Contract Free Arulco: The Bitch Must Die!

Day 48 Meduna’s Royal Palace
Sub Level 1
1940 Local
Sierra

Sara sat in the Queen’s private office located in the underground bunker beneath the Meduna Palace with her stomach twisting over and over again into one knot after another. She was going through the Queen’s files on the computer built in to the large mahogany desk. The Queen was thorough with her record keeping.

Joseph would not say what had happened to Flo and Biff, only that the Queen had killed them. Gus Tarballs did die out in the desert south of Tixa, the Queen had a bounty on his head and unlike the bounties on the rest of the mercenaries involved with Gus in liberating Arulco, and his was dead or alive. She fed his carcass to her beloved Bloodcats and mounted Gus’s head, along with Flo and Biff’s like a trophy on the outside wall of the Palace.

The Queen was sloppy for all of her paranoia; her laptop upstairs in her throne room had a first rate encryption on it, one that none of the operators from AIM could crack, but the computer located in her inner sanctum held no password protection. In the fifteen years that she was in power, she had amasses thousands of files. One for every person in Arulco it appeared to Sara. Most files were just a few kilobytes in size. Others like Miguel’s, were gigabyte in size.

There was also a file for every single AIM and MERC soldier in Arulco. The detail Sara found in her file scared her; her own mother didn’t know as much about her as the Queen did. Biff and Flo’s files were the largest and she soon found out because they contained video. Videos of their executions.

Sara looked at Biff’s first. It was the smallest file of the two and only contained three videos. The first video opened with Biff chained to a wall; Biff was screaming in pain and for mercy. He got none. Sara felt light headed and fast forwarded to the end of the video. The time in the bottom left corner of the video showed that Biff’s torture session lasted thirty seven minutes.

The second video showed Biff strapped into an harness like contraption that pushed his pelvis forward and pulled his arms and legs straight back. Biff was naked and Sara felt a cold chill when she understood that the harness lifted Biff up so he could be moved around with his genitals leading the way. The roar in the background made Sara cringe.

The Queen ordered a shot administered to Biff. Sara was sure that shot contained Regen. It did as Biff woke from his pain induced stupor and started crying, asking through sobs for the pain to be taken away. The poor soul, nothing of the sort was coming and Sara was sure he knew it.

The Queen told Biff about the female Bloodcat in the cage; the cats name was Cleopatra and she was the largest Bloodcat in history, weighing over a thousand pounds. But the Queen was more impressed with Cleopatra’s mouth; its jowls were simply massive the Queen had said and she was going to prove it to Biff.

Biff’s contraption was wheeled to the cage with his genitals protruding through. Cleopatra roared at the intrusion from where she lounged against the far wall of the cage. Sara noticed how gleeful the Queen was as she told Biff that the Bloodcats were genetically trained to love certain smells. The smell of blood drove the Bloodcats into a feeding frenzy just like it does with sharks and piranhas.

Honey was another smell the Bloodcats loved the Queen said as she held a clear jar in front of Biff’s blood encrusted eyes, they love the taste but only on their tongue. The Queen told Biff to watch as she used a brush to paint Biff’s genitals with the honey.

Cleopatra responded immediately, after sniffing the air once, the big cat lazily sniffed Biff’s offered crotch. Biff was screaming and jerking the entire time but the contraption held him still. Sara watched the video long enough to see the cat start to lick the honey off of Biff.

She slowed the video down when she saw the Queen hold another jar in front of the crying mercenary. “Can you guess what is in here Biff”, the Queen teased. Sara didn’t have to guess. Blood. Biff was pulled back so the Queen could paint his genitals just right. The big cat growled at the loss of its treat but went deadly silent when the lid was opened and blood was applied to Biff. Biff didn’t start screaming until he was pushed to the cage again.

Sara couldn’t pause, stop or turn away from what she saw on the monitor; the big cat waited until the torturer who was assisting the Queen backed away. Sara noticed the torturer. That was third different face she had seen, all females, very angry looking females. If they weren’t dead then they would be soon. The big cat moved faster than its size belied that it could; it one bite Biff’s genitals were no more. The cat just sat there chomping Biff’s manhood while blood gushed out on to it from the open wound.

After the cat had finished its snack it laid down to lick its snout and the blood on the cage floor. Sara finally lost what little food was in her stomach.

She briefly watched the third video to confirm Biff’s death. Apparently he died in the contraption and was beheaded there before his body was thrown into another cage where two more Bloodcats proceeded to pick at his carcass.

Sara turned the monitor off and sat in a daze for a long time, subconsciously wishing that her heart would quit pounding.


Day 48 North East of Alma
2210 Local
Hamous

Hamous liked working with Iggy. The man was quiet and didn’t try to make conversation. He was like Hamous, he said what was needed to be said and nothing more.

