ICC- Kilrick Salvage Chapter 2- On the Road to NYC

Status
Not open for further replies.
I had been moving through the tunnels and was pretty sure that I had moved outside the warehouse grounds, somewhere outside the gate. Had they constructed this complex so large that it was beyond their top-side perimeter?

A stairwell led up, and curious I followed until I came to a large metal door. I listened for a minute, put my hand against the door. It was cold. Tried to sniff the air, but could tell little. I pushed open the door and took a peak outside.

Beyond the perimeter wall. I could see the lights of the warehouse. Then something else, dark.

I slammed the doors shut, trying to think if I had seen what I thought.

SOmething powerful and big slammed into the door. Then claws scratching at the door. It backed off. Then another slam, this time jarring the doors.

Dire, and big. I had little doubt that they would continue to ram the door until it broke through.

I backed down the stairs and began moving in the direction I came. Another bang, as the body of the dire rammed the door.

Again and again, the body attacked the door. I could hear the echoes down the corridor as I moved away. I reached an intersection and went down the steps, finding a door way and went through. Only then did I realize I had been running.
 
Rama got up and walked towards Deeds and Jasmin. The two were keeping the facade of a sleeping crew aboard the rig, so the Gluttons suspicion wasn't too arroused. He walked up to Jasmin, the only outsider in the group he trusted and whispered into her ear.

"The Dire are making their move. Only a matter of time... and the Gluttons are probably sharpening their knives. The pieces are shifting on the board. So when the signal is given, make sure you take cover." He said as enigmatically as he had appeared, returning to his corner.

Deeds just snorted.

But Jasmin inclined her head. "What makes you say that?" She whispered.

"This place is a powder keg. We're just the match."

As Rama strolled back his way, one Glutton was passing by and gave Rama a look. His sweaty face seemed to beam at this would be snack. But Stryfe simply walked on.

"What the fuck are you lookin' at fatman?" Rama said as he walked by.
 
*Unknown Location*

While his former lackey waits in confinement, Colonel Greifswald continues work on bringing his agenda to fruition.

"Captain, any news in regards to Kilricks current position?"

"We know where they are sir. Our recon team guessed correctly that they would be heading to this settlement not far from the bridge (he points to a small city in what seems to be a very old photograph). Only place in the area that could provide medical treatment and other supplies."

"So what do you know about this burg here?"

"The site must have been close to an important military station at one time or another. Intelligence indicates they were hit pretty hard, first with the nukes, then with some sort of biological weapon. Near the edge of the city, we have discovered what seems to be a makeshift encampment composed of small structures, a garage, and one big warehouse. The only chokepoint is the main gate."

"Anything on the townsfolk?"

"Since we don't have the proper resources, the only thing we could do was rely on what the scopes could pick up. This structure here, (points to the biggest building in the photo), we have a lot of traffic. Most of the townsfolk show signs of extreme obesity, most likely effects of the virus."

"Threat assessment?"

"We already have an idea about what Kilrick has. The civilians we saw carry nothing big, mostly assault rifles, shotguns and one or two sniper rifles. Our main problem is the landscape. We have radiation hotspots all over the place. Then we got the germ to worry about. The last thing is the goddamn abominations outside the campsite."

"Then the only choice we have at the moment is to follow them. Although the closest bridges have been knocked out, we can still follow their tracks. Tell your men to make preparations for departure."
 
The gluttons had done little but grope Edden, having already stripped her down. But each time one tried a more sexual move, they would bump into another, and begin fighting amongst themselves. Large, naked men, sweaty in the heat, fighting amongst each other, pushing they fleshy bodies back and forth. THe air was filled with the smell of fresh blood and presperation.

For Edden this only heightened the tension, delaying the abuse, extending the dread.

It didn't help much when Clara became conscious and began screaming.
____________


I had moved down into the tunnels more towards the heart of the warehouse. Occassionally I would think I heard the sound of scratching or the the tapping of claws on concrete. THat would mean the Dire. I would stop and listen, but then it would be quiet. If the Dire had entered the warehouse through the tunnel, they were now stalking and careful in this alien environment. But they were ruled by their hunger, they would hunt the gluttons regardless of the environment.

I was wondering about Reik, Rama and the others. Was Logan and Stokes making progress. Had Reik and Rama found Edden?

Down through the corridors I heard a piercing cry of a person in terrible pain. The scream echoed down the metallic industrial walls, through hollow pipes, like an organ in a church. But someone was still alive at least and the sound was something of a guide.

I still had my knife in hand and pistol ready. Time was running out.
 
