Neither the bugle nor the artillery woke me up on that day, but it was the soldier, one from the same company as mine, shaking me awake, yelling at me in Lusitan, and handing me my rifle. As I hurriedly left the bunker I was met with the once-glorious city of Windecke, which we had captured 6 months ago, currently being recaptured by the Zuidafrikaaners. All I knew is that I needed to support the men of my company, taking aim and firing out of my Designated Marksman's Rifle from the mouth of the bunker, I remember I took three out, saving the life of one of the EOD guys on my 3rd shot, but as I was in the middle of aiming for a fourth shot, the heavy bombers came. The sky turned black despite it being the early morning, the sounds of gunshots, screams and artillery were all suppressed by the sounds of the Zuidafrikaaner planes. And I ran, I ran to the east, I ran to the desert where neither the debris nor the bombs would hit, abandoning all hope of ever regaining Windecke, throwing myself face first into the hot sand, yet not nearly as hot as ground zero.
After looking up, all I see around me was not Windecke, however a bloodshed just like it lay upon my eyes, I did it once again, let rage took over me, and now there's a park in the wild side of East Marlon chock-full of dead corpses, and if I don't clear out soon enough, I'll be on the news this evening, and rotting in a jail cell tonight. They were gang-bangers, the "armée de Dieu", the sort that don't take kindly to people of other beliefs like myself, armed with these cheap pieces of polymer you'd find flowing down the Marlon River. I decide to take the clothes of the "main guy" as a small trophy, which fit me perfectly. Suits him right for trying to steal from me, and the shot that came out of my rifle and through his left lung still felt hot to the touch.
I decided to boot it, far away from these kids, and back to the only place I've still left, and the only home I have, Andreas' Weapons and Ammo. I hopped into my gun store's maintenance room housing a compact shower, washing machine and dryer, deciding to unwind and clean the blood off my OD green jacket, placing the rifle back into the "lightly used" section where it had remained for 3 years.
As I finish my shower and grab some new garments. I heard someone entering the store, signalled by the little bell outside. I grab the small revolver under my toilet in cases like these, and head out to see if it's either a customer, a gangster, or that slime-head Francois, and to my surprise, it was even worse.
Standing there, drunk like a sailor, with the stench of piss water and musk, clothes half undone, and holding 3 bottles of Rest Classic in each hand, there was "Sheriff" Campbell.
-"Oh, Andy!~" - she began, in that same tone and nickname probably everyone but her knows I despise. Walking down to the counter like a hippopotamus on crack - "You haven't visited the office recently, I've started to miss you, you know?"
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
-"Away with you, Sharon, I banned you from the store." - I told her, pointing her towards where she should go, the exit. -
-"You aren't like that, my darling Andy!" - She said, laying the half drunk bottles of cheap alcohol in the counter as she leans forwards, taking a Polaroid picture out of her left pocket, within it the massacre I committed not an hour ago, tilting her head slyly to the side - "Were you the one who made this? You need to watch out, lest little Mafia Daddy knows what you're up to, it'd be a shame to have a prince like you locked up in a dirty cell"
- "That was not me, listen, know there's a lot of gang violence in this town" - I lied, fully knowing and believing in the lie I told to her, hoping that she'll somehow back down, hoping that it'll finally work after 4 years of trying - "so go and blame their rivals for it, I haven't done nothing."
- "I know gang warfare, boy! There would've been at least one member of the opposite gang dead, but such an attack, I know it's you." - She said, believing none of what I said. And she put the Polaroid back into her pocket - "Don't let me catch you doing this again, because next time, it'll be prison time." - She said, leaning in close enough where I can smell the reek of her breath, while she digs her middle finger into her shirt and pulls it ever so slightly down, revealing more of her cleavage to my eyes - "But at least I can keep you entertained, you know I love you Andreas~"
- "That's it, out! Go away, and take your beer with you!" - I screamed at her, the nerve of this woman to try and seduce me inside my own gun shop, shooing her away and closing the door, I had to lock it so that she doesn't come again. -
And with such, I returned to my gun store business: putting the handgun behind the toilet, brooming and mopping the floors, making sure all of the prices are well placed, and oiling some of my most sold rifles and weapons. The idea of Sharon Campbell, the lovesick, drunken buffoon, jailing me up and "keeping me entertained" would be just enough to make me barf. But at least I have to be grateful that it was her instead of Francois - Francois doesn't like competition, and unlike me, he has an entire criminal underground to back him up, while I only have a gun store and a lot of enemies.
For now, the "armée de Dieu" are close to extinction, I've a business to attend, hopefully I'll finally be able to pay off my debt to Francois' little mafia, and live in peace.