America Stranded in a Fantasy World

Chapter 37 Power Vacuum

CHAPTER 37

"Power Vacuum"

August 19th, 2040, war-torn streets of Moscow, late afternoon

On a deserted street filled with burnt-out vehicles, unused molotov cocktails, police riot vans, and a few scattered bodies, a little girl--no older than seven, slowly walked, clutching a bloodied teddy bear close to her chest. With tear stains on her cheeks and red eyes, she looked around at the carnage. As she did, a distant explosion quickly followed by gunfire echoing through the air caused her to run to a nearby looted electronics shop, the bandit barricade across the front doors ripped off by a chain connected to a now abandoned truck.

Inside she slowly looked around the ransacked shop. Bare shelves and shattered display glass littered the ground. All the lights were either off or shattered, but to her right, through the bent and scratched bandit barricades that had stood strong, she saw two pristine televisions still broadcasting grainy images even though most of the communication towers had been shut down.

"Attention all civilians, this area is in lockdown. Do not leave your house or you will be arrested. The army is on its way to regain control of our streets. Soon you will be able to move freely again. This message will repeat." declared one TV as the other played a pre-recorded message from President Isimov in his Kremlin office.

"My fellow countrymen, I know these are trying times we face, but we must face them as one. I have dispatched the National Guard and the army to re-establish order on our streets, in all affected regions. To those who thought they could take this as an opportunity to commit crimes, know this; We are coming for you and we will stop at nothing until you have paid for your injustice upon the motherland." The screen shuttered before looping back to the beginning.

Concentrating more on the looping broadcasts than where she was, the sudden sound of breaking glass brought her focus back to her surroundings. Moving to hide behind some fallen shelving and cloaked by darkness, the little girl peaked out to see that across the street, three men in hoodies and bandanas had smashed a window to gain access to a jewelry display.

"Come on, come on! That patrol will be here any minute!" One man yelled, his head rapidly darting from the window then to his right as he glanced down the road.

"I'm doing my best! This damn glass is harder to break than you'd think! Another retorted.

"Out of the way moron!" The third man, wielding a crowbar, pushed his friend aside before smashing the crowbar against the display, completely shattering it. "Take what you can shove in your pockets and let's get the fuck out of here." Grabbing handfuls of rings, watches, earrings, and pendants they made a dashing escape. At the same time, a Russian Iveco LMV sped into the nearby intersection and came to a screeching halt, quickly followed by the gunner hatch opening up as a soldier laid out a PKP machine gun on the roof and then opened fire on the three men.

Within seconds dozens of rounds had been fired and two of the men, now riddled with bullets, dropped to the ground and died in an instant. The third, taking cover behind a wrecked car, tried to crawl away on his hands and knees.

"Go, go!" A commanding voice from the Lveco ordered, and three soldiers jumped from the vehicle; all wielding AK-15s. One soldier, a young and spry man, ran between the wrecked vehicles and quickly caught up to the remaining masked man.

"No, no! Wait, please! I surrender!" The man cried, but once in line of sight, the soldier raised his AK and fired a short burst, then silence.

"Fucking animals." The soldier muttered. "They really thought they could hide from our drone?" Laughing, the other soldiers bantering as they converged around the Iveco.