Hamous didn’t mind hard labor and carrying all of these mortar rounds was hard work as they marched in darkness through the plains of Arulco. He was armed with only the weapon he was told was called the Mini-Sub-Machine Gun, loaded with fifty rounds of hollow point ammo. They were told not to expect trouble from the Army and even though Hamous was told that a larger caliber weapon was preferred by his new friend, he was outfitted with the Mini-Sub with the HP ammo to protect Iggy.

His new friend Mickey had convinced Hamous, with much talk which Hamous didn’t want to listen to and whiskey, whiskey Hamous did like and listened to Mickey as Mickey regaled him of tales of the great hunters and how Hamous could be the next great hunter.

Apparently Hamous had agreed with Mickey to be the next great hunter, though Hamous did not remember telling his new friend that. Hamous didn’t remember much from the night before though.

So now, Hamous had told Sierra, Hamous liked Sierra, that he was going to move on after he completed this mission with Iggy.

Of course, Hamous didn’t tell Sierra that he was going to return to this area with Mickey when they were done but Hamous didn’t think Sierra cared.

Day 48 Meduna’s Royal Palace
Sub Level 1
2303 Local
Sierra

Sara did not want to watch the video files in Flo’s folder; she didn’t what to see just how much more depraved the Queen was. But, but, she knew she had to. For Flo’s sake.

Prior to coming back to the Queen’s subterranean sanctum, Sara went on a hunt. She found the cages with the cats, Cleopatra growled at her menacingly. She also found the three torturers. Two had killed themselves in their quarters. The third was found in the kitchen bossing one of the kitchen staff around, oblivious to the change that had occurred.

Sara didn’t arrest her. She pistol whipped the dyke who outweighed her by a good seventy pounds. The torturer had no hair for her to drag her by so Sara grabbed the collar of her top and pulled. Sara was able to drag her a good ten feet when the torturer grabbed Sara’s forearm and squeezed. Sara moaned and then clipped the dyke again with the butt of her FiveSeveN. It took three more blows for her arm to be released. Sara jumped back and aimed her sidearm at the bleeding torturer.

Strong hands gently grabbed her wrists, raising her weapon, “What the fuck do you want Gillie?”

“Sara, the war is over. If this country is going to heal, don’t you think we should set the example by not doing hate killings?”

Sara spat at her teammate, “Do you know what this THING did?”

Gillie shook his head and said solemnly, “I don’t care what she did. If she has to pay, then let the Arulcan Courts make that decision. Isn’t that why were took down Diedranna? So the people can rule themselves?”

“WE TOOK DOWN THAT BITCH BECAUSE SHE WAS PURE EVIL!”

“I won’t argue that Sara but I will argue you executing this woman.”

“Why?”

“Because Sara, you psyche can’t handle that. It can’t.”

Sara jerked back away from Gillie, not because of his words but the kindness in them and in his eyes.

Turning, “Fine, throw her in a jail somewhere. I will provide more than ample proof of her guilt.” Sara was glad that Gillie did not follow.

Making her way back to the cages, Sara angrily emptied a clip into each of the three cats, sneering the entire time. When the third clip ran dry and Cleopatra growled no more, Sara let out a sigh and was surprised about how good that sigh felt.

Now she was back at the desk with the computer files. She only watched the first file in its entirety. The Queen ranted and raved to a crying Flo. Flo begged and pleaded to be allowed to join the Queen the entire time, agreeing with everything the Queen said. In the end the Queen said that she despised Flo and that she wouldn’t even last twenty minutes with the Royal Torturers.

The next file was Flo’s time with the torturer; Sara fast forwarded through it four times normal speed. Until she noticed the timer in the bottom corner and she paused it. The timer showed thirty nine minutes. Flo lasted longer than Biff. Much longer.

There was over forty files of Flo’s being tortured. Sara jumped to the last one where she saw Flo expire. The timer showed 17 hours and 3 minutes. Sara was ready to walk away from the files when something stuck out about Flo’s corpse. Sara closed her eyes when she realized what it was.

Looking through the files, she saw that one of them had a special character added to the file name, an *. Against her better judgment, she opened that file. She looked at the timer, it said 10 hours and 22 minutes.

Flo was hooked into the same contraption harness that Biff was killed in. Sara’s mouse hand twitched and she was ready to shut the file off if Flo was wheeled towards Cleopatra. She was not; two of the torturers were attaching hoses by some sort of clamp to Flo’s nipples and clitoris. Sara hit the fast forward. At four times normal speed Flo jerked for close to an hour with those hoses attached to her.

