Chapter 15: Commander Security Meeting
Although shocked and furious, Mason’s movements were anything but sluggish. He snatched a double-barreled shotgun off the ground and fired at the lunging Rex.
The shot hadn’t even left the barrels before both barrels were sliced clean off.
For a split second, even Mason’s prized dynamic vision failed to catch Rex’s figure. By the time he saw Rex clearly again, Rex’s razor-sharp claws had already punched straight through his chest.
Rex slowly withdrew the arm that had impaled Mason, opened his palm, and revealed a blood-red heart still pulsing and twitching in his grip. He was drenched head to toe in blood, but not a single drop was his own.
Rex lifted the dripping heart to his mouth, tore off a chunk with his sharp fangs, and chewed it slowly and deliberately.
“Mmm. Fresh, living essence. Your heart’s got a real strong bloody tang—pairs perfectly with tequila.”
He patted Mason on the shoulder, then raised a bloodstained claw and scraped it along the brim of Mason’s cowboy hat. “Nice hat.”
Mason stood there in a daze, staring at the gaping bloody hole in his own chest, still trying to process what had just happened. Then he toppled backward with a heavy thud, dark red blood spreading across the sand.
……
Rex walked back into the bar, the stench of blood thick on every inch of him. From the crater-like wound on his forehead, bloodstained slugs were pushed out one by one, clattering onto the floorboards. Moments later, the forehead that had taken more than a dozen armor-piercing rounds looked completely healed, good as new.
He slapped the bar counter, about to call out the bartender who had ducked for cover, when a glass of tequila slid right in front of him.
Rex turned his head. It was the hefty Terry. The man had already poured a full glass of tequila and set it waiting, a packet of coarse salt opened and spread on the bar top.
“My old friend, you really do know me best!” Rex let out a satisfied laugh. He took the glass with one hand while dipping the bloody heart into the coarse salt, then bit off a chunk. Blood spilled over his lips.
Rex downed the tequila in one gulp. “Back to what we were talking about. I hear some out-of-towner spooked you off?”
Terry snorted coldly. “Hah, just some Tier 3 Vanguard mutant. Might even be Tier 4. His power is some kind of bullet-blocking shield.
“The guy’s background is a total mystery, and he killed three of my boys. Out of respect for the city lord’s rules, I’m holding back for now. But if he dares stick around Black Mountain any longer, I’ll slaughter him one of these days!”
Rex’s eyes gleamed. “Tier 4 Vanguard? I’d love to meet him—see what color his heart is.” He licked his lips. “Wonder if it tastes any good.”
Terry took a deep drag on his cigarette. “If you wanna take care of him, I can set it up…”
A slender figure in black combat gear stormed into the bar—it was Olivia.
She had a sniper rifle slung across her back and a submachine gun with an oversized magazine in her hands. She marched straight up to Terry, her expression icy as she snapped:
“It’s a total bloodbath out there, and here you are, West 7 Sector Commander, holed up drinking. Why the hell aren’t you answering your communicator?”
“I don’t carry it when I’m drinking,” Terry drawled, taking another puff of his cigarette. “What’s the matter?”
“All the Commanders in the western district are being called in for an emergency security meeting. Oh, and why are there two Cowboy Gang corpses at the bar entrance? Has the Cowboy Gang already spread into West 7 Sector?”
“No need to worry, miss. They’re just here to deliver food,” Terry said, stubbing his cigarette out in the ashtray. “I’ll head to the meeting right away.”
Olivia nodded and strode out of the bar. Her striking figure was wrapped in thick combat gear, yet her alluring curves still showed through faintly.
A few young guys whistled at Olivia with sleazy catcalls. She ignored them completely, swung onto her highway motorcycle, and roared off toward the center of the western district.
Rex had been staring at her the entire time. Only after she vanished from sight did he reluctantly pull his gaze away.
He licked his lips. “She’s a real white rose of the wasteland! I’d love to strip every thorn off her body and ravage her hard!”
“There’ll be a chance,” Terry said, his face turning icy. “The Demon Gang leader is dead, and Radiant Path wants to muscle their way in. The situation in this city is about to change…”
……
West 1 Sector, an old six-story building—the Administrative Center.
