Borderland

[JumpMyBones]

(Closed)

The war was destructive, but the events that had led up it had dealt the true devastation to humanity. Environmental destruction, competition for dwindling resources, the rampage of new diseases -- some created by man as weapons -- and, as long predicted, the effects of global warming had for the first time in the history produced a negative population growth number.

Topping off decades of unending war had been three separate limited exchanges of nuclear weapons, between the US and the newly reconstituted USSR; between Pakistan and India; and, adding insult to injury, between the now crumbling US and China.

By the time society was facing total collapse, there were fewer than 2 billion people left alive on Earth, and most of those would die from one cause or another before their 30th birthday.

"Captain Reno Rush" never knew whether or not he should consider himself one of the lucky ones. He was alive and relatively healthy. He had some lung complications and suffered great pains if out in the heat too long, which -- here on the Arizona-Chihuahua border -- was most days of the year.

But he was alive.

And, with a small army of dedicated, loyal soldiers and civilians following his every word, his odds of remaining alive were better than those of most folks.

 

[CarnivalBarker]

Shelby had somehow managed to live a sheltered existence, the daughter of a United States Senator and wealthy former oil magnate, despite the horrors of a world at war. Now 22 years old, she had the excellent fortune to live and remain in a safe, university setting at the former Arizona State University, now referred to as Western Academy, so named after the Pacific Northwest and parts of California had been rendered uninhabitable, while the desert provided some distance from the reach of China and the dry, hot environment that made the proliferation of biological anomalies that accompanied the world war at large. Enrollment was the thing of the wealthy, the privileged, and as the earth burned, those in school managed to live what used to be a normal life, for the most part, with some exceptions based upon shortages and needs of greater society.

When China first struck, wiping out much of the northwest, people scurried high into the mountains and low into the desert. Just southwest of where she lived, a small band of survivalists and a few outlaws pledged allegiance to a set of principles and values apart from those by what little society was left. The smoldering United States existed only in pockets of communities across the continent, while the rest of the people survived in small, wandering communities such as these. However, some of these groups were known for ways outside the laws that anyone recognized, relying more on loyalty and a commitment to simply survive and replace the old world with the new, whatever they believed that should be. Each group had it's own "thing," if you will. Near Atlanta, a small group of two hundred people tended to rob and assault people seeking to gain and control as much silver as possible, thinking it would be key to rebuilding an economy. One group outside of Detroit was known for horrible attempts to secure racial purity, believing a new world should be "pure." Groups in the Rocky Mountains were militants, attacking other groups in what seemed like random attacks designed solely for pleasure and fun in the world's final days. Not all groups were bad. One group near Washington were committed from patriotic zeal to rebuild the old United States and generally maintained peaceful laws and rules like the nation had always known in its brief, but bright, history before this awful war broke out. Shelby followed the stories of these groups, as she worried whether one or some of them would march on D.C. and begin a purge of politicians and leaders, such as her father. And each evening, she and others would sit on the edge of the campus, looking down into the valley beyond the wall that divided desert from civilization, and they could see the fires from the roving bands and tribes in the distance as the sun went down.

Today, a Thursday, Shelby finished class early and returned to the courtyard near her dorm, which had been renovated in recent years to be more like a condominium. The nice thing about her life was the money. It afforded her significant comfort while so many were in a raging fight for their existence. And while amenities were ideal, only so few remained. When the draft was reinstated, and when people began to die horrible deaths all over the world, Western Academy's numbers dwindled. Today, only around 1,000 students, mostly women, remained on campus. The rest could not afford to be here, given the small military presence for security and the powerful connections required to avoid a mandatory draft into service. She considered herself fortunate, if also frightened for the world. She wondered, as she watched over the wall once again, whether she was truly safe and what the future held.

http://www.thelostogle.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/shelby-hays-dog.jpg

 

[JumpMyBones]

Reno paged through the thick file slowly, glancing at the names, ages, genders, and personal overviews. Most of the photocopies included pictures of the individuals in question, many wearing the colors and/or logo or mascot of the school.

He looked up to the man wearing the Campus Security uniform and asked, "How current is this information?"

"Pretty current," the man answered. "The security of the campus -- and the safety of those living on it -- is more important than education to some there."

Reno's expression showed his lack of understanding to the man's comment.

"It's a school, sure," the Security Officer continued. "But ... to some -- those simply looking for a safe place to live -- it's more like a convent."

"Convent...?"

The man in uniform smirked broadly, saying, "Three out of four people inside those walls is female ... and three out of four of them is between the ages of 16 and 26..." His smile only broadened as he finished, "...and three out of four of THEM is very doable, if you know what I mean."

Reno just stared at the man, wondering whether he should correct his bad grammar or ask more about the doable school girls safe behind the walls of the hill top university.

Instead he looked to the map of the school laid out on the table and asked, "Security?"

They discussed the security situation at the school: the number of Security Officers, their placement, their weapons, and their willingness to die to protect rich kids under their charge. Many of the students, the file revealed, came from the upper crust of North America's surviving, thriving families; and inside Western, they lived in a relative comfort that many people hadn't even had before the apocalypse.

