A Series.
Riggs sat back on a makeshift chair, eyeing the approaching tribal leaders. A line of camels stretched out behind them. Valeria was down by the water, waving a greeting. The local tribes had been trading with Riggs, whatever he could scavenge or build, bringing up much-needed goods such as tools and ammunition. Riggs stood up, languidly yawning. He felt his side, making sure his sidearm was on him. He strode forward to meet the traders. The head of the caravan bowed a few times as Riggs approached, his thawb flowing in the breeze. Riggs raised his hand, acknowledging the man.
“Hello Riggs,” said the lead man, nearing Riggs.
“Mehmet,” replied Riggs, nodding in the man’s direction.
“What do you have to trade with us today?” inquired Mehmet.
“Not much,” replied Riggs.
“That is most unfortunate, for we have much to trade.” Mehmet smiled, stretching his arm out behind him.
“I can see that,” replied Riggs. Mehmet’s smile turned a frown. “Something wrong?” asked Riggs.
“Yes,” replied Mehmet, his face downcast.
“You going to tell me?” asked Riggs after a few moments’ silence.
“Yes, perhaps we should sit,” said Mehmet, indicating to Riggs’ cabin.
“Sure.” Riggs and Mehmet went up to Riggs’ cabin as the camels were led to the water to drink.
Inside Mehmet sighed. “Things are not good friend”
“Why?”
“We’ve been plagued by raiders for the past couple weeks.”
“Aren’t raiders just part of life out here?”
“Yes… but these are more intense. They attack with cars and weapons. They have already hit my son’s convoy and taken off some of his wives. What they do with them I do not know, since we have not been able to pursue them.”
“Sorry to hear that.”
“It gets worse. The raiders they come this way. We have heard them in the night. We have not been struck yet but we know it is only a matter of time. I do not what to do Riggs, there is only so much I can do to protect my wealth and family.”
Riggs nodded, thinking. “You have weapons?”
“Of course.”
“Keep them in use. These raiders, they get shot up enough, they’ll go look for other prey. They’re predators, predators look for the weak and the lame. They stay away from a fight.”
Mehmet nodded thoughtfully as Riggs spoke. “Friend, these words you say are certainly wise. Perhaps there is hope.”
“As long as a man’s got fight there’s hope,” replied Riggs.
“Agreed. Here.” Mehmet placed a bag on the table.
Riggs opened it. Inside was ammunition for his revolver. “I have nothing to trade for this, Mehmet,” said Riggs.
Mehmet waved his hand. “A gift from a friend.”
“Well I have to repay the favor some time,” replied Riggs.
“A gift does not need repayment.” Mehmet looked out at the camels gathering outside. “I am not sure I trust these men I am with, Riggs,” said Mehmet.
“What do you mean? Is that not your family out there?”
“No.” Mehmet’s eyes widened. “My family has gone to help my brother but I still needed to lead the caravan and we must eat somehow. No, these men are led by a local prince. I do not trust him, Riggs.”
“Why is that?”
“He is a bad man. It is me and my wife among his many soldiers with my goods. You understand why that can make a man nervous?”
“Of course.”
Mehmet stood up. “We must be carrying on. This is the end of our stop. We will head back to my home tonight. Let us hope no ill will befall us.”
“Keep your rifles ready,” advised Riggs.
“Oh, we shall. Thank you, friend, it is always a pleasure to see you.”
Riggs sat down by the water as the sun sank below the horizon. Returning to his cabin, he heard gunfire off in the distance. He looked out in the direction of Mehmet’s caravan. “The raiders must have gotten to them,” he said to Valeria, standing in the doorway of the cabin.
“Raiders? Should we do something?”
Riggs looked over at Valeria. “There is nothing we can do. Go inside.”
Valeria turned around and entered the cabin. Riggs awoke in the middle of the night. He heard footsteps outside. Riggs rolled out of bed and pulled his revolver from the holster at his bedside. He crept outside, trying to adjust his eyes to the dim light. He made out the form of two figures running up toward his cabin. He took aim and waited until they were closer. “That’s close enough,” he called out. The two figures froze.
“Riggs!” shouted out a familiar voice.
Riggs lowered his revolver and stared into the darkness. “Mehmet?” guessed Riggs.
“Please, friend, we are need of aid.”
“Come,” said Riggs, standing up. “Light a fire,” he called to Valeria who stood in the doorway. A fire lit, Riggs examined Mehmet and his wife. Both were covered with blood and suffered from scraps and gashes. “Raiders?” asked Riggs.