Sara slowed the file to normal speed when the Queen had moved back into view and she saw the Queen’s face was no longer looking gleefully happy, she was pissed that Flo had lasted that long. With a very evil looked she grabbed the two hoses attached to the upper portion of Flo’s body and yanked. Sara suddenly wished she could kill the Queen all over again as Diedranna laughed as Flo screamed and bleed; her nipples were no longer attached to her breasts but the clamps of the hose.

Sara fast forward to see the same thing happen to Flo’s clitoris and she turned the video off. The excitement was about to begin.


Day 48 Cambria
Cambria Hospital
1940 Local
MD

MD was happy. No one else was happy, but MD was. Instead of killing people, he was helping them and with the wonderful Regen drug from Metavira, he was able to help a lot.

The last of the sex slaves that they were told to expect had finally made it from Alma. Of the three trucks that set out from Alma, only one made it to Cambria on the fumes inside its tank. The second one made it twelve miles before it exhausted its fumes and the third truck made it only seven miles from Alma.

This was good for the hospital staff, since that meant their influx of patients coming their way was going to arrive in waves but it was bad for the former sex slaves. Seven collapsed from exhaustion and five of those seven died. Then there was the Bloodcats.

The second truck stirred up a hornet’s nest when it hit a Bloodcat crossing the road, not bothering to stop as was standard practice in Arulco except that the truck ran out of gas four hundred feet further which was close enough to inquire the ire of the other four cats. There was four soldiers traveling with each of the trucks, the soldiers had volunteered for this trip because they were very sorry to see the slaves go and wanted to make the best of the trip. Indeed, like the other two trucks, there was a virtual orgy going on in the back of the trucks and each driver was being kept occupied by the sucking mouth of another sex slave.

After the truck ran out of gas, the soldiers grumbled because fun time was over and did not see the Bloodcats until the first sex-slave was killed. The cats were smart and only two of them succumbed to the encoding in their genetics to stop to eat the first meal, the other two chased after the soldiers who carried the things of metal that stank.

Three of the soldiers fell to those two cats before they were finally put down. The remaining soldier did not think about sex or the loss of his very willingly sex partners the entire march to Cambria.

MD did not take time to acknowledge that the help that most of the new patients needed was not medical in nature but psychological instead. He kept busy as only a doctor in an ER could, using any small snippet of free time that he had here and there to add to his notes on Regen.

He wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to stay in Arulco, maybe a week or maybe a year. He was going to go where ever Regen took him. After completing the dissertation he had planned in the back of his mind about the miracle drug, he knew he was going to travel to Metavira to further that research. With the proper research, a better understanding of the drug meant more lives saved and most definitely lucrative contracts.

Yes, things were definitely looking up. He thought it was a mistake when he accepted the contract to Arulco, that he was definitely going to die. Then his fears switched from harboring death to flights of fancy about Sara. But Sara hadn’t said a word to him since the Queen was removed and MD was moving on.


Day 48 South San Mona
Kingpins Bar
2322 Local
Grizzly

Grizzly was having the time of his life. Those cronies back at AIM had told him not to take the contract Scope had independently offered but Ice had agreed to it and he trusted Ice to always find the contracts that lead to all of the excitement.

Excitement in Arulco was found in spades, even after that bitch was killed there was still fun to be had.

Grizzly was a man’s man and the perverse part of him wanted to get give that Queen-Bitch a test spin, but Grizzly didn’t let that bother him, there was always plenty more tail for him to nail just as there was always heads for him to beat in.

The girl rubbing his shoulders was good, if he took that extended contract he was offered, he just might have to set up a nest for this girl.

Grizzly laughed when the quack finally gave up on the chump on the floor, a broken neck is a broken neck.

That chump was number two of three opponents he had to face for this op. Grizzly smiled again as he thought how he was being paid to beat three poor slobs up, preferably in a very brutal fashion. Chuckling, he thought that one cracked skull and one broken neck in two fights was pretty brutal.

Grizzly was a bear of a man, but he wasn’t a teddy bear, far from it. He had a temper and he liked violence. His wife can and did attest to that and she showed the scars in court as well. Grizzly didn’t begrudge her that, he loved her and she loved him.

So they made an agreement that centered on AIM. Grizzly would work out of country and come home for no more than a week at a time, while he was away, he would send most of his AIM paycheck to her. It was a win-win for Grizzly, he got to bust heads and kept his wife. And if he died, well then she would have that nice million dollar insurance policy to console her.

“Are you ready Mr. Grizzly?”

Grizzly didn’t bother looking at the sleazebag running the show for the Kingpin, “Yeah, bring it on.”

Day 48 Meduna
Meduna Palace
1120 Local
Maddog


Maddog was bored. He had his share of celebrating. He drank, got drunk and expelled that drink. That wasn’t how the Maddog partied.

“I’m BORED!” If he was counting, which he wasn’t, he would have known that was the sixteenth time he had said that in the last hour as he sat in the throne room.

