Previous Story: 63. The Purge Script - Part 2 (8th Street Camp)
H3x winked at Rhino and Gudu as the trio were led towards three blue shipping containers. The camp on 10th Street was overcrowded and the desperate leader seemed keen to believe H3x’s story about testing out a new ‘cure’. The three Red Dragons had dressed smartly and were masquerading as members of a UN emergency response team. As they were unarmed and carrying only a case containing the ‘cure’, the leader had few reasons to be suspicious. He was a priest named Father Cullen, assisted by two young men who carried baseball bats and didn’t say much.
As the group approached the shipping containers, Father Cullen took a ring of keys from his belt. ‘We’ve given them food and drink but we had to think of the others – that’s why we’ve kept them here.’
‘I quite understand, father,’ said H3x. ‘But if this works as well as we hope, the CyMS will be off your hands in no time.’
‘Then I pray it does work. Shall we start with this container, then move to the other two?’
‘Actually, it’s best if to do them all at once,’ said H3x. ‘Don’t worry, the short-range transmitter has a thirty-foot range. As long as you can open the containers briefly, it will affect all those inside. And in a few minutes, we should have – how many did you say there are?’
‘Two hundred and thirty-three.’
‘We should have two hundred and thirty-three normal human beings.’
——-
Buck wished they’d used a vehicle. It wasn’t far to 10th Street but they had to detour around a group of CyMS, adding an hour to the journey. This group had numbered around thirty but when he, Pai, Kulaci and Seeker reached 10th Street, that group seemed small by comparison.
There must have been at least two hundred. The CyMS were gathered unusually close together and moving at the same swift walk.
‘Holy crap,’ said Seeker. ‘Anyone ever seen anything like that?’
‘We sure they’re even CyMS?’ said Pai.
‘Sure they are,’ replied Buck. ‘Look at the eyes.’
——-
‘Well, look who it is,’ said Rhino. ‘Our friendly neighborhood do-gooders. Wish I had my rifle with me.’
He, Gudu and H3x were at the rear of the CyMS mob. H3x did not see how the operation could have gone any better. Once out of the containers, the “puppets” had obeyed her every whim, including trampling down a fence in order to escape the 10th Street Camp. They had left to the cries of Father Cullen asking God for help.
‘Wish I had my klewang,’ added Gudu. She then turned to H3x. ‘Could be time to see what your puppets can really do.’
——-
‘This is not good,’ said Pai as the mob advanced. Suddenly, those on the sides of the group broke off.
‘They’re trying to surround us!’ shouted Buck, already leading the other three towards the nearest buildings. He had his shock gun ready and Pai and Seeker were armed too but they wouldn’t stand a chance against a group this size. He was starting to wish he hadn’t brought Kulaci along; the blogger wasn’t much use in a situation like this. The woman had stopped running and was now staring at the ground.
‘This way!’ she cried suddenly. ‘My bots have identified the best route of escape.’ Kulaci ran towards a dumpster beside the closed double door of a car showroom.
‘Those doors will be locked!’ yelled Buck.
‘Just trust me!’
‘We don’t have much choice,’ said Pai, grabbing Buck by the sleeve and dragging him along.
Seeker downed a couple of CyMS with her sling but was close behind the others.
Rounding the dumpster, Buck found that it hid another, smaller door, which was open. Kulaci guided them in, the little metallic bots climbing up her legs and into her backpack.
Buck was first through. Once the other three were, he closed the door and blocked it with a trashcan. ‘Nice going, Kulaci. Now let’s hope there’s also a way out.’
Next Story: 65. The Purge Script - Part 4 (13th Street Camp)