“Yes, the rifles were not enough. They took all I had and carried off the prince and his men. Riggs, I fear they may come here next.”
“There is nowhere we can go. We don’t have gasoline for the car and we are surrounded by desert,” replied Riggs.
“We have two camels. They can bear us away from here.”
“And to where? Four people traveling in this desert are an easy mark, even for the most timid of bandits.” Mehmet sat back, crestfallen.
“Nevertheless, we can hide here. I’ll go out on the other side of the oasis and keep watch. Stay here and keep alert. If you hear anything don’t stay near the cabin, understood?”
Mehmet nodded. “Understood.”
Riggs felt the cool night breeze blow around him. He looked out across the dunes, not seeing anything. In the distance he heard a faint rumble, but not close enough to make out. Drifting off to sleep, Riggs was roused by the sounds of car engines firing. Shooting upright, Riggs turned and raced back for the cabin. The cars emerged over the dunes and swarmed down on the cabin. Riggs heard gunfire and cursed. As he crested the final dune before the cabin he saw the final car’s taillights disappearing over the dune behind the cabin. He ran to the cabin, expecting the worst. Inside the cabin was wrecked and looted. Riggs went outside to the car. It had been stripped of some parts and lying next to it was Mehmet. Riggs crouched next to him, examining the body. He was dead, shot through the chest. Riggs cursed and stood up. He looked down towards the water. Running down, he searched for the camels. He found one dead, also shot. The other was tied to a tree, trying to free itself from its bonds. Riggs approached the camel, calming it. He returned to the cabin and tried to find any extra ammunition that they may have missed but to no avail. Valeria and Mehmet’s wife were nowhere to be found either. Riggs surmised they had been taken by the raiders. He saddled his camel and set out after the tire tracks into the desert night.
Riggs took a deep gulp of water and returned the canteen to the camel’s side. Ahead of him, the tracks crested over a large dune. The sun was setting. Riggs had pursued the men for a day and luckily for him they were in no hurry and had not gone far. Riggs tied the camel to a tree. “Must be water near,” he thought. He walked up the dune and looked over. There below him were the raiders’ cars in a circle, with their tents formed up inside the circle. In the center was a large fire where some meat was being prepared. Outside the wire, a few patrols were forming up. A couple hundred feet to the right of the car circle, there was a shallow lake where men were filling up a large pile of canteens. Riggs crouched down by some shrubs and began observing the activities of the camp below. He watched the camp for a couple hours until the only light was the light of the fire and he had memorized the movements of the patrols. He took a swig from his canteen and headed down towards the camp.
He approached the patrol on his side. The two men walked lackadaisically, one whistling. Riggs drew his knife and waited until their backs were to him. He had planned every bush and rock he would use to advance. Nearing the men, he stopped as the whistling one turned to talk to the other. “Hear about that new joint up North a ways?”
“No,” replied his companion.
“Apparently some ballsy goon and his boys been raiding train caravans.”
“Train caravans?”
“Yup.”
“Sounds like suicide to me.”
“Well you haven’t seen the one doing it. Says he seven foot tall and round three hundred pounds of muscle and mean as can be.”
“Won’t stop a 45.”
“Hahaha, no, it won’t.”
Riggs was now less than a foot behind the man who was whistling. Riggs checked the man’s companion for weapons and seeing only a club dangling at his side, Riggs’ drove his knife into the man’s neck. Removing it skillfully, Riggs drove it into his companion’s neck before he could make a sound. Both guards dispatched, Riggs rifled through their gear. He took a canteen from one and drained it, sighing as the water cooled his dried throat.
He now moved in, to just outside the perimeter of the camp. He looked in. The majority of the raiders were gathered by the fire, eating and talking. Off to Riggs’ right was a large tent with two guards stationed outside. Riggs slipped between two of the cars and made his way along the tent line, towards the tent which was guarded. He crouched down by a tent and peeked around. There, near the center of the fire, stood a man holding a crest of some sort. Four men surrounded him with automatic rifles. Riggs looked around at the others who also bore automatic rifles. “Why did the patrols have nothing?” wondered Riggs.
He put his ear to the tent and listened. He could hear nothing over the commotion of the men by the fire. He grasped the bottom of the tent fabric and tried lifting it to get a view inside but it was too tight. Riggs removed his blade and cut an eyehole. Looking in, Riggs saw two men in sleeping bags. Riggs waited for the rise and fall of their chests, to confirm they were asleep. Seeing they were, Riggs widened the hole and poked his head in. On the other side of the man furthest from him lay an automatic rifle and cartridges, the man’s hand rested lightly on the barrel of the rifle. Riggs widened the hole enough to let himself inside. He slit the throats of the two men and retrieved the rifle. Exiting, Riggs ensured that the rifle was loaded and placed the other cartridges along his belt, jamming them in.
