Wasteland Rules: A New Dawn (The World After Book 3) (11 page)

  The big sergeant broke the engagement and stumbled backwards.
He was breathing heavily and his eyes were wild with anger and frustration. He
growled as he looked at Storm. Sweat poured off of his body and his pants were
soaked. Everyone held their breath as the two combatants eyed each other and
began to circle before crashing together again with a thunderous roar.

   Storm, who didn’t even seem to have broken a sweat, took
advantage of Zach’s exhaustion to open a myriad of small cuts all over Zach’s
arms and torso. The blood trickling out slowly was starting to have an effect
on the big man. Tom could see that Zach was visibly tiring and Storm’s strikes
were starting to get through more often. Sadly it looked like this wouldn’t
last much longer. He nodded to Jamal and they both raised their weapons. Sasha
had managed to sneak into the shadows opposite them and she readied herself to
strike as well.

   Then suddenly the brutal fight was over. Zach stabbed
wildly in a final desperate move at Storm, who evaded the blow and slipped
behind the bleeding Red Beret. He slashed the back of the big man’s leg,
hamstringing him and forcing him to drop to a knee. Then he stripped the
pitchfork from Zach’s hands and put an arm around his neck. Storm put the
machete to his throat and held him in place. The big man struggled briefly, but
he was too weak and Storm too strong. The blade nicked his throat and blood
began to trickle down.

   “Drop your weapons or I kill him.” Storm demanded.

   “There is no way we let you out of here alive.” Tom
snapped back.

   “Let’s talk about that, I have information you want.”
Storm offered. “Maybe we can make a deal?”

   “Unless you can hand the hacker over to us, we have
nothing to discuss.” Tom offered coldly.

   “So you aren’t here for me?” Storm asked in confusion.

   “Arrogant much, Storm?” Tom replied caustically. “You
aren’t the sole focus of our lives.”

   “Could have fooled me.” Storm said sarcastically. “The
way your man here charged in blindly I’m pretty sure I’m all he was focused on.
Now drop your weapons or I kill him! Last warning.”

   Jamal looked at Tom questioningly. Zach wasn’t
irreplaceable, but Tom didn’t want to lose any more men to this man. It might
totally destroy morale. So he dropped his rifle and gestured at the master
sergeant to the same. Jamal reluctantly placed his rifle on the dirt floor of
the barn.

   “The girl behind me too.” Storm ordered without a glance
backward.

   Sasha snarled, but placed her carbine on the ground. She
had obviously thought she had been stealthy enough that Storm hadn’t noticed
her. The man was good, and it was infuriating. Tom did notice her slowly and
stealthily drawing her knife. Maybe she could take him when Storm released
Zach.

   Storm shook his head and smiled slightly. “Rule #21,
never give up your weapon.”

   As he finished speaking he slit Zach’s throat and shoved
the big man into Tom’s arms. Stunned, Tom froze as the big man collapsed onto
him. Blood from Zach’s throat spilled onto him as the man died in his arms.
Storm had no honor, but they should have known better. The man was nothing but
a relentless, remorseless killing machine.

   Jamal screamed in anger and reached for his rifle and
Sasha launched herself at Storm from behind. After he slit Zach’s throat the
traitor dropped his machete, then spun and caught Sasha as she came at him.
Turning, he threw her bodily at the master sergeant. Both of them went down in
a tangled heap and looked stunned. As Tom unfroze and reached for his rifle
Storm caught him with an elbow to the face that rocked him even through the
helmet. The blow made him see stars and he collapsed backwards.

   Through his blurred vision he could see Storm pick up the
machete and sheath it and then move towards Zach’s heavy weapon. He was
helpless to do anything and it looked like Jamal and Sasha were down also. All
Storm had to do was pick up the gun and shoot Tom, and there was nothing he
could do to stop the traitor from finishing him.

   But then, alerted by the screams, Smith and Wu rushed
into the barn. They were breaking orders to stay outside in containment, but
Tom was grateful they had just saved his life. Storm saw them and reacted
immediately. He stopped and snatched up the discarded pitchfork and hurled it
at Smith. The farming implement caught the young private from Ohio in the
throat and he collapsed to the floor. Wu hesitated and Storm was on him in that
instant.

