"I see you have a soldier." He smiled at us, he shook our hands.
"Perhaps... He was the Bang you heard." I chuckled. Keeping it pleasant was pointless, we both despised each other, but still we did.
" I should thank you for that, it was the distraction we needed to take back the hospital."
"Well, I am glad it worked out for all that were involved." I chuckled.
"You killed seven people."
"Uhh, uhh...." Jeff stammered, tugging on my arm, One of the guys that was chasing me is here." I looked at him, to see him motioning to a guy staring at us twenty feet away.
"Just some people looking for slaves." I shrugged.
"Slaves?" Jeff asked.
"One second." I said. I slowly turned and walked to the water station, about six feet from where the man was standing. I sized him up from afar, the same boots I shot at yesterday. He was trying to hide it, but in the weeks of chaos, he had become quite wealthy, he wore a white T-shirt, that was still white, sure he wore a trench coat that was dirty, but his shirt was white. He had enough bleach to use for something other than sanitizing. Washing was now that was a waste of it. I filled my canteen, he didn't know that I was looking at him, but he was looking at me.
"Hey, how's it going?" I smiled at him, as I walked back. He mumbled something.
"There's a dead man walking." The commander chuckled.
"I have some good news, we made it to a Supply depot, so I can give you a humvee, a few more saws, and enough ammo, for a few months." I nodded to thank him. "I just need your thoughts, on a plan to take back the wind farm outside of town. No one came here expecting combat experience, and most of us, lack your level of expertise"
I glanced at Jeff. "Told you." I smirked. "Sure show me what you got, I think Street light would be good."
"So do I, please follow me." He lead us into the building, and into the sit room. "So here is the plan, we are going to push the cars out of the way, all the way down. We have some solid intel that suggests that there are hostiles, on these three points, so we have some lite armor tanks, we are going to move in first, and then move the secondary team in to take and repair the wind farm."
"Very good, you need to REMOVE the cars, and anything that large needs to moved and can be moved back in.."
"That is going to take a very long time." The commander said.
"yes, but three or four men, could move them back, and cut you off. How many man?"
"Fifty."
"That's not enough." I shook my head. "Not by a long shot, Give me my team, we could do it. But fifty men, and all the noise you're going to make, you will have no stealth."
"I can give you as many men as you think you'd need." The commander sugghjested.
I chuckled and shook my head. "I said I'd help you plan it. not do it. "What you really need is three times that much, not because you're going to need more than twice as many, but so you can crush their spirits. Take prisoners, hold a trial, and lock them up. Show that there is law again... That would make my job easier... How are the lines?"
"They are all intact." He said.
"before you bring the power back online, make sure you cut the lines that don't come back to town, and after town too!"
"That's kinda cold. Isn't it?" Jef asked stunned."
"No kid..." The commander said. "Before we can help everyone, we have to help oursleves." Jeff was put off by the answer.
"He is right Jeff." I sighed. "There are a lot of people that need help, but if we can't get water out of the ground, or have a way to cook them food, or heat or cool them, they'll all suffer." I turned back to the commander. "You better beilve that when Cheyenne lights up again, everyone who can see the glow at night is going to come here."
"Be prepared for more refugees." He commander nodded at me.
"Yes, but make security checks into the city, even if you don't do anything other than keep order it will make people think it's safe here. I'd make Cheyenne a handgun only city, right now, we don't need powerful weapons coming in."
"And the slavers?" The commander asked.
"As you said, he's a dead man walking." I pointed out. "Leave the sick bastards to me, and you can play president."
The commander nodded at me and pushed his PA. "Get the humvee ready." He said.
He turned to us. "And you two Marpons can playhouse." He smirked and stood.
He offered me his hand, I snuggled my fist into his jaw. "You may be the law now, I need your guns and food, and the temporary stability you're going to bring, but I don't need you!" I growled. "Get this straight, you're a small man, who could be a good one day. We don't have the time for you to grow up or play these games. I can find someone else to take your place if I needed it." I winced, I had spoken too much, I waited for him to size me up.
He rubbed his Jaw. "I understand. You know how to tell someone where they stand." He smirked. "Your humvee will be parked next to your truck."Thank you!" HE sighed. "That you." He said uncharcarestically sincere.
