Melika walks down the empty street, weary from the long ride and not enough sleep on the inn’s hard bed. Her skirts rustle around her in a wide arc; an annoyance, but they’re good for hiding things. Her cap sits tight to her head: one of those with goggle attachments, which she, deployed over her eyes while outside. The transparent glass works to shield her sight from dust blowing everywhere. Despite the tightness of the cap, her hair still escapes. Just an hour ago, she had managed to wind the long mass onto her head in a tight braid. Now a nuisance, wispy tendrils of fire leak out. She shivers, glad to be out in the sun, but she wills herself not to turn her head towards its warmth, because you never know who might be peering out from the darkened windows. She steps under the shade of the eave, taking off her goggles so she can see in the dimmer light of the bar, about to push open the swinging doors with her shoulder, when two men come barrelling out, one on top of the other, curses spitting out like desert rats.
“Gods be damned, Kace, not again,” she whispers, her voice scratchy from disuse. She watches them for a minute, contemplating what to do; the other man is large, large enough that she doesn’t want to get involved. But also large enough that he might give Kace some trouble, and they really don’t need more lawmen after them. She sighs, walks toward them.
“Alright, boys, break it up,” she says, staying about ten feet away, using a hint of command. Hopefully not enough that anyone will pick up on it, but enough that they both obey her. They pause and turn their black-and-blue faces to her.
“Hey, Little Sis,” Kace calls. “We’re just playin’.”
“Don’t sound like play, Big Bro, and those bruises ‘round your eyes are gonna smart tomorrow,” she calls back, in the same playful jeer, her arms across her chest. He knows she doesn’t like being called ‘Little Sis’ but at least he remembered not to use her real name. She cocks her hip, just enough to be seductive, and then nods to the big man. “Who’s your friend, then?”
He shoots up, wipes his hands off on his already dusty pants, shrugs, and then looks sheepishly at her. “Hi, there, Miss, it was just a friendly brawl, that’s all. Didn’t mean to get your brother in no trouble.”
“Oh, well, that’s alright, then.” She puts her hand on her hip; the rough fabric of her petticoats help to center her, but she also knows the effect on men. “Well, I’m damn parched being out in this hot sun. You can buy me a beer if you want.”
“Oh, yes, please, Miss, I’d be much obliged if you’d let me.” He rushes over to hold open the door, while she turns her head slightly to glare at Kace. Her eyes do all the talking. Let’s make this quick. He nods, barely, so she knows he understood.
At the bar, she finds a beer and the large man waiting for her, a big smile plastered on his face. The bartender stands at the opposite end, filling up two steins for a couple of old men. All three of them watch her. She stifles her groan, not wanting to play this game again. Grandma May would have told her a pretty face can deflect a fight, though, so she curls her lips up at the corners and straddles the bar stool. She sips slowly, having to consciously not use her tongue to drink. The slow sips have the added benefit of holding men’s attention better, anyway.
“So, your brother said you all crossed the barren lands?” The man squints his eyes in question, a mixture of fear and disbelief. She notices the bartender creep closer and the bar is unusually quiet.
Gods be damned, Kace, can’t keep his blasted mouth shut. No matter, she’ll use that disbelief, then.
“Oh, gosh,” she says, waving her hand and using a hint of persuasion. The bartender has moved closer, not even trying to pretend like he’s not listening. “He’s a right damn show-off. We barely skipped over a corner. We walked max five minutes on the barren lands.”
He sighs. “Oh, good. I thought… Well, no matter what I thought, I’m just glad we don’t need to call in for reinforcements. He didn’t mention he had such a pretty sister, that seems like a far better thing to brag about.”
“Oh, I’m nothing worth bragging about…” She smiles up at him through her lashes. “You, though… Well, not many men can take down my brother like that.”
The bartender walks over, fills both their steins. It’s good beer, for a small town on the edge of the barren lands. Her metabolism works quickly, so she lets herself enjoy the taste.
He puffs up his chest. “Well, he’d mentioned the barren lands, you know, seemed so positive that y’all had spent days walking through it. I needed to protect my town, you know.”
More like years. Memories of growing up flicker behind her eyes. She hopes it doesn’t reflect. “Oh, I know, I know. And I really admire your bravery, if he had been telling the truth… No hard feelings, by the way, my brother… Well, he likes people to think he’s a bigger man than he is, so he brags about everything.”
