Reality.

[Lex1785]

Reality.

The TV drones on in the background, 12000 feet above the ground a Commercial airline drones through the sky. Phones ring, people answer, a baby cries, babies cry, others coo, a man cries, a woman screams.

Children play after school, a bully slams another into the fence while others look on. Life, reality moves at its own pace, no rhyme no reason.


The TV continued to drone in the back ground as he sat at the chair near the kitchen window. Cars screaming their blatant protest at being slowed in traffic, neighbors yelling at one another over to loud music. Rancid air, hot and mugger flows through the minimal crack between swollen wooden window seals.

His mind swarms with thoughts, random and jumbled lost in a in-cohesive mess real or not real as he watches his fingers slowly flex and flow. fascinated by the muscles, the bones, a true master piece of reality. How long had he been sitting there he wasn't sure.. When these moments took his mind he lost all track of time.

Time another reality.. something that always bothered him, Troubled him, always seemed to have so little time. Late at night, his mind fogged from lack of sleep he’d sit watching his hand flick the pages of a book as he read seemingly in-able to slow down.. unwind, only speed up. Real or not real..

The news caught his attention, riots, panic, distress, death destruction.. strangely all surreal.. the honking cars seemed to be growing louder and he looked back to his flowing hand.. his fingers seeming to be mechanical.. yet organic as they twisted and flowed. Each joint.. each muscle each sinew.. extending up into his wrist then his arm.. in the back ground the news continued to yammer at him about some strange disease.. more riots in the area.. The World. Reality.. was it real?

[Lex1785]

10 years before.

Reality always seemed less real in a fire fight. more cartoonish.. almost funny. Or he just wasnt wired right. His team thought the later. Utterly Nuts. Any one who could giggle while firing at a human who was firing in return just had issues.. screw loose. But honestly most of them had to agree they’d rather have their finger nails pulled out with pliars then enter a fire fight with any one else.

Alexander was hunkered down behind a mud and brick wall the small tale tale wizzing sounds around the top of the wall and a sudden puff of dry mud and stone the only sign that something was odd. He hummed softly to himself as he ejected the magazine on his FNFAL checking the round count then sliding it back into the magazine well. 10 rounds. Should be enough. “She’ll be coming around the mountain when she comes. “ His humming translating into a soft singing of deep baritone. Sometimes he even believed the words of his team. Screw Loose.. Nuttier then a Fruit bat. Eh who cares.

Scanning to his left and right as the tune in his head hits random and he starts humming I don’t want to be a chicken and he duck walks further down the wall and turkey peaks past it only to snap his head back and literally giggle as a torrid of AK 47 rounds slam into the wall making it sound like a broken tom tom drum.

“well.. there you are.. you wonderful people!” His radio squaks at him as he leans his head back and adjusts his helmet. “stupid things..” He always hated helmets. “1 - 3 You do that again I’ll shoot you myself” soft laugh “3 - 1 Have to catch me first” His radio squaks again as the words that sound strangely like “Oh shit.. here we go again” fills the waves and he breaks cover at a sudden dead run across the open road. AK 47 Rounds kicking up dust behind him after the shocked fighters across the way realise they have an actual target to shoot at.

“Oh would you like to swing on a star!” He starts belting out the song at the top of his lungs as he slams around the corner of a little mud hut giggling like a loon. He was not supposed to be enjoying this. For the past two days his team of scouts had been pinned down and trapped on the outskirts of the village out side of An Nāşirīyah. Running out of food, extremely low on water, and no idea of resupply and carrying found or stolen weapons they’d pushed on with their last orders. Scout the village.

“1 - 3 You alive?” “3 -1, nope”

He giggles as he starts to hum twinkle twinkle little star.. his tunes on complete random today as he duck walks along the side of the little hut. Dust continued to kick up from the sides of the hut and its walls literally shook as something heavier opened up on it. Probably an RPK.

“1 - 3 Good.. you do that again you definitely wont be alive, you have an opening about fifteen meters ahead of you maybe able to get a better shot” “3 -1 Copy. Moving”

Moving comes out in a sing song flow of words as he stands up and almost skips the last fifteen meters and finds a small hole in the wall. He pulls on a pouch tab on his gear and the RIIIPPP of velcro rolls through the air. “Seriously fucking hate that..” Oxymoron much for a guy who sings in combat?