Now better armed, Riggs made double time to the guarded tent. Going around to the rear of the tent, Riggs crouched down and cut an eyehole like he had previously. He peeked in, and saw that there along the walls were the prisoners the raiders had captured. He made out Valeria towards the entrance to the tent. The majority of the prisoners were asleep but Valeria sat wide eyed, staring towards the tent entrance. Riggs widened the hole and let himself in. The awake prisoners turned to him, fear and shock on all their faces, except one. Riggs made his way to Valeria. He held his finger to his lips, she nodded quietly. He crouched down and examined her bonds. Seeing they were made of cheap rope, he cut them. Riggs grabbed Valeria and turned back towards the exit. “We can’t leave them,” Valeria whispered into his ear.
Riggs looked around at the prisoners. “Too risky,” he mouthed to Valeria.
“If you go, we will call out for the guards.” A skinny prisoner towards the rear of the room looked up at Riggs, a sly smile across his face.
Riggs scowled and began cutting the bonds of the prisoners. By the time he was done all of the prisoners were awake and shuffling around. “We cannot all sneak out at once,” said the prisoner who had threatened Riggs. “We will need weapons,” continued the man.
“Then get them,” replied Riggs.
“The prince is right,” said another prisoner. “Please sir, you have procured a weapon for yourself. Take two of our finest killers and at least set them to work gathering weapons for us… so that we might have a chance.”
“Fine, send them over,” replied Riggs. The prisoner selected two men, who went over to Riggs. “Follow me, I’ll get you knives and some rifles then I’m coming back for her and I’m gone… understood?” The prisoners nodded.
Riggs led the two men out of the tent and to the tent adjacent. Cutting an eyehole through, Riggs saw the same setup as before. He snuck in and slit the throats of the two men there. He handed the weapons out to the men waiting and this time, removed the raiders’ knives, also giving these to the men outside. “Bring the rifles to your people back in the tent. You have seen what I have done with the knives, so go do the same and gather enough weapons to fight out… alright?” The two men nodded and disappeared from sight.
Returning to the main tent, he grabbed Valeria. “Where are you going?” asked the prince.
“What the hell do you mean, where am I going?” hissed Riggs.
“These are not enough weapons. Please help my men before you go.”
“Nah, I’m leaving.” Riggs grabbed Valeria and headed towards the rear of the tent. The prisoners packed tightly around the opening.
“You cannot leave.”
Riggs raised the rifle, pointing it at the center mass of the prisoners in his way. “Don’t test me,” warned Riggs.
“Please, a few more weapons, that is all I ask.”
“Riggs, if you fire, we’ll never get out of here,” whispered Valeria.
Riggs nodded, annoyed. “Fine.” He turned back toward the prince. “Any more tricks and I’ll take my chances blasting you all to hell.” The prince nodded, the sly smile still on his face. Riggs returned to the tent circle and made his way down. He found that one of the prisoners was returning from a successful attack. He bore a rifle in each hand and three knives at his waist, one still covered in blood. Riggs shuffled past him and towards an unmolested tent. Riggs cut the eyehole and peeked in. Both men inside were asleep. Riggs set his knife to the fabric, when he heard a cry from the other side of the camp, rising up louder than the commotion. The cry was cut off by the sound of gunfire. Riggs retreated to behind the car closest to him, as the men inside the tent in front of him woke up. Riggs could still see the fire. A couple more shots sounded off.
He began making his way to the prisoner’s tent along the outside of the cars, watching for any patrols that might be coming in. Riggs saw one of the prisoners who had been gathering weapons brought to the center of the camp. There, the man with the crest stood over him as the man who dragged the prisoner there spoke with him. The man with the crest’s face twisted with anger. He removed a jagged dagger from his belt and raked it across the caught prisoner’s chest multiple times. The prisoner screamed as each swing cut deeper, causing him to bleed profusely. The man with the crest grabbed the prisoner by the back of the head, raising him to his feet. He then violently jerked the prisoner towards the fire. The man, weak and wounded, fell in, burning. Along the outside, raiders gathered with sharpened sticks, should the prisoner attempt to escape the fire. The man shot up out of the fire, only to be impaled by a stick and then driven back in, staked to the ground. However, the leader’s anger was not satiated. He pointed his crest towards the prisoners’ tent and started shouting orders.
