Buck nods. “Could be, but I’m not sure how intelligent those creatures are.”
“Do you know what Hector might want from our Caden?” Timothy asks.
“No clue, but there might be a way to find out more. It’s a long shot.”
“What is it?” I ask, already a bit lightheaded from the beer.
“A guy from my old gang said he knew Hector from years before. He claimed that Hector mentioned growing up south of here, in a city called Pueblo. His father used to work in one of the factories there.”
“Going to where he was born feels like a waste of time,” I say.
“The man who told me that was over sixty years old, and he claimed to have met Hector thirty years before that, when they used to be in the same gang. Problem is, the last time I saw Hector was a couple of years ago, and the man didn’t look a day over thirty-five.”
I let that sink in. The math doesn’t add up, unless Buck was lied to, though I can’t think of a reason why. After speaking with Hector through an iguana, I’m not willing to dismiss any crazy piece of information about him.
“We need to go to Pueblo and check,” River says. “Do you have horses for us or a buggy?”
“I’ll get you there myself. I also want to check it out, but fuck if I know where to look.”
“Can we leave tomorrow?” Timothy asks and turns to Josh. “Unless you need more time to regain your strength.”
“I’m fine. Tomorrow’s good.”
“Then you should all catch some rest,” Buck says. “There’s warm water for a shower. Take clean clothes from the closets.”
Since I’m dying for a shower, I say goodnight and walk upstairs to settle in one of the rooms. Under the hot steam, I lose track of time, my stiff muscles slowly untangling. I hope we’re not about to embark on a wild goose chase and waste precious time, but it’s not like I have an alternative plan to follow.
I finish my shower and get dressed with the clothes I grabbed from the closet. In the bedroom, Timothy is waiting on the bed. “Do you prefer to sleep alone?” he asks.
“No.” I turn off the light, but there’s enough to see from the moonlight shining through the window. I climb into bed and say, “I’ll have nightmares tonight.”
“Then I will calm you down as best as I can. I’m sorry about Caden. I know you hoped we’d find him here.”
“I’m just glad that Josh is okay, but I don’t know if he really is.”
Timothy raises the blanket to tuck me in. “He’s been through a lot, but the man who never gave up on isn’t going to give up on Caden.”
And neither will I. I’m sure that as much as Caden likes to play it tough, he must be terrified, surrounded by the same monsters he fought for years to destroy.
He better know I’m coming for him.
I’m not ready for our story to end.
Chapter 15
Caden
By the time we reach Denver, I can no longer stand the stench of my own unwashed flesh. I’m starving and dehydrated, my mouth is gagged, and my hands are bound behind my back, making my shoulders numb. It’s almost a relief to finally reach our destination. Dozens of armed guards stand at the gate, wearing dark green uniforms. I spot machine guns and flying drones, though they’re too high for me to see if they’re armed or just for surveillance. Jay knows most of the people on duty, and they let us through quickly. When we cross the gate, the streets seem cleaner than I expected, but it’s still the Raiders’ capital, so it doesn’t take me long to spot bodies swinging from streetlights.
“Home sweet home!” Jay calls from the driver’s seat. He’s driving slowly since people constantly cross the street without looking, some obviously wasted. As we drive deeper into the city, I hear a loudspeaker reminding people to book their spots in tomorrow’s games.You won’t want to miss it!
I know I’m being taken to see Hector, and as much as I dread that meeting, I can’t wait to get rid of Jay and the other two assholes. They’ve grown even nastier since we escaped Buck, leaving my body feeling like a giant wound.
When we finally stop, I look around in confusion. The Raider next to me chuckles. “I bet you’re gonna sell fast.”
They pull me out of the buggy, and I try to make sense of what seems like a human auction taking place up ahead, in the middle of a wide piece of land covered in grass. A sign says the place is called Civic Center Park. People shout and wave their hands among three separated platforms, though only two have people being bought by the highest bidder.
There’s no way in hell that Hector brought me all this way just to sell me off the minute I arrive.He wants to scare me.I get it. Fear makes anyone obedient, and it’s definitely working now since I’m about to shit myself.
