Disclaimer: I do not own The Stand: Complete and Uncut or Grand Theft Auto:
Vice City in any way shape for form. If I did my current monetary troubles
would be much less of an issue. I'd also like to apologize to any readers
who have been waiting on this chapter. I assure you, the best is yet to
come!
The Stand: Second Exodus
Written By Tairesu1586
July 9
Denji Pearson glanced up at the sound of footsteps on the porch, then relaxed as the door opened, revealing his new acquaintance, Darren Brownstone. The young man kicked at a boot lying in front of him and fell down onto the nearest available chair, a dusty recliner. Coughing slightly at the dust thrown up, Denji spoke up.
"So, is it as bad as we guessed?"
Darren nodded soberly. "There are army blockades at all three main exits to the town, and I suspect there may be snipers out by the back roads. From what I could see at the main road, anyone who ties to break through the blockade is shot immediately." Denji's brow furrowed. "Did you see this happen?" Once again, Darren nodded. "It was one of the guys from the auto repair shop. The flu had him so damn delirious, he never even saw the guns, let alone the other bodies on the ground."
Denji nodded. "How many people are well enough to fight?" Darren snorted. "About twenty, I'd guess. And that number could drop by half by the time we wake up tomorrow. No way we could overpower even the smallest blockade."
"I'd have to agree with you. No forward charge would survive the firepower from the army. So, I liberated a few of these." Walking over to a closet, he opened the door and flipped on a light.
Darren swore in astonishment. "PSG-1's! Where did you get those from, they're army issue!" Denji shrugged. "The army isn't any more immune to Captain Trips than civilians. I managed to lift these off of some snipers that had died guarding the back roads before they were recovered. It just so happens that there's a decent rise to the west of the main barricade."
".So if we attack at sunset, the glare might offer some cover if they try to return fire! That's genius, Denji!" The man snorted. "More like common sense. Now, it's about 3 'o clock now, and sunset should be around seven- thirty. Go inform anyone able that we're going to try and breakout around that time, and to be ready. Come back and tell me when you're done." Darren got up and dashed out the door, leaving Denji rather amused at the boy's youthful exuberance. "To think I was that young once. Rome falls and the kid jumps for joy at an errand." Denji sighed and settled back in his chair. True, this town was nice, but it sure would be nice to be allowed to leave.
When Denji had drifted into Rock-Bridge two weeks ago, he barely beat the army division assigned to the area, which immediately set up quarantine to hopefully keep the epidemic out of the small town. Needless to say, the citizens were initially grateful, as the blockade held back the spread of the disease for several days. But somewhere along the line, the safeguard failed, and even when it became visibly clear the flu had broken through, the army would left anyone leave or enter, under the premise of "containing the disease".
The uneasy truce collapsed when the town mayor attempted to approach the barricade to reason with the unit's current commander, (as the original one had died the day before) and was executed under grounds of treason. Two previous attempts to break out were summarily deflected, and the majority of the population chose to hang back and try to outlive the army. So far, that strategy was failing miserably.
"We'll only have one chance at this, you know, and he people here are going to die anyway." He had once commented shortly after meeting Darren, the only other immune in the area. "It would be easier to escape from one of the side roads." Darren had immediately whirled on the older man in fury. "So I should just leave them all here to die like some forgotten pet hamster in a cage?" The boy had taken a moment to compose himself, then continued. "That might me easier for you to say, being an outsider, and I won't lie and say I haven't considered that option before. But lots of those people dying are ones I've known all my life. It would be like leaving my family here. If there's anyway at all I can get the able out of here, so they can at least die free, I have to take it."
Denji smiled softly at the memory. Darren hadn't looked Denji in the eye for the remainder of the day. He glanced out the window, starting slightly to see that the sun was already beginning its descent below the horizon. Walking to the closet, he picked up the rifles and headed to the door. Darren met up with him a short distance outside, and without another word the duo headed towards the main barricade, carrying not only their weapons, but also the hopes of Rock-Bridge on their shoulders.