"Are they going to risk their lives to save these students when we come through the gate?" Reno asked bluntly.

"Some will," the Security Officer said. Then he smiled and began, "But..."

Reno gave him an expectant shrug. "But...?"

"Well ... the Security Officers and Staff ... they're protected by those walls just the same as the students are. If they think you're going to come in there with rifles blazing to destroy the place -- the only place they are safe -- they're going to fight back. Maybe not to protect the students, but ... to at least protect themselves."

"So ... if I guarantee that they will come out of this unharmed," Reno responded, knowing exactly where the man was going.

"And," the Security Officer cut in, reaching for as much as he could, "if they thought they might get something out of this, too."

"As in...?"

The man hesitated. He was walking on a tight rope here. He was negotiating to allow this man and his army access to Western, to allow them through the gates to seize anything -- and anyone -- they wanted. You didn't fuck with a man like this by asking for too much payment in return for your betrayal.

"Some of the men have ... let's call it ... an interest in some of the students ... female students."

"And they would like to ... keep them," Reno said, a lack of emotion in his tone. He knew where this was going and he didn't like it. Not because he had anything against these Security Guards with whom he was conspiring taking a few of the students for their own personal pleasure; but instead because Reno, himself, wanted first pick of any of the students taken.

"Keep them, yes," the man said, feigning concern, "to keep them safe, of course."'

"Of course," Reno said. He studied the man for a moment. He needed this man, so -- obviously -- he was going to give him anything he wanted ... for now. "One female per."

"Fair enough," the man said, his lips widening. "And the school itself...? Will you be keeping it or ... just taking what you want and departing again?"

"I take it you and your hard working, loyal public servants ... are interested in keeping it for yourselves?"

The Security Officer shrugged gently. "If that works for you. I mean--" He looked around the dark, dank room in which they were talking, then -- speaking about the former industrial complex that belonged to Reno's people -- continued, "--you have a nice place here already. If you're comfortable here ... perhaps you could leave the--"

"You can keep Western," Reno cut in, looking back to the maps of the campus and surrounding territory. He had every intention of keeping the hill top school. It was not only -- what was that British word? -- posh in comparison to the complex here, but sitting high like it did over the valley below, it was strategically valuable. "I have no interest in the grounds. Only what's on them."

The Security Officer's lips parted even wider, and he stepped forward and shoved his hand out boldly. "Then we have a deal?"

Reno studied the man for a moment, contemplating the different ways in which he could torture and -- eventually -- kill this man later. One thing Captain Reno Rush simply couldn't abide was disloyalty. And this man was betraying a community of a thousand people, just so he could pick which of the coeds he could have for a fuck buddy in the days to come?

But he took the man's hand and said, "Two days."

"Two days," the Security Officer repeated back.

"Two days ... and we will both have what we want from the residents of Western Academy."

 

[CarnivalBarker]

The next morning, the sky erupted with lightning crackling across the early, darkened dawn, as one of the rare, but violent storms that occasionally struck the area moved over the university. Shelby threw on some shorts and a tee shirt and pulled over a lightweight Northface jacket and sprinted across campus to her first class. There, she looked around at other girls in the school, wondering if they were as anxious about the world around them as she had been. The professor asked her a question.

"A supply shock causes prices to steeply rise and can result in instant shortages, which further affects the demand curve," she answered before the professor continued the review of the material for the quiz the following week. She sighed and rolled her eyes, wondering if economic theory even applied anymore. How about we learn how to rebuild a water system or electrical grid? she wondered. She looked out the window at the far wall, barely visible through buildings on the pretty campus. Kids like herself walked on the grounds as if nothing unusual was going on, while she wondered about the tragic world beyond and the horrors that many must be experiencing. She sat through the remainder of class in silence, stopping to talk with Amanda, one of the girls in her study group. As she left the building, the rain continued. Just when she stepped toward the curb of the campus oval, one of the few boys on campus approached her and offered to share his umbrella.

"I'm Lance," the young man said. "I think you're in my math class on Tuesdays." She recognized him before he mentioned it. She smiled when he made light of the world around them, thinking it was nice for even a moment of levity. As they walked in the rain back to the dorm units, her phone rang.

"Hey daddy," the girl said. "Yes. No, it's raining today. Yes, I know it's not safe. I'm not leaving campus." She smiled at the boy walking beside her as her father talked at her as much as to her.

"I want you to be cautious," the Senator said. "We are hearing reports of raiders attacking communities in the West. They've taken over several of our post offices and even locked down a Federal Courthouse in Amarillo. Federal buildings are secure because of their size and build, and they are unsecured since our forces have been drafted up. Western is probably too big for them to take, but it doesn't mean they won't try. You have a good force there. Just don't go outside the walls. I know it's tempting to go into
Scottsdale, but I'd say you shouldn't for a while."

