Book 2, Chapter 65 - The Small Black Room (1/2)

Chapter 65 - The Small Black Room

Deadwood Outpost was a hastily constructed camp of wood cabins made from the surrounding foliage. About a hundred soldiers were garrisoned here, picked from the ranks of the elysian armed forces. What was particular to this group was that none of them were younger than forty. Soldiers at their peak – in a few years they’d begin to steadily decline.

But the first thing Cloudhawk noticed wasn’t their age. All of them were surrounded in a dangerous, barbaric air. They could subdue wild animals with a hard stare. Cloudhawk figured these men had been carefully chosen for this post and were more than simple soldiers. They were special forces.

These were veterans, with years of battlefield experience that made them far tougher than active duty men back in Skycloud. It would follow then, that this wasn’t just a training camp but also a veteran garrison. If a force tried to invade from the wastelands this training camp would become a deadly fighting division.

How strong were these guys?

Judging by their aura all of them were about as strong as Mad Dog and Slyfox had been. In other words the average fighter here was a Mad Dog, and captains were probably even stronger.

Strong as they might be, though, Cloudhawk wasn’t concerned. Back in the day he’d been a useless scav, but he could probably take four or five of them now without breaking a sweat. If he wanted to run there wasn’t anything they could do to stop him.

The one that did give him a healthy fear, though, was the guy who led them into camp.

Behind his brown eyes was a tyrannical cruelty not unlike the others, but he had a more commanding bearing. His demeanor couldn’t be cultivated by an ordinary grunt. He must have been one hell of a soldier!

This ragged camp had a hundred discharged soldiers and more than a couple retired veterans, and they hadn’t even reached Hell Valley yet. It certainly said something for the strength of this training camp!

Cloudhawk didn’t like what he saw, there was something unsettling about these guys. The way they looked at him and Claudia he could feel their ill intent. Meanwhile his own eyes looked all around looking for an angle. Cloudhawk thought he might try to get in good with the big guy leading them, but the man’s cold face made it clear he was in no mood to talk. They reached a squat wooden building.

“We’re here!” The man pulled open the door. “From now on this is your home. You don’t speak, you don’t kick up a fuss, you don’t cause trouble. You eat when he tell you to eat and drink when we tell you to drink. If you don’t have a specific task don’t go wandering around. Understand?”

Shit. I thought this was supposed to be a training camp, not prison!

Cloudhawk didn’t say what he was thinking, but he did ask a question. “What if I need to take a shit?”

“What, you shit that much? You got ground all around.”

“Screw that!”

“Fuck, aren’t you a mouthy one? Keeping flappin’ your fuckin lips and I’ll plug your asshole with my club. See how much you shit then!”

Strict was an understatement, Cloudhawk thought. A breath of dissatisfaction and this freak was willing to shove stuff up his butt. [1]

Apparantly the threat of sexual assault wasn’t enough for the large man, because he swung his club at Cloudhawk for punctuation. It came down on him in an instant, whistling the same way a sharp instrument might although it was thick and smooth. Cloudhawk stood there with nowhere to dodge.

Thunk!

The club caught him upside the skull and knocked Cloudhawk silly. His world spun wildly and he threatened to pass out like the blow had cracked his head open. The big man picked him up by a handful of clothes. Suddenly a cold sweat broke out all over Cloudhawk. Was this bastard gonna follow through with his threat?!

In desperation to escape Cloudhawk scrambled into the small dark room. The door shut tight behind him.

What the fuck, it was a reasonable question wasn’t it? Cloudhawk rubbed his thankfully unmolested backside and sighed with relief. You can go fuck yourself with that damn club. Goddamn, this place is full of freaks!

Cloudhawk interspersed his grumblings with sharp curses. Since making his Skycloud debut, this was his first time being embarrassed like this, but he still didn’t dare fight back. He waved at Oddball who was anxiously flying around and chirping to show he was ok. Well, as ok as he could be after taking a club to the skull.

It took a full ten seconds for his head to clear.

When he regained his bearings Cloudhawk touched his head but was surprised to find no wound. There wasn’t even a bump. Somehow the blow had skipped skin and bone and knocked him right in the brain – instant concussion. Even if he hadn’t been caught off guard Cloudhawk wasn’t sure he’d have been able to escape a hit like that.

Hell Valley was rife with hidden talents. He’d better behave himself, otherwise who knows what sick fetish that freak would subject him to.