July 15th, 1997.
Lusty was on furlough having to deal with something important. While she was walking out of the street in broad daylight a van was following her which she didn’t notice. She didn’t notice two people following her because she didn’t look behind her.
After half an hour Lusty soon found a bag over her head.
After a few hours Zofia started to worry about Lusty because they were supposed to meet up but she’s running late.
Zofia decided to ask Lusty’s friends and old neighbors where she might go but they haven’t seen her and where she would go but none saw her today. Zofia thought that Lusty might be with some extended family members or some of her family members who are a part of the Nightingale tribe and July is the Nightingale Indigenous Little Birden Tribe Appreciation month.
After half of the day went by Zofia started to worry more and more so she decided to visit Firehouse Sixteen to talk to Dave who was having a conversation with his Captain, Captain Nova who’s half Nightingale.
Zofia told Dave that she hasn’t seen Lusty. Captain Nova thought Lusty has that nickname because she puts out. Zofia was about to punch Captain Nova but Dave caught Zofia’s left fist. Dave told Zofia that she gets one free punch but not to waste it on someone who thinks differently not adding that Captain Nova was a member of the Little Bird Seventh Regiment in the Twenty-First Airborne Division and is the most decorated regiment from both World Wars, Korean War, Vietnam, and the Second Korean War. Captain Nova served in the Second Korean War of 1990-1992 as an Assault Engineer, Rear Echelon Soldier, and later a member of a .50 cal Machine Gun Team.
“I have no idea what any of those are,” said Zofia.
Captain Nova replied, “At first my job was to clear stuff with the main army and I was a tough combat soldier whose primary tasks were creating or clearing battlefield obstacles and attacking enemy defensive positions. Then I was a loader/spotter/assistant machine gunner when I was on the .50 cal Machine Gun team. Didn’t know how heavy a tripod for a fifty-cal was. Then later I was a Rear Echelon Soldier. As a Rear Echelon Soldier I did the same as an Assault Combat Engineer but just behind the lines near HQ or friendly positions. It’s what I did while you were playing ballet in middle school or entering high school.“
“Damn you don’t have to be that rude,” said Zofia.
Captain Nova replied, “Have you ever seen your best friend get burned by Napalm and when you try to carry him away only to see his skin peel off? While you were playing Tennis or Ballet in school I was fighting in the mud and the blood.”
“I was in the School newspaper and in the Debate club in high school,” said Zofia. “In middle school I was in the Study club.”
Dave replied, “Weak. I was in Shop and Sports club. Nothing like using a hammer or drill at 2 in the afternoon then hitting another student in the face at 4 in the afternoon with a Cedar or Mahogany or a Oak baseball bat across the face for saying ‘Your cousin has a nice ass’ and yes I have hit another student across the face with a baseball bat for saying that and I don’t regret it and my dad always said to me ‘Don’t worry about it.' Oh I would get in trouble for that but my dad didn’t care not because he was busy being a firefighter but to him he would’ve done the same.”
***
Five days later.
Lusty lock picked her cell door and she was able to take out a guard but she took the pistol that the criminal guy had on him.
Fucker’s going learn not to mess with me! Lusty thought, Not the first time I shot a gun but it’ll be the first time I’ll kill someone. Trained to save lives but I’m not a pushover either but they’re going to be wishing they never kidnapped me.
Lusty picked up the pistol and racked the slide back to uncock it even though she could’ve just used her right thumb to bring the hammer down.
Eight rounds well seven in the magazine and one in the chamber, Lusty thought, Too many to take on if I just run and gun just got to stealth this as far as I can until I get more ammo.
Some of Lusty’s old neighbors taught people how to shoot guns. Not adding in her old neighborhood, everyone was taught how to shoot a gun when they were in the Little Bird Army, Little Bird Marine Corps, Little Bird Navy, Little Bird Air Force or Little Bird Space Administration.
Lusty just avoided patrols but she hated the place on how non sanitary.
When I get home I’m taking the world's longest bath or shower! Lusty thought, Probably need to bathe or shower in bleach or with every scented soap, shampoo and conditioner or something!
Lusty got to the third floor of the place and she entered a room with a skylight. There were four criminals or cartel members on a platform with four stairs leading down to the main third floor.
The skylight soon broke and two people wearing black battle dress uniforms (BDUs) and balaclavas and helmets. They quickly killed three using their knives but shot the fourth one with a suppressed pistol.
“This is Charlie One-One to extraction team,” said a feminine voice, “We found HVT. Heading to LZ.”
Someone replied (over radio) “Roger Charlie One-One. Delta One-One is clearing LZ Alpha go and bringing the HVT there.”
“Come on Lusty,” said a feminine voice, “We’re busting you out of here.”
Lusty replied, “For one who are you? And second of all I’m not leaving until every human trafficked person here is dead or captured and their victims here freed.”
“We got teams working on both,” said the female, “Come on or we’ll be forced to bring you to the LZ.”
