The Steel Harvest (3 page)

Follow your heart, Carter. Don’t back down, especially when you know you’re doing the right thing. This is madness.

“Hold on.”

Silvia obediently braced herself between the seat and the dash. As the convoy entered the one-way tunnel, Carter counted down in his head. If he timed this wrong, he risked having one or more cars pursue him. Three…two…one…

Carter slammed on the brake, turning the steering wheel as hard as he could. The car lurched. Silvia cried out, nearly hitting the door as the old clunker did a 180. Grinding his teeth, Carter floored the gas pedal, shooting off like a bullet. In his rearview mirror, he saw the other cars in the convoy brake. He smiled. The tunnel’s single narrow path didn’t leave any room to turn around.

Turning his attention back to the road, Carter let out a huge sigh. They were in the clear for the time being. Next to him, Silvia took several labored breathes, her gaze wild. Steering back toward the main road, Carter allowed himself a quick grin.

“I’m sorry if this sounds rude, but what the hell are you doing?” Silvia’s voice shook, but her half-smile betrayed her true feelings.

Carter grinned to himself. “I’m not like them. There’s no way I’m taking you to those slavers. You wouldn’t last a month.”

“You don’t even know me. Why help me?”

“What can I say? Maybe I just needed an excuse to cut ties.”

Silvia shot him a suspicious look but quickly relapsed into a tired grin. “I just…you don’t seem like the rest of those guys.”

“I’m not. If I had known where they were taking you, I never would have followed them.”

“Thank you…”

“Carter. My name is Carter Hale.”

“Thank you, Carter.”

Carter began to respond, but several deep breaths interrupted him, followed by a slight snore. He grinned slightly, focusing on the road. After the day she’d been through, Silvia would probably sleep the entire trip back. Slowing the car slightly, he pulled a small blanket from the backseat, draping it over Silvia as her head drooped farther into the seat. He allowed himself a stretch and a quick yawn. The sun loomed just ahead of them, turning the sky into brilliant shades of orange and gold.

If they were lucky, they would reach Boston by nightfall.

The moon shone brightly, replacing the sun between the two chucks of The Shell by the time the rental car pulled into the deserted lot. The rental shop sat outside Boston’s city limits, the soft glow from beyond the wall making it just visible among the shadows.

After parking the car, Carter stretched and rubbed his eyes. They were safe for now, but Marcus’s threat rang through Carter’s mind. The Covenant would be back with a vengeance.

He shivered, despite the car’s warm interior. An adversary with a chip on his shoulder usually proved dangerous, especially for loners like Carter. His chest tightened. He would have to leave Boston behind him, at least until things blew over.

It’s for the best, though. At least I can move forward with a clean conscience.

Silvia lay curled in the passenger’s seat, her face pressed against the window. Her auburn hair fell over her face, obscuring her features, but Carter could hear a soft snoring from across the cab. Watching her for a moment, he forced his heartbeat back down to a crawl.

This whole day has seemed like a dream.

A light appeared in the rental shop window, cutting Carter’s thoughts short. He braced himself, slipping out of the car. The eastern winds bombarded him immediately, chilling him to the bone.

Nope, definitely not a
dream.

Up ahead, the door to the rental shop creaked open, revealing the shop owner. Easily nearing his fifties, the old man sported more salt than pepper. As he approached, Carter bowed slightly to his elder.

“You came back alone?” The old man’s voice echoed through the abandoned city limits, diffusing into the darkness.

Standing straight, Carter gave the man a grave nod. “I must apologize for waking you so late, sir. I’m afraid my comrades have continued on to Benton without me.”

The old man stared at Carter and then glanced toward the car. Carter gave his best trader’s grin. The shop owner did the same, every bit the cunning businessman.

“Benton, you say? I thought your party was headed for Log Town.”

“That’s right. Fortunately, the haul was much larger than expected, so they decided to head straight there instead of detouring to Log Town.”

The old man squinted, frowning. Carter braced himself. Scavengers rarely hauled cargo over long distances via car. A horse and cart tended to risk breaking down less often and could be bought outright instead of leased. Still, if they’d grabbed a big enough haul, the cars would make defending their loot from bandits far easier.

“If they had such a big haul, why didn’t you go with them? Surely they could have used the extra horsepower.”

Underneath his grin, Carter fought the urge to grind his teeth.

The less he knows, the better. He can’t become collateral if he doesn’t have anything to say.

“Well, there was an…anomaly.”

“An anomaly?”

Carter nodded, pointing over his shoulder toward the car. “One of the passengers on the ship we salvaged survived. We found her amidst the wreckage.”