Kilroy walked by, “Hey, I am bored. What say we go look for varmints?”

Kilroy ignored him and continued walking through to the West Room. “Hey, I hear that there was some varmints at the Ocala School. Let’s go take care of them!” Kilroy stopped.

Turning she looked intently at Maddog, “Ocala School?”

“Yeah, that is the private school that the rich kids get sent to in Balime. Mostly girls there, but boys too.”

Kilroy closed her eyes and took in a deep breath quietly, “Okay,” she said as she opened her eyes, “Let me finish what I am doing and the two of us will go this evening.”

“GREAT! I can wait. Just let me know and I will be ready.”

Turning away to finish her journey to the West Room, “You do that.”


Day 48 Balime
Outside Ocala School
0810 Local
Shank


Shank was running scared; he had been running scared since he snuck away from those mercenaries in San Mona. He was thankful that they rescued him from that hell hole Tixa, though he was sure his parents wasn’t going to let him die there, they were just trying to scare him. That didn’t work and he showed them.

His lungs was burning and the HK 23E felt like a ton, but he couldn’t stop running.

He wished he didn’t have to run out on the mercs, they mostly treated him alright, even if they did want him to do hard work. He was willing to do that hard work, he really was but he was only human and he needed a toke even more. Fuck those mercs with their ‘no drugs and alcohol’ rules! When a homie needed a toke, who was they to say no? Fuck’em.

He knew all of the connections in San Mona and soon was toking a fat one. That was the life.

Then he thought of his parents and that pissed him off. So he hired along with a group of guys making a run to Balime.

That was even more work than what the mercs were asking of him, but at least he was able to toke the entire way to Balime. Good shit too.

Heh, his parents weren’t happy at all to see him and that pissed him off. Screaming wasn’t the way to go, no. He had something in his hands that was oh so much more better. Damn did it feel good.

He had heard the phrase, ‘Going Rambo’ on someone or thing but he really had no clue what it meant. He did now. Emptying that whole box of 5.56mm ammo was SWEET!

Mom won’t be bitching to the maid about dust on her prized painting and statues! Dad won’t be wondering if his house was the best on the block any more because it all of that was riddled with bullets now! Fuck ‘em!

It felt good to let loose like that but Shank knew that he had to get out of there so ran. At first he didn’t know where he was going to run to, then he remember Ocala and all of the pricks there! Yes, Ocala was going to get some Rambo-lovin’ too!

Shank’s breathing was loud and faltering.

Who knew that the Army had assigned a patrol to guard a fucking school?

“There he is! Kid stop or we will shoot!”

“FUCK YOU!” Shank was done running. “FUCK YOU PIGS!”

Shank raised the HK 23E and aimed through the ACOG Combo Scope, the first pig was going to get it straight in his queer kisser!



Shank lowered the LMG and looked at it questionably, it didn’t fire, fuck, it had no bullets and he didn’t have another box!

Looking back at the Army patrol rushing towards him, epiphany struck and he raised his hands, the pigs got him.

What the soldiers saw was Shank raising his LMG at them and they opened fired.


Day 48 North East of Alma
2359 Local
Iggy

His calculations was triple checked, based on the coordinates found in the Queen’s files, his target was zeroed in.

Hamous was a good soldier, he had laid out the mortar rounds exactly as requested. He understood which round to hand him and how to prime them. Yes, all was ready.

At zero minus fifteen seconds, Iggy grabbed one of the six 60mm mortar rounds filled with a blistering agent and place the bottom tip into the top of the tube and looked at his watch.

Five…four…three…two…one, “FIRE IN THE HOLE” He screamed though he knew no one else was around and if there was a human at ground zero than that human was already dead.

Moving to the second Commando mortar setup, he dropped the second nerve agent mortar in to it and let it fly. He quickly adjusted the settings and did the same with the first Commando mortar, then he quickly fired the next two rounds.

He did that over and over again until all six rounds of blistering agent and the twenty rounds of high explosive were sent on their way.

Nodding towards Hamous, who started the march back, he dropped a grenade into each tube and dived behind the tree stump he had picked out when he choose he firing position.

After the dual whump was heard he picked himself off of the ground, glancing quickly to see the two splintered tubes before rushing to catch up with Hamous.


Day 49 South San Mona
Outside Mr. Klaus Mansion
0000 Local
Terror

“You are sure this man is worth my time Darren?”

“Yes sir Mr. Klaus, he slaughtered the trio.”

“Slaughtered, Darren? If you say words like that, you are implying that they are dead. I hope for your sake Darren, that they are dead. I do not like to be misled.”

Darren gulped, “Yes, sir Mr. Klaus. I meant no disrespect Mr. Klaus.”