Lusty did. They gave her an assault rifle which she pulled back the charging handle but she kept her right index finger on the trigger guard. She was taught about gun safety since she was four and she was always taught to always treat a gun as if it's loaded even if it’s empty. She didn’t have any problem shooting criminals who harm others.
***
Outside after half an hour.
“Thanks for the rescue,” said Lusty.
The woman replied, “Don’t thank me, thank him.”
Lusty thanked Dave who was there.
“Dave, how did you get them to come here?” asked Lusty.
Dave replied, “For starters you can thank Zofia. Also I lit a fire under the Bureau of Law so they could act quickly. Not adding my uncle who’s the president of Little Bird told the Bureau of Law that they had twenty four hours to bring you and the other victims home or the military special forces would do the same but the military spec ops would’ve just shot the criminals.”
“Who are they?” asked Lusty.
Dave replied, “T.E.D or Tactical Enforcement Division. If police officers and detectives are soldiers who fight crime and SWAESU teams are the law enforcement special forces then T.E.D is more elite than both and they respond to any major crime and they come in fast and hard. Some are LBMC SOC with some of my family members who do this for a living. Also Zofia is worried sick about you.”
Lusty gave Dave a bear hug as a thank you but he just allowed it and he knows why because if it wasn’t for him the unthinkable would happen and she doesn’t even want to think about it.
“So what’s going to happen now?” asked Lusty.
Dave replied, “First we get you checked out and then we’ll send you home. If you’re asking about them then they’ll go to prison.”
“I’ve heard that before,” said Lusty, “Like back in ‘74 or in ‘82.”
Dave replied, “Yeah back in ‘82 a guy who was on the sex offender registry and he was a pedo too. But when he got arrested again the DA took it to trial but he got off ‘on a technicality’ and threw the entire city of Empire into a riot in which the police department was ‘slow to mobilize.’ Yeah that guy was guilty since the day he was born.”
“I know why the police department was ‘slow to mobilize’ because a lot of them are parents,” said Lusty, “And they were just as angry as the people in the city and across Little Bird. It sparked a riot but the people did what the District Attorney’s office didn’t do. Of course when the mob dragged the guy and his lawyer out of a car and beat them to death the Empire Police and Island Patrol refused to investigate their deaths and just put them in a folder and labeled it as ‘Cased Closed’ because the guy had it coming.”
Dave replied, “And it turns out that the guy’s lawyer wasn’t a lawyer. It turns out he was disbarred in 1978 for committing the same crime as his ‘client’ and they were friends since Kindergarten back in 1953.”
“How do you know that?” asked Lusty.
Dave replied, “When I was in the academy I would go down to the courthouse and read books on law and one book they had was about that guy whom history will forget because we don’t need people thinking he was a good guy. But what he has done since he was fifteen in 1963 well history needs to forget that guy. The victims he had, they'll never forget what he did and the trauma he put them through will be with them for the rest of their lives.”
“I still don’t know how to thank you,” said Lusty, “There’s got to be something I can do to show appreciation or whatnot as a way of saying thanks.”
Dave replied, “Well if you’re looking for extra work or want to tag along then you’re free to come with if you want. This chopper will take you where Zofia will be waiting for you.”
Lusty got on board a helicopter.
***
Half an hour later.
The helicopter landed at a place that consists of four military warehouses and is divided into two parts by a moving gate. Lusty saw both males and females wearing either black battle dress uniforms and balaclavas or olive drab uniforms.
Lusty was able to reunite with Zofia in one of the four warehouses.
***
Several days later.
“Are you sure you want to go to work?” asked Zofia.
Lusty replied, “Yup. If I stay here just afraid to go anywhere then they win and I’m not going to let them intimidate me or make me get scared.”
“But,” said Zofia.
Lusty interrupted, “No but’s Zofia. Where I’m from you didn’t get anywhere by letting others scaring you into submission. Where I’m from if someone knocks you down then you can let them keep knocking you down all you want but sooner or later you gotta get up and knock them out. Just living in fear is no life at all because sooner or later you’ll be facing life with ‘what if’s’ about what to do or what you should’ve done over this or that and I’m not going to let any type of criminal scare me into submission! If they want a fight then I’ll fight. Look Zofia I know you worry about me just remember I can fight my own battles and if I can’t fight my own battles then I got friends I can call for help.”
Zofia sighed but she knows that Lusty is right and letting others intimidate others into being afraid isn’t life. While she won’t try to tell Lusty not to keep pushing her luck. To Lusty she’ll do what she wants to do even if she wants to ruffle some feathers on criminals then Lusty will even if the criminal is a drug dealer or a cartel leader. Zofia did tell Lusty that she does have a black eye and a broken nose and if she takes some time off to rest instead of going back to work then her coworkers and fellow firefighters would understand.
