by Kyle West
Then, we saw them. There were three Recons, all lined up and facing outward toward large, pull-up garage doors. They each had four wheels with thick, serrated all-terrain tires, with plenty of suspension to hold up the chassis. Each one was a light brown desert camo, and the cabs were thin and aerodynamic, hanging low to the ground. These things were built for speed. There looked to be enough room for four people in each. In the back was a large turret, upon which was mounted a machine gun. Its height meant that it probably had 360 degree rotation, and it would have no problem shooting over the cab. In the back, below the machine gun, was a sizeable space for cargo. The hydrogen fuel tank would be in there, right behind the cab.
“Wicked,” I said.
“Let’s check them out,” Samuel said.
We inspected all three. Each had a cargo bay in the back, filled with spare parts, a couple of spare tires, tools, and even some rations and water. We gathered all we could into the center Recon. I went to the passenger door, finding it locked.
“Needs a key,” I said.
“They’re over here, on the wall,” Samuel said, taking one down. “This one should do it.”
I held out my hands. Instead of tossing it to me, he handed it off to Makara.
“Hey,” I said.
“You don’t know how to drive,” Makara said.
“And you do?”
“It’s been a while...but yeah. The Lost Angels had a Recon, so I know how to pilot it.”
“I want to learn.”
“Maybe later.” Makara put an index finger to her chin. “She needs a name.”
Everyone stopped, and thought a moment.
“We’ll think of something later,” Samuel said. “A good name is important. We have to get it right.”
Makara nodded. “You’re right. Have we got everything?”
“I think so,” Samuel said. “Fire her up. Alex, help me with the garage door.”
Makara opened the driver’s door and hopped in. The Recon started with a roar that faded into a low hum. The hum came from behind the cab, where the hydrogen fuel tank was building pressure.
Samuel and I unlatched the garage door, pulling it up to reveal the outside. Light flooded the garage, blinding me for a moment. The cold mountain air rushed in, stinging my face with cold.
When my eyes adjusted, I was startled to see the sky above, not a dull red, but a blue violet. We were above the low hanging clouds.
Right above, I saw the sun for the first time in my life.
I didn’t have time to enjoy it, though. Samuel hit me on the shoulder. He pointed down the disused road curving down the mountain through rock and red-tinged snow. My eyes narrowed.
Walking up the path were five men, maybe two hundred yards away. They stopped, clearly seeing us.
“Inside the Recon,” Samuel said. “Now.”
We ran into the garage as the first shots fired.
I had no idea how, but Brux had found us.
Chapter 23
We piled in the Recon. Makara turned on us.
“What the hell are they doing here?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “Just drive!”
Makara shifted into drive and floored it. The engine roared and the pressure tank behind us hummed. The tires squealed on the pavement as the Recon roared onto the dirt road covered with snow.
“Careful,” Samuel said. “This road is narrow.”
“They’re straight ahead,” I said. “Makara, I don’t think you should...”
“Get down,” she said.
The raiders opened fire on us. I heard bullets ding off the hood and hit the windshield. Three bullets cracked the glass.
“Here we go,” she said.
I heard men yelling from the sides of the vehicle, but no telltale squishy bumps.
The guns fired a few more times, but we were in the clear. We sped past them.
“Next stop, Bunker One,” Makara said.
“Makara,” I said, “don’t ever try that again.”
She cracked a smile. “It worked, didn’t it?”
“Yeah, but you could’ve been shot.”
She shrugged. “Are you really complaining here?”
I sighed. “I guess you have a point.”
We rounded a bend. Below I could see red clouds spread out like a blanket over the land, and mountaintops poking through them. We would be entering those clouds soon. Already, they were closer.
A few minutes later, we were in the dense, red fog. Makara turned on the headlights, but we could only see a few yards in front of us.
“I don’t see how they found us,” I said.
“Maybe they weren’t trying,” Makara said. “They’re hurting for loot to take back. Now that Bunker 114 is gone, maybe they thought it would be easy pickings.” She shook her head. “Idiots.”
Makara slowed down. The entire right side was sheer cliff, and falling off would mean death.
It was after we had gone down several switchbacks that I noticed two pairs of headlights above us.
“Shit,” I said. “They followed us!”
I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten about those other two vehicles. Of course this wasn’t over yet.
“I’m afraid you will have to drive fast now, Makara,” Samuel said. “I’m going in the back to man the turret.”
“Get back there, then,” Makara said. “Be careful.”
Samuel disappeared into the back. A few seconds later, he had started firing.
A spray of bullets showered the road ahead of us from above. We took a tight turn, forcing everyone to the left. The entire Recon shook with the effort.
I got out my Beretta, not knowing what good it would do me in this vehicle. The other Recons were two switchbacks above us.
“Can’t we go faster?” I asked.
Makara’s look was venomous. “If you want to slip on the ice and snow and fall to our deaths, then yeah...we can go faster.”
“Good point.”
Then, the first Recon rounded the bend right behind us. Samuel fired. I could see the hood of the other vehicle become riddled with bullets. A raider leaned out the passenger’s window and fired toward us.
