Forsaken World: Graduation: Forsaken World, #8

By Thomas A Watson

No one could have imagined how much the world would change.

 

Except the boys…

 

Lance and Ian continue to strive for survival from stinkers and the evil in mankind. By teaching and training the Ladybugs,

they are instilling the skills of survival in the next generation.

 

And now?…

 

It's time for graduation.

• Language: English
• Publisher: A-Poc Press LLC
• Release date: Jul 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223685692

Thomas A Watson

Watson writes in several genres. Check out his fantasy books, Thanos, his dystopian books, Dark Titan, Forgotten Forbidden America, The Bonner Incident, and zombies in The Blue Plague series and Forsaken World. 

Book preview

Chapter One

It was Tuesday afternoon when Jennifer and Lilly pulled up to Lance’s and Ian’s house after both had worked the clinic that day. Since the fight on Sunday, both boys had taken some downtime which made one and all in the Wild Ones very happy. Climbing out of the buggy, the girls saw the Ladybug buggy already at the house. Hearing the whine of electric motors they turned to see Droid coming around the side of the house.

Droid came to a stop near them. The creators are in the back at the sand table area, he informed them, then gave off a series of beeps.

Thank you. Now go away before the bitch shows up, Jennifer told Droid, already looking at the front door of the house. Spreading its three legs, Droid’s body lowered into a type of bow or more correctly a curtsy, lifted up, spun around, and took off disappearing around the right side of the house.

Grabbing Lilly’s arm, Jennifer pulled her to the left side of the house. We’ll walk around this side. That way we won’t get near the projectors at Skynet or the workshop, Jennifer told her.

I don’t like the Queen bitch any more than you, Lilly scoffed. She had seen some holographic projections in the past, but the hologram projectors the boys had created with the Geek Squad were beyond belief. They had made other projections but the Queen was the one program image they worked on constantly, refining it to become more vivid and life-like in appearance.

Reaching the side of the house, they turned to see more buggies coming up the driveway and stopping around their parked buggy. Heath and Dwain jumped from their buggy running over to Lilly and Jennifer leaving Mendoza climbing out of the turret. Both stopped beside the girls, glancing over at the house.

Has she already come out? Dwain asked keeping the girls between him and the house.

Knowing who ‘she’ was, Hell no, and she damn well better keep her Borg ass in hiding, Jennifer popped off seeing Sandy and Mary climbing out of another buggy. What’s everyone doing here?

Lance and Ian sent a text to come over, Heath answered, glancing out of the corner of his eyes toward the house.

They’re at the sand tables out back, Lilly said watching Mendoza walk over cradling his AR with his eyes on the house. Don’t shoot the house, Lilly warned with a grin. Yeah, it could take a rocket, but the Queen is a hologram and I don’t know how they would react if someone shot the house.

No way in hell I’d ever contemplate that, Mendoza told her. "The Queen comes toward me and I’m eating a bullet, he informed Lilly. I’ve seen some scary shit in my life but that fucking Queen is right there at the top." Everyone gave a pause at Mendoza’s statement and had to agree. Dead, or stinkers, were walking about and many didn’t even look human-like anymore, yet the Queen was more terrifying to everyone. The fact Lance and Ian had come up with something to horrify those in this forsaken world wasn’t lost on anyone.

When Sandy and Mary reached them Lilly and Jennifer continued on and noticed everyone was walking on their left side keeping Lilly and Jennifer between the house and the group. Further ahead, Lilly saw the flying Speaker Bot and slowed her pace. What the hell did they do to it? she gasped. Speakers still lined the top section but beneath those it looked like a black box, a really fucking big black box.

Shrugging her shoulders, Made it really fucking big, Jennifer answered. Before, the flying platform was nearly the size of a large van. Now, it was the length of a boxed semi-trailer and nearly twice as wide. Around the top there were now twenty nacelles; a few weeks ago there had been ten.

Scanning it over, Lilly, along with everyone else, gave a sigh of relief not spotting any weapons on the now gigantic contraption. It was loud already, why make it bigger? Lilly pondered again heading to the sand table area.

I’ll say it was loud, Heath scoffed. It could shatter windows a hundred yards away at full power.