Lusty told Zofia that she isn’t and she just wants to get back to work. She told the story how some of her great grand uncles that their job during World War Two were either Flamethrower operators or Combat Medics with some of her great grand uncles couldn’t remove the armband that showed they were medics and they were targeted by the Japanese and the ones who were Flamethrower operators were more scared because they were targeted more than the medics either over in North Africa, Europe or some island in the Pacific they were targeted more than any other type of soldier.
Zofia followed Lusty out the door but Zofia went to work at an office supply store she works at part time and Lusty went to work at the firehouse.
***
Firehouse 141
Lusty was in the locker room which is unisex.
Lusty was at her locker and looked over at two other lockers which once belonged to Firefighter Mike Rogers who died by a sniper and Lieutenant Marcus who became a battalion chief. Now the locker which once belonged to Mike Rogers belongs to Firefighter Eddie and Marcus’s locker belongs to Lieutenant Autumn.
When Lusty went into the kitchen of the firehouse all of them looked at her because Lusty has a black eye and a broken nose.
“Don’t cry about it,” said Lieutenant Autumn, “We got a job to do and can’t make a betting pool to think how Lusty got a black eye and broken nose. One thing I learned during the tail end of the war in ‘Nam.”
Firefighter Eddie replied, “What did you do in the tail end of the war in Vietnam?”
“Black operations,” said Lieutenant Autumn, “Air Assault, and Direct Action. Sometimes Counterinsurgency.”
Firefighter David Nygumn replied, “Well he’s right. We have to go on with our jobs and not worry about what happened with Lusty in the past two days. She was supposed to be here and she wasn’t. It was hard for us to get a replacement, well a relief because can’t have someone who just comes off shift to go back on to shift and the ones who are home until next week to work well they’re usually out or do something fun with their families.”
Lusty thought about telling them but she decided not to because she wants to see them either guess or sooner or later one of them ask her what happened. To her it’ll be a fun day of them either guessing or asking her how she got a black eye and a broken nose.
“My girlfriend doesn't know how we can do this job,” said Lusty, “I told her that we all swore an oath to help others even if they’re complete scumbags.”
Lieutenant Autumn, “Not me. I beat a guy to death because the guy beat his wife.”
“Sounds like there’s more to that story,” said Engineer John Rodriguez.
Lieutenant Autumn replied, “There is. The guy, his wife was one of my cousins. Dumbass thought I was on his side because some VC members I fought were female. Nope I made sure his death was painful. The cops didn’t do anything even when she told them what happened but they didn’t do anything but when I did something they pulled the ‘You can’t just kill someone because they don’t like you.’ Of course the DA’s office didn’t press charges against me because I did what the Police department wouldn’t do
"But the DA’s office decided to file charges against the cops who were told from my cousin. They didn’t do anything because they were told about a crime that’s happening well, a domestic abuse crime but they didn’t do anything.”
“With domestic abuse cases a guy can beat his wife or girlfriend in front of a cop,” said Lusty, “But the victim has to report it. Behind closed doors I can understand but out in public then a cop has the authority to arrest the abuser because it’s in public not private. A woman I know in the Westside was married to a guy who was a ‘Prince Charming’ like guy but in reality he beated her until one day she had enough and cut his dick and nuts and shoved them down his throat. Not adding in both Westside and Eastside they’re not neighbors but a close knit family so in Westside when the guy tried to flee he couldn’t.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
“I actually met a female cop who’s a Captain in the Ninth Precinct. She’s currently advocating for a new law that allows all domestic abusers to face justice. Not adding she’s too young to be a Captain but when I stared her right into her eyes I could see in her eyes that there’s something to her or something happened to her. My guess is she was abused by a boyfriend.”
Lieutenant Autumn replied, “Or had really terrible parents or at a previous job in which she was abused or others blackmailed or threatened her into having sex. If her own family abused her then she should’ve left.”
“It’s so easy from the outside to put the blame on a woman and say ‘You just need to leave’. Where would a woman go if abuse is normal?” said Lusty, “When the police won’t help her? When the family won’t help her? Where does she go when she leaves one man or woman who hits her and is just likely to wind up with someone else who hits her or maybe worse than the first scumbag. Where does she go when she’s single and has a child? Yeah this city and country has programs and stuff to help people who are abused but when the person getting abused is too scared then it’s kinda pointless. Also I’m adding a bet to the betting pool. I’m adding eight hundred dollars to the pool and if anyone goes over my bet I’ll say what happened.”
After half an hour assed Lusty’s bet of eight hundred dollars passed.
“Alrighty then I’ll tell,” said Lusty, “When I was over on Thirty-Three Truck over in the district of Anderson. I confronted several people who beat their wives or girlfriends and I saved others and did what the police department wouldn’t do. Well turns out some women and teenage looking girls I saved were being trafficked by a Cartel. They kidnapped me and tried to do the same for me but I got saved before they could do anything worse.”
