Wasteland Rules: Born to Fight (The World After Book 2) (6 page)

   “Very true sir. What did you really need from
me?” He dared to ask.

  The general chuckled. “Very astute son. I have a
very critical mission I need your team for. Completely off the books and the
fate of the country may depend on it.”

  Tom didn’t even hesitate. “Anything you need done
sir, we will get it done for you.”

  “I see your reputation is well earned, but this
one will test you. Do you remember Derek Storm?” The general asked.

   “The Major that blew up Savannah? Yes, I remember
him. We never served together since I was just entering the Army at the time he
was executed. What about him?” Tom replied.

   The general lowered his voice as if worried about
someone overhearing them. “He wasn’t executed. We executed someone else in his
place. He was supposed to be exiled, but General Merkel had him thrown out of a
helicopter.”

   “I don’t understand sir.” Tom replied, confused.

   “Someone in the government pulled strings to get
him set free. We couldn’t let people believe he assaulted a superior officer
and was a traitor and he was let to live, so we executed a convict that looked
like him. He was supposed to be dropped off outside the border, but General
Merkel couldn’t let it go and had him dropped off a helicopter. Somehow Storm
survived the fall and disappeared into the wasteland.” The general explained.

  “How did he survive the fall?”

   “We don’t know. He suddenly appeared a few days
ago allegedly in possession of a device we need to get our hands on. You need
to kill him and retrieve the device. We already sent three commando squads to
kill him and take the device but he singlehandedly killed all three squads.”

   Tom whistled. “Impressive. So you want my team to
track him down and get the device?”

   “That is correct. But you aren’t the only ones
after him. The Collective has sent someone after him and the Outfit had sent
men as well. It was part of their plot. He has evaded or killed everyone after
him so far. We think he is getting outside help but we cannot determine who.
Tell no one about the mission. Don’t even tell your team the details. This is
strictly need to know, and they don’t need to. Got it?” General Ross asked in a
serious tone.

   “Yes sir!” Tom barked instinctively.

  “Good. Storm was last spotted headed to NASA so head
in that direction. Commandeer a chopper to take you.”

  “Are those traitors helping him?” Tom demanded
angrily.

   “We don’t know. But don’t hesitate to hurt them
if you get an opportunity. You are totally weapons free on this mission, do
whatever it takes to succeed or don’t come back.”

   “Yes sir! We won’t fail you.” Tom assured him.

June 18, 2029

NASA Complex Cape Canaveral, FL

     Derek waited to board the helicopter that NASA
provided to take him down to the Everglades. Once he had agreed to help them
and released the incapacitated soldier, they had been more accommodating. He
had noticed they still kept armed guards around him at all times. They didn’t
even pretend it was for his own protection. Augie had informed him that he was
watching him at all times and wouldn’t hesitate to shoot him personally if he
thought Derek was a threat. Derek had shrugged; the threat of death was his
constant companion since being thrown out of the helicopter years ago.

   They had given him back almost all of his weapons
and gear, including the device. Rora apparently hadn’t told them what it was
and it looked just like an iPod so they probably assumed that’s what it was.
They had grilled him about the phone and earpiece but he had insisted it was
something he found and used for GPS. They couldn’t unlock the encryption so
they finally took his word for it. It must delete all records or maybe not even
store any records of calls since when they tried the call history it was blank.

   He had inspected all of his gear for bugs and
didn’t find any. But he was pretty sure they must have tagged him when he was
unconscious. The device would either cancel that out or he would have to dig it
out later. He wasn’t going to run off, but he didn’t want anyone tracking him.
So far there had been spies and traitors everywhere so he wasn’t going to take
any chances.

   Augie had filled him in on the mission. A team of
scientists had been down in the tip of the Everglades looking for a plant they
thought could be used as a cure for radiation poisoning. It involved some sort
of natural filtering process. The science didn’t matter to him, so he had tuned
that out. What was important is that they had strayed into Cartel territory and
had been captured. The Cartel had not made any ransom demands nor had they
responded to any communication attempts by NASA. They weren’t even sure if the
scientists were still alive.

   Derek suspected the whole interrogation had been
a setup to get him to rescue the scientists. The straps had been looser than
they should have been and the trade had been agreed to way too readily. The man
in the room with him had been a test. If he killed the man they would have
pulled the plug, literally. But once he showed mercy and honor they had forced
him into the mission in exchange for Rora’s shelter.

   Augie wanted the people back, but the scientist
had been more worried about their research samples and notes. So, Derek’s
mission was to go to the last place they had been known to be held and look for
them. He was to bring them back alive if possible, but retrieve the research at
any cost. Augie promised that if he completed the mission, they would bring him
in to their confidence and give him a place at NASA. Derek was intrigued by the
offer. It was certainly the best place he had seen so far, including anything
in the U.S.T.G. But he wasn’t sure he wanted to get tied down to anything.
Plus, there was the payoff from delivering the device. Performing other tasks
before delivery would create additional risk that someone else could grab the
device.

   He had promised the Doctor that he would take
Rora to NASA. Until they were willing to accept her he didn’t consider that
bargain fulfilled. He would complete this mission and then deliver the device.
Derek turned as he heard footsteps behind him. It was Augie with Rora by his
side. Derek noticed she had her gear with her.

   “You’re not going with me.” He informed her.

   “Why not? I’ve made it this far.” She demanded.

   “I promised your father I would get you here and
I did, he wanted you safe. I’m not going to risk your life after you are
already safe.”

   “They won’t let me stay unless you finish this
mission, so I have a vested interest in helping you. Besides we made a great
team at the prison.”

