[Lucy enters Stoneville Police Department from Opal Valley Mall]As the HumVee came to a rest in the parking stall, everyone jumped out, seemingly ready to get inside and check on things, eat something, relieve and overfilled bladder, etc. Lucy felt a little out of place as she had no desire to go back inside. Instead, her gaze went to the black Hummer with oversized tires. It was hers now, but not something that she would have ever chosen for herself. When driving it, she could barely see out the front and the rear blindspot was the size of a cruise ship. Still, with her moped smashed, it was her only link to freedom. Back when she had recieved it, she had not had time to go through it. Now, though, seemed like the perfect time.
She sighed and wandered over to it, using the remote to turn off the alarm and open the doors. The front seat didn't really yield anything new... Carlos' collection of guns was shoved into the floorboard of the frontseat. In the second row, she found a wad of cash, probably $20,000 or so in an envelope. She didn't know if it was stolen, from drugs, or his life's savings. At this point in the world, it probably didn't matter.
She also found his clothes and most of his ammo in the back seat. Climbing out of the SUV, she went to the back and opened the gate. It was filled with blankets and towels, medicines ranging from almost illegal pain killers to simple benedryl. Mixed in there was a wealth of canned food as well. Some of the stuff she was sure was as old as her, but most was new. It seemed that his scavenger hunts had produced good results.
The problem now was the decision to what to do with it. She also held in her hands and backpack most of the medicine she found at the fire station and the mall. She knew that it could be used here, but that with all these people, it would be barely a blip on the radar before it was gone. If she kept it herself, it last several months... with the medicine lasting longer.
The selfish part of her fought with the unselfish - the angel and devil on her shoulder going back and forth. She finally decided on a third option. Sitting on the tailgate, she reached in and grabbed a can of roasted cashews. Popping the top, she began to toss a handful into her mouth.
:: EDIT 01/24/2012 ::Lucy was halfway through the can of cashews when she heard a voice, distinctly male, address her. “What ya got there sweetie?” Lucy jumped a bit, partially from the surprise of being addressed and partially because she had drifted off into the depths of her mind again. She put the can down and looked up at the man who was now standing 5 feet away. He was rugged and, like all people, armed with a rifle and a side arm. He looked at her with a look of curiosity, which was different as most of the men she had met, excluding those at the mall, leered at her… their thoughts easily read on their faces. Still, Lucy grabbed her revolver and pulled it into her lap.
For his part, the man didn’t make a move away or towards her. He merely looked amused. Then he slung his rifle over his back so that his weapons were not readily available. “Hey now, let’s not start off like that. I’m sorry I startled you. One doesn’t see a young girl sitting on the back of a tricked out Hummer eating a can of cashews. It really was the cashews that piqued my interest. I haven’t had any of those for almost a year. Do you think….” His voice trailed off with the request.
Lucy studied him for a moment and then nodded, tossing him the cashews. He opened the lid and grabbed a handful, almost pouring them in his mouth. He began to crunch away, closing his eyes and savoring the taste. “Damn, that is the best thing I’ve had in a long time. Thanks Darling.”
He looked at her again, taking another mouthful. “Well it looks like I owe you a favor, doesn’t it.” He moved to sit down on the back of the truck next to hers. Lucy realized that it was an older vehicle. It had dents and pieces hanging from it. It was obvious that it had been through hell. “My name is Reggie, and I’m an arms dealer, per say. I drive around looking to acquire and trade weapons. I saw you sitting here, looking out of place and couldn’t help but stop.” He jerked his thumb in the direction of the Police Station. “Plus, the cops in there aren’t really fond of me. With the safe point gone from Trinity Lake, I have to be careful about how I deal with my wares.” By now he was close enough to see what she had in her truck. He gave a low whistle.
“Damn girl, you packing some serious heat. A Daewoo and a Desert Eagle. Not what I would have pictured you handling.”
Lucy just wave them away. “They’re not mine. A friend I was traveling with was bitten and he left them to me. In fact this whole rig is his.” She saw that way that he was eyeing the weapons. “You interested in them?”
Reggie’s face took on the look of a boy who just woke up at Christmas. “Hell yeah, girl. I’m interested. What do you have in mind?” he said, rubbing his chin, looking at the weapons.
“I want something that fits me better. I’m looking to trade those three weapons there and the Hummer as well. It’s too big for me.”
