by Tom Cain
The four soldiers come straight over to inspect the claim.
"Holy shit you’re right, take them down!" one of them says.
"Ah shit John" Marko shouts and nudges John over to a large piece of fallen rock from a building as the now six soldiers open fire. Marko grabs his gun from his pocket and loads up a fresh magazine. John sees the gun of the soldier he knocked out by his feet and picks it up. Both John and Marko use the rock as cover and fire over the top forcing the soldier to break formation and attack behind cover.
"We are going to get fucked if we stay here any longer Test" said Marko returning fire and reloading his gun again.
"Just keep firing, I got a plan" John says tearing a piece of his uniform and threading it through his gun. He positions it so it rests on top of a wall.
"You ready to run Marko?"
"Where we going boss?" Marko replied letting off a few more rounds in the enemy's direction.
"When I start firing you head towards that door and just keep running" John points towards a dirty blue painted door across the way. Marko gets himself in a ready position and waits for the go.
"Three, two, one…RUN".
John pulls the material around the gun trigger tightly and places it between two concrete blocks resting on a larger one. The semi-automatic weapon begins to fire in quick succession at the soldiers hitting one in the chest and sending him flying to the ground. The soldiers take cover after seeing the hit and Marko and John make a run for the door. Marko breaks through the door with a swift and sharp shoulder, John is several paces behind but as he reaches the door he grabs two grenades from his bandolier, removes the pins and throws them in the direction of the soldiers. The grenades explode in a blinding flash and leave the soldiers dazed and confused. The pair jog through the dark derelict building and out across Main Street into an abandoned sandwich bar.
"Shit that was close John". Marko said hearing the decoy weapon run out of bullets.
"Yeah I know but we gotta keep pressing forward they will be looking for us now". Replied John looking around for any other soldiers that may have caught up.
"Ok what's next on the list?" Marko asks looking around the bar curiously.
The sandwich bar had the remnants of the old world. Empty sandwich wrappers, dried and rotten food stuck to the floor in defiance. All the counter glass had been smashed and the cash register emptied. But the clothes of those working here at the time of the flash remained on the white tiled floor.
"We are going for Zero, the first of the Eight; he's caught up under the Fifth Street Bridge. I know that's north of here so we should head over towards Farrows Garage and see if we can pick up any kind of vehicle to get us there any quicker.”
“Well that sound like a plan big man, do you think they got any tins in here?" Marko asks John still looking around.
"You hungry now huh? we are still not out of the shit, they will be looking for us in a mile radius minimum".
"Well shit John I wouldn't say no, it's been a day or so". John has a look around the corner of the sandwich bar counter top and finds a few tins of soup stuck under some broken shelves.
"There you go sweetheart" John throws the tins under arm to Marko.
"Shut up man, I’m hungry." Marko puts the tins in a small dark green carry bag sewn in on the inside of his jacket.
They both remove the soldier uniforms and dump them on the floor.
The Car Cash Depot Centre was where they were heading now, the depot was a place where people would swap their cars for cash, credit, ammo or general trades, and they would deal with a local gang leader called Farrow Bascaville. The ‘Carpo’ as the locals would call it was about half a mile away but an interesting journey up the Main Street heading north.
John and Marko head out up Main Street staying close to the buildings either side leading out of the built up area of Zone three and into a deserted plain. Main Street at night was not an easy walk. Main was where a lot of greeners and bandits would wait for passing trade caravans to hijack. This deterred a lot of trade coming down the central road but didn’t stop the raiders from hoping.
The wastelands as the inhabitants of the zones knew them were scattered throughout the State and used to be large fields and farms before the flash. Now whole areas were completely baron, and also somewhat dangerous being that the main road was the quickest way to travel and laid itself right through the middle. The area was very open to attack as you would have no cover and nobody felt generous enough to build any. John and Marko start making their way out into the open wastelands and onto the main road at speed.
