Moonshine Wizard

by Phillip Drayer Duncan

  And like that, they had their attention. Focus switched from the helpless folks in the building to the little strike team. It was too late. In their arrogance, they’d hadn’t covered their flank, and they paid with their lives. And not one among Bert’s group had any mercy to offer. Only bullets and blood.

  A small group of ninjas charged from the right. Bert elbowed Hunter, who slammed a new clip in his gun and pressed the release to chamber a round. Turning it on the ninjas, he mowed them down with extreme prejudice. All fell, save one, who despite the many bullet holes in his chest, powered forward. Bert holstered his gun and drew Sharp, slicing his blade through the dying man’s throat.

  An eerie silence descended on them as the last of the Brotherhood thugs fell, just as before. This time however, the silence was broken by a mass of cheers, shouts, and applause from the apartment complex.

  Gathering his wits, Bert said, “Reload! There could be more.” He glanced around to ensure there wasn’t and continued, “Hunter, will you try to set up something of a perimeter? Jim and Neil, you guys shield. Kevin, grab a couple of guys and start looting the bodies. I’ll see what’s up with the people inside.”

  None of his friends questioned him, which he was rather grateful for. He didn’t want to be a bossy dick, but he knew they needed quick and decisive action. Maybe it was just the fact he was the only one still running around like a jackass and getting into this kind of shit on a semi-regular basis, but they let him lead. However, if he made a bonehead move, Kevin or Neil would call him on it. Of that he had little doubt.

  Bert moved toward the front of the old hotel. A gray-haired man with a dirty face stuck his head out of a second story window and gave him a once over. “I don’t know if we got room for all of you, young fella.”

  “Not looking for a place to hide, sir,” Bert replied, trying at a friendly smile.

  “Then what are you looking for?”

  “A way to take your town back from these assholes.”

  “Hmm,” the man said, unimpressed. “You have a plan to go with that swagger, kid?”

  “We have the Saloon locked down. We’re trying to get the injured and anyone who can’t fight back there for care. Anyone who can fight, well, it’ll take more than my little group to send these pricks packing.”

  “You’re a little out gunned, don’t you think?”

  “That depends. How many able-bodied people you have in there willing to fight for their home?”

  He stared at Bert for a moment and said, “We ain’t short on want to. We’re short on guns.”

  “No, we’re really not,” Bert said, pointing his thumb behind him. “We’ve got plenty of shooting iron.”

  The old man laughed. “Well, that’s certainly a good start.”

  “We’ll have more soon.”

  “How’s that?” he asked, a twinkle of humor in his gaze.

  “Some way we got these,” Bert assured him.

  “I like you, kid.” He chuckled again and raised his voice. “You heard the man! We can’t hold them off forever throwing trash. Let’s go get our damn town back!”

  A few moments later, the door opened and sea of people poured out. Behind them, an old dog limped down the stairs dragging a pair of dirty overalls in its teeth. As it approached Bert, it transitioned back to human form and Bert found himself face to face with the old man. And he was naked.

  “Sorry,” the old man said, slipping into his overalls. “I don’t do stairs so well in human form anymore.”

  “No worry,” Bert said, trying to erase the image from his mind. When the man was fully dressed he offered his hand. “I’m Bert.”

  The old man replied with a firm grip. “Name’s Gus. Or Old Timer. Whichever suits you.”

  “As soon as everyone’s ready, we’ll work our way back toward the Saloon.”

  “That’s no good.” Gus shook his head. “We had a good view from some of the higher windows. The square is a few blocks over. When the killing started, a lot of folks took sanctuary in the school house. Hell, half the town was around the square, and that’s where these dickless pricks are congregating. I’d say the bulk of their force is there. If we don’t hurry, the school house will fall. There’s a whole mess of little ones in there, wizard. A group of us were about to head that way to help when this group attacked.”

  “Then that’s where we’ll have to go,” Bert said, eyeing the group. “How many children and injured do you have?”

