Chapter One

      Sirens blared throughout the cement halls as red lights flashed blindly.  James passed through a crowd of people claiming the Sector was under attack but didn’t elaborate on what was attacking.   He reached the door to his family’s unit and burst through it.  His father was standing near the hallway. He was a tall, bearded masculine man who looked young other than the grey hair and wrinkles on his face. He stood up looking horrified until he released he was looking at James.

“Get inside, now” His voice was calm but assertive. “And shut the door”

“What’s happening?”  James asked doing what his father demanded.

“I’ll explain but first we need to head downstairs. Your sister will stay with her.” His father gestured through the doorway he was standing next to. James’s mother was lying on bed hooked up to machines. He understood they kept her alive, but he had been reluctant to visit her lately due to her amnesia. He glanced passing the room seeing his sister kneeling on the floor holding their mothers hand. Both of their faces expressed the depression that seeped through the household once his mother was diagnosed with cancer. His father paced through his bedroom, James following close behind.  His father reached the closet where he spread apart hanging clothes and pressing the button which unlatched the back panel.

“Is it time, Dad?”  James asked trying to understand the severity of the problem.  His father looked at him troublingly.  He slapped his hand on James’s neck stroking his hair with his thumb.

“It’s times like these a man needs to stay strong. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir”

      His father smiled and nodded then pushed back the loose panel sliding it into the wall.  They both marched down the stairs until they reached an unfinished basement.  His father pulled the string which illuminated the room with an old lightbulb from before the fall. James stopped in front of the table as his father walked around it.  He rolled up the sleeves of his flannel as he pulled out a map and several weapons from the compartment.  James’s stomach sank. It was that bad.

      For the last several years he hadn’t been down here because he preferred staying with his friend Dave.  Before that his father trained almost daily with how to use and take care of guns.  His father kept telling him there might be day that comes when he might need the knowledge but since his mother was diagnosed it was hard for him to live there. He guessed, since then, his father sank further into despair seeing as it looked like it had been days since he last showered; his sister looked like a zombie and he wasn’t sure if his mother had even moved since the last time he saw her.  This place he used to call home was cold and eerie; he tried to focus on his father. Pilling everything on the table, his father unrolled a map that showed a back entrance out of the Sector to the surface.

“You need to get here” His father pointed on the other end of the Sector. It was a hidden room behind a cement wall that had been “forgotten” according to his father. It leads to a Gate which would lead him to the Surface.

“Dad, but there isn’t anything up there” He stated hesitantly, knowing his father would argue.

“If its as bad as I think it is, then you’ll be much safer up there.” His father reassured. He checked the magazine in his semi-automatic and switched the safety off and on. He handed James the pistol who also inspected the weapons make sure it was operational, and he slipped it the back of his pants.

“Don’t take anything or anyone with you other than your sister. I’ve made arrangements for someone to meet with you.”

“You’re not coming?” James asked, frightened.  “You designed this plan for both of us – the three of us.”

“I know, but James. I can’t go.  You and your sister are the only ones who can make it out.”  his father insisted.  He was calmer then James would have expected though his voice was scratchy revealing his flaw. Abruptly, there was a scream from upstairs followed by a gunshot. Both James and his father stood momentarily looking above them. His father grabbed the rifle before him and rushed to the stairwell.

“Sarah” He breathed. There was no sound aside from footsteps walking throughout the unit. James’s heart was racing as he tried to grasp onto what he had just heard.

“There’s nothing, sir.”  A voice announced coming from what seemed to be the hallway upstairs. James’s father, crouched, slowly walked up the stairs. He turned to see James who was still standing in shock. He waved his hand breaking James’s train of thought. James rushed next to his father and pulled out his pistol.

“Remember the training, James. Remember it.” His father whispered.

      James took two deep breaths and relaxed his shoulders. He focused on his objective; to survive and ignored every emotion that came in the way of that. If he saw a dead body, he was to ignore it. If he heard screams or watched someone die or even killed someone himself, he was to ignore the urge to feel guilt. Move at all costs and don’t look back. Ever.

“Yes, sir.” James replied.

       His father then looked forward and moved up the stairs as quietly as he could. When they reached the top, his father moved to the left giving James room to step through the panel.  The two of them both kept aim on the bedroom door.  His father signaled that he was going to move through it and for James to follow behind.  As they both came together beside the wall, James kept his pistol just above his father’s shoulder.  When they came around the corner, his father leaped out a man who was standing in the doorway to the room his mother and sister had been in. His father fired controlled bursts into the mans side causing him to collapse immediately. James leaped from behind the doorway as well and fired at the second man standing at the front door. His body fell backward into the hallways. James’s father pushed forward and as he passed the bedroom he was shot several times with a shotgun. Gore sprayed all over James and the walls. A uniformed man walked out of the room up to what was left of James’s father. James wiped his face and fired a several shots into the mans skull, blood coursing throughout the wall. The mans body fell limp.