“Very well, Darren, what exactly did this brute of a man do now?”

Darren sounded very excited, “He smashed Dirk’s head in, just caved it in with a punch to the side. Then he broke Jumbo’s neck. Jumbo is dead, Doc says that Dirk probably won’t live through the week, maybe longer if we take him to Cambria. Then the man, Grizzly is what he calls himself, he withstood Jola’s kicks! Not only that he grabbed Jola’s leg and smashed his knee, Doc said that he blew out the knee bad and that he won’t walk on the knee again.”

Mr. Klaus stopped walking towards his bar, “Oh my, mayhap slaughtered was appropriate after all.”

“Yes sir Mr. Klaus. Sir, what do you want us to do with Dirk and Jola?”

“Hmmm, quite right. Have them taken to Cambria, don’t want the other fighters to get the impression that we don’t take care of our own.”

“Yes sir.”

“Darren.”

“Yes sir.”

“Make sure they are left in some ditch were the blood cats can get them between here and Cambria.”

Darren nodded non-pulsed, “Yes sir Mr. Klaus that will happen.”

Terror had heard enough. The place was crawling with guards but that didn’t matter to her, she owned the night. There was three walking towards the bar from the mansion, the Kingpin, his stooge and a bodyguard. She waited until they got the closest to her, which also coincided with the darkest part of the path to the bar.

Raising her P-90, the barrel extender pulled so a more fitting silencer could be mounted, she pulled the trigger and something resembling a muffled car farting emanated as the body guard following in the rear collapsed.

A second burst and the lackey died.

Terror liked what she saw, the Kingpin pulled his old style Mauser 9mm parabellum pistol from his holster and twisted towards her.

But he could not see her, “I just wanted to tell you that your reign of evil ends now. Your empire is no more.” A third warbling ended the Kingpin’s life.

Terror was gone before the alarm went out signifying the end of the Kingpin’s rule.

It was easy for her to reach the abandoned mine below the Kingpin’s mansion and the plunder he stored there. Carlos and a few other men were already loading the loot onto the Ice Cream truck.

“Whenever you are ready Carlos. Let’s get the fuck out of dodge.”

“Si senorita and this money will help Arulco take care of itself as well.”

“You betcha Carlos, you betcha.”


Day 49 San Mona
Tony’s Video Emporium
0000 Local
Robber

“Hans, how the hell are you?”

Hans looked up from the motorcycle catalog, “Surprised to see you. Tony said that business was gonna slow down now that the Queen is dead.”

“Well, I have got something really sweet for Tony here. Thought I as in me, myself and I…”

“Hey, what about me, are ya’ daft?”

“Sorry, Red, I mean Red and I could get a pretty penny for this from Tony. The Queen doesn’t have a use for it anymore, if you know what I mean.”

“Ya, ya. Tony is in back.” Hans nodded to the door behind him and went back to his catalog.

“Hey Hans, now that the Queen is dead and the fuel embargo is going to be lifted, are you going to try to reopen you bike shop up?”

Hans shook his head, “I thought about it, but Tony pays me too much to want to deal with that hassle. I am just going to order myself a couple of cool bikes instead.”

Robber grimaced, “You are an okay guy, you know that Hans?”

Hans didn’t look up from his catalog, “Ya, ya.”

Robber accepted his answer. Looking at Red, he nodded his head and moved through the door to Tony.

Tony was not expecting company; he had two playmates performing in front of him on the floor while the third was polishing his pole.

“Yes?” His droll voice sounded out when Robber entered the room.

“Tony, I have a big ticket item and I was wondering if you wanted to splurge on it.”

Tony did not really care to be bothered about work but his eyes lit up when Robber pulled the weapon around to his front.

“The Arulcan Rocket Rifle! That even looks like the Auto variant!”

Robber smiled, “That’s because it is. The Queen’s very own prototype.”

Tony shoved his slave’s head out of his lap as he sprung to his feet, “Yes. I would very much like this. I have a source to get me the rocket ammo for it direct from Grumm.”

‘Finger Identification Confirmed’ sounded from the Rocket Rifle, “I thought you might.” Robber said soberly as he completed the raising of the rifle to point at Tony and pulled the trigger.

The five high explosive armor piercing rounds whooshed out towards Tony in a span of less than 5 seconds, Robber knew this was overkill, but thought a merchant of death like Tony deserved no less.

The first rocket missed and blew a fist size hole in the reinforced wall to the left of Tony, rockets two, three and four hit their intended target. The first severed Tony’s left arm at the shoulder, the second blew a fist size hole just to the left of Tony’s sternum and the third blew out Tony’s expansive gut.

Robber was an automatics specialist; he could fire a burst from a FAMAS G2 and put two of the three rounds on to his target at two hundred and fifty meters. However, this was the first time he fired the experimental Auto Rocket Rifle and he knew none of its quirks or characteristics.

