Chapter 66: 66
The group tensed when the guy approached us.
“That’s enough distance!” I shouted as I raised my rifle.
The guy tensed and he puts his hands up.
“Don’t shoot! Don’t shoot!” he exclaimed.
He’s 20 meters away from us and he has his hands up in the air. He has a crowbar in his hip and a bag over his shoulder. I’m noticing a small handle protruding from his hip.
“Don’t move! One of us will check you first. Make a sudden move and I’ll shoot you in the head, understand?” I said.
“Sure! Sure! Of course! Please! I need a place to stay at! My place got overrun and I had to leave!” he exclaimed.
I looked at Tatiana and she went down the truck and slowly approached him.
“Turn around.” She commanded.
The guy complied and Tatiana began to search him. She found a revolver on his back hip and a few portions of food and water in his bag.
“Where’d you come from?” I asked as I also approached him while I lowered my gun. Tatiana was holding his gear while the rest are on guard.
“I’m from the block there near the stadium.” He replied.
“And you just walked here when you saw us?” I said.
“Y-yeah. I was about to head to the DDR camps for refuge and I saw you guys armed with guns and I thought you must be one of them.” He said.
“We’re not. We’re just a special unit different from them. What are your plans then? I could drop you off the camps if you want.” I said.
“That would be great! Thanks! Hold on, do you guys live in a different place though?” he asked curiously.
“We do, but I can’t tell you where it is if you’re already planning to go to the camps.” I explained.
“I’m an office worker, I know it won’t help you guys much but I think I’ll take my chances with you guys. I think this is a fated meeting and I promise you that I’ll do whatever you ask me.” He said.
I looked at his eyes, no dilation. Breathing seems to be normal though a bit hurried from being pointed a gun. I stared at him for a while and I offered my hand.
“My name’s Sky. Come with us then.” I said.
“I’m Bobby, nice to meet you guys.” He said.
“We’ll do the full introductions later. A few are getting close.” I said.
The guys killed a few who got a bit close and we let him ride on the back of the pickup.
“Sky!” Kaley pointed to a direction a few meters away.
I looked at it and I saw another sprinter. It’s getting close as it ran towards us so I signaled Tatiana.
She looked at me and I said, “Use the shotgun on its feet. Use the Magnum rounds for good measure.”
She quickly unloaded the slug in the chamber and then she plucked two Magnum rounds from her hip and she slid it below the Benelli M4. She aimed for its feet and she squeezed the trigger.
*BOOM* *BOOM*
She unloaded two shots quickly towards the sprinter’s foot and it lost balance immediately and fell down tumbling in the pavement. She was about to finish it with a normal slug as it starts to crawl towards us but Jared shot it with his M70.
*psshew*
*bolt slide*
It just flopped its head down and was no longer moving. I looked at Bobby and he retched at the sight.
“What was that?!” Bobby exclaimed as he paled in horror at the sight.
“I’ll tell you later, we gotta move now.” I said.
We drove through some of them though we hit a few on the way. Good thing that a bullbar is installed in his pickup. I told my uncle to go to the address that I found from one of the doc.u.ments in the store.
“What’s this place?” he asked.
“It’s the address of the owner of the store that we got the guns from. I hope the old lady is there with her husband. If not, we could get a few more guns from that place since half the store is empty.” I said.
“Oh? We’re taking them then?” he asked.
“Yeah, she has her eccentricities but I think they will be a good addition with our team. Besides, we need more people at the place.” I said.
We drove inside the place where I drove Rin before but it’s much further in though. I saw the right house number and then we parked the vehicle in front of the gate. I noticed a doorbell with an intercom and I pressed the button to speak into it. The team and Tatiana cleared a few stragglers on the side of the road while Bobby tried to pick a few with his crowbar.
“Hello? Mrs. Smith? Are you there?” I said.
“Who is this?!” a male voice sounded.
“This is Sky, an old customer of Mrs.-”
“Go away! We’re not taking in people!” the voice shouted.
“You must be mistaken; we have a place in-”
“Didn’t hear what I said? Go away! We won’t go to your camps and we won’t give up our weapons you hear me?!” the voice bellowed.
“I think we’re not welcome here Sky.” Kaley said.
“Maybe.” I contemplated for a while and I tapped the intercom a set number of times. The group grew confused at what I’m doing but Jared and Tatiana are now focused on the sounds of the beeps in the intercom.
Dash Dash Dash
Dash Dash Dash
Dot Dash Dot
Dot Dash
Dot Dot Dot Dot
After a few seconds, I did the same sequence and the beeps is the only thing you’ll hear.
It was Morse code.
A few seconds later, the gate opened and an old man in his 50s, American, and wearing his service uniform appeared. He looks at all of us and then he spoke.
“Come in.”
The group then looked at me while Jared is shaking his head in amus.e.m.e.nt.
“What did you do?” Kaley asks.
“Oorah.” I said.
“What?” she asked again.
“Oorah.” I repeated myself while I widened my eyes.
“It’s a marine yell.” Jared whispered.
She gives a look of understanding and my uncle drove the truck inside.
“Mr. Ishiyama?” a voice resounded.
“Mrs. Thelma?!” I said in surprise.
“What are you doing here?! Are you guys alright?” she asks.
“You know them?” the man said.
“Yes, I used to work for his mom back in the day. Johnny, can you tell your wife to prepare something for us?” she said.
“But our food is-”
“No need for that, but thank you. We’re here on business. Is this all of you? You mentioned your wife, are there more?” I said.
“Let’s talk inside.” He said.
We went inside their home and it’s a two-story house that is medium sized. There’s 9 of them here. I introduced my group while Mrs. Thelma introduced theirs.
“This is Johnny, my sister’s husband. That is my sister Joanne. This guy here is my husband, Marco. The couple there is Jimmy their son and Clarice his wife. They got three children which are Judith, Carlo and Jimmy II.” she said.
“You in the marines, kid?” Johnny said.
“Why does all of the old military dudes call me kid?” I said to myself.
“No, I just needed to get your attention.” I said.
“Well, you did it. What do you want?” he said with a frown.
Joanne suddenly had a look of realization and she exclaimed, “Wait! I remember you! You’re the guy with the old army guy who bought a few guns years ago!”
I just nodded and she smiled at me.
“You know this kid dear?” he said to his wife.
We related our story to them about going to Thelma’s store that she manages and also going a few years back to her gun shop to buy a few guns and ammunition. What we never knew was that Thelma and Joanne are sisters.
“So, what you’re trying to say is that you want us to move to your place where you’re the one who’s in charge of it? I think I find that a load of bull, no offense. Do you have any proof that you belong to a special unit?” he said.
I pointed to Tatiana and she relayed her orders to him. Hearing her repeat it still gives me a feeling that she’s still hiding something. The response is too…robotic. It feels like she has said it many times before.
“I can also let you talk to one of yours.” I said as I told him about Oscar. I tried to contact Oscar through the radio and I let Johnny talk to him. After a few minutes of talking to the old man, his mood lightens and his guarded demeanor disappears somewhat.
“Good job old man.” I said to myself.
“I see. I understand your situation now. But what I don’t understand is how did a US Army Veteran and a Russian Army Soldier and a large group of different people though mostly family follows your orders without question? How did you manage to do that?” he asked.
“Because I can.” I said as I looked at him straight in the eye.