Makara swerved around a tight bend, and the back tires lost traction. We were heading toward the cliff. At the last moment, Makara floored it, and we were surging ahead onto the next downward slope. I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest.
The next Recon tried the same thing, only it was going too fast. As it fishtailed, the back tires fell off the slope. The entire vehicle slid backward, its front tires squealing like some dying thing.
As we rounded the next bend, we could see the Recon toppling over the road ahead of us.
Makara slammed on the brakes as Samuel fired a hail of bullets at the other Recon, just one switchback above us. The downed Recon crashed into the road ahead, did a half flip, and continued to roll down the mountainside.
“They’re done,” I said.
A moment later, the vehicle exploded in a violent plume of fire, crashing into a giant rock jutting out from the mountain.
“Let’s hope Brux was in there,” Makara said.
That was not to be. The other Recon swerved around the corner. In the passenger’s seat, I could see the man with the blond crew cut and a long scar, even from the side mirror. The driver’s eyes were wide and fearful. Brux looked murderous.
We exited the layer of red fog, finding ourselves very close to the desert floor. The snow petered out, replaced by red rock, dirt, and barren Waste. We made one final turn, and it was a straight stretch to the desert flatland.
Then, I heard a popping noise. I turned, and the low hum of the pressure chamber became a high whir. The pressure needle on the fuel gauge swerved down.
“They must have hit something,” Makara said. “We’re losing pressure.”
“What does that mean?
“It means we’re going nowhere.”
Behind us, after another round of shooting, I heard the tires o
f Brux’s Recon squeal. Samuel had blown out one of the tires. The vehicle swerved, and flipped on its side. It slid down the hill, past us, even as our Recon slowed to a halt and the electronics powered down.
Makara braked, bringing our Recon to a halt. She hopped out of the vehicle, pointing her pistol at Brux’s vehicle, the bottom of which now faced us.
I got out on my side, and followed Makara’s example, pointing my gun at the raiders’ crashed vehicle. Samuel faced the turret toward the downed Recon.
It was time to meet Brux.
Chapter 24
Nothing happened for a full minute. We just stood there, pointing our guns, waiting for anyone to come out. The wind blew, blowing dust across the scene.
After waiting a while, I was beginning to think they might be dead.
But quick as a flash, Brux showed himself and fired a few shots. Above us, we heard Samuel give a loud yell.
Brux slipped behind the downed Recon, a smile on his lips.
“Samuel!” Makara said.
Samuel grabbed his shoulder and dropped inside the cargo bay. Makara and I jumped inside. He was sitting in the corner next to some supplies, holding his right shoulder and grimacing.
“Oh my God,” Makara said.
She ripped down the first aid kit hanging on the wall.
Samuel winced. “Pressure...put pressure on the wound...”
Makara ripped open her bag, taking out a shirt. She placed it on the wound, where blood gushed out at an alarming rate. Makara put her full weight on it. Samuel groaned.
“Alex, find the congealing agent,” she said.
I opened the first aid kid, digging through it. I found a tube of liquid that had the word “congealer” on it.
“This it?”
Makara snatched it from me. She took off the shirt, and squeezed the clear jelly onto the wound. Samuel hissed with pain. She put pressure back on the wound.
“That should help,” she said.
Samuel waved her away. “It’s nothing. Let me hold the shirt.”
“Samuel, you’re in no state...”
He pushed her off with surprising strength, holding the shirt. “I will be fine for the next few minutes. You have to deal with Brux.”
Makara nodded. “You’re right. But, how?”
I was afraid to step out of the cargo bay. Surely, their sights would be trained on the back, the only exit. Stepping out there was sure death.
“I have an idea,” I said.
Both Makara and Samuel looked at me.
“The pressure tank...has it lost all pressure?”
“No,” Samuel said. “There should be some fuel left.”
“Don’t strain yourself, Samuel.” She turned to me. “Alex, what’s your idea?”
“Hydrogen.” I tapped the tank. “There’s still plenty of it in reserve. If we can take the tank and throw it out the back, it will roll down the hill. If one of us shoots it...”
Samuel smiled. “Boom.”
“But how will we get away without our own pressure tank?” Makara asked.
“We can salvage the tank off the other Recon afterward.”
“If it doesn’t blow up in the process,” Makara said.
“That’s a risk we’ll have to take,” I said. “This is our only option.”
Makara nodded. “Let’s do it.”
Getting it out was easy – the pressure tanks were meant to be easily installed and removed. The thing was heavy. It took both me and Makara lifting it to get it to the back of the Recon.
We looked at each other.
“Ready?” I asked.
Makara nodded. “Let’s hope this works.”
We tossed it out, making sure it was horizontal to the slope. We gave a few seconds for the thing to roll down the hill.
“Now,” I said.
Makara stepped out the back, and started to fire. I jumped onto the turret, and didn’t bother with the heavy gun. I aimed my Beretta toward the tank.
They were hiding. We met no resistance as I opened fire.
My bullets connected, and the tank lit up like a torch. A giant mushroom of fire shot upward, forcing the downed Recon backward, causing it to roll on its top.
