Guns for Hire - Script Thirty Three

Barratt's Lake, Cleveland National Forest 9.09am - 15/05/2016

In silence Price, Mariusz, Vrasten & T-Bird listened with increasing incredulity as the shock jock continued to report on endless tragedies as well as amazing escapes whilst the world slept.

Barratt's Lake, Cleveland National Forest 9.29am - 15/05/2016

With the woman & her brat patched up & sent on their way & the truck, slightly more dented than previously, winched out of the ditch they headed for Heavens Gate with the simple intention of knocking on the door & asking to see the kid, after all their remit was simply to prove he was with Applewhite's group of his own free will. With no obvious means of contacting the commune at the head of the gated track Mariusz crunched the padlock & chain with a handy pair of cutters from the trucks ever increasing payload of tools, weapons & assorted crap, pulling the gate closed behind them once Alex had turned onto the track.

Driving on it was evident that whatever Marshall Applewhite's motives he ensured that the access road was maintained & kept clear of debris.

Before they reached the commune Mariusz slipped of the bus suggesting that maybe he'd keep an eye on things from a distance,

"Just in case yeah, this mob might really raving homicidal cannibals rather than hippy bible freaks"

As Mariusz disappeared under the trees Price drove the last couple of hundred yards before emerging into a well organised clearing containing the mansion itself & several smaller outbuildings around & along the edge of the lake. The clearing was also occupied by at least a dozen members of the Heaven's Gate order, whilst most paid only a passing interest in the buses arrival it certainly didn't raise any alarm bells or incite the Jesus freaks to the level of a blood thirsty mob, in fact the most aggressive action was that of a kid, a girl of maybe six or seven, who pulled her tongue out at T-Bird. Killing the engine Price nodded to T-Bird & then towards the surrounding outbuildings, grunting an acknowledgment T-Bird stuffed his LAP under his shirt & as Vrasten & Price walked around the corner of the main building, having seen the main entrance/porch as facing the lake side from the previous nights surveillance, T-Bird smiled widely & engaged with the nearest group of freaks.

Surprised at their unhindered progress Alex & Vrasten mounted the wide timber steps to the deck along the front of the house, half expecting at any time to at least be challenged if not assaulted, when nothing of the like occurred they simply walked through the invitingly open double front doors & into the sizable two storey lobby. It was evident that the building had seen better days & that when previously occupied the building had been lavishly attired, what was also clear was the current occupants had made considerable efforts to simplify the finishes with copious buckets of white wash, even so however the level of finishes was still impressive & hinted at former decadence.

Barratt's Lake, Cleveland National Forest 9.46am - 15/05/2016

T-Bird, doing his best, to be everybody's favourite uncle, knelt with the small group of kids who'd gathered around him, letting them babble on for a few minutes about the mornings unexpected nap he began to tease any information he could from them about the cult's set up, his questions ultimately drew the attention a of young woman who was gutting fish presumably caught from the lake, quieting then shooing the kids away she adamantly refused to be drawn by T-Bird's prying & explained to T-Bird that should he have any questions he should speak with one of the elders or Reverend Applewhite himself, T-Bird, clearly dismissed, made a full circuit of the compound before returning to the bus convinced that these people were indeed just a mishmash of harmless losers hoping somebody else had all the answers.

Barratt's Lake, Cleveland National Forest 9.48am - 15/05/2016

Poking around the half dozen doors leading from the main lobby there was again no hint of any measures to prevent their entry, the rooms off the lobby were simply & practically furnished & seemed to consist of communal study rooms, food preparation & storage areas, before Vrasten & Price continued to explore their attention was caught by the sound of orchestrated hymns from somewhere above, rolling his eyes at some distant memory Vrasten lead the way up the open curving staircase to the left hand side of the lobby whilst Alex joined him onto the cantilevered mezzanine landing above via the right hand staircase. Ignoring the numerous closed doors both of them followed the sound of joyous voices along the main hallway which ran away from the lobby below.

At the end of the corridor a pair of double doors stood ajar, the singing coming from the room beyond, peering into the room it was surprisingly large, most likely formed by the removal of several internal partitions to form a room occupying probably a third of the first floor floor area, inside were maybe fifty or sixty people gathered hand in hand in a circle, in the middle of which stood Marshall Applewhite, magnanimous in his followers adoration. Applewhite, clearly aware of Vrasten & Alex at the door, ignored their presence for the moment & continued to gaze contentedly at the surrounding members of Heaven's Gate as they sang of their joy in his leadership. Vrasten, by now satisfied that they were not going to be lynched, eased on the safety catch of his concealed ST2, Price, similarly sensing the apparent benign nature of cult, with drew her hand from the grip of her AMT 2000 in the shoulder bag she was carrying.