[DTyra]

Hmmmm, a little something for those of us a bit frayed around the edges. Continue please.

[223shooteresc]

interesting start, different from most, need more

[Lex1785]

The sounds outside the window seem to increase as a thunderhead roles into the are changing the temperature outside cooling it yet causing the inside of the small apartment to become muggy almost unbearable. His fingers role along the table now marking a slow tempo as he starts to hum. a tuneless melody.. not even sure what its leading into starts up an old cowboy song as it leads straight into him singing softly

“Move along little doggy.. its your misfortune and none of my own..” Not realising he’s staring at the TV as it drones on about mass evacuations of guarantied areas.

“How fitting..” He suddenly stands and moves over to the small closet in the two room apartment. Opening it and pulling out a heavy seabag and chest leaving it in the middle of the room. It stands out in stark contrast to the pasty yellow wall paper. Foot steps hurry in the hall outside. His head turning with the sound listening less then seeing as his hand flexes and rolls as before.

“Shower.. Food. yep.. “ He turns and walks over to the small shelf near the table and hits play on his phone. Literally one of the only items in the small run down apartment that looks new.

He stands a minute as the music starts to flow through the room, the speakers, two, small and grey with a larger woofer, simple computer speakers plugged into his phone start pulsing as Abney Park, Airship pirates starts to play. He smiles and starts humming I’m a little teapot as he moves towards the bathroom, hesitating a moment as he sticks his head through the door.


The hole was nothing more then a blast result. A breach.

“I’m a little teapot.. short and stout..” “1 - 3 yes.. your nuts.. your also transmitting.” “ 3 - 1 Oops. entering. Standby”

He thrust himself through the hole his shoulder causing some of the wall to crumbles he rolled. Not the most dramatic of entrances nor the prettiest but he seemed to recover quickly his weapon the long barreled FNFAL sweeping the room for contact.

“Anti Climatic much?” Nothing. He stands slowly his eyes adjusting to the dim light sweeping the little two room hut. An animal smell assaulted his nose as he swept the barrel of his weapon along the top of the room, the open wood rafters clear as he took his first tentative steps forward.

Dust kicked up and swirled around his trouser legs and boots as he stepped further into the room. The whole hut was maybe large enough to hold two people.. but here it seems a whole family of at least 6 people had lived. Articles of living where scattered around the room, in the middle a small fire pit with a make shift grill, a metal tea kettle lay on its side a few cups made of plastic or wood lay scattered about.

Garbage and refuse lay knee deep in a corner. Families in these parts didn't through anything away.. The smell grew stronger as he stepped towards the second room. This one smaller. The dirt floor covered in rough mats of fabric or some sort of plant material.

And in the corner.. crap. Literally animal and human in a pile. What once was a small hole is now a larger pile of fecal matter.. the smell horrid..

“1 - 3 status?” He swept his rifle barrel along the room shifting some of the blankets on the floor.

“3 - 1 How much wood.. would a wood chuck, chuck, if a wood chuck shit in a hole?” “ 1 - 3 .. I’ll take that as negative contact proceed forward”.

Alexander turned and moved back into the main room heading for the main entrance into the home, his humming stopping long enough to realize that the heavy thump of the possible RPK had stopped.

“Interesting.. must be a fan of my singing”

[Lex1785]

Water flowed from the shower like dust in a storm, the temped flow smoothed the muscles along his back and shoulders as he leaned his head against the slick tile wall. His fingers still drumming its staccato tempo occasionally rapping out a hollow thump against a tile that was working its way loose from the wall. His humming constant as he leans his head back face up into the water eyes slowly opening letting water stream and sting his dark eyes.

Dust flew through the air as the wind picked up, it streamed around his face as he leaned forward scanning with his dark eyes. It had grown quiet outside of the howl of the wind flowing through the narrow alleys and streets of the small village. Fresh air was welcome as he flared his nostrils and started to sing softly to himself.

“Ninety nine bottles of beer on the wall... ninety nine bottles of beer.. what I’d give to have one here.. ninety eight bottles of beer on theee wall!”