Logan and Stokes finally reached the small office. After taking a quick peak at the surroundings, Logan started picking the lock on the door. Stokes took cover behind a pile of boxes, labelled to contain "the famous and timeless Mr Nixon dolls". But neither of both men took notice at that.

Just as Logan opened the door a wobbling Glutton came around the corner. If he had only been a millisecond later he wouldn't have noticed Logan slipping inside. The young-looking Glutton leveled his double barrel shotgun and started walking towards the small office. With one hand he opened the door and with the other he kept a relatively steady aim with his greasy fingers.

As the door swung open, a sickening cracking noise was to be heard, followed by a blubbery thud as the body hit the ground. Stokes had hit the Glutton at the base of his neck. If the Glutton was not dead, he surely was completely paralysed.

Logan holstered his pistol, came out of hiding and quickly searched for a detonator. Meanwhile Stokes pulled the body inside. It didn't take long for Logan to locate the detonator. The only special thing about this room was a small metallic box hung on the wall, no bigger than a first aid kit, and some screens against the side wall. Logan opened the box after checking for possible traps and found the detonator inside. Logan disabled the detonator, janked the wiring from the walls and he camouflaged the wires in a corner, to prevent any hobbyist from rewiring it to another detonation device.

Meanwhile Stokes was fooling around with the screens. He had connected a battery pack and the screens lit up in a greenish glow, typical for infra red imaging. Logan was able to spot Kilrick, running like a madman through some concrete corridors. On the next screen was the explanation: Dire had busted open a door granting access the complex. They moved in cautiously, but determined.

Logan took his knife and gutted the Glutton that was lying on the floor. If he hadn't been dead before, he sure was now. He carefully pushed aside the blubbering fat, pulled out the innards with the dull side of his knife, spread them over the floor and turned over the body to make sure as much blood as possible would flow onto the floor. Even a man with a strong stomach like Stokes could barely keep himself from puking his own guts out.

"Man, what the fuck are you doing?" Stokes asked after he pulled himself back together.

"Bait." Logan answered as he cleaned the blood off his knife.

As a final safeguard, Logan hoped to lure some Dire to protect this room, to make entirely sure no one would be able to detonate the explosives from there.
 
It had been merely a few minutes for Rama to infilitrate the shadows of the old compound, back tracking Edden's original trail. The moonlight was shining above, casting a vague light over some huge and heavy foot prints.

Edden had went to take a leak, but it seems she was ambushed. Entering the washroom, a shoddy, and very dirty looking batroom with a huge tube that was long drained of water.

He carried Edden's pump on his back and weilded his usual rifle. Shifting aside the old tiles, he came across an old trap door, matter of fact to say it was a trap door would have been a serious understatement - it was huge. Big enough for the slugs to wiggle through.

Creaking it open, he saw the faint amber light of 40watt bulbs. A cellar. Stryfe gripped the ladder and adavanced down. Following the trail of foot prints.

Chances are Edden was being held close by, either as storage or worse. Though he knew Edden had accepted the same risk as he did, he wasn't about to abandon an old comrade to those fat bastards. It didn't sit well and perhaps beyond hope, he hoped she was alive.

Stryfe would follow the trail, following the narrow path way towards an ajar door with a bright flurescent light shinning through.

Then came the faint scream and followed by the obscene cursing of a very familar voice. Then followed the laughter. A laughter Rama had heard so many years ago when his guardian had tried to make the passage through Crest Coasts van guard. He remembered that laughter, and for a moment, Stryfe forgot his compsure, the coold calculation that kept him so stable for so long.

He charged down the hall way, heading for Edden, not caring if he was seen or not.

He just charged, ready to break through the door and see a sight that would have sent a wave of disgust through any being.

His shoulder rammed the door with a solid thud, slamming the metal door edge to slam violently into one of the fatman's face, smashing his front teeth and shattering his nose.

The rest were more shock then anything. Seeing a fumming Rama with an AK-47 waving at them, and their tiny penises still stood as they were arroused from their sexual fever.

Karl, Pinky, Jiles, Sindy in the corner and Bobby all stood, mouthes open, fear and surprise in their eyes. One held a large surgical blade in his hand, but didn't seem to have a clue to do anything with it. Their they were, all fat and sweaty with their thick black eyes and pimply flesh. Like a pack of feverish swine. It was just vomitous to behold. The rank scent of semen and sweat and fear; it was enough to make anyone gag.

Edden craned her neck upward and beheld her savior. She was naked on the slab and bound.

"You okay?" Rama asked his voice hinting very little warmth.

