Wasteland Rules: Born to Fight (The World After Book 2) (31 page)

June 25, 2029

Olympus Station Control Room

   Derek turned to see armored men and women
spilling out of one of the access doors. The Red Beret team had finally
arrived. They looked tired and several were wounded, it looked like the drones
put up a good fight. There were eight of them, all carrying the futuristic
looking rifles, although he could see slight differences among them that
indicated a higher caliber or additional capabilities. All of the weapons were
pointed directly at him and Rora and the soldiers looked eager to use them.

   The leader swaggered a few steps forward. He had
removed his faceplate and it was the first close look Derek had gotten of him.
The man was tall and well-built with a prominent chin. He had piercing blue
eyes that stared with hatred at Derek. The man looked like a prototypical
football jock. He couldn’t be underestimated though; if he was in command of a
team of elite Red Berets he must be capable.

   “So we finally meet face to face Major Storm.”
The man spat. “Nowhere to run this time.”

   “You have me at a disadvantage…” Derek replied
calmly.

   “I do.” The man said arrogantly. “Captain Tom
Zabrowski, commander of the Zeta Force.”

   “What can I do for you Captain? Would you like a
tour?” Derek asked with a smile.

   “Full of smart comments, aren’t you Storm?” The
captain asked disrespectfully. “I will take great pleasure in wiping that smile
off your face and standing over your dead body.”

   “Let me shoot him Captain.” The large man to the
Captain’s left insisted angrily. Derek remembered the man; he was the one whose
lover Derek had killed in Florida.

   “You and your girlfriend step away from the
device Storm.” The captain ordered.

   “I don’t think so.” Derek informed him. “I’m
pretty sure you won’t just shoot us because you don’t want to risk damaging the
device you came all this way to get.”

   “That might be true, but I can’t risk you using
it. And if you do, you become expendable.” Captain Zabrowski agreed.

   “So we have something of a standoff then.” Derek
stated calmly.

   “Let’s just shoot them and be done with it.” A
different soldier insisted, this one a wiry Hispanic man that Derek remembered
being on the docks in the Everglades. “We can tell command they shot first and
we fired in self-defense.”

   “Be quiet.” The captain ordered his troops
angrily. “I want him dead as much as you do, but we have our orders. We have to
do this right.”

   “Trouble in the ranks Captain?” Derek asked, needling
him.

   “You know. I’m getting tired of you already.” The
captain stated angrily. “Maybe the men are right and we should just shoot you.”

   The soldiers smiled and tightened their grips on
their weapons. They were all armored and heavily armed with automatic weapons
and very ready to throw down. On the other hand, he and Rora were not armored
and were down to their knives. Even with his superior skills and genetic
advantages, they would ultimately lose in a fight. He might kill most of them,
but one of them would get him. There was really only one option.

   “Push the button Rora.” He instructed her
quietly.

   “Are you sure?” She asked in a whisper.

   “Push…the…button.” He insisted.

   As the captain watched helplessly with a look of
fury and horror, Rora pushed the button; and all hell broke loose.

To
Be Continued in Book 3 Wasteland Rules: A New Dawn

 Coming
in Summer 2014

    I hope you enjoyed reading Wasteland Rules: Born
to Fight. As a new and independent author, the hardest thing to get, but
perhaps the most valuable, is feedback. So please take the time and review the
book. Obviously I would prefer five star reviews, but be honest even if it is
negative. I know the book is not for everyone. If you have feedback you would
like to share with me directly, please feel free to email me at
[email protected]. I would really appreciate any constructive criticism
or even that I missed a word or misspelled something. Thank you in advance for
your time.

1.
     
Kill
or Be Killed

2.
     
There
are only Friends or Enemies

3.
     
Don’t
leave an Enemy at your back

4.
     
A
gun is the great equalizer

5.
     
Don’t
Waste Ammo

6.
     
Mind
your Own business

7.
     
Always
Pay Attention

8.
     
Water
is Life

9.
     
Take
everything you can carry, you never know what you might need

10.
 
Always
watch your back

11.
 
If
you can’t fight, run; if you can’t run, hide; if you can’t hide, fight

12.
 
The
safest looking place is always a trap

13.
 
The
weak serve the strong

14.
 
Never
sleep in the open

15.
 
Always
be prepared

16.
 
Don’t
rely on technology

17.
 
Bullets
don’t discriminate

18.
 
You
can never have enough ammo

19.
 
Don’t
draw any attention to yourself

20.
 
Always
carry a blade, it never runs out of ammo

The Aftermath – The chain of events following the
Collapse that led to the virtual destruction of the planet as we know it. It
started with an exchange of nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons; and
ended with violent storms and climate change.

Bikers – Gangs of traditional one-percenters (outlaw
bikers) that ride the highways looking for victims.

Burners – Small gangs of young men on performance
bikes. They are multicultural in make-up.