One of them was about to ask why when Lusty said, “I did it because for staters It was the right thing to do and for second I did as somewhat the Fire Department City of Empire’s oath. The oath if any of you remember it’s ‘I will uphold the standards of my profession, continually search for new and improved methods of serving the people, and will share my knowledge and skill with my colleagues and descendants.
"I will never allow my personal feelings, nor danger to self, deter me from my responsibilities as a firefighter.’ And last time I checked out that being a firefighter we have to save people and to me the women that I helped from the Cartel they needed to be saved so I did what the Bureau of Law didn’t do without my friend Dave lighting a fire under their asses to get a move on.”
Lusty took a sip of her cup of coffee before going to the locker room to take some of her antidepressant medication. There was a knock on the locker room door and a guy in a three piece suit wanted to talk to her.
Lusty immediately recognized that the guy was representing the cartel leader of the place she was captive in. He at first tried to buy her silence but that backfired until he noticed that Lusty had a bottle of antidepressants in her locker which she forgot to close.
Lusty could see it in the lawyer guy’s eyes that he’ll try and use her mental illness against her in court but only reason why the Fire Department City of Empire allowed her to join after learning about it because a majority of the firefighters suffer from PTSD because a lot of them are veterans of either the Vietnam war or the Gulf war or both.
I can see why Zofia is somewhat mad at me, Lusty thought, But I chose to do this job where I chose to put myself in danger and help others while she either goes to school at Arcane University or goes to her part time job in a office supply store just selling papers, notebooks, pencils, pens, and whatnot that they sell at a office supply store. My gut is telling me it’s a Polish name. Not a hundred percent sure but how do I ask without sounding like I’m needy about knowing someone’s name meaning?.
Lusty looked at a photo of her, her mom and dad when she was twelve and it was the only time the three ever got their photo taken and it was Lusty’s wish to get at least one family photo before they died and she got one with her parents on her twelfth birthday. Her father’s in his army service dress uniform and her mom is in a red dress with twelve year old Lusty wearing a blue dress.
She looked at the back of the photo which say:
You’re our brave and heroic little girl. You’re going to do a lot of great things Claire/Lusty even when others tell you not to or that it’ll be impossible. You’ll do things that entire government agencies should do but are too damn lazy or corrupt to do. We’re always going to be with you even when we’re gone we’re still going to love, cherish and protect you- Love mom and dad.
It made Lusty hold back a tear because it’s almost been a year since her parents died and she still misses them. Doesn’t help that the day before she was kidnapped by the Cartel when she visited her doctor she was diagnosed with Dysthaymia because she mentioned she was both suffering from an increase in appetite and insomnia and after sometime she decided to get a second opinion and was told the same.
Lusty closed her metallic locker with a smile on her face. If there is a Heaven, I know that my mom and dad are up there smiling down knowing that I’m doing good and doing great things in life and living my life. They wanted to live but never got to because of a jackass when my mom was a therapist who had a crush on her and thought filing a fake lawsuit against her would make my mom leave my dad and baby me to go marry him fucking dumbass.
Lusty went to the apparatus bay of the firehouse and with the other six they re-tested the tools because they wanted to make sure everything was in working order and didn't want to use it in an emergency. If one’s broken then they could send it to maintenance and get an outdated one as a reserve until the main one is fixed.
Lusty couldn’t stop thinking about what she'd been through in five days and couldn’t stop thinking about what could’ve happened if she stayed there or if Zofia didn’t talk to Dave about Lusty going missing. She just kept thinking about what if’s and started to lose her concentration and she nearly cut her foot with a chainsaw because she wasn’t focused because of her just thinking about bad stuff.
With that Lieutenant Autumn told Lusty that if she’s not one hundred percent to be back at work then she should go home. He didn’t say that for her safety but for the safety of the rest of the company and other firefighters and the citizens of the city of Empire. He didn't want her to make a mistake that’ll get others killed if the mistake was inevitable and he feels like she’ll make a lot of mistakes that could’ve been avoided if she just took some time off. He then put Lusty under as “Needs time off for psychological reasons” and suspended her for a month so she can get her mind straightened and taken care of.
***
Firehouse Sixteen.
Lusty decided to talk to Dave about any work he needs to do but can’t. Dave told her that the chopper brought her where Zofia was last night, she should go there because his family always has work that needs to be done.
Dave could see that Lusty had other things on her mind.
“What’s on your mind?” asked Dave, “You can tell me I’m a friend.”
Lusty replied, “I just keep thinking about what happened to me and what could’ve happened to me while I was captive. I keep thinking ‘I’m the lucky one to get out but the rest of these women and girls aren’t.’ I keep thinking that I just got beaten but how the Cartel members wanted to rape me but I was able to get out in time but the others didn’t. I just feel like something else…”
“Lusty you can spend the rest of your life on what if’s,” Dave interrupted, “My granddad did it in World War Two and the Korean War and sometimes in World War One. In World War Two and the Korean War he was a Squad leader in his forties. He led kids who were only eighteen to twenty who were either high school graduates or college graduates who haven’t fully experienced life. He always told me that how ‘How a guy in his forties just led kids into battle they don’t know what it’s like to get a job, get married and have kids? How can kids just throw themselves into a war because war is.