"What took you so long!" Edden hissed.
 
The trail of the scream had been the key, but I was also worried that the Dire would have heard it as well. Aroused by the cry of a wounded or handicapped prey, they might lose what caution they had.

The scream could have been Edden. It could have been Clare. Regardless, I knew time was running out.

I smelled them before I could see them. One thing about the Gluttons, they oozed sweat.

The cry had not only grabbed my attention but the guard on the corridor. He was trying to listen to the door behind him and didn't see me coming from the side until I was there.

When he sensed me, he turned startled. Before he could mutter a word, the ripper I had picked up tore quickly through his throat, severing the jugular and windpipe in a stroke.

THe man fell, blood pulsing into the floor.

The blood would add to the Dire's blood lust.

It was time to leave.

I listend to the door to see if anyone had heard, then slowly opened it.

Inside I could smell it. Fresh blood, semen, sweat. I could hear them arguing amongst each other, trying to get to the girl on the table. A few had backed off, happy to take sloppy seconds, and were dining on pieces of meat. On the table I could see what was left of Elroy.

It was all men, except for one fat woman who was the only one clothed. And the only one carrying a gun.

I was about to speak when I heard the door bash open and suddenly everyone stopped speaking.

ANd I heard Rama's voice ask Edden, "Are you ok?"

Edden replied, "What took you so long."

And maybe he didn't see the girl point the gun in his direction, maybe he was distracted by Edden. The woman was mostly in shadow and with the lights on in the room and infront of Rama he might not have seen it.

NO matter, I did.

I shot her in the head. THe woman fell over from where she was perched and fell loudly to the floor. The sound large in the room, now the naked gluttonous men had something else to think about.

Clara, who I saw had lost her hands and feet, began scream hysterically. I had little doubt that she had lost her mind. Atop her butchered form, one of the naked man was about to attempt a rate.

"Get on your knees." I ordered quickly.

The fat ones were slow. So I shot the one atop of Clara, who rolled over and flipped off the table like a wounded seal.

The fat bastards dropped more quickly. I could see Rama near the table where Edden was spread out.

Rama nodded.

Edden looked at me.

I shrugged. "I just got here."

"Better late than never." I said.

One of the fat bastards moved to the side. Maybe he was going for a gun. I shot him in the head. No reason to worry about maybes.

"Rama, untie Edden. We don't have much time. The Dire are here."

I checked the lock on the door behind me, keeping my eyes and gun trained on the Gluttons while Rama let Edden go.
 
Rama quickly snapped the manicals and got the naked Edden off the slab. She slid off, her form naked, scared from previous battles and some tattoos. She was very beautiful, young... almost fragile, not the killer everyone came to admire and fear. She had no hair on her legs, which meant she used the knife regularly to shave the unwanted hair. Her private area had a neatly manicured look. Her dark brown body was dripping with sweat as well as small cum marks on her chest.

The Fatties got too excited.

But neither gained entry.

Rama just handed her his jacket and the shotgun. He had seen her naked so many times, though he never had the pleasure of enjoying her. Stryfe always did seperate business from pleasure. Maybe that is why Edden felt some bond. She knew he respected her for who she was not because she was just some hot pussy to keep him warm at night.

"Make it quick." Rama said, handing her the shotgun.

Edden snatched it and pumped the leveler. Karl's dark eyes tightened. There was no sweetness, no rapture now but revenge and pay back. Taking some cloth she wiped some of the semen and sweat from her torso. Her small breasts were tense and had hand prints. The pigs were a little to rough with her tits.

Now it was pay back.

"Now, w-w-wait a second, there, w-w-eee" The stuttering was unheard as Edden squeezed the trigger and blasted Karl in the groin, sending his pathetically small testicles to the next world. A second pump, she blasted the one next to him and then the third. The last two she removed their knee caps.

"I said I wouldn't kill you Karl. I'll let the Dire have you." She smiled evily. Edden had returned again with avengence.

"What are you guys staring at? Never seen a twat?" She glared at Kilrick and Rama. "Let's go before we meet the fur balls."
 
*Unknown Location*

Greifswald is busy looking through a mound of paperwork until he is interrupted by news.

"Sir, our scouts report hearing gunfire from inside the city compound. Theres also a steady buildup of those abominations at the gates of the city."

"Just observe for now and tell our men out there to be careful. No need to take un-necessary risks."
 
Muffled gunfire erupted within the bowls of the warehouse. The time for covert operations was over, the Gluttons were aware of the insertion now. Hopefully the other groupmembers had already reached Edden and the other captives. If not, all chances might be lost.

