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Dreadhorse Chapter 21
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Valen’s musings were cut short as the vehicle screeched to a halt outside the ranch. Dust rose around them like an ominous cloud. He stepped out, adjusting his vest, and took in the view. The ranch sprawled out in front of him, complete with faux wooden facades and a stable lining the horizon. It looked peaceful, yet he knew better. Somewhere within, Orna and Druun were waiting, biding their time.
The squad filed out behind him, moving with the fluid efficiency of seasoned operators. Valen felt out of place even as he took command. The team leader, Sergeant Torres, approached him with a curt nod. “We’re ready when you are, sir.”
Valen nodded back, but before he could issue the go-ahead, a loud revving sound caught his attention. Everyone whipped around as a motorcyclist, helmet reflective like a mirror, sped down the path towards them.
The squad raised their weapons, tense and poised to react. Valen hesitated, trying to assess. The cyclist skidded to a stop, dust swirling around them like they had emerged from a mirage. The figure dismounted, removing the helmet slowly, revealing a woman in her mid-forties, still beautiful despite the scars of time etched on her features. Her eyes held an intensity that unnerved him for reasons he couldn’t quite place.
“Who are you?” Valen called out, hand hovering near his sidearm but not daring to draw yet.
She smirked, hooking the helmet under her arm. “Call me Kia,” she said, her voice calm, almost amused, despite the precarious situation. “I know who you’re after.”
There was a wary silence, broken only by a crow cawing in the distance. Valen scrutinized Kia, her confidence at odds with the chaos unfolding. “And how exactly do you fit into this?” he asked, the question hanging like a challenge.
“Let’s just say, I’m not who you should be worried about,” Kia replied cryptically, taking a step closer. “I’m here to help.”
A whisper of distrust snaked through the squad. The soldiers shifted uneasily. Valen felt the same doubt clawing at him. Her intentions were murky, her presence uncanny.
“And why exactly would we trust you?” Valen pressed her.
Kia just smiled again, an enigmatic gesture reassuring yet mocking. “Because I’ve been watching them longer than you have, Valen. I know their exits, their plans. Druun’s been compromised, and Orna’s the key – not to capturing them, but to stopping this whole charade.”
Valen’s heart skipped a beat. Then it all clicked, but he strained to reconcile the information with her identity. Who was Kia really? An ally or an adversary?
Before he could respond, Kia tossed a small device to him—an earpiece. “They’re planning to leave by dawn, through the hidden underground tunnels beneath the hotel. You’re going to need me to develop a strategy.”
Everything happened so fast. Valen’s mind reeled. Suddenly, the question wasn’t just about Orna and Druun, but about the layers of deception and loyalty revealed before him.
“Why?” Valen uttered, half to himself, half to Kia, clinging to the fragile understanding formed in the charged air.
Kia leaned forward, her voice low yet laced with urgency. “This crisis is bigger than you think. I’m here to make sure you survive it.” Just as quickly as she appeared, she backed away, mounting her bike, ready to vanish with questions unanswered.
“Remember, you need me,” she called, the engine roaring to life.
As Kia disappeared into the dusty landscape, Valen stood unarmed against the swirl of possibilities. The pressing but unspoken words echoed in his mind: Who truly stood as a friend in a world blurred by fear and alliances dark with intent?
The answers dangled like a promise in the wind, driving them both towards a fate that lay just beyond the crest of the coming dawn.