He pushed out of the low door frame into the waning light the dust covering his movement relatively effectively as he sprinted across the open space to kneel down behind a low wall in front of him. In the short sprint he’d made he could barely make out the only two story building in the area.

It had two windows, well square holes in the walls on the second level with balcony's facing each direction of the compass. That is where the fire had been coming from since they’d made contact.

“3 - 1 rocking robin tweet tweeeett” “1 - 3 good song. status?”

He literally snuggled up against the adobe brick wall as he eyes the large structure for movement. So far nothing, same as the rest of the village.
“Empty. No Elephants, no peanuts” he continued to hum as he listened to the wind howl around him.

“1 - 3 wind storm is picking up we need to wrap this up now. Confirm No elephants, No peanuts?”

“Confirmed, stand by for coordinates.”

[Lex1785]

He leaned his head against the cooling tile as his hands worked the nobs of the shower turning the hissing streaming water off slowly, his mind having slowed for a few minutes as he started at his now complacent hands.

“You bury me aliveee!” Good choice.. his mind speaks of its own regard as he steps dripping out of the shower shoving the shower curtain back into the large claw footed tub. Part of the reason he’d agreed to the absurd amount of rent required for this hole in the wall.

The Music continued to play in the back ground as he entered the main room, its kitchen, sitting area, bed room all in one, spartan, yellow wall paper peeling from the wall. The smell of stale food and mold in every corner as he walks over to the duffel and foot locker he’d pulled out earlier from the closet.

The Tv in the background turned down but the image now showing mass rioting, the sounds from outside the window creating its own soundtrack. Gunshots ring through the muggy air as it starts to rain. Lightening flashes literally zeroing out most peoples eye sight then the thunder rolls, shaking the walls as he opens the sea bag and pulling out a well worn pair of BDU’s. His phone switches songs

“Lay your weary head to rest.. don’t you cry no more..” Fitting again.. but I’m about to be unweary I do feel.. the thoughts in his head as he looks at the BDU’s and lays them on the chest, Old Desert BDU’s. He rummages through the Sea bag and pulls out a pair of Marpat Desert, Marpat Woodland then a pair of ATAC’s Desert. He stuffs the others into the seabag and tosses the ATACS on the back of a chair nearby.

Standing still naked he looks up at the tv in the corner as a scene of chaos flashes on its old tube screen. People running and screaming from a larger mob, the camera man hiccuping in panic as the report tries to keep him focused on getting the shot. Over head the shadows of Attack choppers drone in then the screen washes out in a flash of explosions and he starts humming yankee doodle dandy.

“Coordinates as follows 36 Tango Sierra 1 6790 5493, Immediate Suppression, Hostiles in Two story adobe brick building, how copy?”

“3 - 1 Relaying Coords 36 Tango Sierra 1 6790 5493 Immediate Suppression, Hostiles in Two story Adobe Brick building, how marking?”

“Now obsession rules my mind... Smoke how copy?” He starts to sing softly as he transmits folding the worn map up into its cargo pocket pulling a yellow smoke canister from his vest with a rip of velcro. “Seriously fucking hate that.”

“ 1 - 3, Advice against smoke you can’t get close enough how copy.. your not going to listen are you.”

“ 3 - 1 Nope.”

[raggeldy]

Nice start, Like the flashback and present day woven together.

[Lex1785]

Pulling the pin on the smoke canister he continues to sing the Ben Moody song as he pushes off the wall rifle in his left hand suddenly appearing out of the rising dust storm heading at a dead run straight at the two story building

“Don’t back down..” Pulling his arm back as he hears the first crack wizz of Ak rounds flying through the air at him, two targets second window on the left, possibly more. Caught them off guard apparently. He stumbles over hole and almost face plants it into the dirt as sand swirls around him. pin wheeling his arms to remain on his feet as he stumbles his forward momentum carrying him further.

“1 - 3 THROW AND GO DAMMIT YOUR TO CLOSE! MARK IT AND GET OUT ROUNDS INBOUND 20 SECS!”

Suddenly gaining his footing he stops dead in his tracks and looks down at the yellow smoke in his hand.

