Chapter 9: King
Daniel strolled through the common area toward Ross' office. He always enjoyed the vibrant atmosphere. Typically he'd be sifting through the murky and bleak world of the surface, so the lively faces and noise that didn't indicate impending doom were a nice change of pace for him. He walked through the armory. Peacemakers passed by him. He watched a couple of Stalkers check their equipment together. Daniel deduced that they were setting up to leave for a job soon. Their gasmasks and helmets were stuck together exactly like Daniel's were. They wore vests much like the plated armor the Peacemakers wore. They strapped belts with magazines of dirty bullets around their waists. The leather of the belt tightly gripped the magazines to keep them from moving or making noise. At a glance, the only difference in appearance between them and Daniel were their coats. The defining characteristic of a Square Stalker was the coat they wore. They wore coats made from the dull grey-brown skin of Howlers. The hide of the beast was known to provide substantial protection from the cold and radiation of the surface, as well as the rain of the warmer season. Stalkers knew this protection was essential, considering the amount of time they spent on the surface during their treks above the subway. Some wealthy subway-dwellers wore them as well. Experts could skin the beasts without damaging the coat, making for a soft and comfortable symbol of their skill. Daniel's thoughts circled around as he walked. He thought of the tabbies and how valuable their skins were. The fearsome monsters could rip a man to pieces in mere seconds. Even Hunters were weary of confronting a Tabby alone. Many Hunters kept the heads of their kills as trophies to show their skill and boast to rookies. Daniel reached Ross' office. He reached for the door handle and placed his hand on the doorknob. Before twisting it to open the door, he stopped short. He knocked on the door and listened closely.
"It's open," he heard Ross call from behind the door.
Daniel twisted the doorknob and walked into the office. Ross looked up from a notebook he was scribbling in.
"It ain't like you to knock, Danny-boy," Ross teased.
"After last time, I feel like I should make it a habit," Daniel teased in return.
"You can't deny that she had a nice rack."
"I guess I don't have the same sense for women that you do."
"Oh, I forgot; you're an ass man, aren't you?"
Ross laughed aloud. Someone knocked on the door.
"More work?" Daniel asked.
"Yeah, looks like it."
"Should I go?"
"Nah, sit down 'n' give me a minute; I wanted to hang out today."
Ross closed the notebook and leaned back in his chair. Daniel moved to the wall and leaned against it. He tried to make himself as small as possible to stay out of the way. Two more knocks echoed through the door.
"It's open," Ross called out toward the door.
The door swung open. A Peacemaker stepped into the office and closed the door behind him.
"What do you need?" Ross asked.
"You said you needed me?" the Peacemaker said before lifting the helmet from his head.
Daniel thought he sounded young. He studied the man closely.
"Oh, yeah! I need your badge since you ain't a Peacemaker anymore."
The guard pulled a piece of metal from his chest and placed it on Ross' desk. It was a small shield, similar in color to a military-grade bullet.
"I'll have someone grab you later on, so take it easy until then."
The Peacemaker nodded. He turned around walked out of the office. The door creaked closed, leaving the room in a moment of silence.
"I'm guessing that's the kid you mentioned before?" Daniel asked.
"That's him," Ross answered, "I need you to make him as good as you."
"Why me? There are plenty of better Stalkers out there."
"Who better to train my left hand than my right?"
"Oh, that's what it is, huh?"
"I can trust you with anything, man, but I know that you can't do everything."
He stood up and walked to Daniel. He placed his hand on Daniel's shoulder.
"So, if I have two of you, maybe I can keep you around a little longer."
Daniel could tell Ross was worried about him. The smirk on his face failed to hide that fact.
"So, why him? Couldn't you find someone with experience?"
"Probably, but he looks up to you."
Ross strolled to his desk and picked up the badge. He inspected it closely. He seemed to be recalling an old memory.
"And I guess he reminds me a little of you, Danny-boy. Someone who follows exactly what I say can't do what you do."
"Does he cause a lot of trouble?"
Ross raised his voice. He didn't sound angry; he sounded rather amused.
"All the fuckin' time! Every day, I get complaints that he breaks things and flirts with anything that doesn't have a pair of balls!"
Ross put the badge back on his desk.
"But he always gets the job done and he does it well. That's what I need."
Ross slapped Daniel's arm and smiled.
"Enough about work, though! That duo you like's playing at the Oyster Bar today. They said they had a song they made for me, so I figured we'd go check it out."
