Leonid, December 20th, 2000
They don't see me until I let them, poor weak-eyed citymen. Just like earlier they make noises to scare me off only now it is Disciple turf. I let them run on. I've got a message to deliver once they're tired enough they may listen. If more of their people show up, good, then more listen.
Sad, I am not moving on, the wire collector gets up in my face. He looks desperate. "You have to go. We could get hurt for just speaking with you. Go, before Ty or BT show up." His hands dance nervously.
"I'll talk to them too," I answer.
He wipes his hands on his coat. "Please, you'll die if you stay here." He looks around. His tongue keeps licking at his chapped lips. "You need to go now!"
I shake my head. That was loud enough for my comrades to hear. I hope nothing stupid happens.
I'm almost surprised when the gun comes out. He's quick. The little .32 revolvers pointed in my face. It shakes. "Leave, now."
I give him just a hint of teeth in my smile. "Not a good idea. You think I am alone?"
He looks about nervously the idea may not have crossed his mind. Before he can a .32 caliber rejoinder I ask, "Is the child back yet?" A blank look for the ages. "We met him and a few others further north yesterday. They were hunting Dewayne and his family."
"Dewayne. You ran into Mash?"
"Yeah, I think that was his name," I hit the 'was' hard. "I think this is his '16 right here."
He takes a step back still covering me with the popgun. "Let me see."
"See?"
"The base," he says impatiently, "his name's on the base."
I pull the M16 over by the strap and turn it over. There, on the butt stock, is MASH crudely carved into the plastic. "Yes, that's him."
The pistol lowers. "You killed him. You killed the rest?"
"All except the child. Thirteenish, gaunt, called himself Reese. Sent him back with a message. How it was received?"
"We haven't seen him. What, what are you going to do now?"
"Let me introduce you to some people." I signal my comrades. Even without drink, Leo makes friends.
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Kapitan Paterson. I know she's major, but for too long she's been Kapitan, I keep slipping. Kapitan Paterson tells them what our fellow troops have been up to the past few months. How they're here now and what they intend to do. Some of the faces close up. Others, including my pistol-packing friend, open up. They have questions, many questions.
I think it is Dewayne and his family that convinces them. She speaks with confidence and knowledge about their appearance, behavior, and treatment. If we had taken them prisoner we'd know things, but not all of these. The locals have been treated harshly, first by disaster, then the neighbors, and finally each other. She makes no apology or promise. But I can hear it in her voice, "not again, never again, not on my watch."
The pistoleer, Jerry, asks for us to let him talk to his group. They huddle, he argues. His friend's alive. He's going to find him. They're raiders/slavers/eaters. If they were raiders we'd be dead by now or in chains. We can't leave our families. Take them with. Food? Look at them. They're getting more than a Disciple gunman is. They argue and we let them.
Jerry turns back to us. "I want to leave. So do some of the others, but they're afraid. That gun might just be a trick. Everyone knows Mash liked to leave his name on people."
I answer, "What do we need to do?"
"Show us, there's only two left in the house, BT and Ty, they're guarding the food stores. If you can take them down, we can take the food we've worked for, and follow you out."
Kapitan, "Is there anyone else there? Women or children?"
"A few women, none that would fight you. No kids."
"Good, I'd rather not kill someone not deserving it. You'll lead us there?"
He swallows convulsively, "Yes."
I pull Mash's '16 around. "Can you shoot?" At his nod I hand over the rifle and magazine. He checks the magazine. It is topped up. Seats the mag and sites out onto the park. Surprisingly he hands it back.
"Later." He looks unhappily about. "You'll need me at the door to bring them out. I can tell them all about you taking the rest of the crew prisoner. They'll come running."
Kapitan nods. I tell him, "That is a good, simple plan. You know them. They'll do this."
He nods affirmative.
"Good then, you can have this after."
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Two dead men later and things heat up. Jerry and six others with family in tow are dumping as much food as they can carry out the back into a cut down pick-up with traces for five men to pull. They're moving as fast as they can since one of the dead men had a finger on an unsafed gun. Sounds carry.
We're watching north and south down the park when the first unexpected arrival shows. Little Reese, hands bound behind, kicks at the back door followed by jeers from the locals. He spits insults back and squeals when Kapitan pulls the door open.
"You're late child. It wasn't that far a walk. Where have you been."
"Oh God lady, demons. There were demons. I had to hide."
"Somebody tell me what are demons?"