   He batted the communications specialist’s weapon aside as
he drew that deadly machete. Storm shoved it under the left armpit where the
armor didn’t cover and into Wu’s heart. Tom watched more of his men die in
helpless horror. He tried to grab his rifle, but was too dizzy and fell. He
scrabbled uselessly on the dirt floor as he tried to reach his weapon.

   Storm gave him a brief glance, but apparently decided he didn’t
have time to finish them off. Using Wu’s body as a shield he charged out of the
barn. Tom crawled towards the entrance, desperate to see what was happening to
his troops. He could hear a heavy exchange of gunfire and screaming. He finally
managed to collect his weapon and staggered to the barn doors. As he exited,
the gunfire and screaming stopped and silence fell.

   He was stunned and horrified by the scene outside.
Valderra lay on the ground, his visor starred and scorched. Roberts was bent
over him checking on him, but Templeton and Saad were nowhere to be seen. Wu’s
crumpled body lay nearby, his armor riddled with bullet holes from the other
Red Berets’ fire. A trail of blood led back into the village.

   “What happened?” He demanded groggily from the private.

   “PFCs Wu and Smith charged in against orders when they
heard the screaming. We tried to stop them, but they didn’t listen.” Roberts
reported. “Then Storm came rushing out and we opened fire. We lit him up, but
he had Wu in front of him as a shield. Sir, we didn’t know he had Wu.”

   “He was already dead.” Tom said sadly. “What happened
next?”

   “Storm threw Wu’s body onto Templeton and then shot
Sergeant Valderra in the face with his sawed off at close range. He’s alive,
but the shock of the blast at that range knocked him out.” Roberts continued.
“Then Storm was gone. It all happened so fast.”

   Tom ignored the fact that the girl had not followed
Storm, because he couldn’t really blame her. The man was downright scary. He
had again killed multiple Red Berets in close combat, and not just any Red
Berets; members of the elite Zeta Force. He steeled himself and started to
follow the blood trail, when a thought hit him.

  “Where is the LT?” Tom asked.

  “He chased after Storm; I’m not sure where he is.”

  Tom cursed and took off at a full run along the blood
trail. Templeton was on his own against Storm and he had no idea what he was up
against. It was probably suicide to go after Storm, but he had no choice. If he
didn’t chase after Storm, Tom would be court martialed. It was probably going
to happen anyway, but he could at least get some credit for not giving up the
chase.

   “Saad, where are you?” He called into his helmet mike.

   There was no response. Then he realized that Wu had been
carrying the team’s communication gear. It housed the transmitter for their
local communications. The transmitter had been shot to pieces when Storm used
Wu as a shield. He had no way to communicate with the surviving members of his
team or call for backup. Tom burst out into the open between the houses and
stopped short in surprise at the sight before him.

   Templeton and Storm were engaged in hand to hand combat
in middle of what had once been the cul de sac’s street. Templeton had his own
machete and was matching Storm blow for blow. The lieutenant’s weapon lay near
the corner of the house and it was apparent that Storm had ambushed him as he
came by and disarmed him. But Templeton had drawn his own machete and the two
were now going at it hardcore. Tom was impressed and surprised that the
lieutenant was holding his own, as far as he was aware the man had no special
training or abilities like Storm.

   Then he noticed that Templeton’s armor looked slightly
different than his. It had the same color scheme and similar design, but it was
slightly bulkier and was flexing differently as the lieutenant moved. It didn’t
seem to be slowing him down as much as it would have Tom or the others.  As he
watched, the two battled furiously but neither could gain an advantage. Blades
sparked as they clashed and their movements became a blur as they moved faster
and faster, reaching an almost impossible speed. The effect was almost hypnotic
and Tom stood there for a minute before realizing he could just shoot Storm.

   As he raised his weapon a cloud of dust suddenly swirled
all around the two warriors. The transport chopper descended out of the sky
like a mama bird coming for her young. Tom switched his target to the chopper
but came under heavy fire from the soldiers in the open door. His armor could
absorb the damage, but the repeated impacts knocked him down. He could only
watch helplessly as the traitor grabbed hold of a rope and was carried away to
safety.

   He watched the chopper fly away as he ground his teeth in
frustration. That bastard had gotten away again! And this time he had killed a
lot more of Tom’s men. This would probably not go well for him when they
returned to command. Although it might be awhile before they got back since the
communications gear was destroyed.

