No Forgiveness

By: Wildfire Sky

Welcome to chapter 6 of "No Forgiveness". Please keep all hands inside the moving vehicle as we will be passing over cliffhangers and the occasional confusing twists. No photography is allowed, however, we will be glad to provide you with plenty of pleasing memories to take home with you. Thank you and enjoy your ride.

No Forgiveness

Chapter Six

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"Excuse me, Colonel, but you have a call on line two." A voice broke into the soldier's already waning thoughts. The large black man looked up from the stack of papers in front of him, silently welcoming the interruption from the monogamous reading he'd undertaken, his study of numerous charts and reports all relating to the current, tragic situation. Although Tyrell had many other, some more pressing, issues to attend to, the release of the geostigma had suddenly taken center stage in his theatre of thoughts and remained in the limelight. After sicing his scientists on a search for the cure, Tyrell had been swamped with results, each more dire than the last.

Waving a dismissive hand at his secretary, Tyrell stood and stretched, reaching out with one hand to press the speaker button on his desk phone. "Tyrell here."

"Good morning, sir. I hope I haven't interrupted your work." The voice was scratchy, even over the static free phone line. It was one of Tyrell's many scientists, indeed one of his most trusted, that he'd assigned to the geostigma case. This one was the most important to everything.

"Not at all, doctor. I was just about to call you." Tyrell reached into the pocket of his coat, pulling out a thin cigarette. "How are things coming along on your end?"

"As well as can be expected."

"That's not saying much." Tyrell glanced at his desk, searching for his ever present box of matches that had suddenly gone missing. "I certainly hope this isn't a call to tell me you've given up the search. That would be extremely disappointing." Reaching across his desk, he opened one of the drawers, searching blindly with his hand. He gave out a triumphant grunt as his fingers brushed against the familiar, small box. "Now what can I do for you? More funding…more test subjects…"

Tyrell lit the match, bringing it to the end of his smoke.

"Sir." The voice replied softly. "I found it."

The burning match froze, the flame barely licking the end of the cigarette. Tyrell stared out into the surrounding darkness of his office, his entire being still from shock. It was…impossible. With an expert flick of his hand, Tyrell put out the match and pulled the cigarette from his mouth. Turning, he glared at his phone suspiciously.

"You're joking."

There was a cold laugh. "Sir, my profession has no room for jokes. I promise you, Colonel Tyrell, I've found the very thing you've been searching for."

Tyrell shook his head, coming back around his desk and leaning over it. "If what you say is true…"

"Then I've accomplished the impossible."

"Nothing's impossible." Tyrell grated, his irritation flaring. "Just tell me how you engineered it."

The scientist sighed. "That's the tricky part, sir. It's been in existence, from my calculations at least, for hundreds of years. Since before Meteor."

Tyrell slowly sat back in his chair, trying to absorb all of this new information. "So why has it taken us this long to find it? We were searching for the cure since geostigma first appeared. What is it from? Where is it harbored?"

"I think…" The scientist paused, seemingly unsure. "I know this is going to sound crazy, Colonel, but I think the planet was hiding it."

Tyrell jerked. "Come again?"

"I think this planet purposely hid the cure from us. It might seem ridiculous, but think about it…the planet used the Lifestream to defeat Meteor…it gave us the holy water to cure the first geostigma out break." There was another short pause. "Perhaps we should tread more carefully around such an intelligent world as ours."

For a moment, Tyrell back to wonder why he even bothered with such moronic men and their equally absurd theories.

"Don't get paranoid, doctor. You're probably over analyzing this." Tyrell reassured him. A flashing light on his phone caught his attention, disbanding Tyrell from the conversation. There was only one direct line into his office, and very few people among his organization knew it. "I'll have to get back to you on this, doctor. Send me a sample of the apparent cure and I'll have it analyzed here as well."

"You don't trust my judgment?"

Tyrell smirked. "Take it as you will." He hung up on the doctor, pressing the switch next to the light and waiting impatiently as the phone clicked over. "Tyrell."

"Sir, there's a slight problem at home."

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Red jerked his entire body back as Shorty's chest erupted in an angry, red spray, bones and thicker matter splashing across the ground. The rider's body stumbled forward, a soft gasp escaping from dying lips, eyes lifting to Red's face. For a moment, he seemed suspended in time, hands lifted to the gaping hole in his chest, before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and he silently fell from the narrow ledge. Red started at the falling body in horror, his mind unable to register the hollow thump of a body hitting the ground far below. His entire frame was frozen in shock. He lifted a shaking hand to his face, peeling a piece of mangled flesh from his chin.