"Hey you know we should get one of those rollers man" Marko said while jogging.
"Nah it’s too big and slow we need something that can move quick and allows the non-driver to shoot if needed.”
“The shooter is going to be me isn't it John?". Marko said stopping briefly.
"You are the ex-marine Marko, you do the shooting and I will do the tough stuff.
“Ha ha, you know I used to go out with Farrow's cousin, you think he will be alright with us taking a vehicle right?". Marko said catching up to John.
"You obviously don't know Farrow do ya?, come on Marko pick up the pace we are nearly there" said John sniggering.
The Carpo garage is getting closer, they could see the grated metal pull down doors and the barred windows. The Carpo before the flash was an old Fire Station and has two very large metal shutters at the front. The windows are all smashed out and replaced with metal bars to stop any bandits, greeners or chancers breaking in and trying to steal the precious vehicles.
Farrow used to sell these vehicles onto Ivan Swiss once he had restored them and added any military extras required.
Marko leads and pushes through an unlocked metal door and into a dark damp corridor with John following. Out of a shadowy corner jumps a figure in a mechanics overall, this surprises Marko and John already has his knife out.
"Argh! ha ha ha made you jump didn't I?" the young mechanic says laughing inanely.
"Son of a bitch" Marko gathers himself.
John moves forward with his knife out.
"you better explain yourself before I make you blind then deaf funny man" John steps forward pressing the knife up against the mechanics chest.
"Whoa whoa hold on two ticks, you’re John Test ain't ya?, I wanna help, I wanna help? I heard Harks broadcasts over the ham radio, I'm good like that." The mechanic squirms.
"How you going to help, you’re a runt" Marko examines him.
"Yeah a runt with a brain, I can hotwire anything, and I am pretty good with building machines and repairing. Tell me you couldn't use someone like that to get to where you’re going? My name is Burke, Harry Burke, but just Burke is fine. Pleased to meet you both." Burke moves around the knife and backs off to the door at the end of the hallway.
"Yeah that's all good but what about Farrow?" Marko asks.
"Ah don't worry about him we can take any vehicle you like, I got the keys to everything in here." Burke asserts and grabs the set of keys tied around his belt and opens the door with a creak.
The door leads into the garage area where all the vehicles are stored. The garage area has some impressive vehicles locked up inside, there are large and small vans and trucks, motorbikes, quads, mini-tanks, saloons and coupes, all battle ready in one way or the other.
"Did you do all this?" John asks.
"I certainly did" Burke looks proud of himself and scans the room with a smile.
"Ok you got the job, we are looking for something that can get us across the waste into zone three and back again. Something hardy and fast." John steps inside and sees a four by four armored off roader.
"what about that?".
"No no if you’re looking for something that is fast enough to avoid any heavy fire, from RPGs etc you need to be hopping on a Cargo-Bike" Burke asserted.
"You got any of the sixteen models?" John asks.
"Ah yes, actually we do, we had some come in not so
long ago with a group of traders from the west, it used to be an arms and drugs carrier but the driver got wasted over in zone four, it's over here" Burke walks over past a large green army vehicle to reveal a cargo-bike.
The bike was a one thousand CC heavy duty road bike kitted out with thick front and rear wheels and an armored side-cart.
"So what we got here?" Marko looks impressed.
"This is a custom model sixteen, souped up engine and power module because of ‘the green’” Burke used air quotes.
“Solid Galvorubber tires, slime fill to reduce chance of puncture. It's got four weapon holsters, two modified Desert Eagle front mounts that can blow a hole in a man the size of a plate, I have heard." Burke looks at them both for confirmation of his attempt at wit, they both look at him confused.
"The side cart has got some decent tech too including Kevlar and titanium mesh plating and wire fiber skeleton making it super light but super strong. It even has its own engine on the rear so it doesn't put the bike under too much pressure to make good speed." Burke now really excited.