“Its peanut butter jelly time.. peanut butter jelly time.“ A round wizzes through the air near his jaw as he turns his head and looks up at the startled shooters in the window pulling his arm back and tossing the smoke into the air letting spoon free. A loud pop then hiss as the chemical reaction takes place and sickly yellow smoke starts spewing from the canister as it bounces against the railing on the balcony and falls down onto the ground at the second story.

“Seriously.. I so suck at throwing things.. “

“ 1 - 3 CLEAR CLEAR CLEAR, Break break 1 Kilo Vector this is 3 Sierra requesting immediate suppression mission on 36 Tango Sierra 1 6790 5493 Two story adobe building, Marked by yellow smoke, over”

“ 3 Sierra, 1 Kilo Vector we copy Immediate suppression, have located smoke, Firing now”

The world exploded, Alexander was flung ass over tea kettle as he jumped over the wall he’d started at earlier that day singing Yankee doodle dandy as he hit the ground.

[Lex1785]

The world literally exploded over night. Large scale riots, food shortages, and violence on a scale few had ever seen. Random reports hit the world wide net of “zombies” started sprouting up and people just wrote it down to paranoia and the violence cropping up world wide. Literally no country in the world did not have some sort of riot or issue.

Many of the countries that had been involved in wide spread war sat back and now laughed at countries such as the United Kingdom and the United States. Until the violence increased in their own back yard.

The Media started reporting of large mobs attacking any one and every one in metropolitan areas. Hospitals where overwhelmed with injuries from both riots and strange attacks by almost rabid humans. Bites and gouges where the most serious of cases. Humanity it seemed had gone insane. And the Government wasn't able to stem it this time..


Alexander looked over at his phone as it switches songs. “Hey little sister what have you done..Hey little sister who’s the only one..”

“yes.. what have you done big brother.. “ He steps over and picks up a clean pair of blue boxer briefs and slips into them. His right knee creaking like old rubber bands as he winces and almost falls over onto the bed. Righting himself he notices the amount of noise from the outside world had increased from the window. Screams and shouts becoming more prevalant, more gunshots.

“More Trouble”

“Its a nice day for a white wedding! Its a nice day to start again!” “yep.. it is.”

He bends down and picks up the ATACS and slides into them. buttoning them up turning to the seabag and pulling it near the bed as well as the chest. Thunder rolled outside as the rain increased still having issues drowning out the human outcry raised as if in defiance of the heavy storm.

A old OD green Alice pack is pulled from the seabag, its frame still attatched, seeming full of items. A pair of broken in black leather boots, gloves, and a gortex jacket all tossed on the bed. The Seabag looked at for a moment then folded up and laid down on the bed as well. The chest he pulls over and opens the combination lock on the front of it. Its long enough to hold a variety of items.

It held weapons. Three specifically, a old Mossberg Model 500a with the wood furniture well cared for still on it. A no frills pump action shotgun in .12 gage. A Ar15 Rifle, and a 9mm Pistol, Beretta specifically. Under them all was a chest rig, magazines, and ammo cans. He picked up the shotgun and worked the action. It moved with a well oiled clack as he set it down on the bed. Then the Ar15. It was a DPMS with plain old Iron sights. Racking the charging handle with a satisfied shuck of the bolt he lays it beside the shotgun. Picking up the pistol and a magazine he slides the magazine into the magazine well works the slide and a round is chambered with a solid clack of the action, then sets it down on the bed next to the others.

About an hour later he stands infront of the TV the sound down, the soft melodic sound of Gaelic flowing out of his phone as one of the singers from Celtic women reminisce about lost love. Whole sections of cities have been quarantined due to violence and reports of humans attacking humans. His pistol now holstered in a thigh rig, shotgun attached to the chest harness via a shotgun holster on his back, and his rifle in hand he jumps and spins bringing the rifle to his shoulder as a loud smashing sound explodes from in the hall way.

For the past hour it had been quiet in the building the storm having come to a head and raging so loud that most the screaming and even normal city sounds couldn’t be heard. The smashing sound outside his door wasnt a good sign. Reaching over and picking up his phone and pack tucking the phone into a pocket on his blouse and throwing his pack on by its straps he walks to the door.

