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| Carrier Syndrome | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Richard LeBlanc | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Part Five: questionable alliance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| After almost a day of nonstop travel through the underground maze that was the Fallen City - Julie her friends and her - allies from the fallen city - once again found themselves on the surface - on ground level. Her three escorts that had been sent to ensure she found a cure and returned with it, covered their eyes from the glaring sun. Those from the Fallen City rarely went to the surface for any reason. Such is why they had been dubbed rats. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Where do you need to go?" one of her guides from below asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well - we need to find a chemist - and a doctor and a scientist. I happen to know someone that is all three. Although he won't be happy with me bringing outsiders into his network," Julie stated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "We didn't like you bringing that brat and his plague to us - life is full of unfortunate situations," another remarked. "Damn that sun," he hissed. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Awfully glad you nabbed the kid boss," Mark remarked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Look - bitching about it won't change a thing," she stated - looking over at the rats. She then leaned over. "We will need help on this one and I do not want to be exposing these rats to our contacts and key people in our network," she whispered to Mark. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That will be tough - do we have a choice?" he asked. She looked over at the rats and groaned. If what she had heard from them was remotely true - and there was no reason for them to lie - they had less than a week to find a cure - or end up dead. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I do not like this - not one little bit," she muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "So where are we going? I do not wish to bake in this wretched sun any longer than humanly necessary," one of the rats demanded. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Far side of town - there is a pickpocket that works the corner by the old refinery. Anyone that wants to see the Magician - has to send word through him," she stated. The rats looked at her as though she had grown a second head. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The refinery? That is on the other side of the fucking city. It will take days to get there and days to get back. Everyone in the Fallen City will be dead by the time we get back - if we get back!" one protested. Julie shook her head and looked around the street. She smiled when she saw a toppled Chevy. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If we were walking maybe. Boys - I want that one," she stated. They nodded and began to carefully roll the car over so that it was right side up. "Open it," she stated. The rats watched as the three mechanics popped the trunk and opened the doors. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That thing has to have been there for months," one muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I would say closer to a year plus," Greg pointed out. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How much love is this bitch going to need?" she asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Well - if the sun did evaporate everything - just a little tinkering," Mark stated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "They can't be serious. That thing is a rock," another rat remarked. They watched as she took a small tool kit out from her purse and began to open the car up. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Does the battery have a charge or do we have to jump it?" she asked - cutting some wires below the steering wheel. Greg quickly tested where the battery was. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Small charge - enough to start it once maybe. The upside down therapy must have kept the battery cool. If you don't make it fly the first try..." he began. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I know I know - we'll need another one. Mark - you get the job of topping this bitch up - go," she ordered. Mark rolled his eyes and popped open the trunk. His eyes widened when he saw a gas canister there. He picked it up and gave it a shake - half full. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Have a quick hit," he began. He took the lid off and took a quick sniff. "Yup - we have gas," he stated. Julie sighed and got out of the car. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "These creatures were pretty efficient in their day - but only if properly maintained - which I am wagering this bad boy was not. This might be enough to get the lines wet - but we will need more," she pointed out. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Nag, nag, nag. Nothing is ever good enough for you," he muttered. She smirked as he poured the contents of the canister into the tank. "Be back in a bit," he stated as he then hurried away to get more. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "How long is this going to take?" a rat asked. She sighed and groaned and walked over to where the rats were impatiently waiting. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Fuck with me while I am working and I will shove a screwdriver up your ass sideways - get the point?" she warned - holding the sharp tool inches from a rat's face. She scowled as she shook her head to return to the task at hand. "Greg - tell me some good news," she requested. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Looks like all that happened to it was a roll over. Some things were loosened a bit - but I tightened them. I couldn't find any leaks in the fuel lines or tank. All in all - you picked a hell of a car," he stated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Only the best for me," she added as she walked over to the engine and began to tinker with what she thought needed attention. "I hope that Mark can get us some oil - otherwise this bitch will turn into a rock," she added. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "The owner leave a key or you have to hotwire?" Greg asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "What the fuck do you think?" she muttered. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Just asking," he remarked. "The tires are a little low," he added. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I've dealt with worse - Mark - tell me some good news," she called over to the man that was returning. He groaned and shook his head. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Did a quick run - no gas - and the oil - well - not the purest - but it should get the job done if you aren't worried about the long run," he stated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If we don't get this bitch to run - we have a week tops to live. How worried about the long run do you think I am?" she pointed out. He shrugged his shoulders and began to carefully pour the oil into the engine. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Point taken," he admitted. She smiled as the hood went down. We leaving the rats?" Greg whispered. She looked over at them from the corner of her eye. Tempting - but then she remembered her men that were still in the Fallen City. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "We do that and our friends are fucked. Cross your fingers and hope she turns over," she muttered. They watched as she crossed the wires. A spark flashed. The engine began to groan and shudder and then it turned over! It was running! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "She actually did it," one of the rats muttered in sheer bewilderment. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Try not to sound too shocked. Load up boys - we have a long ride ahead - unless you rats want to walk in the sun," she began the rats hurried over and began to pile into the back seat. "Seating capacity of six," she remarked looking at Greg Mark and the kid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Wait here," Mark suggested. She watched as he ran over to what appeared to be a min-van. She watched as he managed to remove a sliding seat out. Effortlessly he carried it over. She blinked and looked at it. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I'm dying to hear this," she mused. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Help me get the lid off the trunk - we'll bolt this bad boy down - that way me and Greg will have you back in case the rats try any funny shit," he quietly. She looked over at the rats that were talking amongst themselves in the backseat. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Hustle," she stated. Within minutes - the trunk had another seat in it. Julie sat in the front seat as did the kid. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "If you try anything funny," a rat warned arming his handgun. Mark cleared his throat. The rat looked over his shoulder and saw Mark and Greg displaying their weapons. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "That goes both ways rat. We all want the same thing. Let's try to remember that," she pointed out. She shifted her new car into gear and drove away. Moments later - two motorcycles rolled out from an alley and watched the car driving away. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You hear anything?" one asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Not much. I heard the refinery mentioned," the other stated. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You think they are running from someone?" one asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You ask some fucking stupid questions sometimes. That little bitch turned that rock into a working car. You think she is with rats for her health? My nerves," the other retorted as he closed his eyes to think. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You think she's working for Lora?" one asked. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I was thinking that oddly enough - but Lora and the rats are not eye to eye. They hate each other - and trust - they wouldn't play that game. But - I think Lora might be interested to know a story about a mechanic a kid and some rats," the other stated coolly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "You thinking up something?" one asked. The man with him groaned and slapped him upside the head. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "I want you to ride to the capital - openly. Make sure they see you," he began. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "W-won't they shoot me? Our factions ain't exactly on their good side you know?" one asked hesitantly. The other put his hand on his shoulder and smiled. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "Lora has something planned for the peace talks. If a mechanic of that girl's measure is playing with rats - something big must be going down. Tell her - maybe it is time - we set our differences aside. Tell her we might have some information to trade if she can agree to our terms," he concluded. His fellow rider nodded and drove towards the capital. "Whatever you are planning Lora - the Angels want a piece of," he concluded as he discreetly rode after Julie. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| To be continued... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||