorbed by the second skin armor. I punched Big Chin in the groin which made him freeze, but I did not freeze. I put my left elbow, with my weight behind it, to the side of his left knee. He screamed and fell to the ground beside me. I punched the knee again as Big Chin grabbed for the inside of his jacket.

I saw the butt of his gun and jumped on top of him. We both pulled the weapon out of his shoulder holster, struggling for control. I managed to jerk it free from the injured compound boss. Even though I still barely had a grip on the gun, I pushed it under Big Chin’s jaw and fired. He stopped his struggling, or moving at all, and the gun’s recoil caused it to fly from my hand to sliding across the open floor.

I was tired. The gun was some ten feet away and laying at Bender’s feet. He and I stared at one another, and both of us looked toward the gun. Everyone was still and silent. They did not expect Big Chin to be dead.

Bender bent over and picked up the weapon. He walked slowly toward me with the gun in his hand. We stared hard at one another.

“You dropped this, Boss,” he said and held the gun, butt first, out to me. “We need to get you upstairs to a proper dinner and see how you want to start the day tomorrow.”

I took the gun and he took hold of my hand to help me to my feet. Jenkins, Roberts, and Bikes moved in around us. “Bikes, get Big Chin’s holster for me, would you please, and check out his pockets. Anything you don’t want, bring it to me. Jenkins, Roberts, with us. Bender, lead on please and everyone else stay.”

“Sir, what’s your name,” someone in the crowd yelled.

“Danbeu,” Bender yelled to the crowd, “Boss Danbeu, now back to your places.”

We all headed up to Big Chin’s quarters, now mine. The air conditioning felt great after my day, so far. Once inside, I ordered the room cleared of anyone not invited, then turned to Jenkins. “I need new bodyguards, ones you trust, and send these guys to the red section, or wherever you like.”

Jenkins nodded and left.

Bikes had not finished with Big Chin yet, so that left me, Roberts, and Bender alone. I turned to him. “Okay, why?” I asked.

Bender’s eyes jerked to Roberts, then back to me; it was an involuntary reaction.

“Understand,” I replied.

“I figured it this way, if you lost, I got your woman.” Bender looked to Roberts. “I could make life easy for you here, you’d come around eventually.” Bender looked back to me. “If you won, which I didn’t think you would, you’d have me to thank for moving you up in the world.”

“You have to be kidding,” Roberts said, stepping closer to Bender. It sure looked like she was going to hit him, so I cut her off.

“He had a goal and a plan to reach it. I can see it, even if we do not agree with it, I understand his plan. One thing, Bender, you ever try something like this against me again and I’ll gut you like a fish! Clear?”

Bender swallowed hard. “Yes, sir.”

“Now, leave. Have Jenkins put the guards outside of the doors and you come back just before morning. Jenkins’ demo team is down until I say differently. Other than that, business as usual. Go.”

“Yes, sir.” Bender departed, which left Roberts and I alone. I moved to the chairs at the table and sat down. Roberts followed, but remained standing.

“Are you okay?” she asked. “That was a lot of punches to the body.” She knelt down in front of me, stared up into my face with those crystal blue eyes, and I was lost in the past. “Are you in there?” she asked. Concern showed in her expression.

“Price’s second skin armor works well. I’m fine, but tired.”

Roberts stood up. “Come on, Chin had to have a bed up here somewhere.”

I sat up straight. “One kiss and it’s to bed, huh? I have been out of the network too long.”

She laughed, forced herself to stop, but took hold of my hand and pulled me to my feet. “You rest, I will be on guard. A few hours of sleep, sleep only, clear?”

We found the bed, and like the rest of Chin’s place, it was the best of what they had to offer in the compound. There were clean, fresh sheets behind a thick drawn curtain that separated the bed area from the rest of the upper level quarters.

“You can’t tell me that more than a handful of people know about the condition of this place, of Chin’s way of life up here, and his guards, as opposed to theirs down there. Somehow, I doubt even little Bender knew the full extent of this place.”

“There are enough people down there that if they did, there would have been a riot. They would have rushed him and the area guards, guns or not,” Roberts agreed, as I started to sit down on the bed. “You’re filthy. First, pull your dirty clothes off.”

“First, you want me in bed and now, you want my clothes off.” I grinned. I kicked off my boots, pulled off my jacket and top shirt, then removed my pants before I stretched out in the bed. “Your turn,” I said and patted the bed next to me.

“I’m on guard duty and you have as much chance at anything else as Bender would have.” Roberts folded her arms across her chest with her left hip kicked out and stared down at me. “I’m going to check out the rest of this level, get some sleep.”

I nodded, rolled to my side, and closed my eyes. Sleep came easily after the long day and the fight, but it was not restful. I woke from dreams of my past before prison when I was an agent. My partner, Marty, and I used to run around together; me, Marty and his family since I did not have one. I sat up, listened to voices out in the living quarter’s area, collected my pants from the floor, and dressed as I headed toward the voices. Roberts, Jenkins, and Bender sat at the table.

“Hey, the new boss is awake.” This came from Jenkins, as I approached, then sat down.

Roberts pushed a plate of food my direction. It was a steak with vegetables. “It seems the prisoner supply drops are made, but are stored for management use only.”

I had the only plate of food with just water in front of everyone else. A stack of steaks and bowls of cooked vegetables sat in the middle of the table. “I see. We’ll have to look into that after we all eat.”

I motioned for the others to grab plates and dig in which they did. I was going to need reliable Intel until Roberts and I found the girl, and left the planet. Buying that Intel with a steak or two, or even five was fine with me. Loyalty was priceless when you needed it. They all took a plate, loaded it up, and started to eat. I looked to Bender. “Bring me up to speed.”

