The Bloodless (21 page)

              “Fuck,” I said aloud. It was the worst I felt after such a successful mission. The odds were stacked against us and it really did seem like we took two steps back that day, despite what I told the rest of them. I was more upset over the research that was being done without my knowledge. I didn’t want to alarm the others but if I knew my company, and I did know them, then that wasn’t an isolated experiment.

              To me that place seemed like a training ground of sorts, a way for the personnel involved to try out their rudimentary first attempts. It was mainly used for analysis and most likely the final stages of the experiment were carried out in a different building. Whether it was a power station or not I didn’t know. But I did know that whatever they were developing in there, we were absolutely going to see it again. Whether it would be detrimental to our plight that much I did not know.

CHAPTER 11

Three’s a Crowd, Four’s a Party
 

              Suddenly I was awake, looking up at a tin ceiling. My heart sank as I realized I was back in my shitty reality, a bleak present that featured Crist’s noticeable absence. “Hadn’t had that dream in while,” I said aloud. I had revisited Crist’s death again, a bit of a recurring theme with my dreams, though as time passed the dreams became more infrequent.

              “Who you talkin’ to in there,” Burns’ voice barked through the walls.

              I sat up slowly, quite confused and not sure I had heard what I just heard. “Burns?”

              “Who tha hell else could it be?”

              I got out of bed, threw on some clothes and walked outside to an amazing sight. Everyone was gathered in front of my dwelling and I do mean everyone. Fox, Saturn, Crowder, Burns, Pillar, and even Buggs was loitering not too far off. “What the hell is going on?” I asked stunned. “I thought we were taking a few days to ourselves?”

              “Nah,” Burns said clapping a massive hand on my back, “we didn’t wanna wait that long. We figured you were right, man. We done good yesterday, we oughta keep that up, keep the momentum goin’.”

              “Yeah,” Saturn chimed in, “we took down two power stations, they’re bound to start looking for us now. Might was well get out in front of them, right?”

              I nodded. I didn’t have much to say to them because I was still in quite a bit of shock. I wasn’t expecting them to be back at all let alone the very next day. I was slightly perturbed as well because I really did have things that I needed to get done, some small errands, but their arrival obviously complicated things. They seemed eager to go, however, and I figured we might as well do this together.

              “Okay,” I finally said, “but we can’t just lay siege to the next power station right away. The proper scouting and planning has to be done. This is usually done by Fox and me which makes things easier, so not everybody is going to be able to participate in that aspect.” I looked at Fox expectantly, needing him to back me up.

              “Correct,” Fox said without hesitation, “we can still use more people. There are supplies and materials that we need to acquire and objectives that must be met before we commence our assault. Have a look,” Fox said as he loaded a map cartridge into his communicator and projected it for all to see. It was a large overview of the twenty-five mile radius immediately around us. “Over in this section of Wilsonville there is a large munitions bunker that I located just recently. I was not able to get into it therefore I do not have a good idea of what is left, if anything. Someone, or maybe a couple of you will have to go there and attempt to recover anything that has not already been scavenged.”

              “That sounds like me,” Saturn said at once.

              “I’m goin’ wit you,” Burns said.

              “That’s okay, I’ll do this by myself,” Saturn objected.

              “Nah you ain’t,” Burns replied. “You gonna need someone strong to help carry if you find anything big,” he winked at Saturn.

              “That’s a good idea,” I said. “Saturn, Burns is going with you.” She didn’t seem happy about it but she appeared to accept it.

              “Next,” Fox continued, “someone is going to have to scout patrol routes closer to the third station. This would be a job best suited for a single person as stealth will be your utmost priority. It is absolutely imperative that you are not found out, especially since the scout parties closer in are likely to be comprised of Hunters.” Fox pointed to a location on the map, “This road here will be an area of focus as it is a freeway and likely to contain the most patrol units.”

              “Any takers?” I asked when nobody volunteered right away.”

              “Um,” said Pillar, “this sounds like it’s right up Fox’s alley. Why isn’t he doing this one?”

              “Fox is needed elsewhere on this one,” I said before Fox could respond.

              “Me,” Buggs said nodding his head in my direction.

              “Good,” Fox said eyeing Pillar, I think, but I could never tell with that headgear always covering his face. “This next one is another tandem so I think Pillar and Crowder should handle this one.”

              “I ain’t agreeing to nothin’ before I know what I’m getting’ myself into,” Pillar said in her usual nasty tone.

