Tom left the crime scene and glanced at the suspects lined up against the wall. They all looked terrified. If one of them was the murderer, then besides having a ridiculous suite of powers, they were incredible actors. He couldn’t imagine that combination of fear, sorrow and despair being an act, and it most likely wasn’t. Unlike most of the wider group, Tom knew that they were probably innocent. After all, Mac’s ritual had been cleared up when they were in custody, which meant the killer was not one of that group.
He watched them sadly. There was Gita, another person like Reilly that he only knew from association. She was the last in the line with Jin next to her. The look on Jin’s face said everything, and he wouldn’t be surprised if the two of them abandoned the settlement together. And Tom couldn’t blame anyone who made that choice. It was such a waste. What this murderer was doing was a crime against humanity. It went beyond direct deaths. If Gary and Ginnie died, the loss of their ranking points and future were also on the killer and it was the same if any people driven out in the future.
It was a shit show and while Tom could reveal the truth and remove the travesty of justice that was occurring he also knew that it would not help. All the truth would do would spread the crap. Create panic and reduce the chance of them tracking down the killer.
How many of these observers looking on the suspects in equal parts anger and sympathy would flee the camp if they knew? How many people would die as a result?
It was best to stay quiet and hope the fact he and Everlyn knew the killer was elsewhere would end up being the difference. For now, the murderer probably thought they had got away scot free, which would make him more likely to make a mistake. That was worth the secrecy, and this small group living in fear was a necessary sacrifice. If they admitted they were blind, that they had no idea, the entire group would fracture. If they abandoned this place and scattered, then the death toll would be immense. Those who survived would have their ranks boosted by the numerous life and death struggles, but out of everyone he could see…
Tom made a point of staring around the courtyard and imagined how many of them would die in that sort of scenario. As skilled as they were, simple mathematics was against them. This was a rank fourteen area and most people here were under nine. Special skills closed that gap somewhat, but how many small groups could take on even one of the giant lizards that roamed these foothills?
He sighed and glanced at his own elite team. Jeffrey’s short term thinking continued to pay dividends. That starting group of his looked competent. None of them showed signs of hysteria, instead they were a mixture of watchful silence and calculating study. They were quality people even if their combat efficiency was not fully tested yet. Yet Tom was confident they could do their jobs. Thor, Sven, and himself as front line. Everlyn and Toni as ranged fighters with Harry, Clare and Michael as their critical support. It was not an ideal composition. Tom felt it was missing a proper tank role, but he guessed he could fill that in a pinch and a couple of ranged damage dealers, but in life things would never be perfect.
Soon, he reminded himself. Two more waves and then he would set off with as many of them as they could gather.
He glanced upwards, and the stars glittered above him. Two of the three moons were visible, but outside of all the bright lights in the courtyard it was still dark and he checked the position of the middle moon. It rose and fell faithfully with the night cycle and from its spot in the sky, there was half an hour till they were all supposed to have gotten up to take over the dawn watch. Three AM or something like that on earth time and unsurprising what he had been told.
Neither Everlyn nor he said anything, but almost in synchronisation they went up the wall and got into a position to stare out into the darkness without too much light pollution from what was behind them.
“We’re here for morning shift.” Everlyn told Jingyi.
“It’s been quiet apart from…” Jingyi nodded down into the courtyard.
“We were awake and won’t be getting back to sleep, so we figured we should.” Everlyn shrugged. “Relieve your position early.”
Jingyi grinned in the semi-darkness. “Not sure how much sleep I’ll get, but I appreciate the gesture.” He turned and left.
Tom sighed and slumped onto the bench that he had set up on the wall. From a pure security perspective none of the sentries should be given the option to sit, but Tom liked his comfort and all the survivors from the tutorial were nothing if not paranoid about safety. None of them would fall asleep. If they were that sort of people, the tutorial would have killed them earlier.
Another murder! It was depressing and worse it had not been targeted against a weak link. With the other kills, he could sort of pretend that the serial killer had been doing it for the greater good. This one not so much. “Shit.”
“Yes.” Everlyn said quietly from next to him.
He felt a brief shudder go through her body, but apart from putting an arm around her waist and drawing her closer to him he said nothing. They sat and listened to the snatches of conversation that drifted up to them.
“There are only a few of them. We should lock them up with magical bindings, and then the rest of us will be safe.”
“I don’t think we have a choice. We need to exile them.”
If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“I want to protect myself when I sleep. Do you think it would be best to buy a skill or an artefact?”
“We should kill them for their experience and be done.”
“Psychopaths.” Everlyn whispered in response to that last comment.
“I think they’re just scared.”
“Killing humans for experience.” She shot back. “Despicable.”
They kept silently listening to the pockets of muffled whispers below them. All of them were afraid. They had thought that the whole thing was finished when they had quarantined these last suspects. The prisoners would look after themselves with internal guards and then an extra layer of security with the walls followed by the prison guards meant everyone was safe.
In a way, the model had worked. If you believed the fallacy that the murderer was one of those locked up within the prison, then the system had succeeded. The guards and stone walls had protected the majority. The murderer had just turned on their own.
Tom knew better. It was theatre. The setup had failed.
“Maybe it was Frank.” Everlyn suggested finally.
Tom shrugged. “I don’t know him, but if it was him, then he is an excellent actor. The look in his eyes. The guy thought he was already dead. Also, it would be a kind of stupid as it made him the primary suspect.”
