An Alternate Version

Chapter 25: Appropriated Supplies

Kevin watched from concealment as another scavenger was killed. While the man fell, the sound of the rifle reached Kevin's ears. The range and efficient killing power of the girl now known as Red was both amazing and scary at the same time.

The scavengers on the north end of the platform were keeping their heads down, but they were by no means pinned. Although they were basically animals, the savages were cunning when it came to taking down dangerous prey. They'd noted the direction of the falling bodies, knowing the path of the bullet would impart its momentum to the target. By doing so, they'd figured out where the gunfire was coming from, and the scavengers on the north end of the platform were careful to stay behind barriers where they were protected.

A secondary group of scavengers were located on the far end of the rectangular attachment to the oil rig. Used for their living quarters, the long structure also suited their purposes in keeping out of sight while they put their inflatable rafts in the water. Equipped with a small but powerful motor, each raft was capable of closing the distance between the scavengers and their targets in very little time.

As Kevin saw the first of the boats hit the water, scavengers jumping in immediately afterwards, he knew what they were planning. As much as he wanted to shoot them before they got underway, he had a mission to complete and could not jeopardize his assignment by revealing his presence to the enemy.

One of the boats departed, its motor growling and leaving a white trail of churning water in its wake. A second boat cruised quickly after the first and then a third and forth. Because the boats headed directly south, the untrained observer might have thought the scavengers to be fleeing for their lives, but Kevin understood their methods. They would soon change course and make a long and curving turn back and try to catch the attacking sniper unprepared.

Kevin motioned for George to follow before leaving his place of concealment for a hiding spot beside a bundle of pipes leading from the drilling platform to the refining station installed beside it. Using the pipes as both cover and a guide, Kevin followed them toward where the oil was processed into fuel.

***

The darkness concealed the motorboats from the sight of Razor and Red, but it couldn't do anything to cover the noise of the engines. Razor heard them coming long before he saw them. He tapped Red on the shoulder and pointed to her then the rig when she looked in his direction. Holding up his own gun he pointed toward the sound of the incoming boats.

Red nodded her understanding and went back to firing on the defenders of the oil platform. One after another she flawlessly picked off those foolish enough to step out from cover.

Razor ducked down and listened intently to gauge where the incoming boats were located. Masters of water assaults, the Coral Blade scavengers cut their engines and paddled in slowly and silently with oars. Razor counted off in his mind before jumping up and firing his gun.

Positioned exactly where he'd expected them to be, the occupants of the first boat were caught unprepared. Gunfire thundered as bullets riddled the scavengers and their boat with equal ease. The magazine went empty, forcing Razor to duck down while reloading. He dropped the spent clip and jammed in a full one before pulling back the slide to chamber the first round.

Rising back to a standing position, he opened up on the second boat with similar effects to the first. Geysers of water sprayed skyward as bullets disrupted the otherwise still surface, air hissed as the inflatable raft was perforated in numerous locations, and small bursts of blood colored the sides of the craft as its passengers were struck down.

The scavengers of the Coral Blade were not fools. They knew the small boats left them vulnerable to attack out in the open, so the warriors in boats three and four filled their lungs with air and dived into the water. Taking refuge beneath the dark liquid, they continued their approach unseen.