Prisoner of Earthside: A Novella (STRYDER'S HORIZON Book 2) Page 6
“So you rehabilitated them?”
Gentry stayed down on his knees, still cowering from my rage.
“Yes, I thought I cured them of their pain. We convinced them to start a new life. They all did. Even Thom Crisp. But they knew what had happened to them, and they started talking. Colonial didn’t like that and apparently someone else didn’t like it. The survivors started to die. They came to one of my Jubilees and we concocted this plan of misinformation.”
“A lie.”
“The sole survivor,” he said. “We could put out a press release, make a big show of it. I of course would be called in to help with his rehabilitation and the profits I would reap would only further my ministry.”
“Why did Nehalem think Thom Crisp was a traitor?”
“Nehalem was crazy. He had been promoted to keep him out of the way. He didn’t voice his concerns to anyone in Colonial. He had dinner with us as friendly as could be but….”
“But what?”
“We didn’t know he was killing the survivors. That he had worked to land himself here in Earthside to expose Thom Crisp as a traitor and kill him as well.”
“But Thom Crisp is not a traitor.” I wanted to make sure we were clear on that.
“Thom Crisp is not a traitor. Nehalem was delusional, a product of paranoia after the Massacre on Pendant’s Ridge. He lost his wife and two daughters that day.”
“Was Randall helping him?” I asked.
“Colonial believes so, I don’t know. But the boy is to take the fall for his father’s actions. That has already been decided.”
“But he didn’t kill his father did he?”
Gentry didn’t answer. I could tell he didn’t want to.
“Who killed Grand Officer Nehalem?”
“He won’t be charged for it. Trust me, it’s better this way. We need hope. Thom Crisp is supposed to be our hope.”
I realized now, Thom killed Nehalem when he found out all his friends were being murdered. It was a messy kill. Thom had made Nehalem suffer.
“Well if that’s all settled, can my friend see him now?”
14. THE PRISONER
In a moment in time nothing else mattered.
It didn’t matter that Randall Nehalem was being arrested for a crime he didn’t commit. It didn’t matter that I was being awarded some random medal of honor for assisting the Colonial in his capture.
All that mattered was Thom Crisp and Alice Murphy. Their embrace was short. It was like that moment when you wake up and touch your face to be certain you’re awake. They stared, taking in the years that had past. Their eyes actually sparkled from where I was sitting. I know it was just the way the sun was coming in through the window, but it didn’t feel like it.
Gentry caught me smiling.
“You owe me for this,” he said. “There were those in Colonial who thought it would be wise to kill two birds with one stone if you get my drift. I want you to keep that in mind, Kimberly. I’m not as high and mighty as I pretend to be. My reach only goes so far. I called in a favor for you.”
“Don’t worry about me anymore,” I said.
“But you’re right about me, aren’t you?”
“That you’re a creepy asshole? I can get others to vouch for that if you really want me to.”
Gentry shrugged. “I was better when I was younger. I wasn’t happy then either. But I saw all this as what I wanted to have. Now I need it. I’m a fraud, Kimberly. Those two are real. I bet that’s why he did it.”
“Did what?”
“When I came up with the plan of the sole survivor we needed a volunteer. No one wanted to do it. They had started pretty decent lives, found new lovers, jobs, and a couple started families. They wanted those back, they wanted what they had earned. But Thom Crisp must’ve wanted that. She came as soon as he called.”
We watched as Alice and Thom embraced once more, and then laughed at how silly they were being not staying in each other’s arms. It was time to stop being a spectator.
“See that she gets home at a decent hour,” I told Gentry on my way out.
“I thought maybe you would want to stay?”
I couldn’t believe that what I said could erase the years of Gentry’s debauchery and arrogance. That a person could change with a single thought, a single desire to be his old self. But to be honest, I had no desire for him. Not even when he was the kind young man who took me in and patched me up. I had one thing on my mind then. And seeing those boyish eyes of his return and beg me to stay as they had all those years ago brought back that singular thought again.
I still wanted to kill the Dessup Gang. Every last one of them.
I wished I could shake that desire. I wished I could want what Alice and Thom had. But that had been taken from me. Maybe I would want those things one day. But for right now, I’ll take Old Shepard home. Get Gregor to fix him up, and in the meantime I’ll be at Macy’s. As I always am. Trying not to give into my one desire. Trying to move on.
That’s what everyone says would be best for me.
“You take care of yourself, Kimberly,” Gentry said, escorting me to the lift. A couple of Colonials saluted me like I had done something. But I hadn’t killed the Dessup Gang this time. I had just helped Colonial protect its best interests. Helped Lord Gentry continue fooling the known galaxies with his grace and compassion. Probably helped Alice get laid. That was worth a salute.
I realized I was as much of a fraud as Gentry.
I turned to face him as I stepped into the lift. There was something I could’ve said, maybe even should’ve said. But it escaped me. The lift closed and I made my way to the border of Earthside, grateful to be going.
Gregor picked me up outside of Earthside. He went right into lecture mode.
“Kimmie, always a mess with you.”
But I gave him pause as he saw the cage in my hand. Inside the jhornosp licks its razor sharp teeth, seemingly taking my side of the argument.
“What is that for?” Gregor asked as I put it in the back seat of his ride.
“Someone was trying to illegally import the poor bugger. Colonials dropped some of the charges if I agreed to relase it back into the wild.”
“You’re not going to release it, right? We’ll squash it.”
I crawled into the passenger seat and didn’t answer. Maybe there was mercy in me, maybe I was the disgusting little jhornosp that no one wanted.
I let Gregor lecture me for the duration of the trip. It wasn’t all that bad considering the alternative could’ve been me behind bars, stuck forever in Earthside.
No. This was a happy ending. I guess deep down I just didn’t really want it. Not when it seemed like I’d just go on, messing things up, like saying the sun set in the west, when I know it doesn’t here. I’d been lying to myself thinking I could just go on, just trying to pretend there was something else in my life that I wanted more. But there was nothing else I wanted.
When I got back to my shack, I loaded up Old Shepard and drove out to Bill Pace’s place. He wouldn’t be too excited to see me again. But I had business for him this time and he had weapons, lots of them. I was done being a prisoner. I was the jhornosp, ready to prepare my final supper.
Ready to meet the horizon.
THE END…
KIMMIE STRYDER WILL RETURN IN….
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SMASH
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BURNSIDE
STYDER’S HORIZON #3
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Stryder’s path to vengeance leads her into a dangerous derby that will test more than just her ability to survive.
Coming Soon
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Daniel J. Kirk is a resident of Richmond, Virginia. He has written and published westerns, horror, and science fiction short stories throughout the digital world. His first published novel, a fantasy adventure tale, THE FORGOTTEN PRINCESS will be released Summer/Fall 2014.
His ongoing urban fantasy series: THE HATCHBACK WOMAN is available now:
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p; HATCHBACK WOMAN #1-10 & HATCHBACK WOMAN #11-18
He can be contacted at: dankirk@brideofchaos.com
And visit www.brideofchaos.com to keep up to date with new releases featuring Mr. Kirk and many more authors.
Thank You For Reading
© 2014 Daniel J. Kirk