Leo had expected Beth to hesitate, but she looked unfazed and continued to point her weapon right at his head.

"I've run out of bullets?" She tilted her head. "What makes you think so?"

"The Bikers told us."

He had believed the Biker woman back then. She had no reason to lie.

Beth's laugh was dry and bitter. "The Bikers? They are your enemies, you said so yourself. So why should they tell you the truth? There is no sharper weapon than the word. A weapon that shouldn't be spared on those you hate."

"Because..." Leo hesitated. Her fancy phrase made, surprisingly, sense. Yet it still didn't feel true. "Because they're not the Bikers anymore, just a bunch of survivors. You managed to kill most of them."

For a moment, the weapon in her hands shook, but then she righted it again.

"You should be grateful for us doing your work, then, and just let us go." Her words had lost their edge.

"I'm sorry, I can't do that." Leo knew that Hammer would never forgive him if he let the pair escape again—and why should he? "Anyway, you'd never make it to Seaside like that. You've got no weapon and no water, and you don't know the first thing about survival out there."

"Oh, you'll lend us some of your swords, and you'll give us your water." She gestured at the weapon he held. "Now drop that! Then, step back, all of you, and lie flat on the ground."

"Back in the stadium, you said we're nothing but brutes. Savages without... kennel and morals." He pointed towards the wastelands. "But out there, you won't last for—"

She huffed. "Ken, I said. Without ken and morals. A kennel is a dog house."

"A house for a dog?" He wasn't sure if she was kidding. "Anyway, we may be savages without ken and morals, then. But who killed a dozen people today?" He gestured at Burt, who was watching the exchange silently. "What are the morals in that? And all your knowledge and a few weapons and water won't keep you alive when trying to cross the wastelands beyond this bridge. Only brutes like us can survive that."

"It was me," she said, her words almost a whisper as her shoulders sagged.

"What?"

"It was me who killed the Bikers. It wasn't Burt." She stood straight again. "So, I am a brute. And I plan on surviving even if I have to kill you, too. And now, you move!"

A gust of warm wind moved curled hair from her face, revealing ghostly-pale features in the weak light of a half-filled moon. What he could discern looked cold and determined.

A slight, skinny person, but the strength in her stance could not be denied.

Yet she did not have any bullets. He was almost sure of that now, and he was ready to call her bluff. "When I just said that you have no weapon, you told me you'd take our swords. So stop lying. You don't have any bullets in that gun of yours."

He took a step towards her.

"Wait, I can prove it." She held up a hand, keeping the gun trained on him in the other.

"And how would you do that?" Leo hesitated.

She gestured at the water beyond the bridge. "I'll shoot in the river. After that, I count to three, and then I'll put a bullet into everyone who hasn't placed himself flat on the ground."

She took a step to the railing, pointing the muzzle at the water below.

The determination in her voice took Leo by surprise. Had the Biker woman lied?

But then, instead of shooting into the river, Beth just dropped the gun and climbed the railing. She steadied herself on one of the vertical, suspending ropes, looking at Leo. "I'm sorry," she said. "I shouldn't have involved Hope."

For a moment, she just looked at him, in her oversized shirt, with dark curls framing her pale face.

She bit her lips.

Then, she jumped.

A second later, she hit the water below with a splash.

Leo ran to the place where she had stood a moment ago and stared down at the river, searching for a trace of her. But all he saw was the unbroken, dark surface.

Slowly, Leo turned. The others looked at him. No one said a word.

Spike broke the silence. "She's got guts, that woman."

"She's as good as dead," Leo said.

"Don't worry, man," Burt said, with a sneer in his voice. "She's a good swimmer."

Leo had heard that some people could swim, yet that wouldn't help her.

"It doesn't matter, man." Spike imitated Burt's arrogant tone of voice. "That river will kill her for sure even if she can swim like a dry log. Its water carries all the poison of the age of tech."

Burt didn't reply but stepped up to the railing.

Not wanting his second captive to jump into the water, too, Leo joined him, ready to restrain him if he tried to imitate her crazy stunt. But the man just stood there.

He didn't have the guts she had.

"What do you know about the poison of the age of tech?" Burt whispered. "You know nothing. Not about poison. Not about the age of tech."

No, they knew nothing about these things. But that river did kill. Beth wouldn't be its first victim.

But one thing he knew was that dying like that wasn't right. And Beth didn't deserve it. "I'm sorry," he said.

He looked back at Spike and motioned him to join them. "Spike, you and the twins take our guest here back." He gestured at Burt. "He's our hostage now. Tell Hammer what's happened. I'll be back after I've negotiated with Seaside."

"Okay," Spike said. "But Bolt and Hawk can handle our guest alone. I'll come with you, to Seaside."

"Thanks, my friend." Leo shook his head, even though he was tempted to accept Spike's offer. "But I'll do that alone. As you've said, Seaside might be dangerous. You can't trust these people. There's no need to get both of us captured or even killed. If we're two, they might want to take one of us as their own hostage and send the other one back to report on what they did. When I'm alone, I can always tell them that, if I don't return, you'll..." He looked at Burt, who was still staring at the river below. "... that you'll do what needs to be done."

Spike spat, but he kept quiet.

Leo glanced one more time at the black, featureless depths under the bridge. The water was an unbroken surface of darkness—the darkness that had taken Beth and all her fancy gater words.