The song changes.

“Took from me all that I had
With my soul and spirit dead
Killing everything in me
What is one use to be free

Now to drive away the pain
I'll destroy all I distain
I'll become what I despise
Living someone elses life

Don't ever back down

Don't ever back down
Don't ever turn around
My end has come
So now I come for you”

The song continues to play as another loud smash flows from the hall, sounding like a door or so down. Alexander walks to the door grabs the handle and just opens it. His rifle at the low ready as he steps into the hall. The moldy, stale smell of old cigarette butts, cheap beer and bad maintenance assaults his nostrils as he scans the hall. Two doors up a man is literally bashing his bloody head into the door. The soft whimper cry each time he bashes his head into the wall is heard from within.

“Hey.”

The man turns, his forehead slashed and bleeding, his eyes blood shot mouth working as if he’s under water trying to gasp a breath. The man stands there.. his clothes covered in mud and wet from both water and possibly more blood. his hands grasping each side of the door frame flexing white knuckled as his eyes dilate unnaturally as he takes in the image of Alexander.

CRACK!

[NiGHTMARE-Z]

I like it man. Keep it up.

[raggeldy]

Fun read, I'll be lookin for more. Thanks for sharing

[Nancy1340]

Well, very different. And very good. Thank you.

[Lex1785]

The sharp report of a rifle echos through the hall way and screams erupt from behind the ravaged door as the man slumps against it with a loud bounding crash and then slides to the floor a small neat whole in the middle of his forehead. Alexander stands just outside his open door, rifle up in his shoulder the muzzle smoking. The air is filled with the smell of spent gun powder as a single 5.56 shell casing slowly falls through the air then clatters to the floor. A Scream erupts as a door behind him opens and he spins aiming the rifle at the door. A dirty blonde her lungs much larger then they should be continues to scream as he lowers his rifle and starts walking down the hall way. Behind him the woman continues to shriek about some one killing some one in the hall.

In the streets gunfire becomes the most predominate sound outside the sobs and screams of wounded or dieing. When Alexander entered the foyer of his rental apartment people where crowded around the single glass door watching the carnage outside as people fired on charging individuals. Cars crashed and screeched in a crescendo of carnage. An older man turned and looked at Alexander and all his gear and simply nodded

“Alex. Figured that was you upstairs.”

“Yep” his phone still playing music as he stops and looks out the front door. The soft whine of bagpipes coming from his pocket.

“That bad?” The old man adjusted his coat. Alexander knew under that coat a pistol was concealed. He’d talked often with the old man.

“Yep, one upstairs already.. probably more. You bugging?”

The old man simply nodded then pointed to the attached under ground garage. “Set and ready. you?”

Alexander nodded looked out the window of the door again and noticed a few more people looking at him and the old man and simply turned heading to the garage entrance.

“Yep.”

“Ride with me for a bit, better in numbers.”

“Yep” the phone changed songs,

“History in ev'ry century
Records an act that lives forevermore.
We'll recall, as into line we fall
The thing that happened on Hawaii's shore

Let's remember Pearl Harbor
As we go to meet the foe
Let's remember Pearl Harbor
As we did the Alamo.”

Fitting song as the city destroyed itself.

[Lex1785]

Walt had been a mechanic in his life. working on every make and model of car till the recent imports hit the market and he just had to much arthritis in his hands to work in the smaller tighter engines.

The Underground attached garage was worth the hassle of living literally in the slums of the city. Specially when the land lord gave him a whole fenced off section of the garage to store his cars. And he had some cars. Everything from an original Dodge Charger to of all things a Lime Green Gremlin sat in the fenced off section. Walt walked towards the fenced off section towards the walk in gate, a touch pad had been installed by him and a camera system. As usual there where a few kids sitting around the fence looking in at the cars. Walt stepped into the fenced off area and opened the lock box on the back wall as Alex followed looking at the cars. His music still playing softly around him.

“Hey! you boys want to help me with something?”

The three local boys looked up immediately, usually Walt just told them to stop drooling on his fence. All three jumped up and walked tentatively towards the gate.

“I need you to do me a favor, I wont be around to take care of these cars properly and they need driven once in a while. You boys can do that for me?”