   When the dust cleared he took Templeton his weapon and
asked him. “What just happened?”

   “He got away sir. He ambushed me from behind the house
and forced me to fight him hand to hand. Then that chopper swooped in and got
him.” Templeton replied matter of factly.

   “Not that. I saw that happen.” Tom snapped. “How were you
able to go toe to toe with him?”

   “Oh, that.” The lieutenant said cautiously. “This is
experimental armor that is supposed to enhance your strength and speed. I guess
it works huh?”

   “And no one thought to tell me about it? Shouldn’t I know
all the capabilities of my team?” Tom asked caustically.

   “It was need to know. They wanted me to test it out and
report back. You’ll have to take it up with General Ross if you have a problem
with not being told.” Templeton said with a shrug. “At least we know it works,
right?”

   Tom didn’t answer. The implication from him not being
told about the armor was that command didn’t fully trust him. The conversation
when they got back was going to be interesting. But first he needed to gather
the remnants of his team and recover their dead. The others weren’t going to be
happy when they realized the cost of the battle and that Storm had still
escaped.

September 4, 2029

Near Lamar, Colorado

   Derek climbed on board the helicopter as it soared away
from the village. He collapsed onto the floor of the chopper as one of the
soldiers slid the door shut. He was actually exhausted for the first time in a
very long time. The fight with the black soldier in the barn hadn’t been too
bad; but the fight with the guy who had what appeared to be powered armor had
been draining. If the chopper hadn’t appeared to haul him out, it’s possible
the Red Beret could have stopped him.

   “Thanks for coming back to pick me up.” Derek wheezed.

   “It took some convincing…” Rora informed him with a look
at the soldiers.

   They refused to make eye contact and pretended to be busy
with their gear. Derek wasn’t surprised. They had been under attack from an
overwhelmingly superior force and they were happy to get out alive. The last
thing they wanted to do was go back in to rescue a man who wasn’t one of them.
He understood; they were just following Rule #23, don’t look for trouble.

   “How do you think they found us?” Rora continued.

   “Believe it or not, I don’t think they were there for
us.” Derek told her. “They asked me ‘where the hacker was’, and I don’t think
they meant you.”

   “Who or what is the hacker?” Rora replied with confusion.

   “I have no idea, but it sounds like someone else is
looking for the ARK also. Otherwise, why would they be in the village? But who
else could have known about the secret lab?” Derek asked.

   “Well, if one of my father’s partners was Faceless, then
anyone could know.” Rora said slowly. “We still don’t know who they work for.”

   “Maybe we can find some answers in Vegas, but I’m not
looking forward to being chased halfway across the country again.” Derek
stated.

   “I hear that.” Rora agreed emphatically.

   They spent the rest of the flight to Vegas in
contemplative silence; with Derek sleeping and Rora working on a tablet
computer she had borrowed from the Society. She spent the remainder of the
flight reviewing everything she had downloaded from her father’s servers. It
was very high level and cutting edge research. Freed from budget constraints,
oversight, and morals or ethics; her father and his team had made impressive
leaps in the field of genetics. Some of the research bordered on crazy,
including creating new animals. But, if new herd animals could be introduced
that were better suited to the new environments, it would mean a huge leap
forward for the planet.

    She put the tablet away when she heard the pilot
negotiating with the airport in Vegas for landing privileges. The sun had begun
to fade as they approached and she was astonished by the spectacle that
suddenly appeared in the desert in front of them. The darkening wastes gave way
to brilliantly gleaming stretch of bright neon lights and towering edifices
replicating various international landmarks. Despite the gaudiness it had its
own beauty, and shone like a beacon over the wastes.

   “Impressive isn’t it?” Derek asked over her shoulder.

   “Was it always like this?” She asked in wonder.

   “The Strip was always like this, going back to the
seventies. But there was once a much larger city surrounding it. Suburbs
sprawled out into the reclaimed desert. Lawns were kept green by wasteful
amounts of water. People traveled from all over the world to gamble, party, and
participate in wild debauchery. Las Vegas truly earned the nickname Sin City.
They even had a slogan, ‘What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas’.” Derek told
her. “Although that part hasn’t changed, there is always a market for sin.”

   “What happened?”