Continuing to watch, several members of the congregation individually stepped forward & knelt before Applewhite apparently to receive his divine blessing. Vrasten nudged Price in the ribs as the fourth to step forward was a beaming Étienne D'Aubigne, after a number of other followers had been equally blessed the singing gave way to silence as Marshall addressed his rapt attendees regaling their salvation from the impending fall of earth & how the mornings two minute shutdown was a god given sign of what was to come, an argument for a moment thought Vrasten that actually seemed to make some kind of sense.

Eventually the service ended & Applewhite's followers, including the D'Aubigne kid, filed out heartily discussing their impending rise to the stars & redemption. Applewhite, smiling benignly, beckoned to Vrasten & Price to enter.

Barratt's Lake, Cleveland National Forest 9.59am - 15/05/2016

Having circled around perimeter Mariusz, from the cover of the surrounding trees, watched Vrasten & Price go into the building as well as T-Bird fuck around around with some kids then flirt with a pretty young thing before returning to the bus. Bored he continued to watch, Giscard, resting at his feet in readiness should his support be required.

Barratt's Lake, Cleveland National Forest 10.12am - 15/05/2016

After some ten minutes of listening to Applewhite's bull shit as to why the D'Aubigne kid was here of his own free will they'd both had enough, it was clear to both that from the kid's participation in the happy clappy session he wasn't here against his will, despite Applewhite's opposition to them having a chat with him. Burying their contempt for Applewhite they thanked him for his time & left, they'd seen enough to explain to Yanic what the score was & if he wanted to take it further they could come back, it wasn't that far but it would cost him the $35K previously agreed, for now they'd settle for $10K, this was more than agreed but they had repairs to the truck to consider.

As they stepped back into the bus Price could see Marshall Applewhite watching from the congregational room window above, Price was tempted to give him the finger but then she just couldn't see the point. With Ryder already on board, Vrasten riding shotgun & assuming Mariusz would meet them down the track Alex turned the bus around & headed out.

Barratt's Lake, Cleveland National Forest 10.23am - 15/05/2016

Stretching his legs out behind him Mariusz watched as a couple of dozen emerged from the building, most dispersed around the compound to take up choirs whilst several returned inside, more interestingly however Mariusz saw Étienne along with another walk away from the group, across the compound & into one of the outbuildings under the canopy of the surrounding woods, picking up his kit, Mariusz pulled back into the shadows & made his way around the compound perimeter.

Barratt's Lake, Cleveland National Forest 10.26am - 15/05/2016

With his back to the outbuilding timbers Mariusz considered his options, the kid & his stooge were splitting shingles so others could use them to carry out repairs to one of outbuilding roofs. Unsure what Vrasten & Price were up to Mariusz decided to act, quietly he stepped into the outbuildings cool interior & closed the door,

"Hey kid, read any good books lately ?"

Barratt's Lake, Cleveland National Forest 10.32am - 15/05/2016

With Étienne's stooge unconscious & trussed up like a chicken Mariusz bound Étienne's hands behind his back & made sure the gag was secure, he was just considering making a break for the bus when he saw Vrasten & Price stride into view heading for the campervan, assuming they were bailing out Mariusz quickly pushed the kid out of one of the unglazed side windows & dragged him into the trees, forcing the kid to stumble through the undergrowth.

Barratt's Lake, Cleveland National Forest 10.37am - 15/05/2016

Cruising slowly up the track & keeping an eye open for Mariusz Price pulled to a halt maybe a quarter mile from the road as she saw him emerge from the undergrowth, what surprised her was the kid on the end of a rope trying his best to kick the shit out of Mariusz.

"Looks like we're gonna' get the $35K after all" said T-Bird

San Diego Highway, Route 5 3.22pm - 15/05/2016

It was a pretty uneventful trip back to NC, well, uneventful if you exclude wrecks everywhere, power cuts, looting, rotting corpses & endless bloody news reports as anybody & everybody even remotely connected to the government determinedly denied having anything whatsoever to do with the two minute flash-forward as it was being called by the media'

"Guess it must'a been the government then" commented Mariusz

Forlorn Hope, Night City 4.57pm - 18/05/2016

Glancing around the table Alex asked the obvious question

"So what we gonna' do now boys. We got a few extra dollars & the worlds fucked, any suggestions"

"Er, Yanic just sent me a text" suggested Vrasten, "turns out shit for brains has gone & done a runner again"

"Fuck that" answered Mariusz &T-Bird in unison

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