      Trying to gather himself James moved back against the wall at the end of the hallway. He tried not to look at his father and ignore what was happening. He sat in the silence, with only the sirens and random screams coming from the other units throughout the Sector. The sound of a faint gunshot broke his train of thought and James realized he needed to move. Rushing down into the basement gathering supplies. He strapped on a bullet proof vest and grabbed grenades. He loaded up on two more clips for his pistol and strapped a medical pouch around his leg. Rolling up the map and tucking it under his shirt, James marched up the stairs and into the hallway which was cascaded in a faint blue coming from his mother’s room.

The men that infiltrated the unit wore black trench coats with black hats he had never seen before. James broke of his father’s rules and inspected the man he killed. The black trench coat bore a single image.  It was different than he had ever seen before.  Sharp white lines pointed into one another that connected into a T supported by a red boarder.  James stripped the dead man of his coat and put it on.  It was then that he peeked into the room and found his mothers monitor off and his sister brains all over the cabinet and wall, her body limped over the chair.  He whipped his back toward the doorway as another uniformed man reached the door.

“Is everything good here” he asked.  James hid his face standing in the doorway until the man approached.  He lifted his pistol and fired several shots into the man’s chest forcing him to the ground.  They’re not armored, James thought, strange.

      Walking out of the unit, James scoped the area and found several people down the northern hallway to his left pulling bodies out each unit.  They were being placed side by side with their bodies covered in yellow tarp.  James looked left and began walking in the direction he needed to.       Several incomprehensible images flooded his mind until one was made out.  James held his arm. His trench coat was lying on the floor as several men marched into the room. James leaped into the vent and side down it until he hit the bottom. His body tossed around, still inside the vent. The whole thing was cold, and it was too small for comfort. He looked up behind him and could see a light. He crawled up the vent pressing his hand against its sides and he knees against the bottom. He was making progress but feared the men would realize where he was. Their voices grew stronger the closer James got to the light. As he approached the end of the vent, the light grew thin until he realized he crawled out into a dark cemented room. The light was coming from another hatch which was pulled open. A man head peered through.

“James, is that you?” The man asked.

“Yes”

“Get up here now before the whole thing collapses.”

      James pulled to the hatch a grenade exploded in the vent.

“Hurry, boy”

      James fought frantically to pull himself to the ledge until he could see a bright blue ceiling supported by a blinding yellow light. The man stepped in his way and pulled James from the shoulders until he was completely out.  The two fell and James smacked his face on sharp piece of what felt like cement but was colored differently.  Immediately his skin began to burn and he was blinded by the bright light.

“What the hell?” he gasped. “What is happening?” James yelled out.  The man that pulled him out, heavier than he looked, scrambled to his feet.

“You’re not used to the Sun; your body needs to adjust.” He said throwing an itchy blanket over his body.  The ground beneath James was unusually hot but it kept his warm to the breeze the seeped through the blanket.  Suddenly a sharp blade pierced through the blanket into James’s stomach, the pain was sudden and immense forcing him to scream, paralyzed.

      The scream stretched throughout the halls and Sergio leaped off his bed from a deep sleep.  He burst open the room to find James hunched over the side of his bed.

“Another dream?”

“Yeah” James breathed. “About the Sector again.” Sergio sighed and rubbed his eyes. “Is there anything you need?”

“No”

“Ok, then I’m lying back down man. Try to get some sleep.”

      James didn’t say anything as Sergio shut the door and went back to his room.  Wiping the sweat off his face with the towel beside his bed, James stood wearing only his underwear and walked to one of the window walls. Beneath him was a bright vibrant city that spanned for a few miles. His window gave perfect view of Pilot, the white tipped mountain to the West. The night’s pale blue light lit the desert giving James the sense of security. He never liked living underground. Since his time above ground, he loved every bit of the night. The stars, the usual breeze and the silence. It was a nice feeling but the dream he had dissolved his happiness racing through his mind with vivid encounters playing over, repeatedly. It had been awhile since his last nightmare; he thought maybe he had gotten over them, but it was apparent that was not the case. James sighed and walked back to his bed where he drank from his glass of water and lied back down.

                                                                                            Chapter Two

      Warm light poured through the windows giving life to the room. James opened his eyes feeling the sun on his body. He sat up rubbing his eyes and looked around to make sure nothing had moved. His paranoia had practically vanished since he became the city owner, but he still felt that someone was breathing down his neck. Sergio walked through the door dressed in his usual military attire.

“What’s the situation?” James asked walking toward his closet. He pressed a button and the door slid open relieving a walk in closet full of several outfits and casual clothes.

