Wasteland Rules: Die Fighting (The World After Book 4) (16 page)

   “Their vehicle is still here, so I’m pretty sure
they are too.” Pappy informed Devil and Grunk.

   “That means they are buried under the rubble then.”
Devil groaned. “Just great! We need to body so we can collect the bounty. You
two start digging.”

   That order was followed by complaining and arguing,
but Derek had tuned them out. He gestured for Sterling and Rora to get in
close.

   “We need to remove this fan.” Derek informed Sterling
and Rora quietly.

   “What’s your plan?” Rora replied in a whisper.

   “We remove the fan. Then I create a distraction
while you climb out and go steal a vehicle. Ours will be too high profile.”
Derek explained. “Once you have the vehicle start driving as close as you can
to us and honk the horn three times. Sterling and I will bust out shooting and
make a run for the vehicle. A pickup would be preferable because we can just
jump in the back. Make sense?”

   “What about the door?” Sterling whispered. “Isn’t
in blocked with rubble?”

   “Can we just blow it open?” Rora asked.

   “No the overpressure would blow out our eardrums
and maybe kill us.” Sterling explained softly.

   “I think I can force it open.” Derek responded
confidently. “Let’s get this off.”

   Sterling produced a multi-tool from a pocket and
Derek pulled his out. Together they removed the cover and carefully placed it
on the floor to avoid making any noise. Derek cut the wires to the fan; they
didn’t want the power suddenly popping back on and slicing off a hand. Then he began
gently but firmly pulling on the fan mounts. They were spot welded into place,
but he could feel them weakening. He had to time his pulls with noise that
Devil’s crew was making moving rubble so as not to alert them to their
location. Finally he pulled it loose and they placed it on the floor. There was
now enough room for Rora to fit, but the refrigeration unit was still in the
way.

   “Okay. You need to climb up and when I start with
the distraction, you kick out the refrigeration unit. Got it?”

   “I got it.” Rora agreed quietly. “What is the
distraction?”

   “I’m going to be me.” Derek said with a smirk.

   While Sterling helped her climb up, Derek walked
over to the freezer door. Putting his weight against it he shoved hard. The
door opened slightly and he could feel rubble shifting outside. He pushed again
harder and it opened further. He heard Grunk shout as the bounty hunter noticed
the noise and movement.

   “Very clever Derek.” Devil called a moment later.
“But now you are trapped.”

   “I’m coming out Devil.” Derek announced. “Let’s
make a deal.”

   “Sure thing Derek. “ Devil replied unconvincingly.

   Derek began pushing and pulling on the door to
create space to exit. The noise of the metal on metal was loud and the whole
freezer shook with his efforts. He gestured back at Rora and she kicked out the
refrigeration unit while he continued to create a racket with the door. She
disappeared and he worked the door a little longer to cover her escape. Once he
had enough space for himself and Sterling to get out he stopped. No need to
give Devil and her crew a target too early.

   “Let my friends go and I will come out peacefully.”
Derek offered.

   “You have my word.” Devil agreed.

   “Yeah, and I know what that’s worth.” Derek
muttered to himself.

   “Throw your guns out Derek.” Grunk ordered. “And
then come out slow.”

   “How do I know Pappy won’t shoot me?” Derek asked
loudly.

   “I promise I won’t Derek.” Pappy said with
exasperation.

   “Grenade.” Derek whispered to Sterling as he held
out his left hand.

   Sterling placed a grenade in Derek hand. Derek drew
out the cut down shotgun and made sure the safety was off. He also checked to
make sure a round was chambered and they were ready to roll.

   “Follow me out, but don’t waste time shooting. Just
keep your head down and run for our ride.” Derek directed Sterling.

   “Are you coming out or not?” Devil said
impatiently.

   A car horn sounded three times and Derek pulled the
pin on the grenade. He waited three seconds and then tossed it out towards
where he thought Devil was standing. He heard Grunk scream “Grenade!” and he
charged out of the freezer. Sterling followed him out into the ruined grocery
store. The store had collapsed from the blast and the outer walls were damaged,
but the adjacent stores were still intact. A large gap between the buildings
existed in the back and Derek hoped Rora would be there soon with their ride.

   Devil, Grunk, and Pappy were all diving for cover
as the grenade exploded. They recovered quickly and moved to kneeling positions
to open fire on the fleeing Derek and Sterling. Derek had drawn his pistol as
soon as he threw the grenade and fired at them with both the shotgun and the
pistol as he ran. He focused his fire on Pappy first since he was the best
shot. The older man was hit with three pistol rounds and a cloud of shotgun
pellets. He tumbled over backwards, his face a bloody mess. Derek then shifted
his fire to Grunk and exchanged fire with the brash bounty hunter.