This is what they did on their days off? Mary asked finally taking her eyes off the upgraded bot.

Have no idea, Jennifer replied. I know they played some basketball and a few computer games.

Glad they didn’t teach the Queen to play poker, Lilly chuckled.

Reaching the back of the lawn, they saw Lance and Ian with Rhonda under one of the cargo nets set up covering different sand table areas. They’re worried about someone getting a reconnaissance bird over them? Mendoza asked and Jennifer whipped her head to him.

"I had to ask why they put up damn camouflage nets. How did you know that?" she popped off.

Um, I was in the military, Mendoza grinned. Not feeling stupid because she hadn’t made the connection, Jennifer nodded.

They’re not worried about planes or drones but are worried about satellites, Heath said. Most have deteriorated in orbit, but some are working and those are the ones they want to hide from.

Those two are far too advanced in knowledge for their age, Mendoza mumbled.

Lance was born old, then he pulled Ian there, Mary replied. Looking over to his right, Mendoza saw the Ladybugs and Denny under another net working on a sand table model. There were over a dozen nets set up covering nearly six acres. Every gang that was nearby had a model layout and Mendoza had seen military sand tables and models, but what the boys did was on another level of detail. When he had spent a few weeks with the boys he’d gotten a chance to see the sand tables up close and even the one of his own area in Jabez.

Seeing only the Ladybugs working on sand tables and models Mendoza had thought they were the only ones, but had come to find out they were learning. One afternoon, he got to watch Ian and Lance make a hundred by hundred foot sand table model of a gang site near Scranton, Kentucky. The level of detail to the site blew him away, and the fact the boys had done it in less than three hours put Mendoza in spellbound awe at the two.

Don’t get near the Ladybugs when they are working on a model, Heath advised. You make them mess up and you’ll become their bitch, Heath said with a shiver.

Oh, Rhonda told me that the first time I was brought here, Mendoza laughed as they walked under the net where the boys were. To the left was a hundred by hundred square foot model of Norris Lake. Then on their right was another layout of the two islands the gang was set up on.

The lake model was basically a topographical layout of the area and coastline of the entire lake with points of interest areas flagged that the gang used. The models of the two islands had every building, tent, camper, trailer, garbage pile, path, and even fifty gallon drums the gang used to burn trash and used for lights at night. Mendoza didn’t know the scale but every object in the model had been printed on a 3D printer.

Thank God they never came at us, Mendoza shivered. Their level of planning would have blown my defenses down in seconds.

Patting Mendoza on the shoulder, If Lance and Ian are coming for you, just run, Dwain advised as they stopped beside the metal table the boys and Rhonda were standing around. They saw them looking over pictures of Norris Lake and the islands.

Damn, we have good cameras on our drones, Heath noted scanning the pictures on the table.

So, when are we attacking? Sandy asked leaning over the table to scan pictures.

Looking up from the pictures at his mom, ‘WE’, Lance stressed hard, aren’t.

Lifting her eyes to Lance, Then why the hell did you want us here? Sandy groaned.

You and Mama Mary need to get with Jarvis and get a team to that site we put up at Columbia to do maintenance on the Master Plans, Lance told her.

All stared at Lance with mouths hanging open. We didn’t build them right? Mary asked.

Shaking his head, No, we built them right, but they’re being worked harder than anyone could’ve guessed, Lance told her.

Reaching back, Ian laid out a stack of pictures and spread them out and everyone could see they were pictures of the site in Columbia. Holy fuck, Dwain gasped. Stinkers were backed up over half a mile on the west side, pressing into the site funneling into the shredder. The east side had even more backed up.

We should’ve made the walls stronger, Heath mumbled.

I never got numbers like that from my teams in Columbia, Mendoza confessed spreading out the pictures. I know it’s only been going for just over a month, but do we even have a guess on how many?

Yeah, Ian scoffed. Over two million. That’s why we need to get a team in there to do maintenance on the Master Plans.