“We had Bandits approach South Gate earlier this morning.” Sergio began. “They shot up the place and are approaching the city walls.” James faced Sergio, angrily. “Don’t worry” He assured taking the cigar from his mouth. “I have Bass and the others keeping an eye on them until we get you down there. People are already starting to talk.”

“I’m not letting Bandits into the city, I don’t care what they have to offer.”

“I know”

“So, what’s the “talk” about?” James asked gathering his own military outfit which resembled Sergio’s except for the T symbol sown on his chest.

“The town doesn’t know what you’ll say since you’ve gotten power. In their eyes you could be like everyone else and give in to the greed.”

“Yeah well, they’ll be disappointed.” James strapped on his boots. “Come. Let’s meet our guests.” He finished waving Sergio out the door.

      The engine roared as the truck came to a halt just outside the Southern City Gate. Standing about sixty feet tall and layered with the thickest metal and cement, each gate was fortified for war. Many people of the city used their enormous size as a reminder for the dangers lurking on the other side. The gate represented control and safety while for James it was a target. When adventures and random people see the wall they usually think it’s protecting something extremely valuable on the other side which gives them incentive to investigate. James looked up as he stepped out of the vehicle and could see several men standing on the top platform awaiting his orders.

“Where are they?” He yelled up.

“A few hundred yards out, and there are a lot of them too.” The man yelled back down loading his weapon. Sergio stepped from the truck and waved to the man.

“Open up.”

      Bass, Kyle, and Nathan all stepped out from the truck as well. Bass worse overhauls and boots, his face bore scars of passed assassination attempts when he was a Mercenary like Sergio who was the oldest and their leader. They were all Mercenaries once. They came to Pilot Valley to make deals with the city owner, Marcus DE ‘Santiago. He was a ruthless man full of greed and ego. He ran his city with prostitutes and ignored on the poor. The only people allowed to live well were held up in his tower which James and the crew now occupied. Kyle, the explosive specialist, wore a combat uniform much like Sergio and James expect for his unique modifications that made him a walking tank. When his shoulder had to be replaced with metal casting after a bomb went off next to him, the doctors in Salt Flat City screwed an exoskeleton to his nerve system and from there we became more than adequate. Nathan, on the other hand, was the quieter one of the group. He kept his thoughts to himself and kept his bullets in the heads of those who threatened his existence, a simple man with simple needs. He assisted Sergio since he found him hiding in an outpost north of Carson. One day they found James and helped him, giving him a home and shelter when Marcus wanted him fed to the coyotes. They were over ten years older than James but treated him like a leader. They were family.        

“Let’s do this” Bass smirked lifting his chain gun over his shoulder the other three followed suit.

      The men on top of the Gate pulled their levers and pushed several buttons. From the center outward, the Gate opened; wind and light poured through. James put his goggles on and stepped through the Gate followed by his other men. He would consider all of the men brothers, but they were far from it physically and mentally. From what he was taught, there were three kinds of men in the Wastelands; Decent hard workers that did everything they could to survive, Bandits or Mercenaries that traveled the Wastelands trading and escorting goods across the plains in hopes of service, and Savages; brutal despised men, that traveled the wastes taking and claiming everything they could. From killing to rape, there was nothing they haven’t done or wouldn’t do just for some fresh food and shelter. There were even rumors that they were cannibals but for obvious reasons that wasn’t a known fact.

      As the vehicles approached, kicking up sand, loud music and yelling grew louder. Sergio and others lined up against the outside of the wall creating a perimeter.  Nathan on the other hand had taken his spot in the bird’s nest just to the East, his sniper rested against his chest. The vehicles still approached a decent speed, enough for Nathan to blow a tire out of one of the vehicles. The tire blew off and the vehicle came to a stop. Seeing the vehicle for what it was, a scrap of metal held by bars and an engine exposed clearly told James he was dealing with Savages. But why here?

      Three men leaped from each vehicle as the other four came to a stop no more than a few hundred feet from James and his crew. They were all barely wearing any clothes which were held up by straps and belts. Their mouths were blackened due to whatever diseases they possessed, and their skin varied from black to pure white even though they spent most of their time in sunlight. The stench gave James the impression they might as well be cannibals. The men exchanged a few laughs and grunts until from among them came a taller thinner Savage, his mohawk was pure white along with his skin. He wore black clothes and kept a bandana around his neck. He waved his hands around for a moment before turning to his men.

“Behold!” He yelled out, silencing the chatter, his voice strong, scratchy. “the City of Pilot Valley.”  The Savage threw his arms high roaring as he did so with the others following his lead.  James fired a gunshot in the air breaking the celebration. His revolver reflected the morning light as the cloudless sky brightened every piece of metal. The man in the front turned around, his face scowling.

“This isn’t your territory” James began. “This is mine so you have two choices” He paused a moment. No one said a word. “Either turn and leave the way you came, without eating anyone, if you haven’t already” Some men chuckled. “Or you can attempted to enter this city where you will be killed before you reach the gate.”

