Chapter 3: "Down Time"

“My camera!” Yelled Aussie, inches away from the door of the Cadillac Escalade that his teammates and his self ride in. “What the hell are you doing!?” Screamed Lolita leaning out of the passenger window of the Cadi, providing cover fire for Aussie.

“Got it!” Said Aussie with relief in his voice before he turned around to a ‘Jumper’ Landing only meters from him. “Shit! Shit! Shit! SHIT!” He screamed repeatedly as he fled from his flesh hungry attacker.

“Get down!” Yelled a Maller. Aussie immediately hit the ground only seconds before the Maller sprayed the (possibly) former human to the ground. Aussie instinctively leapt through the open window of the Cadillac.

“Drive damn it! Drive!” He said as he pointed his assault rifle out of the window and began firing at the oncoming mass of creatures.

The Mallers quickly fled the scene and went back to their secure location where they had ‘silent but deadly’ traps setup to take care of any stragglers that would follow them.

“Lot’s clear, welcome home.” Said 1 of the Guardsmen who was overlooking the vehicle lot. The large group of vehicles flowed into the designated area of their territory that was essentially just a large flat solid square of land. Aussie’s teams vehicle was one of the last to pull in.

“Fuck I need a drink...” Said Aussie as he exited the not fully parked Cadillac.

“Ditto” Complimented Lolita.

Because of the early time that the Mallers attacked the suspected drug cartel associated group it was still early when they returned. Most people’s nerves were too shot for them to even consider trying to get more sleep. Echo and anyone else who was wounded were taken straight to the Medical Truck. Some headed straight to 1 of the supply depots for food or to get a drink to calm the nerves, some went to their own stashes. Others simply conversed and socialized about the rather...eventful morning.

“I heard Solanine didn’t make it back?” Said a Maller during a conversation that J-Pop non-purposely eavesdropped on.

“Yeah it was during the attack, got gunned down.” Someone replied.

J-Pop was leaning on a wall with 1 earbud in, listening to her music and half listening to the conversation when Scratch walked up to her and whispered “It’s not nice to listen in on conversations like that.” In her ear. This startled her but not significantly, Scratch grinned at her before walking away. Not even a minute later Lolita came and talked ti J-Pop.

“Well looks like Scratch has taking a liking to you. That’s either really, really good. Or very, very bad.” Lolita said with sarcasm. “Hey kid do you even know half of us?”

“Us as in the Mallers?” J-Pop replied.

“Well I’m not talking about the slaves.”

“Not really, I really just know the people who I’v known since you guys found me.”

“That’s a problem, so lets solve it.”

“Um...sure.” J-Pop hesitated to reply.

“Well 1st off who exactly do you know? You must know some of us you have been here for a while.”

“Other than you I know Scratch, Durai, Aussie, Reaper kind of I guess, Shadowsong, Tardust I think his name is, and that Echo guy.”

"Hey what happened to him anyway? I heard he got shot."

"Who Echo? Yeah but hes fine, hes in the medi-truck with anyone else who was injured."

"Whats a 'medi-truck'?"

"That big ass armored decked out freight truck with the First aid symbol painted on both sides. Your telling me you haven't seen it?"

"No...I'm pretty sure I'd remember seeing something like that."

"Actually it's not much of a surprise that you haven't seen it yet. we keep it under a tarp most of the time unless we're adding something else to the monster. And we rarely move it unless we're testing how our 'modifications' to it have effected it. *Sigh* come on kid I'll show you."

Lolit lead J-Pop to the more crowded part of the Mallers encampment. Lolita saw a women, a slave go into the building where Durai, Scratch, and the elites of the Mallers usually resided. "This little field trip is taking a detour kid, follow me thing are about to get...interesting.

The 2 walked into the building just as 2 of the guards were letting the slave women head up to see Durai. The 2 followed her up the stairs but they weren't trying to hid the fact that they were, although it was rather obvious that the women didn't notice them. The woman entered the room occupied by Reaper, Durai and 4 other Mallers. She bee lined for Durai and said "I'm tired of this shit!" before she could finish the sentence Reaper was pointing his handgun at her, execution style.

"Am I to assume that you are taking me up on my offer then?" Durai said with a cheeky grin on his face.

"Yes." Said the woman before turning around to Reaper giving her his sidearm.




To Be Continued...