Pulling out a roll of paper, Lance spread it out using empty coffee cups to hold it down. Once unrolled, all saw it was a printed layout of the Master Plan area in Columbia as Lance ran his finger over the image. Get Jarvis to select a group and practice on the Master Plan outside of Bimble. They need to be fast and thorough. Grease contact points, and sharpen all teeth on the drums or replace those too damaged. Everything we’ve trained for on a complete overhaul maintenance for a Master Plan. They need to start today and practice for speed because Gun Bots will have to hold the tide back as they work.

We’ve never had to do that on any Master Plan, Mary noted.

Well Mom, the only Master Plans that are near those numbers are on the interstate and you would have to combine all of them to reach those numbers. The highest used to belong to the Master Plan south of London. But! Ian snapped, holding up a finger. It has been there for over a year and just last month reached nine hundred thousand stinkers. Dropping his hand down, The Master Plans in Columbia passed that number in less than two weeks.

Columbia, Kentucky is nowhere! Why are there so many stinkers?! Sandy cried out. The fact so many stinkers were moving that close to them in a steady flow was giving her nightmares she didn’t want or need.

Shrugging his shoulders, For some reason, stinkers just happen to use that area as a travel nexus. We don’t know why and can’t even guess, Lance admitted.

"Lance, I never got numbers like this," Mendoza declared, waving a hand at the pictures on the table.

Duh, Ian chuckled. You didn’t set up a blocking area or a place for them to converge on.

Taking a deep breath and crossing his fingers, So, are the Master Plans reporting problems? Heath asked.

Nope, Lance answered and Heath wasn’t the only one who let out a sigh of relief. All our models and research on Master Plans show they’re good for chewing up two point seven million before overhaul. I’m sure everyone understands why we want to make sure they don’t break down.

Heath gave a shiver at that thought. You think the Gun Bots could hold the tide until we could get in there and fix ‘em if they did break down?

Hesitantly nodding, For about twelve maybe twenty-four hours, Lance answered and Heath just stared at him, finding that hard to believe. Heath, Gun Bots only hold fifty thousand ball bearings. Six on each side and four in reserve and only one Reloader Bot. That would push the Gun Bots more than they have ever been used continuously.

Yeah, Ian sighed. Lance and I agreed we should’ve watched the site a bit longer before putting in a Master Plan.

Son, Mary said, making Ian look at her. You two have killed over two million there. It was worth it.

Mom, Ian huffed. We put a dam there that doesn’t let stinkers just pass through anymore. If those Master Plans fail, that gaggle of stinkers on each side of the site will just spread out over the land.

Nodding, Yes, and hit the other Master Plans we have out around us, Mary said and Ian turned to Lance.

See? Mom agrees with my view, Ian scoffed.

But, Sandy said never looking up from the photos. "Stinkers would spread out and we don’t have that many Master Plans around. Numbers like that would overwhelm the killing fields and roaming bots we do have set out."

Holding his chin up proudly, "My mom sees my point of view," Lance stated proudly.

Ahem, Heath cleared his throat getting everyone’s attention. "Yes, valid points on both, but how about we get some fuckers there now to check on the Master Plans so they don’t break down."

And my brother takes my view, Rhonda laughed.

When do we need to get someone there? Mary asked.

Sooner is better, Ian answered.

Turning to Sandy, Let’s go get Jarvis and gather up a team. We practice tomorrow and head out the next day, Mary said and Sandy nodded.

Mom, Ian called out and Mary turned to him. The work crew will have to wear breathing tanks while in the area, Ian told her. We’ve worked out a way to do it and not have to worry about a flash explosion, Ian said, tapping the rolled-out sheet of paper. That’s why we called you and Momma Sandy in. Nobody will question you. We, Ian paused pointing at Lance, are a bit busy at the moment.

Looking over the paper, Heath saw the layout of huge industrial fans and drones over the site to disperse the hydrogen sulfide. I know you two like those drones, but why don’t we just get the Beard Clan and Mendoza to hover over the site in helicopters? Heath asked. They move way more air than those drones do. I’d suggest the Octos but we’ll need them to haul in the team and supplies.

I thought hovering in a helicopter was hard and didn’t want to risk one breaking and crashing into the site, Lance admitted.

It’s not that hard, Mendoza chuckled. They can hover high enough that if there’s a problem they can land and not crash.