“What?” The old man raised his eyebrow, frowning slightly. “Even after twenty years in the business, I don’t think I’ve heard of anyone walking away from a carrier crash.”

“Seriously?”

The old man ignored the question. Shuffling over, he peered into the car window. “Well, I’ll be damned. She’s royalty, too, huh?”

“Huh?” Carter gave the shop owner a queer look.

Royalty?

The old man snickered. “Ever dealt with Shell Correspondents before?”

“No, never.”

“Heh, figures.” The old man beckoned Carter closer, pointing into the window. The jacket had slipped down far enough to show a black tattoo to the left of Silvia’s spine. It looked like a family crest.

“You see it?”

“Yeah. What of it?”

“They say babies aren’t born naturally on The Shell. They are grown in capsules, molded to fit what the parents want. But in doing so, it leaves a defect on the back of their necks where they were attached to the pod.”

“Okay, but why the tattoo?”

“Well, most people live with the defect, but according to some of my old contacts, the people who run things on The Shell—The Royals—cover up the imperfection with a tattoo.”

Carter let loose a low whistle. The slavers in Benton paid top dollar for normal Shell girls, to say nothing of Royals. Marcus probably knew it, too. With that much funding, the Arcfall Covenant could become much more than a small-time player.

“Hey, why didn’t you all just take her with you to Montar, then?” the old man asked. “Surely someone there would have been able to help her.”

“That’s what I thought, too,” Carter countered, his smile never wavering. “But our captain was considerate enough to realize how exhausted she must be from everything that’s happened. I’m under orders to let her rest up here, then travel on to Montar and meet up with the others there.”

After a moment, the man stepped back. Flashing an honest smile, he patted Carter on the shoulder. “You scavengers aren’t so bad; you know that? Is there anything else I can help you with? If not, just leave the car there for now. I can take care of it in the morning.”

“I have some scavenged sheet metal in the trunk. Is it okay if I leave it here for tonight and reclaim it in the morning?”

“Sure. I’ll leave her unlocked until noon tomorrow so you can come get it. For tonight, just get that girl somewhere warm.”

Carter nodded, bowing again. He hoped Marcus would leave the old man be but doubted it.

Please, forgive me.

The old man retreated back into the depths of his shop, and the light in the window was quickly snuffed out. Carter heaved a sigh, calming his leg with his hand.

Damn twitch. It nearly gave me away.

As the wind blew again, Carter rubbed his arms, forcing back the chill. Boston’s warm glow beckoned him forward, but he held back, staring off at the city.

Can’t just waltz into town without a plan, especially with Silvia in tow.

The Arcfall Covenant’s prevalence throughout Boston’s commerce left a rather large number of unknown variables. Carter didn’t plan on staying in town long enough for their adversaries to catch up, but his uncertainty on whom to trust left him nauseated. His stomach churned.

I hate to drag anyone else into this mess, but if the shit hits the fan, he might be the only one I can trust.

Finding his resolve, Carter moved back to the car. He grabbed his bag and then moved around to the passenger door, opening it slowly. Silvia’s head immediately dropped, waking her with a start. She looked around bleary-eyed and then stared up at Carter with her mouth hanging half open. She yawned, pushing back the stray hairs that stuck to her face.

“Eh. Where are we?”

“Boston. We should be safe here for a couple of days.”

Silvia glanced up at the city beyond. She gasped slightly, her eyes growing wide. Carter watched her incredulously.

Aren’t there large towns on The Shell?

“Come on. We can’t stay out here, or we’ll catch our deaths.”

Silvia nodded, pulling her gaze away from the city and drawing the jacket around her. She looked Carter up and down, frowning. “You must be freezing.”

Carter shrugged, forcing himself to stop shivering. “It’s fine. I’ve been worse.”

Silvia’s frown deepened. She rose to stare Carter straight in the eyes. He gulped despite himself. She stood a full head shorter than he, but the fire in her eyes made him feel weak by comparison.

“I appreciate you giving me the hoodie, and I understand why you did it, but please try not to act so tough. It’s okay to show weakness, and seeing you parade around like that just makes me feel even more indebted to you.”

Carter flinched slightly, surprised. The confused little girl from before lay dormant, revealing a completely different dynamic. At a loss for words, he swallowed and then nodded his understanding.

Smiling faintly, she tapped his chest. “Right, then. Please lead the way. It is dreadfully cold out here.”

“R-right.”

Carter took off, finally giving in to the city lights. He knew the route by heart. Silvia plodded along next to him, hugging her arms to her sides. The wind blustered through the city outskirts, forcing them closer together. After a moment, Carter felt her bump against his side.