"Yes daddy," she said. "I won't." She finished the conversation about the time the two students arrived at the entrance to the condo dorm units. She waved her pass card over the main entrance lock and the large glass doors slid open. She offered to buy the boy with the umbrella some coffee, and he took her up on it. They sat in the small coffee shop in the central area, and for the first time in a while, she enjoyed the company of someone that took her mind off things like fear and uncertainty, and also enjoyed the company of a cute guy. Thunder crashed around them, and she noticeably jumped and looked toward the door, only enough to realize that everything was okay. After saying goodbye to the boy, and even making plans to walk to class together the next week, she retired to her dorm suite, where she allowed herself to dream of a time that was better, believing it would all be okay. She changed into some yoga pants and pulled her hair into a ponytail before heading to the gym, where she ran in an effort to keep fit and stay in shape.

As the afternoon came to a close, the storms outside finally began to abate, and she joined a number of dorm residents on the upstairs bar on the top floor of the dorm tower. In a little silver dress and some cute heels, she managed to feel sexy and have a good time, mingling with a number of neighbors and friends from class. She bumped into the guy with the umbrella and allowed him to both buy her a drink and walk her home around 1am, when the night was over. As she fished for her key, the boy put his hands on her waist and pulled her in for a sweet, if too-brief kiss, to which she reciprocated with a grin. Moments later, she was once again in some little gym shorts over her panties, and a small baby tee shirt that barely covered her stomach just at the top of her shorts. She crashed, falling into the first truly peaceful sleep she had in some time.

 

[JumpMyBones]

(OOC: Below, I state that the collapse in the Phoenix area began 4 years ago. Hope that's okay with you. It was necessary to establish Reno's history.)

(OOC: Sorry this is so long. It explains a lot! Future posts will NOT be this long, I guarantee it!!)

"This is going to be a problem."

Reno looked to the Master Sergeant next to him, now squeezing his eyes tightly shut as he grimaced in pain. Reno understood the man's concern: the lightning was playing havoc with the Chokes ability to use their night vision goggles. The electricity discharge illuminating the sky was akin to having an usher shine a flash light in your eyes in an otherwise dark theater.

Reno had selected this particular night for the raid on Western Academy specifically because it was supposed to be a hellishly black night. It was the New Moon, which meant there would be no illumination from that great orb. It was supposed to be overcast, but the weather reports -- pirated off the government communications lines -- had said Mother Nature would be passive this evening.

And, of course, the Security Officer with whom Reno was conspiring would be playing his part to keep things dark. He was to be holding a party, getting his men soused with the moonshine whiskey Reno provided, which meant fewer men out patrolling with flashlights or manning the tower spot lights; and he was going to kill the power generator that fed the campus's electrical grid, thus no street lamps or interior lighting except for the occasional flash light or candle.

"Do we send the abort signal, Captain?"

Reno looked to the heavens for a long moment, then to the cell tower rising high above them. Despite the hell through which Planet Earth and its human inhabitants were going, there was -- in the urban areas, anyway -- a great deal of still-working technology available. Most of the cities still had cell service and, in the larger of them, high speed internet.

The wars hadn't knocked satellites from orbit, of course, so if you had control of a satellite dish and the appropriate electronics, you could still have a nice, real time conversation with someone on the other side of the world. Want to know what the weather was like in Beijing...? Reno could tell you ... most nights, anyway.

Of course, most of the systems controlled by what amounted to Government were shut down after dark. This had a very specific reason: to prevent paramilitary units -- such as Reno's Chokes -- from doing exactly what was about to happen.

Reno had had control of this and several other cell towers for more than four years, since the Federal and State Governments lost control of Arizona and Martial Law was declared. And with access to cell service and the internet -- despite the new security restrictions -- Reno had been able to seize and maintain control of a vast area to the east-northeast of Phoenix, including the Scottsdale Community College campus.

It was, of course, SCC that had given Reno's paramilitary group their nickname, The Chokes. In the 1970s, as part of a protest against what they deemed as excessive spending on the sports programs, the student body had voted -- not just once but twice -- to make Artie the Artichoke the new school mascot and, magnifying the potential for embarrassment, the new school colors -- and thus team uniform colors -- pink and white.

While the school colors would eventually change to a more palatable green and gold, Artie and the Chokes would remain in place. Eventually, Artie would evolve to become a source of pride to the student body.

Reno Rush's involvement with the school had been as a National Guard recruiter. Unknown to the school and Arizona law enforcement authorities, Reno had also been the Executive Officer of a paramilitary group known as the Four Peaks Freedom Brigade, named for the location of most of their training camps east of the State's largest city.

Through his official ties with SCC -- as well as with ASU, now Western Academy -- Reno had been able to identify and recruit anti-government radicals to the Brigade up to, during, and even after the collapse of normal society. When the State and Federal governments lost control of most of the country between Coastal California and Central Texas, the Brigade was well positioned to become the dominant force east of Phoenix.