Private John DiMaggio glanced up at the nearby rise with some unease, then sneezed. Wiping his nose for what felt like the umpteenth time he headed toward the command center, the unease lingering after him until he had entered the trailer and walked into the commander's office, which was now occupied by General Adam Paul. "Sir? Permission to speak freely?" the private asked hesitantly. "Damn the formalities, John." Came the general's response. "This flu's done what no laws or changes in view could; it created a true equality among men. What's on your mind?"
The private blinked, then began. "It's that rise to the west of us. I was thinking, when the former mayor attempted to approach us, he was unseen for some distance due to the setting sun. The residents have been getting a bit restless, or at least those who are able to, and anyone with a long-range weapon could cause us some damage from that hill."
The general snickered. "Well, that had been considered when we first took this position, so we set some snipers on the opposing ridge outside of town." Then the general hesitated. "We need to send a couple guys over there to check up on those guys and make sure they're not dead. Why don't you take care of that?"
John nodded, then turned walk out of the office, but a thump behind him caught his attention. He turned around to see the general falling to the floor behind his desk with half of his head down. John's nearly cried out, but a flash of light outside the window caught his attention. Thought the glare from the sun about blinded him, he was just able to make out a couple of forms pointing towards the base through the open window. Then a bullet entered his own forehead and security was the least of his worries.
It took exactly seven minutes for the barricades to be overthrown, as most of the able soldiers fled at the first gunshots, and the few that remained to fight were crushed under the stampede of people fleeing through the now abandoned blockade. Denji and Darren were the last to leave, as the boy refused to leave his bike behind, and Denji still had to find suitable transportation. He rolled up half an hour later astride a custom Harley that dropped Darren's jaw. When he recovered from his shock, he asked, "So, where are we headed?"
Denji shrugged. "I've been thinking about heading west. That sound good to you?" Darren hesitated. "How far west?" Again Denji shrugged. "Until a good place pops up. I'll just follow my dreams, I guess." With that said, Denji started up his bike and roared down Main Street, weaving around the occasional corpse.
Darren stood still for several seconds, praying Denji hadn't said quite what he had heard. Shaking off the chills going down his spine, he started his own cycle, taking comfort in the steady purr of the engine. Immediately gassing it to catch up, Darren popped a wheelie, hoping it would throw off the sense of unease he now had.
Right now, Darren would gladly go anywhere on earth, as long as it didn't lead to the dark man.
The Stand: Second Exodus
Written By Tairesu1586
July 9
Denji Pearson glanced up at the sound of footsteps on the porch, then relaxed as the door opened, revealing his new acquaintance, Darren Brownstone. The young man kicked at a boot lying in front of him and fell down onto the nearest available chair, a dusty recliner. Coughing slightly at the dust thrown up, Denji spoke up.
"So, is it as bad as we guessed?"
Darren nodded soberly. "There are army blockades at all three main exits to the town, and I suspect there may be snipers out by the back roads. From what I could see at the main road, anyone who ties to break through the blockade is shot immediately." Denji's brow furrowed. "Did you see this happen?" Once again, Darren nodded. "It was one of the guys from the auto repair shop. The flu had him so damn delirious, he never even saw the guns, let alone the other bodies on the ground."
Denji nodded. "How many people are well enough to fight?" Darren snorted. "About twenty, I'd guess. And that number could drop by half by the time we wake up tomorrow. No way we could overpower even the smallest blockade."
"I'd have to agree with you. No forward charge would survive the firepower from the army. So, I liberated a few of these." Walking over to a closet, he opened the door and flipped on a light.
Darren swore in astonishment. "PSG-1's! Where did you get those from, they're army issue!" Denji shrugged. "The army isn't any more immune to Captain Trips than civilians. I managed to lift these off of some snipers that had died guarding the back roads before they were recovered. It just so happens that there's a decent rise to the west of the main barricade."
".So if we attack at sunset, the glare might offer some cover if they try to return fire! That's genius, Denji!" The man snorted. "More like common sense. Now, it's about 3 'o clock now, and sunset should be around seven- thirty. Go inform anyone able that we're going to try and breakout around that time, and to be ready. Come back and tell me when you're done." Darren got up and dashed out the door, leaving Denji rather amused at the boy's youthful exuberance. "To think I was that young once. Rome falls and the kid jumps for joy at an errand." Denji sighed and settled back in his chair. True, this town was nice, but it sure would be nice to be allowed to leave.