"For punching you?" I had thought of a few outcomes before I punched him, I knew that I would have to flex eventually. Admittedly, being thanked was bizzar.
"Every now and again, a reminder, that I am not God, helps." He touched what I thought was a cross under his shirt, there were next to his tags and a much nicer chain next to it on his neck.
I nodded at him, somehow, I felt that he'd get a few more reminders. It was also a hint, that for the time being, he knew he needed me.
He smiled at Jeff. "You probably, don't have any other clothes?" Jeff shook his head. "We don't have much that looks 'good', but we have the basics. Please follow me." We followed him, to a room full of people picking up clothes from rainbow piles. " Lieutenant." He ordered a man, standing next to the door."
"yes sir!" He said coming to attention.
"These two don't have any limits, they can take whatever they would like." The luteant look confused but confirmed his order. "Please show them out." He turned to us. "Untill next time." He smiled and walked away. I took a few shirts, and warmer looking hoodies, I insisted Jeff did the same.
We were shown the door, I looked at the truck there was a big Humvee with its turret gun mounted. It was crammed full of supplies, even the passenger seat looked full. " I guess this means you'er driving the truck back. We got to the humvee, the soldier standing next to it gave me the keys, and left.
"You have something that belongs to me..." A low smooth voice said, on the other side of humvee.
"Stay here!" I grunted at Jeff. I turned the corner of the Humvee, to see the Salver, leaning against my truck. "Get off the truck!" I barked at him.
"Who exactly are you?" He mused. "I know talent when I see it." He smirked. "So I am not going to ask who you think you are, your too damn good not to be someone, and that humvee is worth a fortune empty...."
"I am a man who is going to teach you some respect." I growled at him, I put my hand on my knife, on my belt, and took a step towards. him, he wasn't impressed, he should have. "What did I have that belonged to you?"
"The boy..." He smirked. "He's too old to be a pretty boy, doesn't look good for work either, but he was someone has a cage he'd fit it... Or I might keep him for myself..." He blew kisses at Jeff, who had peaked around the corner.
I slung my knife out of its sheif and down into his boot. He jumped and howled grabbing his knee. "I told you to get off my truck." I scowled at him. "Had you shown me respect, and gotten off my truck, I wouldn't have to have done that." I bent down and pulled my life out of his boot, drug the tip up to his groin. "And If I see you in this town again." I smirked at him, pressing the knife into his crotch. "Since you like little boys, I will get your 'customers' from you, take your manhood, and all of theirs too."
I smirked and dried my knife on his clean, white shirt. "Now leave, and you should get your foot looked at..."
He turned and hobbled off. "You have no clue who you are dealing with!" He shouted.
"Kate and I will be watching! That was your final warning shot."
I turned back to Jeff. "Are you ok?"
He ran to me and threw his arms around me. "That was so badass, so awesome of you." He said resting his head on my chest.
"Sir?" The soldier walked back.
"Now you show up." Jeff chuckled.
"I was ordered to not interfere, just making sure your alright." The soldier said, looking at the blood. on the ground.
"Thank you.you" I said. nodding to him,
He stood at attention an sluited me. "I had to take that uniform off." I held back a sigh.
He stood at ease. "Semper Fi, once a marine always a marine. The first member of my family not to be in the corps." He looked at the jets beyond the gate at the jets mounted to the ground. "Should have joined the mainres."
"You're a marine by blood." I sighed. "You chased your dreams..." I said looking at the jets over my shoulder. "...And served your country doing it."
"I like to think I am still serving." He corrected.
"You now serve at the pleasure of the commander." I pointed out.
He stepped in. "There are a few of us, that see the commander action's as good, but his motives are at best unclear."
"Then you serve the spirit of our country, that died before any of us were born."
"Then why did you join?" Jeff asked.
"It may be dead, but life is a soap opera." The lieutenant said. I chuckled. "Charters can be killed off, and then come back."
"You watched soap operas?" Jeff asked.
"You get time in front of a tv, you don't care what's on..." I chuckled. "When did you serve?"
"Krymmia just got home six months ago."
"102ND or 76th?" I asked.
"76th."
"I knew a few guys, in the 76th, Captain, Monore." I chuckled. "Did you ever try to drink him under the table?"