I jumped down from the turret as Makara joined me. I took out my handgun. It was time to finish the job.
As we wheeled around the vehicle, we found both Brux and his crony lying on the ground. The crony lifted a pistol. I shot him dead before he had the chance to fire. He went limp, and relaxed against the earth.
Brux was a few feet off, his skin cracked and charred. His entire body was shaking. He reached for his gun, just a few feet off. Makara kicked it far away.
“Ma...Makara...” Brux said, lifting an arm in surrender.
Behind us, the fire of our improvised bomb still crackled. It was nowhere near this Recon’s hydrogen tank, so we were safe for now.
Makara walked by his head, pointing her gun down. “Don’t try anything, Brux. You’ve had your time to try.”
“I...I won’t. Please...have mercy on me, Makara. I’m sorry. Take me back to Bluff...I’ll give you money, anything you want.”
Makara scowled as her eyes considered. Surely, she couldn’t be...
Bam.
The bullet went right into Brux’s forehead. His entire body stiffened, then was still. His vacant eyes stared upward.
The wind blew cold as Makara spat on his face.
“Come on,” she said. “We need to rescue that other tank.”
I followed Makara into the upside down Recon. Thankfully, the cargo bay had been left wide open. Together, we removed the tank. Hydrogen gas hissed into the air from the fuel line. It would only be moments before it connected with the flames not too far away.
“Let’s get out of here,” Makara said.
We jumped out of the Recon and ran back uphill, lugging the tank with us. As we reached our own vehicle, the downed Recon ignited, booming off the nearby mountainside. I could feel its heat licking at my back.
We went back into the cargo bay. While Makara installed the new tank and connected it to the fuel line, I made sure Samuel was alright. The bleeding had slowed, but his face was pale. If he did not get medical attention soon, the bullet would eventually take his life.
Makara finished making the connections, and nodded. She put a hand on Samuel’s shoulder.
Samuel forced a smile. “It’s nothing.”
“Humph.” She looked toward me. “Let’s get him up front.”
Makara and I moved him to the passenger’s seat. As Makara slid to the driver’s side, I sat in the middle.
“You’re in charge of watching him,” Makara said. “Let’s hope she starts up.”
Makara turned the key, and the engine roared to life. As soon as I heard the engine idle, and the pressure tank hum, I knew what her name would be.
“Khloe,” I said.
Makara raised an eyebrow. “Khloe? That’s not a tough name for a Recon.”
“You’re wrong. It’s the toughest name I know.”
She looked at me for a moment, and then nodded. “Khloe it is, then.”
Samuel’s eyes closed as Makara drove Khloe east. In the side mirror, I could see the fires of the downed Recon burn brightly.
We sped across the flat Wasteland, Cold Mountain a mass behind us.
On our left, I could see a couple of infected wolves feeding on the body of a fallen antelope. As we passed, they sped after us, oblivious of any danger to themselves. We quickly left them in our dust.
I shook my head. “The first normal animal I see ends up being eaten by some infected wolves. Figures.”
From beside us, Samuel was still.
“Is he alright?” I asked.
Makara watched him for a moment. “Let him rest. He will need it.”
“He needs medical attention.”
“You think I don’t know that? We will be there by tonight.”
“Where?”
“You’re not going to like it.”
“Guess again.”
I thought about it, but nothing came to mind. Surely not L.A.. That was too far. But where else could she...
Then, Samuel spoke, his voice raspy.
“Don’t tell me we’re going to Raider Bluff, little sister.”
Makara smiled grimly. “It’s the homecoming we’ve all been waiting for. I have a favor to call in.”
“What?” I asked. “You’re not serious...”
“It’s the only place I know with a doctor,” Makara said. “I don’t like it, but it’s the only option.”
The cab was quiet for a moment. Finally, Samuel gave a long, tired sigh.
“Lead on, then.”
I thought we were out of the fire, but now, we were going into the furnace. Makara stepped on the gas, as if to defiantly meet that inevitability.
We surged ahead. As I watched the Wasteland pass, even as we made enormous speed, Cheyenne Mountain and Bunker One had never seemed farther away.
About the Author
Kyle West is a science fiction author living in Oklahoma City. He is currently working on The Wasteland Chronicles series, of which there will be seven installments. Books 2 and 3 are already available. Find out immediately when his next book is released by signing up for The Wasteland Chronicles Mailing List.
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Origins Preview
Samuel was dying.
We had left Bunker 114 and Cold Mountain behind hours ago and darkness cloaked the Wasteland. As we sped east toward Raider Bluff, I wondered if Brux's parting shot meant our mission had failed before it even began.
Samuel’s eyes had remained closed for almost the entire journey. Wet blood soaked his right shoulder. The congealing agent had slowed the bleeding somewhat, but he wouldn't last for long. We had to find someone who could remove the bullet and stop the bleeding. If we couldn’t, either Makara or I would have to do it.
The Recon’s bright blue lights pushed back the night, letting us to see ahead in a wide arc. Thirty years of red dust covered most parts of the highway. We zoomed past decrepit buildings, ghost towns, and mangled road signs, the skeletal remains of Ragnarok.