When Denji had drifted into Rock-Bridge two weeks ago, he barely beat the army division assigned to the area, which immediately set up quarantine to hopefully keep the epidemic out of the small town. Needless to say, the citizens were initially grateful, as the blockade held back the spread of the disease for several days. But somewhere along the line, the safeguard failed, and even when it became visibly clear the flu had broken through, the army would left anyone leave or enter, under the premise of "containing the disease".
The uneasy truce collapsed when the town mayor attempted to approach the barricade to reason with the unit's current commander, (as the original one had died the day before) and was executed under grounds of treason. Two previous attempts to break out were summarily deflected, and the majority of the population chose to hang back and try to outlive the army. So far, that strategy was failing miserably.
"We'll only have one chance at this, you know, and he people here are going to die anyway." He had once commented shortly after meeting Darren, the only other immune in the area. "It would be easier to escape from one of the side roads." Darren had immediately whirled on the older man in fury. "So I should just leave them all here to die like some forgotten pet hamster in a cage?" The boy had taken a moment to compose himself, then continued. "That might me easier for you to say, being an outsider, and I won't lie and say I haven't considered that option before. But lots of those people dying are ones I've known all my life. It would be like leaving my family here. If there's anyway at all I can get the able out of here, so they can at least die free, I have to take it."
Denji smiled softly at the memory. Darren hadn't looked Denji in the eye for the remainder of the day. He glanced out the window, starting slightly to see that the sun was already beginning its descent below the horizon. Walking to the closet, he picked up the rifles and headed to the door. Darren met up with him a short distance outside, and without another word the duo headed towards the main barricade, carrying not only their weapons, but also the hopes of Rock-Bridge on their shoulders.
Private John DiMaggio glanced up at the nearby rise with some unease, then sneezed. Wiping his nose for what felt like the umpteenth time he headed toward the command center, the unease lingering after him until he had entered the trailer and walked into the commander's office, which was now occupied by General Adam Paul. "Sir? Permission to speak freely?" the private asked hesitantly. "Damn the formalities, John." Came the general's response. "This flu's done what no laws or changes in view could; it created a true equality among men. What's on your mind?"
The private blinked, then began. "It's that rise to the west of us. I was thinking, when the former mayor attempted to approach us, he was unseen for some distance due to the setting sun. The residents have been getting a bit restless, or at least those who are able to, and anyone with a long-range weapon could cause us some damage from that hill."
The general snickered. "Well, that had been considered when we first took this position, so we set some snipers on the opposing ridge outside of town." Then the general hesitated. "We need to send a couple guys over there to check up on those guys and make sure they're not dead. Why don't you take care of that?"
John nodded, then turned walk out of the office, but a thump behind him caught his attention. He turned around to see the general falling to the floor behind his desk with half of his head down. John's nearly cried out, but a flash of light outside the window caught his attention. Thought the glare from the sun about blinded him, he was just able to make out a couple of forms pointing towards the base through the open window. Then a bullet entered his own forehead and security was the least of his worries.
It took exactly seven minutes for the barricades to be overthrown, as most of the able soldiers fled at the first gunshots, and the few that remained to fight were crushed under the stampede of people fleeing through the now abandoned blockade. Denji and Darren were the last to leave, as the boy refused to leave his bike behind, and Denji still had to find suitable transportation. He rolled up half an hour later astride a custom Harley that dropped Darren's jaw. When he recovered from his shock, he asked, "So, where are we headed?"
Denji shrugged. "I've been thinking about heading west. That sound good to you?" Darren hesitated. "How far west?" Again Denji shrugged. "Until a good place pops up. I'll just follow my dreams, I guess." With that said, Denji started up his bike and roared down Main Street, weaving around the occasional corpse.
Darren stood still for several seconds, praying Denji hadn't said quite what he had heard. Shaking off the chills going down his spine, he started his own cycle, taking comfort in the steady purr of the engine. Immediately gassing it to catch up, Darren popped a wheelie, hoping it would throw off the sense of unease he now had.
Right now, Darren would gladly go anywhere on earth, as long as it didn't lead to the dark man.
