by Jake Bible
***
The Boss buttoned his pants as he left the shack, hopping back into the ATV. “What are you fucking waiting for? Get us to the top of Bronner’s Ridge.” He casually wiped blood from his knuckles.
The young driver started to respond, but remembered himself and kept his lips tightly sealed. The Boss leaned back into the ATV’s seat and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath and sighing. “It’s moments like this that make me glad to be alive.”
He opened his eyes, looking upon the dark wasteland as the ATV began to climb. “It’s good to be king.”
***
Chunks, thoughtful, stepped back from June, surveying his handy work like a painter does his canvas.
“You’re pretty good with a knife, huh?” June asked, her voice shaking with pain and anger.
“The best,” Chunks grinned.
“You know what you’re not good at, though?”
Chunks eyed June for a second. “What’s that, meat?”
“Tying a decent fucking knot!” June yanked her hands free from the bindings and dropped into a crouch on the floor. Chunk’s eyes went wide with surprise and he hesitated one second too long. June took advantage, kicking out with her left foot shattering Chunk’s left kneecap.
***
Chunks went down hard on his shattered knee, the pain engulfing his brain. He crumpled to the floor, screaming. “You fucking bitch!”
He watched the naked, bleeding pilot spring at him and his head rocked back as first her right fist, then her left connected with his face. She battered at him and he tried to bring his hands up to defend himself, but she shoved him into the dirt and straddled him, pinning both arms against his torso.
Her bloody nudity no longer excited him. Fear was all he knew as June’s fists struck again and again and again.
***
June had been so emotional at times she actually would see red. During her rookie train test. When she found out about Rachel and Matty. When Steve grabbed her tit in the wasteland. But, not while she unleashed on Chunks. No, she was crystal clear.
“Fucking bitch, huh?” she yelled. “You can’t think of anything more original to say, you stupid fuck?!?” Each word was punctuated by her fist hitting Chunks’ face. She kept at it until the only sound coming from the cannibal piece of shit was a wet gurgling as he began to choke on his own blood.
***
“Stop here,” the Boss ordered. The young man did as he was told and the Boss stepped from the ATV and grabbed a large case from the back. He walked a couple feet from the ATV, set the case down and surveyed the night sky.
“That would be north, right?” he asked the driver. The young man trembled. Should he answer and risk death because he spoke or should he stay silent and risk death for not answering? The driver chose to look up into the sky and stay silent.
The Boss nodded to himself, crouched and opened the case.
***
June stripped Chunks, taking his clothes for herself.
She finished lacing the boots and stood, looking down at the pathetic henchman.
“Wanna know something?” she asked. Chunks just choked and gagged on his own blood in response. She stepped to his knife case and pulled out a 12” skinner with a serrated back. “I’m pretty good with knives, too.”
She straddled him once more, but this time facing towards his feet. “Little dick. Why am I not surprised?”
Screams from the helpless were commonplace in the village, so June didn’t worry when Chunks began to shriek as she started cutting.
***
The Boss finished setting up the transmitter array. “Come here.”
The driver approached slowly. “I’m not gonna fuckin’ hurt ya. Get your ass over here.”
The Boss shoved the vid cam into the young man’s hands as he moved quickly to his side. “Push that button there when I say so. Only when I say so.” The driver nodded.
The Boss sat himself in a folding camp chair in front of the array. He tapped at a small tablet, opening all com channels.
“Greetings mech base! This is the Boss. Can you read me?” The Boss waited for an answer.
***
“Bishop? Bishop Wyble? I hate to disturb your sleep, Your Grace, but we are receiving a transmission over open channels from the Boss,” Deacon Montoya said.
The Bishop stirred from his slumber and sat up in Capreze’s bed that he had taken for his own. “The cannibal? What does that Boiler piece of trash want?”
“Well, Your Grace, he wants to talk to Commander Capreze. He says he has his daughter Rachel.”
