Forsaken 2027
Page 24
"Are you OK?" Cain asked, "How’s your health? Your arm?" he asked kneeling beside her, giving her a soft hug and even gentler kiss, causing Toni to pout.
"I’ll be fine. Emily pulled me back in cover then slapped a large heal kit on me during the firefight. They stunned me, it hurt worse than being kicked by a horse. After you two killed the opposing players, Emily cast her heal spell on me. I’ll be back at full strength in a minute, although buffed it only disables my arm for another eight minutes," Toni replied. Turning to Sophie, Cain gave her a huge hug and a big kiss.
"Thank you for helping Natasha, thank you so much. I know we don’t die, and we come back. But this firefight brought back some painful memories for me," Cain said, still hugging Sophie. Sophie looked up at Cain, she didn’t ask him questions but just looked into his troubled face, and stroked it with her hand.
Susan wasn’t so lucky, she took a shot to her head, killing her outright. There was nothing I could do for her, apart from kill her killer. I go those who shot you, sadly they will be back in twenty game hours. C> Cain messaged with a shudder. Before anyone could comment on Cain’s past, a table popped up in each of their HUDs.
"We were lucky that the third Gladiator didn’t do more damage to us," Toni said. "Next time we use the map better and execute a firing plan stunning players as we steadily whittle down their health. The experience we get is welcome but let’s build on what we have and go kick ass. Can I have a G3 from your inventory Joseph, please?" Toni added, smiling up at Cain; as he brought up the party level screen. They each agreed their levels were good and they need rest to allocate any points they had.
Giving Sophie another hug, Cain told her her plan was excellent. It is one of those vagaries of a firefight, sometimes all the planning doesn’t reduce all the risk. Sophie felt a rush of warmth suffuse her body as Cain did not blame her for Toni being shot. She blamed herself though as Cain walked over to Toni.
Clearing The Tanks
Sophie left Cain and Toni hugging and kissing while she looted the bodies. Hopefully, we’ll get more grenades and ammo. Once she looted the dead players, Sophie returned up the slight incline and found Cain sat against the tree watching her, with Toni laying on the ground, her head on Cain’s thigh. Cain’s hand was stroking Toni’s head as they talked.
"Not much in their inventories, more weapons, but no grenades or food," Sophie said. "What do we do now?" she asked. Sophie moved around and knelt at Cain’s side to give him a kiss, she noticed Cain’s eyes light up.
Does he have a plan, can’t believe he doesn't, I better wait to find out what it is. But first I need at least two more kisses from them both. Sophie stopped kissing Cain, then bent lower to kiss Toni who had been watching her and Cain kiss, with a look of interest in her eyes.
Having a hand on each of his women, Cain opened the area map and worked out the trajectory of a trebuchet come catapult shot. Cain’s eyes snapped up from looking at the map, as he felt a pair of hands rubbing his member through his trousers. He wanted Toni and Sophie to go further, with him and each other. Regrettably he knew they had to kill the three remaining groups of Sluggers, the new PvP clan they had come across.
Once they’d taken on and removed the three other groups, they needed to find another casino. They each had points to allocate. In the seclusion of a Casino bedroom they could allocate their free points, then sleep for four hours after making love, Cain hoped.
Toni was getting frustrated and horny, Cain stopped her and Sophie from going further with him or with Sophie. She was getting desperate to make love to both; it was all she seemed to think about. How Cain could make love to her while Sophie sat on her face. Though she liked the thought of Cain laying on his back with her sat on his prick and Sophie sat on Cain’s face. She was desperate; she wanted Cain to make love to her, back in the safe house.
If only they could wake up, leave the game somehow. Cain was talking which made her focus on his words not the daydreams she was having. Cain said he had a plan, telling them what it was, using a tree as a makeshift trebuchet. Cain only had limited knowledge of how a trebuchet worked, so he asked Enoch if he could help.
{If I understand what you are aiming to do, I think using one of the thinner trees as the lever arm of a trebuchet would work. Especially with a little modification. If you can tell me the distance you are aiming to reach and the load you are firing, I can work out the maths.} Enoch replied.
"Why a trebuchet not a catapult?" Toni asked, I know there is a difference but not exactly what.
"Although a catapult is useful, it is not as accurate nor as flexible as a trebuchet. Although we don’t need the advantage here, a trebuchet has a far greater range than a catapult, and can fire a greater weight," Cain told both Toni and Sophie.
Cain told them what he needed, once each of them had their tasks, they split up and went to gather the materials to make Cain’s trebuchet work. Using his improvisation skill and their six remaining grenades along with six HE rounds. Cain wrapped them in six neat bomb packages, tied tight with rawhide. Toni broke the shrapnel pitted table top, into four usable sections and dragged them back up the rise to Cain. Sophie went cautiously back to the SUV and the two other vehicles, gathering any rope or tow ropes she could find.
