EIGHT – TANNER

 

The community of Angeles City went far beyond the confines of the beaten down concrete jungle. The old buildings covered in vines and moss were symbols of the lax and entitled society of the past. Those who took for granted what they had.

Those of us who remained, survived, and grew up in the era of Angeles City took nothing for granted. We had a focus, and that was to live and eventually defeat our captors.

While they may not have kept us prisoner by physical chains and fences, we were bound by their power and limited to what we could have, love, and experience.

Despite the fact that I put on my carefree young man persona, I’m far from that. I’m more serious about defeating the Sybaris than anyone I know.

Well, maybe not anyone… Davis is pretty determined. But it’s been decades, and those who lived in the world before it went to pot seem to have lost their fervor for the fight.

My fire and desire to fight grew as I held Marie’s thin scarf, the one she always wore to cover her neck. Along with the sadness, I felt a sense of betrayal over Vala. I couldn’t shake it.

Marie was good to her, taught her, believed in her. Marie was a good judge of character, so why was I doubting her?

Sitting there just before dawn, I had finished my night watch and was swimming in a pool of disorganized thoughts. The slap of a shoe against something caught my attention and I lifted my head to see Davis walking my way.

Somehow he always looked so much bigger when I was sitting. Davis was already a big man, when looking up at him he was really intimidating.

“How was the watch?” he asked.

“Eerily quiet,” I replied.

“How so?”

“We always have something. Tonight we had nothing. Not a single Savage.”

“We had nothing on nights Vala took watch.”

“Yeah.”

“Still lost on that one, I see.” With a grunt and groan, David lowered himself and sat next to me.

“I’m confused,” I said, lifting Marie’s scarf. “Marie saw something in her. I did, too. I am so confused on why she would leave so easily.”

“I don’t think it was easy for her. I think she left when she had the nerve, before she could change her mind.”

“Do you honestly think it’s the best thing?”

“You mean having her be the inside person?”

“Yes.”

“I do,” Davis answered with certainty. “Do you know what else I think?”

“What’s that?”

“I think you’re confusing your trust of Vala with anger that she left and you couldn’t stop her.”

“Maybe. A part of me thinks she played us all along.”

“Nah, she wanted to be here too bad. She wanted to go instead of Mindy. Vala wants the Sybaris defeated as much as we do.”

“Even this teacher?”

“I don’t know about that,” Davis said with one eye closed. “He could be a problem. No matter what she says, she does trust him. Maybe he isn’t all that bad.”

“He’s a Sybaris.”

“There can always be one. Back in the days of the Pharaohs, Rameses’ mother was a good one. She helped the Israelites. Maybe this teacher slash would be boyfriend—” I quickly looked at him and Davis smirked. “Maybe he is like Rameses’ mother.”

“Her teacher guy is Queen Tuya?”

Davis laughed. “Something like that. He may be Tuya, but Vala is no Benedict Arnold.”

“Who?”

You gotta be kidding me?” Davis said. “You know the name Tuya and you don’t know Benedict Arnold?”

I shook my head. “Benedict Arnold was a traitor,” Davis explained. “He betrayed the country. Hence why the phrase being a ‘Benedict Arnold’ was coined. Vala is not a traitor against us. She is for them.”

I groaned.

“You need to stop dwelling on this.”

“Maybe I just need resolution. Maybe if I had one more chance to try to convince her and hear her reasoning, I could deal with this better.”

“You’re being a drama queen.”

I gasped.

“Yeah, you are. I don’t see anyone else running about, saying, ‘Oh, Vala led them to us, she went back to tell them how to wipe us out’. Only you. Everyone else is calling her brave because Lord knows what she has to face back there.”

“You’re right.”

“I am.” Davis produced a cocky smile. “And I’m tired. Get some sleep. We’ll hear from her soon.”

“You think?”

“Oh, yeah. She has them traveling powers. She’ll pop by soon.” Davis winked, leaned over, and planted his lips to my forehead. “Get some rest. Good night.” I laughed as he struggled to get up with a good balance. “Damn you making me get on the ground. You know I’ve got bad knees.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’ll let it go.” He smiled. “Good night. Get some sleep.”

I stared into the small fire that had started to dwindle. The sky was getting lighter. Light meant safety.

I would get some sleep, there was still something I had to do first. Knowing Davis would not allow it, I waited for him to slip into the building. I gathered some things and headed out of the inner city . I needed transportation. Even though I’d probably never catch up, I had to try one more time to talk to Vala.