"The young and stupid are tricked by the old and bitter into killing each other!’ And my granddad was only thirteen in 1914 when he joined the British Army before emigrating to the US in 1919. You can spend the next forty something years in this job on ‘If’s and spend the rest of your life with ‘If’s’. Don’t do it.
“Don’t be the type in twenty years with one or two kids but thinking about what happened in the past. What happened to you and those others we saved from that compound was awful and terrible. Just thinking about how you’re one out of a few every year who can get away before anything bad can happen. Just think about that if it wasn’t for Zofia those women and teenage girls and you would’ve become… Well I don’t need to say because you and everyone else already knows.”
Lusty replied, “You’re right. I just can’t stop thinking about it though.”
“Yeah but if it wasn’t for Zofia then those women and teenage girls would’ve,” said Dave. “They would’ve been forced into sexual slavery or forced prostitution. The world is a cruel and wicked place to live in. If you’re going to ask how I know that…”
Lusty interrupted, “You got family members who work in some form of law enforcement or something that tries to stop that or there’s some branch of the military that tries to stop human trafficking. Is that what you’re going to say?”
“Got some family members who are in the Little Bird Navy or the Little Bird Special Forces,” said Dave. “If a ship doesn't respond when they’re getting too close to a port or close to a naval fleet, then it’ll be asked to report again. If out in the ocean and if the ship doesn’t respond to the navy then a naval ship would fire a warning shot. If getting close to land or a port then it’s the special forces jurisdiction then. If a ship crew then fires at a naval ship then the Little Bird Navy doctrine says that the ship is a enemy and can be sunk.”
Lusty was somewhat informed but she was still thinking about the negatives of what she went through and what she almost went through.
“So when I go and visit your family at the place I was brought to after being saved,” said Lusty, “They’ll give me a job? Or I just go with one to do a job.”
Dave replied. “They got a lot of jobs ranging from legal to just acting as a driver or what not.”
“Okay then as long as it’s legal,” said Lusty, “Not planning on wanting a SWAESU Team or the Feds breaking down my front door at three in the morning because someone in your family needed me to be a getaway driver while they robbed a bank.”
Dave replied, “No no it’s all above board and legal. Unless you count if they do a job and get in trouble with criminals but they have to defend themselves with deadly force then some of their jobs you would avoid.”
“What do they do as a ‘Routine’ type?” asked Lusty.
Dave replied, “If you want to sit in the back of an armored car with a shotgun or a SMG just protecting money or what not then you can. Just sit in the back for eight hours just holding a gun. But yes they’re all legal.”
Lusty then left but she was careful of her surroundings and she made sure she wasn’t followed. She had a feeling that the Cartel is still following her or that if they put out a hit on her. When she did reach the place again her worries of being followed or killed soon went away.
When Lusty looked at the males in the place she could see that women in the place were safe and they gave a vibe that if someone harmed a woman in the place they’ll get a worse enough beating than what the abuser gave the woman. Not adding that the women there looked like they could defend themselves and if someone attacked them then the attacker would feel like a phone book getting ripped in half.
Lusty entered a warehouse and there was a job board which she looked at.
“Can I help you?” asked a feminine voice.
Lusty cleared her throat, “Yeah a friend of mine named David Waterson told me to come here if I’m looking for a side job.”
The woman replied, “Yeah I know who you’re talking about. What kind of job are you looking for?”
“Something easy-ish,” said Lusty, “Just sit back and either ride around or do something challenging.”
The woman replied, “Does, armed guard sound interesting?”
“Yeah it does,” said Lusty, “But I don’t have a LTC.”
The woman replied, “You don’t need a LTC. You just need to pass a class on firearm safety and a weapon license.”
“How long is the class on firearm safety and to get a weapon license?” asked Lusty, “Because I’m only here to get a second job that I have so I’m not home when I’m not working as a firefighter.”
The woman replied, “Only forty hours. Of course Firearms Safety Training Initial Permit is only Sixteen hours but since you want to be an Armed Guard you'll have to take pistol training which is another eight hours and shotgun training another eight hours. And another eight hours to get a handle of them.”
“Don’t want to sound like a criminal but is there a way to bypass it?” asked Lusty.
The woman replied, “Have you gone through BCT and are part of the Little Bird Armed Forces Reserve or the city of Empire Militia or currently in the military but going to be discharged soon? It looks like you’re not in the military.”
“BCT? No I’m not in the military or the city of Empire Militia,” said Lusty, “But I was raised in a neighborhood of the city that I was raised around guns and gun safety due to the people there are former military.”