Stokes was waiting by the door, waiting for Logans sign to move out and head down towards their friends.

"We need to get to the roof now." Logan said.

"What? Why?" Stokes uttered, puzzled as to why they would not go help their friends.

"Snipers. If there are any, we need to take them out before any of us leaves the warehouse." Logan replied.

It made sense. All might be in vain if they got sniped from above while retreating back towards the rig. It also put some distance between them and the Dire, which was a healthy bonus.

A rather small stairwell lead both men up towards the roof. Cautiously they opened the door. 20 meters further sat the man they had originally encountered at the gate. He sat there, sweating, aiming towards the garage with his G3 SP1 sniperrifle. He seemed completely unaware of the two men creeping up on him. Slowly both men exited the door, with guns drawn. Logan was only a couple of meters away from the sniper, when he heard a bashing sound behind him.

A female Glutton had hit Stokes over the head with what seemed to be a crude bat. In reaction to it, half calculated, half startled, Logan had put a bullet through the snipers head.

To the Gluttons surprise Stokes was still standing. The old fighter had quite a thick skull and was not as easy to knock out...

"Bitch!" He yelled out as he grabbed her by the neck, intend on crushing her fat slippery neck.

Not being able to wiggle herself loose, the female Glutton resorted to some primal instinct and bit a chunk out of Stokes' hand, just below the thumb. As a result, Stokes' power was amplified by the pain. He threw her down and quite firmly stomped on her head with his boot. The skull cracked out like a glass jar.

"The whore bit me!"

"Nothing we can do about that now, just hope the Anthrax is not transmittable that way..." Logan answered as he picked up the G3 rifle.

"Easy to say for you goddamn it!"

Logan ignored the comment and started observing the surroundings. He noticed a group of Gluttons near the gate. They probably left the warehouse, because they were afraid to get blown up with it. However, even armed, they could not leave the compound. Logan quickly checked the rifles safety and opened fire.

The military sniperrifle did exactly what it was supposed to. One by one the fleeing Gluttons were hit. The ease with which the gun allowed followup shots was commendable. He almost felt pity that he would have to leave it behind. The bulky and heavy gun was not something one could easily run around with.
 
OOC: Sorry about te delay, I moved back up to Uni and our house has not been connected to the internet yet. I just popped onto campus today and checked my e-mails.

Sorry guys and girls. This might be my only post for a few days. Hopefully the net will be up and running soon.

IC:

What the fuck happened? Reik's mind was thick with pain and confusion and as steady as a quagmire. His vision was slowing returning and he tried to make sense of the blurred images.

Three Glutton's crouched near him. They were firing over a row of solid metal barrells.

Reik tried to move but his head hurt like a dragon had pissed fire into his skull. His hair felt sticky and sodden and he had a strong suspicion that it was coated with his own blood.

Looking down beside him he saw that his hands were bound and that a machete lay next to his leg, the side of his trousers were slit up to the knee, apparently to avoid damaging the meat as he was hacked up.

But... Reik couldn't think. He had been running. Following Rama, the psycho one who had good vision. Why? Edden, they were trying to fing Edden.

Then how had he ended up on the menu.

Recollection and shame at his stupidity hit him.

Cold-cocked by a bunch of obese cannibals. How do people so fat move so quietly. Strong legs and a great reliance of a sense of balance, Reik guessed.

He didn't have time to consider all this, the calculations speeding up in his head as it cleared.

Time to move.

Reik moved as slowly as he could force his now adrenaline fuelled body and reached for the machete. As soon as his hands closed on the hilt, he pulled his legs under him and launched himself to his feet and hurled his weight toward the nearest Glutton.

The fat bastard turned at hearing the noise and the swinging machete slammed into his blubbery neck and lodged between the vertebrae. Reik let go of the blade and grabbed at the dying man's weapon, a modified M-16 with no trigger guard. He assumed most of their weapons were fixed this way to allow the chippolata fingered gluttons to use the weapons.

The other two turned toward the tall warrior and the first was hit in the shoulder by Reik's quick snapshot. Swung around by the bullet, his gun banged into the other Glutton who's aim was knocked off and a burst of lead smacked into the barrels behind Reik.

The merc fired twice more into the injured GLutton, finishing him, but the rifle clicked empty and he without thinking, he charge, throwing the gun up and catching it in a reverse grip, then swinging it like a club he brought it around in a wide arc into the surprised Glutton's face.

The fat man dropped his gun as he lolled back on his heels and Reik brought a steel toe-capped boot into his flab protecte genitals. The big opponent sank to his knees and Reik slammed the butt into his throat, crushing the windpipe and fatally wounding unfortunate man.