   The bounty hunter’s armor absorbed the pellets and
pistol rounds but it staggered him. He regained his balance and advanced
forward firing and pumping his heavy shotgun. The shotgun blasts were deafening
in the enclosed space. Derek kept running keeping Sterling in front of him. He
felt the pellets strike him in the back and the back of his legs causing him to
stumble. Bullets zipped all around them from Devil’s gun and he felt a few hit
him. But he ignored the pain and kept moving.

   A beat up old pickup truck zoomed into view and
slowed as they reached the loading dock. Sterling leapt into the rusty bed of
the truck and Derek followed him. As soon as they hit the bed, Rora slammed
down on the accelerator and the truck lurched forward. Devil and Grunk followed
them to the edge of the loading dock and fired after them. Derek and Sterling
stayed down as bullets and pellets ricocheted off the truck’s frame. The raider
vehicle must have had solid rubber tires because none of them blew under the
hail of gunfire.

   The two bounty hunters fired at them until the
pickup was out of range. Derek could hear their screams of rage and frustration
as the pickup raced away. Derek sat up and checked himself for any serious
wounds. He didn’t find any and then he checked on Sterling. Miraculously the
hacker hadn’t been hit at all and gave him a relieved thumbs up. When they were
far enough outside the freehold, Derek banged on the rooftop to get Rora to
stop.

   “Great job!” He told her enthusiastically. “Now
take us back in.”

   “What?” Both Rora and Sterling screamed at him.

   “We need to get our vehicle and gear back. Plus
it’s the last thing they’ll expect.” Derek explained.

   “You are seriously insane!” Sterling told him
irately.

   “That’s true. But it works for me.” Derek replied
with a laugh.

   “I can’t argue with that.” Rora added.

   “What is your plan?” Sterling asked sourly.

   “We drive straight at the RV and try to take it.”
Derek said with a grin. “It would be a very nice upgrade.”

   “What if they are waiting for us?” Sterling asked
irritably.  

   “How could they possibly know we are coming back?”
Derek replied. “We will circle around the freehold and come in from the
opposite side.”

   “That makes sense, but how did they know we were
there in the first place?” Rora wondered.

   “What do you mean?” Derek asked, confused.

   “How did they find us in a no name freehold in the
middle of nowhere so quickly?” Rora explained. “They would have had to have
been close to get there that quickly, and there is no way it was a
coincidence.”

   “Good point.” Sterling agreed.

   “Voice.” Derek said soberly. “Any thoughts on how
they found us?”

   “I am not detecting any electronic signals that
would give you away Major.” The Voice informed them. “But there is one
possibility even if it is slim.”

   “What’s that?” Derek asked touchily.

   “Major, run a hundred yards from the pickup. I need
to see something.” The Voice ordered.

   “Seriously?” Derek asked, annoyed.

   “Yes Major. Seriously.” The Voice responded calmly.

   Derek complied and jogged about a hundred yards
away. “Well?” He asked.

   “As I feared, you have one; no…THREE satellites
tasked to you personally.” The Voice told them.

   “Three satellites on Derek personally?” Sterling remarked
in surprise.

   “Yes. They may not be able to pinpoint your
location inside a building, but together they can keep watch until they see you
leave and then follow. Switching vehicles or using multiple vehicles won’t help
because they can split up to track multiple vehicles until they reacquire you.”
The Voice clarified. “And I cannot gain control of them, they are a closed
system.”

   “So how do we get rid of them?” Rora asked.

   “We can’t get rid of them permanently.” The Voice
explained. “But I might be able to disable them for a short period of time,
long enough for you to lose them for a while.”

   “How?” Rora pressed.

   “I can take control of nearby space junk and crash
it into the satellites.” The Voice told them coolly. “Even if I don’t cause too
much damage it will knock them off station and they will lose visual on you.”

   “Great!” Derek said cheerfully. “Do that, and once
you do we go back into town. We need to take that RV.”

   “You are going to get us all killed.” Sterling
muttered under his breath.

   Derek merely smiled and began reloading the shotgun
after popping a new clip into his pistol. They waited impatiently while the
Voice attempted to take out the satellites spying on them. Rora fidgeted in her
seat, Sterling stared at Derek, and Derek checked all of his weapons again.
Rule #28, always make sure your weapons are clean and cleared.

   “It worked.” The Voice informed them a minute
later. “You should have about four hours before they come back on line. You
need to be long gone by then.”

   “What about Devil and her crew?” Derek asked the
Voice.

   “The RV is still in town, but it just started to
move.” The Voice replied. “It looks like they are headed right for you.”

   “Perfect.” Derek said slyly. “Let’s circle around
and ambush them.”

   Rora threw the pickup into drive and headed back
towards the freehold. Sterling shook his head as they drove towards the
freehold. Derek stood and held onto the pickup’s roll bar, looking ahead in
anticipation. He was looking forward to some payback on Devil and Grunk.