Raiders swarmed the tent. Riggs bit down, knowing that whatever happened next would not be good. The raiders entering the tent were blown back by rifle fire. The guards outside turned to enter the tent and were also blown back. The leader raised his rifle and began tearing into the tent followed by his men. The prisoners broke free from the tent, cutting their way out in many different directions. Riggs watched the tent intensely to see if Valeria escaped. The prisoners began fighting back. Unarmed prisoners broke into tents, wrestling with the occupants and retrieving weapons of their own. However, the raiders all converged on the tent, picking off the armed prisoners. After a few moments, the raiders entered the tent and subdued the rest of the prisoners. Now the leader’s whole countenance twisted with rage.
The prisoners were all led out of the tent, all bound. Valeria and the prince brought up the rear. The first prisoner’s bonds were cut and he was led out to the center of the raiders. A raider came forward bearing a modified cattle prod. The raider jammed it into the prisoner’s chest. The man began convulsing, falling to the ground. Riggs saw what was planned for the rest of the prisoners. He made his way to the opposite side of the camp, to another large tent. He cut his way inside, and glanced out. They were not on the third prisoner, but a raider walked towards him with shears.
Riggs shuddered and entered the tent. All around the tent were supplies of various sorts. Riggs found was he was looking for and exited. He began pouring gasoline on the supplies tent and on unoccupied tents next to it. He lit a match as a blood curdling scream went out from the prisoner. Riggs threw the match on the tent and raced behind the cars. The tent went up in flames. Riggs sprinted making his way back towards the prisoner’s tent. Seeing the fire, the raiders began racing towards it. Riggs slammed against the hood of one of the cars and took up a firing positon. He aimed for the chest of the leader and fired. Three bullets stitched across the leader’s chest as the man fell backwards into the fire. Riggs again began his sprint around to the prisoner’s tent.
The camp ablaze and their leader dead, the raiders began frantically racing around. Some turned on each other, some turned to put out the fire, and some turned to finish the prisoners. Riggs entered the camp and fired on the raiders who were attacking the prisoners. Most of the prisoners had managed to get free and helped themselves to the raiders’ weapons again. Riggs crouched down by Valeria and cut her ties. “With me,” said Riggs, bringing her to her feet and setting off towards his camel. Riggs and Valeria raced off towards the dune.
Cars started as raiders began evacuating from the camp. The prisoners immediately beset the cars, shooting into them and trying to get out. Riggs stopped suddenly. “What is it?” asked Valeria.
“We’ll get picked off riding a camel with these raiders going around. We need a car.” Riggs looked around for raiders making for their cars. Seeing a raider making a mad dash toward one car, Riggs sighted him. As the raider removed his keys and placed them into the car door, Riggs fired, killing the raider. “Come.” Riggs grabbed Valeria’s hand and pulled her along as he ran for the car.
As he neared it, a group of prisoners armed with the automatic rifles stood before him with the prince at the front. “I’m afraid I can’t let you leave, friend,” said the prince. Riggs went to raise his rifle but the prince wagged his finger and pointed. Two prisoners came up behind Riggs, also bearing the rifles, one pointed at him and the other at Valeria. “The woman. I want her as a wife,” declared the prince.
“Go to hell,” replied Riggs.
The prince shook his head. “Stubborn man, usually I would kill you and take her anyways but since you have helped us so, I in my infinite grace will let you live.”
Riggs’ eyes narrowed.
The prince smiled. “Consider it a small price for your life, friend.” The prisoners pushed Valeria forward with their rifles as the prince retrieved the keys from the dead raider. The prince started the car and ordered his men in. They bound Valeria and placed her in the back with a man on either side. In the front, the prince sat in the middle with a man on either side. One in the back kept his gun trained at Riggs, and the other at Valeria, as they pulled off. Riggs cursed and raised his weapon to fire as their taillights drifted outside the circle, but stopped in case he hit Valeria. He looked around him for another car. He saw a prisoner overpower a guard and stab him in the neck, seizing his held out key. Riggs raised his rifle and fired. The prisoner fell next to the raider, both dead. Riggs retrieved the key and tore out after the prince and Valeria.