Reik lowered the weapon then turned and raised his bound hands to wave at the Salvage team members who were firing. As he opened his mouth to shout, a rifle round took him in the shoulder, almost missing the combat armour. Even with the protection of the tough pauldron, Reik was spun around and he felt the shoulder joint go and heard a sickening pop.

Oh for fuck's sake was his only thought as he hit the floor and skidded on the lake of blood oozing from the Glutton corpses.
 
Rama was already heading out of the room, taking the lead back to the rig. Edden close behind, still trying to put on some clothes but more interested in her shotgun.

With the gunfire I only hoped that that Jake had the rig running and that Jasmin and Deeds were covering our exit. Opening the large garage doors was too much to hope for, we'd have to ram them out.

"Wait a minute." I said sharply.

Rama had already stepped out, but Edden paused for a moment. Even the gluttons stopped moaning.

A light tapping sound coming from outside the door I had slipped through. Like nails on cement.

Then a sniffing sound, and a snort.

Then the sound of nails being slowly racked down the door.

The Dire.

I looked over to where Clara still lay on the table. Next to her were the remains of Ellroy, his body opened and the organs removed, the blood still dripping down into a jar at the base of the table. Clara's stumps where her hands and legs had been.

SHe had stopped screaming already. She looked at me, her eyes wide and hysterical. Even if she were to survive this she would be little more than a half cripple.

Then the door blew open in a shower of splinters and the Dire broke through. They fell on the Gluttons, the wounded and the dead, and the Gluttons screamed until the sound was ripped from their throat.

Clara began screaming again.

I felt a tug from Edden at the door.

No time left for rescue. So I shot Clara through the head with my pistol.

The noise caught the attention of one of the Dire who turned to pounce, so I shot it once, in the head. But the damn thing still lived. Edden yanked me through the door as the other Dire tore their wounded kin to shreds.

I slammed the door closed and locked it, before turning to run for the rig. Rama was already far ahead and I could see Edden's naked feet racing ahead.
 
Edden felt the cold tiles and concrete beneath her bare feet. "I'm sure glad I keep an extra set of clothing on the rig. Wouldn't want me going to New York with only my undies on, eh Stryfe?" Edden said, her pace as quick as Rama, Kilrick behind.

Rama was silent, enigmatic as he always was. Somethings never change. Or perhaps they do.

Kilrick was follwing behind. "Listen, Kil... about before." The pace was quickening and the dire seemed to move along, one in particular trying to follow the trail.

"Yeah," came Kilrirck's quickened breath as he ran, knowing the very hounds of hell were on his heels.

"I jus..." As Edden began a Dire raced towards them only to go down a small burst of FMJ.

Stryfe was keeping the beast back. Knowing ammo was sparce, every shot counted. The beast went down with a thud, but wasn't entirely dead. Rama had bought them some more time with the wounded beast, since its brethern in crazed hunger and driven by the A-9 virus, they would devour anything once fear and blood came into the mix.

"Thanks Kil. Appreciate you not writing me off... and Thanks Ra." Edden said plainly as she ran ahead of the group, shotgun already pumped and ready.
 
The butcher shop had been below ground and in the middle of the complex. We were racing now, doing the best we could to get to the top of the complex and back to the rig.

There were other gunshots, growls and screams. The Dire were among the gluttons and their bloodlust was uncontrolled.

Up a flight of stairs, down a corridor. We were about to go down a corridor when a glutton fell with a dire atop, tearing at the fat man's throat. We'd have to go another way.

Up, another flight of stairs. A fat glutton female running past us screaming in fear. Then sound of clawed feet in pursuit. Another scream, now of pain.

Gunshots. The gluttons were trying to defend their home. But they were divided and panicked. And the Dire were terribly fast and brutally strong.
________________

Back at the Rig, Jake was now behind the wheel and had the rig's engine rubbling. Deeds was behind the .50 while Jasmin was looking for targets with her Watts. Even Stowe and Edwards were ready with their sidearms.

So far no Dire or Gluttons had moved into the garage. But neither had any of the crew. Logan and Stokes had not yet returned, nor had Rama, Reik or Kilrick. Jake privately thought it might be too late for Edden and the Tinkers, but he understood Kilrick's loyalty to them.

Even so, their position was dangerous.

Deeds tapped on the top of the Rig. "Jake, if they are not back by a 60 count, we need to diddy. This place is no longer safe."

