The Vanguard Vixen

The Black Pearl (Two)

The door opened once again and Vivian stepped in once again, although dragging a person along. The general sighed when he realized it wasn't one of his. She had left him alive, just so he could talk. Vivian took up the same spot she had been in before and threw him before the general.

"He was right across, and I believe you were his target."

"How sure are you that it is not you that he was after?"

Vivian laid out three bullets on the table for the general.

"There were three mercenaries in the building across, and the two of them that are, by the way, fortunately only unconscious at the moment had armour-piercing shells. Those were meant for me, whereas he clearly said he only wanted you."

She flicked the one ordinary bullet to him and he caught it.

"I know you have a stash of sniper bullets that were meant for you but didn't get to hit their mark only because of me. Add that to it, and I think you've got enough to fill a jar."

She held up the two that she had taken from his soldiers.

"I will meanwhile keep these as a reminder that I saved your life even when you tried to kill me, again."

The general looked at the bullet in his hand and looked back at Vivian.

"I am willing to help you but two things are likely to jeopardize that. One is whether Zhirkov can keep his mercenaries in line and two is what happens if they send the Vanguard air force?"

Vivian sighed and leaned back on the wall. He had a point there.

Each territory had been trying to get one up over the others, and specialization had become one of the major ways of achieving this. Vanguard had the most efficient or rather most destructive air force currently. Once they deployed their jets, the battle was as good as over. London was formidable over the waters, amassing a vast fleet of warships for their navy that proudly patrolled the waters around their territory. There were rumours that they had several more hidden inland or underground.

Cafri infantry was untouchable; hence they trained the best mercenaries money could buy. Vivian herself had spent a few months there in training. Prussia meanwhile had the best land missile targeting software; they could launch one from one end of their large territory and make it hit a moving target on the other end of the world. They had perfected their accuracy and strike distance, not to mention they had the biggest army in numbers. Stralia on the other hand, far off from the rest had chosen more defensive measures. Being isolated from the rest they had technology in place to sense aerial and underwater threats, plus their anti-missile system was unbeatable.

If the Vanguard sent their air force they could destroy the dark route. But the problem would be the dark route had feelers that spread deep in each territory and such a big and direct attack would warrant a much worse reply. And anyway, the Vanguard army needed the dark route mercenaries, for they helped to take out the criminals that hid where they couldn't reach, just like the general and her in this instance.

"Do you know who it is that wants to kill you generally?"

"Zhirkov has always wanted the highest seat in the land for himself, but he would do it face-on I presume. This is probably that merry little band of rogues that sprouted up recently. They call themselves 'the pioneers', they want the dark route to encroach further inland, as far as the river. They believe the business would be more profitable if they had direct access to water."

"But it also gives the government access to you."

"Exactly what I told them, but it seems they won't give up. I told their leader to disband the group and avoid any discord but, here we are."

Vivian knew exactly where he was going with his.

"You want me to help you 'convince' these guys to get off your back?"

The general nodded.

"I told Zhirkov I wouldn't shoot anyone."

"You've clearly shown how good you are even without a gun. Do this V169 and I will do all in my power to keep the Mainstream army from keeping up with you. And just to ask, what is it that they want so bad they would follow you to the ends of the world to retrieve it?"

Vivian showed him the bullets she still held in her hand.

"We aren't there yet general, not by a long shot."

When Vivian went back into the bar Lewis and Turana weren't where she had left them. Someone else had replaced Harold, so she guessed he must have taken them somewhere safe for the night but she had to be sure. On coming close she realized he was just a kid; he looked to be at least only twenty. To be in a place like the dark route at such a young age was never a life choice, and never the right thing. His eyes widened in shock when she spoke to him and he was that way for a couple of seconds before she snapped her fingers at him.

"Sorry, he said they wanted to call it in for the night. He took them to his place and told me to tell you they were safe there. I apologize; it's just that one doesn't get to see someone like you here anytime."

Vivian decided to entertain his presence and sat down at the table nearby.

"What do you mean someone like me?"

"You are an absolute legend along the dark route. The fact that you spent your childhood and grew up here, the battles you fought here, and the fugitives you hunted down within these very walls. One guy claims he spent a night with you once."

Vivian couldn't help but smile at that one.

"How old are you?"

He looked flustered but managed to reply.

"I turned nineteen this year."

"Were you born here...?"

"Ali. And no, I got into some trouble back home and was forced to come here."'

Ali went back to his job of making sure no one came into the bar with weapons. He was only nineteen but the older men coming in didn't even tease him. It seemed like they were quite familiar with him. Vivian wondered just how long he had spent in the dark route for paid killers to laugh with him.

Vivian had lost both her parents as collateral damage in a war they had nothing to do with. She had ended up in the dark route eventually, not as a mercenary but as a skilled little thief and smuggler, no one would see coming or suspect. She only got caught once and didn't get to steal again. That was because one of the then generals in the Vanguard army had captured her himself and having been impressed took her back to the Harbor with him instead of sending her off to the orphanage. It was there that she had gotten the attention of a commander this time and she had been drafted into the F.O.X operation. Vivian didn't know whether that had been ultimately her choice or that it was meant to be.

But she did know that either people decided their fate or someone did it for them, and a merry little band of rogues had just lost their right to choose.