"Holy hell!"

Those two words brought everything back into perspective. Red blinked his eyes, glancing about and trying to gather himself. The faint click was all the warning Red had before the loud retort echoed through the valley. He managed to throw himself to the ground as the bullet grazed the top of his head, cutting through hair rather than flesh. His severed strands had barely settled before Red was crawling back, his body slithering on the ground, until he was away from the cave opening. Chest heaving, Red glancing over at the terrified looking rider. Even in the shallow darkness, it was easy to make out the man's wide, white eyes, the orbs reflecting in the moonlight.

"What do we do now, Red?"

The thief leader frowned slightly, glancing at the cave entrance. That was a damn good question. He heard another faint click and held his breath, listening carefully for any movement from within. Nothing. Red cursed silently…Delevan was one smart bastard. How could he get inside the cave without being detected by Delevan or, more importantly, shot? Red's eyes slid over to the hyperventilating young rider next to him. And then, it hit him.

"Alright." Red whispered, wiping more blood from his face and smiling. "This is what we're going to do." He grabbed the front of the rider's jacket, and the young boy's eyes flicked up to his face fearfully. "If you move, you're dead, got it?" Well…actually, you're dead either way…

Jerking the boy in front of him, Red moved to the front of the cave. He charged the entrance, ducking down behind the screaming rider as he ran, forcing them both forward. He heard the loud clap of the rifle firing, the rider's body jerking violently as his screams were cut off. Ignoring the blood that poured from the limp body, Red shoved the rider forward as he rolled to one side, slipping into the darkness of the cave and holding his breath. The rider's crumpled body was bathed in moonlight, his down turned, blown off face visible in the reflection of the spreading crimson pool. The one remaining eye stared at Red accusingly, blank and yet all seeing.

Red gave a small shudder and looked away. Sacrifice was necessary in this line of work…especially of the weak. Slumping slightly against the cave wall, Red slowly and quietly made his way deeper into the expansive hole in the cliff, his hand reaching inside his jacket to remove the pistol stored there. It was unfortunate, but it seemed like he would be killing Delevan without help…and for some reason, that filled Red with satisfaction. Switching off the safety to his weapon, Red waited for some sound to give away Delevan's or the boy's position. Being a member of one of the many para-military forces that had encompassed Edge in the past certainly had its uses, patience being one of them.

Something glinted in the darkness and Red swung his arm, the shot going off before he'd even sighted. The glowing objects darted off in one direction, the bullet pinging harmlessly off the cave wall. Swearing, Red threw himself to one side, rolling as another deadly bullet implanted itself in the spot where he'd just been. Pausing just long enough to see the thin body of a lizard dart into the darkness, Red rolled and scampered to a new position, wedging himself behind a thick pillar of rock. The flash from his gun may have given away his position, but the flash from the return had given away Delevan's.

"Give it up old man!" Red called, his voice bouncing from the cave walls and making it nearly impossible to track him. "Lucky is pissed and you know that means you're going to die one way or another!" He quickly rolled around the pillar, crouching as he dashed deeper into the cave.

Delevan was slow to answer, his voice only high enough for Red to barely catch. "Pretty heartless of you to kill one of your own, don't you think?"

Red smirked. "There's no honor amongst the criminal, Delevan. You should know that as well as I do."

There was another pregnant pause before Delevan's rough voice bounced back to his ears. "Don't associate me with your kind, thief. You and Lucky are the worse of criminals. Dishonorable even to your own code! If the Boss knew of your treachery…"

"He won't." Red assured mostly himself with that statement. He knew all too well the consequences of betraying such an ancient - and in his personal opinion, foolish - code. He'd seen the bodies on display in the streets, hanging from lampposts and streetlights, bloody signs around their broken and mutilated bodies. It was the only law and order the Outer Banks needed. "The Boss isn't even here right now; he's gone, leaving the Outer Banks to us commoners for a while. His law no longer applies at the moment."

There was a resounding click, causing Red to flinch involuntarily. He began moving again, his eyes locked on the area where he saw the flash from Delevan's rifle, his ears catching every miniscule sound. Perhaps it was because of this extreme concentration, or maybe it was simply back luck, but as Red cautiously moved, he never took notice of the sharp, mako-blue eyes watching his every movement. As Red stepped closer and closer to his position, Cloud's grip tightened on his weapon, slowly lifting it.