  “Too many,” he replied.

  “All right,” Bert said. “Round them up. We don’t have much time.”

  Gus started barking orders and Bert turned around to his friends. Gathering them together, he quickly ran over what the old man had told him.

  “That sounds like a suicide mission,” Jim said, shaking his head. “What are we going to do? We’ve got to get these people back to the Saloon, but we can’t leave those kids out there. And we aren’t prepared to take on a whole force of those bastards, especially if we haul the injured with us.”

  Bert nodded. “We are going to have to split up.”

  “You sure that’s a good idea?” Hunter asked, voicing the unease they all felt.

  “No,” Bert admitted. “But I don’t know what else to do. Anyone have any better ideas?”

  “It’s the only option,” Kevin said with a sigh. “It’s the best we can do.”

  Bert said, “I think Neil and Kevin should lead the noncombatants and injured back to the Saloon, along with some armed people. Jim, Hunter, and I will lead the rest of the fighters against the main force at the school.”

  They nodded and the old man approached. “They’re all still making their way outside.”

  Bert nodded. “Okay, let’s start passing out weapons.”

  Much to Bert’s surprise, there were around fifty people who’d been hiding in the apartment building. Even if they’d tried to take everyone to the Saloon, they might not have all fit. Everyone who could wield a gun was given one until they ran out, but there were more people armed than unarmed.

  “All right, everyone,” Bert said. “Here’s the plan. We’re splitting up. We’ve got to get the kids and injured back to the Saloon. My friends, Kevin and Neil, are going to lead that group, and they’re going to need some armed folks to go with them. I’m leading another team to the square to save everyone in the school house. Both options are dangerous, but it’s your decision which way you want to go.”

  The people mumbled amongst themselves, many unsure which option to pick. He wasn’t sure he had another compelling speech in him. Fortunately, the old man came to his aid. “Come on, you pecker woods! Make a decision! This is your goddamned town! Are you going to fight to save it or sit here and dittle yourselves?”

  With that, the people began splitting into two groups. Bert turned to his friends. “You guys got this?”

  “Piece of cake,” Neil said, grinning arrogantly.

  Kevin rolled his eyes and said, “We’ll get them there, Bert. I’m more worried about you guys.”

  “Yeah,” Jim replied. “Me too.”

  “We’ll be all right,” Bert said. “Just make sure those people get to safety.”

  Bert turned to head toward his group. Jim and Hunter followed, but Neil called out to them. “Hey guys...” He paused, scrunching his nose as if in disgust. “It’s just, well, you guys are my best friends and…”

  Kevin chimed in with, “I think what he’s trying to say is ‘good luck’ without getting all mushy.”

  “No,” Neil said, shaking his head. “I’m trying to say I love you guys. Don’t get killed.”

  Jim laughed. “Yeah, you too buddy.”

  Bert nodded at them and turned to get his group moving. He was surprised to find the old man had joined his group of fighters. He fixed Bert with a hard glare and said, “Don’t look at me like that, kid. I still got one left.”

  “I don’t doubt it,” Bert said earnestly.

  The old man’s eyes drifted over the strange humans around h
im before turning back to Bert. “I don’t have to live down here, as you can see. I choose to. The human world doesn’t have much to offer an old fart like me. This is my home. These are my people. I won’t stand by.”

  Bert nodded in reply, unable to speak. The man’s words weighed on him. What had he gotten his own people into? What if he was leading Jim and Hunter to their deaths? What if he never saw Kevin or Neil again? He glanced back at them once more, then pushed his solemn thoughts away and marched his small, untrained, under-gunned, and outnumbered army toward the school house, and the bulk of the Brotherhood force.

  Chapter 28

  Neil watched his friends walk away. He didn’t like separating, but knew they didn’t have much of a choice. He also had a feeling that Bert knew more about what was going on than he was letting on. That really pissed him off, but that was a problem for later, when, and if, they survived. This whole situation was a mess. Risking his life for a bunch of people he didn’t know. At one time, it would’ve been clear he was doing the right thing. But now? He had kids of his own to raise, dammit. That’s why he’d given this shit up in the first place. But he knew he couldn’t leave because he knew he couldn’t live with himself if he did. Having a conscience was stupid.