That pissed off Jake. "Deeds, if we don't take Kilrick, there is no way we get into NYC. The entire job is scrubbed."

"I can't risk the lives of the doctors. We can always get another salvager to get us into NY. I am counting 50 now." Deeds was calculating lives and the outcome of the mission.

And he was probably right. Edden was probably already dead, and Kilrick, Rama, Reik, Logan, and Stokes were dead too. There was a good chance there was no one left but those in the garage. "Fuck off Deeds." Replied Jake.

Jasmin was close to the rig, her black hands gentle with the Watts. "Jake. Better do what the man says."

"Give them a couple more minutes." Said Jake.

"The clock is ticking." Replied Deeds.

occ- Ok, time to bring this together and end this part of the story.
 
Stokes and Logan hurried back down the flight of stairs. Caution was advisable, but speed was necessary. The Dire would overrun this place faster than a Glutton could shrug down a candybar.

On the way out Logan had a clear view of the warehouse managers office. Sure enough, the bait had worked to perfection. The managers cart was standing motionless outside the office, the manager himself nowhere to be seen. In between the shelves some motion could be seen, accompanied by the sickening sound of flesh being brutally torn to shreds.

Every now and then gunshots could be heard, from both above and underground. Hopefully the Gluttons would be mostly stuck underground. Fleeing from the Dire was dangerous enough without having to worry about getting shot as well.

Just before Logan reached the main exit, a shadow jumped him from behind some boxes. A Dire threw his entire weight at him, making three deep cuts on his left arm and sending him flying against the wall. Before Logan had any chance of recovering the Dire was already on top of him for the second time.

This time, the beast seemed to have an appetite for a good piece of frontal lobe. Luckily for Logan, Stokes was able to get a shoot off, hitting the beast in the neck. First it made a rather threatening sound, but then, as blood started filling it's lungs, it started making a strange blubbering sound. The beast did not suffer long. In a fit of rage Logan emptied an entire clip of his Scorpio into its head.

Stokes quickly helped him up again and both men started running towards the exit and then toward the garage. The courtyard layed there, absolutely still, not a creature moving. Both men did not pause and sprinted toward the rig.

As the garage came closer, Logan started feeling his strength draining. Not simple exhaustion, nor the feeling you get when your adrenaline stops working. He just felt so empty. Yet, he continued. He was almost there, just a little further... Upon reaching the rig he collapsed entirely. Stokes did not understand why or how. The wounds Logan had suffered were in no way serious enough to cause a man to collapse.

Upon examination, the doc discovered that the entire area around the wound had become grey. The grey color seemed to slowly spread along the veins. The doc was baffled, as he had no possible answer to why this was happening. Even the Anthrax could not possibly have such symptoms...
 
The rattle of .62mm FMJ went through the air, as Rama and Kilrirck cleared the way. Edden gave some supressive fire with the shotgun, letting off the hot buckshot into one of the incoming beasts.

The Courtyard was maybe twelve yards away, and through the hall ways and endless boxes of equipment, it was neither the time to asses the worth of goods nor grab extra ammunition.

A dead fat man lay near the ground, his throat ripped out and hand grenade in his hand. Just over him, were two dires whose eyes shun in the darkness much like Stryfe's own.

Raising his rifle slowly, he set the shooting rate to semi-automatic. The beasts began to hunch, their fur covered mouthes wet with fresh blood.

The low rumble and growl.

TINK!

A single round flew through the air and hitting the intended target.

The grenade. It just took a moment for the hand grenade to rupture and send fiery hot shards of shrapnel along with the usual concussive explosion to rip apart soft tissue from the inside.

The beasts buckled under the explosion and Rama himself felt the sting of tiny pieces of metal hitting his cheek, his nose and his right arm.

Edden caught him before he hit the ground. "Watch it big guy. Can you walk." She helped him to his feet, placing his rifle back in his hand.

"Yes," Rama replied as he gathered the wind in him and began to run with the group towards the rig, Kilrick, opening the door of the warehouse to reveal the dark night of Gluttonville and the courtyard. The rig was getting ready to go and Edden and Rama followed closely, giving a few exchanges of rounds to the beasts as they began to to gain on the group.

The run across the couryard would be a long one and the rig was getting ready to leave.

Reik was struggling to his feet, Rama pushed Edden ahead so he could go and retreave his comrade.

"I'll be back."
 
I hit the latch and threw back the garage doors, as Jake turned the vehicle about and aimed it for the exit.

"Let's go! Let's go!" I was yelling. I pushed one door back and pulled on the other side of the garage door, opening the garage to the night.