  The general raised his eyebrows but said nothing.
Derek hadn’t shared details of their trip and apparently neither had Rora. She
did make good points and she had proven valuable as she had grown during the
trip. Having another gun wouldn’t hurt. But having someone else to look out for
could slow him down.

   “What about your head? Don’t you have a
concussion?” he asked her.

   The general jumped in before she could answer.
“We gave her an MRI and other than some odd brain activity she is fine.”

   Rora made a quick grimace before regaining a more
neutral composure. “What kind of odd brain activity?” Derek asked.

   “She has almost one hundred percent of her brain
active at any given time. The average person has somewhere between twenty and
fifty percent active at any given time. The level of activity is remarkable but
not problematic in any way.” The general explained.

  Derek eyed Rora with great interest. The high
level of brain activity might explain all of her abilities; the total recall,
the ability to learn by watching, and her amazing aptitude for computers. But
it still didn’t explain how she knew some of the things she knew. This was a
piece of the puzzle, but there was something more there.

  “Can we go?” Rora asked anxiously.

  “Alright. Let’s go get this done so we can be
granted access to heaven here.” Derek said smartly.

  The general ignored the shot and simply replied.
“Good luck.”

   Rora and Derek climbed on board the helicopter
and the pilot fired up the engines. It was a Bell 206A Jetranger, which was a
fairly common commercial helicopter prior to the Collapse. It only carried four
passengers so it would be crowded on the return flight if they found the
missing scientists. They lifted off in a small cloud of dust, quickly leaving
the NASA complex behind.

   The Reapers had left shortly after their
inter-tribal brawl. With the food source gone and the truce ended, they
couldn’t maintain the blockade. That allowed for air travel again. He figured
the NASA folks would be grateful for him lifting the blockade, but they hadn’t
seemed all that impressed. He wondered if they hadn’t been using it for their
own purposes of keeping other people out and their own in.

The pilot gestured to the headphones hanging from
the roof and they both put them on. “I’m going to drop you off several miles
from a small Cartel processing facility and then take back off immediately.
Once you have the scientists or the research or hopefully both; call the number
the general programmed into your phone. I will return and pick you up. Okay?”
The pilot informed them.

  “Yeah, we got it. The chopper is too valuable to
risk by waiting.” Derek replied.

  “With your track record, I don’t blame them.” Rora
said jokingly.

   When Derek didn’t laugh she asked a question. “So
what is the story on the Cartel? Who are they and why did they take the
scientists?”

   “The Cartel is the largest drug syndicate in the
world. Apparently drug plants were immune to the plant virus. Figures, right? They
control southern Florida from Miami, parts of Mexico and Central America, and
pretty much all of the Caribbean. Their headquarters are on Cuba, in Havana. It
is the result of a vicious turf war fought by the surviving drug lords during
the Aftermath. They realized they were just going to wipe each other out and instead
merged their organizations. They rule their individual turf like feudal barons
from the Middle Ages. Their workers are virtual slaves toiling on large drug
plantations while they live like kings in huge mansions protected by their
soldiers.”

  “How did they gain control of so much territory?”
Rora inquired.

   “They already had their hooks into governments,
military, and police prior to the Collapse. The governments in this area were
already unstable dictatorships for the most part, crippled by poverty and
corruption. When everything fell apart the drug lords had organization, resources,
and guns which they could use to secure the loyalty of the military and police.
The failing governments made a deal with them to remain in power, but just like
any deal with the devil they ended up on the losing end. Once the Cartel
settled its own differences they rapidly overwhelmed the unstable governments
and installed themselves into power. Before the Collapse the U.S. would have
intervened, but they couldn’t since they didn’t exist anymore.”

  “So how do they maintain power if they are so
awful? Why don’t the people revolt?”

  “Why don’t any subject people rise up? They are
afraid. The Cartel is especially brutal in maintaining order. They publicly torture
people to death for any kind of insubordination or resistance. Their standard
method is stuffing a person inside old tires, dousing them in gasoline, and
setting them on fire.”

   Rora’s horrified expression said it all. She may
be a fast learner and the trip to NASA may have been enlightening, but she
hadn’t yet seen all the horrors this world had to offer. Drinkers might be
scary, but they were following their base instinct to feed. People could be so
much worse, and be much bigger monsters.

 “It’s probably why they grabbed the scientists.
They were worried that they were on some kind of sabotage mission. Although it
is unusual is they haven’t asked for ransom once they figured out who the
scientists were.” He continued.

   “Why else would they keep them?” Rora asked.

   “At least one of them is a botanist; maybe the
Cartel wants help growing their drug crops. And maybe our friends at NASA
haven’t told us the whole story.”

  “Ten minute warning.” The pilot interrupted them.

  Derek spent the next ten minutes getting Rora
ready for the drop. He briefly explained how to exit the chopper and seek
cover. He went over how to use the M-4 carbines they had liberated from the
commandos. She nodded along as he explained the safety and select fire
mechanism, how to aim, and how to reload. He knew with her memory that she
would retain everything he said and instinctively imitate him. Based on the
brain scan she had, he knew she was somehow special but he didn’t know how
special yet. At the very least she had an eidetic memory which allowed her to
retain everything she saw, heard, smelled, felt, or tasted and recall it later.

   “Make sure you keep your finger off the trigger
and alongside the receiver until you are absolutely sure you are going to fire.
Also, never aim a gun at someone unless you plan to shoot them and in this
environment don’t be afraid to do so. Our lives will depend on it.” He warned
her.

  “I got it. I won’t hold you back.” She promised.

   “You better not.” He said seriously, but with a
smile.