      The Savage in the front began to walk carelessly toward James.

“Watch it Mohawk” Sergio warned him, raising his weapon.

“Hey, hey.” The Savage mocked “We’re all friends here, right. You want freedom and peace and I want freedom and peace. We’re all just trying to get along with all y’al. You hear?” James pulled the hammer back on his revolver as the Savage approached him. The smell was beginning to become unbearable. Standing up to James, who stood just over six feet, the men were at eye level, Mohawk smirked waving the blade in his hand around.

“We’ve traveled really far and are just looking a good meal, maybe even a good fuck” Mohawk breathed, his face went from tight and desperate to exaggerated elation. “We deserve it, so I am telling you to let us in or we’ll have to force our way in and you would want that would you?”

      Mohawk was stroking his blade against James’s shoulder; his breath was a fetidity that resembled a dead body; there was no doubt these people would cause problems and James knew that. They were all going to die.

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“You’re not going inside.” James removed the blade from his chest. Mohawk was clearly offended.

“Turn around and don’t come back—”

“What if I had a message to deliver” Mohawk interrupted walking backward.

“What fucking message? And don’t play games.” Sergio spat holding his rifle firmly. Mohawk glanced at Sergio who he clearly despised by the scowl he gave.

“Yeah, Sol sent me--sent us.” Mohawk testified.

“Sol?” James asked.

“Yes”

“Well what did he say?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know”

Sergio cocked his weapon and held it up to Mohawks head. This caused the other Savages to ready their weapons. Two of them jumped on chain guns attached in the back of their vehicles. Mohawk dropped to his knees holding the barrel of Sergio’s gun to his head. James waved off Bass and the others.

“You really wanna do this?” Mohawk tested. “I’m ready to die if you are, friend”

“You’re running out time Mohawk. Better say something worth while or you and all of your Savages will meet their end.” Mohawk laughed lightly and moved his eyes toward James.

“Hey you, mister Man” He gestured to James who look just as enthused as the man holding a gun to Mohawks head.

“That symbol on your chest, I’ve seen it.”

      He immediately had James’s attention. He knew the T representing a trading company of some sort. Marcus, the previous owner of Pilot Valley, had connections with them but since James had taken over no one has shown up. Since those were the people that destroyed his Sector it was more than rage that set in. James stepped forward.

“I’m not here to play games—”

“Neither am I, I’m just a messenger” Mohawk barked. “If you want to know what that stands for you will let me and my men live!”

Sergio looked up at James and just as he did Mohawk lifted his blade attempting to stab Sergio, but his head was blown off before he even came close. Gore covered Sergio as he stumbled back wiping blood and flesh from his face. As Mohawks body dropped the other Savages opened fired running full speed toward the Gate. Despite their desperation and skill, it was no match against the fortification that was Sergio, James, Bass, Kyle and Nathan. Each and every Savage was ripped to pieces; blood and gore covering the desert. Mere seconds had gone by and the only thing left standing was James and his crew. Dust lifted from the slaughter and bodies scattered the desert—what was left of them anyways. James sighed and lifted his bandana around his face and walked over the graveyard. He scouted the men until he reached the vehicles. Several of their tires had been patched and bullet holes covered most of the vehicles making it hard to determine what had just happened and what was old. He looked around momentarily until he say something yellow blowing the breeze resting slightly in the pocket of what used to be a man. He crouched down removing the ticket. On it was labeled Blue Palace, Las Vegas. James’s gut turned. The desert heat was making the stench worse.

“I have something” He announced. Sergio had been checking Mohawks pocket but to no avail.

“Lets see” 

      James handed him the ticket and walked off. Sergio ignored James’ departure and analyzed the ticket. He switched on his scanner inside his spectacles. The ticket was authentic and new, maybe purchased within the last week at most. Bass appeared behind him.

“Doesn’t make any sense, does it?” His voice deepened.

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Kyle answered behind Bass.

“Someone forced them up here. They know better than to come this way.” Sergio stated tossing the ticket. He turned passed Bass and Kyle following James who was well inside the city.

“Call the Brothers, have them clean this mess, we don’t want to attract any attention.”

Bass and Kyle both nodded. As Bass radioed the men to back off and have cleaners come through, Kyle picked up the ticket and came to the same assumption the Savages could have been telling the truth; they were sent here.

“I don’t like it.” Bass huffed throwing his chain gun over his shoulder scoping the area for any more visitors.

“You think they’ll be more?”

“Yeah, especially when these guys don’t return.” Bass spat on remains then headed back inside the city. Kyle stood thinking intently then followed Bass. Several trucks rolled through the Gate. They had cages and containers attached to the end cab the had robotic arms which scooped up garbage, in this case, bodies.