The woman replied, “Yeah but before we get started we’re going to run a background check on you, we’re going to vet you, and we're going to do our due diligence. Also BCT means Basic Combat Training. Not what you wanted to hear but we don’t want to be reliable by giving you a gun then you go and rob every bank in the city and we don’t want the Feds to break down our front door because we took the easy way over straight up doing a background check.”
Lusty understood but she took another job at the place in the meantime. She just ran errands like going to get breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It took several days but she was approved to start her firearms safety training. She was told that her old neighbors had a lot to say about her and all of it was friendly and kind.
That warmed Lusty’s heart to hear that her old neighbors and the people in the district of Eastside just said nice things about her even though she moved out and they still think she’s one of them even though she moved to a more middle class neighborhood. Lusty was the type she would baby sit people’s babies in the district without charging much which she would charge very little or not at all. Not adding when Lusty got a part time job as a cashier she would spot people if they were short a few bucks and just say they paid in full if they didn’t have enough pocket change. Of course they loved her singing.
Lusty took the classes and when she trained with a semiautomatic pistol she held it in a teacup stance which she got teased for and she was taught how to shoot it in a Power Point stance and in a Weaver stance.
I never thought that I would be taught how to shoot a gun like a cop or a soldier here on Little Bird, Lusty thought, From what my dad told me that he was taught how to shoot a gun in the military in the Weaver stance but one handed.
Due to Lusty’s being eighteen for almost a year she doesn’t have to wait a year to get a LTC or a firearms permit.
The uniform she was given when she now works as an armed guard and the uniform she wears is a green shirt with the logo of Fortune Financial embroidered onto the right sleeve while the L.B. the flag is on the left sleeve. She wears a bulletproof vest accompanied with a radio and a belt, which includes a weapon holster. She also wears dark green trousers with a green stripe down the side and black shoes.
For the rest of the month she just rode in the back of an armored car holding a shotgun.
***
A few weeks after being relieved of duty for a month due to her losing concentration she had to go to court because the Cartel leader's lawyer tried to get the case thrown out. Mostly because the one who wasn’t afraid to fight back, Claire has to take antidepressant medications but if the judge dismissed it then the judge did then the judge, the cartel leader, and the cartel leader lawyer would be in a hotter seat if the judge dismissed it.
Before Lusty did go to court again she passed a shop selling TV’s and it was at a press conference. It was the president of Little Bird who is Bill Waterson who is Dave’s uncle and has been president since 1968 and been re-elected several times due to he’s popular with the poor people because he created programs and support to aid the impoverished people. He did create anti corruption teams, introduced universal justice, universal healthcare for the poor, and he promoted trade schools not colleges.
On the TV Lusty saw and heard that President Bill Waterson fired the now former Bureau of Law director and had him arrested for sidelining and not prioritizing going after the Cartel and to curb stomp human trafficking. Now he has been replaced by a newly appointed Amelia Rodriguez. Unlike her predecessor she won’t be afraid to go after the Cartel and to her it’s top priority than a street racing crew that does street races in the middle of nowhere.
The judge decided to throw out the case anyway when four people came in wearing suits and wearing aviator sunglasses.
From what Zofia and Lusty went over last night Zofia told Lusty that on Little Bird that Judicial misconduct is on par with attempting to overthrow government, treason, military desertion (not like Order 227), killing a police officer, slavery, weapons of mass destruction, killing a child, being a pedo, attacking/destroying a government building, terrorism, espionage, sedition, and piracy. Also, in some cases, acts of recidivism, aggravated robbery, and kidnapping. Lusty had no idea what the punishment was for that in which Lusty was told that punishment can either be two life sentences without parole or death row.
Lusty had no idea what methods they used for death row until Zofia told her that they either use a firing squad, electric chair, gas chamber or Nitrogen Hypoxia with the last three being the primary method. Zofia also mentioned that other places have lethal injection but mentioned why Little Bird doesn't use lethal injection is because it’s too humane and the people who go to death row aren’t humane and don’t deserve such luxury.
When Lusty was going to say something to Zofia, she told Lusty that in the 1920s on Little Bird that flogging, flaying, burning at the steak, and hanging was a capital punishment until replaced by a firing squad, electric chair and gas chamber between 1928-1931. Lusty was also informed that with hanging they weren’t hanged right so when hung they were still alive twitching and choking to death.
Lusty got to see up close and up front seeing a criminal who thought he was untouchable due to intimidation or bribery or by showing violence, the Judge and the Cartel leader lawyer was arrested as well for bribery and by sweeping crime under the rug. Lusty was also happy to see that the justice system is finally doing its job instead of letting people who need justice just be an afterthought. When Lusty asked what happened to the women who were trafficked there she was told that they’re going to get justice and going to go back to where they’re from unless they got a work visa/work permit, entry ticket, or grant of asylum.
When Lusty walked out of the courthouse she thought about getting a passport with Zofia because Zofia wants to go to Europe one day and Lusty wants to tag along. Only thing that Lusty knows is that a passport on Little Bird is a blue passport with a silver or gold Eagle emblem on the front.