The glint of steel drew Red's eyes and he blinked, uncomprehending what he was seeing. He barely had to time scream before the massive butt of the weapon came slamming down on his head, laying him flat. He gave out a small groan of pain, barely comprehending the slick feel of blood sliding down his face before darkness swept over him.

Delevan stepped out from the shadows and into the moonlight, staring down at Red's spread eagled body. He slung his rifle over one shoulder, kneeling down to turn Red's body over and examine the wound. He let out a low whistle, glancing at Cloud with a hint of admiration. "You certainly can swing that thing, can't you? Any harder and you would have shattered the poor man's skull."

"Would have been the least he deserved."

"Perhaps," Delevan shrugged, "but then again, we're not murderers, are we? No need to stoop to their level in order to solve our own problems."

Cloud stared at him, not bothering to answer. Instead he lowered his buster sword and put one hand against the stone wall of the cave, starting to heave his body up. Delevan merely watched curiously, not extending any offers of help, for which Cloud was thankful. He didn't want to be babied through this. The old man had assisted him enough. Turning and pressing his back to the wall, Cloud took a deep breath and prepared himself to step away. Hopefully his legs would hold him. Cautiously, slowly, he stepped out. His foot landed firmly, albeit with some shaking, but held his weight none the less. He stood there for a moment, staring down at his feet.

"Wonderful." Delevan said with a smile, "The paralysis has worn off and it appears the medicine worked. I'd hoped it would."

Cloud looked up at him. "Hoped?"

"I'm not a doctor."

Cloud opened his mouth to reply, angry that the explorer had forced him to eat something he wasn't sure would work. But he was stopped. It felt as though someone had driven a knife into his stomach and was slowly twisting it, pushing it in deeper and deeper. He gasped, eyes wide as he bent over, trying to suck in air.

"Cloud!"

He barely heard Delevan's strained voice. He felt his body keel over and he threw out a hand blindly to catch himself, eyes clenched shut against the waves of pain that seemed to spread from his stomach and across his chest. He wanted to swear, loudly and harshly, in an attempt to alleviate some of the pain, but his throat seemed to have closed up, his efforts for words only ragged hisses and gasps. He felt as though his body was collapsing in on itself, tearing him apart from within.

He fell forward, a feeling of weightlessness taking him for an instant, the sound of rushing air reaching his ears. Suddenly, his body was wrapped in something strong and firm, halting his fall with an almost bone-jarring efficiency. Cloud opened his mouth, if only to hack out a dribble of blood, his hands reaching up to clutch at his brace as he continued to ride the pain consuming him.

He heaved in air as the ache began to subside, eventually numbing enough to where he could actually think again. Realizing he was still slumped in Delevan's arms, he gave a small shrug, silently signaling the man to release him. Reluctantly, Delevan obeyed, stepping away from Cloud while still keeping a steady eye on him. Cloud leaned back against the cave wall, his head back as he breathed deep.

"The medicine worked?" he asked, his tone accusing.

Delevan shifted, his arms crossing. "You should be thanking me, not criticizing. Had I not given you the initial treatment, you probably would have died in the night. Mind you, that's another of my 'uneducated' opinions."

Cloud opened one eye in a glare. "You seem to have a lot of those."

"Opinions are better than nothing. I suggest you learn to trust my judgment." Delevan took Cloud's arm, ignoring the young man's feeble attempts to escape; "Now we need to do something with our friend here." He motioned with his head to the unconscious Red, "For the moment, we'll tie him up until we can get you taken care of. Come over to the fire pit and let's get you warm."

Cloud didn't have the energy to resist. Delevan carefully led him towards the remaining embers of the fire, stoking them and adding more fuel until a tiny flame came to life. He added more grass and wood and eventually grew so it warmed the entire cave. Although he didn't admit it, Cloud was thankful for the warmth. He sat down next to the fire, accepting the blanket Delevan handed to him.

The older man moved back over to where Red laid, rope in hand. Cloud stared into the fire, barely acknowledging Tenki as the tiny reptile crawled into his lap, his thoughts too deep. The aching was there, dull, but there…a familiar throbbing that had consumed him those months ago when the geostigma first attacked his system. His hand came up, subconsciously gripping his left arm. He knew the scars were still there. Not even the so called 'holy water' could make them fade completely. But it wasn't the scars that captured his thoughts, it was the pain itself, spreading through his body like fire. It was at that time, so long ago, that he felt this same pain he was feeling now.