Riggs followed the taillights into the night. Riggs increased his speed, nearing the fleeing prince. He knew they saw him. He readied his rifle as best he could, preparing for the first attack. A man stuck his head out the side of the car, bringing up his rifle. Riggs had his rifle set up on his dash and fired through the windshield and into the man. The man slumped, half his body folding over the car window. Riggs increased his speed and aimed at the car’s tires. He fired and the bullets pierced the tire, but the car continued on. He drove off to the right of the car and took aim again. He fired, the bullets cutting through the right rear tire. The car swerved and came to a halt. Riggs parked and got out, running to the rear of the car and taking aim. No one moved in the car.
Riggs crouched down and began advancing slowly. A man burst from the rear door, firing haphazardly at Riggs. Riggs fell to a prone position and fired, hitting the man in the chest. Riggs sat motionless, his heart hammering. He advanced, still prone, towards the car. He aimed at the front right door and fired into it. He heard the man slump against the side. The prince was the only one left. Riggs returned to a crouch and sat against the rear of the car. He could hear Valeria’s muffled screams from inside. Riggs shot around the left side of the car, his rifle raised, but the prince was waiting.
Riggs saw a flash of light and then felt a searing pain in his side. He fell back, groaning. The prince stepped forward, his gun still trained on Riggs. From the other side emerged the wounded man from the front seat. He circled around and trained his gun on Riggs. “Go ahead,” said Riggs.
“No… you have caused me too much pain.”
Riggs laughed, then groaned, feeling the pain in his side. “You don’t want me alive,” warned Riggs. The prince nodded to his henchman who kicked Riggs’ rifle aside, then reached down and removed his knife and pistol, placing them in the front of the car. “Throw him in with the woman,” ordered the prince. The man lifted Riggs up and led him to the backseat of the car. The man opened the door and grabbed bonds. Riggs, feeling something well up inside him, punched the man in the back of the head with all his might. He turned, throwing dirt he had grabbed into the prince’s eyes. Riggs jumped forward into the front seat and slammed on the accelerator.
The car lurched forward but gave out. Riggs cursed, remembering he had shot out the tires. Bullets flew into the car. Riggs grabbed Valeria and pulled her down off the seat onto the floor. He grabbed a rifle lying on the floorboard and returned fire. The prince and his henchman advanced from different sides. Riggs kicked open the door on the side of the prince and popped up in the middle of the car. The prince peppered the door as Riggs fired, striking down his henchman. Riggs then dove to the door as the prince fired at where he had just been. Slamming onto the ground on his wounded side, Riggs saw stars as he fired at the prince. The prince dropped. Riggs advanced, firing a few more shots into him. Reaching him, he dropped down and planted his knife in the prince’s heart to make sure. Riggs, feeling woozy, stumbled back to the car and undid Valeria’s bonds. “Open the trunk see if they have any medical supplies,” groaned Riggs, lying down across the backseat. Valeria did as she was told. Riggs felt her hands working as his vision started to fade.
Riggs woke to the sun rising and Valeria sitting by his side. Riggs looked down and saw his wounds were dressed. “Really just grazed you, baby,” said Valeria, smiling widely.
Riggs laughed, a pain shooting through his side.
“Here.” Valeria handed Riggs a canteen that he drank deeply from. “So what’s the plan?” she inquired.
“Go back to the camp, see what we can scrounge up… maybe our camel’s still alive.” The two returned to the camp and found a running car. They loaded it up with what little supplies were left. “There is nothing left for us at the cabin,” said Riggs, pulling away from the camp.
“What do you want to do?”
“Get out of this damned desert,” replied Riggs.
“The train caravan should be running on the main road. If we catch up with them, they will let us on.”
“The train caravan?”
“That way,” said Valeria, pointing. Riggs followed her finger and took off.
Along the main road, Riggs made out a faint shape in the distance. “There it is,” said Valeria.
“What exactly is a train caravan?”
“Exactly as it sounds. It’s a train but it runs on wheels instead of a track.”
Riggs nodded. The caravan had stopped and Riggs pulled up to the side. “We just board?”
Valeria laughed. “No, we have to talk to the conductor.”
Riggs sped alongside the caravan. It stretched out for nearly a mile. “I’ve never seen such an contraption,” said Riggs.
“Really?”
Riggs shook his head. “Really.”
They finally made it to the front and exited the car. Valeria waved at the conductor, who waved back. After a quick trade of some goods, the two were allowed to board and given a compartment for their lodging and goods. The caravan started off again. Riggs sat down, looking out the window. “Where is this thing going?” asked Riggs.
Valeria shrugged. “They go place to place wherever there is money to be made.”
Riggs nodded, looking back out the window. After a few minutes of silence, he drifted off to sleep, watching the desert pass by.