Because the rocket rifle had more in common with the RPG launcher or a gyro jet rifle than a true rifle, Robber had no clue how much muzzle climb the Auto Rocket Rifle had and he over compensated by pulling down harder than needed on the built in fore grip. The fifth rocket missed Tony by less than twelve inches; as automatics go, that was not a drastic span of space to miss with.

Robber’s grim resolve was shattered as he saw the fifth rocket destroy half of the sex slave’s skull that Tony had just pushed off of him. Obedience was paramount to the sex slave and when cast aside, her training told her that she had to assume her position at her master’s heel. That obedience cost her life.

Robber screamed and rushed to the girl, futilely pulling his medkit from its carry bag. The other two sex slaves were screaming and climbing over Tony’s lifeless form. One pushed at Robber to get to Tony’s arm and Robber pushed back screaming for assistance for the dead slave.

He did not hear nor did he care that Hans was himself cussing as he pulled out his G3 battle rifle from under his counter.


Day 49 Alma
Alma Military Installation
0001 Local
Gillie

“What the hell is that noise soldier?”

“Explosions in the distance, Sir!”

“Explosions? Are we under attack soldier?”

“I don’t think so sir, those explosions are to the East of here.”

“Well than what are you doing outside my residence soldier?”

“I am on patrol here sir!”

“Well then get back on patrol and quit watching the fire works!”

“Sir Yes Sir!”

The General went inside to get his portable phone and returned to his patio to watch the explosions in the distance.

“This is General Alvarez, get me the OOD…Lieutenant Ocho, what is the situation on the explosions East of our position?...You don’t know, well maybe you should send a patrol out there to find out!...Make sure it is a heavy patrol, you know it was out there…”

Hanging the phone up, the General muttered to himself, “Fucking morons. A dog can be trained better then what the Queen gave me!”

A voice whispered deadly intent, “I know what is out there.”

General Alvarez spun and went to pull out his service sidearm when he realized he was standing there in his pajamas, “Who the fuck are you?”

Gillie moved into the light, “You know who I am General.” The HK G11 carried no other message than death.

“Why…why are you here?”

“A couple of reason General; first to confirm to you that those explosions you are hearing is the destruction of the Bloodcat lair East of here. That last remnant of the Queen and her rule is no more.”

The General expected as much, “And the other reason?”

“To deliver you a message…” Gillie paused and the G11 spoke for him. Gliding back into the shadows Gillie added, “That your orders to the Colonel in Grumm was intercepted. There will be no All Black Op sent to the Meduna airport to neutralize the Jaguars there.”

Major Conrad was roused from his sleep by the explosions in the east and groused when moments later the whole base was a beehive of activity. He would never be able to go back to sleep. To Major Conrad, sleep was a premium item and unlike his peers, he was asleep every night he didn’t have duty by 9pm.

Moving to his desk he pulled out the previous days training report. As the Training Officer he was not pleased with what he saw. The Arulcan army was every bit a 5th World Army, yes, they showed promise but the policy of the Queen was maddening. The Queen was gone and Major Conrad was curious to see what the new regime had in store for the Arulcan army.

A knock at his door drew his attention, “Yes, who is it?”

A muffled, “Message for Colonel Conrad” was heard in reply.

Major Conrad didn’t comprehend the mistake in his rank until he opened the door to his state room, “Wait, you called me Colonel, I am not a Col…” He quit talking when a gun barrel was stuck into his face through the open door. Major Conrad could smell the cordite from the barrel, that weapon had just been discharged.

Major Conrad raised his hands and stepped back; Gillie stepped in and shut the door behind him without turning away from the confused Army Officer.

“You called me Colonel that is not my proper rank. Why?”

“I am bringing you an offer from the new administration in Meduna.”

“I am listening.”

“The Queen was very thorough in her records, she had pegged you as the reason why the Arulcan Army had the few successes that it did have.”

“Thank you, it is good to hear acknowledgment of my skill.”

“It doesn’t end there, she was growing weary of General Alvarez, he was too ambitious with his Rocket Rifle project, he thought that programs success was enough to warrant his taking over and the Queen was going to jump you over your peers.”

Major Conrad smiled, he was a Colonel in his previous life but due to a misunderstanding with his Commanding Officer and the Commanding Officer’s wife his commission was forfeited. “What is the offer you bring?”

“It is requested that you take command of the Arulcan Army.”

“That is well and good but with the Queen gone and the current ‘administration’ in question; I do not think that Colonel Ocho or Colonel Heraldo in Grumm will accept my authority. Nor do I think General Alvarez will step down.”

“General Alvarez is dead, his XO Colonel Ocho, if not already dead, will be shortly as will be Colonel Heraldo.”

