Kicking Against The Pricks

Jude wiped a few beads of sweat from his brow and slung them onto the cement floor near the generator. He hadn’t taken a break since his return from Patrick AFB, and the strain of working was starting to take its toll. His back met the wall behind him and slid down until his bottom was resting on the ground. Stella pushed at his hand with her nose and took a seat next to him. She had forgiven him for leaving her behind, and whimpered signaling she wanted to be petted. He scratched behind her ear, causing her back foot to twitch slightly.

“No rest for the wicked, right girl?” He sighed, then climbed to his knees and retuned to the tedious mending.

Outside in the yard, Mac was planting the last IED in position. The devices littering the area outside the fence that surrounded The Compound were created by a Guerilla named Neville. The simple yet effective design consisted of two key elements – A coffee can that housed various projectiles, like nails and handfuls of 9mm rounds, and a propane tank which was buried in the ground up to its handles. The canister was taped near a painted on X close to the nozzle of the tank, which would act as a target for guards positioned around the entrance during the assault. If The Crazies got anywhere near one of the tanks, a shot from a rifle would send them flying through the air in pieces. Even if they were lucky enough to survive the blast, they wouldn’t make it very far with spike-riddled legs.

Mac dusted his gloves off and stepped back to survey their defenses. Hopefully, all this preparation would be enough to keep the enemy at bay until the snipers could do their job. Crazies were tough, but they were by no means invincible. Mac had plugged a few between the eyes during a previous attack and they had gone down rather quickly. The Wastes were a dangerous place, but if could put shell into an enemy’s skull from 200 yards, you’d be alright.

“All finished, boss” Announced Jude trotting up from behind, his shirt dirty with grease and sweat.

Mac turned to the boy and smiled warmly. It was all coming together and he was beginning to think they actually stood a chance.

“Fantastic! I knew I could count on you, Switch!” He chuckled loudly. “Now that you’re finished, I got a surprise for you” He added, placing his arm around Jude’s shoulders.

The two of the made their way towards a old Heavy Oshkosh 8x8. Around the back, standing between two opened cargo doors, was a young woman with curly reddish-brown hair and grey eyes.

“This is Lucille Ford, our weapons expert” Mac explained, making her blush.

“I’m hardly an expert, Mac! I just hand out what they ask for” Lucy joked. “Nice to finally meet you, I’ve heard good things” She said shaking Jude’s hand.

“Figured you could use a new weapon. That rifle you’ve been toting around looks like its been through Hell and back” Mac said, jumping up into the back of the truck.

Jude loved his rifle almost as much as he did Stella, but Mac was right. It had been damaged so many times that it was almost entirely held together with duck tape. It was a little embarrassing to be seen with, and had jammed on more than one occasion. Jude climbed up after Lucy and Mac. The inside walls of the truck were blanketed with different firearms. Everything from pistols to shotguns to chain guns hung on hooks like prime cuts of beef. Jude wondered if there were any guns in existence that The Paragon Convoy didn’t carry.

“Holy shit” Jude muttered to himself.

His eyes scanned the area, stopping on each weapon for only a second. There were so many, and the whole experience was almost a bit too much for him.

“Need some help picking out a new gat?” Asked Lucy, who had moved closer to Jude. “What kind of rifle do you have now?” She questioned, stepping in front of him.

Jude thought for a moment, but couldn’t think of the make or model. He had just always called it a rifle because no one had ever asked about it before.

“I’m not sure…” He mumbled, still sweeping the wall with his eyes “It’s an older bolt-action rifle with a hunting scope… It’s brown…”

Lucy giggled and turned to the shelf behind her. She stood silently for a moment, humming a bit every now and then. She finally turned back to the two men, who were still ogling the cache.

“You know, I got this rifle that I’ve been holding onto for some time now” She said, brushing a strand of hair from her line of sight. “It’s a bit more advanced than what you’re used to, I think… But you might really click with this gun” She explained, walking passed them.

Lucy removed an RPG from atop a large steel trunk and lifted the lid. She returned to Jude with a small metal case. Jude took it slowly, looking it over in confusion.

“Umm… What is this?” He asked, holding the case in front of his face.

“Open it, dumbass” Lucy exclaimed and motioned to a nearby workbench.

Jude approached the surface and placed the cold metal container down flat. His thumbs slid across the edges and stopped on two switches. With a flick, it was open and Jude raised the lid slowly. There, in front of him, were several silver pieces, encased in a foam packing. Lucy smiled and pulled the case towards her.

“This is a M89SR-56” She explained as she began assembling the rifle. “Israel used these bad boys a lot during The Tel Avivian Conflict. Well, they used similar snipers against The Korean Empire… This one is special” She added snapping the stock into place. “This is a modified version of The Model 89. Still got all the basic functions…” Lucy said holding it up.

Jude marveled at the weapon, almost drooling with excitement.