              “This one isn’t anything uber dangerous, but it is strategically significant,” I said looking mostly at Crowder.

              “Precisely,” Fox said. “This task is also going to take a certain amount of precision. See these devices over here,” Fox indicated a crate full of objects that looked like rifle scopes except they had a lot more bells and whistles. “These will be the keys to our future successes,” he explained.

              “What are they?” asked Crowder crouching down next to the crate to get a better look.

              “These are our Quantum Matter Phazers,” Fox said picking one up. He pushed a couple buttons and it burst to life with lights and tones and everything else you’d expect a fancy looking device to emit. “These are going to do a lot of the work of cancelling out roving automated defense and security units. It is like an EMP and radar jammer condensed into one unit and it is much more concentrated. It does not have a large area of effect so it will not mess with our equipment.”

              “That’s awesome,” Crowder said picking one of the units up. “You’re gonna have to show me how to turn it on though.”

              “These are remote operated,” Fox informed him. “All you will have to do is place them in the predetermined locations and I will take care of the rest.”

              “Sounds easy enough,” Pillar said walking up to the crate to get a better look for herself. “So we just have to set these things up and that’s it? No unnecessary excursions into enemy units?”

              “You are going to want to keep an eye out for enemies and defense drones, but as far as deliberate direct contact with any Bloodless, no, that won’t be part of your objectives.”

              “I’m in,” Pillar said with what seemed to be just the tiniest hint of enthusiasm. I wrote it off as mental exhaustion however.

              “All right guys,” I addressed the group, “you know what our main objectives are going to be over the next few days. You don’t have to accomplish them right away, but make sure you’re all back here within a reasonable amount of time. Stay in touch as well. If you’re quiet for more than twenty-four hours, we will have to come looking for you. Now, let’s go over specifics” With that Fox and I went over each mission with the respective parties involved. After everyone received their instructions and dates they all set off in their different directions.

Chapter 11: Amendment A - Saturn & Burns
 

              Saturn and Burns is definitely one of the odder pairings the group had seen, but it was inevitable as Daniel emphasized synergy and for everyone to work with everyone. They had nothing in common, as one would expect of two personalities like theirs. But they still found a way to work together and work together well. They had a hell of a task ahead, unbeknownst to them, so teamwork was going to be key.

              “So basically what we have are instructions and what is essentially a due date?” Saturn asked Burns as they walked side by side down a road leading away from Daniel’s shack.

              “Appears so,” Burns responded.

              “Looks like we got us a long fuckin’ walk here,” Saturn said as she reviewed the map.

              “Yup,” Burns agreed, “Wilsonville ain’t close, that’s for sure.” Burns adjusted his gear bag and the large machine gun he had slung over his bag.

              “That’s a large gun, you gonna be able to carry it all the way,” Saturn teased him.

              ‘Yeah I got it,” Burns said, oblivious to the slight. “This gun’s lighter than it looks.”

              Saturn gave Burns a sideways glance and continued to walk next to him silently. For quite some time the two walked without speaking a word to each other, except for Burns who tried sporadically to strike up a conversation. Saturn shut him down each time with single syllable, monotone answers. She’s a tough nut to crack.

              “Come on girl,” Burns finally said in slight desperation. “You gotta gimme somethin’ here. We can’t just walk in silence this whole time.”

              “Maybe you can’t,” Saturn said quietly.

              “Fine,” Burns relented, “then Ima talk and you jus’ listen. You seem to be good at that.” When Saturn didn’t acknowledge his proposal, Burns went on talking, “I figure since Daniel thinks it a good idea for all us to work wit’ each other, we might as well get to know each other.”

              Saturn laughed, finally expressing a modicum of emotion. “You want to get to know me?” she asked scathingly. “Why?”

              “Well, it’s like I said, we gonna be workin’ together, so we gonna have to trust each other.”

              “Okay,” Saturn sighed, realizing this was a losing battle. “Tell me all about you,” she said sarcastically.

              “Happy to,” Burns said with a smile on his face.

              “Why are you in such a good mood?” Saturn asked before Burns could continue.

              “Huh? Oh, just happy to be alive is all,” Burns responded, his smile perpetuating.

              “How?” Saturn asked in disbelief. “How the hell can anyone be happy in this world right now?”

              “Because you’re alive,” Burns said enthusiastically.