“S-sorry,” she muttered, glancing up ruefully.

Carter shot her a quick glance. “It’s fine. Are you cold?”

“A little. Please tell me we’re headed somewhere warm.”

“Don’t worry, we’re going to check into an inn for the night.”

Silvia didn’t respond but merely quickened her pace next to Carter. The moon was blotted out by The Shell, but street lamps lined the roads, illuminating their journey in a warm, orange glow. Traders and businessmen ran to and fro, closing their shops for the day. In a couple of hours, the streets would be deserted, and the night guard would begin enforcing curfew. Carter hoped to be asleep by then.

After a while, Silvia fell behind, trailing Carter at a snail’s pace. When he turned to look at her, he saw her eyes aglow as they darted back and forth, soaking up the sights of the city.

She’s like a kid in a candy shop.

Carter felt bad rushing her. Still, every time the wind blew, he pushed her ahead of him. She would have time to explore the city later.

After a while, the inn in question came into view. A decent-sized two-story building, it stood tall on the street corner, looming in the night. Silvia stopped suddenly, turning to look up at Carter. Her brave stance had been broken, converting her back to the same small girl he’d met in the ruins.

“Hey, listen.”

“What’s wrong?”

“Ho-how do we know we can trust the innkeeper?” Silvia wouldn’t meet his gaze. Instead, she stared at her scuffed, bloody feet.

Carter felt a pang in his chest. He really needed to get her some clothes soon.

“I’ve known the innkeeper here for a long time. He’s had my back more times than I can count, and I would trust him with my life.”

Silvia seemed to consider his words carefully. Carter understood her hesitation. She’d put her trust in the Covenant, too. After a moment, she shrugged, striking a pose as if it didn’t matter to her in the slightest.

“If you trust him, then I guess I will too until he can prove himself either way.”

Carter smiled. Despite her nonchalant act, her sagging shoulders betrayed her. Shooting her a reassuring smile, he stepped past her and into the inn.

Inside, the first-floor bar teemed with life. Travelers and merchants alike lined the bar. Carter whistled, impressed. His old friend certainly knew how to attract business.

The man himself sat behind a receptionist desk, checking in another traveler. Catching Carter’s eye, the man waved the duo over.

“Long time, no see, Ramus,” Carter quipped, grinning slightly as he put his hands down on the other side of the table.

His friend grinned, running his hand through the dirty blond mop atop his head. “Not so long, though,” Ramus teased. “What gives, Carter? Things not work out with the Covenant?”

“Not so much, no.”

Ramus sighed, giving Carter a sympathetic smile. “Damn. That’s a tough break. Mind if I ask what happened?”

“Their leader just rubbed me the wrong way,” Carter said. “Plus, I may have picked up some extra baggage.”

Ramus looked up with a puzzled expression on his face. His eyes darted to Silvia, and he smiled brightly.

“Well, howdy. My name’s Ramus Thatcher, but you can call me Ramus, okay?”

Silvia stood a little way from the table, using Carter as a barrier. Back to acting shy and confused, she hid her face with the top of the hoodie. After peering at Ramus for a few moments, she took his hand and shook it lightly.

“It’s nice to meet you. My name is Silvia.”

“Silvia, eh?” Ramus repeated. Standing, he bowed slightly. “The honor is all mine. Welcome to Boston.”

Silvia smiled faintly, but her eyes were heavy and her footing unsteady. After a few moments, she leaned on Carter for support.

Ramus turned his attention to Carter. “Will you be wanting your usual room, or would something with two beds be more accommodating?”

“Two beds, please, if you can manage it. I know you’re quite full at the moment.”

Ramus flipped through his record book, scanning each room. Carter waited, letting his foot tap absentmindedly. Silvia watched the innkeeper through drooping eyes. Finally, Ramus’s smile returned.

“It’s your lucky day, mate. It’s one of my lower-quality rooms, but I have one room with two beds still vacant. Why don’t you lead the young lady upstairs so she can rest and then come back down? We can talk about payment then.”

Ramus pulled a key from his pocket, sliding it across the table. Carter caught it, flashing Ramus a brilliant trader’s grin and prodding Silvia toward the hall.

“Thanks, Ramus.”

Escaping the front desk, Carter humored the possibility that he might have to carry Silvia up to their room. Her feet barely left the floor as they slid toward the stairs, her head hanging low. Carter steered her in the right direction. However, as soon as Ramus disappeared, Silvia bounded up the stairs. Carter snorted.