And it had remained that way until just recently. While in the beginning, the Chokes' ZOC -- Zone Of Control -- had included enough resources to satisfy their need and ability to remain in charge, those resources had dwindled to near nothing.

Instead of simply controlling their own area and getting along with their neighbors, Reno and the Chokes had had to begin raiding areas outside of their ZOC. Reno didn't like doing this: people often got hurt, or even killed, and he didn't like causing pain and death just to take someone's food, water, or batteries.

But, things changed. Reno changed. And tonight, in their boldest attack yet, the campus and student body of Western Academy was going to change, too.

"Sir...?" the Sergeant asked, still waiting for his Captain's reply about the abort signal.

"No," Reno said after a moment. "The storm is going to subside. Mother Nature won't fail me."

He caught the slight snicker from the man and gave him a sharp look, followed by a chuckle of his own. Reno's membership in an environmentally based spiritual organization -- The Church of Earth, whose members were derogatorily referred to as dirt kissers -- had always been a source of jokes within the Brigade.

"Be careful," Reno said, side stepping a couple of yards before he finished, "She might send one of those bolts down upon your head."

They laughed a bit, then returned to the serious work at hand. And sure enough, as he'd predicted, Mother Nature accommodated Reno Rush and his Chokes. By midnight, the lightning had abated; and by 1am, the rain had all but stopped. By 2am -- when the campus suddenly went dark -- the Brigade's forces were in place all about the perimeter of Western Academy.

In less than five minutes, there were Chokes at the entrances to almost every building on campus, and Reno -- who had long left the cell tower location and headed for Western at top speed -- was just entering the gate, which his Security Officer conspirator was manning.

"Delta India, Delta India," the Sergeant said into an Army radio after Reno nodded his permission to him.

The go code was playfully selected. It was the phonetic letters "D" and "I" and stood in place of the order Do It. Upon hearing the code over their radios, the Brigade's assault teams were surging through doors all across campus.

The Sergeant turned to Reno and got a second nod of permission. He turned to face the nearby Campus Security Officer and pump three bullets from a silenced .45 pistol into the man's chest. As the man was dying on the dewy lawn, the Sergeant told him, "Captain Reno doesn't abide disloyalty. How could you betray these people. They trusted you?"

There was a great deal of irony in the man's words, of course. Reno was both betraying the betrayer and taking control of the campus which the man should have been protecting.

All about the campus, the Choke assault teams were going room to room, taking control. The teams were comprised of a point man with a shot gun loaded with home made, non-lethal bean bag rounds; a second man who would cover for the first when he was empty; a third -- sometimes fourth -- man carrying an urban style assault rifle with lethal rounds; and at least two men whose job it was to secure hostages, either with zip tie hand and ankle cuffs or as a group in a larger, more easily secure room.

Ultimately, as more and more of the campus came under their control, the Chokes began moving the students and staff to the largest building on campus, wanting to be able to speak to them all as a group and ensure that they understood exactly what was ahead of them.

In the quiet of the night, Reno could occasionally hear the sound of the shotguns firing, knocking resisters to the ground. A few other times, he grimaced at the sound of automatic rifle fire, knowing that someone likely had just been killed or seriously injured.

But by 4am -- two hours into the attack -- the gun fire and mayhem had abated and only sounded when stragglers were located.

"Let's see how we did," Reno told the Sergeant as he dismounted from the HUMV and headed to the group area...

 

[CarnivalBarker]

Shelby awoke with a start when her room filled with the sound of a loud boom as a door was kicked in on the dorm suite next door to hers. She jumped up and quickly ran to her window, where she saw men in urban camouflage and military gear shuffling and sprinting with weapons across the dark grounds of the campus below. No sooner had her eyes grown wide than her own door blasted in from its hinges and the sound of feet coming up the stairs were followed quickly by a soldier of some sort at the room of her bedroom door.

"Don't move!" The man shouted. Shelby immediately froze, lifting her hands up and sideways, holding them open and out to her sides as if to show that she was not armed. The soldier waved in her direction as another soldier behind her quickly wrapped a zip tie around her wrist and tightened it against her other wrist as he pulled them both tightly behind her back, just at the small of her back.

"That hurts," she said in a rather meek voice, careful to not fight or protest, as she wondered what was going on, though committed to just stay alive and not be harmed.

"Shut up," the man tying her hands said. He finished tying her wrists and then patted her twice on her side and hip, once he had. "Walk in front of me and don't do anything stupid," the man said. "Go," he pushed her toward the door. The soldiers cleared the dorm and the man that tied her up continued herding her down stairs and into the main hallway. There, she saw similar teams pushing girls like her out the main entrance, and she wondered where they were all going. She knew it was not likely anywhere good.

Moments later, she was in the main dining area, or what had once been the main dining area, still barefoot and now cold, as she was taken by the elbow and moved against a wall, surrounded by other girls her age, most in some version of sleepwear or gym clothes, just like she was. It struck her that everyone had been taken completely by surprise. She wondered where were the security forces?