"I shouldn't get too excited about it all though because I do get a little mmm" Burke mumbles to himself shaking off the adrenaline.
"Ok…that sounds like it will do the job, let's just get it out on the road shall we?" John says taking it out of gear and into neutral.
John takes the bike to one of the large metal garage doors and Marko jogs over to release the door chain, just then the alarm sounds and a voice comes over the voice over system.
"What in the green shit do you think you are doing with my cargo-bike Burke?" they all look up at the speaker lodged in the top right corner of the garage door.
"Just taking it for a test drive sir, be back before you know it". Burke replied, speaking to the speaker.
"That bike ain't going nowhere, and who's that with you? Marko? Marko Gibbs is that you down there? You still owe me for dumping my cousin" the voice sounds angry.
"Nah that ain't how it was Farrow, she left me for someone else." Marko shouts at the speaker.
"Either way you’re not going anywhere with that bike. Unless you got something to trade?" Farrows voice booms over the speakers.
John sees the CCTV camera bolted to the wall by the speaker; he picks up a wrench resting beside one of the vehicles and throws it at the camera smashing the lens then crouches down.
"I am sick of this guys voice, let's get out of here now" John demanded as the others crouch down with him behind an armoured truck.
"Ok so what are we going to do, he will be down with his boy in a minute?" Burke looks nervous.
"Get the door open Burke" Marko shouts.
Burke pulls and small black remote from his overall pocket and pressing a green button in the center.
"The door won't open man, it's been put on lock down we ain't getting out for shit" Burke now panicking.
"Are you serious? You can patch up a vehicle that logically shouldn't be able to move but a door stumps you?" Marko says looking at Burke.
The sound of an electric door opening silences the group as Marko peers around the corner of the tuck and see a rotund man covered in jewelry and sporting a bowler hat walks through, behind him a man so large that he has to crouch to fit through the door an obvious mutant by the deformation of his face. Farrow sees Marko peeking around the corner.
"So what you boys doing here then?". Farrow said adjusting his jewelry around his fat neck.
"Farrow, good to see you man". Marko stands up. "No hard feelings about your cus huh?".
"Nope, no hard feelings Marko, just hard feelings about you not paying me my dues" Farrow replies.
John now stands up and walks round the corner into plain view.
"Farrow, I'm John"
Farrow interrupts.
"Test, yes I know. I know everything and everyone that happens around here boy. Now what are you crudders doing round here anyway? Touching my things?".
"Look we need to get to the Fifth Street bridge, Burke here is going to drop us off then come back. No harm done" Marko pipes up and walks round the corner.
"You wanna borrow the bike? And what about the fuel?" Farrow asks sniggering.
"Of course we need the fuel" Says John.
"Ok ok I will let you have the bike, the fuel on the other hand you will need to fight for".
"Fight who?" John asks.
"Well my boy here of course, I call him Breaker, unfortunately Breakers mind got broken during the Flash but his body got big and strong, now he breaks things for me. Just you and him John, fair's fair".
John takes couple of steps forward towards the hulking man.
"This guy isn't worth my time, you know my name, but do you know what I do?" John proclaims.
With that Breaker throws and connects a punch with John’s head so hard it sends John flying across the room and into some oil barrels spilling oil across the floor. John picks himself up, shakes his head to clear the cobwebs, grabs his hat now laying on the floor and wipes the oil from his black jacket shoulders.
"you need to do better than that to keep me down big man". Says John.
Breaker lets out a vicious roar and charges, John pulls out his knife and charge towards Breaker, just before the collision John falls to the floor on his back and slides through the oil through Breakers leg thrusting the knife upwards into the goliaths crotch. Breaker falls to the floor holding his crotch roaring in pain blood pooling into the spilt oil.
"Breaker…no" Farrow screams and reaches round his back to grab the concealed Uzi, it's then he noticed Marko standing next to him with his gun pointing at his head.
"Now that's out of the way, you mind taking this place off lockdown Farrow?" John asks.