“It’s a gas operated semi-auto, based on the old American M14 and can shell out .308s like nobody’s business, but that comes standard. The 2056 is equipped with a light carbon-fiber frame, an extended cartridge clip, shortened barrel with flash suppressor, pistol grip and a custom telescopic sight” She said handing him the 56.

Jude held it at a distance, gazing at the shiny chrome finish. When he snapped out of his stupor, he smiled.

“Where in the world did you get this, Lucy?” He asked in astonishment.

“Yeah… I’m actually curious too. This is far better than anything you’ve handed out before” Said Mac, looking at the rifle.

Lucy chuckled at little.

“I picked it up from a dealer a few years back. Only been fired twice, so I figured it was worth it. I’m not big on rifles myself, but it is an impressive piece of machinery. I’ve been saving it for the right person… And that’s you, Jude” She said and handed him a box of ammo. “If he’s gonna be watching us from above, he needs to be able to hit those fuckers and drop em with one shot. My ass is on the line too” She explained to Mac.

Jude raised the sight up to his face and peeked through the red tinted lens. In the distance, he could see a squirrel running through the yard. This was an amazing gun, and if it could take down The GKE back then, these raiders didn’t stand a chance.

“Thank you, Lucy” Jude said softly from behind the scope.

“Well, just make sure you put it to good use. Even if we didn’t have to worry with The Crazies, you’ve earned it… It’s been yours since that Titan started humming again” She said with a grin.

Mac stepped over to the opening and looked out over the camp.

“So now we wait” He muttered coldly “Gene is up and running, hooked up to the fence… So when the time comes, I’ll flip the switch and bake those animals”.

He was speaking more to himself and seemed to be off in his own universe. A lot had fallen onto Mac’s plate in the last month and Jude felt for him.

“Wait… I’m attacking from above, you said?” Jude asked, breaking Mac’s trance.

“Yeah. You’ll be up on the main gate’s scaffolding with the rest of our marksmen” He called over his shoulder.

“You haven’t even seen me shoot! I mean, I’m alright… But I wouldn’t call me a marksman! Are you sure it’s wise to place your life in my hands?” Jude exclaimed, worried that too much faith had been placed in him.

Mac smiled slightly, built on what seemed like seriousness with a dash of gloom and doom.

“Well… You got me through Patrick in one piece, so I guess I’m just gonna let it ride” He joked quietly.

Across town, in an area locals called The ICU, preparations of a different kind were taking place. Several Crazies sat around a campfire, chewing on bits of meat they’d raked off a passerby. One of them, a wiry woman with blonde hair, spat a bad chunk of flesh onto the ground nearby and scoffed.

“All eyes sayin is, we ain’t gotta be listenin to Cable no more if’n we don’t wanna! We’s way stronger than him! Hell, I could run the family!” She announced to the others, who seemed to be ignoring her. “Dats fine! I see how it gonna be! Fuck yall then! I’ma take care of it on mah own!” She yelled, standing and throwing her piece of traveler into the fire.

The others, who at first looked upset by the waste of food, soon looked passed her in fear. She froze, watching her companions gaze right through her.

“What are you going to take care of, Abby?” A quiet voice said from behind her right ear.

The words shook her to the core, and she couldn’t bring herself to answer. The words were muddled in her throat. From the shadows came a tall, lean man with a crooked frame. His face was hidden beneath a hood which had been sewed onto his long grimy duster.

“Cable… I uh” She said, pausing when the figure chuckled slightly.

“My dear, there is no need to explain. I heard it all, and you’ve clearly made up your mind” The man whispered in his thick Cajun accent, moving his coat aside with his black gloved left hand to reveal a tattered belt.

From a small pouch, he drew a rusty straight razor, which he flicked open with the yellow cracked thumbnail of his right hand. With tears in her eyes, she attempted to apologize, but her words became garbled with blood as the blade passed gently across her neck. As she collapsed, a few thoughts fluttered about in her mind. The first fleeting brain wave was of her mother, whom she hadn’t seen since age 19. The second pertained to the sharpness of Cable’s razor, since she had always assumed it was dull. The last piece of consciousness was comprised of flashing images of her tribe beginning to devour her body seconds after she hit the ground. The bastards hadn’t even waited for her heart to stop beating.

While The Family feasted behind him, Cable looked towards The Compound. Tomorrow morning they would launch their attack, taking Paragon down once and for all. Glancing back over his shoulder at the massacre, he sighed. When she first joined him, Abby had been a promising candidate for Queen, but the fool let her need for power blind her to the truth. Cable had started The Family, and when the time came, he would be the one to end it. He was the Alpha and Omega, and if any opposed him, they were missing the big picture – They were a waste of space and had to be made an example of. Licking his blade clean, Cable returned it to the pouch and made his way over to the campfire, where he’d also partake in supper. When their bellies were full, they extinguished the inferno and started the trek towards Jude and the others.