"Sit down and stay quiet," the man escorting her said. She looked to her left and right and let her eyes ask the other girls whether they knew what was happening, none did. Across the room, she saw Lance, the heroic boy with the umbrella, seated with the other men from campus, a blackened eye and a cut on his head the noticeably different features from earlier in the day.

This is bad, she thought to herself. After not very long, many of the soldier teams began to mill about near the main entrance, and they were not bringing any more students in that she could tell. The room was silent, except for some sobs and whimpers from people in the room, no doubt out of fear. This is about to get really bad, she thought in silence, waiting to see what was next.

 

[JumpMyBones]

(OOC: You didn't give me a surname for Shelby, so I used Thompson. I can change it.)


The sun was still an hour away from rising when Reno Rush entered the packed auditorium. He looked about -- at the hundreds of students gathered -- and remembered his first time in this very room.

He'd been on a recruitment drive for the National Guard and, what with the two wars and the natural disasters taking place -- he'd expected a good showing of college age students interesting in learning more about the Guard.

Reno had been horribly disappointed, with only nineteen students filling the room. And of them, eleven had been there to mock him or protest his presence on the campus.

He was led to the stage by his Sergeant, who called for the already relatively quiet group to be silent. The man gestured to Reno -- wearing his tan and brown desert fatigues and a black beret -- and introduced, "Captain Reno."

"I first want to tell you that none of you are in any danger," Reno said, his powerful voice booming out over the crowd. "So long as you do as you are told and don't put up a fuss, you will all be able to attend your classes tomorrow."

The Sergeant handed his superior the file they'd received from the now dead Campus Security Officer, whispering, "Top one is sitting about three rows back ... a bit to your left."

"When I call out you name," Reno began, "I want you to make your presence known. Stand, or simply call out."

He opened the file, looked at the name, and called out, "Gloria Abernathy."

Reno looked up and -- though he knew where the young woman was -- scanned the entire audience as if expecting to see her pop up elsewhere. He looked back to the file and read, "Gloria Adele Abernathy. Daughter of media mogul, Richard Abernathy, from Seattle Washington."

There was a bit of a buzz throughout the crowd as those assembled realized that these men weren't your typical uninformed reactionaries. When the young woman still did not stand up -- and in fact, was encouraged quietly to remain in place by the two people sitting near her -- Reno handed the file to his Sergeant and stepped closer to the stage.

"Maybe we should begin again," Reno said, tapping one of his Chokes on the shoulder and gesturing for the intimidating shotgun that -- unbeknownst to most of the students -- was loaded with non-lethal ammunition. "When I call out you name ... I want you to make your presence known..."

Reno was descending the steps at the front of the stage as he continued, walking in the direction of the woman in question but without making eye contact with her. He continued, "...by standing up or simply calling out to my men ... or--"

Reno leveled the shotgun at one of the female students nearby and pulled the trigger. The weapon exploded, sending the bean bag into the rather impressive bosom of the girl. Her entire body jerked at the incredible momentum of the projectile, and she fell back into a stack of boxes of things that had been left over from an earlier class, the additional noise of the items clattering about only emphasizing the violence of the act.

Without missing a beat, Reno added, "--I will kill one of your--"

"Here!" a female voice called out in panic. Gloria Abernathy tried to rise to her feet, but panic and distress only caused her to teeter about on her knees. "Here! I'm here! Don't hurt anyone..."

Her words faded as sobs overwhelmed her. One of the Chokes -- who had been slowly moving up behind her during the entire incident -- grasped her elbow and helped her to her feet, saying with unexpected kindness as he headed her toward the exit, "I'll help you, Miss Abernathy."

"Good!" Reno said, gesturing toward his Sergeant. "One down. A few more to go."

As the Sergeant read the next name, two Chokes manhandled the unconscious student and hurried her out of the auditorium. They didn't want anyone to notice that there was no blood at the sight of the wound. The students would be easier to control if they thought Reno was in fact capable of killing a randomly selected student simply to motivate the others.

As the names were called, one student after another either stood or called out their presence in the room. On two occasions, there was no response, followed by anxious glances about the room: the other students -- who didn't want to be the next sacrificial lamb -- were suddenly eager to help locate the named student, despite having no idea what was going to happen to them.

It didn't take long for a new buzz to begin about the auditorium. The names called -- mostly female but a few males as well -- were all of students whose families were fairly well known across the campus: politicians, business leaders, military officers, the plain and simple wealthy-beyond-belief, and more.

By the time they were two thirds of the way through the list of 60 names, the sun was beginning to lighten the world beyond the auditorium's high mounted windows. The Sergeant called out, "Shelby Darnell."

 

[CarnivalBarker]

Shelby sat quietly and listened to the names being called. Buzz around where she sat quickly focused on the identity of those students being escorted away. Each had been the child of a prominent citizen in the United States, and people suspected the raiders wanted money or whatever passed for money in the war-torn world. Shelby's heart sank. Her father, Senator Darnell, had been mentioned as a possible candidate for Vice President before the wars began, and now sat as the Chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee. His assignment meant he knew where all the bodies were buried and had command of every image, recording, or analysis of information across the globe. Few were more powerful.

