Page 26 of Deathless
Portisville stood on its own in a neutral zone, not currently part of any particular territory. At first, it was surprising that a nearby territory hadn’t absorbed it, considering the one-stop-sign town had the most well-stocked service station for miles and was just off of a major roadway as well. You’d think some governor would be frothing at the mouth to levy taxes on all those goods. But once we crossed into the town’s limits, it became clear why that wasn’t the case.
The service station was at the center of town, easy to see from the road leading in. And it was surrounded by armed guards.
“Shit, is there a bank vault in there?” Val mused, parking next to me in the lot.
“No,” I answered. “Just the only fresh food, water, clothes, and gasoline for miles.”
“If you don’t count the safe houses,” she chuckled. “What do you want to do, Pres?”
I glanced at her. “We could use a restock for the road. You and I will go in, grab some stuff, and check out the inside.” Looking at the guys, I said, “You all stay here. See if you spot our targets or the van.”
“And if we do?” the Saint asked, a smile coming to his lips.
“Do not engage. Wait for Val and me to get back.”
With that, Val and I headed toward the entrance. If it weren’t for all the guns posted at the entrances, it would have been a routine supply run. But the mere presence of those guards had me twitchy, on edge, even if they were there just to make sure no one made off with stolen goods.
“You seein’ what I’m seein’?” Val muttered under her breath.
“What?” My handgun felt heavy at my hip and I tried to keep my arm relaxed, resisting the urge to reach for it.
“They’re all chicks.”
Every one of the guards was armored from head to foot, covered in steel toe boots, bullet and knife proof padding, multiple guns, knives, ammo, and with either helmets or beanies on their heads. From far away, it was near-impossible to tell gender. But getting up closer confirmed that every single guard was a woman.
And they each had a patch on the arm of their dark fatigues. Some symbol that looked vaguely familiar, though I couldn’t quite make it out.
“Don’t stare,” Val hissed at me. “Be cool.”
I tore my eyes away, focusing straight ahead. I could feel the guards’ eyes on me as we passed through the front door, but they moved out of the way to let us through.
“Fuck, that was tense,” my cousin sighed. “Alright, what do we need?”
I looked around, actually impressed by the neat aisles, produce displays, clothing racks, and bank of glass-doored refrigerators. This must have been one of those warehouse-sized supply centers from before the Collapse. There were so few now since such a large space with perishable food required a fuckload of electricity, and most grids weren’t stable these days.
“Water,” I told Val. “And food. Let’s see if they got any whole chickens. Also wouldn’t mind an extra blanket or two.”
We wandered through the aisles, checking out the supplies while looking around for four older women with a baby carrier. Nada. More armed guards patrolled the inside, as if the ones at the entrances weren’t enough.
After gathering our supplies, we made it to the collection box near the entrance. Under the watchful eye of a woman with bandoliers of ammo making an X across her chest, I deposited an estimated amount of currency into the box. Many neutral zone towns still bartered for goods, so prices weren’t exact.
“May the Dark Mother protect you,” muttered the closest guard as we headed for the door.
Val just about froze in her spot, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her along. “Be cool.” I repeated the advice she gave me when we walked in.
“Well, that explains a lot,” she huffed once we were out of earshot. “Good thing the guys didn’t come in.”
“Yeah, that wouldn’t have gone well.”
Santos, the Saint, LJ, and Devin were huddled in a semi circle when we returned to the bikes, their heads bent low.
“Y’all comparing dick size? What are you looking at?” I said when we walked up.
“This.” Devin was the one who thrust the piece of paper at me. “There’s a few of them stuck to trees and poles around here.”
I glanced at what looked to be an event flyer for some stargazing thing. “‘This week, Virgo will be the brightest all year.’ That’s cool, I guess. I think my little brother is a Virgo.”
“You think?” LJ snorted.
