The Arena (Ultimate Soldier Book 1) (7 page)

All too soon, it was time to go. Lila called to Seeker and they set off at a jog to the east, following the line of the trees. Her legs protested, the muscles threatening to cramp with each step. Her breath was jagged in her chest, stinging in her throat. The afternoon sun was merciless as it beat down on her head. Seeker was showing the effects too, with her tongue lolling out and stumbling every so often.

Lila placed a hand on Seeker's head when they stopped to rest. “I'm sorry dear one,” she said to the exhausted dog. “We've got to keep going.” Seeker's tail wagged feebly and the dog licked Lila's hand. Lila hugged Seeker tightly for a moment before pushing herself to her feet and limping onward to the east.

As the afternoon sun began to burn away the haze of humidity, Lila started to see hulking shapes on the horizon. They were red and brown like rocks, though far too square and regular to be anything natural. The shapes wavered in the heat like monsters lurking just on the edge of vision. Lila wondered if this could be Antoch, the ruined city of the Arena. Was this where Katie had come from? Was there anyone who regretted her loss, or was everyone in the city as hard and unforgiving as Katie said? It seemed that the last few days had brought a wealth of questions and disturbing thoughts, but no answers. For now, there was no time to wonder. She had to keep going if she wanted to hold onto the hope that she would see Katie alive again.

She was so caught up in staring at the shapes in the distance that she almost fell into the second stream when she came to it. She bent over and propped her hands on her knees, breathing heavily as she let the water rush around her ankles. The stones at the bottom of the water were smooth and cool. She bent down and splashed water over her face and neck, washing away the sweat and dirt. Seeker was lapping at the water enthusiastically.

The green shade that enveloped them as they plunged back into the woods was welcome on Lila's sunburned face and shoulders. This stream was wider and deeper than the first, and moved more sluggishly. There was plenty of room for them to walk in the water instead of fighting through the forest alongside. The sides of the stream were thick with blackberry bushes, and Lila could smell the cloying aroma of honeysuckle and the sharp scent of wild onions somewhere nearby. She grabbed handfuls of berries as she passed, and a bunch of onions anytime she saw one close enough. Even Seeker ate some of the berries, using her teeth to carefully pluck the fruit from the brambles while avoiding the thorns. In other circumstances, Lila would have laughed at the sight of a dog picking berries. With her stomach full, a little of Lila's fatigue was eased and they were able to go at a faster pace.

As they waded up the stream, with birds chirping and flitting through the banches overhead, Lila had the sense that she had been here before. She stopped and looked around, trying to find something she recognized. Despite the fact that her mind told her she had never seen this place before, with willow trees trailing their long arms in the water and a couple of squirrels skittering up and down a tree trunk chasing each other, the sense that she knew this place was nagging at her.

Then she realized―the dream. She had dreamed of that tree with the scar in the trunk, of the still pool where frogs croaked and minnows shimmered under the water. Far up ahead, she could see a thinning of the trees where bright sunlight turned the air yellow and green.

When another few minutes of travel began to reveal a clearing in the distance, she felt a shiver travel down her spine. This scene was straight from the dream.

A bunch of leafy saplings leaned together over the stream, blocking a clear view of the stream. As Lila pushed them aside, she spit and swatted frantically as she got a mouthful of spider web, hoping she hadn't swallowed the spider as well.

When she lowered her hands, she felt a surge of recognition as she looked out on a place so familiar, she could have walked it in her sleep. There was the clearing, overgrown without old Frostbite to keep it cropped short. The little barn, rotted and falling down, was over to the far right. The ramp she and Protector had built to bring Frostbite into the mudroom off the side of the kitchen was barely visible at the far end of the mansion. On the near side she could see the little stone stairs leading down to the basement that held the house's stores. The door stood slightly ajar, less than half a foot but it drew Lila's attention because she and Protector had never left it open. Remembering her dream, she drew her eyes to the sky above the kitchen--

And felt her heart clench in her chest as she realized the fully prophetic nature of the dream. There was a thin gray column of smoke rising from the kitchen chimney into the clear sky.

Lila backed up until she was hidden from the view of anyone that might be in the clearing. She crouched in the shade of a bush, her arm over Seeker's shoulders, watching for any sign that she had been noticed. Though she scanned the clearing intently, she saw no sign that anyone was outside or had seen her. After a moment she began edging through the forest to her right, to get a better view of the door to the basement. All she could see through the small opening between door and frame was darkness. The low windows that studded the walls at ground level along the length of the basement were too dirty to let in much light.

Her heart sang at the thought of meeting yet another survivor (or more than one!), but her experience with Katie and the stories the young woman told made her cautious. She had no idea who could be living here. Had they always lived in the forest and happened upon the mansion and decided to make it a home? Or were they from the plains, the city-ruins that Katie spoke of? Or maybe somewhere else entirely?