The Bishop became fully awake instantly. “Has his daughter? Well, doesn’t this make things interesting. Can you transfer the feed to the monitor in here?”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
***
The Boss was more than surprised when the face of Bishop Wyble appeared on his tablet’s screen. “Well, I’ll be dipped in whore shit! If it isn’t the Archbishop’s very own cock polisher! What the fuck are you doing there, Wyble?”
“Boss. Or do you actually have a civilized name now?” the Bishop sneered.
“You can call me God, you zombie worshipping fucktard.”
“Well, this is pleasant as always,” Bishop Wyble sighed. “What do you want Boiler?”
The Boss flinched at the slur. “Don’t call me Boiler,” he growled.
The Bishop ignored the Boss. “Tell me about the Capreze woman.”
***
June moved from shadow to shadow until she reached the remains of Olivia’s shack. Blankets had been hung to replace the missing wall and June quietly slipped inside.
“Olivia?” she whispered. “Olivia?”
The older woman stirred upon the bed and June heard the distinctive sound of a pistol being cocked. “Tell me why I shouldn’t kill your murderous ass?”
“I’m truly sorry, but you can hate me later. Right now I’m getting you out of here,” June said.
“Can’t,” Olivia laughed and swung her legs over the edge of the bed so June could see. “The asshole took my feet.”
***
“Before talkin’ business, I’d sure like to know why I’m looking at you and not the Commander,” the Boss said.
“He ran like a frightened child. The glory of God was too bright for him, so he retreated into the wasteland like the heathen coward he is,” the Bishop laughed. “The base is now under the ownership of His Excellency, The Archbishop.”
“The Archbishop’s there now?” the Boss asked.
“He will be,” Bishop Wyble answered, growing impatient. “Now, about that business…”
The Boss smiled, lacing his hands behind his head and leaning back. “Play the vid,” he ordered the driver.
***
June found a tattered bag by Olivia’s bed and began stuffing clothes into it. “You don’t need feet,” she said, handing the bag to Olivia as she picked up the woman and slung her over her shoulder. She felt the fatigue of the past few days and knew when the adrenaline wore off she was going to crash and crash hard.
June grunted under the strain, but kept her footing and moved as quick as she could out of the shack and into the village.
“OK, which way to the ATVs?” she asked.
“Out past the fight pit,” Olivia answered.
***
The Bishop stared at the image on the vid screen. “Is this being recorded?” he turned and asked Deacon Montoya.
“Yes, Your Grace,” Montoya responded.
“Excellent,” the Bishop said, licking his lips, his face flushed. The vid ended and the Boss appeared back on the screen. The Bishop groaned with disappointment.
“So, I was gonna bargain with the Commander directly, but I’m thinking now that you may be interested in this brat. Might help you get Capreze to come crawling right back.”
Bishop Wyble grinned. “That may be the only intelligent thing I’ve ever heard come out of your mouth.”
***
The Boss en
ded the transmission and sighed. “I’d say that went well, wouldn’t you?”
The young driver stayed quiet.
“Oh, come on, you can speak. Don’t you think that went well?”
“Um, yes, Boss. It did,” the young man stammered.
The Boss stood and approached the driver. “You did understand what I was saying, right? You understood the deal I made with the Bishop?”
“Yes, Boss. I understood.”
The Boss sighed. “That’s too bad, son.” He pulled his blade from his belt and slashed the driver’s throat. The young man crumpled to the ground, blood spurting across the wasteland dirt.
***
June carefully set Olivia down next to an ATV and plopped next to her, struggling to catch her breath. She finally stood and helped Olivia into the ATV’s passenger seat.
“You got your pistol?” June asked.
Olivia showed her the handgun.
“Good. Keep it ready, I’ll be right back.”
“Right back? Where are you going?” Olivia asked, alarmed.
“There’s more coming with us,” June said.