“What about you? I didn’t get your name, yet.”
Gods damn, she hates lying. One would think it’d get easier and it never has. “Jersey,” she says, remembering a word Grandma May had used once, talking about the before times. One day she and Kace will plan better; they never can use the same name more than once, seeing as they’re always discovered. Maybe now will be different.
“Jersey? Sounds familiar.”
She coughs. “It’s a family name.” She tries her best at looking embarrassed. “I always hated it, but can’t turn away from family, right? What about you, what can I call you?”
“Oh, I’m Jeremiah, the town sheriff. If you need anything I’m your guy.”
Of course he’s the sheriff. Only Kace would pick a fight with the one man we don’t need the attention of. “Wow, the sheriff? Do you go out and fight the… you know… the barren demons?” She whispers the last phrase, her voice timid; but she thinks of Fluffy. If only these people knew what was really out there.
He finishes another beer. “Not yet. I just took the job a few days ago, after the last sheriff…” He looks around, then leans in conspiratorially. “Well, he didn’t come back one night. We haven’t seen him for months.”
Kace saunters in and walks over, towering above them. He’s tall, she’s short, and it certainly doesn’t help that she’s sitting down. “Hey, Mel, we’re all good.” His voice is serious, and she knows that means they need to leave sap.
“Mel?” The sheriff scrunches his face. She hopes the news hasn’t traveled this far already, so he won’t make the connection, or that their pictures aren’t clear enough to make an id.
She shrugs. “Childhood nickname. Silly, really, but a long story. Maybe I can tell you sometime, over another beer?” She raises her eyebrows, eyes wide, lips parted slightly.
“Yeah, maybe…” He looks thoughtful and turns to Kace. “What’d you say your name was?”
An even worse liar than she is, Kace stands there, mouth open, eyes staring. “Uh…. Job?” He says, finally, his voice lilting at the end in question.
“Your name’s Job? You sure ‘bout that?”
“Yup!” He beams, and Melika wishes they were back out in the barren lands, fearing what’s coming. Perhaps they can leave quickly enough, before anyone else gets hurt.
She stands, squeezing his arm and saying to Jeremiah, “It was nice talking with you, Sheriff, but we have a prior appointment to make. I hope we can do this again sometime.” She knows that’s unlikely; even if this day doesn’t end in blood, they can’t stay here any longer.
The sheriff also stands. “I think maybe we should step down to my office and chat some more.” His voice is friendly, but the hand creeping to his gun is not.
Melika shakes her head. “No, I think it’d be better if you rest for now.” On the word ‘rest,’ she looks pointedly at Kace.
He picks up on the cue. She hears the click in the back of his throat and can see the glands at the base of his jaw flicker, opening to let out the sleeping gas his body concocts; she can’t smell the gas coming out, but since she’s immune she can only hope he gets the right combo this time. She shudders remembering the time the gas didn’t wear off for two days, by which time three people had died from dehydration. On the opposite end, there’d been the time that it had only lasted for five minutes, not long enough for them to leave town. The death count that time had been even higher, because then she’d had to deal with it, good intentions useless.
The gas releases quickly, dispersing concentrically from them, so the sheriff is hit first. Realization dawns in his eyes, and he puts up a hand to his nose.
It won’t help, she thinks, but doesn’t stay to watch. She grabs Kace and together they flee, a little burst of speed to help them. She can’t sustain it for long, but it’ll get them out of range of the sheriff’s gun.
“Where are the horses?” She shouts as they burst through the bar doors, the speed of the wind rushing by them making it hard to hear.
“The post out of town.” He shouts back.
“Everything loaded?” She hopes, turning off the speed when they hit the sunlight.
He scoffs. “Course.”
She nods, breathes out deeply. Maybe they’ll make it, this time. “Let’s go, then. But don’t draw attention.” She tilts her head in the direction of the bar. “You got the combo right this time?”
“I think so. Should be down for only an hour, long enough for us to get away but not long enough to do any harm.”
She twines her fingers through his, the feel of his hand comforting, a reminder of being children, running through the daisies together. “Thank you, Kace.” She unconsciously relaxes her shoulders when they reach the horses. “Did you get enough supplies to last us?”
“Should have. Two months if we’re frugal, one month if we’re not.”