"Shelby Darnell," said the man up front, and her heart sank even further. She shivered from fear as she rolled forward to her knees, then simply stood without any words. No sooner had she stepped forward, one of the soldiers gripped her arm a bit tighter than seemed necessary.

"Come with me," the officer said, pulling her from the other students and toward the exit doors where the others had gone,

"Where are you taking me?" She asked, and the escorting soldier said nothing. She thought of pulling away and sprinting through those doors and into the dawn. She thought better of it when she wondered how she could survive in the desert with her hands tied. Instead, she continued walking at the behest of her guard, unknowing where this would end, but certain that her father would pay to get her safely with him, wherever he was.

 

[JumpMyBones]

(OOC: The text below in bold was added later to correct an error I made in the story's original conception.)


Reno watched with great interest as Miss Darnell was hurried away. He was very aware of who her father was. She would be a valuable hostage to the Chokes.

Of course, if she was ever harmed -- let alone killed -- what remained of Washington's military might in this part of the country would come raining down upon Brigade territory like a spring hail storm in the Dakotas.

It was a sad fact that with the decrease in the Federal Government's political and financial influence across much of the Southwest, Rockies, and Plains States, the brutality of its army -- diminished but not gone -- had increased to a much greater degree.

Not since Sherman's Civil War march on Atlanta had Federal troops waged such horrific war against its own citizens. Several large cities that had declared their sovereignty had been besieged until the starving survivors begged for mercy. Much as the Allies had done to Dresden during WWII, Denver had been burned to the last building. Rebellious New Orleans had been flooded after the levies were bomb; and to increase the suffering, a radical element within the CDC had introduced malaria, typhoid, and other waterborne diseases, killing or sickening millions.

The brutality backfired, however, only strengthening the power and influence of paramilitary groups like Reno's. And soon the Federal Government reversed its course in many areas. There were States today -- in part or in whole -- that were still loyal to the United States of America.

Thankfully, Reno liked to remind himself, Arizona wasn't one of them. There were cities, however -- like Phoenix, Tuscon, and Yuma -- that were bastions of American patriotism. Of course, that was only because the Feds continued to pump in money, food, and fuel.

If the Brigade and other paramilitaries like them could just cut off that influx of resources, they could finally achieve the status they were after: Kings of their only little hills.



Reno ventured back outside just as the sun was beginning to show over the Four Peaks. He told his Sergeant, "Lock it down. Mine the entrances. Rocket launchers to cover the open ground. The Stingers are set up?"

The Sergeant pointed to the Security Towers that were now in their control. "Anything flying too close ... poof, a cloud of debris."

"No unnecessary fatalities," Reno said, pointing a finger in the direction of the man like a mother chastising a naughty child. He added, "On either side."

Another Choke rushed up to report that the Elites were all loaded and ready to go.

"Get'em moving," Reno ordered. "Two trucks per route. Be sure to call ahead to the check points. Code word group Bravo."

"Yes sir," the Choke said. He began to leave, then hesitated and asked, "What if a truck get stopped, sir? What do we do with--"

Reno began to repeat what he'd said to his Sergeant, but the man beside him beat him to it. "No unnecessary fatalities. If a truck gets stopped, abandon it. Get to cover and let the hostages go."

"Yes, Sergeant," the man said, glancing toward his ultimate superior for a nod to ensure that that was in fact the standing order. "On our way."



An hour later, the last of the trucks traveling the Beeline crossed over the Verde River, heading for the Four Peaks Wilderness area. In all, they'd found 52 of their original 60 targets. Simply because they had the space, the Chokes had also taken 8 more random students, including a young man who'd gotten his head cracked open earlier and, yet, still showed incredible concern when little Miss Darnell was taken away.

Reno wondered how the young man would react when the trucks were unloaded at the abandoned amethyst mine below Brown's Peak, only to learn that his apparent lust interest wasn't amongst the other students.

"Please, take a seat, Miss Darnell," Reno told the now binding free Shelby. He turned to look about the students' lounge. "It might not be what you would expect from ASU-- I mean, Western ... but it's nice."

By Reno's request, Shelby had been loaded into his personal HUMV, blind folded, and driven here to Scottsdale Community. She was, without a doubt, the highest profile hostage they had, and Reno wouldn't have trusted her life -- or the result of her death -- to any of the men who served under him, regardless of their loyalty, intelligence, or lack of either.

"I want to begin by introducing myself," he said. He had shed his uniform jacket Shelby had seen him in earlier and now wore just a simple black tee shirt with his green dungarees and high laced boots. As it always was -- except for when he was bathing, sleeping, or fucking -- his WWII .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol was strapped to his right hip. "Around here, they refer to me as Captain Rush, but you ... you can call me Reno ... like the city that, as you are likely aware, no longer exists."