C.C.A. – Confederated Cities of America – Sometimes
referred to as the Second Confederacy. It is a loosely affiliated group of
southern cities. They share economic and military ties. It was formed after the
U.S.T.G. conquest of Cincinnati. They are loosely allied with the New Republic
of Texas.

The Cartel – The world’s largest drug cartel. They
control much of the Carribbean, Miami, and part of Mexico. They have a Spanish
feudal system of rulership.

The Collapse – The collapse of society and
civilization brought on by a crop virus that wiped out most of the world’s food
supplies. Wars and rioting resulting from the famine caused the collapse of all
the world’s governments. It was followed the Aftermath.

The Collective – They are an insular group of
technologists that control part of the West Coast. They make heavy use of
cloning and cybernetics.  They are very advanced technologically and not
altogether human. They are connected into a semi-hive mind by the LINC. It is
controlled by former software billionaire Stefan Doors.

Cult of the Machine  - Also known as Machineheads,
they are wannabe Humeks who have made mechanical alterations and additions to
themselves.

Drinker – Large mutants that appeared in the
Aftermath. They get their name from the fact that they drink human blood for
sustenance and their mouths are often stained red.

Drone – A human being implanted with a computer chip
in their brain that makes them little more than a robot. Often they are clones.
They were created by the Collective. Used for labor and as soldiers.

Express Station – A fortified gas station and
convenience store. One chain is run by Texas.

FedPol – Federal Police – The national police force
of the U.S.T.G. They are the only law enforcement in the U.S.T.G. and are a
combination of the FBI and local law enforcement.

Freehold – A free town located in the wasteland.

Hauler’s Guild – Formed from the remnants of the
Teamsters Union, almost all long haul truckers belong. They provide protection
for their armored trucks and are a powerful political force. The threat of
cutting off shipping to any faction usually wins concessions for the Guild.
Based in Indianapolis under the “protection” of the U.S.T.G., they are still
generally politically neutral.

Humek – A human being who underwent radical surgery
to have cybernetics implanted in them. They are the most loyal followers of the
Collective. They do have some free will.

Illuminati – Secret societies rumored to be
controlling the world and the course of history from behind the scenes.

LINC – Layered Integrated Neural Connection – A
wireless network that connects the members of the Collective into a semi-hive
mind. Users with total access can see anything any connected member sees or
access any connected members sensory memories.

Merks – A generic term for mercenaries. They are
general considered unreliable but willing to do anything for money. They have
no overall organization.

Patrician – The elite and wealthy leaders of the
C.C.A. They are the male heads of wealthy and powerful families that control
most of the businesses in the C.C.A. They live privileged lives.

NBC – Shorthand for Nuclear, Biological, and
Chemical.

New Republic of Texas – N.R.T. – Often just referred
to as Texas or the New Republic. New Republic dollar or NRD is their currency.

Night Children – Also called Children of the Night –
They are families of cannibals that existed underground before the Collapse.
They now operate more openly, trapping and eating travelers in their
booby-trapped lairs.

The Order – A well organized group of Neo-Nazis that
have taken control of large parts of Louisiana and Mississippi.

The Outfit – A large and well organized group of
merks. They have their origins in the private military companies that were
prevalent before the Collapse. They are well equipped and only take on large
well-paying jobs. Their biggest customer is rumored to be the U.S.T.G.

Raiders – They are gangs of criminals that attack
travelers and settlements. They are organized into a clan structure and mark
themselves with tattoos on their foreheads.

Reapers – The remains of a European Union invasion
force. Infamous for their cannibalism, they ravaged the remains of the East
Coast.

Red Berets – Elite Special Forces of the U.S.T.G.
Also known as the Bloody Berets. Only two hundred or so out of thousands
successfully pass the training.

Regulators – A slang term for the Brotherhood of
Justice – It was formed by former law enforcement officers to protect their
communities. Later multiple smaller groups merged into the larger organization
that is spread across the wasteland. It is headquartered in Texas and receives
some financial assistance from them. They pay bounties for criminals and often
perform basic law enforcement duties in unaligned towns.

Roadhouse – A fortified compound housing at least a
hotel and restaurant. They are usually built up around hotels at key road
junctions like interstate exchanges. They are well fortified and well-guarded.

Technical – A pickup or SUV armored and armed with a
heavy weapon like a machine gun.

U.S.T.G. – United States Territorial Government –
The remnants of the old United States of America It is a single party state run
by the former Vice President Rickard Channing and the Neo-Conservative Party.
It is a very structured and controlled economy and culture. Very expansionist,
they lay claim to the entire continent of North America.  It is a repressive
police state. The U.S.T.G. dollar is their form of currency.

Wrecker’s Guild – This is a loose organization of
tow truck drivers and wreckers. They retrieve broken down vehicles and scavenge
damaged or abandoned ones. They drive armored tow trucks and are generally
unmolested.

Zeta Force – The best of the best Red Berets. A
platoon sized elite force given the toughest and most sensitive missions.