Descent

Chapter 25

Darkness loomed over the traveling party as they navigated the thick swampland. After flying for five hours it was a relief to be using his legs again but Thomas would have opted to dry lands over this. He carried a sleeping Malik atop of his back, the boy's head resting up his shoulder with a gentle snore. Thomas smiled, recalling the way Mai snored in a similar fashion. His heart ached with both anxiety and trepidation as they drew closer to the capital. What condition would she be in? Would she even survive the trek back to Hope County? How were they all going to fit into the aircraft with two additional bodies? All these questions were of course dependent on the outcome of what was sure to be a grand confrontation. They came to the edge of where the forest ended, a hundred meters from where Raven's infamous moat began. The city was dark but there was a certain part of it that illuminated brighter than the moon itself.

"That's a good sign." Dove said, pointing at the illuminated portion, "That light is coming from the arena. If Mai's alive, she'll be there. Which means security on the walls will be scarce. My mother is probably demonstrating her power for the other Highwaymen leaders which means her previous showing to her investors went well."

"I thought all the Highwaymen leaders were dead?" Vittoria asked.

"In this case, I use the term leaders loosely." Dove replied.

The group gathered together into a circle. Thomas reviewed how much ammunition they had as Dove explained the layout of the city to Nayeli and Vittoria. With the ammo they had brought, they could take on an outpost's worth of Highwaymen, but not the entire city if things went sideways. Malik sat by idly, playing with blades of grass, unaware of the danger that lied ahead of them. Out of the group, Nayeli seemed uncharacteristically calm. She calmly thumbed at the walkman player in her possession. When Dove finished speaking, she peeked her head up.

"Thomas and Vittoria will take care of the guards on the wall. Dove, stay with Malik and keep La Grosse Patate on standby. Thomas will have the radio on hand when we need you to come in. I'll handle the Highwaymen in the arena."

The group each looked at one another cautiously - wondering who would be the first to check her sanity. Vittoria stepped forward, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder.

"Nayeli" Vittoria eased, "I understand your urgency, but we have got to stick together."

"Vittoria, you of all people know me best. Let me do this."

Nayeli said it with a notion to the player in her hand. Vittoria and the others looked down at it, curious as to its importance. Nayeli smiled sympathetically, opening the player and revealing what was inside. Within the player was a cassette entitled The Platters. An echo of times past.

"What is that?" Dove asked peering over Vittoria's shoulder.

Nayeli looked up with a glisten in her eye, "Jacob's greatest regret."

-----

The problem with being unstoppable, was that it became quite a bore. Tonight would become the night that the Raven rolled out her newest investment all over the country. The Highwaymen would wage their internal war and she would be their supplier for their mass destruction. To avoid any suspicion, she would package her gifts with a handful of viable blood amongst a stock of placebos. The disclaimer was that not all would be worthy to receive this gift, but for those chosen few, they would be unstoppable. Or so they would like to believe. Raven would never allow them to come anywhere near her source of power but she had to make sure to sell these idiots on the sole idea that they too could have what she had. She would be off limits to their petty wars and once they wiped eachother out she would come and pick up the pieces.

Ramona King watched as her newest investment battled down below from the safety of her luxury box. The arena had once been a theatre-like area where guests could come and watch various shows. Children and the parents likely once filled the now sparse spaces. In this day and age, the rows were now filled with the lowliest ranks of Highwaymen up to their most fiercest, wanting their chance to show their worth against the one whose blood Raven had promised would lead them into victory. The girl Mai was a hurricane in the arena, tearing apart one Highwayman thug after another. There was no moment to pause - it was a continuous onslaught of goons hoping to show a flaw in Ramona's grand endeavor.