Doomsday By Design -- [STORY THREAD]

Angus and Marcus exchanged faces.

They seemed to be the only ones to notice the presence of an extra person around... and while the others continued marveling over the dead cat, Angus and Marcus inched closer to the hidden person.

"Why dontcha' come out?" Angus yelled into the air, making everyone else turn and stare at him oddly. "Come on out where see can all see you, Sue-Lin... you sneaky little mouse."

"Come on Sue-Lin that bush act isn't going to fly!" Hollered Marcus. He looked at Angus with a smile. "Well the bands almost back together."

He looked back over to Church and thought. Maybe he has changed. Looking at the group, looks like we all have.

Sue-Lin rejoined the group not really minding the jokes. When they had settled down she gave them the bit of bad news that she had.

"You need to move a little bit faster. Just a day behind you are 300 armed people who are not very nice. Think of the worst mob you have ever heard of. Their scouts are a lot closer than that and may have heard that gunshot. Good shot, whoever fired it. We need to keep moving. I am going to scout forwards, is their anyone who would like to learn the basics of being a scout.

We need one out front, and we need me always checking on their scouts that are behind us. By the way, that group behind us has prisoners, mainly good looking women. As I said, they are not nice."

Robbie looks around to see if Marcus would take Sue-lin up on her offer. As a young boy his father had showed him some basics (the little he knew) of tracking and hunting but it seemed like all they ever got were rabbits.

It could be interesting, nothing really needs fixing or anything right now anyways. Robbie thought to himself.

"I'll give it a go Miss Mouse, that is if Sandra does not have anything she needs done?" Robbie raises a questioning eyebrow at Sandra.

Everyone looked around, examining one another's reactions.

"We know." Alan told her. "We got some kind of warning message about that."

"What?" Sandra asked. "What're you talking about?"

"You ran off before we got the message." Alan answered. "Someone radioed the bunker and told us to head northwest, because some raiders were heading our way."

"Sh!t..." Sandra mumbled. "Let's rest for a while, then we'll move on... we need to get a hold of some food. Anyone have any ideas?"

Sue-Lin inwardly smiled and answered, "Well, there is a big pussy cat laying dead on the ground. How about you build a small fire while I gut and skin it. Anyone want to learn a new skill or practice if they already know how. Cat steaks ... yum."

Sue-Lin tied a small rope to the cat's back legs and threw the other end over a tree branch. She gave the free end to Church who pulled the cat up off the ground until it was swaying. Then she gutted the animal and with Church adding some strength, she removed it's pelt. After wiping the carcass down she cut the meat into thin, easily cooked slices and started to hand them out for cooking.

All of her classmates were either looking like they were no longer hungry or they seemed to be deep in thought, probably working out a list of excuses as to why they could not eat the cat.

Once she was done she asked, "Anyone want the pelt?" Michael piped up, "Me, me, me ,me, can I have the pussy fur!" Sue-Lin smiled and answered, "Ask Sandra if you can have it."

Sandra gave Sue-Lin a dirty look. Sue-Lin returned a big grin.

"Thank's Sun-Lin." Marcus beamed with pride. "I couldn't let it eat Sandra after all she has done for us."

Marcus watched the Sue-Lin go and prep the cat for a meal. Her offer for a piece of it made him think for a moment.

"Can you cut off one of it's claws?" He finally asked. "I want a small trophy to remember this by." Marcus stated looking at her. Sue-Lin nodded and with a deft cut of her knife she severed a claw and handed it to him.

"You did well." She stated as she went back to preparing the cat to eat.

After they had finished eating a few members took the time to cook all of the meat that was left while others started to teach Church about guns. Sue-Lin was very pleased that the very first three subjects they covered were all on gun safety.

She left them to it, only occasionally putting a few words in here and there. The only major addition was when she corrected all of their stances, they were all far too straight, they needed to lean into the shot, especially with the high powered weapons that they had. She was going to have to find Church an additional weapon. His shotgun was just the wrong weapon for this trip, though it would be a good weapon in the township they were headed for.

Sue-Lin also had suggestions for Sandra. Sleep during the heat of the day and walk at night to keep warm. The moon would provide enough light for at least the next few days for night travel. Of course, the need to pick up the pace was also discussed.