He knew it was the geostigma. There was no doubt about it. The only question was: why was it so much more potent than before? It was this question he pondered as Delevan returned with Red slung over one shoulder like a sack. He ungraciously dumped him to the ground, stepping over the splayed body and circling around the fire until he stood opposite Cloud, looking at him from across the fire. His eyes were stern and face tight.

"I won't lie to you, Cloud, when I say we're in a dangerous situation. Lucky sent his men over here at the bidding of The Boss, and that means that there are a lot of people looking for you…or rather us at this point." Delevan crouched down, the fire shadowing his features, "When this sorry man and his friends don't return soon, Lucky will know something's up and that means a world of hurt. He'll send more, much more, to come for us and that means more running. Unfortunately, your sickness will make travel extremely difficult. A trip of a few hours could take half a day in your condition."

Cloud looked at him cautiously. "What do we do about it?"

Delevan sighed, bowing his head. "To be perfectly honest, you've put me in a bit of a dilemma. I'm used to simply packing my things and moving on when it's required of me. You're quite a burden on me…and I get rid of my burdens."

Cloud inhaled sharply against a flash of pain, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, he found Delevan staring at him with a hint of pity. A look Cloud was beginning to resent. "So, you're just going to leave me here? Sick and injured?"

"No," Delevan shook his head and stood, "I don't simply abandon people I trust. I told you that you've put me in a particular situation, and I'm unsure of how to handle it. Everything inside of me is telling me to leave you here, but then again, I can't do that. I dare say I have a conscious." Delevan smiled down at Cloud, "Get some rest for now, my friend. I'll keep a watch out from any more of our unfriendly neighbors."

Tenki leapt from Cloud's lap and scrambled up his master's shoulders as he walked from the cave and into the night, his rifle still on his shoulder. Cloud turned back to the dancing flames, allowing his body to soak in the soothing heat of it, ridding him of the sensation of pain, if only momentarily. He knew it would come back and knew it would be a problem. Just how the hell was he supposed to travel, when his every movement sent him reeling in pain?

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Lucky sat at his wide, cluttered desk, his gaze shifting between the phone and the group of five men in front of him, each armed with an assault rifle and hard faces. His large fingers tapped impatiently on the smooth, wood surface, his teeth tight in his head from the anxiety building within him. Dawn was only an hour away, by his clock, and neither Red nor his companions had sent word of a completed mission. Which either meant the morons were dead or captured…Lucky suspected the former. Delevan was not a man to be trifled with.

"Alright." Lucky growled, standing, "I'm not waiting any longer, if Delevan did kill Red, then so be it, but I'll be damned if that traitorous bastard slips away again. Get out to the canyon and find out if Delevan is still alive. If his is, you know what to do…" Lucky paused, his eyes narrowing, "That fool, Red, took that bike too. I want it back, got it?"

The men nodded in confirmation and quickly departed to prepare their bikes for the short trip out to the canyon. One of the riders returned to Lucky's desk, nervously fingering his rifle, eyes on the ground. Lucky glanced up at the young killer, already irritated with his presence.

"Yes?"

"Excuse me, Lucky," the man said, "but you asked me to report to you if 'he' was returning to the Outer Banks."

Lucky stared at him, his round face drained of color. "He's…he's coming back? When?"

"I was told he'll be leaving this morning, sir. Which would put him here in a few days time." The soldier looked nervous, "Lucky, if he's really coming back…"

Lucky heaved his body up, pushing away from his table and pointed an angry finger at the young man. "I want this Delevan mess wrapped up as quickly as possible, understand? Any one who's not ready to leave by the time you get back will be left behind."

"We…we're leaving? But Lucky…"

"Go!"

Quickly obeying, the man scrambled back and ran over to where the other riders were mounting their bikes. With the loud roar of engines, the convoy departed from the warehouse, thundering down the back streets of the Outer Banks towards the surrounding desert. Lucky slumped back into his seat with a distressed sigh, his eyes closing. Things weren't good.

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Wow…did I get lazy or what? Not only was this update months behind, but its short! And it's not the best chapter I've written….Oh the humanity! Well, unfortunately, the news doesn't get any better. It's school time and college takes up a lot of my life now. Actually, I'm being consumed by it in a horrible attack of papers, exams, and high expectations. But please, try to bear with me.