Colonel Conrad did not hesitate, “Very well, I will do it, so long as the three you mentioned are not in my way. If any part of what you say fails then I will deny ever talking to you.”

Gillie opened the door and said as he exited while facing the brevetted Colonel, “I was never here.”


Day 49 Grumm
Garrison Commander’s Office
0000 Local
Igor


“Still no word from Alma, Carlito?”

“No Colonel. The technicians think that the line has been cut or interrupted somehow.”

“But the line is buried.”

“Yes sir, which is why the technicians think there was a shut off switch installed in Meduna.”

“Yes, I wouldn’t have put that past that paranoid bitch.”

“So what do we do sir?”

“We wait until we hear otherwise.”

“And the order to send fuel to the rest of the country and what about Enrique Chivaldori coming back from the dead?”

“Jesus Carlito, I don’t fucking know. We do what Old Man Alvarez says. Sooner or later we will…”

Lieutenant Carlito, Aide De Camp to Grumm Garrison Commander Colonel Heraldo was refreshing the Colonel’s brandy when he heard a tinkle like noise, turning he saw his Colonel with his head back, mouth open and a very large and vicious hole where his very prominent adam’s apple used to exist.


Day 49 Alma
Outside the Alma Saloon and Tavern
0005 Local
Grunty


Grunty was very bitter. He had argued with first Scope and then Sierra about what was requested of him. It wasn’t that he wasn’t capable of the job nor that he didn’t agree with its merit, but because of his ethics.

Grunty did his time in the German Army but refused the offer to join the GSG-9 because he was not comfortable using military units against political targets. Even though the target he was being asked to eliminate was a military officer, he was targeted for political reasons, not military ones.

“I am not a Kingmaker!” He had yelled time and time again.

Still, here he was detonator in hand. The argument for the execution was just too strong. Anything could go wrong with this decision, that was acknowledged, but eliminating this man gave Arulco the best chance for peace and so Grunty reluctantly and with reservation, agreed to do the job.

Colonel Ocho was a creature of habit. Long past his prime physically, he catered to his two remaining vices, drink and cards. He found both at the Saloon and Tavern. As the Executive Officer of the Arulcan Army he almost always had his nights free from duty. When other responsibilities did not call him away, he could be found at the Saloon and Tavern from 9pm to Midnight, quenching his thirst and losing more than he won at poker.

His need for routine kept him from excess but it also killed him.

Like clockwork he exited the Saloon and Tavern and woke his sleeping driver.

Grunty waited until the vehicle was in the middle of the dirt road before he triggered the explosives he had planted an hour earlier.

Day 49 San Mona
The Shady Lady
0000 Local
Ice


Ice was ignoring the ramblings of the proprietor of the Shady Lady as he sized up her bouncer, Billy. To Ice, every man and woman had a weakness when it came to being attacked. From the look of Billy, he was too stupid to recognize pain. But that also meant he was slow and cumbersome.

“…Finally there is our new favorite, Maria. She just screams for pain and for the right price of $800.00, you can hurt her all you…”

Spinning Ice-smooth, the Madam of the Shady Lady had her skull creased by the silencer on Ice’s Colt SMG. Ice stopped the spin of is SMG when it was pointing at Billy.

“Uh, wha…” Ice emptied half the clip into his chest, blasting him through the door he was guarding.

The second guard responded quick enough, turning the corner with his AK-74SU at the ready, he saw his boss leaning against the wall behind her counter, blood gushing from her skull but not her assailant until too late.

Ice smiled, “Surprise sucker!” as he emptied the rest of his 9mm clip into the second guard from his position prone of the floor in front of the counter.

Reloaded, Ice moved around to the Madam, “Ice Man doesn’t need to pay for his trim bitch, he takes it!”

The Madam couldn’t focus her eyes so what she said next sounded half hearted, “You are dead, you just don’t know it.”

“NO!” Ice wasn’t playing games with her, “You are dead, just as your boss is dead.”

Ice took aim and emptied the entire clip into the Madam, “You give pimps a bad name!”

After locking the front door, Ice double checked to make sure there wasn’t a third guard before releasing the hookers. Though fearful, all of them were anxious to be away from the Shady Lady, when Ice told them that a Hummer was waiting for them in East San Mona, all rushed to follow him out the back door which he was able to unlock without setting off its alarm thanks to the key that Robber has ‘acquired’ the month earlier.


Day 49 San Mona
Tony’s Video Emporium
0001 Local
Red


Red couldn’t believe how Robber was carrying on about a frail, a dead one at that. At least the racket Robber was making was enough to entice Hans from behind his counter and into the ante room to Tony’s office/den of inequity.