When Sue-Lin left to scout ahead she took two volunteers with her. They needed more scouts and the basics were not hard to learn. She found that she enjoyed teaching her skills to others.

This shift in everyone's reality had made a major change. She taught, not for fun or school grades, she taught for their very survival, they grew up very fast.

After covering as much ground as possible, with Sandra and Alan occasionally checking their compasses, they all agreed to continue traveling after night fall, in order to adjust their sleeping cycle to Sue-Lin's plan--and to get further from the raiders before they allowed themselves to rest.

At about four in the morning, the group finally decided to stop, all exhausted, hungry, and sleep deprived. Still, Sandra made it a point to pass one of her bottled waters around the group, and split some of her beef jerky into rationed, fair equations, so everyone would have a snack to sleep on at the very least.

Time passed, and those of the group who weren't lost in small conversation began to drift to sleep, using their bags as lumpy, misshapen pillows...

Sue-Lin guarded the group for three hours and then woke one of her 'scouts', as she had started to think of them, to take over in two, two hour shifts.

Over the next two days she continued the training taking out one at a time.

Surprisingly, at least to her, Church really listened and tried very hard. He also learnt quickly. She started to think of him as her Tank! He just needed a bigger cannon, she would see to that when opportunity knocked,

"Hunny... you know I love you, right?"

Sandra ignored her mother, her ten-year-old face pressed against the glass, staring outside as the car rolled down the road, watching the pummeling rain and the lightning igniting the sky.

Suddenly, the car swerved, making a loud, horrible screech. Her parents had stopped arguing, if only for a moment--and the car slid off the road--

BANG-CRCHHH.

Sandra sat bolt upright, her heart hammering.

The sun above the Mojave was dying, and Sandra checked her golden watch, seeing that it was almost six in the evening.

"Dammit! We overslept--get up!"

Sandra slapped Alan's cheek impulsively.

He snorted, his breath giving a skip, and he sat up instantly, looking startled.

"The raiders are probably close behind us." Sandra told him. "Get everyone awake, we have to get the hell outta here."

Everyone promptly packed up and moved onward, and as Sandra held James's hand and spoke with her friends, her dream quickly faded into memory, as it had so many times before.

As Angus followed Sue-Lins' every move he couldn't help but think she was growing on him. She has changed as well, she seemed to open up a little more since leaving town.
He also had to admit that she knew her stuff when it came to tracking and bushcraft. He had learned a lot from her over the last couple of days.
Church was doing well also. He was a quick learner.
On several occasions, while Sue-Lin held back and let just Church and Angus scout ahead a little, they would see a scrawny rabbit. Angus would take these opportunities to help Church with his aim and he had brought down two of the little varments.
They would skin them and when they stopped in the mornings, they would cook them and add to the groups depleting food stores.
Although it wasn't much, Sue-lin seemed impressed that they took the initiative.

It was Angus' s turn to watch over the group as they slept. They had kept going longer than they should have this morning.
He was the last one on guard duty and had decided to let the group sleep a little longer to get some much needed rest.
This may not have been one of his best ideas.
As he scanned the horizon, back the way they came, he noticed a huge cloud of dust. The kind that a large party would make while moving.
Before he could raise an alarm he heard Sandra's voice from the camp.
"Get up! The raiders are probably close behind us, get everyone awake. We have to get the hell out of here".

Well bud, you have really screwed the pooch on this one
Robbie thought to himself as he made his way to camp to verify Sandra's fears.

Angus burst into camp.
"Sandra, you are right, judging by the dust trail they look to be five, maybe six miles behind us and moving fast. We set some side trails last night and back tracked so maybe that will slow them down"
Robbie glanced at Sue-Lin and could tell that there would be 'words' about letting them over sleep. But she knew as well as he did that now was not the time.
"The way I see it is that we have three options, ranging from stupid to stupidest.
Stupid-Run
Stupider-find somewhere to hide.
Stupidest- stay and fight
So which one fits the bill today?"

"Time to leave." Sandra said without a second's thought.

After hurriedly packing, the group shuffled off, speed-walking northwest, in the opposite direction of the roving band of strangers they all dreaded facing.

The dust cloud in the distance behind them seemed to grow the more ground they covered. It was slowly, painfully confirming everyone's silent fears...