James walked past the hummer which him and Sergio had taken and walked himself right into a crowd of people all curious to see what had happened. A man stepped in front of him accompanied by his wife and new born child.

“James, wait.” He said, his voice soft and sincere. “We heard the commotion, thank you for not letting them in here. Marcus wouldn’t have cared.” He said gesturing toward his family.

James smiled and patted the mans’ shoulders.

“I promised to keep you safe” He said then turning to the crowd around him. “To keep you all safe” The crowd grew silent.

“I will not let chaos terrorize our community despite what anyone offers. Now go back to your homes and jobs.” He said then walked away. That wasn’t normal for James, he usually was more supportive than that, Sergio pushed through the crowd following him.

 James reached his room on the top floor of the tallest tower where he tossed his gun on the desk and walked toward one of the several windows throughout his room. He liked being able to see his city, it gave him a sense of power. He was high enough he could anyone approaching from fifteen plus miles. But that wasn’t enough. Even with Gates held ten miles out town to the North, East, West and South. Savages, out of all, were able to get through and approach the city. Men, Woman and children trying to live their lives in peace were threatened today for his lack of protection. There was no doubt James took it personally.

“What the hell was that?” Sergio barked walking through the door less than carefully.

“What” James commented unfazed by Sergio’s anger.

“You damn well what.” Sergio kicked a chair. “You put everyone there in danger to have your conversation with those Savages, not Bandits or Mercenaries, Savages.”

“They were for something, Sergio.”

“Yes, I got that man, but that was fifteen minutes too long. If it wasn’t for Nate you and I would have been dead.”

“I am aware.” James continued his monotone attitude. Sergio wiped sweat and blood from his face.

“Look, I understand he knew something about Trident but don’t go knocking down stones you don’t want turned over.”

“That’s the point, don’t you see?” James turned around and walked up to Sergio.

“Trident hasn’t been here in two years. We don’t even know what they are and yet here are Savages, the backbone of everything wrong in the Wastelands and yet they seem to have more connections than Pilot Valley, the only fresh water source in one hundred miles. Now tell me how that isn’t up for conversation.”

“It is, James. But not like that. You let him too close and you gave them an advantage that should have been kept to a minimum.” Sergio grabbed his chest.

“I know you lost your family, its been five years, you need to look past that and focus on survival. That conversation bac there was less than careful. You need to think about that. Your no good to anyone dead.”

James pulled away and walked to his desk. Sergio took a breath still carrying his weight.

“The people here trust you, we all trust you. But when you let your guard down for people like that, others tend to think your weak and we don’t need anyone storming this tower from the inside.”

“Like we did?” James stated facing Sergio who took it as an insult.

“Don’t.” His hand raised. “Don’t act like that. We did what we had to and look at what we have accomplished. You want the Wastelands united, then man up and make it happen. If you want Savages to come in here and fuck with your head giving you false hope, then do that on someone else’s watch, not mine.”

      Sergio glared momentarily before storming out of the room slamming the door behind him leaving James in his thoughts. Sergio was right. They risked everything when they rebelled against Marcus. He was a ruthless man, corrupted by the lifestyle of the Wastelands. He stopped at nothing to get what he wanted.

Since James, Sergio and his crew killed Marcus and took over the city, they cleaned it up. No one was doing drugs and sleeping with everyone they met, a lot of hard working citizens did most of Marcus’s work when he was busy making deals with the devil. Every now then rape and violence would go up whenever he would allow Raiders into the city and he never bat an eye.

Instead, he let them get away with whatever they wanted. That was until the last time he let Raiders pass through; when one of them slept with his wife Marcus threw they guy off the top of his tower then strangled his wife in her sleep. James never regretted pulling the trigger, he knew he killed a ruthless pathetic man that was only keen to pleasuring himself through drug sex and violence. There was no doubt he helped the thousands of people in the city and they lost several good men doing it. Now they were picking up the pieces to a broken city. Pilot Valley was James’s home after all. When he rose from the dirt and ashes that remained of his Sector, this city was the first thing he set eyes on. It wasn’t like anything he could have imagined it would be; grass hills, roaring skyscrapers, and filthy streets crowded by the helpless in need to contrast. It was controlled by a gang leader, a thug, who only cared about the money and sex. He operated the town single handed which is why nothing was ever done. People would go weeks without fresh water supply and several Bandits and Mercenaries would lose themselves in the brothels kept in the penthouse. It was an ugly place and Sergio helped James put an end to it. But at what cost? That was the question that lingered most. The Savage, Mohawk, knew about the patch and what the T stood for, or at least James believed that to be the case. Trident. He knew about Marcus and his connections with other cities even though it was kept from the public, him and Sergio both were the ones that hacked into the coms and intercepted plans to deliver several loads of enhanced technology claiming to be created and even used by Trident. But what and who they were was something of an inch that James needed to scratch. For years, his nightmares burned into memory; it was always the same man shooting his family down then staring deep into James’s eyes before shooting him as well, the bright T standing out from everything else on the mans jacket.

