Chapter 4: A Girl Named Nil
Flashback to three years in the past
Outside an abandoned super market a group of people prepare to go scout out the location.
"Alright here's the plan. Nessa said that the place is abandoned but keep your wits about you. Mikey and Ian, you go around back and meet up with Nessa while Sean and I take point. Riley and Jenn are on standby to bring the trucks around, so remember the mission. Food, water, and medical supplies are what we're here for. Ok, remember to stay in radio contact and when in the dark use your lights or glow sticks.", Rich explained.
Rich and Sean went to the front door and crouched down on either side of it. Rich gave a hand signal to Mikey and Ian in the parking lot and as soon as he did, those two made their way around to the back to meet up with Nessa. Rich used his left hand to open the door and then proceeded, followed shortly by Sean. They were both packing fire arms for self defense, since Armageddon many people had regressed to barbarism and murderous savagery. Rich was totting a M16 carbine he found in a ruined police station along with a large machete for melee combat. Sean was carrying a pair of 9mm baretta hand guns and a steel bat. As they entered the messy old store they split up to scan the isles for any potential threats.
"Pope and Ninja to Shadow and Knife, you copy?", said Mikey on an ear piece.
"Rodger Pope this is Shadow.", answered Rich
"Copy that. Knife reading you loud and clear, over.", replied Sean.
"We met up with Elf and are entering through the back now.", said Mikey.
Despite their lack of combat experience, years of video game and playing Risk had turned them into amazing tacticians.
"Alright, Ninja and Elf go look for medical supplies. Knife and Pope go for water and other drinks. I'll scout out food, over", Rich said to the others via ear piece.
"Rodger 10-4 over and out.", they replied.
Nessa and Ian made their way over to the store's pharmacy to look for medications.
"Elf to Shadow, we found some meds. Not a lot but some at least.", Nessa said while gathering the meds.
Ian helped until he came across some Viagra and Extenze. He tapped Nessa and showed her as she looked and rolled her eyes while Ian giggled. Meanwhile Sean and Mikey found what they were looking for and then some.
"Pope to Shadow, jackpot. Water, juices, and some wine. By the gallons.", Mikey reported.
Stay where you are and guard the supplies Pope. Wait until extraction.", Rich answered.
He was scouting out the snack foods isle when suddenly he heard a can fall. He quickly turned and saw that it was just a small pigeon on the shelf that knocked it off. Just then as he was turning back a small shadow caught the corner the eye.
Rich aimed his gun in attack ready position then said to the others, "Shadow to group, we are not alone."
The others prepped their weapons; locked and loaded they defended their positions. Rich scoped out the next isle slowly, aware of the extra presence. Rich paned in all directions when he heard the crinkle of plastic and glimpsed a shadowy figure scamper off to the next row. It startled him so that he let off three shots by accident. The others became alarmed and ran to the source of the sound. Rich was turning around the bend slowly until the sound of crinkling plastic set him off again. This time he unloaded fifteen shots in an arching pattern. He then turned his flashlight on and pointed it toward the unknown being. To his amazement the person was nothing but a small female child with light blonde hair, baby blue eyes, and looked to be no more then three years old. She small and was about the length of Rich's shins. Lucky for her she was too short to have been hit by Rich's spray of bullets. She looked at him with teary eyes as he lowered his weapon.
"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Sorry if I scared you, if anything you scared me.", Rich said as he approached the little girl.
She backed up against the shelf in fear. She appeared to have made a little hide out for herself there. Her main source of food looked to be vanilla wafers and other assorted food stuffs. Rich picked her up and calmed her down and asked if she was ok and if she had a name. She shook her head at the name question. To Rich's surprise she understood him.
"Rich we heard shots are you o….k?", Nessa asked in confusion.
Rich turned with the little girl in his arms.
"Yeah I'm ok, so is she.", he said.
"Shadow to Wheels and Shift, we are ready and clear for extraction.", Rich said into his ear piece.
"Wheels here, coming around the back.", said Riley in a big truck.
"Shift here, I'll take the front. ETA three minutes.", answered Jenn in an equally large truck.
As they started loading the supplies onto the trucks Nessa walked over to Rich, who was holding the small sleeping girl.
"So what are we gonna do with her? I think its safe to say that whatever family she may have had in long gone now.", she asked Rich.
"I guess since I found her I'll take her back with me. She has nothing in this world now, but maybe I can fix that in time. Who knows, she may turn out to be a real nice addition to out weird little group.", Rich answered.
"She have a name?", Nessa asked.
Rich looked at the wrappers of the vanilla wafers that the little girl was feeding on and then back to the sleeping child in his arms.
He smiled and said, "Nil, her name is Nil."
They smiled and climbed into the back of the truck with the sleeping Nil in arm as they headed back to the place they called home. The rest is history.