Daniel pushed himself away from the wall and stood up straight. He and Ross walked out of the office and through the station. Ross continuously stopped to chatter with anyone who greeted him. It was troubling for Daniel because everyone they passed by that wasn't asleep did exactly that. It made Daniel think of how Ross led the station. He was a fair leader. There hadn't been a single famine since he started giving orders. Sparse food and water supplies plagued the other stations quite often. Usually they'd be pilfered, but Daniel would occasionally hear whispers of a poor decision leading to a great loss. Ross was a kind leader. He met every problem with a smile and a hearty laugh. He cared deeply for each resident of Grand Square. Whenever anyone met with tragedy, such as the grieving family of a Stalker or injured travelers, he would always go out of his way to assist them. Even bandits respected him enough to avoid causing trouble for Grand Square. Daniel thought that could also be the result of the training the Peacemakers go through. Several men that trained soldiers before the war were happy to lend a hand to keep the station safe and secure. Daniel recalled the day he was reunited with his old friend. He had been wandering between stations alone. He'd pick fights with anyone and everything. One man he got into an argument with turned out to be too much for him to handle. With one swift uppercut, the man knocked Daniel flat onto his back. Afterward, the man held out a hand to help Daniel to his feet. Daniel remembered the reassuring smile he offered.
"Your hook's still as shitty as ever, Danny," he remembered the man saying with a chuckle.
Daniel's thoughts wandered until he got stuck on Ross' lecherous nature. He would always grab at waitresses or strippers and he never failed to sniff out a woman willing to take care of him in any station he visited.
"Is it always this crowded here?" Ross asked.
Daniel looked past Ross at the massive blob of people in the mess hall. He hadn't realized they had reached Grand station. Everyone in the room was packed together tightly. Groups of people formed small piles and chatted. Some stood on chairs and benches and called out to one another. A man waved at Daniel and Ross. He was standing by a pair of empty chairs at the front of the mob. Daniel followed Ross to the man. The man asked them to take their seats so he could begin the performance. Daniel sat in the creaky wooden chair while Ross greeted the man. They laughed together for a moment before they parted and Ross sat next to Daniel.
"You really like these guys that much, Danny-boy?" Ross asked as he relaxed in his seat.
Daniel nodded. He let his legs extend in front of him and draped one over the other. He tapped his feet together. He always liked the sound his boots would make when he did so. The man Ross was talking to finally took his place at the head of the crowd and turned to it. Another man holding a guitar dragged a chair along with him and sat next to the first man. The guitar was well-maintained. It reflected the light from the lights overhead and created a dazzling flash when he moved it.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the first man announced boisterously.
The aimless rambling of the crowd died down as everyone listened to the man speak.
"The moment you've all been so patiently waiting for has finally arrived!
He turned around and picked up a small case. After opening it, his instrument was revealed. It was a priceless artifact from the old world: a violin. Daniel had seen the man play it plenty of times in the past, but he had never seen another of its kind anywhere in the subway tunnels. It looked almost pristine; its body glowed in the light of the station with a deep brown color and the silver strings shone vibrantly. Each part of it looked as though it had been polished to a mirror-finish. Daniel always found the sight of the unique marvel to be a breath-taking experience.
"Fifteen years ago, I wandered the tunnels of the subway that sheltered us from the horrors above," the man continued, "I was lost, I was hungry, and I was poor. I scraped what meager living I could together by plucking away at a string tied to a broomstick and begging for food scraps."
The man gestured to Ross.
"Then I was found by this man: the head of this lovely station! I wandered into the Grand Square and was immediately welcomed with open arms, a warm meal…"
He lowered his voice and continued with a sarcastic gesture.
"…and a load of shit to shovel."
Daniel heard a few chuckles behind him. Even Ross was amused. The man continued with his emphatic speech.
"One day, while I was moving boxes in the depot, I opened one to find this…" He held the violin out in front of him. He hung it in his hand, the vibrant light still beaming proudly off its body.
"Since that day, I have been traveling to each station, wherever the sound – no, the joy of music is needed to warm the hearts of others, as mine was all those years ago."
He held the violin to his chest, resting both hands on the neck.
"If this wonderful man had not taken me in and told me to move those crates that day, I would never have found this treasure. I would never have found my reason to live."
He turned and picked the bow of the instrument out of the case.