Olivia eyed her for a moment. “You can’t bring them children. We probably won’t survive out there.” She gestured out into the waste. “They certainly won’t.”
“Maybe. But, I’m going to give them a chance.”
***
The Boss casually collapsed the transmitter array and set it back in its case. He tossed it into the ATV and rummaged around the back for a bit until he found what he was looking for.
He walked over to the dead driver and placed a small cup to the corpse’s throat, squeezing along the vein until the cup was half filled. Standing, he downed the blood in one big gulp, wiped his mouth and tossed the cup away.
“Alright, let’s go get that bitch loaded up,” he said aloud as he hopped into the ATV and started it up.
***
The two children stared at June listlessly as she snapped the flimsy lock on their cage.
“I’m going to get you out of here,” she said quietly. “There’s a better place for you out there, away from here.”
One of the two looked out into the waste. June cocked her head. “You can understand me?”
The child, June wasn’t sure if it was a boy or girl, nodded slightly.
“Can you speak?”
The child shook its head ‘no’.
“Can you walk?”
The child nodded, again.
“Good,” June said as she reached in and scooped up the other child. “Follow me.”
***
The Boss whistled tunelessly as he got out of the ATV. He stepped into the shack then into the back room. His whistling stopped immediately as he surveyed the scene.
The first thing he noticed was the massive pool of blood. The second was the headless corpse in the blood. The third thing was the knife case with the words, “Open Me” written in blood on the side.
“What the fuck?” he growled.
He snatched up the case and whipped it open. Inside was the head of Chunks, dead eyes staring up and cock and balls stuffed in his mouth.
Chapter Eight
Part One- Rescue, Interrupted
Jimmy ran through the house, grabbing essentials while Michelle took care of baby Rachel.
“I can’t get a hold of my Father!” Michelle cried. “He won’t pick up.”
“You can’t think of that right now. We have to focus on getting out of the city,” Capreze called back. “We have to get to safety.”
“What’s going on?” Michelle said, rushing into the living room with a day bag and a crying baby. “What attacked the city?”
Jimmy turned to look at his terrified wife’s face.
“Sir?”
Everything started to fade, the color washing away as the voice yanked Capreze awake.
***
“Your Grace? We are receiving a transmission from the Boss,” Montoya said, gently tapping the Bishop on his shoulder. Bishop Wyble stirred and looked out the transport windshield then at the Deacon.
“Well, about time. How late is he?” Wyble asked.
“Two hours, Your Grace.”
“Remind me to have him fed two pounds of his own flesh when this is all over, as penalty for making me wait.”
“Of course, Your Grace. A fitting punishment.”
“It is, isn’t it?” the Bishop agreed waving his hand impatiently. “Put the Boiler through.”
A grainy image of the Boss appeared upon the windshield.
***
The Boss stood in front of his transmitter array, his face red with anger and frustration, as the Bishop came up on his vid screen.
“You made me wait, Boiler,” Bishop Wyble sneered.
“I already warned you about calling me Boiler,” the Boss growled.
“Yes, yes you have. I ignored that warning since it came from cannibal trash like you,” the Bishop responded, rolling his eyes. “Now, where are you and why haven’t you met us with the Capreze woman?”
“I won’t be making it to your rendezvous point,” the Boss grumbled. “The fucking mech bitch escaped in the night.”
***
“Okay, what are we looking at, Jethro?” Capreze asked, sipping his coffee. The rest of the base personnel watched Jethro expectantly.
“Well, sir, this communication was intercepted and recorded in the night,” Jethro responded tapping at his tablet. “Just watch and listen.”
They all watched as the vid was played of June being beaten.
“How long ago was this?” Capreze asked when the transmission was over.
“About eight hours,” Jethro answered.
“So, the Bishop should already have June and be almost back to the mech base, right?” Bisby asked.
“Well, no,” Jethro said. “Here’s the live feed from the base.”