      Despite his frustration, James lightly walked to the window seeing the vista set before him. Pilot Valley with its infrastructure glistened on the barren, brown desert it was surrounded by. The fortified walls and gates kept everything on foot or by vehicle out. He felt safe for once, he hoped the people did too. A Committee was formed under Sergio’s authorization. It was consisting of six leaders who all helped make decisions in times of need. With the Savages showing up at their doorstep and a vacant outpost, it’d be only a matter of time before Sergio would be walking through the door to debrief James on the new orders selected by the Committee. The problem was what kind of orders. Since him Sergio took over, many contacts Marcus had stopped delivering shipments and supplies leaving James and his men to locate and secure whatever they could throughout the Valley. It mostly consisted of going to the mountain to manually haul fresh water to help grow vegetables and whatnot. But even though most people were aware Marcus met his end, there was still one contact that wasn’t heard from yet, Solomon.

“James” Kyle said, bursting through the door. James jumped to his feet half expecting Sergio.

“What is it?”

“We’ve uncovered something from one of the Savages’ vehicles”

James glared at the floor and back at Kyle. “A beacon?” The smile on Kyles face indicated he had the right idea. The two men marched off through the halls and took the elevator to the bottom floor of tower. It was the utility bay where they housed all of the weapons and vehicles. It was also Kyles playroom. All of his bombs and trinkets were created in the Lab. Any time they salvaged anything he was the one to break it apart and figure out how to put it back together. In this case, finding a beacon is like finding a suitcase full of cash in the middle of the desert; you don’t know whether to take it or leave it for the owner.

The rough stop of the elevator reaching the bottom floor alerted James more than he had been. Him and Kyle walked out and met with Sergio, Bass and Nathen who were already analyzing the odd ball in front of them. The beacon was about two feet wide, blacker than it was grey, and had several ports of multi-colored wires twisting and plunged into other ports throughout the whole thing. Standing entirely out of place was the camera lens which was hard to tell if it was working. The beacon was damaged, clearly, due to the slaughter that just took place.

“The reason I brought you all here” Kyle announced taking his seat in front of the monitor hooked to the device. “Is because I’ve hacked into its database and uncovered this.”

After several desperate keystrokes Kyle pounded his index finger on the enter button then his monitor went haywire with static peaking at several frequencies.

“Is this what you called here for?” Bass snorted.

“No, there has to be something, give it a minute.” Kyle reassured staring intently at the device as if controlling it. after several seconds of white noise, it stopped and a voice came through.

“To the owners of Pilot Valley, this message is for you” it began, the mans voice was strange with somewhat of an accent. Everyone was quiet. “The day of redemption has come, if you put down your defenses we will help you become more than you are. If you do not, when we arrive, you will be forced to. And not all of you will survive; you have one week.” The message ended and the static continued. The men in the room looked at one another.

“He didn’t even introduce himself.” Bass commented.

“No, he didn’t.” Sergio acknowledged.

“What do we do?” Kyle asked holding his weapon tight.

“We go to Las Vegas.” James answered rubbing his chin.

“What?” Bass laughed not taking James serious in the slightest. His expression quickly changed. “James, it’s a mad house down there, we couldn’t even get fifteen miles from the place without finding trouble.”

“He’s right” Sergio added. “There’s no way inside.”

“Solomon knows Marcus, they were business owners as he all know.” James said, pacing. “He doesn’t know this city has been taken over and he might be willing to meet us all in person. Plus, I bet this is where the device came from along with the Savages.”

“Yes, but that’s a long shot man” Sergio said rubbing his head. “Even If we managed to get inside, and your certain it’s a set up, then we’re walking into a trap.”

“Yes, but we can cut off the head of the snake.” James breathed. The room was quiet for a moment.

“You mean kill everyone.” Kyle said bluntly.

“Not exactly, just Solomon and whoever this man is.”

“You don’t even know if this beacon even came from Vegas, your jumping to conclusions.” Sergio raised his voice.

“You’re right but where else would those Savages have come from. They had fortified trucks and armor, they had weapons much like ours and the only southern city with that much to offer is Vegas. I say its worth the risk.” James folded his arms. “Or we can sit here and wait for this city to be taken over.”

      The silence in the room was uneasy but neither of these men thought of separating. They were either going to agree on one thing or agree on doing nothing. One thing was certain, they had a week until Pilot Valley was supposedly going to be under attack. James surely didn’t like the idea. He felt as if he was being pinned against a wall. His only option was to attack before they do and if Solomon was the puppet than his problems were worse than he imagined. Sergio sighed knowing James was right, he didn’t want to admit it but there were several reason James was appointed leader of Pilot Valley, what was the point if you can’t trust the man.

