Aftermath Part II

Yunca Village - Liberated

T-junction road

"Figured you'd be here." said a grinning Captain Hunter as he walked next to the army truck. "All that bragging and your boys are still late to the party."

"Heh, It's the Bad-ass Del-tas," Captain Peppard sniggered as he puffs out cigarette smoke. "Isn't that your fault? If you called us sooner, we'd be here, and they won't even know what hit em"

Hunter raised a brow at him. Both knew it was a bad joke. "What they call themselves again?" Asked Peppard.

"Ghost." Hunter's eyes had a long yard stare to the ground as he remembered the unexplainable things that happened pre-fight and during the firefight.

"All of them?" Peppard asked. He peeked behind Hunter and saw four giant of a man with 1 guy and 1 girl hanging out beside the village houses.

"No. Just the four of them," said Hunter. "The one with the brown jackets are called Voiders."

"Voiders, huh. Fuck, I have no idea what's that about, Haha!" Peppard laughed happily to break away from the awkwardness. Seeing the long look of his long-time friend made him think that something odd did happen. "How's their act in a fight? Cause I have a lot of questions to ask if you don't mind."

"Ghost. Their name, Their game." Hunter looked at Peppard and sighs, "I don't know, Pard. I think the radiation is getting to me... But, do you believe in Ghosts?"

Even though Peppard shrugged his shoulders, he stayed silent as he waited for Hunter to say more.

"About the dead haunting the living for revenge, the ones that come and goes. Like the tale, parents used to say to scare the children." Hunter caresses his shotgun. "What if I told you they'd exist?"

"What if I told you when you felt that you were safe but actually weren't. What if I told you the things that bump in the night were there to take your life. Can you even fight back? What if I ask you, the scary ghosts were there. Will you be scared? Pard."

"Get on with your point, Hunter." Peppard felt even more uncomfortable with the way his friend is acting.

"You saw the dead bodies, Pard." Hunter leaned on forward, "I know you did."

He referred to the trail of bodies made by the Ghost Team on the west side of the village. More than half of all the kill counts against the gangs were just from the Ghost. All were clean kills, One shot to either their head or heart... Delta Team was mopping up from behind them. The things they saw made them question if those four were even humans, to begin with.

"The questions circling around your head?" Hunter asked with a hard stare on his look. "I have those too... and the best answer I can give to you... Be FUCKING glad the Ghosts are on our side."

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Angela Deth and Ace looked on to the walking rescued villagers. Their eyes were downcast, tired, beaten up, and some too injured to walk as the others helped them on their way. They said nothing to this scene. Instead, kept their eyes on the 6 people standing by the side. The Newcomers, as Angela calls it.

"4 of them are huge... as huge as Thrasher..." Their built and height was the first thing Ace took note of,

"Look at their stuff. Just like the ones back at The Citadel... Those are gears that we haven't seen before." While Angela fixed her eyes to their RIGS and especially to their weapon's accessory.

"Yeah... It did say they're the old government's best shot, well, at anything. Won't be a good idea if they have next to nothing on hand." Ace then switches his gaze towards the captured gang members.

"Then what if they decided to... change their mind?" Angela asked. Knowing full well to herself that she doesn't trust these people. Poking at Ace with these questions, secretly nudging him to look at it her way.

"Babe, don't give me that look. You know I took Vargas' side on this. We. Need. Them." Ace firmly said. "And if they wanted us dead, do you think we can take them on?"

"Probably," Angela said with a smile.

Ace held her arm, knowing well that this is one of Angela's excitement phases. "Angel, Before we were born, those people were already fighting a different war. A Proper War! To them, we might as well look like a bunch of kids playing guns."

"Angela, Ace, come in, Ranger Citadel here." Their radio turned on.

"Red Ranger here, Hearing you Ranger Citadel," Angela responded back. She looked at Ace, wondering why Vargas called.

"You had your fun, you two. I just want to let you know that the Ghost Team heard you. I haven't had a clue how they knew, but the good people here at Citadel told me that it's some fancy tech they have. Like I damn knew what that means. I would like for you two to keep it to yourselves when you're around them, next time.

Both Angela and Ace's face darkened. Angela rushed her thoughts with just pumping them with bullets and outnumbering them, giving them a high chance of success. Deciding on this action, she reckons they'll be able to capture one and make 'em sing out their secrets... Again, this was just her thought.

On the other side of her thoughts, with one word from Vargas about the Ghost Team hearing everything they just said... The danger figuratively slapped her face, finding no other means to possibly attack them. Plus, with their technology, maybe... just maybe... Team Able was right... They couldn't even know to themselves they were dead once this group made a move.

