Abject in the Dust

Chapter 20 - An Unwelcome Truth

"We should have gone back for her."

"We have been through this before." Rize said with frustration. "And it is of no advantage to either of us to go through it again."

"We should not have abandoned her."

"We have not abandoned her." Rize replied angrily. "We simply need to understand what it is we face before attempting any rescue."

"She could be dead by then." Lykke snapped. "If she is not already."

"She cut the rope, Lykke. She was sending us a clear message not to follow."

"You don't know that. You don't know that she cut the rope. It could have been cut by somebody else, trying to kill whoever was on the other end. Trying to kill you."

"Then if that was their intent – to kill – Sam was dead before I hit the ground." Rize sighed deeply and embraced Lykke in his arms. "I am sorry, Lykke. That is not what I believe. I believe that Sam still lives and that she cut the rope so that we could not be caught. If we had climbed back up the mountain without knowing what we faced, then we undoubtedly would have been caught and what Sam did would have been to no avail."

"I know." Lykke sobbed.

Rize squeezed Lykke tighter. "We will be at the settlement before morning is out, then we will find out what Sam knew."

"I'm surprised to see you again." Kreshnik was a bald, thin, tall man. Despite the settlement only comprising of a handful of people, it had taken most of the afternoon to track down Kreshnik; the last man they had seen Sam speaking with before they had left the settlement. The few people who lived in the settlement all seemed to have an uncanny knack for moving without being seen and hugging the shadows and despite his size and obvious lack of fitness, Kreshnik was no different.

"Why is that?" Rize asked.

"Your friend didn't make it then?" Kreshnik continued, oblivious to the question which had been raised. "Funny that, I thought she of all people might have been able to avoid them."

"Avoid whom?" Rize pressed.

"Something about her. Couldn't put my finger upon it. Just something in her eyes. Shame, but I did warn her."

"Warn her about what?" Lykke interrupted angrily, much to Kreshnik's shock.

"The cult, of course. You mean she didn't tell you?"

"What cult?" Lykke asked with increasing frustration.

"Well, there's a turn up for the books – not telling you I mean. Still, might have been the best thing. Most people are pretty shocked when they hear about the cult. She seemed to take it pretty much in her stride, but you two ..." Kreshnik paused as he looked Lykke and Rize up and down. "... yes, probably best that she didn't tell you."

"Kreshnik!" Rize interjected as he placed a hand on Lykke's clenched fist. "Perhaps you would be good enough to tell us what you told our friend. If it isn't too much trouble?"

"No skin off my nose." Kreshnik sniffed loudly. "Mind you, you'll still have to pay. Information costs you know."

"Of course, of course." Rize raised his hand in surrender, much to Lykke's annoyance. "What is your price?"

"Your friend traded some dried fish. Good stuff. Got any more of that?" Kreshnik asked as he eyed the backpacks hopefully. Rize nodded in reply. "Fish first, then the information."

Rize smiled. "Information first, then the fish. After all, you have already been paid once for providing my party with this information, so anything is else now a bonus, wouldn't you say?"