***
Later that day. In the district of Emerald Pastor.
Lusty was walking down the street when she saw three big police trucks fly by her but stop at a house that’s eight houses up from her current location and she saw each truck have eight officers wearing balaclavas, goggles and tactical helmets, along with blue and black uniforms in addition to their ballistic armor. They also carried CT759 (MP5A3), and CT779SD (MP5SD) with three holding ballistic shields.
Now the justice system is doing something because now they got someone who ain’t afraid and got someone who ain’t doing the job to collect a paycheck, Lusty thought, Should’ve been done a long time ago but better late than never.
Lusty went on her merry way and did her best to not to pay attention to a Federal Special Weapons And Emergency Service Unit to knock down the front door of a Cartel safehouse. Lusty did want to watch but she didn’t stay but just went on with her life because she didn’t want to be in the crossfire if bullets started flying.
***
The next morning.
Lusty was sitting at the kitchen table waiting for her toaster to get done toasting the bread she put into it. Until then she was reading the morning newspaper.
The frontpage of the newspaper said in bold words:
ARMED GOVERNMENT AGENTS STORMED CARTEL SAFE HOUSES ACROSS CITY OF EMPIRE! OVER 3500 ARRESTED!
Lusty was intrigued and read the newspaper. She still couldn’t believe that it took years if not decades for them to finally do something. As she told herself that it’s better late than never but wish it just happened sooner than later.
There was a knock on the front door. Lusty opened the front door and got shot by someone with a shotgun.
“That rocksalt stings?” said a male voice, “Doesn’t it bitch?”
Lusty was on the ground with both of her hands on her stomach.
***
Sometime later.
Lusty woke up with her arms and legs bound by rope.
Lusty saw that her hands were becoming white and she knew that the rope around her wrists was tight and it’s preventing blood flow getting into her hands and fingers. Of course last time she got into trouble she had some friends to bust her out and one time when she was a teenager and Lusty was taken by a drug dealer and her mother saved her with a M1928 Thompson styled SMG because Claire was a momma’s girl and a daddy’s girl.
“You can do whatever you want to me,” said Lusty, “But I’m not afraid of any of you!”
A male replied, “I got powerful friends within the Bureau of Law…”
There was a beeping sound and soon an explosion.
“What was that?” asked the same male.
Some small grenade thing came in and there was a loud bang and a bright light. There was some quick gunfire as well but when Lusty regained her vision the male that shot her with rocksalt and the one who was talking to her tried to run but the guy got hit by a taser.
Someone cut the rope off around Lusty’s ankles and wrists and she could feel that the blood flow was returning to her hands and fingers.
***
4:23 PM.
At home.
“Hey Lusty, you need more clothing,” said Zofia. “I mean a majority of your clothing is just pink sundress with a red ribbon belt and red high-heels. Not adding your work uniform and your work service uniform.”
Lusty replied, “What I like in my sense of fashion is for me to know only and if you don’t like it well what type of clothing I buy isn’t any of your concern. Yes I like wearing a pink sundress with a red ribbon belt. If you don’t like it, well you’re not my fashion designer. I don’t take you to the Empire Mall or to a clothing store and tell you what to buy. If you don’t like my sense of fashion, well I like it.”
“I mean dresses are more traditionally with women in the past who are housewives or in traditional female roles,” said Zofia.
Lusty replied, “Yeah? And? When I work I wear a uniform that makes it hotter on a hot day and when I’m in a burning building it’s more hot than the outside. So excuse me for wanting to wear dresses when not working so a gentle breeze can help my body keep cool when I’m not working. You wear jeans, socks, a white T-shirt, and a buttoned up overshirt with bunker gear that’s made of a mix of fire-retardant fabrics, mainly aramids such as Nomex and Kevlar or polybenzimidazole (PBI). Then go into a building that’s on fire and the fire is around fifteen hundred degrees fahrenheit. I’m sure you’ll probably want to have your body to cool down some more when off shift.
"You? You wear slacks, with a plaid button up shirt with a white T-shirt worn underneath both tucked in, a belt, and dress shoes. You wear what’s socially acceptable for men to wear on Little Bird. I wear both of what’s socially acceptable for women to wear, which is either a dress, shirt and a skirt or slacks or jeans with a T-shirt and an overshirt tucked in with a belt. I prefer to wear dresses not because I’m a woman but because I chose to. I’m all down for Racial and Gender Equality but my sense of fashion falls under what I want to wear.
“Also there’s women out there that choose to be home to cook, clean, have children and listen to their boyfriends or husbands like a mindless drone. That’s their choice if they want to be a housewife or a homemaker. I choose to work and say how I feel and I won’t let anyone tell me what I should do or how I should feel or how I should do this over that. Last time I checked, Little Bird has Co-education schools, same content of classes for girls and boys, same qualification for men and women. For women, career is just as important as for men; equal professional opportunities for men and women are necessary. All housework is done by both parties to the marriage in equal shares. Neither partner dominates; solutions do not always follow the principle of finding a concerted decision; status quo is maintained if disagreement occurs. And finally that both man and woman share child care and education equally not one gender does it while the other gender don’t.