When Lance turned to Ian he found Ian’s palm in his face. Brah, we aren’t learning how to fly choppers. We have Octos and they’re better.

Glancing at her watch and seeing it was past 1700, Sandy reached over taking the empty coffee mugs off the rolled-out paper. Mary, call Jarvis and tell him to meet us in Bravo, Sandy said rolling up the paper and looking up at Lance. Need us for anything else because I want a team put together tonight, start practicing tomorrow, and hopefully go out the next day?

Shaking his head and smiling, Nah, but call if you have any questions, Lance told her and watched the moms leave.

Leaning over, Mendoza whispered into Heath’s ear. Aren’t we leaving to help?

Slowly turning and locking eyes with Mendoza, I never heard them say that’s why we were called here, Heath responded. I clearly heard that was the reason Sandy and Mary were called here.

Taken aback by the confidence, Mendoza nodded and turned to find Ian and Lance grinning at them. Ian crossed his arms over his chest and turned to Lance. You know, Heath and Dwain have really made me proud, Ian said.

Yeah, Lance nodded still grinning. You were right. We needed to let them go out and put their big boy pants on all by themselves. Both Lilly and Jennifer gave chuckles watching Heath and Dwain puff their chests out in pride.

At any other time and under different circumstances, Mendoza would’ve thought it was funny. Two teenagers giving praise that two adults, fathers of kids, had grown up and they were proud of them. But in reality, Mendoza was jealous, he wanted that praise from Ian and Lance.

So, ah, what do you have for us? Mendoza asked.

Letting his arms fall to his side, Ian jerked his head toward another table. Come over here, he said and everyone moved to the other table to find a topographical map of the area. Around the map were more stacks of photos. Mendoza, Ian said pointing at the map. The cannibals have started moving just south of you between the Cumberland River loch you’re on and Dale Hollow Lake.

Shit, Mendoza groaned. Guys, I’m sorry. I just haven’t pushed patrols out that far.

Dude, why are you sorry? That’s thirty miles from Jabez and on the other side of the loch, Ian asked. It all depended on anyone’s mood if they referred to the water around Jabez as lake or loch because it was a loch on the Cumberland River forming a lake.

I shouldn’t let gangs move so freely that close to me, Mendoza answered. I knew about the one on Dale Hollow, but the groups there are keeping them under control.

Shit, Lance huffed. The cannibals are moving to our east just past Whitesburg and then heading north. That’s closer than those near you. The world is big and we take care of close first.

What the flying fuck are they moving so close to us for? Dwain asked looking down at the map.

Scavenging, Ian and Lance answered.

Leaning over the table and pointing at the cannibals’ camp on Norris Lake, From what we have gathered, they’ve ransacked everything from their south to the outskirts of Knoxville and won’t go past it.

Um, there are a shitload of stinkers in Knoxville, Heath pointed out. We’ve gone with you three times to get stuff there only on the outskirts and if we would’ve had to go in by ground, we never would’ve made it.

Nodding, Yeah, and they could go around, but they aren’t, Lance said locking eyes with Heath and had a small grin.

Heath’s face went pale as he realized what Lance wanted him to figure out. There’s a gang to the south that the cannibals fear more than us?! Heath cried out.

Oh you have grown, grasshopper, and the answer is yes, Lance smirked. As you know, we are slowly expanding the drones outward to see what’s around us.

Duhhh, Dwain sang out making a goofy face. What good is finding a huge gang a hundred miles away when you have three smaller ones fifty miles away that combined are just as big?

Ian and Lance beamed with pride at Dwain and Heath, making Mendoza feel more left out. We’ve flown small searches to the south when we’ve sent drones to Alabama to watch them and haven’t found any gang large enough that would intimidate the cannibals, Lance said drawing circles on the map to the east and west of Knoxville.

You think it could be the base in Alabama? Mendoza offered.

They’re almost two hundred miles away! Heath snapped. Two hundred miles in this forsaken world is like the other side of the planet.

Unless you’re Ian and Lance, Dwain corrected.

We aren’t sure, but we don’t think the cannibals are diverting because of those in Alabama, Lance said winking at Heath and Dwain.