There was scattered gunfire and growling from back in the warehouse. One long howl filled the garage. I wondered who, when morning came, would own the warehouse.

The door had hardly opened when Deeds let off a long burst out into the dark. A yelp signaled that beyond the Dire where inside the Glutton perimeter.

Rama had put Reik over his shoulder and was moving quickly across the garage floor. I had no idea what happened to Reik. I wasn't even sure if Logan and Stokes were in the truck. Jasmin was next to Deeds and was loading a launcher.

As Jake pulled up next to me, I grabbed the side of the Rig and hauled myself on.

"Slow up for Rama." I said. But inside I kind of laughed. It looked like I wouldn't be doing business with the Gluttons again.

At least we got what we came for.

---
OC- Ok, Jasmin's launcher can blow the gate and Jake can ram it. Rama, just need you in the truck and we're off.
 
Stryfe ran towards the rig, Reik's battered body over his shoulder. It was like the early days of training at the boot camp, so everything was done text book style.

The rig was still pacing and All Stryfe could do was run as fast as he could, using all his strength to pelt Reil aboard and attempt to hoist himself onboard.

As he began to lose footing, he felt Kilrick and Edden grab his wrists and violently heaved him obboard. Where he lay, breathing in and out deeply and his body felt so fatigued.

Looking at Reik, Stryfe nodded and closed his eyes as he succumbed to the joys of unconscious oblivion. It had been sometime he had felt that tiredness, it was so peacful.
 
Rama collapsed onto the floor of the rig, as Jake pulled through.

We spun around, Deeds, cutting away with the .50, towards the gate. From inside, an explosion which tore the roof off a part of the warehouse.

Stowe was looking at Logan and he looked so pale he might be dead. Reik was hurt, best I could see, and Wolf was checking him. Rama looked out of it and Edden was trying to dress.

Around the side of the building now, Jake with the pedal down, rocking those of us inside. Closing in the gate.

A loud woosh and a shower of red from the backblast. Jasmin standing up taking her shot at the gate. There were no gluttons outside the warehouse, or Deeds would have cut them in half. The gate exploded outward, a large hole in the center. The door swung outward as the Rig's ram hit them, tearing them off the hinges.

I climbed down into the seat next to Jake and took out the Geiger counter.

"Slow up." I said. "Don't forget the hotspots."

Jake didn't hear me so I slapped him in the shoulder to get his attention.

He nodded easing up. I began reading him the geiger counter, and we began the process of navigating, as the sounds of explosions and gunfire faded. It was easier than before because Jake remembered the way in.

Behind us the warehouse was beginning to burn. Stokes was watching the fires. We had gone quite a distance and the warehouse was small, fading away.

"Stokes did you guys set the charges?" I asked.

"Yeah. But I don't know about Logan."

Stowe looked up from her examination of Logan. "He's in some kind of system shock. But he'll come out of it. But there's something else."

But before she could speak, the warehouse exploded. The metal and concrete walls blew out. That would have killed everyone within the perimeter wall. There was a secondary, and then a third, and we had to shield our eyes as everything became light.

THen a powerful shockwave sweft forth, nearly sweeping the rig over on it's side. Everyone was knocked to the side and our gear fell about the fllor. Jake managed to keep the rig from flipping and then shut it off.

I turned my head so I wouldn't look directly into the blast. A moment later I saw the light begin to fade from brilliant white to something yellow. I turned to look.

A fireball was rolling up into the sky, crimson and burnt, even against the stars. It was darkly beautiful.

"We got company." Said Deeds.

Deeds was looking at the warehouse through his field glasses, and pointed to some distance away, then passed them to me.

I caught only a briefest of glimpses of them under the light of the fireball. Three men, moving quickly towards the fire, all that remained of the warehouse.

Jasmin was also watching. "Think they seen us?"

"Definitely." Replied Deeds.

Stowe was checking the condition of the wounded. "Well I got bad news. We need to dig in somewhere soon."

"Looks like we're being chased." Replied Jake.

"Well, I can't figure this virus out unless we get stable and I can use my gear. So unless you all want to live with Anthrax 9 and soon, best find a place for me to do my work."
 
There is never enough time when you need it.

We had the rig and a Geiger counter, and that got us through the fields of hotspots that lie dormant like forgotten landmines. The warehouse burned until it disappeared over the horizon, to be forgotten like so many other haunted places where violence erupted and passed by.

Sunlight on the horizon to the east and we could risk no more. Stowe was insisting, and Edwards confirmed it. Deeds and Jasmin concurred, and we were exhausted.