Bender took a drink of his water to wash down the mouth full of food. “Day shifts are in soon. The people that needed to know about the change in management have been informed, and I don’t see any issues there for a while. They will obey you until the next change.”

I looked to Jenkins and thought to myself. Which people needed to know about the change in management?

“I brought you the people I trust as guards, as you ordered. They are outside the doors right now. No one in or out, other than Bender, myself, and Bikes as Roberts said you ordered.”

“Tell me about who had to be informed of the change in management?”

“That would be The Highman Alquin. He owns the compounds, all of them. He is always informed of management changes,” Bender answered.

I turned my attention to Roberts.

“After our roll in your new hay, I started exploring this level. It would seem that all of the supply drops are on time and on a regular schedule. Drops are always to the same spot, except the one a few days ago. There is one drop that was off its mark. It came down in the dead city, no word on it.” Roberts looked to Jenkins, then to Bender. “I am told that it’s too far out and not safe that far from the compound. It is closer to one of the other compounds.”

“Do we have contact with the management of that compound?”

“Only with sticks and stones, Boss,” Jenkins informed me.

I sipped my water and studied the people at the table. “Our compound only works the city at daytime because it’s the only time you can see other compound people and scavs. It’s okay, for now. Can I get in to see this Alquin, now that I’m the compound boss?”

“You don’t want to do that,” Bender said. “Even Big Chin didn’t like to go see him.”

“Fine, I’ll also table that issue, for now. Run day-to-day operations as normal until I say differently. Bender, Jenkins is going to need three new people for his team. I want Bikes pulled from the team. He now works for me up here. Also, I want a tour of the entire compound. I want to see the operation I just took over.” I turned my attention back to my plate and finished my dinner or breakfast, depending on who you asked. The others finished up and waited for me.

Bender pushed his plate away. “Unless you have something else, Boss, I need to go oversee the power systems, make sure we’re good for another day.”

I nodded. “Come back here when you have time,” I instructed Bender, and he left the area.

Jenkins filled his plate for a second time and began to eat.

“Jenkins, when you’re done I want to rotate the guards through here. Let them eat, then back on duty. You are in charge of that, okay?”

“Yes, sir. They’ll like that,” Jenkins said and filled a second glass of water. He liked that all of the demo teams got the better end of the food in the compound, but this was real food and clean water which made it even more of a tool for me to use.

“During your exploring, did you find the bathroom?” I asked Roberts.

“Come on, I’ll show you.” Roberts led me to a door beyond the bed area. “Inside is the bathroom, a full bathroom. Separate shower and tub, sink, and toilet.” She opened the door, but we did not enter. “I’ll leave you to your business.”

“Our roll in your new hay?” I said and stopped her walking away.

Roberts looked over her shoulder at me and grinned slightly. “I thought you’d like that.” She turned to face me. “After all, you made me your girlfriend to these people, all I have to do is sell it once in a while.”

“Nelson said you were a bright young lady.”

“Speaking of Nelson and the others, how do we get them back with us now that you are the boss? Just ordering a handful of people to get reassigned here, will raise someone’s attention. Kind of “why him and not me” question out on that crowded floor.”

“I don’t know yet. One of us will think of something. We also have to think of a great reason to go after that missing supply drop.”

“You think that is Jane Garrett’s ship?”

“I do. We need a good reason to go looking.”

“I can’t see an easy explanation for invading another compound boss’ area when you just took control of one.”

“Just for today, that’s right.” I pushed past Roberts and returned to the living quarter’s area.

Jenkins was just bringing in two guards. “Have one plate, eat fast, and switch up with your partner at the door.” He looked to me. “I’ll get them in and out fast, Boss Danbeu.”

I waved Jenkins to join us, away from the guards. “I have a question. Why do we fight with the different compounds in the dead city when we all work for The Highman Alquin? All of the managers and bosses work for The Highman, right?”

Jenkins responds, “The Highman rules the entire planet, everyone works for him. As far as the compounds fighting, there isn’t a lot of it, but it happens because there are still only so many resources around. It always costs both sides and there are the scavs too. The scavs just roam through the areas, and some even say they work for The Highman.”

“As Highman, I could dispense more to a loyal few, and limit supplies to the masses. It’s a matter of control,” Roberts said matter-of-factly.

“Only the few knowing what is available and what isn’t,” Jenkins adds.

“And you let the compounds fight to control numbers as well as supplies,” I added, agreeing with the conclusions we had reached. “You just limit who knows what.”

“Bender had to know at least some of it. He was up here many times,” Jenkins added. He looked around the room. “I haven’t been up here until you brought me in.”

“I’m not too worried about Bender. If he had wanted this job, he could have shot me when he had Chin’s gun.”

“You can’t count on that. Even if he had wanted to kill you then and be boss, he couldn’t do it. The Highman’s order is no more than one challenge in a month. Bender could have shot you, but the crowd, all of who know the order, would have put him out for the scavs.”

“Does that apply to our boss issuing challenges?” Roberts asked.

I looked at Roberts. “You want me to fight the boss of other compounds before the fallout is settled here.”

She shook her head. “That is not what I was thinking. Challenge The Highman, go straight to the top.”

Jenkins slapped her across the face. “Don’t even joke about that. The Highman will hear you and kill us all.”

“I’m pretty sure he’s not in here with us, and Jenkins if you ever raise a hand to her again, I’ll cut it off and choke you with it. Clear?”

“Yes, Boss Danbeu, but do not speak of The Highman. He will know, he always knows. I don’t know how.” Jenkins looked to Roberts. “He will find out and he will kill us all.” Jenkins moved toward the guards. “If you have nothing else, Boss, I have duties to see to.” As he left, he yelled at the guards to finish and get out.