"They know." Alan mumbled, glancing back. "They found our camp spot. They're on our trail now. We have to move faster than this."

James made a muffled, frightened noise, and Sandra heard it. She looked over her shoulder, her heart beginning to pound anxiously. Not now... please, not now... I can't... I can't...

"Where's that bitch?" one of them shouted.

Three thugs rounded the corner of the hall, one of them placing a hand on the decaying paint on the wall beside them. They were hot on her tail, and there was only one place she could be hiding...

"In there!"

The three of them burst into the bathroom, tightening their hands into fists... one of them slipped their hand into their pocket, covering their hand in a thick, silvery pair of brass knuckles...

The beating was horrible.. Sandra wasn't sure she could comprehend pain now...

"I'm not having this sh!t again." Sandra muttered angrily, running a hand over her hip, around the handle of her gun.

Then, she halted her step, turning backwards.

Everyone else stopped as well, staring at her.

"What're you doing? Keep moving!" Alan exclaimed.

"I am." Sandra told him. "I'll be at the back of the group. Just in case they come close. Keep moving... and move fast. Let's go."

The group rushed away from their pursuers, all the while Sandra was walking backwards, gripping and ungripping the handle of her gun, waiting for her attackers to get within eye shot...

"Look!" Carol said, pointing forward. "Look! Is that it?"

Indeed, off in the distance ahead of them was what appeared to be a moderately sized ghost town, surrounded with a wooden six-foot fence. Smoke was emitting from the place, indicating that food was being cooked... they could already smell it...

"Hope they're not pissed with us..." Sandra uttered to herself, but Alan heard her.

"Pissed about what?"

"About leading a bunch of raiders to their town." Sandra told him. "Screw it--make a run for the entrance. Hurry!"

Angus heard the back ond forth between Sandra and Allen but his eyes were on James. Sandra had fallen to the back of the pack and the little fella looked so lost and confused. His tiny legs pumping to try and keep pace.
"Alan, Marcus! Can either of you scoop up James? He seems to like you two almost as well as Sandra."
If neither Alan or Marcus responded Angus made up his mind to grab him on his way by. The kid didn't seem to like him as much as some. He had even warmed up to Sue-Lin over the past day or so.

Sue-Lin gave a couple of commands. No one argued. She sent Church out front as close scout, and Alan out to the left side also as close scout. Then she ran next to Marcus and asked, "Do you want to risk your life today?"

Marcus was one of those people who used humor when under stress. He replied with a little grin, "Sure, as long as I die right next to you. You can scout out the gates of Heaven for me when you get us killed!"

Sue-Lin smiled in reply and said, "Follow me."

They both veered right until the came to a small gully. They went prone with Sue-Lin explaining. "We can run, they can run. We want to keep our people running and we want them to slow to a crawl. Shoot them when you see them, they will have to slow down or die!"

While Marcus fired his first ever round at a human, Sue-Lin switched to her Steyr. The bad guys were just within its effective range. She shifted to 3 round burst mode and fired 10 times in quick succession emptying her first magazine. She rolled over, inserted a fresh one and rolled to a new position to start over.

While they were shooting, Sue-Lin was still talking. "Marcus, at this point in time, there is them and there is us. Us wants to stay alive and to do that, them has to die. Your alternative is for them to live and us to die. Throw your morality away and concentrate on the task. Do not think of them as people, it is just 'them.'

The pursuit had been stopped cold. Sue-Lin scoped her friends, they had reached the gate and were being let in. Sandra was last in and with almost immediately, Alan and Sandra's heads appeared above the wall. Actually, there were many heads above the wall.

Sue-Lin said, "Marcus, leap frog, all the way to the gate. GO!."

It took time but no further shots were fired as they made it to and through the gate. Softly, Sue-Lin said to Marcus, "That trip to the Pearly Gates will have to wait for another day, I could use a rest."

What was really good, was the people running up, checking they were not injured and offering them water.

Sue-Lin noticed two things. Everyone in this town was armed to the teeth and there were tethered balloons high up in the sky. Well, they had some good camera coverage of all of the approaches, someone knew what they were doing.

The first thing Sue-Lin asked for was a toilet. She was kindly taken to the nearest structure. After she had taken a wee load off her mind, she dropped her 9mm silenced weapon and two magazines into the cistern before rejoining her friends.