Staring hard at the map, Guys, Mendoza said. Our lowest estimate put the cannibals at fifteen thousand and that’s a really big fucking force. For those dickwads to be intimidated, a group would have to be twice that size at the very least. We are bigger, but that also means the gang they’re afraid of is much more violent than we are. We know Alabama has over a million. Have you seen Alabama treading carefully to the north?

You get to sit in the front of the class, Ian laughed. Yes, Alabama never travels further than fifty miles north from Lake Lewis Smith, but they only go out a little further east, south, and west. They’re growing enough food to supply their population.

Fuck, Mendoza groaned. I should’ve attacked those fucks while they were still at the trading post.

Somewhat shocked at the remark, Heath turned to Mendoza. Why? he asked.

All the reports I got were that camp in Alabama was barely hanging on before Victor and Bren showed up, Mendoza answered. They show up, and all of a sudden the site becomes self-sufficient and is able to support over a million people? I should’ve just attacked their asses.

And your people would’ve paid a high price, Ian responded. I’m not saying you couldn’t have taken Victor out but even if you did, it would’ve cost you many of your fighters. Those same fighters that you used and needed defending Jabez from others.

Mendoza, if anyone should feel bad, it should be me and Ian, Lance told him. We could’ve sent in more bots before they left.

Shaking his head, No, you needed to deal with those that killed your dads. That was a much higher priority, Mendoza said, then looked up from the map to Ian and Lance. I never thought vengeance and revenge should have a place in tactical decisions, but I was wrong. I still think we should sow the ground in salt at all those places you hit out west to keep anything from growing there as a warning to everyone.

Turning to Lance, Screw moving him to the front of the class, he’s the teacher’s pet, Ian laughed. Dwain and Heath reached over patting Mendoza on the back as Ian turned to them. We aren’t worried about Alabama and never have been, they’re too far away. The cannibals are closer and under the right circumstances, could prove a problem.

The grins fell off Heath’s and Dwain’s faces. How in the fuck can they hurt us? Dwain asked.

What you just said, ‘hurt’, that’s about all they could do, Ian replied pointing at the map. If the cannibals moved at us en masse, they could hit and take Middlesboro. Now, after hitting Middlesboro, their losses would increase exponentially from stinkers as they pushed further north. We’ve run several scenarios and the closest they could get would be Pineville before getting wiped out by us and stinkers.

And the cannibals are only thirty miles from Middlesboro and forty-five miles from Pineville, Lance pointed out. If they attacked during a hard winter it would be their best chance, but they don’t have the supplies to even try it. In a hard winter, we could pull all of our bots from killing fields and place them between us and the cannibals so they still lose thousands even if they could find enough supplies. Now, think about moving a large enough force from Alabama to here.

That would be a bit tough, Dwain admitted.

So, what are the cannibals doing moving around us? Mendoza asked getting back on topic.

Gathering supplies, Ian answered with a bland expression.

I can relate, Mendoza nodded. Before Jabez joined the Wild Ones, he had groups out constantly searching for supplies. How much do they have to bring in to support their population?

About ten tons of food a day, Lance answered and Mendoza jerked his gaze from the map to Lance.

There’s no fucking way! Mendoza cried out. Why? They have gardens and greenhouses, Mendoza said pulling over photos to them and laying them on the map. The teams he'd sent out searched for tools, ammo, fuel, and supplies needed to survive the long term while they grew food. If they ran across a large cache of food they would bring it back, but it wasn’t the main thing they were looking for. They had been hurting for food before trading with the emporiums because they had to wait on crops to grow and would’ve lost some to starvation, but Ian and Lance had sent enough to carry them through.

Pointing at the photos Mendoza laid out, You’ve set up and commanded a group bigger than the cannibals. Look at the size of those fields compared to yours and those we have here, Lance told him and Mendoza looked at the pictures. Those are gardens, not crops, Lance pointed out. All together, they only have sixty acres growing food with another ten acres adding the greenhouses, and I’m being generous with that.

Mendoza just blinked at the photos as it registered. There were over four hundred acres of crops around Jabez, and now there were more because he didn’t have to keep so many on guard. And they’re still alive? he mumbled in shock. The cannibals were takers and now he understood what Lance and Ian were talking about before they’d fought. In time, the cannibals would fall on their own and it wouldn’t be that damn long, a year, two at the most before they couldn’t bring in enough food to support the population because there wouldn’t be enough left close enough to get.