“Alright” He nodded slowly looking at Kyle, Bass and Nathan. “We’ll go, but we better have a good excuse for seeing Solomon personally. Honestly, I don’t see how we can.”

“Pilot.” Nathan said from crossed the room. His face lite up as the idea came to him. “We tell him we request a personal visit to sell him Pilot.”

“I’m not sure if you heard the message, Nate.” Bass suggested confused.

“I did. That wasn’t Solomon. That was probably his employer but if we offer it to him in exchange for a guarantee escort across the Wastes then we’re no threat and he could hand it to whoever he wants. He’ll let his guard down.”

James continued to rub his chin nodding which slowly turned to a smile. “You know, Nate, you should talk more.” He smirked. Nathan looked away setting his weapon down.

“So,” Sergio turned to Kyle and Bass. “Sound good, enough?”

Bass and Kyle looked at each other and their faces lite up. “Damn, this might actually work.” Bass huffed grabbing his guns and loading it on the truck.

“We’re not taking the truck” Kyle said. “We’re taking Hawk”

“I thought she wasn’t ready.” Sergio hissed.

“She wasn’t last time we needed it but she is now.” Kyle released the lever next to chair on the wall. The floor by Nathan opened in a circular motion and beneath it, in darkness, rose a Hawk. It was jet black with red stripes, the wings expanded a good fifteen feet and it was able to hold up to ten people. The cockpit consisted of two seats, one in front of the other, with windows in every direction. Kyle reprogramed the bird to have a display Hud capable of auto flight to any direction. The best feature was that it was quiet and could maneuver as good as any ground vehicle. It was the most advanced aircraft James had ever seen but according to Kyle it’s a shell of his former craft.

“Ohhh, hell yes” Bass said lifting his guns from the truck and fast walking to the Hawk.

“Ok, then I’ll get Solomon on the line” James said. “Lets get the Hawk ready we should be gone within the next few hours.”

“Aye-Aye” Kyle turned around getting his software ready. Sergio and James left the room and headed up the elevator to Marcus’s old room. It was a convention center which displayed a huge screen. It was mainly used for his busy calls whenever he needs more drugs, alcohol or prostitutes. But no more than a week before Sergio and his squad, along with James, infiltrated the tower Marcus had contacted Solomon about possibly exchanging roles. That’s why this was such a good idea. Not only would Solomon be in charge of Vegas he could even have the water that supplies over a hundred miles. There would be no reason for hostility. Or so James had hoped.

      The ride to the center was mostly quiet Sergio apologized for his remarks earlier and James nodded saying that he should have approached the situation differently. In truth, James wanted to be on the field with the Savages, he wanted to see them up close and show them he wasn’t afraid. But Sergio was right about safety, they could have diseases or even got away with murder if Nathan wasn’t such a badass. Still, even though the two had their differences there was no question they had each other’s back no matter the situation. When they walked in the center they were more than ready to lie to one of the most infamous city owners in the Wastelands.

      James walked over to the panel where several technicians and operators sat in their seat monitoring the radio chatter from Salt Lake, Carson and Vegas.

“Pull up Las Vegas” He said. An operator immediately looked at the screen in front of him, typed and pulled up an image displaying each and every radio connected to the grid. It was a magnificent thing, the Grid. Technology left after the Fall, it was the most advanced piece of hardware Pilot Valley had contact with. Treated much like the internet in the old days, the Grid was a way to contact people directly without anyone listening in. Even though anyone could tell a conversation was taking place they would not be able to tap into it given the the Grid was a secure network.

“This is the city” the operator confirmed. “Is there anything else?”

“Yes,” Sergio insisted. “Pull up Blue Palace and contact Solomon.”

The operator nodded without hesitation and pulled up Blue Palace over the screen. The display moved south until it rested on a building highlighted in a neon blue. Several orange paths acting like blood cells traveling through a vein crossed paths connecting radios to one visualizing displaying the conversations, except for one. It was purple indicating a rouge network. It was coming from the top tower, Solomon’s office, and the trail extended for a few miles until it broke into noise.

“That’s a rouge network” Sergio stated taking a step forward.

“Yes, sir,” The operator responded. “It travels south west for a few miles then breaks up for an unknown reason.”

“Its Trident” James said. “Pull up a feed, contact Solomon and let him know we need to talk.”

The operator spammed his key screen and a humming came through the speakers indicating a call was patching through. James stood straight waiting patiently while Sergio leaned sat on the desk next to him. Neither of them were concerned about the operators interfering with or conversating about anything to do with the call. They signed agreements stating that their job stays highly confidential. Most people who had the job were at the top of their class and able to hold their own if ever pressured into giving information. A lot of them went through divorces due to the lack of emotional support they gave when discussing careers but this bunch was a good one. They were all young with no families, nothing tying them to the outside world except for their parents. And they trusted James with their lives.

