Chester and the 24-hour Lottery
Chapter 23; Beast of prey

A few days later Racket jogged to where Henry and Chester were talking to a group of people about designating spotters for stealing Ozark weapons. The soldiers had become lazy beyond the barrier and someone stole a rifle leaning against a tree while one took a piss, giving Chester the idea they might be able to collect more. They dismissed the curious crowd as Racket caught her breath with orders to be careful and to work in pairs.

“Spell is inside Neighborhood Allard,” Racket grinned, “We can get the bastard.”

“Who told you?” he asked, smiling at the great news and couldn’t wait to tell Van.

Racket held up her hands, and he saw her knuckles were raw and swollen, “Captured a soldier and made him confess.”

“Fuck,” Henry sighed with a shake of his head, “You can’t go off on your own like that Racket! What if he killed you?”

She ignored his comments, “Come on, I tied him up.”

“Where?” Chester hurried to match her strides, activating the Vid Frames and when Van answered said, “Racket has a situation we need to take care of. Follow my Geo.”

They had spent the last few evenings going over tech. He quickly picked up the controls of the devices, reaffirming DNA directed education was a crock of shit.

“What has she done now?” Van groaned, “On my way.”

“I went to the Brenn farm this morning and seized a rogue officer attacking a fucking teenager,” Racket pointed to the small Jeep they’d been using to visit other freed farms, “Hop in, it’s a five-minute drive.”

“Then we should wait for Van,” Chester stopped her by putting his hand on the driver door, “Is the victim okay?”

Racket finally looked at him and he frowned at the feral, disconnected glaze in her dark eyes, “Yes, she’s fine. I mean, she will be once I tell her she can kill the perverted asshole.”

“Shit,” Henry cursed again, “Racket, not everyone is a murderer. Why didn’t you contact us sooner? Other officers could be looking for him.”

“They can keep searching, and I’ll keep kicking their asses.”

Chester searched the busy throng and sighted Van rushing their way with Lacy. He opened the door for Racket then climbed into the back. The women stayed silent after Henry related what Racket had done, but they agreed with her actions. Information was good, but he didn’t want to know what kind of horrible things they’d do to the rapist once he was no longer useful.

The Brenn farm smelled of pig shit and unclean humans. Less organized refugees had taken over the land or as Chester liked to say, the drug and alcohol addicts. It was clear why no one noticed they were under sly attacks as he watched a group of men fistfight over something a wild-looking woman held, encouraging the brawl. Briefly, he wondered if his mother made it out of March, but remembered she was under the influence and most likely inviting citizens to embrace the mind-altering concoction.

Racket led them into a large red barn empty of animals and people. She quickly climbed a sturdy ladder and one by one they followed, entering a dirty wooden floored area with a slanted roof that opened at the side for purposes he could only guess at, having no farming experience. A man twice the size of Garth laid bloodied glaring at them when his eyes adjusted to the low light filtering in from the open end of the building.

“You took him out by yourself?” Chester uneasily asked, keeping a distance from the soldier rolling around uselessly because he was hog-tied and gagged.

Racket walked over to a haystack shoved in a corner, picking up a weird-fashioned rifle that had a narrow stock and a see-through bubble underneath with odd glowing disc-shaped objects inside, “He knocked the girl out with one of these projectiles then carried her into the woods. When he was... distracted, I used it against him. Chester, does it look familiar?”

Under watchful eyes, he examined the weapon, “Yes, it’s what they shot at me in Acheron. What kind of tech is this?”

“Whatever it is we need more,” Van drawled, taking it from Racket, “Good job. What else did this asshole say?”

Racket motioned for Henry to help hoist the man who yelled into the filthy rag stuffed in his mouth. She untied his legs and then they dragged him over to sit on a hay bale. Henry pulled a knife out, angling it at the glowering man’s neck.

“If you cooperate I won’t cut your throat,” he menacingly warned, “Take out the gag Chester.”

He didn’t want any part of what was happening but the cock-eyed glare of contempt from the guy struggling in Racket and Henry’s grasp had him moving to pull the spit sodden cloth from the soldier’s mouth.

“You’re already dead,” were his first words, “Especially you Chester Drivel.”

Van punched him, splitting his lip. He spat blood, and she dodged it then hit him again until Chester grabbed her by the shoulders pulling her away. She breathed hard and shook her head like she was trying to control her anger.

The man laughed, crimson pouring down his face, “We will have fun with you Vanyla. Bitches with spirit last longer. I can go for a long time too.”

“Sick fucks,” Chester’s stomach turned, and he gasped deep breaths, heading to the edge of the barn for fresh air.

“Enough, let’s just kill him,” Lucy spoke up, “He said Spell is in Allard. We should have guessed being as it’s the most protected.”

Chester gathered himself and turned back, “I’ve been wondering if the armory in Wayfarer City is still full. Tell me if you’ve emptied the building.”

The man spat out more blood, glaring at them before groaning, “I don’t know. They gave us new weapons and orders to round up women, children, and defective key citizens.”

“Did Saldivar aid you in Acheron?” Racket asked, her voice wavering a little, “Who told you we would be outside of the installation?”

“Spell sees everything,” he smirked then winced from his wounds, “Look, If you’re asking if Saldivar betrayed you, the answer is no. They told me to come in here and gather fresh meat for the projects inside Allard. Spell’s there. I promise. Hey, how about I stay and help you wipe him out? I hate that guy as much as you do.”

“Are you serious?” Henry dug in his blade and the man stiffened, “She caught you raping a woman and we’re supposed to let you lose?”

Racket paced the floor, “I knew Saldivar wouldn’t have sided with Spell.”

