Read Xenofall (The Wasteland Chronicles, Book 7) for Free Online Page B

Bounty,” she said.
    Char turned, flashing Anna a rueful smile. “Care to join us?”
    “No, but I see why you were missing your radio calls.”
    Both brothers looked at her, shrugged, and took another drink.
    “It’s been so long since we’ve had a drink,” Char said. “As brothers. We thought one last time wouldn’t hurt, before the second end of the world.”
    Marcus laughed, even though there was no particular reason to. I noticed his crutches leaning up against the bar. His leg, still in a cast, hadn’t stopped him from wetting his whistle.
    “Remember, Char,” Marcus said. “The first time the world ended, we were at a bar.”
    “Aye, it’s true,” Char said.
    “Look,” I said. “There’s been some important developments. It’s probably best to rejoin the crew.”
    “Probably?” Char asked. Marcus giggled next to him.
    “He means that this is your last drink,” Anna said. “Makara will have no tolerance for this kind of thing.”
    “Oh, piss on Makara!” Marcus said.
    Char held up a hand. “No. She’s right, Marc. We’ve been here too long. Remembering old times, too much.” Char sighed wistfully. “Much has changed on this road, over the years, but the Wastrel still makes the finest ale in Port Town.”
    Marcus nodded his agreement, taking a sip out of his mug. Since it was his last, he had decided to savor it.
    “Don’t take too long,” I said. “We have a driver waiting outside.”
    Both men sat and drank in silence. I had officially killed the buzz for good, but it wasn’t time to be partying. The entire world was on the line, and two of the Angels’ most important members were drinking in a bar.
    From next to me, Anna cried out.
    “Let go!”
    She pushed a burly man, but two more flanked his side. At second glance, I realized these weren’t sailors from Augustus’s fleet. They were probably locals.
    “I was wondering where the entertainment was,” the burly man said.
    His two sniveling companions snickered. They had long, greasy hair and hollow eyes.
    “You want entertainment?” I asked, stepping up, putting a hand on my Beretta.
    The men looked me up and down. The burly man, who seemed to be in charge, answered.
    “I’m not into that sort of thing,” he said, with a smirk. “But Rummy, here...” He gestured to one of the men, whose black eyes danced. “He might be more accommodating.”
    Anna’s eyes warned me not to go for my gun. If I shot these guys down, it might go badly. The entire bar would erupt in a fight, which was the last thing we needed.
    “Leave her alone,” I said. “Or else.”
    The man sneered. “Or else, what? You come into our bar, you play by our rules, kid. The Krakens rule the Port and the Krakens take the spoils!”
    With this, he grabbed Anna’s wrist. From the anger in her eyes, it was all she could do not to draw her katana with her free hand.
    By this point, a space had widened around us. Char and Marcus, even in their current state, took note and came to back me up. I noticed, out of the corner of my eye, the piano player closing the instrument’s top and beating a hasty retreat.
    “Hands off, scum,” Char said. “Last I heard, the Wastrel was a free bar open to any and all.”
    The man gave a sour smile. “You need to get with the times, old man. The Krakens had to step in and protect this place years ago.”
    “Things have changed, then, since Raine’s time,” Marcus said.
    The burly man said nothing. Now that it was not just me, but Char, Marcus, and the sailors that had been cheering them on, the Krakens weren’t so sure of themselves.
    “Maybe we should let her go, Crash,” Rummy said.
    “You should listen to your hound, Kraken,” Marcus said.
    Crash’s face seethed with anger, but in the end, he let Anna go.
    “You’ll regret this, all of you!” he spat. “You’ll rue the day you crossed the Krakens.”
    This man was in no way intimidating, and in fact was quite pathetic. He and his cronies backed off,