The humming stopped and Solomon’s face was displayed over the screen.

“Yes, Marcus, what is it?” He said. This was the first time Sergio and James had ever seen him. He was oddly pale and bald. His clothes made it look homeless and his attitude gave the impression everything was handed to him. There was a certain characteristic about him that gave James the indication he was dealing with a man who could not be conned. Maybe it was the way he approached the screen with a careless manor or that his eyes were the only intrinsic feature he had. No, it was certain that Solomon’s enthusiastic smile made James nervous. It was unsettling.     

“You’re not Marcus” He said stepping closer to the screen.

“I’m James and this is Sergio” James gestured, Sergio waved. “We have a proposition for you.”

Solomon stared for a moment then a smile appeared.

“Marcus is dead?”

“Yes”

“Well holy shit, we need to celebrate!” He yelled out throwing his arms up. He showed genuine excitement from what James could tell, but he was no psychologist. Solomon folded his arms and paced around for a moment before Sergio became inpatient.

“We want to do business”

“I am aware.” Solomon poured a glass a whiskey and sat on his desk. “But I’m not stupid either.”

“Yes, you are” Sergio laughed.

“Why? Because I made a deal?” Solomon walked up to the screen. “You guys have no idea what’s happening.”

“We understand clearly.” James said. “Your working with Trident, who seems to be trying to take over the Wastelands”

“Wow, you are smart? Did Marcus tell you that?”

“We’re not playing games”

“Neither am I” Solomon lowered his glass. “I need Trident off my back.”

“That’s why you were just having a conversation with them right?” James remarked.

“Yes, actually. I’ve been prying them onto you. Pilot Valley is the only fresh water source in a hundred miles that far north. Also, it’s the only way into Salt Lake and from there it’s a nightmare trying to cross the Plains. The Admiral came here looking for ways to govern the Wastelands. I don’t see why, things are fine here. But I decided to help anyways, plus I get paid.”

James tried hard to understand what Solomon was meaning. He spoke as if Trident wasn’t from the Wastelands. It was even harder for him to tell if Sergio knew anything either. From what they understood, Trident was a militia created to govern how the Wastelands would operate but not in the sense of colonization.

“What do you mean he came here?” James asked. Solomon’s expression tightened, and he threw his glass across the room shattering it on a table which also shattered.

“You mean, you don’t know?” He said, breathless. “You don’t know why we live in a wasteland or that we live on a continent?”

That rang a bell. James remembered his father telling stories of the past and countries were separated by oceans. He was under the impression all of them evaporated during the war and the wastelands was the world that was left. None of it was making sense.

“You, there” Solomon pointed to Sergio. “Are you telling me that grown man like yourself is not aware that we’re dogs in a kettle and Russia controls everything?”

“Bullshit.” He replied.

“And this is why we’re all going to die.” Solomon stumbled away from the screen. “I shouldn’t have expected you to know, its not like you live anywhere near the ocean.”

“We’ll give you the city.” James said, getting to the point.

“Give me? I already have it, kid.” He breathed seeming light headed.

“We’ll give it too you without a fight if you tell us where Trident is stationed.”

Solomon laughed. “They’re everywhere. Look around you, you can’t escape them. That’s why your calling me. They’ve even managed to reach parts of the Wastelands most Savages avoid and you think you can stop them? Give me a fucking break.” And then the feed was cut. The operator swiped his screen again and typed but nothing came through. The call was blocked indefinitely.

“I’m sorry, Sir. The connection is blocked, a rouge signal is preventing any contact.”

Both Sergio and James knew what that meant and turned to leave. “That will be it. Thank you.” James nodded.

Sergio and James rode the elevator in silence. They both attempted to make sense of what just happened and how or what Trident was. Sergio scratched his chin and then patted James on the shoulder. The elevator stopped, and the doors opened.

“We need to approach the Counsel, they will decide our next move.” James nodded. He knew Sergio was right despite his own instinct. If he had it his way he would steer clear of Vegas and let them do their own thing but after the Savages almost breaching the South entrance it was abundantly clear something needed to be done.

“Yes, we should.” James walked toward the front doors into the street. It was busy. Many people walked the streets going to work and others going for a afternoon stroll. Sergio nodded and began to walk away.

“Where are you going?” James asked.

“To get the others, we’ll meet you there.”

James got in his truck and drove toward to Credence Hall. Pilot Valley was a beautiful place. Once separated into several districts, the ten-mile wide city was dense, full of shops and dispensers. It was a manufacturing city along with harvest since Pilot Peak provided farms. And James was not willing to just hand over a city when he spent years changing. Even with the Counsel created to prevent such a thing, It was a matter of moral; James took pride in his accomplishments but even ore so for the greater good.