              “Yeah, sometimes I think it would be better if I were dead. We’d all be better off dead at this point. I mean, what do we have to look forward to each day? Constant peril? The icy cold, decaying hand of Death constantly looming over our heads? The prospect of an extremely brutal and painful death? Yeah, those things fill me with unimpeded joy,” Saturn finished, once again sarcastically.

              “Yeah, but that shit ain’t happenin’, is it” Burns said. “You still here and if you as talented as your claims lead you to be then you ain’t goin’ nowhere. Especially if I have anything to do with it.”

              Saturn snorted, “Oh yeah? You’re gonna save me?”

              “No, I’m gonna protect you but if we get in a situation where I do hafta save you, I will dammit,” Burns wasn’t angry, but he did speak with a heated passion. “We all together in this, we need to watch each other’s backs. We savin’ the world here Saturn. Don’t you care about that?”

              “Of course I do,” Saturn retorted, growing a little angrier herself. “That’s about the only reason I’m out here, ya know? But it’s not like we’re fighting for much, at least I’m not. I don’t have anything left to fight for.”

              “Bullshit,” Burns said skeptically.

              “What, you think you know me?”

              “Nah, but you wouldn’t be fightin’ if you didn’t have nothin’ to fight for. Why you even out here if you got nothin’ you fightin’ for?”

              “What are YOU fighting for?”

              “My daughter,” Burns said simply.

              Saturn didn’t respond right away as the anger melted from her face. She didn’t expect an answer like that from a guy like Burns. At that moment, her exterior softened a bit as she felt a twinge of compassion for her companion. “Where is she?” she asked after a few moments of silence.

              “She’s with a nice family back in Jericho, safe, away from all this hell.” Burns’ face fell to a neutral expression, as if the memory of his sister took away some of his unrelenting positivity. The energy between the two shifted slightly to something more serious.             

              “How old is she?”

              “Seven,” a small grin formed on Burns’ face. “So she’s old enough to take care of herself, according to her anyway,” he chuckled. “She wanted to come with me but obviously I wasn’t ‘bout to let her, ain’t no way my baby comin’ out in this shit. We had a huge fight before I left and she was really mad at me, but I think she got over it by now.” He didn’t look convinced by his own words.

              “Hey,” Saturn said placing a hand on his elbow, “I’m sure she was just scared. I’m sure she misses you. If there’s one thing I know in this world, it’s that your family will always love you no matter what.”

              “Yeah, that’s true,” Burns said. It was odd to hear someone as ostensibly tough as Saturn to be talking so tenderly. It was a nice change, though it was exactly what he was trying to get out of her; an emotion he hadn’t seen her express before. They were quiet for a long time as they traveled, both thinking of their respective families.

              “I lost my family,” Saturn broke the silence.

              “Sorry to hear,” Burns said. “What happened?”

              “The Bloodless.”

              Burns nodded his head empathetically.

              “I don’t know,” Saturn whined, “I guess I am fighting for somethin’, but it just sounds so damn generic to say I’m fighting to avenge my family. I want what we’re doin’ to mean somethin’.”

              “It does mean somethin’,” Burns said. “We the only ones tryin to do somethin’ about this mess. We gonna be the ones who return the world to normal.”

              “Please, we aren’t the only ones tryin’ to do somethin’ about the Bloodless,” Saturn scoffed, “I don’t believe that for one second. I mean...”

              Burns stopped abruptly and Saturn instantly fell silent. A look of great alarm and concentration stole over Burns’ face, fear and the stale fall air extracting sweat droplets from his brow. Saturn looked confused but not for long as a guttural yell came from off in the distance. Unfortunately for them, Burns and Saturn were still on the main street, out in the open. There were no buildings along this stretch of the highway but it did wind its way through a moderately wooded forest.

              It was an oddity that stood out as the forest was imported to the give the landscape around Abiyah and accompanying towns some semblance of vegetative life. Most of the people in the area had moved from the Midwest and were accustomed to seeing trees. They had grown tired of constantly seeing dirt and rocks everywhere and decided they would pool their resources to bring the Midwest out to them. The forest was completely artificial, however, as that was the only way it would survive in the desert.

              Burns and Saturn ducked down and quickly darted across the tree line, providing themselves with minimal cover, just enough to hide them. Burns looked around, listening for any more sounds. Saturn slowly removed her rifle from her back and started piecing it together with parts from the satchel that was anchored to her hip. Burns motioned for her to stop but she simply mouthed, “Fuck that,” and kept assembling her weapon. After locking her scope on she popped a clip in and switched off the safety. Burns motioned for her to do a sweep towards the East and that he’d do one towards the West.

