Most Cazadores knew how to handle a sword, but few had the skills of a veteran like Warthog. He moved forward and then, instead of attacking, kicked dirt into the thief’s face.
Though momentarily blinded, the man fought viciously, slicing the air. He got lucky on one stroke, slashing Warthog in the side as he moved in for the kill.
Warthog reached down, and his hand came back bloody.
The thief wiped the dirt from his eyes, looking as if he couldn’t believe he had actually drawn blood. A scream of excitement came from his mouth, and he raised the sword high above his head. Too high.
Warthog lunged forward and punched him in the throat, breaking his windpipe as the rusty blade arced downward. The sword crunched into the top of the mounted skull on Warthog’s head, where it stuck between two bony knots.
The thief slumped to the ground, holding his throat and choking. The arena went quiet, the sound echoing as Warthog stood watching the man struggle for a last few seconds of life.
Rhino looked over at Mallory, who clutched her younger son, Keith, against her breast, shielding his eyes from the violence. Rhett stood watching every move.
Jackal jumped back into the arena as Warthog pulled his spear from the first kill. The corpse slid down to the dirt, and a cleanup crew dragged the two bodies out.
“¡Qué divertido!” Jackal said into the megaphone. He repeated in English: “That was fun! But fear not, we have much more excitement to come. For tonight, we bring you a story of potential redemption.”
He walked in a circle and continued in Spanish. “Two days ago, Javier killed a sky engineer named DJ. Now he gets a chance to win his freedom!”
Another gate opened, and into the arena walked the husky shape of Javier. He had his thinning hair slicked back and wore a leather vest over his considerable belly.
X glanced over at Rhino.
Rhino nodded and went down a ladder to the dirt, where Jackal introduced him to the crowd. Not that he needed introducing, but he was surprised when the spectators did not give him the same applause they had given Warthog. Some even remained in their seats.
“They don’t like you,” Warthog said, laughing. He stood behind a gate, his hand still on his side where the fisherman had cut his flesh.
Rhino ignored him and twirled his spear. He stuck one end in the dirt and watched Javier walk out to meet him, holding an axe in one hand, a sword in the other.
Unlike the two fishermen, Javier knew how to fight. He had deployed on several missions to the wastes before being transferred to work as a mechanic. But he was still no match for Rhino.
He reached for his spear, gripping the shaft and preparing to pull it from the ground, when a voice shouted from the stands.
Rhino turned to see Colonel Carmela Moreto standing in her booth. Colonel Vargas was there with her, arms folded over his chest, bug eyes leering at Rhino.
Jackal gestured toward the two colonels.
“I invoke my privilege under the law of the Black Order of Octopus Lords!” she shouted in Spanish.
The crowd gasped, and Rhino clenched his jaw.
“I select Warthog to join Javier in the fight against Rhino!”
Vargas’s lips parted in a wicked grin that exposed his black teeth.
It was happening, Rhino realized. They were striking first.
X rose to his feet in his booth. He probably had no idea what was about to go down, but Rhino knew exactly what it meant. Being a former soldier in the Cazador army, Javier had more rights than the normal Cazador citizen, and if someone on the infamous Black Order of Octopus Lords wanted to save him from fighting, they could.
In this case, Carmela was granting him a partner in the fight, but Rhino had a feeling it was Colonel Vargas behind the orders. He was killing his rival the easy way.
But there was nothing easy about killing Rhino.
The gate clanked open, and Warthog walked out, laughing.
“You’re fucked, Small Dog!” he said.
Vargas picked up a weapon from the booth and tossed it down onto the dirt. Warthog picked up el Pulpo’s prized double-bitted axe.
“Let’s get this over with,” Rhino said.
Jackal fired the gun into the air, silencing the crowd.
When the echo faded, Warthog and Javier were already moving on Rhino. He grabbed his spear and backed away, wishing he had worn his armor. This fight had suddenly gone from simple to challenging.
Warthog advanced beside Javier, the two working together, just as Rhino had feared. If he had a shield, he would have been able to deflect the spear that Warthog launched through the air. Rhino jerked sideways and felt the missile whistle past his neck.
He jabbed with his own spear as far as he could reach, his hand on the very butt of the shaft. The blade darted toward Javier’s chest, but the husky mechanic deflected the blow with his sword.
Rhino spun, swiping the spear in a wide arc to keep Warthog back. It worked, and Rhino then turned to Javier, who approached defensively.
A raucous vroom sounded as Discovery lifted off from the rooftop, though no one but Rhino gave it a glance. They all were riveted on the fighting.
He thrust the spear at Javier, and again Javier parried the blow with his sword, this time nearly knocking the spear from Rhino’s grasp.
Warthog attacked from the left, slashing with el Pulpo’s axe.
The blade slashed Rhino on the shoulder, opening a gash that made him cry out in agony. He jumped backward to avoid a second blow. Then he turned and ran to get some distance.
“Don’t run, coward!” Warthog shouted.
Rhino gritted his teeth, halted, and turned, twirling the shaft of his spear at the prowling opponents, trying to anticipate their next move.
“Time to meet the Octopus Lords!” Warthog yelled.
“Time to lose the rest of your face!” Rhino shouted back.
Warthog charged, snorting out of his snout. But instead of striking, Rhino gave Warthog a taste of his own medicine by kicking the dirt up into his nostrils.
A muffled cry of pain and confusion followed. Rhino jabbed the spear at the blinded warrior’s leg, sinking the blade deep into his exposed calf. Blood welled out from the wound when he plucked it out.
Warthog let out an animal roar of agony.
Javier moved in, swinging his sword, and Rhino deflected the blow with the steel shank of his spear. He pushed the smaller man backward, then threw a right hook that smashed into Javier’s cheek, breaking teeth and knocking him to the dirt.
With both men down, Rhino strode forward to finish them off.
The rumbling of the airship distracted him for a second as it climbed into the sky. He took a moment to glance up, wondering whether Sofia could see him in his moment of victory.
Warthog limped away, axe in hand, and Rhino took out his other leg with a slash to the Achilles tendon. He crashed onto his back, and the skull helmet rolled off his head.
Rhino kicked Javier in the gut, lifting him a good few inches off the ground. He rolled over after hitting the dirt. Spitting blood and gasping for air, he glanced up at Rhino, eyes pleading for mercy.
“Forget it, murdering shithead,” Rhino said.
He recalled his training and walked over to Warthog.
Take out the biggest threat first.
The gladiator was trying to crawl away.
“Tell the Octopus Lords hello for me,” Rhino said.
Warthog turned over, and Rhino made good on his earlier promise, swinging the spear low and parallel with the ground. The front of Warthog’s face, including the lips and what remained of his nose, slopped onto the dirt.
The crowd went wild, but Rhino saw at once that it wasn’t because of his kill. A boy was running across the arena. X jumped down from the booth to the dirt, but he was too far away.