Armed Refuge Security Force soldiers stood guard at the building’s entrance and along the roadside. On the rooftop, troops with rocket launchers patrolled back and forth. Behind every window, another Refuge Security Force soldier stood watch.
The western district security meeting was already underway. All the Sector Commanders and Operations Commanders had arrived.
In the spacious semicircular hall, every window had been sealed shut with welded iron plates and reinforced bars to keep out any outside attacks. Dozens of oversized incandescent bulbs hung from the overhead beams, flooding the entire room with bright, steady light.
A row of brown leather sofas lined the space. Twelve men and women of varying heights and ages sat half-slouched on them—eight Sector Commanders and four Operations Commanders—taking turns stepping up to speak.
Olivia walked onto the wooden podium. She yanked a pull-rope on the wall, and a caged incandescent lamp overhead flared to life, bathing her in a soft yellow glow.
The commanders seated below exchanged quick glances, clearly confused about what she was up to.
Olivia reached into the outer pocket of her jacket, pulled out a single bullet, and held it between her thumb and forefinger for everyone to see. “Radiant Path’s Relic Marrow Bullet!”
Between her fingers, the glowing blue gem embedded in the metal tip sparkled with an eerie light. A wave of shock rippled through the commanders below; many began whispering to each other. A few Sector Commanders, however, stayed stone-faced, as if they’d seen it all before.
Olivia swept her gaze across the room. “As everyone knows, according to the city lord’s rules, any outside faction that wants to sell weapons in Black Mountain has to pay a set tax.
“But Radiant Path is not on our list of approved arms dealers. And the Relic Marrow Bullet is their most prized ammunition. One single round costs enough to buy four Flying Shark rocket launchers—and Radiant Path almost never sells them to outsiders.”
A Black man, one of the Sector Commanders, stood up and asked, “Who fired this bullet? Where’d you get it? Which sector in the west?”
“West 7 Sector,” Olivia answered. “A friend from out of town picked it up outside Refuge City and handed it to me.”
Down in the seats, Terry’s eyes flashed at the news.
Olivia rapped the lectern and continued, “This is serious. Radiant Path doesn’t sell these rounds to outsiders lightly, yet one just turned up near Black Mountain. We need to investigate—”
A Sector Commander with a black eyepatch slouched in a worn-out sofa and raised his hand. “Forget the bullet. What I really want to know is what kind of nuke caused that mushroom cloud in the desert the other day.”
The Operations Commander beside him opened his mouth, but the eyepatch man clapped a hand over it. “Don’t feed me that nuclear-landmine crap. My father died to one. I know exactly what those blasts look like.”
Another middle-aged female Sector Commander spoke up. “Either way, we need to tighten our guard against Radiant Path. Last time the Cactus camel caravan came through, they said one of Radiant Path’s Martyrs hit Summit Refuge City with a dirty bomb.”
Terry had been slouched deep in the sofa the whole time. Suddenly he raised his hand. “Olivia, hand me that Relic Marrow Bullet. I’ve got a few trusted brothers who can help look into it.”
“You?” Olivia frowned at him, clearly doubtful.
“You don’t trust us?” Terry spread his hands. “You don’t trust me and Adams?” Adams was the Sector Commander of West 8 Sector.
Olivia pressed her lips together, then tossed the Relic Marrow Bullet over to Terry. “Then I’ll leave it to you guys.”
The meeting ended quickly, and people began filing out one after another.
Olivia stopped a white woman. “Emma, your heart is enlarged and your valves aren’t closing properly. Take it easy these next few days—don’t overwork yourself.”
Emma nodded and shot Olivia a grateful look. She was the Sector Commander of West 2 Sector. Just like Olivia, she spent every day running herself ragged for the safety of the residents.
She smiled gently. “Thank you. I’ll make sure to rest.” With that, she turned and walked out of the meeting room.
Olivia’s gaze pierced straight through the concrete wall, following her retreating back. She let out a soft sigh.
Olivia’s special ability was X-ray vision—how could she not see it? Tucked inside Emma’s inner jacket pocket, a bloodstained photo was pressed tightly against her chest, never once removed.
The photo showed a red-haired girl posing together with Emma. The red-haired girl was Emma’s daughter, killed in a gang shootout just over ten days ago.