Raven’s boots glided over the blood-smeared tiles, her steps quiet, her mood oddly good. The knowledge that her family is now staying with the government wasn’t just useful it's delightful. Knowing they had to beg for refuge after everything they’d done, after what they’d taken from her, made her proud of her hard work to fuck them over. She moved deeper into the ruined clothing store, moving past shattered mannequins and broken hangers until she neared the back inventory room. The air was heavier here, saturated with the unmistakable stench of sweat, fear, and something fouler.
To her right, wedged crudely between overturned display racks and storage bins, was a makshift cage. The bars were bent and rusted, but sturdy enough to trap the eight women crammed inside. Their clothes hung in pieces, their eyes sunken in and haunted by their fate. Malnourished. Scared. Silent tears ran down one girl’s dirt-streaked face. Raven’s gaze moved from the cage to the four Red Blood Raiders standing just outside it. They were laughing and snorting cocaine while making comments about which one they would "play with next" like they were picking a slice of meat at the market.
The rifle in Raven’s grip shifted slightly. She stepped back into the shadows, slipping into a circular clothing rack, her presence vanishing behind a curtain of dusty blouses and dresses. Slowly, she raised her rifle, the omni suppressor clearing just enough space between the hangers to draw a clean shot.
Pew. Pew. Pew. Pew.
Four bodies dropped to the floor like meat sacks. Heads snapped back. One man’s cigarette arced through the air and landed in a puddle of blood. The women in the cage screamed, startled, trembling and unsure if they were going to be killed next. The echo of their screams spread throughout the clothing store and caught the attention of the people in the back room
Raven already had her drones in position. With a mental command, she ordered them to engage their targets.
The gray double doors at the back of the store burst open.
Ten raiders stormed out, guns raised, shouts rising in unison. But they never made it more than two steps from the door when suddenly.
Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew, Pew
Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang
Silent rounds of bullets cut through their flesh. Bodies jerked and twisted before being able to raise their rifles to fire back, collapsing onto each other. The walls behind them were painted red in streaks of blood. A few stumbled over their fallen comrades, only to be guned down before they could lift their weapons.
One man managed to fire back. A single round flew through the air and struck one of the drone’s vertibird fans. It trembled violently, the fan grinding to a halt as the drone spun out and crashed with a loud bang against a nearby wall.
Raven’s left eye twitched.
"Damn it," she said flatly. "Guess I’ve got repairs to do."
The remaining drone didn’t pause. It adjusted angle midair, keeping its sights on the door. Another man tried to peek outside to see what was happening when his head turned into a smear on the wall.
With the threat suppressed, Raven stepped out from the clothing rack’s concealment, her assault helmet’s visor scanning for heat signatures around her. She moved toward the cage, the women inside froze in shock, their eyes now lit up with hope. Raven didn’t speak. Her focus remained on the door. Anyone else trying to come out would be guned down like the rest.
She crouched beside the wrecked drone, fingers brushing along its body.
"You did good," she said as she stored it back into the system space for later repairs.
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