“And finally look at this country's military; around 48% of our military is female. In World War One 51% of the Little Bird Military Frontline soldiers were male, 49% were female, in World War Two it was split evenly down 50/50 of having female frontline soldiers serving with male soldiers. Women in other countries at that time women were only nurses or weapon crews on the homefront or doing jobs that males did on the homefront. In World War Two I had some grandaunts or female cousins twice removed who were in rifle squads, you know riflemen the backbone of the LB Army. You want to be a detective or a cop. Well that’s your prerogative not someone holding a gun to your head and telling you what you should do.”
“Yeah but though,” said Zofia, “You could wear other clothes other than just dresses on your days off. I mean just dresses are kinda boring.”
Lusty replied, “Yeah well if someone tries to look up my skirt then they get punched or have their face kicked in. Also when I go and play basketball then I wear gym shorts and a T-shirt. But you’re not my fashion designer!”
“Yeah but wear more of a unisex or male looking clothing!” said Zofia, “Not just dresses on your day off and when you’re working you wear just jeans, black loafer shoes, socks, white T-shirt and a tucked in overshirt.”
Lusty replied, “Zofia look at what I’m wearing today. I’m wearing a white crewneck T-shirt and jeans, and tennis shoes. But my fashion choices aren’t your concern. If you want to force me into wearing clothing that you want because you think that off duty I’m too girly! But I’m a tomboy but I like to wear dresses because after a hard day of work I want my body to stay cool and not stay overheated.”
Zofia decided to storm out and slammed the front door.
“Just storming out doesn’t make you look like you won,” said Lusty, “Should’ve just stayed and tried to see it from my point of view. Just talking to myself.”
Until Lusty went back to work at the firehouse she was just an armed guard in an armored car until she was able to rejoin Squad 141 on August 15th. She enjoyed working with two other family members from Dave’s family but she just hardly got out of the armored car and when she did it was for either to get in or at the end of shift or to go get lunch. The few times she did get out it was to protect gold or large sums of cash.
Before Lusty returned to work at Squad 141 she one day walked by a recruiting station for the Little Bird Armed Forces. She looked at the posters on the windows and she thought about entering the building but she didn’t. To her she’ll probably get drafted into the military one day but not today and just assumed if she did join the military she’ll probably be at base cooking Swedish meatballs or be apart of the company level in a field kitchen and just feed one hundred and twenty soldiers (that’s a company of soldiers in the Little Bird Armed Forces).
Lusty then visited an old neighbor in the Eastside who was an Army cook and he gave her a book to take home. It’s from the World War 2 Era military book which showed what they had to serve which says:
Apples- One Hundred Pounds
Banana Peels- Twenty One Pounds
Water- Sixty Six pounds
Dehydrated Apples- Fourteen pounds
Eggs (One Case)- Thirty Dozen
Egg Shells- Seven Pounds
Water- Twenty Seven Pounds
Dehydrated Whole Eggs- Ten Pounds
Milk- Sixty Five Pounds
Meat- Fifty Eight Pounds
Cheese- Eighty Four Pounds
Vegetables (Green)- One Hundred and ten Pounds
Fruits (Dry)- One Hundred and Fifty Pounds
Whole Wheat or Enriched flour and Bread- Fifty One Pounds
Whole Grain Cereal- Thirty Dozen
Pork- Fifty Eight Pounds
Potatoes- Ninety four Pounds
Fruits- One Hundred and Forty Nine Pounds.
When Lusty was going to ask about why meat, fruits, vegetables, and cheese were so high over the rest until she remembered that on Little Bird that it’s culture is around meat and cheese and fruits and vegetables are healthy and the four are high for cultural norms of soldiers and to keep the soldiers healthy as well so it’s a mix. Not adding that meat gives people energy due to Vitamin B’s that let people be energized and why the Little Bird Military and civil servants on Little Bird eat meat unless someone's culture/religion or are just a vegan/vegetarian.
The book also has recipes how to bake and cook cupcakes and other foods and every meal says that it should have a dinner roll to go with it, Not adding it also mentions that a lot of people on the homefront are well were growing their own fruits and veggies so the farms can sent their grown fruits, veggies, meat, chicken, and pork to the soldiers, sailors, air crews and marines in the war.
Lusty decided to grow her own garden and got the right stuff to build her own greenhouse and started to grow her own fruits and veggies. When Zofia learned Lusty started to grow her own fruits and veggies she disapproved, but she knew that Lusty once she made up her mind that it’ll take an act of congress or a God to try to change her mind. She usually sticks to her guns and tries hard enough to try to change her mind and Lusty is a stubborn woman.