Mutant Story 4

It was half past midnight and everything was quiet on the Southern
Border. Roman, Ben and Wilhem were to the north at the Western City
Limit Sector, making their last routine patrol of the area when Roman
suddenly sounded the alarm.

"What's going on?" Ben hissed as they both ran to Roman's side from the
other side of a clearing. Roman said nothing, motioning them to
silence. Puzzled, Wilhem watched his Sergeant as he lifted his head
slightly to a noise in the distance.

"Over to the right and on a bit...did you hear?" he murmured,
indicating towards a line of thickets, which stood like a lumpy black
wall against the other shadows in the Limit Sector. Ben watched the
dark greenery carefully and checked the safety catch on his rifle. "I
thought it was Karl at first, but there's too many voices, and they
sound kinda odd...I reckon they're Southsiders." Wilhem snapped a fresh
cartridge of ammunition quietly into his ZX309 rifle and waited. Though
hushed, the voices gradually became plainer as their owners neared the
Limit Zone and finally a group of five or six young men emerged from
the dense foliage, apparently deep in discussion about which way to go
next. "Identify yourselves!" Roman barked loudly. The terrified group
huddled up close to each other as they halted.

"We're unarmed" one of them said when Ben made ready to fire.

"Identify yourselves" Roman ordered. He lowered his rifle, knowing Ben
and Wilhem had them in their sights.

"We're refugees...from the Southern Sect" another answered. Wilhem
frisked them for weapons but found nothing, which Roman found rather
disconcerting, given the dangerous countryside they must have passed
through to even get near to the Limit Zone.

"Alright then, Southside scum - we're the Northern Sect Border Patrol
and you're all under arrest! Walk towards me with both hands high where
I can see 'em!" he shouted, watching them with intense dislike and
suspicion. The Southsiders complied without a murmur and walked back to
the patrol's camp under guard where Francis Goram was waiting, keeping
the fire burning high to deter a mutant attack. Daylight wasn't so bad
- at least the patrol could see them - but night was a different
matter. That was when whole colonies could move under the cover of
darkness and prey on any who strayed into their path. With this in
mind, apart from routine boundary checks the patrol kept close to the
only illumination they had - which was the fire.

"The others should be returning from their reccy soon - I wonder what
they'll say when they see this little lot!" Wilhem grinned, casting a
glance at the Southsiders.

"We oughtta kill 'em!" Ben growled. "Why go wasting the court's time?
They'll be put against the wall in the end anyhow!"

Roman lit his pipe and sat down to warm his bones by the fire.
"Possibly, but our brief is to return invaders for trial at the City
unless shown aggression," he said. "GC's got its job to do and we've
got ours - let's keep it that way, Ben"

"It's an awful long road back to GC, Sarge" Ben said, smirking. Francis
looked up and concentrated his hearing on a faint noise he'd heard
above the crackling flames.

"Someone's coming." he said, getting to his feet. "Who's there?
Identify yourself!" he called into the darkness.

"Take it easy will ya, Fran!" a familiar voice laughed from the
shadows. "It's shit-cold out here so get a brew on - and you'd have
better saved us some toasted suachi or there's gonna be trouble!"

"It's the Leader. Terrana, Sarge - doesn't he even bother sending a
signal in anymore?" Francis breathed, and Ben tightened his finger on
the trigger of his ZX309 just in case. They all watched the dancing
shadows in silence and then saw two silhouetted figures come into view
on the other side of the camp. "How's things down in the Southern
Sector?" he asked as Karl Rieve pulled off his black visored helmet and
took a long, gulping swig from his water bottle.

"Moots're out on the ridges but the Border seems quiet enough - quieter
than it's been for some time, I reckon" Karl answered after drinking
his fill. Like Ben Ludz, Karl Rieve was a giant of a man. Not only tall
- around five feet ten - but nearly as broad as well. Together they
made an impressive-looking pair; the type you'd want on your side in a
fistfight.

Luke surveyed the tight huddle of captives roped together on the ground
and he instinctively drew his rifle. "Who are this lot?" he
asked.

"Refugees from the South, or so they tell us. We caught them wandering
through the Limit Zone," Roman muttered, tapping his pipe against his
knee.

Luke walked towards them and looked them over very carefully. They were
still packed into a tight little huddle, as though petrified. "I can
see five faces but I counted six pairs of legs. Which one of you likes
to hide?" he smiled, raising his black visor. "Come on, ladies, spread
yourselves out a bit - don't be shy!"

For a moment the infiltrators stayed where they were and Luke probably
despaired that he might have to forcibly separate them, but then they
slowly came out of their frightened huddle and a new face came into
view.

