The garbage truck stopped, and it’s driver and co driver exited the vehicle while the engine kept running, shutting the doors firmly.
B-443 shuffled himself through the rancid garbage up over the edge in the back and stuck his head barely over, watching the two people light up a cigarette not too far from their location.
“We might be able to sneak out while they are distracted.” B-443 suggested.
“We won’t have much time. Plus, I want to get the fuck out of this container.” Allyn said.
“Agreed. Let’s get out.” Winters spoke.
They shuffled around the garbage truck and made their exit as quickly as possible, climbing down the rear metal ladder that was bolted on the vehicle. They looked around more in depth to make sure it was safe.
“Okay Tin Man, where to?” Winters asked.
“Let’s keep walking approximately southwest. Hopefully no one saw us exit the truck.” B-443 responded and surveyed the area with his eyes.
“The signal is still very strong, I have an accurate GPS fix.”
The drivers continued to smoke and had their back facing towards the trio, distracted to get their nicotine high for the day.
* * *
They walked down behind housing developments, surrounded by tall brick walls, and it was full of homeless individuals. Various displaced refugees and people of the city who lost everything when the Legion took over the planet and avoided contact from the regime.
Chain linked fences that were broken through, allowing more room for the homeless to take refuge. Most of it was rusted from the weather.
“Look at all these people, Winters.” Allyn was watching people setting fires from tiny burn pits, cooking food and trying to stay dry or warm.
What struck home for Winters was seeing children living in these conditions. It reminded her of when she lost both of her parents, and she had to rely on her survival instincts – many years before she joined the military service.
That was me a long time ago. I may have lost my leg, but I never forgot where I came from. She said to herself.
They walked right into the slums, deep within the city. They were wearing worn out street clothes, some didn’t have shoes on their feet. It hurt to see innocent people be displaced from the ongoing wars. It completely destabilized their livelihood, seeking shelter and peace from all the fighting.
“Are you sure he’s here, B?” Winters asked. “I am not sure how they are going to take our presence here. It’s 50/50.”
“It would be the safest, considering there’s a ton of people here. He can easily blend into his environment. He’s a wanted man. Where would you hide if an entire army was looking for you?” B-443 responded with a question.
“I’d do the same thing.” Allyn shrugged, “Except I wouldn’t hide in a trash truck.”
“I’m sure if you had to – you would.” Winters looked and smirked.
Allyn adjusted his weapon for easy access in case things got crazy.
Some of the people stepped out from their make shift huts and looked at them with uncertainty in their eyes. The children that were out and about stopped to look at the cool looking robot. The children ran up and approached B-443 and were in a complete mesmerized state.
Some of the kids walked up and touched B-443.
“Hello! I am B-433!” He waved as it startled the children.
“Holy heck! It talks!” One of the little boys said.
“Say something else!” A little girl inquired.
B-443 tilted his head, “Have you never seen a robot before? I am kind of special I suppose!” B-443 reached up and touched his chin in an inquisitive manner, which entertained the kids.
“Well, the kids like us.” Winters looked around.
“We are looking for a man, perhaps you have seen him.” B-443 knelt down and got in the eye level of the children that swarmed him.
“No one gives a shit about us, what makes you think we give a shit about what you are doing?” A man stepped out a hut with a machine pistol pointed at the three of them.
B-443 immediately stood up which surprised the children as they rapidly dispersed. He stepped forward and blocked the man’s machine pistols path with his war frame to protect Winters and Allyn.
“We are here on peaceful terms. Allow us to pass.” Winters spoke behind B-443’s frame.
“Tin Man, we’re going to be in big trouble.” Allyn said while reaching for his weapon under his jacket.
“Get away from our children! Get out of our homes, you fucking Legion scum.” The man’s voice aroused others who were armed, and they started appearing with blunt weapons, rifles, and pistols.
B-443 reacted by removing his machine pistols that were stored in his legs and was immediately armed, and ready. The civilians and refugees ducked behind cover allowing their armed comrades take control of the situation.