Burwell Freehold, Nebraska

September 14, 2029

   The bounty hunter known as Devil cursed and threw
her headset across the RV cabin in a fit of rage. Her contact had just informed
her the satellites tracking Derek had just gone offline. Something about a
random collision with space junk. Of course, there was no way that all three
satellites could have been hit simultaneously by space junk. Somehow Derek had
managed to disable them, at least temporarily. The guy had always been lucky.

   “Spuds! Head towards the last location we had them.
That piece of garbage pickup won’t get them far.” Devil ordered.

   “What’s the plan?” Grunk demanded. “I want payback
for Pappy!”

   “And we’ll get it.” Devil reassured him. “Get up
and man the front machine gun. Shoot anything that moves.”

   “I like that plan.” Grunk agreed with a nasty
smile.

   He climbed up top and Devil turned to look at
Pappy’s body. Pappy lay there on one of the beds, blood all over the sheets. Derek
had practically blown the older man’s head off. There was nothing Devil could
have done for him. He was dead the second Derek exited that freezer. She choked
back her tears, it wasn’t professional. Emotions got you killed. Pappy had
taught her that.

   He might have been a mean drunk, but he was like a
father to her. Devil had been orphaned during the Aftermath and had grown up in
a government orphanage. Pappy never had children and he had treated her like
the daughter he never had. When she had been exiled from the U.S.T.G. he was
the first one to help her. He had been a mentor and a good friend. He was also
an integral part of her team, and they would definitely be at a disadvantage
without him.

   When her contact had called her and explained the
bounty, Devil had been ecstatic. She could make Derek pay when they caught him
and also get paid for doing it. He owed her for numerous insults and injuries
over the years. Leaving her tied to the bed naked had only been one of them. Her
crew had been equally excited about payback and the money; it was more than a
job for them, it was personal. That’s why she had started the fight in the
saloon rather than just having Pappy kill him when they left.

   The contact had provided them a GPS device that led
them straight to Derek. Catching up with him in a remote freehold had been a
stroke of luck. Derek was unlikely to be expecting an ambush in such an out of
the way place. And he had been surprised to see her. But it had all gone wrong
after that.

   They had trapped him in the saloon and Grunk was
supposed to flush him and his comrades out with the explosives. But in typical Grunk
fashion he had overdone it. She should have known; Grunk was a giant man child.
He was dirty in every sense of the word, but he still fashioned himself a
ladies man. It was something that got him into a lot of bar fights. He was also
fearless and loved a good scrap.Grunk also had a bad habit of doing everything
in excess, so she should have known he would use too much explosive.

   But the big goon had become like an older brother
to her so she was inclined to forgive him. Grunk was very protective of her
despite the fact that she could handle herself. He also treated Spuds like his
younger brother and even deferred respectfully to Pappy. The four of them had
become like family and it was them against the world. Pappy’s loss was a big
blow to all of them.

   Pappy had come down to help them check out the
rubble and Derek had killed him when he escaped. That man was too clever for
his own good; using the freezer for a shelter had been a stroke of genius. That
was one of the things she had liked about him. She had been attracted to more
than his brawn and lovemaking ability. He was also very intelligent and they
had had great conversations. She might even have been falling in love with him.
But he had betrayed her and broken her heart. Now all they shared was a lust
for battle. She should have known better, and now Pappy was dead.

   Her reflecting was interrupted by a yell from Grunk.
“In back of us!” He called frantically.

   Looking out the back of the RV she saw the pickup
gaining on them quickly, Derek holding tight to the roll bar and smiling. The
RV was heavily armored and that slowed it down allowing the pickup to close
quickly. There was a firing slot in the rear window, but her gun was for close
range not vehicle combat. Grunk’s field of fire wouldn’t allow him to hit the
incoming truck. She needed to man the heavy gun up top, and scrambled for the
turret as the pickup came closer.

   They had taken the RV from a family of grifters
during one of their jobs. Grunk had added armor and Spuds had souped up the
engine. Using his old contacts in the Brotherhood of Justice, Pappy had gotten
them the two heavy machine guns. Spuds had rigged up a nice turret and swivel
mount setup to give a good range of fire. He also converted one of the
bathrooms into a small holding cell for the rare bounties they brought back
alive.

   Riding around in style while hunting bounties made
her job even more enjoyable. But now the RV was working against them. Derek had
cleverly circled around and approached from the rear. He definitely knew they
couldn’t see his location any more. He might have circled back even if he
hadn’t known, but he wouldn’t have looked so confident. Or maybe he would have.
He was an arrogant jerk most of the time, especially when it came to his combat
prowess.