“That’ll do.” She strokes her horse, Peri, then sets up the sun shade, mounting it on Peri’s shoulders so it will cover both her and the horse. She is about to pull herself up, when an impending sense of danger washes over her. She knows this feeling. “Cover.” She says. With lizard reflexes, Kace leaps behind a large rock, crouching, watching her as she turns to face what’s coming.
“You won’t get away this time.” A man shouts from the shadows.
“Shit.” She whispers, the voice familiar but it can’t be. She pulls her goggles back on, activating the low light sensors. It is. “Hi again, Sheriff. Feeling rested?”
He shoots. The bullet would have hit her if she hadn’t leapt onto the post seconds prior. “We know about that trick of yours, after the last time. You won’t be able to pull that one again.”
She shakes her head, the last of her red hair flying out of the attempted braid. Their one way of doing a non-lethal take-down, and now that’s a bust. Probably some kind of implant, they’ve been getting better with that. “We don’t want to hurt no one, Sheriff.” She indicates their saddlebags. “We needed food.”
“What about Talpaca? And Tenoch? Sissery, Teka, and all the others?”
She shakes her head. She spits out, through clenched teeth, “Accidents.” She leaps to avoid another shot, landing on the second story of the building he hides under. “We didn’t mean to hurt anyone. We didn’t start the fights.”
“But you sure do finish them.” They’re at an impasse, now, with her above him and he still in the shadows. He’d have to emerge from the shadows to get line of sight on her.
“This doesn’t have to end in blood, Sheriff.” She says, creeping to the edge of the roof so she doesn’t have to shout.
“It won’t be my blood. Reinforcements are on the way.”
Feeling exposed on the roof, she darts to a window. Her goggles enhance her vision, letting her see through the darkened glass. No one. It’s unlocked, and she climbs inside. She crouches, hands hanging down between her legs, then wills her skin to change. Her light brown skin becomes mottled, gray, to match the walls and furniture; her carmine hair shifts to almost black. She lacks control over her clothes, but that’s why she wears dull colors. She uses the snaps on her skirt to convert them to pants. Once camouflaged, she moves into the next room. No one. Stairs are on her left. She peers over the balcony and doesn’t sense anyone; she leaps down to save time then quickly walks to the side of the house Jeremiah was on. It’s only been ten seconds since he last spoke.
“It doesn’t have to be anyone’s blood.” She says when she senses him.
He startles. “How…?”
“It doesn’t matter. My brother and I just want to go home. Please.”
“I can’t. I’m the law. I need to uphold it.”
“What have we done? We paid for our food and supplies with money. We paid for our room at the inn. What crime have we committed?” She activates persuasion. It can’t change a person’s mind, but if they’re already open to something it can encourage them.
“You’ve killed people. You have to pay for that.”
“Only in self defense.” That’s enough; too much will do the reverse. “Please let us go home. There are children waiting for the food we have.”
“Children?” He hesitates. “Lizardfolk?”
“Yes. Please.”
He’s about to let her, she knows it, but then she hears Kace. “Melika!” His voice is wrong. Scared. He’s in trouble.
She bursts out of the house, back to his side. Or to where he was when she last saw him. He’s being dragged, now, four men, all wearing stars. Must be the reinforcements.
Kace screams as they wrench his arm. She runs, leaping, her talons already extending out of her forearms and heels, testosterone flooding her body, and she knows there will be no stopping her until it’s run its course. The first man’s neck is slit before he sees her coming. The second reaches for his gun and she rips his arm off like it was made of paper. The third one has his gun out, finger on the trigger, so she pounces on him and twists his arm to shoot the fourth in the head. Finally, she stabs the third man in the eye with her right talon. As he falls, she falls too. Kace catches her.
“I’ve got you, Mel.”
“The sheriff…” She whispers, not sure what he’ll do now that she’s killed again. Knowing there’s nothing else for her to do, as she’s exhausted all her resources. She draws her talons back in, the blood sliding off. It drips onto the already saturated ground. More lives taken.
“He’s not here. Let’s go.”
“What have I done, Kace?”
“You saved me. That’s all.” He points at the post they brought. The ropes. The hammer and nails. She chokes on the sob, remembering, and buries her face in Kace’s chest. His arms are strong around her, like the first time they met.