"Don't hurt these people, Northsider...they're innocent of any crime
against your Sect," the face answered softly. On hearing that low voice
the rest of the patrol jumped up and stared at the captives with
renewed interest.

"Terran shit...!" Ben Ludz breathed, voicing the view of everyone for
once.

Luke removed his helmet in surprise and shook his sweaty hair free as
he moved to inspect the speaker more closely. "Well, well...a female
travelling in the night!" he laughed. "What kind of government throws
its women out straight into the hands of enemy patrols?"

"What kind of government allows its Border Patrol to aim their rifles
at the heads of unarmed people?" she returned, holding his gaze
steadily.

"A very wise one, probably..." he murmured. Luke noted that there
wasn't the slightest hint of fear in her eyes. The males surrounding
her were terrified, but not her; she continued to meet his stare
without even a flicker. "It's easy to talk about innocence, but you
lost that the moment you stepped foot on Northside land. If any of you
show any form of aggression, or try to escape, you'll be shot. Do you
understand?"

"If you or any one of your people harm this woman the whole of the
Southern Sect will rise and take up arms against you!" one of the
captive menfolk warned as he turned to walk away.

"Oh, is that right?" Luke smiled, and he raised his eyebrows at Roman.
"Reckon you must've hauled in something special tonight then,
fellas..."

"Maybe they did" the same captive answered. "Give her safe passage to
the place known as Free State and the rest of us will stand trial by
your Leaders, regardless of our fate"

Luke walked back and faced the Southsiders once again but his smile had
vanished. "You'll all go back with us - and that includes your precious
woman" he said. With that he left them and settled down next to the
fire with Karl, whilst the rest of the patrol took up guard positions
all around the camp.

"Your father will learn of it if any of these Northsiders try to harm
you, my lady" one of the South Siders grumbled at the woman's
side.

"Hush now, Jainar- they'll hear you," she whispered back to him. "From
now on whatever happens to me is my own responsibility...you mustn't
fear for me"

"It's not right though, my lady. If we'd only kept going east just a
while longer we wouldn't have been caught -!"

"Better the Patrol and a chance than mutants and none!" another captive
hissed angrily. "Had we kept east like you say we'd have walked
straight into Stentor Glen!"

"Be quiet now!" she said. "There must be no squabbling between us. Our
Grand Lord warned me about these people - that we might be captured
here - and he's told me what I must do. If all goes well I shall go to
Free State, just as planned, and I'll go with the blessing of their
pathetic government too"

"My lady has a secret?" Jainar ventured curiously.

The woman gave him a smile and gently caressed the ropes binding her.
"We each have secrets, Jainar," she answered softly, and her blue eyes
began to glitter many different colours in the dark.

As she settled down to sleep the female Southsider fell into a dream,
in which she vividly recalled the events that had brought her to the
North...

"...How can you expect it, my Lord? Am I no more than a chattel in your
service that I should be a Northsider's whore?" she'd protested.

"It's the only way, Arlena! Without it how can my plan possibly
succeed?" Famaria rebuked her angrily.

"I can't do it! I -!"

"You must do it! The Northsiders' ridiculous laws will be made to work
against them! Trust me in this...it will be as I say"

"Northsiders are utter brutes! All your reports say it!"

"Yes indeed, but their lives - like those of our own forces - are
subject to much rule and regulation. Any man in command knows which
regulations bind him tightest. If anything at all can be said for those
Northside dogs, it's that they're loyal to their masters!"

"And how's that to help me, my Lord? How can you be sure he won't kill
me the instant he's had all he wants?" she returned. Grand Lord Famaria
filled her cup with his best Southern ale and chuckled at her
indignation.

"The role of the frightened virgin hardly suits you, Arlena," he'd
said, watching her. "You forget how well I know you...you've enough
tricks to protect yourself, I'm sure. Just be careful you target the
right man. That's all you really need to worry about"

"Yes, yes" she'd sighed, dismissing his concern. "Luke Cavlan, the only
son of Chivale Cavlan, Patrol Leader, Border Patrol! You've drilled it
into me day after day for weeks, my Lord, so you can be sure I won't
disappoint you..."

She opened her eyes and surveyed the dark, moonless sky above her
whilst the others slept on. Having targeted her man, she reflected on
their first contact. Luke Cavlan was exactly as Grand Lord Famaria's
reports had described him: easily six feet tall with a mane of untamed
blond hair which reached his shoulders and beyond; dark eyes the colour
of the deepest oceans; the smile of an angel and the temper of a demon.
She would've known him amid a crowd of thousands, and that thought made
her smile. In such a man she saw many, many possibilities...and each
was darker and more hellish than the one before.