   “The changes in climate caused by the Aftermath dried up
much of the suburbs. Already mostly abandoned during the Collapse, the suburbs
no longer had the water they needed to keep the greens lawn. The desert,
whipped up by strong winds and sand storms, quickly reclaimed those areas. As
the population shrank, everyone moved in closer to the remaining employers and
services. That was all centered around the Strip and the casinos.” Derek
explained. “When the government collapsed the casino owners banded together and
took control. They formed the Las Vegas Commission and assumed control of the
Strip. They created their own security force, which came to be known as Strip
Security, and hired all the former police and military in the region. They
built a series of fences around the Strip and the airport, sealing the Strip
off from the rest of Vegas.”

   “What about the other residents?” Rora asked.

   “Those employed by the casinos were moved into housing in
the Strip, mostly slum apartments owned by the casinos. Everyone else, of which
there weren’t too many, was left to fend for themselves outside the fences. The
Commission employs people to keep the sands off the Strip, but they overtook
the remainder of the city. Any survivors were forced to seek refuge somewhere
else. It was rumored that a few hardy souls tried to stay, but they were driven
off by Strip Security.” Derek replied.

   “So the Commission runs the casinos?”

   “The Commission is made up of the casino owners and
operates democratically, with a rotating chairmanship; but it only controls the
community property, Strip Security, and the airport. Each of the casino’s
property is considered sovereign and they can pretty do whatever they want
there; including maintaining their own armed security force. In theory, the
Commission can sanction a casino if every other owner votes to do so. But that
would be very unlikely since each owner would be afraid that would set a
precedent.” Derek told her.

   “We are in the middle of the desert, who comes all this
way to gamble?”

   “Everyone. That’s why they have a working airport. Vegas
is considered neutral ground by every faction. U.S.T.G. Party bigwigs rub
elbows with C.C.A. Patricians, Cartel Dons, and G-21 gang Lords.” Derek said
with a laugh. “Sin is universal. The elites will always find a way to have
their playgrounds while everyone else struggles to get by.”

   “I thought there were no commercial flights?” Rora asked
in confusion.

   “It is dangerous to fly without satellites and because of
the unpredictable weather, but that doesn’t stop jets from flying. The reason
commercial flights stopped is that no one could afford them and no one really
had a reason to travel. It’s not like people were taking vacations or traveling
for business. Most of the major cities still have a usable airport; they just
don’t have any airlines operating out of them. Almost all jet travel is private
planes or government owned flights.” Derek explained.

   The conversation ended as the chopper landed. One of the
soldiers slid the side door open to reveal a squad of men armed with the
ubiquitous M4 carbines and two Humvees armed with machine guns waiting for
them. The men wore gray BDUs with a patch on their left shoulder and gray tactical
helmets. They had black body armor over their BDUs and facemasks pulled up over
their faces. The patch was a red and white poker chip with a black V on it and
matched the logo on signs around the airport.

   None of the guns were aimed at Rora, Derek, or the
chopper; but the men all looked ready to respond if provoked. Derek exited the
chopper slowly, keeping his hands open and out to the side. Rora and the
soldiers followed his lead and did the same as they climbed out. Once they were
all out and standing in a line in front of the chopper; the armed men, who Rora
knew could only be Strip Security, moved aside to reveal another man dressed
the same but with a gray cap and no facemask.

   The man was a shade less than six feet tall with a slight
build, but he exuded confidence and authority. His hand rested casually on the
worn butt of a Sig Sauer P229 automatic pistol that rested in a tactical
holster on his right leg. The strap was off and he looked ready and capable of
using it if necessary. He wasn’t a young man, but he wasn’t old. Derek pegged
him in his late thirties and based on his appearance and demeanor the man had
led a hard life. This was not someone to mess around with.

   “Welcome to Vegas.” The man said in mock seriousness.
“Are you here for business or pleasure?”

   “Pleasure.” Derek responded quickly. “We were passing
nearby and I just wanted to show my young friend here the glory that is Vegas.”

   “Really?” The man asked sarcastically, eying the group.
“A little heavily armed for a joyride aren’t you?”

   “You can never be too careful nowadays. There are slavers
and Drinkers everywhere.” Derek retorted.

   “Point taken.” The man chuckled. “I’m Lieutenant Korskov.
I will be your escort into the Strip. Since you arrived unannounced we weren’t
exactly ready to roll out the red carpet. You cannot take any weapons into the
Strip, so you either need to leave them here or put them in our secure storage
in the airport terminal. And we will be searching you before you leave the
airport.”