“His signal is getting stronger, he’s here. We just have to deescalate this before we end up in a shootout.” B-443 stayed focused with his arms fully extended out in front of him, scanning everyone pointing their weapons at them.
“Get out of our neighborhood. Only warning you have left.” The man aimed down the sights as the others started taking aim.
“Lower your weapon, I wish not to harm you.” B-433 spoke as his right arm was pointing at the man with his weapon system.
A warning shot popped off from behind the armed refugees, making most of them duck and turn around. A man emerged from a tiny spot wearing a trench coat.
“You will not harm them. They aren’t Legion.” Caption Helton said.
He walked up behind the growing resistance crowd and moved past them to meet Allyn, Winters, and B-443. B-443 lowered his weapons and returned them to his imbedded holsters in his legs.
“I see the General got my message. Quickly, we need to leave. That warning shot might bring company.”
* * *
The garbage truck was still there to their surprise, but the driver and co driver was no where to be seen.
“They must have scurried off, we don’t have much time.” Allyn stated as they approached it.
“Engine is still running.” Winters climbed into the drivers seat, while Allyn got in the back with B-443. Helton jumped in the passenger next to Winters.
“Is that how you snuck past the guards? Very sneaky.” Helton smirked and looked at the side view mirror as B-443 gave a thumbs up off the side.
“It’s not over yet, we need to get to driving and see if we’ll sneak past them again.”
She did a slow three point turn to avoid suspicion, and exited the way the truck drove to go down the road and pass the Legion security checkpoint.
“If they stop us, it could get ugly if they see your face. Your image is blasted everywhere.” Winters gripped the steering wheel tightly. “We can ditch this shit once we get close to our vehicle.” The garbage trucks engine roared with power as it cruised down the road.
B-443 kept poking his head out.
“B, do you see anyone following us?” Winters yelled out the driver window.
“No. Not yet.” B-443 increased his voice volume to overcome the sound of the trucks engine.
They roared past the checkpoint, without any guards stopping them for identification or search of their vehicle.
* * *
“Where the hell did our truck go, boss?” The co driver said as he came back out.
“Shit. Did those homeless fucks take our truck?” The driver started looking.
“Great. I’m gonna get fired.”
* * *
General Mattock sat in his living room, staring at the secured message placed on the screen on the data pad.
“Retired General Mattock, your request has been politely denied for temporary reactivation. We have forwarded the information you provided over to our Intelligence department, and will forward it upwards. Please enjoy your retirement.”
Signed, General O’Hannon.
“That son of a bitch. All the things I did for that assclown.”
Mattock grabbed his data communicator and called Winters.
* * *
“We have Helton, we’re getting into our armored vehicle right now.” Winters spoke as they all closed their doors and buckled up.
“Be careful, General O’Hannon might be onto you. Did you tell anyone you were doing a rescue op?” Mattock asked.
“No, this was under the radar.” Winters replied as they started driving off to get to their exfiltration spot.
The line went static.
“Winters, we’re being jammed. We’re going to have company. And it’s going to get ugly.” B-433 picked up an electronic countermeasure signal that interfered with their equipment.
The roads and people cleared out as Legion troops started pouring out like a dam had broken and the water was rushing down, flooding the streets with uniforms and weapons.
Without hesitation, they started opening fire on their vehicle. The bullets ricocheted and the armor was taking the full abuse of heavy metal.
“Shazbot!” B-443 gripped the seat in which Winters was sitting.
“Punch it Winters, or we’re in deep amounts of shit.” Helton said.
* * *
“Where the hell is Winters now?” General O’Hannon was staring at computer displays, allowing the GPS to track them.”
“Our tracking system is completely buzzed out sir, they are emitting a jamming frequency. We can’t triangulate if we wanted to.”
“Get them the fuck out of there. Send an air crew for emergency extraction, and send fucking air assets. I don’t give a shit if we have to shock and awe.” General O’Hannon exclaimed as he slammed his palms down on the desk.