That was a bit of an exaggeration, actually. With the demise of its gambling industry, the destruction of the aqueduct that supplied 80% of its water, and the devastating gang violence that followed, Reno had simply been abandoned by most of its residents. Today, fewer than 5,000 of its former population of almost 300,000 remained, and most of those were dying slowly and horribly following the crash of a train carrying an illegal shipment of radioactive waste.

"I am Commander of the Four Peaks Freedom Brigade," he continued. "And you, my dear, are to be my guest while we contact your father about how unsafe your school was. The idea that a gang of hoodlums ... I believe that's what your father called the Chokes in a speech a few months back ... the idea that they could just walk onto your campus and take you ... well, Shelby ... let me just say that you are far safer here with us."

He was, of course, being sarcastic and glib. But, that was the way Reno got when he knew he'd just pulled off a stunning victory.

He let her respond as she felt was appropriate, then informed her, "The other Elites -- those students we escorted from Western -- are right now being hidden safely away here in the city--"

A lie, of course, but Shelby couldn't know that.

"--and they, as with yourself, will be returned to the school and or their families, as they desire, once we have ... negotiated their safe return." He stood, his six and a half foot frame towering over her in the rather squat chair into which he'd intentionally had her sat. "In the mean time ... is there anything I can get you...? A good wine ... some brie ... caviar..."

His lips spread in a bit of a smirk as he waited to see how she reacted to him. Deep down, he sort of hoped Shelby would lunge at him. As he stood there, his eyes dropped to her shapely body, inspecting her conspicuously.

She was a beautiful, sexy, young woman, and Reno would have welcomed her engaging him in a physical attack. He would, of course, have to teach her who was in charge -- to make things clear -- and, depending upon the level of resistance she offered, that might have to include bending her over the nearby strategy planning table, ripping her panties down, and showing her how a man in his position kept his female hostages in line.

She wouldn't be the first woman Reno Rush had raped. It wasn't like he was a serial rapist; nor was it as if he didn't think twice about forcing himself upon a woman under his control. It was just another weapon at his disposal, and -- from time to time -- it was the one that got the job done. It wasn't about sexual pleasure, of course: it was about expressing control through violence.

Although, Reno thought to himself, again ogling the beautiful woman before him, with you, honey ... I could probably enjoy myself greatly ... and repeatedly.

 

[CarnivalBarker]

Shelby writhed a bit in the arms of the soldier that escorted her from the auditorium as he blindfolded her, then she felt herself rumbling along in silence over the road, driven by an unknown member of the militant group. After a while that could have been moments or hours, she was carried inside a new location, and seated before having her hood pulled off just as the snip of the wrist ties allowed her to move her arms once more. A few moments later, a man much taller than her five foot, two inches, entered the room. He was undeniably handsome, and she could tell he was charismatic as well, both traits likely key to his success leading this band of rebels. After introducing himself as Reno Rush, and telling her she was safe, he paused to no doubt gauge her reaction, which was nothing short of being upset. She had heard of Reno Rush. His so-called freedom fighters had raided cities, plundering supplies from various cities and towns, while recruiting men under threat of harm to those refusing to turn over goods that would help sustain their mission. As far as her father was concerned, Reno Rush was a terrorist in every sense of the word, and the entire intelligence community had tracked his group's movements. Shelby knew instantly she was in a dicey situation.

"I know who you are," she said, giving no further response. He mocked her, offering things that were clearly thought to be luxuries of the upper class. She didn't even like caviar, finding it disgusting. She held down any rage, asking for the only thing she could imagine would help at the time. "I want to call my father," she said. As she did, she noticed his eyes wander down and over her little frame. A runner and sometime athlete, she had played basketball and field hockey before the wars had changed life as they knew it. But even now, she ran and lifted weights, often hitting the gym several times a week in case she was ever drafted into service, though the reality was that was not likely. She also liked to look cute. Instantly, she worried her efforts might put her in danger. She shivered as her skin erupted in goosebumps under his gaze. "Why are you keeping us here?" She asked about herself and the other students. "Let me call and let me go."

 

[JumpMyBones]

"I want to call my father," Shelby requested.

"And you shall," Reno reassured her, adding with feigned regret, "but not today."

Despite the collapse of society, Reno knew that what remained of the Federal Government's various bureaus -- including the NSA -- still had some of their toys available to them. And he knew that the electronic intelligence gathering agency still had the capability of tracking cell and satellite phone communications.

Reno doubted that the Feds had any of that capability here in Arizona. They had far greater problems, both domestic and international, to worry about than one of many paramilitary groups running rough shod over a piece of Southwest desert.

But Reno, despite his adopted name, wasn't a gambler, and he wasn't going to chance the Senator finding his daughter even before the demands for her safe return had been issued.

"Tomorrow," he said. "Tomorrow we'll get you to a phone."

He ogled her once more, and a moment later her body trembled and erupted in goose bumps. He wanted to ask her if she was cold and needed something to warm her up, but as he was beginning to suffer a bit of ill timed growth down below his belt line, he feared that maybe he might offer to warm her with his own body heat ... and there were more important things with which to deal right now than his lust for the pretty college girl.