“Well lets see what I have here”, said Reggie going back to his truck and opening up the back. Weapons and ammo lined the bed and walls of the SUV. In the far back there were a couple of boxes of MRE’s, which Lucy recognized as Army rations. Reggie picked up a small carbine from one of the hangers and checked to make sure it wasn’t loaded. Then he handed it to Lucy.
Lucy, by now, was used to handling weapons. She found this one to be light and easy to handle. It had a grip up near the barrel which helped her steady the weapon. Knowing not to point it at Reggie, she sighted down it and saw a red dot appear on her car. Looking over the site, she didn’t see it there, but it was through the scope when she looked again.
Reggie laughed a bit. “That’s a red dot holographic sight. It appears only through that lens, but it lets you know where you are aiming. It handles 9mm which is much like your revolver.” He pulled out 3 magazines and handed them to her. “They each hold twenty rounds.” Then he reached back and pulled out a handgun. “What you are holding is the Beretta Cx4 Storm Carbine. This”, he said holding out the handgun, “is the Beretta Px4 Storm. It shoots 9mm as well which means you can shoot the same ammo, and both guns can use the same magazines.” Reggie flipped the gun over in his hand and handed it to Lucy.
Lucy felt it. It was lighter than the shotgun or the desert eagle… more her style. She looked at both guns and then up to Reggie. “I’ll trade you the shotgun, the gold gun and the other gangsta gun for both of these, plus three mags for the Carbine and 2 for the handgun. I’ll trade the ammo for the desert eagle and shotgun for 200 rounds of 9mm and 50 rounds of .38.”
Reggie looked at her and the over at the weapons. “Deal. Now for the truck. I know that my truck is not quite up to the value of yours, so lets see what we can do. I have friends that do owe me a few favors.”
Weapons: Beretta Px4 Storm, chambered for 9mm, 2 x 17 round mags
Beretta Cx4 Storm Carbine, chambered for 9mm, with foregrip, tactical light, red dot scope, 3 x 20 round magazines
Lucy looked around the parking lot. She needed a vehicle and some more stuff. Finally she found something that interested her. She pointed to the vehicle in the corner of the impound lot. “That, she said with a smile. “I want that vehicle, 2 of the cases of MRE’s from your truck, and 50 gallons of gas, in containers on the roof. For that, you can have the Hummer and whatever loot in the back that I don’t want. Also, I need some new clothes.”
Reggie looked at her and then at the vehicle in the impound lot. It was an older Jeep Cherokee, but it had been outfitted with offroad tires and a carry rack on top. While he couldn’t picture her driving it, it was more her style and size than the hummer. “That’s a tall order and the police don’t really care for me. What is going to make them open that up to me.”
Lucy smiled sweetly. “This.” And she opened her bag to let him see all the medical supplies that she had taken from the mall. “I will keep some for my own med kit, but the rest I’m sure can the sold here. Trust me for those medicines, they’ll trade you the helicopter on the roof.”
Reggie laughed and then stuck out his hand. “Deal, little lady. I’ll go talk to my friends and see what I can do. You get what you want out of the back and I’ll be back in no time.”
Lucy shook his hand and then began to get the things she wanted out of the truck. She kept the cash and most of the bladed weapons and Reggie took the other weapons and ammo. He stacked two cases of MRE’s and three boxes of ammo on her tailgate. Then he left. While he was gone, Lucy pulled out a few blankets and other necessities and then topped off her medical kit with what she wanted. It still left a lot for the crowd indoors.
While it wasn’t “no time”, it wasn’t more than an hour before Reggie reappeared. Two officers were with him each one carrying 2 10 gallon cans. Reggie had one himself. They opened the gate and drove out the jeep, placing the containers on top. Then they took the medicine and blankets and whatever other gear was in the hummer and went back inside. Meanwhile, Reggie helped Lucy load up her stuff and then they loaded up his stuff into the hummer.
It was then that Reggie brought her a box. Lucy opened it. Inside were clothes. “I’m not sure if these would all fit, but it is what they had on short notice. They added in one of their smallest overalls and tactical uniforms so that you could wear it.” Lucy looked at the clothes and then nodded, placing the box in the back of her new ride. “Where are you going now?”
Reggie shrugged. “no where just yet, you just bought me some good will and I plan on using it at the cafeteria. Care to join me?”
Lucy nodded and smiled. “Might as well get a good meal before I go”, she said.
“Where are you going, little lady?”
“No clue.”
Together, they entered the police station, heading up to the cafeteria where some of the food was to be prepared. As they did, Lucy tossed Reggie another can. It was an unopened can of roasted cashews. Reggie grinned and stuck it in his bag. "I think I'm in love."