Cackling, Red triggered the two HDX explosives he had hidden behind the door to Hans’s counter when he followed Robber back to Tony’s.

The flash of light and explosion hurt Red behind his hiding spot as he had over did it and the explosion had slammed the desk he was hunkered behind in to him and the wall behind him.

As much as he hurt, he can just imagine how poor Hans felt or at least the pieces of Hans felt.

Day 49 Road to Balime
0540 Local
Kilroy


Kilroy glanced to her right as she saw Maddog take another swig from his canteen. Just a minute earlier he had told her how she needed to stop so he could ‘drain the lizard’.

Maddog smacked her right arm, causing her to jerk the steering wheel, “Hey, I said I need to pee, stop already.”

Kilroy looked at him with undisguised hatred, “Don’t EVER touch me again!”

Maddog shrugged and smirking, “Sure, whatever, stop so I can pee, or do you want me to drink it? I did that once, it wasn’t that bad.”

Kilroy clicked on the interior light and lifted a map, “I want to stop up ahead, and it should be just around the next corner.”

“Fine, whatever.”

The spot Kilroy was looking for was just around the corner, Meduna and Balime were both located on the sea level, with plenty of beach front property, the road between the two Arulcan cities followed the shoreline and rose with the formations of cliffs to form a coastline similar to the Pacific Highway in California.

Kilroy pulled their military vehicle over at a scenic vista that allowed viewers to look straight down to the surf below, “See.”

Maddog agreed, “Cool” and bounded out the vehicle before it had stopped.

“Tee-hee, I am pissing off the side of a cliff. Cool.”

The flow from Maddog stopped in mid-stream as he heard the unmistaken sound of the cocking of a weapon behind him, “Maddog, turn around.”

“But I ain’t done peeing.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Are you crazy or did you just want to see Maddog’s wee-wee?”

“No. I am doing what has to be done.”

“Do what? I thought I made ya’ proud of me. I behaved and everything.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Kilroy emptied the entire clip from the Groza OTs-14-A3. She was not an auto weapons expert so more than half of them missed.

Maddog spit blood from the multiple wounds to his chest, but he did not fall. Kilroy was certain that he was dead on his feet but that he was just too stupid to know it. Dropping the Groza she pulled the sidearm that she had equipped herself with for this responsibility, the U-94 UDAR Security Revolver.

Taking aim at the man who had refused to die she pulled the trigger. The UDAR barked loudly and she was satisfied that the power of the 12.3mm cartridge was strong enough to throw Maddog over the side of the cliff.

Leaning over the side she could make out Maddog broken form as the waves attempted to claim him, “Goodbye Maddog, you did good.”

Day 49 Meduna’s Royal Palace
Royal Chambers
0840 Local
Ira


Ira looked at herself in the mirror of Queen’s bedroom. She was naked, examining every nook and cranny of her body. Her body was alien to her. All of the scars, too many for her to remember where and how she acquired them, though there were many that she would never be able to forget acquiring. Just like the piercings. Those things that she hated so much but was permanently attached to her. She also remembered what she did to be allowed to where the choker she had put back on her neck.

She lifted her left breast; they hung like flapjacks, stretched by abuse and the heavy gauge metal rings adorned on them. She had thought about adorning her breast and the rest of her body with tattoos to hide her scars. Every time they passed through San Mona, she ached to see the tattooist there, but she had not.

Behind her was the Queen’s mammoth bed. No one had said anything when she announced that she would be occupying, sleeping here. Yet, she hadn’t slept. She couldn’t sleep. Her mind could not stop replaying the scene of her bullet blowing out the back of the Queen’s head.

But it didn’t stop there. She was starting to see the Queen alive or dead, but mobile, moving towards her. More than once she found herself reaching for her weapon. The M-21 Tactical or the KR-25 or even the Steyr Aug Para, then she would remember that Gillie had taken those from her. So she would imagine that she had them and would shoot her imaginary nightmare. Bullet after bullet she would fire, just as she had dreamed that she would day after day when she was fighting against the Queen’s forces. Bullet after bullet she would fire, but the Queen would not stop coming for her. The Queen was going to get her.

Ira’s gaze refocused on her body; her scarred, broken body. Taking a deep breath she had decided, the Queen was not going to get her.

Ira pulled the Glock 18 from its hiding spot; the Queen had numerous weapons hidden throughout her chambers but the Glock would do.

Ira become conscious that she was still holding her left breast in her right hand, sliding her hand to the nipple ring attached, she twisted the ring and gasped. How she hated those rings; how she hated her body for responding to them as it did.

She transferred the Glock to her right hand and made sure the selector was on auto. Tasting the barrel of the Glock, she acknowledged that this wasn’t the first time that the barrel of a gun had been stuck in her mouth, but this was the first time that the trigger was pulled.