The Rider (Complete)

Chapter Sixteen

When Kade regained consciousness, he was surprised to find himself alive — naked, but alive. Everything he owned had been stripped off of him. 

Unsure where he was, he looked around, but could hardly see a thing. Within a minute, his eyes adjusted to the darkness. A small amount of light escaped the hallway outside his room and crept through the tiny sliver of space underneath the door to his cell. His body was sore all over and shivered from the cold that penetrated his body like a disease. To make matters worse, he also had a splitting headache, a result of the synthetic oxygen he had been breathing combined with the nasty spill he had taken. Trace amounts of ghost still flirted with his mind, creating a strange mental state in which he desperately wanted to escape.

Trapped in an eight by ten-foot cell with nothing but an empty bucket, he thought about his mother and hoped she was okay. His thoughts then drifted toward wondering why the scavies kept him alive, and how much time had passed. If he ever wanted to see his mother alive, he needed to find a way to break free from his cell, find his gear, and... before he could finish the thought, a wave of despair consumed him. Given his current status, that seemed like such an impossible feat.

Trying to keep from shaking, he curled up in the corner. After a couple of agonizing hours in solitude, he heard footsteps coming toward his door. Kade had his head buried in his folded arms and when the door opened, he looked up. A blast of light flooded the room and caused his eyes to squint. Standing in the doorway was the silhouette of a large figure – broad shoulders and a wide stance. Behind him were two other men dressed in typical scavie garb.

Kade's eyes adjusted to the light and he got a better look at the man. The man dressed much differently than the other scavies. With his modern helmet and battle armour, he looked more like a solider from the future.

"What's your name?" the man asked in a commanding voice.

"Kade... Kade Casey."

"Where are you from?"

"Megalopolis," he answered. "Endocrine district."

"Endocrine? Never heard of it," the man said. "What brings you to these parts?"

"I'm just passing through."

"You're a rider?"

"Yes."

"Riders make deliveries."

"Sometimes."

"Tell me Kade Casey from Endocrine... what were you delivering?"

"Like I said, I was just passing through. I decided to take some time off and do some exploring," Kade said with shallow breaths, shivering from the cold. 

"Some exploring?"

"I figured I would make my way to Tri-city. Thinking about relocating."

"Get him up," the man commanded.

Two scavies funneled into the room and grabbed Kade under his armpits. They hauled him to his feet and brought him to the leader. Kade looked up at the man who was towering over him.

"I'll ask you again," the man spoke in a matter of fact way. He was used to using intimidation tactics to get people to do what he wanted. "What were you delivering?"

"It was a small package. I don't know what it was. I never ask. I had it in my bike... but it was stolen from me in the dunes. My contractor is a very powerful man. If he finds out I didn't deliver his package, he will kill me and people I care about. So I decided to continue on toward Tri-city with the intent on starting a new life. This is the truth. You can search my gear, I don't have any package."

The story was not entirely true, but seemed to satisfy the leader. The scavies checked the bike thoroughly and were unable to find any package. Before Kade was captured, he removed the package and had his drone hide it on a random rooftop. His hopes were that if he were to escape, he could recall the drone along with the package and carry on his way.

"This contractor you speak of... what's his name?"

"He goes by the name of Saigon," Kade said.

"Mr. Saigon," the man repeated, demonstrating familiarity with the name. "Interesting."

The man turned around and the scavies followed suit, unhanding Kade.

"Wait, where are you going?" Kade asked. "You can't just keep me here, he'll come looking for me. Can I at least have my clothes back... and a blanket? Wait, before you go, what time is it?"

Kade kept talking, but didn't receive a response. The leader and his minions exited the cell and shut the thick metal door, sealing Kade inside. Once again the room was swallowed by darkness.