When the bandits started coming into view Sue-Lin started directing Marcus, Church and Alan to positions to intercept the incoming horde. Marcus himself had Sue-Lin helping him in the center. It wasn't as hard as he feared it would be to shoot them. But then again they would offer them no mercy according to the broadcast. At least this time he knew enough to expect the recoil and was able to fire until.

Sue-Lin said, "Marcus, leap frog, all the way to the gate. GO!."

The others had made it in and they were able to retreat.

Man I hope we can get in! Marcus thought as they made a mad dash to the gates of the town. Heart racing as they got inside he was greeted by the residents of their new sanctuary. Who offered them water.

"Are they following us? He asked while catching his breath.

Sandra scanned around, assuring herself that everyone was safe, hoping that their attackers hadn't gotten too close.

"What're you doing?!" A voice called from behind her.

One of the towners was approaching her, one of his hands slipped casually into his pocket, the other one stroking a holster on his side as he examined her. He was an average sized individual, and was a few inches taller than her... he had shining, ginger hair, and a pair of glistening, bottle green eyes.

"You're not done there lassy, we still got company." The man said, gesturing behind her. He and a few other armed civilians stepped forward, raising their rifles and shotguns, and Sandra looked between all her friends. What... he wants me to shoot at the raiders?

When the Irish stranger was within feet of Sandra, he whipped out a humongous revolver--Sandra took two glances at it, wondering if her eyes had been lying to her. She'd never seen a handgun so big...

The Irish man gave a subtle movement, pointing forward and meeting Sandra's eyes for a split second. Sandra, somehow understanding, nodded in response, and they both climbed onto the rocks bordering the wooden wall of Los Oculto, aiming their guns at the raiders outside, who were only a rock's throw away now.

And now--now, of all times--Sandra peered around, glimpsing at all the civilians around her, wondering how they'd managed to survive so long out here, in the middle of nowhere...

More of them stuck their rifle barrels over the wall, and when the raiders came within a close proximity, shots were fired. Everyone's ears rang horribly, but they all ignored it.

A few bullets were making contact with the wooden wall, but thankfully, not harming any of the people... still... if those raiders manage to get any closer...

Sandra heard James crying, and it seemed as though everything was suddenly trying to pull her attention from her gun, her trigger, and her targets...

"Us or them, lassy." The man beside her said between gunshots. When she turned, meeting eyes with him for a few seconds, he gave her a wink. "Us or them."

Then, the Irish man fired off a few ear-splitting rounds, thoroughly annihilating three of the leaders of the savage group. The raiders returned fire, but the citizens of Los Oculto continued firing and reloading, appearing to act much faster than the opposition. And, if Sandra hadn't imagined it, she could have sworn she was hearing him mutter song lyrics with every shot...

"While in the merry month of may, from my home I started..."

BANG.

One of the raiders wielding a handgun flumped backwards.

BANG BANG BANG.

More shots went off from both sides...

"Then off to reap the corn and leave where I was born..."

BANG.

A 44 round met nastily with the head of a short, fat member of the raider group...

Sandra lined up a shot on the closest attacker, her heart jolting.

"And goblin' brand new pair of brogues to rattle o'er the bogs.."

BANG.

The man beside her took the shot instead, killing the raider instantly.

BANG BANG BANG BANG.

"And frighten all the dogs on the rocky road to Dublin'. One, two, three four, five..."

BANG BANG.

"Hunt the hare and turn her down the rocky road and all the way to Dublin', whack-fol-la-de-da..."

BANG BANG BANG.

Another raider lunged at the wooden gate, getting dangerously close to Sandra--

BANG.

After squeezing the trigger, Sandra gasped. She watched the 12 gauge round tear through the man like tissue... blood sprayed from him... he crumbled... he was dead before he hit the ground...

It took everyone a moment to process that all the raiders were dead.

Silence lingered in the air, and after what felt like an eternity, Sandra released a massive breath, lowering her gun.

"Yeh' did good, lassy. Ya' learn fast out here." The Irish man told her, giving her a smirk and a pat on the shoulder. "Tears yeh' up a bit the firs' time yer forced to take a life, but it grows on ya' after a bit. Yeh' learn to live with it."