   “You three stay here.” Derek ordered the soldiers. “Rora
and I will go into the Strip.”

   “What about our gear?” Rora asked.

   “Leave all your weapons here, but bring the tablet.”
Derek replied.

   “That’s not considered a weapon is it?” Derek asked the
lieutenant jokingly.

   “It’s not, but the casinos might not allow you to bring
it inside.” He replied seriously.

   “Why not?” Rora asked him.

   “We had a serious breach at one of the casinos last
week.” Lieutenant Korskov informed her. “Someone hacked into one of the casino
mainframes. It was discovered quickly and no damage was done or data stolen,
but it has the casino security on edge.”

  Rora and Derek shared a quick glance, but otherwise didn’t
react. They stowed their weapons inside the chopper and grabbed their
backpacks. Rora noticed that Derek did indeed leave every weapon, including the
ceramic knife on his forearm. Of course, he was a weapon himself, so he
probably wasn’t as worried about leaving their protection behind as she was.
But she decided to trust his instincts, he had been right so far. She picked up
her backpack and joined him on the tarmac.

   The officer gestured to his men and they performed a very
thorough search of their visitors. The men started with metal detector wands
and then frisked them. Rora yelped as one stuck his hand between her legs, but
it was very quick and very professional. When they finished the guards nodded
to Lieutenant Korskov.

   “You seem to be clean, but be aware that you have to go
through full body scanners at the Visitor Center to get into the Strip.” He
said and then paused. When neither Derek nor Rora reacted, he continued. “Okay,
let’s get in and go.”

   “Does everyone get this kind of escort?” Derek asked the
lieutenant.

   He smiled. “No, just heavily armed visitors that show up
without notice.”

   The ride to the Visitor Center from the airport was
short. The road led directly there and there was minimal traffic. They passed a
few shuttle buses but that was it. The road itself was lined on both sides by
high razor wire topped fences. The fences were only ten feet from the road on
either side and on the other side was just sand. The road was clear, but Rora
figured they must clear it ten times a day the way the sand was blowing around.

   The road ended in a small parking lot in front of a large
newer looking building that literally blocked the road. The building was
surprisingly glitzy and looked very modern, with gleaming windows and sharp
angles. She wondered how often they had to clean those windows. That would be
very costly and time consuming. But it fit with what Derek had told her about
Vegas.

    “All right. This is your stop. Have fun in the Strip,
but be warned that Security is always watching.” The lieutenant reminded them.
“Good luck.”

   Rora and Derek exited the Humvee and walked to the front
entrance. The doors slid open and they were greeted with a blast of cool air.
They passed through another set of doors and then they were inside. Their
escorts didn’t leave until Derek and Rora entered the building. The inside was
open and equally as glitzy and modern as the outside. Giant TV screens blared
ads for casinos and shows and hawkers roamed around handing out flyers.

   Rora took one before Derek could stop her, and was appalled
by the pictures of naked women offering their services plastered all over it.
She threw it down in disgust, but Derek picked it up and threw it away in a
trash can. When she looked at him in confusion, he explained.

   “Littering is a criminal offense here. We don’t want to
get arrested in the first five minutes. Remember Rule #19, don’t draw attention
to yourself.”

   “Prostitution is legal, but littering isn’t?” She asked
in amazement.

   He shrugged. “It’s Vegas.”

   They joined the short lines waiting to enter the Strip.
People of all kinds were waiting in the line to pass through the scanners. Rora
noted a couple of Hauler’s Guild representatives, a group of Order thugs, what
looked like a group of tourists from the U.S.T.G., and even a Preacher. She
also saw a merk arguing with Security. After a brief argument, Security knocked
him down and beat him with batons before dragging him away. The other visitors
pretended to see and the other armed guards scattered all around the building
didn’t even react.

   They passed through without much trouble. The guards
inspected Rora’s tablet and Derek’s phone, but didn’t find anything wrong with
them. They stood in the scanners until they were cleared and then security
waved them through. Passing through another set of double sliding doors, they
found themselves on the edge of the Strip. It was even more brightly lit from
this viewpoint than in the air. People swarmed all around them in various
states of intoxication and dress. She noticed that armed Strip Security
officers were posted on every other corner.