"I think everyone tried...." He chuckled.
"But the smart ones only tried once." I chuckled finishing for him.
"Kevins, report the ops." His radio ordered.
"Sir, and Jr." He nodded at us. "On my way." He answered.
I took my spare pistol out of its holster. "Have you shot one of these before?"
"No." He shook his head grabbing it.
I gripped it firmly. "Before I let it go, say thank you, and when I am ready to let it go, I'll say your welcome. Then and only then is it your gun."
"Thank you." He said.
I waited a bit, testing him. "Your welcome." He took the gun and held it down in front of him. "It's life, and the safety is off, you point only at what you want to shoot, and be prepared to it kill." He looked at me and gluped. "You don't have to kill it, but be prepared for it to happen regardless."
"Is it as simple as an aim point and pull?" He asked inspecting the gun.
"More or less, breath in aim, pull..., the person shooting at you, is aiming to kill, so you should too." I instructed, he gulped. "The gun is going to push back, 'recoil', don't try to stop it, as much as absorb it, breath out breat,h back in, aim pull."
"What if they aren't aiming to kill?" He gulped.
"You aim to kill, you don't want them to take you alive." I sighed, he gulped. "If they do, I will get you."
"Got it." He smiled.
"Ok, keep it under the hat in the middle seat, when we are driving, I am going to lead, give me four seconds of space, between us in the city, and about eight on the high way. Piece of cake?"
"Piece of cake!" He nodded.
We drove through the city, almost to the ramp to 80, something was different. I slowed down, something was wrong, the hairs on my neck stood. I Turned the Humvee sideways and stopped. I hopped out, made the kill sign, and he stopped his engine. "Grab your gun and come here!" I shouted slightly at him.
He got down and squatted over to me. "What's wrong?"
"There's a bench, two blocks down, that wasn't there on the way here." I took my rifle with the grenade launcher on it and handed it to him. "This has a bit more of kick." I chuckled. "You go from light arms to grenade launchers, grab the grip, pull it towards you, I am going to get up, in the turret."
"What am I aiming for?" He asked nervously.
"Straight down the road, about forty-five degrees up, then get in the humvee, and wait for me to finish shooting then book it for the highway..." I got up in the turret, and nodded at him, he aimed pumped the barrel, the grenade launcher thumped, he ran for the driver seat. the barrel of my gun, down range and waiting. A thud and a dash, a few blocks away.
"The fuck!" A guy shouted as he came running from a building.
"I don't want any trouble." I shouted. "We just need to get by, you can have the truck behind us."
"Come on guys! We got an Idiot out here with a shiny toy." He shouted behind him A mob yelled from behind him. He charged at us, taking a few potshots, his mob rounded the corner and caught up. There were about five of them, bullets tinked and whizzed off the armor of the humve. "Not yet kid!" I shouted. I aimed just in front of them, pulled the trigger, and made figure eights. The ground in front of them exploded, they charged into it, one, then a second guy fell. The three that were left, ran for cover. I stopped shooting. "Now would be good!" THe Humvee turned and sped past them.
"Fuck ya!" jeff shouted., as he got to the ramp.
"Just drive, celebrate at base!" I leaned down and shouted into the Humvee. We got to where the dirt road started. "We can't leave this here, but we can't kick up dirt," He stopped. "I am going to hop out ." I got out. "Just keep up with me." I said as I started walking, the Humvee, roared and shot ahead a few feet, and then stopped.
"Sorry." He sighed.
"I don't know, you just learned how to drive, been shot at, and fired your first grenade launcher, I say you're doing pretty good." I smiled at him.
"Yea that was so fucking awesome, I shot it...." He said with such excitement, I could barely understand him. "...And then there was a thud, and then it went bang a few blocks away. Then you just opened up, it was a literal bullet storm..."
"Easy now kid breath!" I chuckled, he was practically panting. "You did good today, but that was easy."
"I didn't notice the bench, but I see why it's so important to watch." We chatted, until we got back, to the gate. I unlocked it, and he parked the humvee behind the house, we started to unload it.
"We need to take inventory, food in the fridge or on the kitchen table, guns, and weapons in the living room, ammo on the table."