   By the time she got up top, the pickup was inside
their range of fire and pulling alongside the RV. She watched in disbelief as
Derek jumped from the truck bed onto the side of the RV. He flipped himself up
onto the roof before she could get her submachine gun out. Derek landed like a
cat on the roof of the moving RV and swiftly lunged towards her. Devil dropped
down into the RV cabin and screamed for Spuds to stop the vehicle.

   She tore her jacket off, pulled out her gun, and
got back up on top in time to see Grunk swing his machine gun towards the
onrushing Derek. Their former comrade lashed out with a foot and kicked the end
of the barrel of the machine gun, sending it backwards into Grunk’s face. He
dropped back into the cabin with a shattered nose.

   Roaring with rage Devil tried to shoot Derek, but
he spun around and grabbed her by the wrist holding her gun. He dragged her out
of the turret and tore the gun free from her hand, snapping the sling like it
was a piece of string. Tossing it over the side he smiled infuriatingly. Only
the sudden stop of the RV saved Devil. Derek stumbled and she kicked free of
him. She pulled out the two punch daggers she kept sheathed on the back of her
belt and they faced each other across the top of the RV.

   “Just like old times, hunh?” Derek said
sarcastically with a wink.

   Devil didn’t reply, she simply launched herself
across the roof with the blades slashing. Derek bobbed and weaved, moving
backwards and avoiding her whirling blades. Then, quick as a snake he lunged
forward and caught both of her wrists. He pulled her close and then smiled.

   “I missed this.” He told her mockingly.

   She responded with a knee to the groin which
staggered him. As he groaned she launched a vicious kick at his face. Despite
being in great pain he caught her foot and stopped the kick with the stiletto
heel of her boot only inches from his face. Without missing a beat she rotated
around the held foot and launched a kick with her other leg. Her former lover
simply tossed her backwards and avoided it.

  She crashed hard onto the roof. The impact sent
jolts of pain throughout her body and knocked the breath out of her. It also
caused her to lose her grip on her daggers. They clattered off the side of the
RV and onto the street. She was now weaponless and exposed. Derek was looming
over her with a grim look on his face and she knew his “rules” would require
him to kill her.

   The situation was not looking good when Grunk
suddenly popped up through the turret and pulled Derek’s feet out from under
him. Derek fell hard on the roof and tumbled off. Grunk grinned and jumped down
after him. She knew they had unfinished business, but Grunk should have just
shot him. Snarling, she dropped down after them.

   Grunk and Derek faced each other on the abandoned
street. Everyone from the freehold was either dead or had fled. Only Derek’s
comrades, the girl and the slim guy, were witnesses along with Devil to what
happened next. Grunk was a big guy, slightly larger than Derek, and he was a
veteran of countless brawls. He had come out the winner in every previous fight
except for when he fought Derek, which had essentially been a draw. But not
this time.

   It happened so fast that Devil wasn’t even sure
what happened. One minute they were facing each other and circling. The next
Derek was astride Grunk smashing his face in and there was nothing she could
do. She had heard Derek had some enhancements, but his speed and strength were
incredible. He battered Grunk to the ground with vicious punches in seconds and
then continued to beat on him screaming furiously. Grunk flopped about limply
as Derek rained down crushing blows to his face. Blood splattered as Grunk’s
face was smashed to a pulp. Derek must have been holding back the previous time
the two fought.

   As Derek smashed Grunk’s face in, Devil realized
she needed to get a weapon to have any chance of stopping Derek from killing Grunk.
So she turned towards the RV door. The door popped open as she turned to reveal
Spuds with his M4 carbine exiting the RV. He had a determined look on his face
and she knew he was coming to Grunk’s defense, even though he was a terrible
shot.

   Everything that happened next seemed to happen in
slow motion. She started to scream for Spuds to stop, but he didn’t seem to
hear her. Derek somehow realized Spuds was coming and in one fluid motion he
snapped Grunk’s neck, rose to his feet, and drew the shotgun from the sheath on
his back. It came forward in a blur and she could see the blast from the
shotgun barrel as he fired. The flame from the blast blossomed outward slowly
and she imagined she could see the cloud of pellets flying towards Spuds. Spuds
didn’t even have his carbine up when Derek fired. His speed and reaction time
were unbelievable.

   His aim was even more amazing. Moving and hurried,
Derek still managed to shoot Spuds in the face. Spuds wore body armor that
would have protected him elsewhere, but his face was unprotected. The pellets
struck him at neck level. Red mist sprayed and he soundlessly toppled back into
the RV. Derek had just killed her entire crew and family like it was nothing.
She froze, barely able to think.

   It hadn’t been a fair fight in any sense of the
word. Derek was too powerful, there was no way they could have won. The only
hope she had was to escape and get pumped up like Derek was. Whatever he had
taken or had done to him, she wanted it. She wanted revenge. That was her last
thought before Derek’s fist slammed into her jaw and everything went black.