All there stood there dumb founded but at the same time not ones to turn down an offer like this simply nodded their heads.

“Good keys are here in the box. have fun. “

Walt picked up a set of keys out of the box and winked at Alex as he walked further into the fenced off section towards the darker corner.

“That will give them something to do for awhile.. Specially if its like the news is saying, end of the world and all. I wont be able to use all these any more.”

Alex grunted as he walked a pace behind Walt, soft violin music flowed from his pocket as a song by Escala played.

Walt stepped up to a vehicle under a heavy green canvas tarp. He pulled the tarp on the corner and it started sliding off a camouflaged vehicle.

“M37.. Cant get a better truck.”

Alex looked at the Dodge M37, it looked almost like a squat version of a Humvee, with a more boxy cab. This one had a few additions to it. The windows where newer ballistic looking glass, the body had been re-enforced. Run flat tires, the rear cargo area had a high side bed on it with ports that opened inwards.

“Nice”.

“I’d been working on it for a while, just something to keep me busy.” Walt walked over to the drivers door and opened it sliding into the cab. He nodded for Alex to get in the passenger side. The Dash area had two mounts for weapons to be held in place. One set of clips already held a M14 rifle. Alex slide his Rifle off and slapped it into the holder pulling his shot gun free and sliding it into the window mounts behind his head. Tossing his pack onto the floor in front of the seat then sitting down in the passenger side.

They’d been driving for about an hour, the heavy front bumper being put to good use to push cars blocking roads out of the way. Alex had taken his phone out of his pocket and hooked it to the stereo that Walt had hooked up in the dash of the M37. He’d shown some actual surprise when Walt pulled a cable with a male plug and handed it to Alex.

“Might as well turn on that music of yours, always liked your style”

The cab was now filled with the soft sounds of Enya as they clipped a Mercedes parked half way up on the side walk. Strangely they’d ran into few people. Those they had seen had run away or hide. The outskirts of the city where not as badly hit as the inner portions it seemed as they cleared the roads. Walt actually gave a sigh of relief when they hit the highway heading west.

“Got a destination in mind?”

“Nope” Alex kept watch his head on a swivel looking left then right as they ran down the road at close to sixty miles an hour.

“How fast we going.”

“Roughly Sixty. I know.. M37’s aren't supposed to go that fast. I did some rebuilding and modifying.” Walt responded back with a hint of pride in his voice.

Alex grunted softly and looked forward as the sky had started to grow dark the sun setting. In the distance a set of tail lights blinked.

“stop. “

[Lex1785]

Thank you for those who have read and commented. I hope your enjoying and I'm seeing a lot of comments about it being Different. Thank you that was and is my goal. I hope you keep enjoying and reading.

[Raptor 6]

Lovin it so far. Cant wait to read more

[223shooteresc]

thanks for the story, need more

[Nancy1340]

Cool! Thanks

[Hudsonhawk777]

Really interesting start not sure what to think at first but enjoying Alex I want to know more about him.

[GotMak]

Tag!

[Lex1785]

Walt looked over at Alex but slowly brought the truck to a stop pulling it off the road and down into the embankment as he looked up at the blinking emergency lights of the vehicle. He then turned the radio down.

And the sun will set for you
The sun will set for you

And the shadow of the day
Will embrace the world in grey

And the sun will set for you

“Might be folks that need help.” Walt looked over as Alex opened the door on his side slowly, same time pulling his rifle from the gun rack hooked to the dash.

“Yep.”

Alex stepped into the wanning light. Walt watched sitting in place. He had a feeling he should stay put till Alex called or signalled. He reached up and pulled the bolt down on the M14 and the metallic sound of the bolt slapping a round home in the chamber filled the cab of his truck.

Alex disappeared. Literally Walt had him one minute the next he was gone.

“That boy is just scary.”


Alex had crouched down and pulling a compact of camo paint from a side pocket in his BDU’s he quickly put three fingers into the paint and started applying it to his face. No pattern, nothing fancy. Just shadow the light sheen from his face. He grunted when satisfied and put the compact away. He looked back at the Dodge and nodded seeing Walt had killed the lights and was sitting in the vehicle watching.