Jerry, following the kid in with Mash's M16 in his hands, answers, "Cannibals. They're crazy, demented, demons." If that boy were alone he'd be eating the end of the stock.
Kapitan grabs Reese by the collar of his jacket and manhandles him to the front door. "Look there at Ty and BT. They're dead too now." I smell fresh urine. "You got one more chance." She shoves him out. "Go tell the rest instead."
Jerry makes his way to the door as Reese scrambles down the stairs. Kapitan stops him, "What did he do?"
"Nothing. Everything. He joined up. Took Dewayne's daughter, Jen. I'd beat the fool boy senseless if I could."
"There'll be time for that later. I promise. We need to get your people out to safety first."
"Right. I need to go get Charlene. I won't touch him."
She lets him go out the front. Must see something I didn't. "They about ready to go?" she asks.
A shot rings out in the street. Alphabit is first out the door. Kapitan and I jam up together trying to be next.
Alphabit readies his M16, no his attached grenade launcher and drops one down the street. What was a group of a dozen racing down the side of the park turns into borsch. I push through, drop to my knee, and service those still moving. Kapitan's M60 lays fire down the street.
Alphabit scrambles out into the street under our cover. Jerry's down in the middle while the kid huddles behind a concrete planter. "Doc!," he shouts, "Man down!"
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Those locals still with us have finished loading the wagon. Jerry and Doc go on top. Doc's got him stabilized, but the round went through his lung. He needs to get to Columbia as soon as possible. Four volunteers lay into the traces. The kid gets set in the lead. The men behind have choice words for him after they get it moving. Others walk beside carrying scant possessions or bags of food.
Alphabit left a few surprises on the way into their stores. Poisoned fruit.
They're watching us. I can feel it. Probably from across the park in the cover of the buildings. I figure we'll pick up a tail as we head back. I've got permission to neutralize them if I see them.
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Two hours in before I spot the tail. They're way back. I signal the Kapitan and pull back.
I find myself a good spot in cover of abandoned cars with an open doorway to my back. I plan to strike and pull back and around for the next shot. There are four moving from cover to cover up the roadway.
I'm laying the SVD's sights on them when four become three and those three drop down into cover. I wait a breath. Where's the forth? One begins shouting uncalled for thing about my mother. I don't have a shot, but I saw where he went to ground. I put a round through the car side which only makes him shout more harshly. I still don't see the fourth. Time to egress.
Back into the apartment and up the stairs to another firing position. The stairs crack.
FUCK, my balls.
I think I choked off the scream. The dancing lights fade from my sight. One leg is all the way down through the stairs. Right up to my groin. The other leg's stretched back along the stairs. I can feel the blood seeping down my limb. I try to pull up, but the motherless boards bite in before I can move more than a centimeter. I'm stuck and they're outside.
I pull a pair of grenades from my harness. Set them on the stair above me. The SVD on the one above that. I can contort myself around with the MP5. Only once I have the door covered do I tap the radio.
The Kapitan takes my breathy report. Alphabit and Rutkowski are heading back. I'm to hold on. No other choice. At least I can see my last position from here.
The wait is terrible. My free leg and back want to cramp. The steady drip of blood and pain let me know something is in there holding it open.
The taunts have been continuing. They almost cover the rapid footsteps. A shotgunner springs into view facing my old position. Hello, number four. He takes two bursts. The MP5SD's silenced, but his shotgun discharges as he falls.
The taunts turn to queries. No answers. I wait. Help is far away. Please be stupid.
More footsteps. They stop near the doorway. I can place him behind the post of the lintel. he can see his friend and is putting it together. I cover open doorway.
His head darts into view and quickly withdraws. I hold my fire. It is midday. Very light out there and dark in here. He couldn't see me. Could he?
He'd do things different if he had. Instead of throwing a grenade in or spraying the stairway he slides slowly around the frame. The gun's pointed back down the corridor beside the stairs not up them. He joins his friend among the dead.
I wait.
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Alphabit
Leo really outdid himself. Why he'd tried those stairs escapes me. Even to a casual glance they were unsafe. He colorfully explains that he isn't a trained civil engineer as I point out the warning signs. I remind him, "I'm your way out."
Rutkowski follows my directions, straddling the stringers to either side below Leo. He holds him under the arms as I cut away the tread and riser. They've dug in deep and his leg is covered with gore from the open wounds. Wish we'd brought Doc. Once free and tended the flow slows. I give him a shoulder while Rutkowski takes watch. We'll swap as I get tired.
Rut strips the two bodies of arms. The major knows we're on our way back.
What a day!
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