Rebel Heart
Christine Young
achristay@aol.com
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"God
Almighty!" Cameron Savage rocked on the balls of his feet before he moved
swiftly and silently behind the furtive shadow ahead. Until this moment,
Cameron thought the area was secured and safe. If something wasn't done soon to
stop this boy, all hell would break lose.
The
most powerful of the overlords were due into this area by noon. He, Cameron
Savage, confidant of the most influential of all the overlords and also double
agent, spy--thieftaker, was blessed with the burden of securing the perimeter.
His
job was two-fold; the overlords must feel safe, and the wheels must be set in
motion for their eventual capture and prosecution.
This
City Dweller complicated his mission, had the nerve to steal away in the early
hours of dawn to some secret rendezvous. It seemed he cared not for the laws
and the tenuous peace. And why should the boy? The corruption that existed in
this world went unprosecuted, terrifying all law-abiding citizens.
Cameron
vowed long ago to put an end to the trafficking, to stop the thieves who stole
the deadly viruses from the disease control centers, holding them ransom until
the City Dwellers were all but bankrupt. He'd vowed to stop the corrupt and
dangerous thieftakers from forming unholy alliances with the thieves, and in the
process reaping fortunes from both sides.
For
a moment he looked at the emblem sewn on his jacket and gritted his teeth.
Once, the golden red symbol of the dragon, of the thieftakers, stood for
something noble. A man wearing the emblem could be proud of what he did.
But
no longer.
Over
the last five years, progress had been made. The tension had eased somewhat,
but the threat of contamination always lingered. One mistake, one infestation
and all would be for naught. All the hard work and research over the long years
would be wasted by a few heartless people. Corrupt thieftakers. The crime
syndicates.
Any
mistake could prove fatal.
While
Cameron watched, the small figure stopped beside an old rotten log and knelt
before whipping the knapsack from his back and rummaging through the inside.
Seconds later a spade and a small knife were secured from the pack, and the
figure began to shuffle through the dust, the dirt, and the growths found
within. The boy sat back on his haunches and deposited debris in tiny plastic
sacks.
A
shiver snaked along Cameron's spine. The figure did appear elusive but hardly
dangerous. He wore loose fitting camouflage pants and a matching shirt. His
cloak was hooded and dark. When he looked up, he seemed to stare directly at
Cameron. With lithe movements, he deftly packaged and labeled each article and
moved farther into the dense undergrowth.
The
darkened forest and the grey mist closed in around the City Dweller as he
passed a huge redwood tree and disappeared. Cameron stepped forward, intent on
tracking this person, but a flash of light where the boy had been digging made
him stop. Cameron searched the ground for the object that pulled his attention
away from his quarry. Then he saw the piece of jewelry, a ring, with the
DeMontville crest.
Perhaps
this wasn't a waste of time.
Cameron's
hand closed around the ring and he held the jewelry a scant moment before he
slipped it on his little finger.
He
looked again for the wayward youth.
"Halt!"
The person he trailed stepped from behind a shield of trees.
A
slow smile of amusement curled Cameron's lip. "Halt?" Cameron leaned
casually against the tree the juvenile had emerged from. His hands crossed
negligently over his chest. "Why?" Cameron asked.
"You
have no right to be here."
Cameron
cast the boy a contemptuous glare. "And I suppose you do." Cameron
straightened and stepped boldly toward the small tense figure.
"Yes...I..."
The young man sounded unsure of himself.
"Tell
me what you are up to and I might allow you to slip back over the wall. Perhaps
the good people within will forgive you the indiscretion."
"It's
nothing," the youth said shakily as he backed away.
"Leave
the pack and go," Cameron said in what he hoped was his most menacing
tone. This young man needed a good scare.
"No.”
"What?"
There was too much at stake here. Cameron decided the boy's curt refusal was
foolhardy, and perhaps a good scare was not quite intimidating enough to
convince him. Perhaps he needed to be taught a more severe lesson. Cameron
started toward him bent on that very thing.
The
boy stood his ground, chin tilted upward in a strangely feminine gesture that
almost stopped Cameron.
"No?"
Cameron's eyebrow rose in mockery. "Don't try to defy me. It will do you
no good."
The
little hellion whipped out a gun and pointed it at him. "I kill
thieftakers!"
"Hell!"
Cameron swore again.
Despite
the shaking fingers, Cameron had no doubt this boy would use the weapon. He
could disarm the boy.
Easily
disarm him. Swiftly he brought his hand up, landing hard beneath the boy's
wrist.
The
gun, that had moments before been pointed against Cameron, went flying into
some green oblivion of forest and moss.
Retribution
could be quite satisfying.
Satisfying
indeed. Yet he was about to be deprived of it. That very minute the juvenile
turned and ran, disappearing into the mist and the trees.
Seconds
later Cameron picked up the sound of his quarry's rapid flight through the
overgrown and nearly forgotten trail.
He
moved swiftly through the forest and its pathways, as if he had intimate
knowledge of every tree and bush within.
And
he did.
But
the boy proved elusive.
Cameron
came to a complete stop, warily searching the surrounding area, listening
intently for any sound, or a subtle mistake. Only silence prevailed in the
forest.
Suddenly
a camouflaged waif darted between two trees. Cameron followed. As he managed to
close the distance between the two of them, his adversary reached for a handful
of dirt and grass. The debris hit him squarely in the face.
"Damnation!
Fight like a man or I'll treat you as I would a small child. You deserve a
thrashing, by God." The dirt did not slow Cameron. He started after the
brat once more.
The
boy slipped several times and was now scrambling on all fours as if he searched
for something else to throw.
"Just
try it." There was nothing more in the little clearing for the urchin to
grab hold.
Cameron,
more frustrated than he could ever recall, moved with lightning speed and
agility. Like a thunderbolt, he crossed the few remaining feet between them and
tackled the boy.
Fragile
hips suddenly lay between his thighs, and something within him quickened as he
held the soft form. Sheer amazement at the sudden insight held him still for a
second.
Even
as she struggled again, with what should have been the last of her strength in
a final bid for freedom, beating upon his chest with her small fists, Cameron
tried to decide what should be done with her. He caught her wrists and held
them still.
"Who
are you?" he challenged.
Nothing
had changed, except...
Annie for Euro Reviews
writes:
Rebel Heart is a well-written futuristic novel of
a time that very possibly could come to pass, when viral plagues have laid the
planet waste, and life is lived either in the sterile confines of domed
habitats, or as pariahs in the outside wilderness. The world-building is
excellent, vivid, and true-to-life. The characters will quickly catch and hold
the reader's sympathies. The plot is quick, and takes time to examine many
valid social, economic, class, and political issues as well. Christine Young delivers a winner which
will capture the interest of futuristic/science fiction fans as well as the
general reader.
Jasmina Vallombrosa for TCM
Reviews writes:
Filled with drama and suspense, this book will draw
you into the mysteries of science fiction. I was pleasantly surprised by Ms.
Young’s storytelling talents as she wove not only a wonderful futuristic
adventure, but also that of a passionate love story. I loved the main
characters as they came to life on the pages. The plot was quite suspenseful
and deliciously entertaining. As a result, I had no choice but to keep flipping
the pages as I raced to the end. Bravo Ms.Young for such an extraordinary book
from cover to cover!