Um, do they feed the prisoners? Mendoza asked since most gangs treated prisoners worse than pests.

Lance and Ian both nodded as Ian answered. Yes, the prisoners eat nearly as much as the cannibals. That shocked Mendoza a bit but since hearing Lance’s side on why the group were cannibals, he could follow the dark reasoning of the group.

I’m not saying I don’t believe you but Lance, Ian, hauling back that much food every day by hand is impossible even for a group that size. Hell, using horses it would take hundreds, Mendoza said because he knew.

And this is where the cannibals impress us, Lance said grabbing a stack of photos and spreading them out over the map. Taken from drones at different angles and height, each photo was of what looked like a six wheeled, four passenger golf cart with a bed on the back. A few were of another type of cart that was longer with a bigger cargo bed but also six wheeled. Unlike the smaller carts, in every picture the long ones were always pulling a trailer.

What the hell, Dwain said spinning a picture. On both types, at the front extending up the driver’s side looked like a snorkel similar to the ones they had on ATVs to cross water. But this snorkel seemed heavier and the front end of the cart was much bigger. Seeing another picture of a smaller cart that was stopped, Dwain pulled it over as Heath and Mendoza leaned over his shoulders looking at the photo. Um, am I dreaming or is he putting wood into the engine compartment? Dwain asked.

Yes, he is, Lance answered grinning.

Are those six wheeled carts steam powered? Mendoza asked.

No, Ian laughed. They converted gas engines to run on wood gas, he told them. That engine is connected to a generator which charges the batteries for the cart. We’ve been following them and the carts have a range of seventy miles fully loaded before they have to recharge.

Pointing at several photos that showed the roof of the carts, They have solar panels on the roof, Heath said.

It would take weeks for those two panels to charge a battery bank enough to go that far, Ian replied in a deadpan tone. To be honest, if they took those panels off they would get more range, it’s not worth the extra weight.

Snatching up a photo that showed four buggies moving along an open field, When and who discovered this?! Mendoza shouted. I could’ve used this!

It’s pretty old. Families used it during World War 2 because of gas shortages, Ian informed him. If our Stirling engines wouldn’t have worked we were going to do this, but then we would’ve been feeding logs into all our killing fields.

It was how Ian said it that made Mendoza drop the photo to the table to gaze at the two. Let me guess, you’ve built one? Mendoza asked.

Ian nodded, Yes, I built one in sixth grade for the science fair.

Leaning back over the table and scanning the pictures, When I have kids, tell your mothers they are over all my kids’ learning, Mendoza said shaking his head.

Do they use these wood generators in their camps? Dwain asked.

Yep, Lance nodded. To be honest, if I was the cannibals I would be doing what Alabama is doing, locking stinkers up in shipping containers to harvest hydrogen sulfide. It’s less labor intensive and a much better fuel for more horsepower.

The only reason Victor and his group came up with that is from reports he got from scouts and spies, Heath growled.

And we wanted him to, Ian laughed taking the anger out of Heath. We really want it to spread honestly. We don’t want others concentrating so much on our special batteries.

Mendoza, Dwain, and Heath all looked up at Ian in shock. The ability to generate power was the difference between working hard and working smart. Only Heath and Dwain knew how the Wild Ones generated power with the special batteries and it was on a scale none could match. They weren’t limited to distance and weight for electric transportation. Now, it seemed the boys wanted gangs to figure out how to generate power using stinkers.

Care to explain? Dwain asked cautiously.

Yeah, Ian chuckled. If we attack Alabama, look what they have just outside their walls, highly explosive containers filled with stinkers. Any Angel we sent could level that side of the base where they have all those containers. After the explosion, some of the containers would be torn open and they’d have stinkers pouring in the huge gap in their wall.

Thinking about it, Mendoza started nodding. Yeah, that would be a very good attack plan, he admitted.

But Amie said Victor and them are actually filling cylinders with hydrogen sulfide to use in vehicles. Doesn’t that worry you? Dwain asked.

