“What does he mean?” Gail inquired.
“He means more soldiers will come,” Seth said.
“You really think so?” Gail questioned.
Seth stared thoughtfully at the fallen soldiers. “These men were obviously attached to the Biological Center, perhaps even auxiliaries in the Doktor’s Genetic Research Division. Who knows? One thing is for certain: they were acting under direct orders. That means there are others who are aware of what we did. When this patrol fails to return on time, they’ll send another one. Maybe even one of the Doktor’s genetic deviates will come.
We wouldn’t last two seconds!” He sighed. “We can’t remain here.”
“You mean,” Gail said in shock, the realization beginning to dawn on her, “we have to leave our home?”
“We’ve been waiting for this to happen since the day Adam was born,” Seth stated. “We knew the risk we were taking, but what choice did we have? We weren’t about to turn our infant son over to that madman. We knew we were going against the State and violating the Biological Imperative. That officer was right all the time.”
“Why do they want babies?” Yama asked.
Seth’s eyes danced with his smoldering hatred as he answered. “They don’t want all babies, only those with Type O blood. The one who wants them is the Doktor, damn his soul to hell!”
“Why?”
“We don’t know the real reason,” Seth replied. “We’ve only heard rumors, horrible stories of him drinking their blood.”
“The Doktor drinks blood?”
“I know it’s hard to believe,” Seth admitted, “but that’s what we’ve heard. No one knows for sure because very few go into the Biological Center and come out again. Only those on official business are permitted entry.”
“So what will you do now?” Yama queried.
“I wish I knew,” Seth said forlornly.
“Could you stay with relatives or friends?” Yama suggested.
“The Government would find us,” Seth explained. “They have extensive dossiers on every single citizen. They know who all of my relatives and closest friends are. There isn’t a place in the Civilized Zone where we’d he safe.”
“Then why not leave the Civilized Zone?”
Seth stared at Yama. “What did you have in mind?”
“Why not come to live with my people?” Yama proposed. “We would be happy to have you, believe me.”
“Leave the Civilized Zone?” Gail asked, anguish in her tone.
“What other choice do we have?” Seth countered.
“I don’t know,” Gail said absently, “but there has to be another way! We couldn’t live out there!”
“He does,” Seth reminded her, pointing at Yama. “So do his people. If they do it, so can we.”
Gail looked at Yama. “We’ve heard such terrible tales about life beyond the Civilized Zone! Are they true?”
“I don’t know what you’ve heard,” Yama stated, “and I’ll be the first to admit that life isn’t easy, but you’ll be secure at the place I live, I can promise you that. You’ll find many new friends and Adam will have dozens of new playmates.”
“I don’t know…” Gail said doubtfully.
“Where do you live?” Seth asked Yama. “How far is it from here?”
“I’d like to answer your questions,” Yama replied. “I really would. For the time being, though, I’d better not, just in case you’re captured before my business here is finished. I will tell you my Home is hundreds of miles from your ranch.”
“Hundreds of miles!” Gail exclaimed. “We’d never make it!”
“How did you get here?” Seth demanded.
“In a jeep my people confiscated from some of your soldiers who no longer had any use for it,” Yama detailed. “It took me a while to learn the intricacies of driving, and we have to siphon additional gasoline from other confiscated vehicles, but the trip itself was relatively easy. I did encounter a few difficulties, but,” he patted his machine gun, “they weren’t too hard to handle.”
“Could your jeep hold all of us?” Seth wanted to know.
“It could,” Yama confirmed. “We’d need to travel light to conserve our fuel, but we could do it.” He glanced at Gail Mason. “Don’t worry. We won’t get lost. My maps are accurate, and you’d be surprised at how light the traffic is.”
“Did you run into many soldiers?” Seth inquired.
“No. As a matter of fact, for most of the trip I didn’t see another vehicle. The highways, or what’s left of them a century after the War, are still serviceable. There are collapsed and buckled sections, but we’ll bypass them.”
“What about the checkpoints?” Gail asked Yama. “We know the Army has checkpoints on all of the roads and highways into the Civilized Zone.”
“The primary weakness of checkpoints,” Yama said, “is their distinct lack of mobility. A good pair of binoculars and a two-mile detour over the countryside will overcome any checkpoint.”
“You seem to have an answer for everything,” Gail stated somewhat defensively.
“I’m still working on the meaning of life.” Yama grinned.
“Answer me this,” Seth requested. “You mentioned you have business to finish here. Are you still planning to go into the Citadel?”
“I must.”
“You’ll be killed!” Gail warned him.
“I have no option.”
“We can’t talk you out of going into the Citadel?” Seth queried.
“I must venture into the Citadel,” Yama reiterated.
“Well, then let me draw you a sketch of the inside of the city,” Seth offered. “It might come in handy once you’re inside.”
“You go ahead. I’ll be right with you after I complete a necessary chore,” Yama said.
“Chore?” Gail asked.
Yama indicated the bodies of the soldiers. “They need to be buried.”
“I’ll lend you a hand, Yama,” Seth stated. “I’ve got some shovels in the barn. I’ll be right back.”
Seth walked toward their barn.
Gail, emotionally distraught, nervously rubbed her hands on her legs. “I think I’ll clear the table. I don’t think any of us are in the mood for food now anyway.” She turned and entered the house.
Yama gazed at the boy. “You’ve been very quiet.”
Adam nodded. “I’ve been thinking.”
“About what?”
Adam pointed at the dead officer. “I think I’ve figured out why you named yourself after that King of Death.”
Yama’s expression became somber. “Very perceptive. Dealing in death is my business, Adam. I’m responsible for helping to protect the people at my Home, and this means I’ve had to perfect the craft of killing to a fine art. Yama is a fitting name.”
“I’ve never met anyone like you,” the boy said.
“There are others like me,” Yama informed him, “at the place where I live. I’m not unique.”
Adam stared at Yama in wonder, his youthful eyes brimming with unrestrained hero worship. “I’m going to be just like you when I grow up.”
He smiled, wheeled, and walked into the house.
Yama’s face tightened as he strolled over to the deceased Simms. They were about the same size. He’d be able to wear the uniform when he entered the Cheyenne Citadel.
A crow cawing overhead arrested his attention.
This spying mission wasn’t proceeding precisely according to plan.
Plato wanted him to learn as much as possible about the Citadel and the nefarious Doktor. The Family required the information if they were to successfully combat the efforts by the Doktor and Samuel the Second to eliminate them. Realistically, the best method to acquire the desired data was to physically enter the Citadel. A question formed in his mind, unbidden, disturbing his equanimity:
Would he be able to get out again once he was inside?