While Sophie and Toni were busy with their tasks, Cain cleaned the branches off the thin oak tree trunk, bent by nature at roughly a fifty degree angle. It was the idea tree for Cain's plan, pointing down the slope, towards the other group of Slugger clan players. They worked in silence and out of sight, hidden by large storage containers, between them and their target group.
Once Sophie returned, Cain and Sophie lashed two of the towing ropes together, with Toni they all pulled the bent branch back towards a one-hundred-and-twenty-degree angle. Tying the rope off against another tree, Cain was happy they had pulled the oak tree back seventy degrees. Toni, made an open box like a little crate, with the wood from the table, fastening it on a small six-foot length of rope to the top of the tree trunk.
Cain placed his home-made bombs into the crate, wrapping them in strips of Ratole pelt fabric, Cain had cut these strips especially for this task. The strips of pelt would keep the grenade release arm from opening until the bombs left the crate. Using several more lengths of the Ratole pelt rawhide, Cain made a sturdy length of a twisted rawhide rope, which would be for the crate’s limit brake. With Sophie Cain twisted five lengths of rawhide together making a sturdy and strong limit brake.
Enoch had informed Cain that the best trebuchets and catapults stopped the arm or release cage at a ninety to ninety-two-degree angle. The tree will travel thirty degrees before the limit brake activates. Your bombs will then be released from the small crate Toni made.
They each checked the work, finding nothing wrong, Cain and Sophie returned to the anchor tree. Toni pulled the pins on the grenades then walked back to Cain, who stood next to the anchor tree. Toni stood at Cain’s side, while Sophie counted down, 3… 2… 1… 0, then Cain slashed through the rope with his combat knife.
The tree trunk come trebuchet catapult whipped back to its original angle, the short rope attached to the crate, zipped through the air chasing the trunk. At the apex of the short ropes arc, the crate suddenly stopped held for a half a second before the tensions broke it apart. In that half a second the bombs continued on their journey, arcing up then down towards the players of the Sluggers clan.
Five of the bombs overshot their intended target zone, two reaching the road beyond the Sluggers group, three landing on the pavement and tarmacked area. The sixth bomb spun lazily after its release as the piece of Ratole pelt fabric snapped, and the grenade release arm was still fastened, it landed short, between
the largest and smallest storage containers. The Ratole pelt fabric that held the release arm slowly lost its hold as the bomb bounced between the containers, almost freeing the arm.
The first five bombs exploded, which caused the leader of the group to direct his men up towards the storage containers, then up the incline towards the known position of another group of players from his clan.
The clan players bunched together as they moved in between the storage containers, just as the sixth bomb exploded, flinging the Ratole pelt fabric burning high into the air. If both storage containers had been empty, they would have been fine. If they had been full likewise, but the smallest container broke first and sprayed hundreds of gallons of heavy oil into the air and on the ground. This made a small river which ran over the clan players feet.
Their problem was the large container which was nearly empty as it had contained butane gas. The group's leader did not seem to have a worry about the heavy oil or the fine mist that was coating the group; it worried him about the smell of butane. "Don’t anyone fire until we are out of this area,"he shouted to the group.
In normal circumstances that would have been adequate instructions, for anyone, but not today. For the Ratole pelt fabric spun lazily on the wind, drifting back down towards to large storage container and the hole in its top made from the bomb’s explosion.
The Sluggers clan members did not know what happened as the Ratole pelt fabric landed next to the hole, just a burning ember. A small breath of wind blew the fabric into the hole.
A huge fireball burst into the sky as the large storage container exploded from the top. With the peeling open of its top, like someone peels a banana. The explosion ignited the microparticles that surrounded the clan players, who were running and splashing through the heavy oil.
The resulting explosion of the microparticles killed the seven players instantly as it vaporised them because of the sudden increase of heat.
No message prompts showed the damage caused, although Cain, Toni and Sophie received the experience points for the kills.
"Don’t think we will loot those bodies, ever," Toni said.
"No, we won‘t. That is why they outlawed thermobaric weapons back in 2031. Simple to make beyond deadly." said Cain.
Chapter 23
Tending The Hearts
Cain looked at the updated map and shared it with his women, using party chat. Cain believed the sooner Toni and Sophie can access the map the better, maybe it comes when I get a higher level. Although he saw no options on map sharing with his women when he was planning the game.
Enoch, can you check and see if there are any map sharing skill, so my women can access my wide-area map, not just their local maps.
As they looked at Cain's shared map image, he asked Toni, what did she think they should do for the next group of Sluggers clan players, after they finished looking at the map. Toni looked and then remembered that top end of the park near their Ford Ranger, was a high lookout tower style of wooden building, something used as a climbing tower for an adult or child’s zip line ride.
"Since you won’t make out with Emily and me, the only choice I can see is if we make over to the wooden watchtower in the far corner then shoot the other group, it will be us simply shooting fish in a barrel," Toni said.
"Are you sure?" said Cain, "Killing players without warning, are we not becoming the aggressors here? Can you live with taking out these players for the only reason being in a PvP clan?" Toni thought on what Cain asked, were they now the aggressors, but they kill for pleasure?
