By David C. Daoust
This was not the first heist Raymond was a part of that went south, nor the first that went so far south so quickly. It was, however, the first heist interrupted by giant mechanical spiders, intent on the demolition of… everything. It appeared his nephew’s plan to ‘justice-smash’ Grady was far more effective than the older Haul had suspected.
Raymond and crew had everything loaded long before the dark swarm of battle-drones fell on the Med-depot. Two drones had just plunged into the back ‘entrance’ Ray had previously installed with the truck, as his boys had charged into the front.
It seemed the mechanized spiders were efficient at more than just destroying the buildings; they were also efficient at clearing said buildings of all life first. Even those guards, which his crew had trapped, bound and gagged, in the back of the Med-depot, were suddenly freed, and running out of the crumbling hole.
The Drones must have cut their bonds!
The crew had just sealed shut the back double doors to the high-jacked truck, stolen contents stocked therein, as the guards rushed out of the building. Raymond was quick with his firearm though, firing a barrage of bullets at their feet. The two guards were held at bay, hands in the air, as the building began to collapse behind them. They ducked and nervously glanced back at the destruction. The unlucky pair escaped one sticky situation, just to find themselves thrust into the next.
Raymond had to guess this was not a good day for the guards. They were already unarmed, though Ray was not interested in tying them back up- especially not in such a chaotic environment.
“Get over there,” Ray gruffly commanded as he gestured that they could move a safer distance from the destruction.
“Let’s get out of here Ray,” one of his crew, JJ, said from the driver’s seat of the truck, “No telling what kind of response these drones’ll bring… we could have Red Soldiers deployed, already on the way…”
“We’re leaving.” Ray stated, threateningly, as much to the guards as in answer to JJ’s reasoning, though then focused on the guards grimly, “I suggest you go take care of you and yours… this town looks to be having a lot bigger problems than us…”
“Yeah,” one guard nodded profusely. “Sure thing buddy…”
Clearly, neither guard was comfortable at gun point. And by their dress and disposition- they were local rent-a-cops, babysitting corporate goods.
“Hey, we get paid either way…” the other nervously chimed in, nonsensically. The first guard shot a look that garnered a shrug and a flushed face from the second.
Raymond tried not to choke on the dust filled air as he grabbed the side of the truck and pulled himself onto its lower step. He knew a couple guys were in the back; he slammed his fist twice against the trailer and waited for the response that echoed back. He could see two more on top of the trailer… two more in the cab, with JJ driving. ‘Left Ray as the eighth-man, dangling off the side of the truck as he signaled JJ they were clear to move out.
“You know,” JJ began as he put the truck in gear, “…things just got a whole lot more serious?”
Raymond grunted, his gaze still locked, threateningly, on the pair of guards as the truck pulled out of the lot. Ray was known for grim stoicism, that is, when he wasn’t recklessly crashing trucks into buildings. JJ, however, was always talking, always thinking.
JJ was a streetwise punk that went and grew up. He ran with Chuck before he enlisted, and helped Ray keep the crew out of too hot of water back in the corridors. He was a little guy, more brain than brawn, but more mouth than sense.
“I mean, there’s a really good chance,” JJ said as he turned onto the main road, “that this supply we got on the back of this truck… is the only supply that won’t be buried somewhere under the rubble when the dust clears. I mean, it’d be great in the old days, back in the Narrows, we could sell it off at high profit… but in this little town… we don’t exactly have the means… No fence, no front- no distribution. Looks to me like we got more trouble than it may be worth.”
“Looks to me,” Ray said coolly, as he shoved his gun back into its holster once they reached a safe distance from the guards, “like the first waves got the Starport surrounded for a change.”
Suddenly they were distracted by the victory cheers of those on top of the trailer. Ray pulled his head up over the roof to witness what all the commotion could be. Ray watched as the barracks ship of the standing government that owned the small moon of Twin Crown, lifted off the ground to launch into the air. Ray’s, seemingly permanent, grim disposition, lightened ever so briefly at the sight. The victory cheers of those above, were echoed by those within the cab, as they, too, witnessed Craiden’s victory over Grady.