And the consequences were too much... She knew Vargas pinned his hopes with them... Doing so can lead her path against everything she stood for just because they were a possible threat.

Then she finally decided on one thing she finds ironic, Shutting the hell up. She said it back earlier to a member of Team Able. Now, she's doing it to herself.

"Ace," Vargas added in. "It might be the best thing that you're there."

Ace's eyes perked up as Vargas was not the type to give out speeches like that, waiting for him to give out the treat.

"They got one, A Skintaker. The way they bagged one still sounds stupid to me, so why not share a story with them? We hardly had any good talks with them, and here I am, hearing about some dicks had the fine idea of trying their luck with them."

Ace practically ignored 3/4 of what Vargas said when he heard the word "Skintaker." A term used by the Desert Nomads about any roaming Infiltrator synths for their ability to blend themselves in human society. His face lit up in excitement.

This time, Angela knew she can't stop him when he made that face. Even with what happened back at Base Cochise, Ace still had a fascination with robots. He walked ahead with a smile on his face with Angela behind him.

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Joe, Bear, Irish, and Castle stood there inline. Watching on at the broken crowd, with their thoughts with them. Skylar and Houmin stood behind them with a large sack on the side that let out grumbled noise from time to time.

The Ghost Team brushed off what they heard coming from the two rangers. They knew it to be a pain trying to explain back to General Vargas what happened should this jumpy "Veterans" got the best of ideas. The mission comes first. That's their mindset. Everything else? They're just an added nuisance.

"Voider," Joe chimed-in to their comms. "Can you confirm our new contacts at our 10'o clock?"

Houmin took a moment for it to sink in that Joe was talking to him. He tilted his head, looking at the opposite side of the street, and his face carved a surprise. "Ghost Lead! Those are Primary Individuals of Interest in the Desert Rangers ranks. Ace and Angela Deth."

"Ahh, shucks, kid!" Castle said out in a complaint, "Why'd you said it like that... Jeez, look! They're even coming towards us. Now, we have to salute them..."

"Just like the base days, Allen." Irish sarcastically said. "A Lt Colonel's wife, a pool game, and 2 shot glasses after. We had to fish you out of their house... The best part is. The next thing we knew, the day after that, we got the SAME colonel trying out for selection. You should have seen his face!"

All six of them snapped their attention to the captured group when they heard an excited voice.

"Hey, hey, hey good looking~" As the two rangers crossed the road, This distinctive noise coming out from Jaberon. "Being a ranger wasted that good-- Ugh!" and Angela punched out and knocking Jaberon unconscious.

Deslin gave out his applause when Jaberon's head hit the ground first. He was so glad that someone finally made that garbage to shut up.

The rest didn't stop and kept on moving forward. Porker stared menacingly at the Ghost Team as a maddening grudge brewed within him. Fitzgerald is still out cold as his goons carry him all the way. Except for Jaberon, whose gang is just dragging him by the feet.

Ace had to tilt his head back to look at one of the Ghost Team, "Any of you has the name Ghost Lead by any chance?" and offered up a hand.

"Sir," Joe said. He took a half-step forward. "We heard you have nice things to say about us,"

Ace choked up. "Yeah... nice things..." He shyly scratches the back of his head. "I'm Ace, and that's Angela."

Joe shook Ace's hand. "U.S. Army Special Forces, Group for Specialized Tactics, Team Predator," Joe took the hint of Ace's action. Deciding it's best to rough him up a bit.

"U... S... Army, Special Forces?" Ace repeated the words, having trouble believing what he heard. He heard those words before from one of the movies he watched back in Las Vegas... Hearing them upfront was just surreal.

"Anyway," Ace quickly recovered and said with a smile. "I am sure there's some crazy story in there where you had to save the worlds from the communists, a pretty gal, or maybe the hero the world didn't know. But, I gotta ask... How'd you take down a Synth without even breaking it?"

Disappointed, Joe looked at his fellow Ghost and stepped aside, revealing two arguing adults. "The one with the helmet, Sir. He's the one that took it down."

"Can I squeeze in?" Ace nod and asked Joe.

Joe gave out a short nod, "Voiders! Attention! Name and affiliation!"

"Houmin Whitbeck! Special Activities Division!"

"Skylar Kennedy! Special Activities Division!"

Houmin and Skylar stood there at attention, and their faces frowned under their respirator when they heard Irish held his laughter, which followed by the others except for Joe.