"No," Toni answered. "We are the aggressors but we do not do what we do because we enjoy killing. We do what we must save players who fall victim to these parasitic PvP clans."
"Yes, that is the correct reason. We do what we have to, saving players unable to fend for themselves." Cain said. Cain thought it was a good plan, and so was Toni’s answer to his question. Sophie took the point as they crossed the top border edge of the park, heading for the wooden tower. so they cautiously made for the other corner of the park. Sophie took the point position while Toni held back so she could speak with Cain. Toni held out her hand to slow Cain, letting Sophie move more in front of them.
"Can we talk, please?" Toni asked. Cain replied,
"Yeah, OK, why, what is wrong?"
Toni messaged.
< Sure… I am almost certain Vince isn’t your brother, he could be a family member, a partner or previous lover, I haven’t looked fully into him. Being honest I am praying he is just a good friend, not the type with benefits but a good friend from work. I know you have never been in the military, nor in special or dark operations. Unless you were so deep they wiped any records of your service. Though knowing the government department that overlooks special ops that is unlikely.
I was thinking you were in some investigative work like undercover police, private eye or some security bodyguard person of interest role. You managed that when coming out on meetings with me. Again, your past is less of an issue, I am concerned with the now rather than what has been. We all have skeletons in our closets, mine are far worse than most, though you may have your own too. Earlier, I told you I trust you with my whole heart, my life, even if that means you end up crushing it and stomping it into the floor. C> Cain told Toni.
Reading Cain‘s words, warmed Toni‘s heart, he was laying out his feelings, his heart. He was trusting her to take and nourish them, such was his love for her. Taking Cain’s head in her hands, Toni looked him in the eyes and said to him.
"I love you, Joseph, I know we’ve only had a little time to get to know each other. As you have given me your heart, you too have my heart in your hands. I am terrified that you will break it, shattering me along with it. I know you have feelings for Emily, the same as me, but do you love me enough, should I ask you to walk away from all this, you would?" Looking back at Toni, Cain said,
"Yes, at the drop of a hat Natasha. I would walk away and leave Forsaken to live with you until we are old and grey. so long as I get the right-hand side of the bed," Toni leaned into Cain, her worries melting as she gently kissed his lips. Pulling back Toni said,
"If you knew I was not in the military, why did you help me? Besides, don’t answer now, let me try to tell you everything." Toni looked up at Cain and looked at his open gaze. She bit her lip, her heart was beating wildly in her chest, I hope he will still love me after this. It will be a shock for him the lies I’ve said and used him to get what I wanted.
I was working on a case involving one of the large seven banks, based in Frankfurt. I worked with another three officers, one of whom was Vince. It will please you to know Vince has been for a long time married, has two wonderful children and a beautiful wife called Desdemona. After we finished the case, the team split.
I kept in contact with Vince but not the other two members of the team. I always felt there was something wrong with those two, they seemed too chummy with the bank‘s CEO (chief executive officer) and CFO (chief financial officer). The other female on the team Penny Reville, was pure eye candy. Tall, willowy build, long hair perfect complexion, you name it she had it in buckets.
Before the case finished, I think she slept with the CEO, can’t prove it mind you. But I met her early one morning in the building we used as our base and she smelled of sex. She had a late night meeting with the other man and both CEO and CFO. Something smelt fishy, those two executives walked, although the bank was guilty
of money laundering.
I was back in London working in another team a month later, no Vince this time. I was leaving work when somebody took a shot at me, in a supposedly drive-by shooting, hence the scarring on my right shoulder. They gave me early retirement from the force because they believed someone at the bank had made me, only me and sold my details to other banks. Also, they believed they had shared my face with other companies outside banking but involved in illegal financial doings.
I was visiting Vince‘s wife, Des and the children three years ago. Vince told me of his current case. A case where a gaming company was using its online accounts payment system as a front to move money to a shadowy organisation. Bypassing all financial regulations, money laundering on a huge scale.
Vince, before he joined the police had a degree in software game coding. He wanted to be bigger than somebody called Chris Avellone, never happened. He was working as a game programmer and gamer when the police recruited him. Out of Des’ hearing, he told me he had narrowed down his suspects to just one, the chief designer and program lead on a new game called Forsaken. They embedded him within SPQR for nine months, then he upped and left the police. He left SPQR and sadly Des and the kids.
After he left Square Projekt Quality Red and Des. She contacted me and asked me to help find him. I looked for him and joined Square Project Quality Red, in Paris. I thought if I could get a look at where he worked I might find a clue or two. Working for Suare Projekt Quality Red allowed me to get close to the man Vince thought was the key player, Jason White.
You know my story from that point. There, I think I have covered everything, unless you have any more questions. T> Toni finished as they neared the wooden tower, Sophie was already there with a knowing hopeful look on her face, having read Cain’s and Toni’s messages.