"You boys don't know how much shit you’re getting yourself in for" Farrow reaches for a control unit on one of his gold chains.
"Trust me when I say I’ve been through worse" John says while mounting the Cargo-Bike and having Marko and Burke jump in the sidecar facing forwards and backwards respectively, both with gun in hand pointing at Farrow.
The doors roll up slowly as Farrow pushes the release button on his chain. Marko points the gun at Farrows face and pulls the trigger.
"Oh God no" Farrow screams.
The gun just clicks, Marko hadn't loaded it and smiles at Farrow. John starts the bike and lights a cigar he pulls from his jacket pocket. They tear out of the garage the bike kicking out smoke. John throws the lit cigar as they leave the Carpo which hits the ground and lights the oils split on the floor, they leave Breaker and Farrow screaming.
They head north up the Main Street wasteland road towards the fifth Street bridge. Fifth Street itself was known to the other zones and quite popular because of the red-light district and what the population called Hooker Probes. Mechanical hovering droids created originally by FADE labs as a way of keeping track of the Eden Trees growth, oxygen and carbon dioxide output rates but now re-programmed by the local gangs and rackets as a pimp automaton. These droids would fly around the Fifth street area searching for any potential customers and guide them to whichever service they required.
Burke was fidgety in the sidecar.
“So what's the plan when we get to where we are going?" he asked.
"We’re going to go kill Zero" John replied.
"huh? As in Zero of the Eight? That Zero?" Burke sounds worried.
"Yup" Marko chipped in.
"Ok well you can count me out then, I am not an action guy, I will stay and take care of the bike, you guys go ahead" Burke quickly reshuffles himself.
"Don't worry so much, Zero is the first of a number of problems, seven other problems to be precise" Marko told Burke.
John slows the bike down and pulls off the road to park up behind an old supermarket.
"We will camp out here tonight, and get to the bridge tomorrow morning" John said turning the bike off and stepping out into the dusty car park.
Burke looks around at the surrounding area with an uneasy look.
"We are out in the open here Test". commented Burke looking around.
"Yeah but that means we will be able to see them coming, stop worrying Burke you can cuddle up to Marko". Said John.
“I would have to agree with Burke on this one John. Sleeping in the open it tactically not smart my man.” Asserted Marko.
“Ok Marko, what do you suggest?” Asked John.
Marko had a look around and spotted an area to the side of the market.
“Over there” Marko pointed. “That small enclosure next to the supermarket. We can sleep in the darkness of that corner and park the bike in front for cover. The shadow should cover us until morning. We can have a bin fire to reduce glare and stay warm”.
“I trust your judgement brother.” Said John confidently.
“Phew, not all as strong as you John” Burke said wiping his brow.
Marko walks to the supermarket to find a small half cut metal bin lying on its side in a walled area, he brings it back over to the group.
"I will get a fire going". Said Marko.
John takes a bag off the cargo bike after parking it in the alcoves shadow and lays on the ground using the bag as a cushion for his head and puts his hat over his face. Burke sits in the side car of the cargo bike as Marko is preparing the fire with old paper and material he finds scattered around the area.
"So what is the deal with you two anyway?" Burke asks.
"that depends on what you mean, what are we doing? Or who are we?" Marko replies.
"Well, I dunno all of the above I guess? What did you do before the Green?"
"I was a soldier, then I ran a bar. Yeah I know completely different career paths huh. I was only young when it happened, but back in Boltern Heights, I worked in a bar my old man owned. He kicked it and left it for me in his will. So I took over, but then it came…" Marko remembered.
Marko and a few other members of staff are working behind the old wooden bar of the Flag Ship in Boltern Heights. The Flag Ship was an old style sports bar, with pool tables, a few old slot machines and three large TVs.
"Hey Marky grab us another round of your finest, please. Oh and one of those sweet liquor drinks for the ladies" one of the drunk pub dwellers asked.