  “We better get moving,” Kevin said, breaking his thoughts. “You better take the front since you can shield.”

  “All right,” Neil said, forcing a smile. “Shouldn’t be a problem.”

  “You remember how to get back?”

  “Of course I do.” Neil shrugged. “You don’t? Is that why you wanted me to take point?”

  Kevin’s eyes narrowed. “Right. Don’t be too proud to ask for directions.”

  “As if,” he replied, then pointed to the six katanas slung over Kevin’s shoulders. “What’s with the swords?”

  “Everyone wanted the guns,” Kevin said, shrugging. “No one was interested in the swords.”

  “You know, most people only fight with one of those at a time.”

  Kevin grinned and gave one of the hilts a loving tap. “Don’t worry. I’ve got a plan for these.”

  “All right, then, I guess we should get this party started.”

  He headed toward the front of the group and motioned them to follow. As they headed into the alley, he glanced over his shoulder and spoke to a scaled lizard-looking-humanoid behind him, “Hey, if I start going the wrong way, just point me in the right direction. But don’t make it too obvious.”

  The lizard-man-or-woman hissed in reply.

  “I’ll assume that was a yes. Let’s move.”

  Neil led them through the winding alleys, always checking each corner for surprises. He didn’t like the amount of noise his group made. Alone, he could travel through these alleys in complete silence. But with a large group of people, some injured, others scared, and several children, they might as well have been a marching band. A few paces behind him, a woman was trying to silence a crying baby. A marching band with a crying baby. He sighed and continued forward.

  He almost took a wrong turn once, but the lizard creature’s hiss stopped him in his tracks. Pointing his staff the other way he said, “This way?”

  The lizard-man-or-woman nodded.

  “Thanks,” he said. “Do me a favor: don’t tell my friends.”

  The creature responded with another hiss. Neil nodded and led the group on. They rounded another corner and he realized they had a straight shot to the back of the Saloon. There was just one more alley to pass before they made it. Peeking around the corner, he saw a group of Brotherhood members strolling down the street on the other side. He waved his group back and held a finger up to his lips. There wasn’t any nearby gun fire and he was afraid any noise would garner their attention.

  He waited. Once the Brotherhood walked past, he could move the group across the gap and be home free. Just a few more seconds…and the baby started crying again. Neil closed his eyes and purposefully smacked the back of his head against the wall. Opening his eyes, he leaned forward and peaked around the alley. The Brotherhood troopers had heard, and instead of walking down the street, they’d turned up the alley and were coming right toward him. Neil leaned toward the lizard creature and pulled a grenade from its belt. Popping the pin out, he tossed it down the alley.

  Powering up his shield and pulling a throwing knife from his belt, he stepped into the mouth of the alley. He hurled his knife at the closest enemy, sticking the blade in his eye. He went down and his brethren unceremoniously shoved him out of the way. The grenade exploded, shaking the ground and scattering the Brotherhood dicks like bowling pins.

  Neil glanced back at his group and waved them forward. “Go! Run! Now!”

  The mass pushed past him, running toward the safety of the Saloon. Gun shots zipped around him and he manipulated his shield to cover the entire mouth of the alley.

  The lizard-man-or-woman-but-definitely-badass stepped up beside him and opened fire with one of the appropriated assault rifles. A woman joined the fray as well, also wielding a stolen rifle. They were putting pressure on their foes, but the amount of gunfire the Brotherhood replied with was wearing his shield down in a hurry. Just when he didn’t think he could hold it another moment, a grenade landed at his feet.