Chester crossed his arms and wondered if there were more officers in the area snatching citizens while they interrogated this asshole. The soldier glared at Racket before turning his eyes on him. He shook his head, alerting the brute his time was up.

There was no mercy in this group.

“They’re arriving in two days,” he hurriedly revealed, “Two hundred officers are coming here and if that doesn’t stop this ridiculous rebellion they will release a nasty bio-agent he’s been working on. It’s not too late to take down the barriers and return Ozark to a productive state. What is the point of your little tantrum? Can’t you see the damage you’ve done to those still believing we need to work as a unified state? These people would be at work or enjoying their earned rights instead of fighting for bread! You’ve reduced yourselves to what it was like before the founders brought peace.”

“They have brainwashed you into accepting that’s all there is,” Van stood in front of him, drawing her gun, “Do you truly believe you were meant to be a soldier straight from the womb? I was constructed for a singular purpose but you weren’t. You were born from parents who loved each other enough not to abort you armed with the knowledge of what kind of life you’d have. What have you accomplished? You’re despicable. Answer the question, is the armory stocked?”

The man let out a frustrated noise and tried to move away from Henry’s knife, but he held him in place with a handful of his hair, “Wayfarer City is on lockdown. You’ll never make it that far.”

“Don’t get any more blood on his uniform,” Lacy said, “I have an idea.”

“Wait! Waaait!” he turned into a blubbering mess, crying ugly tears until they could barely understand him, “I’m sorry I hurt that girl! I wasn’t thinking! Pleeeease, I don’t want to die!”

Chester stepped back, cringing at how pathetically he begged. Would the soldiers go easy on them? They were coming to capture and kill innocent citizens and this man saw nothing reprehensible with it. He shook his head, striding to the ladder.

“What’s wrong?” Van chased after him, “Chet, he’s a liability.”

“I know,” he sadly agreed, “but I don’t have to watch. There are some things I can’t stomach.”

Her green eyes softened and she gave a curt nod, “Anything else you want to ask?”

“We have twenty-four hours to defend ourselves, and even less time not to start a panic. Just hurry it up.”

Chester paced outside for twenty minutes, watching the barn doors impatiently. A young girl around sixteen with blonde hair, blue eyes wearing dirty jeans and a torn jacket nervously approached, and he swayed on his feet, the ghost of Amy throwing him off because of the resemblance.

“Did you enjoy killing Amy Ingles? Did you enjoy stabbing a woman in the face?”

“Is Racket in there?” The young girl asked in a shy voice, touching her swollen left cheek.

Chester nodded and tried to smile but it fell flat, “Are you the one she helped?”

She swallowed with a shrug, “I wanted to thank her for saving me. My mom told me not to go into the woods but I set up rabbit traps I needed to check. Are we safe here? I don’t feel safe.”

“To be honest, you’re not. None of us are. Is it just you and your mom?”

With wide eyes, she mutely nodded.

“Gather your shit and join the group leaving for Acheron in the morning over on the Locket farm. You’ll be safer there until this is over.”

“You’re Chester,” her tone a little too idolatrous for his comfort, “My brother is inside The Institute. They took him in there when he was ten and refuse to let us see him. Can you get him out?”

He avoided her hopeful gaze muttering, “A day will come when all children are free. Let’s hope he’s one of them, okay? Now, hurry along and tell your mom you’re leaving.”

“Thank you, Chester,” she softly said before running away.

Van, Henry, Lacy, and Racket came out of the barn carrying the officer’s dead body. They had stripped him of his uniform and Chester dry heaved at the bullet hole through the man’s forehead with gray matter leaking out the backside.

“I’ll get someone to bury him then we need to replace Crane,” Lacy said then left the same direction the girl had gone.

Chester debated telling Racket about the young woman but decided to wait until she could appreciate the kindness she’d done. Racket needed a humanity check, and he looked forward to seeing it register in her dark eyes.

When they returned to the Locket farm Crane was waiting for them inside the main house, eating with the men Henry deemed experienced enough to take over weapons training in his stead. Henry ordered them out when they joined the former council member at the large dining table, telling him everything they’d learned from the Ozark officer.

Crane paled, “They will overtake us within hours if we can’t hold them back. There are too many loopholes and they might already be here.”

“They are here!” Van glared at the clueless leader, “Aren’t you listening?”

“We should divert their attention,” Lacy excitedly redirected the conversation, “I considered Chester’s plan of robbing the officers and came up with an idea. It’s crazy but it could shift the fight in our favor.”

“Well, spit it out,” Racket gruffly griped.

“Patience,” Lacy snapped then continued as if Racket hadn’t spoken, “We wear the uniforms and pretend to be officers. I think we should leave tonight.”

“You do?” Racket scoffed, “We don’t exactly blend in, especially since they’re looking for Van and Chester.”

“Interesting idea,” Chester mused, “There’s not much time but we could pull it off. Henry, you were one of them, how hard would it be to snag a vehicle and get past their checkpoints into the city?”

Henry closed the knife he’d been picking his nails with smugly saying, “Leave it to me and if it doesn’t work, I’ll shoot them.”

Chester stood, “Crane, warn the people but hopefully, we’ll end this before anything happens.”

Van took a deep breath, meeting their gazes with stoic determination, “This is it. I had hoped for more fighters but we have to rely on ourselves. Ready?”

“Finally! I can’t wait to fuck someone up with that new gun.” Racket slapped the table, startling Crane who turned red. Poor guy wasn’t used to the blood-lust that came with this group.

“We need Deven,” Lacy jumped up and ran from the room.

“Everyone grab your gear. Time to get the hell out of here and replace that murdering coward Gary Spell!” Van exclaimed, and he nodded, knowing no matter what they’d die trying to annihilate the asshole from the face of the earth.