Ian and Lance both shook their head, No, they said together.

It’s still an engine that makes noise, and stinkers love noise, Lance added.

Tapping the photos, So, you want me to stop the cannibals from gathering supplies to the west? Mendoza asked really wishing he had studied science more.

Yep, when we give you the word, you see cannibals, you light them up, Ian replied. For now, watch them and learn their patterns. We should kick this off in June but will definitely attack before July, so you’ll have plenty of time to scout and plan.

Pointing to the east side where the cannibals roamed north, What about here? Mendoza asked.

That’s what Heath and Dwain are here for, Ian answered. They patrolled with more people here than anyone and know who to choose for combat. Mendoza nodded because Rhonda had told him. Heath and Dwain patrolled with others ‘before’ they let them go out with Ian and Lance. Granted, the boys didn’t take others out with them as often, but nobody went with them that hadn’t gone out with Heath and Dwain first.

Standing up and leaning back to stretch his lower back out from leaning over the table, Guys, Mendoza said. Let me lead this, he told them. I’m not saying the members of the Wild Ones here can’t fight, but I have over two thousand troops that have been in combat before this. Fighting stinkers and people are two totally different ball games. How about I mix members with our troops and they can train them on the job? Ian and Lance both grinned hearing ‘our’ troops.

Raising his eyebrows and turning to Ian, That’s actually a really good fucking idea, Lance admitted.

Yeah, and it won’t postpone any of our plans, Ian said giving an impressed nod. Before we kick off they should be up to speed.

Turning to Heath and Dwain, Get me a list of a hundred who are good fighters against the stinkers. After I form some teams, you can send me another hundred, Mendoza told them.

Shit, Heath scoffed. We have more than that who have seen combat, Heath popped off. Granted, most of those here are out of service but they have real trigger time.

Thinking for a second, Okay, let’s mix fifty of those with experience in with my troops and fifty without combat experience to start off. We need to keep a hundred out at any time to block off the routes the cannibals are using, so that’s what we’ll send out on three-day patrols. Then each week we’ll expand the numbers till we have enough to always keep out a hundred, Mendoza offered with Heath and Dwain nodding.

Because of Rhonda, Mendoza knew Heath and Dwain ran interference for the boys, keeping as much as they could off their plates. And in truth, with what Mendoza had seen with his own eyes, Ian and Lance had come to really depend and count on Heath and Dwain.

Um, why did you call us here? Lilly asked, finally stepping closer.

Because we like to see our girls, Lance huffed putting an arm across Lilly’s shoulders. And to show you a new addition to the Queen’s Army.

Hearing that, tension exploded around the table as everyone except Ian and Lance drew in breaths through pursed lips. If it blows up a mountain, I don’t want to see it, Jennifer chimed in, wondering where this new weapon was.

Oh, it’s not a weapon like that, Ian laughed, pulling Jennifer close to his side.

Gathering her nerve up, Okay, where are we going to see it? Lilly asked with a slight tremble in her voice.

Right here, Baby doll, Lance told her then kissed her cheek.

Trying not to be obvious, Jennifer patted her thigh checking the pistol she was wearing, then fought the desire to pull her AR that was slung across her back to her front. How dangerous is it? she asked, wondering if she should get a bigger gun.

Laughing, It doesn’t shoot or destroy anything, hotness, Ian promised. For some reason that no one could explain, that revelation didn’t make anyone feel better and in fact increased the apprehension.

Can we leave? Dwain asked but didn’t move.

Jerking his face away from Jennifer to Dwain, Hell no! Ian barked. That’s the main reason we called you and Heath here! So we could keep an eye on you when we tested out the newest creation!

Digging in his pocket, Heath pulled out his man card before laying it on the table with the photos. I want to go home, Heath proclaimed.

As Dwain started digging for his own man card, You two leave and I’ll put projectors in your bedrooms so the Queen can stand over you while you sleep, Lance threatened.

Stopping his digging, Who could sleep with that evil bitch standing over them?! Dwain cried out.

With a cold smile, I should tell you, three of the bots can now project the Queen wherever they go, Lance informed them and Dwain nearly collapsed as his legs trembled.

You put her in some bots? Heath