9 Freak Ou (2/2)
”I'm a mutant warrior!! Whooo!”
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The caravan stops late in order to ensure that any nearby predators would follow the trail of the smelly remains instead of them. When they can no longer discern building structures in the distance, they stop driving. The vehicles are set up in a circle, and floodlights are set up on the roof of each MLVW truck. Eli's crew has night vision goggles, but the hired hands will need the floodlights if anything comes upon them. They stay off until a disturbance is heard, then each light can be switched on by the portable generator, manually. The men are on high alert. Camping out in the open is a high-risk situation.
Sia jumps out of the vehicle and stumbles.
”Haha. Do any of the downloaded moves make my balance better?”
NEGATIVE
FURTHER PHYSICAL CULTIVATION REQUIRED
”Lame,” she mutters.
Seeing a boulder, she runs off to karate-kick it.
”Hi-yaaaaah!”
Sia hits the rock with the side of her foot, but the moment she only has one foot holding her up, she slides on the pebbles below her and falls over.
”Ow. I'm going to need to find some exercise plans. Can you upload workout programs?” she asks as she rubs her backside.
AFFIRMATIVE
Meanwhile, Greg and Vanessa are sitting together eating their rations.
”What is that fool doing now?”
”Ha, she's just a kid. Give her some slack, Vanessa.”
”Hmm.”
”Why are you so hard on her?”
”Hard on her? I treat her just like I treat you two.”
”I haven't seen that look since we first became friends. What's up?”
Greg nudges Vanessa's foot with his own. Vanessa smiles a little before shaking her head and looking up at the darkening sky.
”She just reminds me of my kid cousin.”
”The one that's...?”
”Yea, that fool,” Vanessa glares at the thought of her, ”She's reckless. I can't wait for her people to cross our path, so we'll be done with her.”
”You know, since she already met the leaders she might end up being an ambassador between our two people. You'll definitely see her again.”
Greg grasps Vanessa's hand to get her attention and holds his water jug out for her to drink from. She takes the jug from him to drink, but he doesn't release her hand. They sit there quietly and finish their meal.
Raymond and Sia join them at the end of the vehicle before everyone settles down to sleep.
”I think someone should stay on guard for our truck in the night,” Greg says.
”They wouldn't burn a deal like this. Our leaders have been trade partners with Dennis for years,” Raymond says.
”Yeah, but if we end up dead, I'm sure they wouldn't take the girl and her connections. They'd just pass all that over to our leaders....”
”I see what you mean.”
It is decided that Greg, Raymond, and Vanessa would sit up every few hours. Vanessa took the first watch.
Greg awakens early and looks over at his sleeping companions. He gets up, crouching beneath the roof of the truck, and jostles Raymond awake.
”I'm gonna go take a piss. Eyes open. I'll check the perimeter before I head back.”
Raymond sniffles sleepily and wipes a hand over his face before sitting up. He had fallen asleep during his watch, but in a few hours it will be dawn and he can sleep while they ride to the next checkpoint. He shakes himself, coughs, then looks out into the darkness.
After using the bathroom, Greg walks a few steps then stops to tie his shoe. He can see Raymonds' legs hanging out of the vehicle. The sound of rocks scattering across the ground prompts Greg to shift his gaze toward the noise. He looks up while tying his shoe and sees a guard collapse with an arrow in the throat.
Alarmed, he reaches along the back of his pants to grasp his gun as he remains crouched, trying not to draw attention to himself.
BANG!
Greg grasps his throat as a sharp pain radiates through the flesh. Blood seeps through his fingers. He collapses onto the ground.
Then the screaming begins.