  He had a split second to make a decision. To control the blast of the grenade would require the full focus of his shield, and in its weakened state, it might not be enough. And if he dropped it, the folks running past him would be shredded in a hail of gunfire. But if he didn’t stop it, they’d all be dead anyway. With no more time for internal debate, he focused his shield around the grenade.

  The explosion roared like thunder in his ears and he couldn’t feel the solid ground beneath his feet. Opening his eyes, he realized he was on the ground. He glanced up in time to see the woman who’d been shooting beside him go down with a bullet wound to the chest. He tried to get to his feet. He tried to raise his shield. He couldn’t do either, and his ears were ringing, blocking out all other sound.

  He turned toward the alley and saw footsteps approaching. The Brotherhood buttholes were right on top of him. Turning back the other way, he saw his own people going down in droves, being shredded by gunfire as they tried to cross the mouth of the alley. He turned back toward the Brotherhood and saw that one of the ninja pricks was standing right over him, sword raised to pierce his chest. Still he couldn’t force his limbs to move.

  The lizard-badass stepped forward and fired its rifle, spraying the ninja’s chest with rounds. The ninja went down, but a trooper took its place, returning fire. The lizard-badass took a hit in the shoulder and fell beside Neil, hissing in agony and locking its terror-filled gaze with his. This was it. They were dead.

  The Brotherhood gunman took aim on Neil, the smoking barrel only inches from his face. Neil bared his teeth and grinned at the man, not giving the bastard the satisfaction of seeing his fear. Inside, he was thinking about his kids. Goddamn, but he’d miss them. The little assholes.

  A spinning blur twirled past his vision and a moment later, the trooper’s head rolled off of his body. Before he had time to ascertain what the hell had just happened, the Brotherhood goon’s headless corpse fell on top of him. Even if he’d the strength to get up, he doubted he could move the heavy body off of him. At least I’m alive, he thought. For the moment.

  ***

  Damn, we were so close, Kevin thought, watching the chaos begin at the head of the herd. He’d seen Neil pitch the grenade down the alley, and knew shit was about to get real.

  As Neil stepped into the alley and built up his shield, Kevin spurred the group forward. The injured were slow to move, though, and progress was slow. He’d hoped Neil could hold it up until they got past, but saw the blast when Neil was knocked from his feet. Then the real chaos had started. A few had made it safely past the mouth of the alley, but those still trying to run past were massacred. Others tried to turn back and the whole crowd panicked.

  Kevin rushed forward, fighting through his own people to g
et closer to Neil. He watched in horror as one of the gunman stepped over his friend and pointed the rifle in his face. Kevin pulled one of the katanas from his back, and using his ability to enhance his own strength, hurled it at the gunman like a boomerang.

  Much to his surprise, it decapitated the bastard.

  All right, he thought, that’ll do. Amplifying the strength of his legs, he sprinted forward like a charging bull and drew another katana from his back. In his other hand he still held the pistol grip shotgun. The gunmen pouring out of the alley weren’t prepared for his charge, and he slammed into one of them, sending him tumbling back into the others. He swung his sword into the face of another man, burying it into his skull. He raised the shotgun with his other hand and fired point blank into the masked face of another.

  The mouth of the alley was his, then, the rest of Brotherhood force choked into the corridor but still trying to push forward. He dropped his shotgun and started hurling katanas as fast as he could. It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective. Damn effective. The twirling blades cut through the Brotherhood asshats like a weed eater chopping through tall grass. Blood sprayed in every direction as his blades claimed legs and arms, and other body parts.

  Others from his group stepped up beside him and began firing their weapons.

  Out of swords, he grabbed the headless corpse off of Neil and hurled it at his enemies as well, knocking two of them off their feet. He grabbed Neil by the foot and swung his body, releasing him with the intent of sliding him back into cover. In the excitement, however, he threw him a bit too hard and grimaced as Neil smashed into a wall.

  He spun around and motioned the rest of the survivors to run for the Saloon. The back door was open now, and a few of Brock’s people were in the street, helping the injured to safety. A few more came forward to offer reinforcement.