When she and Protector had left, the area had been devoid of all game larger than squirrels or rabbits, and even these had grown scarce. Perhaps in the two years since their departure, the game had replenished. Or perhaps the person that lived here was like Lila and had learned to snare the smaller animals that could not easily be killed by a stealthy jump from a tree or bow and arrow.

So many questions, and they could not be answered as long as she stood here, shrouded by the green leaves. By instinct Lila drew her knife from her belt and held it ready as she glanced around the clearing for any sign of movement. There was no way to answer her questions but to go inside.

Deciding that it was safe, she clicked her tongue at Seeker and they ran across the open space between the forest edge and the door. She turned the dented knob slightly to make sure it didn't squeak, then held her breath and tugged the door outward.

The first few inches went smoothly, but then just as Lila had opened the door almost far enough for her to enter, the bottom edge caught on some gravel at the same time as the hinges made a mighty squawk. Lila gasped, and not stopping to think, darting into the twilight inside, barely giving the aisly between the shelves a glance before grabbing Seeker by the scruff of the neck and scrambling behind a pile of empty wooden crates.

“
Who's there?” A voice pierced the dark and a flashlight snapped on, the beam flicking over toward her hiding place. The voice was strong, baritone and undeniably masculine. Seeker's body tensed, and Lila hissed at her to be quiet before the dog could let out a growl. They huddled behind the boxes, crammed as far into the corner as possible. Lila heard the firm tread of boots against the concrete as someone strode down the asile between the shelves. Between gaps in the wooden slats she could see the beam of a flashlight searching down the aisles.

“Hey, what's going on?” Another male voice, much deeper than the first, called down the stairs from the ground floor.

“I heard a noise. Back door's standing open. If it's that darn kid again...”

“Nope, he's up here with me. Sure it wasn't the wind?”

“Couldn't be. Door's too heavy. Come down here and help me look. I could swear I saw someone come in.”

There was a grumbling from the top of the stairs, and the heavy thump of boots coming down. After a few seconds, a second flashlight beam joined the first. Lila could see the outlines of both men as they checked each row, moving from front to back. She willed her breathing to slow, her heart to quit skittering against her ribs like a runaway rabbit. She cringed and held her breath as the flashlight beam swept over their hiding place and lingered for a moment before moving on. It wasn't until she heard footsteps retreating and the flashlights switched off that she allowed herself to relax ever so slightly. She sighed and slumped against the wall, patting Seeker's head reassuringly.

When she felt sure the two men had gone back upstairs, she quietly edged out from behind the crates. Her arm scraped against the splintery corner of a box, causing her to gasp in pain. Seeker growled low in her throat. “Hush!” Lila whispered, nudging the dog with a foot.

Lila jumped and barely held back a scream when a flashlight clicked on from a few feet away, blinding her. The light was so bright in the dim room that she couldn't see who was on the other end, though she recognized the voice as the man she had heard earlier. “Who are you?”

Lila's heart was in her throat as she lifted her knife arm to shield her eyes, her other hand on Seeker's head to keep the dog from leaping forward. The beam of the flashlight dropped, allowing her eyes to adjust until she could see the face of the young man holding it. His eyes were guarded and suspicious, and she could see the glint of steel from the long knife held in his other hand.

“I-I'm Lila,” she managed, dropping her knife hand to assume a posture she hoped looked non-threatening. Despite the tension of the situation, she couldn't help studying his face. This was the first man she had seen in fourteen years. He was tall, with a strong jaw and hair that fell in his eyes until he brushed it away with the hand holding the flashlight. The shadow of a beard covered the lower half of his face. His eyes were starkly blue against his tanned and freckled skin. He was thin, his shirt looking as if it had been made for someone heavier than him and with one shoulder frayed to the point that she could see his arm through the seam.

“I don't know you. Did you follow us here?”

Lila shook her head. “I didn't know you were here.”

“Are you Snake?”

Lila had no idea what he was referring to. “Snake? I'm not a snake.”

“Snake village. Don't play games with me, girl.”

“I―no, I'm not from a village.”
Is this the other group Katie mentioned? Fox and Snake? Maybe they are from the city-ruins!

“
That's impossible. Everyone in Antoch is from one village or another. You aren't Fox, I would recognize you.”

“I'm not from the city-ruins,” Lila protested.

“Where, then?”

Lila gestured back the way she had come, in the rough direction of her home. “The forest.”

The young man's eyes narrowed. He couldn't have been much older than Lila. His hair fell in his eyes and he swiped at it irritably. “The forest?”

“Yes.” Remembering what Katie had told her of these people, she thought it wise to mention as few details as possible―including the name of the person she was here to help.

“But that...” A look of abject disgust crossed the young man's face. He turned his head and spit at the ground. “Jarda,” he muttered, lowering his knife hand. “You really do live in the forest?” He looked around, as if expecting someone else to jump out at him. “Alone?”

Lila nodded, keeping a wary eye on his knife hand. Noticing her regard, he stuck the knife through the thick belt at his waist. “Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you.”

