“Because the Masters are after us,” Blade divulged.
“You’ve had a run-in with the Masters?” Ted queried in surprise.
“Not yet,” Blade said. “Let me explain. A while back we were in Las Vegas. We became embroiled in a mob war. And before we left, we heard a story, a very interesting story, about the Dragons. We were told that the Dragons intend to eradicate our Family. After the Elders were informed, they decided to send three Warriors to Florida to see if the story was true.
If so, we’re to prevent the Dragons from carrying out their threat.”
“We’re gonna kick us some butt,” Hickok said, grinning.
“How did you know the Dragons were based in Florida?” Ted questioned.
“We’d heard about the Dragons several times before,” Blade disclosed.
“They have a formidable reputation. From what you’ve told me, I suspect their drug dealings extend to other areas of the country. Some of the rumors we heard were incorrect. For instance, I was told that all of the Dragons are mutants, but now we know that’s not the case.”
“Why are the Dragons after your Family?” Clara asked.
“We don’t know,” Blade said, his tone lowering, “but we’ll find out.”
Clara studied the trio for a moment. “Do the three of you always work together?”
“Sometimes we go on runs together,” Blade said. “The Warriors are divided into Triads, and Hickok and I usually work with a friend named Geronimo. Bui Geronimo is overseeing the Warriors in our absence to give him the added experience.”
Hickok chuckled. “That was my idea. Since I’ve been picked to head the Warriors whenever the Big Guy is in California, I figured Geronimo should be my second-in-command. He didn’t like the notion of being left behind.”
“Rikki has been with us to Denver, St. Louis, and Seattle,” Blade mentioned. “He knows the score.”
“It sounds like you’ve been everywhere,” Ted commented.
“We get around.”
Ted leaned forward. “What’s it like out there? We never hear much about the outside.”
“The country is divided up into factions,” Blade expounded. “As Clara pointed out, the government of the United States reorganized in the midwest and became known as the Civilized Zone. It’s one of the largest factions in terms of area. The Civilized Zone includes the former states of Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, the northern half of Texas, New Mexico, and portions of Arizona. Denver, Colorado, is the capital.”
“What about the other factions?”
“The state of California survived the war intact,” Blade said. “California has a standing army and a navy. They’ve been able to protect themselves from the scavengers, raiders, and looters. In fact, the governor of California proposed the formation of the Freedom Force.”
“What’s that?” Ted asked.
“The Force is the special strike squad set up to deal with threats to the Freedom Federation.”
“The what?”
“Maybe I’d better back up a bit,” Blade stated. “The Civilized Zone, California, and five other factions have banded together into the Freedom Federation.”
“What five other factions?” came from Clara.
“There are the Flathead Indians in Montana, the Cavalry in the Dakota Territory, and three groups from Minnesota—the Clan, the Moles, and the Family.”
“So you’re from Minnesota?”
“Now you know,” Blade said. “Anyway, as the head of the Warriors and the head of the Force, I spend my time bouncing back and forth between Minnesota and California.”
“And when he’s not at the Home, I handle runnin’ the Warriors,” Hickok interjected.
“Lucky us,” Rikki-Tikki-Tavi quipped.
“What about the rest of the country?” Ted inquired.
Blade sighed. “It’s a mess. Barbaric. Savage. The Russians control a corridor in the eastern half, sort of a belt from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River. Chicago is under an autocratic group called the Technics. St. Louis is the territory of a biker gang, the Leather Knights. And Houston is run by androids.”
“Androids?”
“Artificial men and women,” Blade divulged. “They treat humans as inferior life-forms.”
“Incredible,” Ted commented.
“I don’t know about the rest of what was once America,” Blade said.
“Any area not under the control of a faction is designated as part of the Outlands. And as far as the rest of the world is concerned, all we have to go on are a few rumors.”
“There’s something I don’t understand,” Clara observed.
“What?”
“If you heard about the Dragons in—where was it?”
“Las Vegas, Nevada.”
“Yes. Why didn’t your Federation just send in an army to take care of the Dragons? Why are only the three of you here?”
“Good question,” Blade said. “There are several reasons. First, I didn’t inform the other Federation members about the threat from the Dragons.”
“Why not?”
“The threat was directed against the Family. I relayed the information to the Family Elders, and they agreed we should deal with the situation ourselves. The Federation has enough problems to deal with. Secondly, we couldn’t be sure the report was legitimate. We had to confirm the Dragons existed. Third, the Warriors are pledged to defend the Family and the Home from all danger. This is rightfully our job.”
Clara nodded.
“So we were dropped off by one of the Hurricanes,” Blade concluded, “and here we are.”
“What’s a Hurricane?” Ted queried.
“It’s a jet with the ability to take off and land like a helicopter,” Blade detailed. “California owns a pair. They’re at my disposal as head of the Force, and I use one of them to shuttle to the Home at least once a month.”
“I’ve always wanted to fly,” Ted commented.
“So what’s your next move?” Clara asked.
“Tomorrow we go into Miami.”
Clara frowned. “You don’t know what you’re getting yourselves into.”
“There’s no turning back,” Blade said. “We have a week before we rendezvous with the Hurricane at our pickup point. Thanks to you, we’ve verified the Dragons exist. Now we need to find out why they want to destroy our Family. We have to track down the Masters.”
“And then?”
Hickok answered for the Warriors by grinning and placing his hands on his Colt Python revolvers. “We teach these critters the error of their ways.”
Chapter Four
“What do you make of it, pard?”
“I don’t know,” Blade responded.
“Should we intervene?” Rikki asked.
“Not yet. Let’s listen and see what’s going on,” Blade directed. He stared over the rusted chain-link fence at the dilapidated, weed-choked playground bordering the alley.
“Why are they chasin’ him?” Hickok wondered aloud.
Blade’s eyes narrowed as he watched the gang of ten youths pursue a solitary boy of ten or twelve around the playground. No one else was in sight. The gang consisted of older youths, 16 and up. They were attired in black leather clothing, some with miniature metal spikes adorning their shoulders and sleeves. Their hair was invariably past their shoulders and dyed different colors. One female member sported hair arranged with alternate stripes of purple, orange, and yellow.
Hickok had noticed her too. “Do you see that one? It looks like she was stirrin’ paint with her head.”
The gang was laughing and taunting the younger boy, circling him and shoving him, preventing him from fleeing.
“What’s the matter, Stevey?” declared a hefty youth with a Mohawk haircut as he stepped in front of the panting boy.
Stevey halted, breathing deeply, obviously afraid.