"To show my gratitude, I would like to play a song with the help of my friend here. We wish to show our gratitude to our great leader – our 'Rex Benignus.'"
The man placed the violin under his chin and prepared himself while the crowd applauded. As the audience's ovation finally died down, the man began to play. He stroked the strings of his violin with the bow. It sung a solemn tune. The hum of the long notes cried out. Daniel felt a chill tickle his spine as he closed his eyes and let the song invade his thoughts. The guitarist joined in. Each steady pluck of the strings rang out with a somber, gentle melody. The song made Daniel think of a man in a perilous situation. He thought of his excursions to the surface. He thought of the time he spent walking through holes in buildings, sifting through brick and dust only to find empty boxes in empty grocery stores. He remembered finding a recipe for pizza in an old diner. He remembered the excited gleam in his partner's eye.
"We're gonna be rich!" he remembered the excited man cry out as he tightly grasped the long-lost treasure.
He remembered the puddle of crimson fluid that escaped the man's body. He remembered desperately trying to stop the blood by tearing his shirt to pieces and wrapping the rags around the stub that used to be the man's knee. He remembered dragging the man toward the subway entrance. He remembered the blinking warning on his watch, reminding him of the two minutes he had left before his last filter would finally be unable to protect him from the toxic air that would seep through his mask. He remembered the ominous howls of the creatures that followed the scent of the blood.
He remembered what his friend had said to him as he lay against a wall before pushing Daniel away; the words shivering past his lips, he told Daniel, "Save a slice for me."
He remembered hearing the thunderous sound of a pistol as he sprinted away, before descending into the safety of the subway. As the song went on, Daniel felt as though the instruments sang out a more relaxing tune. It was a subtle change, but Daniel definitely noticed it. It made him feel uplifted. He couldn't recall the last time he felt anything like it. The hopeful tone was a wonderful contrast to the disparity Daniel felt from the first half. Daniel could hear Ross arguing with someone next to him. Their angry whispers disturbed Daniel's enjoyment of the performance. He grew a little agitated. He wanted to say something, but Ross finally told the man to leave.
"Well, you tell your good-for-nothing colonel that I'll fucking do it," Ross said with a hushed shout, "Mother-fucker can't even take care of one God-damned job! Piece of shit…"
Daniel looked at him. He was gripping the collar of a soldier in his fist. He pushed the man away and turned back to the performers. Daniel could see that he was furious about something.
Daniel leaned over to him and whispered, "What's up?"
Ross – still angry and trying to calm himself down – complained, "The Army's starting to piss me the fuck off, man."
Ross crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. The song still swirled around them, drowning out their quiet conversation.
"You know those crazy fucks from Jersey, right?"
"Those anarchists that rape and kill anything that moves?"
"Those are the guys. They took over Penn Station and the Army can't seem to figure out how to get their heads out of their asses long enough to get it back."
Daniel was surprised, enough to raise his voice.
"They took it over?"
Ross placed his hand over Daniel's mouth.
"Keep it down! If anyone hears this, people are gonna freak out. Living with those maniacs so close is fuckin' scary."
Daniel recollected himself.
"Why can't the Army take it back?"
"Because that fuck-head, Caul, is a moron. I'll need to get a whole team of Hunters to go in there…"
"Do you want me to check it out for you?"
"Slow down, there, buddy! I think this is a little too big for you to handle alone."
"I won't try to fight them, just check it out."
"Seriously, Danny – you know how bad those guys are. Going in there alone would be suicide."
"Since when has that stopped me?"
"Since things started getting fucked around here. Now is not the time to get yourself killed! I need you around."
"I can handle a few savage, psychotic murderers. I won't pick a fight with a whole station. If things get too rough, I'll get out."
The musical crescendo echoed through the halls of the mess hall as the performance came to a close. The violinist bowed. The audience roared with applause and cheers. Ross and Daniel joined the crowd and clapped their hands together.
"Fine, you can go," Ross said reluctantly, "but, if you die, I'll kick your scrawny, little ass."
He turned to Daniel and smirked coyly. Daniel stopped clapping and stood up. He slapped Ross' shoulder as he pierced through the crowd. The musician began another song. It was an upbeat and lively tune. People in the crowd bounced around and danced gleefully. Some pushed forward, toward the music. Daniel just strolled past them. Most people were eager to let him by so they could move that extra inch closer. Daniel walked to his home in order to gather his equipment and prepare to leave.