Lila held her knife loosely in her hand, staring up at the young man who was so much taller than she. He could probably hurt her if he wanted to, knife or no knife. If he came after her, the best chance she had was to run, and she could do that better without a knife in her hand. Keeping her eyes locked on the man in front of her, she followed his lead and stuck her own knife back through her belt.

“Who are you?” Lila asked.

“My name is Josef. Why are you here?”

“I needed supplies.”

Josef waved a hand around the warehouse-sized store room. “Take a look around. There's hardly anything useful left.”

Lila glanced at the row that held the medicines, looking away quickly lest Josef notice. He caught her gaze, and looked at her curiously. “Medical supplies? You don't look sick or hurt.”

“Not for me.” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Lila realized her mistake.

“So you aren't alone.”

“I--”

“Come with me.” The words were spoken with the confidence of someone used to being obeyed, as Josef turned and began to walk up the aisle toward the kitchen. He saw Lila's quick glance toward the door. “Don't think about running, girl. I've got the best tracker in the Arena up there in that kitchen. You wouldn't get far.” His tone was light, but there was the hardness of steel beneath the words. This was a man used to giving orders and having them followed.

Sparing one last glance at the open door, , Lila followed. Josef took one step for two of hers, and he never looked back. Lila wasn't sure what to feel―excited, scared? Eventually she settled on feeling thoroughly confused and apprehensive.

The stairs leading from the cellar to the pantry creaked as Josef stepped on them. There were three steps, and the middle one had a loose board. Lila had always avoided it, preferring to avoid the offending stair. Josef stood on the top step, blocking Lila from seeing much through the doorway from the pantry to the kitchen except for the flickering of flame on the peeling paint on the walls. “Hey Antonio, get in here!” Josef called. A chair scraped back from the table and a huge, muscular man with long black hair pulled back in a ponytail appeared in the doorway. He crossed his arms over his chest, showing a tattoo of a wolf's head with a knife driven through its skull. As a whole, the effect was very intimidading.

“Are you going to let me finish eating, or are you going to keep dragging me down there to chase after a ghost?” Antonio demanded. His was the second voice Lila had heard.

Without a word, Josef stepped aside. Antonio's weight shifted forward as his hand went to his knife. “Josef, who is that?” He growled.

Josef held out a hand. “I found her in the cellar. She's not dangerous.”

Lila begged to differ on that, but she kept her mouth shut, crouching down to keep a trembling Seeker from lunging forward.

“Not dangerous? Josef, do you know this girl?”

“No.”

Antonio drew his knife. “Probably a filthy Snake spy.”

Josef turned around. “Show him your wrists.”

“What?”

He grabbed her arm and pulled it forward. Lila stumbled at the unexpected tug, and the middle stair creaked loudly as she stepped on it. His callused hands were strong on her arm, the unexpected touch overwhelming to her senses. She bit her lip to keep from jerking her hand back.

“No tattoo. She is not Snake.”

“Doesn't mean she's a friend.”

Tired of being talked to as if she wasn't there, Lila exclaimed “I'm not here to hurt anyone!”

“We don't know that.” At Lila's shout, the rest of the chairs had scraped back and three more faces appeared in the doorway. Two tall men with black hair and skin coloring similar to Katie's, and a shorter one whose face was covered in blemishes with bright red hair and a thick coating of freckles over every inch of exposed skin. Antonio stood with his arms crossed, knife held in one hand. There was a strange tension in the air between these two men, like two alpha wolves that both laid claim to the same pack. She half expected the hulking man across the room to start snarling.

Josef held up a hand. “Let's hear her out. It's four to one―what are you scared of?”

Antonio growled something unintelligible and stepped aside. Josef stepped forward, still holding onto her arm, half-leading and half-pushing her forward. She put her head down as she passed Antonio, cringing under the weight of his disapproving gaze. The other three men backed away as Josef led her into the kitchen, their gazes less hostile than Antonio's but no less wary. Lila hunched her shoulders and kept one hand on Seeker's head. They passed from smooth wood to the cool tiles of the kitchen. The room was just like she remembered, the old green refrigerator in the left corner, rusty sink just to the right under the window, counter space past that before the double oven situated in the far corner. On the same wall as the pantry was the door to the mudroom, with the cracked tile from the time Frostbite had nudged the door open and set a massive foot in the kitchen. There was the heavy wood table, worn smooth by the years. There was the large knot that Lila used to trace with her fingers anytime she was trying to puzzle out a problem. The four chairs were all scooted back, and the table was strewn with dirty plates. The remains of some small animal were on the spit over the fireplace, in which a low fire burned. A pile of backpacks was thrown carelessly against the wall between the ovens and the wide doorway that led to the rest of the house. The smell of roasted meat reminded Lila forcibly of how long it had been since she'd eaten a decent meal.

Josef gestured to a chair. “You want to sit down?”