"Why are you keeping us here?" Shelby continued. "Let me call and let me go."

Reno studied the young woman's face for a moment, then half turned his face and whistled softly. The door behind him opened and two Chokes entered to flank him.

The men, like many of those who had been involved in the attack on Western, wore what passed for uniforms in this day and age: fatigues that may have originally been part of an original military uniform or may have been from a civilian surplus store. Some of the men wore actual Army or National Guard insignia: unit designations or rank bars. Others had literally inked upon their uniforms' shoulders their gained rank with permanent markers.

They looked a bit rag tag, but that didn't mean squat to Captain Rush. His men were well trained and loyal, and proper uniforms -- or a lack thereof -- wasn't going to make them better soldiers than they already were.

"Please take Miss Darnell to her room and make sure she has anything she needs," he said. He turned on a heel and headed for the door, adding with an authoritative tone, "No harm shall come to you, my dear ... or heads -- both large and small -- will be cut off and mounted on the SCC flag pole as an example."

He stopped at the door for a moment and, addressing the two Chokes specifically, asked, "Is that understood?"

The more senior of the two men -- a Corporal according to the permanent marker stripes on his collar -- snapped a salute and said firmly, "Understood, Captain."

Reno gave Shelby one last glance -- and one last ogle -- then disappeared.

The Corporal looked to the woman before him, gave her a polite stand gesture, and asked, "Will you please come with us, Miss Darnell?"

 

[CarnivalBarker]

"Please, no," Shelby whimpered as the guard asked her to come along. She had heard that each time someone was moved to a different location after they were abducted, they were more likely to be killed. The soldier reached down and lifted her by the arm, helping her to her feet. He moved behind her and squeezed her arm from behind and began walking her out of the building. Moments later, her hands, and now feet, were once again in zip ties as she rumbled across town in the back of a truck with several other girls who had been taken from the dorms. Once the truck stopped, the rear gate was opened and a man in a soldier's outfit, much like the others were wearing, stepped forward and began barking orders.

"You are going to stand up and approach the exit one at a time. The rest of you remain in line until it is your turn," he said. "You will be escorted off the transport unit and taken to your rooms. We have authority to use force if you do not cooperate, and we will not hesitate to do so. Now, line up." The girls to her left all stood with her, then shuffled toward the edge of the truck bed. She watched as another soldier approached the entrance, wrapped his arm around the legs of the first girl, then pulled her body over his shoulder and carried her away. Shelby began to tremble at the sight, unable to see where the girl was taken, and unable to know whether they would be harmed. After nearly ten minutes, the soldier returned. He patted down the pockets of the next girl, raised her shirt slightly, checking her waistband as if she had been armed, then pulled her over his shoulder as he had done with the first girl. Eventually, Shelby found herself shuffling her feet to be the first in line.

"Step forward a bit, ma'am," the soldier said. She hesitated a moment, still upset by her circumstances and unsure. Without hesitation, a second soldier jumped into the truck and pushed her toward the edge, something sharp stabbing into her ribs. The pointed pain remained as the first soldier patted her pockets down, and a moment later, she felt his arm wrap around her legs, the pain in her ribs leaving as she was pulled forward over the man's shoulder. She watched as she was carried up the sidewalk into the library of Scottsdale Community College. As a soldier opened the door for the man carrying her, she felt her escort's hand move squarely onto her ass, causing chills to ride up her spine and down her legs. The man at the door spoke up as they passed.

"Damn," he said. "Boss going to let us have some down time with the catch?" Her carrier turned slightly before speaking himself.

"Hope so," he said. "There's some quality right here," he said, nodding his head upward to where Shelby laid over his shoulder. The men laughed at each other before the man carrying her continued inside. He then took her up a ramp into the main level of the circular library, and walked her to the far end of a row of books. She wondered if she was about to be interrogated. As they approached a study carrel, the man sat her down on her feet, his hands lingering on her sides a bit too long for her comfort, just under her shirt, as if by accident. He pulled a knife and the girl gasped audibly.

"Hold out your hands," he said. She smiled a bit at her own fear, looking at the tie on her hands that her captor was about to relieve. The man snipped the ties on her ankles and wrists, then turned her around and placed her into the study room. She quickly saw that it had been modified to serve as a cell that was now hers. A small mattress sat along the wall and the study desk remained on the other side of the tiny room. Aside from the mattress itself, all furniture was bolted down, and there was nothing else for her to access.

"Please, let me go," Shelby said, fighting back tears at the frightening uncertainty of her situation. "I don't want to be here," she whimpered. The soldier simply smirked, then turned on his heels and locked her inside. The closing of the door sounded very much like any jail cell's door might, and what was once a friendly atmosphere was gone forever. Shelby stepped forward and peered out the window, where she had a limited view, but could see guards posted at every fourth study carrel door. Hungry and alone, scared for her life, Shelby sat on the mattress, curled her knees into her chest, and began to cry softly.