"Hey, How are you? Heard great things from you." Obviously, a lie. A perk that Ace got during his time with Mr. Fargo. "Exciting things and idea, I wanna ask, mi amigo. But first, so I'm gonna ask straight away, where's the synth, and how'd you disable it before it activates its self destruct function?" Without skipping a beat, Ace clasped Houmin's hand and shook it excitedly.

"What!!" Skylar's eyes stared at Houmin.

Ghost Team walked away and headed to the other rangers when they heard that. While Houmin knitted his brows about what Ace said.

"Self-Destruct... Huh?" Houmin blinked multiple times and asked in a panic. "Ahaha... You're not serious, right? Oh shit. You're not...."

Ace and Houmin had their backhead slapped, seemingly at the same time,

"FIX THIS PROBLEM! NOW!"

"I LET YOU DO THINGS YOUR WAY, THEN THIS HAPPENS!"

"Hmm?" Skylar and Angela said to each other.

Angela looked more closely at her as she hasn't seen anyone else with red hair just like her. She stood there, silent. Both of them, having a constant tough time with their stupid companion.

"Hi," Angela tried to strike up a conversation. What comes next is something that rouses up the brawling spirit within her.

"Eugh! Another redhead!" Skylar covered her mouth in panic. "Oh, shit. Did I said that out loud?"

The little spot they're on got lively as two redheads played tag, and two men had a nonstop handshaking moment.

While on the ground, a synth heard everything... begging to just end it's life when it knew that an idiot caught it.

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Team Whiskey Leader, Fett Ang, is relaying the updated situation to one of the newly arrived Ranger Team, Team Charlie.

"Most of my team had gathered up all the gears, ammo, weapon on the north side. We're heading next to the west side then into the east side." Fett showed a clipboard to Team Charlie's leader, Randy Savv. "Team Able and your Team will provide security while my team did the debriefing and humanitarian on the villagers. Take your time to familiarize yourself with the village."

"How many casualties on our side?" Randy asked. His team is one of the few that was not briefed on the complication of the situation. "And how many to the enemy side?"

Fett paused for a moment, confused. Why'd someone ask something like that? He hurriedly shakes his memory and realized that Team Charlie was way up north, where the radio signal is difficult. So it's possible they only heard the general assistance request from Ranger Citadel than learn the actual situation.

"Team Delta and Team Able are there," Fett pointed behind him, "Direct your further questions to them."

Randy nodded at him and took off.

Fett looked back at his clipboard, double-checking everything on it. Soon, one of his team members stepped forward, "Fett, we have about 27 villagers: 17 Teens, 4 Adults, 6 children. And 19 captured gang members: Deslin's Sand Vipers, six of them plus him. Jaberon's group, 4 including him. Porker's Border Heroes. 5 plus him. and Fitzgerald's mess. 4 plus him"

"Food and Water have been distributed." his team member said. He flipped the page from his clipboard. "Kappy and Gin are giving out medical aide. Some of the villagers badly need a proper doctor."

"May I add something, Fett?"

"Hmm? Yeah, it's okay." Fett glanced at his teammate.

"Most of the villagers weren't originally from this place," His team member told him. "It's a surprise to see Old lady Brenda living out here."

"Firecracker Brenda?" Fett looked up from his clipboard. "Anything more, she said?"

"Well, Aside from the family, with the husband still hugging his dead wife with him, and Old lady Brenda. They're the only survivor of Yunca village. The rest came from a raided village south of here."

"Wait, What do you mean?" Fett tightened his hold on his clipboard. What his team member said makes sense... so the mystery now, where's the rest of the villagers?

"Paul, say it," Fett said.

Paul heaved a long sigh, "Waffer, and I tracked multiple footprints. And heavy drag marks northwest from here. We stopped before a ditch, too deep for us to see anything below. With blood trails all around it, we suspect most of the bodies were thrown in there."

"Did you find any remains of any villagers?" Fett's voice tenses up,

Paul replied by shaking his head.

Fett's body felt like it got buried in 6ft of dirt when he put two and two together: Fritzgerald and everyone involved has committed genocide. To what scale? Fett didn't dare to imagine. But, he's sure this wasn't the first time they did this.

He's aware that this kind of thing does happen in the wasteland. But an ex-ranger participated or, more likely, is the ringleader for it. The repercussions of this are way too far and wide. It's no longer an internal problem for the Desert Rangers.

Somebody or some group will soon come knocking on the Rangers door, asking for blood.

"Thank you, Paul." Fett rubbed his face. "I'll let Ranger Citadel know what happened... Let's see if General Vargas is generous enough to take in this many people. The villagers won't survive out here alone without our help."

♪ Pumped Up Kicks (Acoustic Version) · Missy & Blonde featuring Julia Ross ♪