The Vanguard Vixen

Just Passing Through

Lewis warily eyed the "gun" she held expertly across her chest. As far as he was concerned, in her now gloved hands it was a weapon of mass destruction.

"How exactly are you going to carry that around without drawing attention to us?"

The two of them, plus Turana who was driving were seated on the back of a Star hotel pickup truck Darius had given them. They had been traveling for over a day and a half now.

"Where we are going, carrying a weapon is a necessity."

Lewis raised the small knife she had given him. "Then why do I get a butter knife and you get a nuclear weapon?"

"I can't have a weapon of this grade in inexperienced hands. No offense."

From the Star, Darius had suggested they take the Dark Route to get to the western borders of Vanguard. This was named the dark area of Vanguard, the section that was "free" from the state administration, where all the "rebels" hid. It was the one place where even the Vanguard army didn't venture.

All kinds of shady people did their transactions there, mostly arms and drugs exchange. Mercenaries, drug lords, smugglers amongst others all resided here. Of course, like all criminals, they were organized through status and reputation.

Soon enough darkness came, and Lewis fell asleep. Vivian had wanted to speak to Turana alone.

"You haven't told him yet."

Turana kept her eyes on the road ahead. The only light came from the truck headlights and beyond that nothing. Turana as a clone however had perfect eyesight, as good as human sight could get so she wasn't having much trouble.

"It's kinda hard to start. Hey, I am a clone!"

"Have it your way then. But if this backfires later and dents our plan in any way, I will hold you responsible."

Extremely bright lights were suddenly flashed at them. Turana swerved off the road suddenly and crashed the truck into a ditch beside the road.
Lewis was jolted awake when he landed on the ground, with absolutely no idea what was going on. Vivian pushed him behind the fallen car, then pulled Turana out of the front and sat her next to him. She was unconscious and was bleeding from a wound on her head.

"Stay down till I call you." She whispered.

"What about-"

She didn't let him finish, very well knowing what he was going to ask.

"She'll wake up in a minute or so."

She then walked to the road, M48 aimed at the source of the light. It bothered her very much due to her sensitive eyes but also allowed her to see the perpetrators behind them.

Only two, both armed. They had bushes over their heads and bodies which meant they had been hiding amongst the shrubs.

"State your name and business here!"

She spoke back loud and clear,
"Are you two the only thing between here and there?"

The two looked at each other then laughed. They pulled away from another pile of bushes.

A machine gun.

"Go back where you came from, or we'll send you back in pieces."

"We're just passing through."

The light was dimmed when she mentioned the mercenary passcode.

"Name!"

"Tell Zhirkov that V169 is here."

Vivian's watch beeped.

Radio call intercepted

"We have someone calling themselves V169 here. What are your-"

The flurry of abusive words was mostly in Prussian, and Vivian was glad that they hadn't been directed at her. In the distance, three Jeeps came speeding down the dusty road.

When he came out, the first thing he did was to punch them both in the face, then execute them on the spot. Vivian didn't flinch at the cold heartless display of the power this man had here. It was why she had called for him.

Zhirkov or the Scorpion as he had come to be called was one of the biggest black-market arms dealers in the world. Prussian of course, and more importantly, a man who kept his word.

"V169, the most wanted woman on the planet. Your arrival at my gates always brings with it trouble."

"I've come to collect on a favor Zhirkov."

Zhirkov rubbed his beard as if in thought. "I'm guessing you're not alone?"

Vivian called out.

"Lewis, Turana!"

The two came out from behind the smoking car. Turana was awake and looked fine, the only trace of her having been in a car crash being the damaged clothes and the dried blood on her face. Lewis meanwhile had her to watch over him and was unblemished.

 Zhirkov eyed them with disdain. When he turned back to Vivian, he spoke in Prussian.

"They are wimps. No way they can cross through alive. Especially him."

"You make sure they aren't attacked and get through safe, and we will be even."

"That will be hard even for me. He has a bounty on his head and this place is swarming with mercenaries. I can't exactly exert control on all of them."

"I only called you here because I respect your territory Zhirkov. I know bullets being fired here is bad for business. But if you won't give them safe passage, I will gladly shoot down anything that tries to harm them."

Vivian cocked her gun. "Even you."

Zhirkov's security all trained their guns on her. She kept hers down, but he knew her. He'd seen first hand how quick and lethal she could be, especially with her gun.

Zhirkov ordered them to stand down. "I'll do my best. But if you fire off even a single bullet V169, I will find a way to kill you."

She smiled at him. "No promises. Keep your people in check and I won't have to...bring out the vixen."

Zhirkov waved them towards one of the waiting Jeeps. Lewis was amazed at the organization within the Dark Route. He expected thugs hiding out in ruins of bombed buildings and instead found a town of its own.
Vivian sat at the front, talking in Prussian to the man named Zhirkov. She was fluent at it, almost as if she had used it a lot before. She seemed quite comfortable with him which made Lewis wonder how she knew such characters.

Turana on the other hand was shrinking in her seat beside him. She was bothered by the place although she put up a brave face. Lewis winced as she squeezed his hand tighter when they drove past towers lined with guns, shops stocked with explosives of all kinds, stalls piled with missile heaps, and a tank raised on a dais that was being auctioned.

He didn't let go, however, for he would hold her hand to hell if he had to.

That was if they weren't already here yet.

*****
Short chapter, but the intro to DarkRoute xters who will play a big role.
The next chapter will be quite interesting. Don't miss it.
🦂🦂🦂🦂🦂🦂
Leave a vote please and comment with your thoughts and ideas.
Thanks for reading.

Haize