***
“You’ve had eight hours and she’s still missing?” the Bishop asked annoyance dripping from his words. “This is why your, um, ‘people’ will always be trash.”
“Watch it,” the Boss warned. “I may stop lookin’ for her and start lookin’ for you.”
The Bishop exploded with laughter. Montoya offered a handkerchief and Wyble took it, dabbing at his eyes. The Bishop took a couple deep breaths and composed himself. “If she isn’t in my hands in the next four hours then I send everyone I have to wipe you and your mutants out of the wasteland once and for all.”
***
“You see how the Ranchers are slacking?” Jethro pointed out on the vid feed. “The Bishop obviously isn’t back and it doesn’t look like they are expecting him anytime soon.”
“So, what’s you point?” Harlow asked.
Jethro looked to Capreze. The Commander sighed. “His point is we may have time to rescue June.”
“What?” Rachel scoffed. “She ran out on us! She fucking cut Steve and left him for dead!”
“And she’ll answer for that, Pilot,” Capreze said. “When she’s safe.”
“How far away are we?” Bisby asked, ignoring the Caprezes and focusing on Jethro.
“Well, that’s the good news.”
***
Doctor Themopolous stepped from the transport and away from the morning meeting. She wasn’t a pilot and military logistics gave her a headache. Stretching, she turned about, taking in the vastness of the wasteland. Directly behind her stood Mastelo and several other Skinner men and women. The Doctor jumped, a small, surprised squeak escaping her lips.
“Good morning,” Mastelo greeted. “I apologize for startling you.”
Themopolous, hand to her chest, smiled weakly. “Good morning. And no apologies necessary.”
The two watched each other for a moment until Mastelo cleared his throat. “Is the Commander available?”
“Yes, of course,” Themopolous answered.
***
“I don’t care, Baby Girl!” Capreze shouted. “You will be accompanying Pilot Bisby on this rescue mi
ssion.”
“You have got to be kidding me?!?” Rachel yelled back. “She doesn’t deserve our rescue!”
“Ahem,” Themopolous interrupted.
“What?!?” the Caprezes shouted in unison.
Themopolous’ eyebrows raised. “Um, Mastelo would like to speak with the Commander.”
Capreze pushed past his daughter. “Bisby? Plot a course with Jethro. Pilot Capreze? Ready yours and Pilot Bisby’s mechs.”
The Commander stormed from the transport. Rachel whirled on Bisby, but he held up a hand. “Don’t start. You can vent when we’re on our way.”
Rachel fumed.
***
The Boss restrained himself from smashing the transmitter array to pieces. “Fucking pack that up!” he yelled at his driver.
The young woman leapt from the ATV and immediately started breaking down the array. The Boss lifted a handheld com to his mouth. “Someone tell me somethin’ good!” he barked.
He was met with nothing but static. “If someone doesn’t respond with good news, I can guarantee none of you will live through the day.”
“Um, Hanson and me think we’s found their trail, Boss,” a voice squawked.
“Good,” the Boss growled. “Where are you two at?”
“Near Smalley Gulch.”
***
“We need to keep moving,” June said. “Is it almost charged?”
Olivia, sitting in the ATV’s passenger seat, a still sleeping child in her arms, looked at the ATV’s dashboard. “No, looks like it’ll still be another hour.”
“Shit,” June said.
“You should get some rest,” Olivia whispered.
June stared from the shadows of the rock outcropping where they were hidden, kicking at the cable running from the small solar panel to the ATV absentmindedly. “I’m afraid to rest. I don’t think I’d get back up.”
The older child, resting in the backseat, sat up suddenly, head cocked and listening.
***
Hanson stopped the ATV and grabbed the pair of binocs out of Delroy’s hands. He scanned the dry gulch below and tossed the binocs back. “I don’t see shit,” he complained.
Delroy lifted the binocs to his own eyes. He checked back and forth, finally focusing on one spot. “There, right before it turns.” He pulled the binocs away and pointed.
