The Rider (Complete)

Chapter Seventeen

Kade was in rough shape. Each passing hour felt like it could be his last. While he was still able to breathe, he didn't have any food, water, or clothing. 

Coming down from his high, he had gone from a state of euphoria to feel like his brain was mud. He felt death would be an easier route than having to experience the crippling withdrawal symptoms and impending torture he was likely to face.

Despite the body shakes, aches, and hunger pangs, Kade eventually managed to drift off and catch up on some much needed sleep. After several hours, he was awoken once again by the sound of footsteps. By his estimation, it must have been late into the night or early morning at this point. It was hard to tell.

The door opened, but instead of a towering figure, he saw the slender silhouette of a woman standing in the doorway.

"Come on, get up," the female voice spoke. "I'm getting you out of here."

Kade wasn't sure if he was dreaming. He needed time to allow his brain to process what was happening.

"Unless of course you want to stay here?" the woman said.

"Who are you?" Kade said.

"Really? Am I that forgettable?" the woman said. 

He recognized the voice. "You came back."

"So you do remember. The name is Cali."

"Why?"

"You'll have to ask my parents."

"No, not that. Why are you helping me?"

"I'm still trying to answer that question myself. Let's call it guilty conscience mixed with a hatred for those scavie scum."

Kade hesitated a moment, having serious reservations on whether or not he could trust her. He wanted to know more about this mysterious underground society and the kinds of horrible things that went on there. However, given the circumstances, any question he could come up with seemed moot, and given time was not on their side, he looked at her and stood up. As he did, he bared his full nudity to Cali.

"Whoa, slow down buddy, we hardly know each other."

Kade looked down almost completely oblivious that he was naked, then covered himself with his hands.

"Here, you can wrap yourself in this until we find your clothes. They're most likely with your bike, which is down the hall. I recognized it the second I saw it."

"I'm surprised you didn't try to steal it again," Kade said.

"That was one time! Gosh, you're never going to let me live that down, are you?"

The two exited the small cell and ran through the labyrinth of passageways that stretched out in all directions. The scavies had laid claim to this once abandoned and forgotten city and made an intricate network of underground tunnels that connected many of the buildings in the city.

"Seriously, I have to know. Why did you come back?" Kade asked. 

"You sound surprised?" Cali said.

"I mean, based on what I know of you, you don't seem like the type."

"The type to come back and rescue someone."

"Yeah."

"Well, here I am, so I'm not sure what to tell you. Maybe your kindness rubbed off on me."

"Or maybe you're working an angle."

"Dude, you literally don't have anything. What could I possibly want from you?"

"Alright, sorry."

"Okay, look. I didn't come back for you. I came back for me. They captured me two years ago, held me against my will, and did unspeakable things to me. They broke me and tried to turn me into one of them — scavie scum. But I was never one of them. I was just biding my time, waiting for my moment to strike or escape. I tried to run yesterday, but... you saw how that turned out. Damn near died and I hadn't even made it ten kilometres. So I came back to figure out a new plan. They don't know that I tried to escape. But then I saw your bike and knew they had you. Trust me, you don't want to go through the hell that I went through. They'll break you too until you submit to them. They'll provide food, clothing, shelter, and that precious life liquid known as oxygen. In return, you have to be their ride-or-die soldier."

"A den of thieves," Kade commented, knowing their reputation.

"They're certainly not known for their charity work."

"Not for nothing, I appreciate you getting me out of here," Kade said sincerely

"Like I said, I'm not helping you, I'm helping myself. There's only one person in this world who cares about me, and you're looking at her. I'm going to get us out of here, but I need that sweet bike of yours."

"Hey, what time is it?" Kade asked.

"Are you being serious?"

"Yeah."

"It's 3:30 a.m. Why?"

"No reason," Kade said.

"You have somewhere to be? An appointment?"

"No, not exactly."

"Then what is it?"

"Why do you have to be such a ball buster?"

Cali turned around and motioned as if she were going to kick him in the groin, which caused Kade to flinch. Cali started laughing and then said, "I'm a ball buster to keep you on your toes. To keep you honest. If you're honest with me, then I'll be honest with you."

"Oh right, honest like the time you zapped me and took off with my bike?" Kade said.

"Man, you are so hung up on the past," she said as she continued to lead the way. "We were getting along so nicely, why did you have to ruin it?"

"You're a strange gal, you know that?"

"I do know that," she replied. "A strange gal who's saving your life."