“Maybe that’s the mistake that Bob always talks about.” Everlyn did not sound convinced. “They all looked terrified. How could anyone witnessing that line up conclude the killer was amongst them?”
“Isn’t that human nature? We can delude ourselves of a lot of things when it’s convenient to do so. After all, the alternative is the killer could be your friend.”
“It’s going to be someone’s friend.” She whispered darkly.
“It could be some form of demonic possession.”
“That’s worse. Especially if it means the demon can switch bodies.”
“I don’t think that’s possible.”
Everlyn nudged him. “Are you going to research demonic possession tonight?”
“I don’t want to think about it. Tonight is fifteen hours away.”
She laughed. “But what do you think of the theory?”
“Honestly, I wasn’t planning on looking into it. We don’t need a boogieman. Human nature is the only explanation required.”
“You think it’s humans?”
“Yes.” Tom said darkly. “Some poor sod cracked after ten years of isolation. Plus, if it’s a demon that has been switching bodies, then it has to be well beyond our power to deal with. All we can do is scatter and hope some survive.”
They trailed into silence. “Do you think anyone is going to do anything stupid?” Everlyn asked finally.
Tom glanced back into the centre of their fortifications. The wall behind them meant he couldn’t actually see anything. It was still an hour until dawn and the buzz of conversation was surprisingly sedate. He could hear both Michael and Joline circulating with reasoned words of wisdom. “I hope not. No mass executions or exile. I reckon they’ll magically restrict the suspects and see if that’s enough to stop the murders.”
He felt Everlyn tense as her hand tensed and almost crushed his fingers. “They’ll be sitting ducks if that happens.”
“They already were.” Tom observed
“I think we’re missing something.”
“Probably lots of somethings,” he agreed. “But solving this is not on us.”
“We could leave. With your upgrades and mine, we are strong enough to make some serious waves.”
“I’ve got a plan, but it’s dangerous and I don’t believe the two of us are sufficient.”
“We can take the inner party.”
“That would do it.”
“Then why don’t we?”
“Michael won’t agree while this killer remains free. Harry, he’ll come. Sven and Thor I think they like being around people, so it will be a struggle to convince them. Toni?”
“Unlikely.” Everlyn admitted.
“Jingyi?”
“I’m working on him, but haven’t made any genuine progress.”
“Who else should we take? Clare, Keikain maybe. Sonya might agree, but I don’t really want anyone from the crafter path. Legen but to get him we’ll have to bring along his lackeys and then we’re basically stealing half of the best fighters.”
“Not him.” Everlyn agreed. “I’ll continue lobbying the core group. It’s very inconvenient when people have their own thoughts. People suck.”
“Yep, plus this settlement challenge is going to give us too much experience and loot to walk away from.”
“True, but after that, there is nothing to hold us after that. After the third wave is when we split.”
“Ten days,” Tom mused to himself. By the time he was ready to go, he would have another question, maybe two. It was probably enough. “Conditionally yes.”
“Just have to survive till then.”
“You know the question I asked and got answered. We don’t have to run. We aren’t at risk.”
He heard her pause. “In the tutorial, DEUS knew everything but here. Are you sure she can see the future that easily? Do we really believe that a prediction made four weeks ago still holds? Humans have free will and stuff changes.”
Tom laughed. “Yesterday I created a golem, threw a meteorite that killed almost two hundred goblins and other stuff…. I think I’m a believer in magic.”
“Touche.”
“Plus, have you ever asked yourself whether you’re in a coma and all this is just a dream.”
“I’m not that sort of person, Tom. I just deal with now.”
“Sometimes I am more philosophical. And at the end of the day I throw lightning around, therefore I’m in a magic land.”
Everlyn laughed. “That’s your famous insight.”
“It’s my twist on. I think therefore I am.”
“No, I got that.”
“Forty years by myself. I spent a lot of time in my thoughts.”
Everlyn glanced back into the fortifications. “I haven’t heard any calls for violence for at least twenty minutes.”
“Look, the prisoners are gone.” Tom leaned around the wall and nodded toward where the building that held the suspects was. Two guards stood at the entrance.
“What are you doing today?” Everlyn asked, changing the subject.
“I’m planning on hanging out with a beautiful woman.”
Her mouth opened theatrically. “You’re planning on cheating on me?” Her hand went to her heart.
“What? No.”
She patted his thigh, amused. “I’m going to use the day to scout and hunt and learn all I can about the surrounding terrain, in case there is something useful for the next event. Possibly range further and build up a map for after the event finishes. If I’m lucky, I’ll find another trial, maybe a temporary one that I can finish and not tell anyone about.” She stuck her tongue out at him.
“Well, if you’re not around I guess, I’ll do whatever Michael thinks is best.”
“You need to put your foot down more. Rather than doing whatever he wants.”
“If it’s important, I will. But a small matter of what I’m doing today when you’re not available.” Tom shrugged. “Pretty much everything Michael can assign is more interesting than what I did in DEUS’s trial. There is only so much exploration of mysterious caves with fantastical beasts and incredible treasure you can do before it gets boring.”
Everlyn laughed. “Thank you. I needed that.”
“Always happy to play the fool for you.”
She gave him a sensual kiss. “You’re so sweet.”
The sun lightened. It looked like it was dawning into a beautiful day.
“Incoming,” Everlyn screamed abruptly. “East wall.”