“Colonel Winters, you owe me. Big time.”
* * *
Bullets kept pinging off their armored vehicle, as it screamed down the city roads, bursting through checkpoints and being fired upon from all directions.
The windshield and the windows started to give under the immense firepower as the windshield started to crack across the front.
The tires continued to hold back the abuse.
* * *
“Raven Base this is Eagle 1, I have eyes on Greywolf Lead.” A pilot spoke into his helmet microphone. He was flying a F-47, a fixed wing dual engined aircraft. Painted in all black, fully armed at every hard point. Underneath its nose, was a 40mm Gatling rotary cannon. “Legion troops in the open, permission to engage.”
* * *
“Send the lead.” General O’Shannon replied.
* * *
The fighter pilot immediately pulled his joystick and sent the nose down sharply to send his swift wing of death towards the enemy, switching his weapon system to the Gatling. It opened up with a loud and deep menacing growl as shells poured off the side of the ejection port – raining shells and lead into Legion troops.
The pilot pushed the joystick up to avoid the buildings and rolled hard on the ailerons to make another pass from the front.
* * *
“Holy Jesus what in the fuck was that?” Allyn tried to look through his cracked window.
“B! What the hell was that?” Winters yelled.
“That is a fighter class, stealth, F-47. What you just heard was our savior. It has IFF markings of UTM. The 40mm weapon system was triggered.”
“Fuck yeah!” Winters whooped as she laughed speeding down the road.
* * *
The pilot changed his weapons to the rocket pods located under each of its wings, launching the entire pod into the Legion forces, explosions rocked the ground, with enough concussive blast to shift the tides and rock the armored vehicle.
“Raven Base this is Eagle 1. They are escaping the kill zone, their vehicle is badly damaged. I need to keep them going. I’m staying.” As he made another pass and opened up with the growling 40mm. “ETA on Air Evac for the Greywolves.”
* * *
“They are burning in system, two mikes.”
* * *
“Good copy Raven. I can hold out.” His HUD started to scream at the pilot, indicating an anti air lock missile on him. He quickly pushed the joystick while deploying flares as he took to the skies, feeling the G’s push him into his seat. His flight suit responded and kept the blood flowing through his body.
“Anti Air Assets are in the area!” As he watched the dual missiles that were locked onto him veer off and away from his aircraft. He took a chance and made another pass, opening up with more of his 40mm, and launched more missiles from the pods.
* * *
Static came through as it cleared.
“Greywolf Lead, this is Guardian 2, we’re making a landing in front of you with the rear compartment open. Drive in and we’re burning out fast. Respond back to the call.” As their air cargo aircraft appeared over them, and started to land far in front of them.
“Tin Man here, I can hear you Guardian 2. Greywolf Lead is busy dodging bullets.” B-443 replied, “Colonel, drive right in. They are waiting for us.”
* * *
The pilot flew past the air cargo transport and continued to engage the Legion forces to keep their attention drawn onto him. He had a visual on Greywolf Lead as it approached the aircraft and got closer to driving in.
He selected his bombs on his weapon selector with his thumb, and pulled the trigger. The clamps released located under the wings and the bombs free fell from their respective hard points before taking back off into the skies, pushing hard on the joystick and releasing more flares.
“Raven Base, Eagle 1. All weapons deployed in combat zone. Greywolf Lead is safe and sound. I’m bugging out.” He pushes up into the clouds, sending the throttle on full.
* * *
As Winters drove right into the reinforced net to snatch up their heavily damaged armored vehicle, the bombs hit and it was an explosive set of fireworks.
“Holy fuck, we made it.” Allyn laughed.
The vehicle hissed as it settled.
“Fuck yeah we did.” Winters laughed too.
“We need the name of that pilot, he is to be commended.” Helton spoke as he exited the vehicle. “Without him, we wouldn’t be talking.”
“Most excellent plan.” B-443 agreed.
Story Time 