              After completing their sweeps they got real close to each other and started to whisper. “This ain’t fuckin’ good,” Burns said in a nearly inaudible voice.

              “You think it’s Bloodless,” Saturn whispered back.

              “Gotta be, ain’t nothin’ else in these parts. Daniel never said nothin’ ‘bout there being patrols all the way out here.”

              “It’s not like we’re very far from the compound’s outer perimeter,” Saturn said as she craned her head around to try and spot something. The air was thick with tension and their combined heavy breathing caused condensation to form on Saturn’s sunglasses. She slid them up and rested them on the top of her head. Burns stared at her. “What,” she said annoyed.

              “Nothin’, you jus’ got really pretty eyes is all,” Burns responded.

              “Now’s not the time for that,” she said, smiling in spite of herself. “Do we split up?”

              “Naw, that’d be suicide, we gonna have to work together on this one. Here’s what we do,” and Burns whispered even quieter into Saturn’s ear. She nodded her head in apparent agreement and the two set off deeper into the woods.

              It was a common forest made up of mostly deciduous trees. Maple, oak, and other similar trees stood tall over them, but not very thick. The undergrowth was thick but this proved to be loud and a hindrance on their movement. They had to slow way down and move much more deliberately. After a short amount of time they came to a sort of clearing that gave way to a section of pine trees.

              “I think they’re just on the other side of these trees,” Burns said sidling up to one of the massive, needled pines.

              Saturn simply nodded her response. She didn’t like being this close to the action and her eyes betrayed that fact, fear peeking out from behind her pupils. She is much more comfortable at a far, safe distance, picking off enemies one at a time, two if they lined up for her. Her heart raced as if trying to alert her to the imminent danger she was already well aware of. Burns, on the other hand, looked calm and collected, master of his emotions. He had always been very capable of keeping himself even keel in stressful situations; it’s what has helped him survive all this time.

              Suddenly Burns looked very confused. “What?” asked Saturn, noticing his face.

              “It just got really quiet,” Burns said. Indeed the air had suddenly become eerily still, the same kind of unnerving calm a trailer park may experience before a massive tornado rips through it. Then it was as if the Earth inhaled deeply all around them and the exhale came in the form of shouting and many bodies erupting from behind the pine trees. Guns were drawn, hammers locked, and multiple guns pointing straight into the faces of Burns and Saturn.

              “Who are you,” a voice bellowed out from the chaos. “Answer me!”

              “I ain’t tellin’ you shit! Who the fuck are you,” Burns retorted, much to the horror of Saturn who was visibly terrified, shaking, tears forming in her eyes.

              A man emerged from the crowd and stood right in front of Burns. “Answer me or I’ll fertilize these trees with your brains,” he snarled holding a gun up and jabbing the barrel in Burns’ face, right between his eyes.

              “Fuck you, Bloodless scum!”

              The man in front of Burns looked taken aback by being addressed so harshly. He was a rough looking man, many scars on his face, and a hardened pair of apple green eyes. He was short and stocky and wore what appeared to be a poorly home-made camouflage jumpsuit. “Lower your guns,” he commanded the men around him and at once they obeyed. Great waves of relief washed over Saturn.

              It was short lived however as the man then put his gun up to Saturn’s head. “I’m gonna ask you one more time,” he said threateningly, placing a finger on the trigger.

              “If you harm one hair on her head, I’ll tear your Bloodless ass limb from limb,” Burns snarled.

              “I am not a Bloodless,” the man shouted. This was usually a dead giveaway as the term “Bloodless” was used only among normal people as it was not known to the enemy, as far as they knew.

              “If you ain’t a Bloodless then get that fuckin’ gun out her face,” Burns said.

              The man obliged. “There,” he said holstering his pistol and motioning for his men to do the same. “Now, who are you two and what are you doing in this place?”

              “My name’s Burns and this here is Saturn, we were just passing through here on our way to Wilsonville. Who are you?”

              “Name’s Brantley and these are soldiers of the United States Marine Corps, Surviving Battalion 1155,” he motioned the men now grouped together and staring at Burns and Saturn. “What business do you have in Wilsonville?” Brantley asked.

              “Our own,” Burns said simply.

              “The armory is dry,” Brantley said, “we just came from there, it’s been raided.”