So we pulled off the road we were on, an old freeway filled with the corpses of broken cars, and into a neighborhood, up a hill full of tall shrubs and around back of a large house. The drive was was littered with branches and leaves, but nothing the rig couldn't climb over. In the back was a dirty pool, a lawn table and lounge chairs. Like vacation.

Most of the passengers were too exhausted to move.

Rama was still sleeping so I let him life. Edden was still wide awake, probably reliving the night before.

"Hey," I said. "You going to be ok? You with it?"

She blinked once than focused on me. Paused a moment and then nodded. "Fuck yes, I've been through worse."

"Check the water systems in the house and the pool. Especially for radioactivity. If it's clean, let me know." I said.

"Sure could use a shower." She mumbled as she got off the rig.

Jake checked the rig for damage as Deeds and I secured the house, Jasmin moving around the front. There was little in the house except a few harmless cockroaches and rats. In one of the cabinets we found canned food. Sometimes you get lucky.

Edden came back. "It's clean. I'm going to shower off."

We helped Stowe and Edwards set up, Stowe quickly working through the lab tests on our blood. Wolf and Stokes brought in the wounded. Wolf was optimistic about Reik, but he couldn't make sense of Logan.

Stowe, overhearing, said simply, "He's got a defibulator in his pack. Attach it the battery of the rig and shock him."

Wolf looked incrediuous. "That's supposed to help."

"Do it. I don't have time to explain it. " Said Stowe, now taking charge.

Wolf shrugged and went outside to wire up. Edwards watched Wolf leave and then continued his work. Stowe spoke, her eyes never leaving what she was working on, talking more to herself than me. "I thought Rama and Edden's blood and the antigen needed to kill the virus. But I was wrong. Whatever it once was Anthrax 9 has evolved. Their natural immunities are no longer effective against the geneticially modified virus."

"Edden and Rama had added resistance?" I asked.

"They did but don't ask me why. Probably they got immunized somewhere else and it's still paying off. No matter, this virus kicked that anti-virus' ass. But Logan, he's different."

I looked at the ghostly pale man. "Go on."

Edwards spoke now. His voice calm and measured, "Logan's defenses are not natural, they are not organic, or at least they are not organic like we know organic. His blood is different."

"How do you know?"

"Most blood cells don't have markers for identification." Said Edwards with a slight chuckle.

Stowe ignored it and continued. "Something in his blood was manufactured. And that is defending his system from the Anthrax 9. But there's more to Logan than that."

"So he can make the antibodies?"

"He's not making the antibodies so much as the manufactured blood is." Said Stowe. "But I need to figure away that I can force our bodies to replicate the blood without the less pleasant consequences."

"What kind of less pleasant consequences?" I said.

Stowe didn't say anything, and I was unsure she heard the question. But Edwards shook his head sadly. A man of few workds, I understood the gesture to be most pessimistic.

I left the two doctors to work as Wolf was coming with Logan's kit and the cables from the Rig.

The back of the house had a large open yard, a pool, and wire fence surrounding the backyard. The front was open. I went there to find Jasmin and Deeds who had taken defensive positions to the front of the house.

"How long?" Asked Deeds.

"I have no idea. The doctors are working at it. They seem competent." I said.

"They're some of the best." Said Jasmin, encouragingly.

"Best at what?" I asked.

Deeds gave Jasmin a sharp look as rebuke and she bit her tongue before saying more.

"You guys don't think I should know?" I asked.

"You don't need to know. You're job is to get us to the city, and from there, to help us find what we are after." Said Deeds.

"Which is?" I asked.

"You'll find out when we get inside." Said Deeds, tightlipped.

I shrugged. I think Jasmin might know a bit more. But Deeds was being careful. Information is expensive, and if I knew perhaps I might sell them out to the next bidder. I could respect caution.

I was watching Jake and Stokes. They were outfront and trying to hide any tracks we have left.

"What's our situation tactically?" I asked.

"Tactically," Said Deeds, who seemed to find humor in it. "If we don't get a cure soon we're all fucked."

"Stowe will figure it out." I said.

Jasmin nodded but Deeds was unconvinced. He spoke. "If we get hit, they might come down that road to our forward. In which case we have open fields of fire and range. We might be exhausted but we got gear and ammo, the skill and the range. But if we get hit from the back, they can close with us fast, and be inside our wall before we can react."

"Soon as Jake and Stokes are back I will put them to hiding the rig and preparing the read defenses." I said.

"Tell them to be careful. Those three badasses. If they come in, I am not sure we can stop them with what we got. If they get close enough to touch us, we're finished."
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top