A few steps took him further down the embankment, just to the edge was a small copse of tree’s but really nothing better as in the way of concealment so he stayed low in the ditch as he worked his way towards the vehicle.

They’d stopped almost a good 700 meters from the vehicle and Alex made his way towards it in a low crouch. His knees screamed at him. Muscles not used to this movement in a long while started to growl as well as he continued ignoring them.

Body doesn't mind. Mind doesn't matter.

In the back of his mind a song started on random.

Working nine to five
what a way to make living
Barely getting by
it's all taking and no giving.
They just use your mind
and they never give you credit


Alex had covered the distance of relatively quickly for being in the position he was. He was glad the ditch had run the whole length He found himself sitting roughly about 100 meters away from the car as he bellied up to the edge of the road on the opposite side his rifle aimed as he scanned over its sights looking for movement. It didn't take long to see something.

The rain had stopped, sun setting behind the vehicle in the distance figures where highlighted. A light wind had picked up making everything chilly blowing from the west as Alex lay their watching and listening. Bits and pieces of conversation drifted with the wind towards him as he watched and waited.

“Your sure you saw headlights?”

“Yeah Dammit I saw them.”

A whimper.

“shuddup in there..”

[Lex1785]

Alex listened further watching. It seemed couple of men where standing behind the car moving back and forth. The two talking. Between the sun setting behind them and the blinking emergency lights they stood out in stark relieve. The whimper kept playing through his mind as he continued to watch. Something wasn't right.

Suddenly a third figure appeared from in front of a car. A female by her walk. She walked to the two men and they begin to discuss further.

“We need to go.”

The wind picked up causing snatches of the discussion to disappear.

“Fine finish up and lets go. we aren't going to..”

Another burst of Wind as he watched the female walk to the side of the car out of Alex’s view, a door opened and what sound like a muffled cry floated on the breeze then nothing.

The two men walked to the front of the car and one reached in turning off the blinkers. The sudden darkness helped Alex as he decided what to do. He reached into a side pocket on his BDU’s and pulled out a long slender can like object sliding his rifle back, he unscrewed the muzzle break and slide the can into place spinning it slowly till snug then he stood up.

“what do you do with a drunken sailor early in the mornin’..”

Alex started to sing, his voice carrying in the darkness as the sun’s final rays had started setting casting the world in a bloody array of beauty.

“HEY! Who’s out there!” The voice suddenly sounding panicked as they not only heard but spotted Alex.

“Shave his belly with a rusty razor” Alex continued to walk towards the trio all three having moved towards the rear of the vehicle peering out at him now as he approached. His rifle was held down along his leg as he moved.

“HEY Stop! Who are you!”

“he’s not stopping.. he sounds drunk”

Alex was less then 75 meters away when he stopped raised his rifle.

“HEY! HE’S GOT A “

Snap. Snap. Snap.

Three shots didn’t necessarily ring out through the growing night air but the snick of the bolt working and tink of brass hitting the hard asphalt road was loud to Alex. The sudden thump of two bodies hitting the back of the vehicle and a third sliding down against the ground where loud as well.

Alex kneeled in the middle of the road and continued to scan over the sights of his rifle. Watching, waiting.

A whimper.

Alex stood up and crossed the 75 meters in a combat glide, his feet literally making little to no noise as he approached.

“Throw him in the lock-up 'til he's sober”

Another whimper as he continued to sing approaching the three targets. The two men where done. The rounds having penetrated center mass stopping them dead. The woman was whimpering and bleeding profusely from a wound to her abdomen.

“why.. we.. didnt.. why.. “ She sniffled and cried more and whimpered.”

“What do you do with a drunken sailor..” Alex ignored her and cleared the vehicle. It was packed with box’s and bags. a lot of it seeming to be in haste. Other items where strew in the car, many of them a child’s toys.

“we didn’t.. we found it this way..”

Alex moved to the right side of the vehicle its doors open. He turned his head further right down into the ditch

“Early eye in the mornin’.. “

Three bodies lay in the ditch.

[Laager]

Hmmmm, a little something for those of us a bit frayed around the edges. Continue please.

Well said........



Lex1785 - Enjoying the story so far!