The Purge

"Oh, my God!" she heard David say under his breath.

"What is it?" she demanded to know.

"They have it," he said his voice hollow.

"Have what?" she screamed knowing exactly what he meant.

The newest breaching device looked exactly like the previous model but it had a second plasma tube mounted like a kind of double-barreled shotgun.

David reached out for Rachel's hand but she screamed and pulled it away. "Don't touch me! You did this to us. You and your...your goddamned money!" Then she quietly said, "You've killed us both."

"Rachel, I didn't know. I was just..."

She took the weapon off safe and pointed it at him. "Shut your fucking mout and don't say another word."

From what they'd heard this new model could breech a BenCor I in less than two hours. It had some sort of mechanism that immediately cooled the superheated metal from spalling inside the vault and killing its occupants before the Marauders could get to them. That was critically important to these hideous cretins because torturing and inflicting fear were a huge part of the thrill for them.

There was nothing to do but sit and listen to the hiss of the torch slowly cutting a large circle around the vault's locking mechanism. Rachel could actually see the progress once the initial beam had cut completely through the metal leaving a tiny hole in its wake. From there, the hole turned into a small line, then an arc, and was now almost a complete circle. They had been cutting for nearly two hours and in mere moments, all that would remain would be for the Marauders to use the industrial-sized magnet connected to a winch on the truck to pull out the huge metal piece leaving the occupants fully exposed.

As the cutting stopped, they heard the voice of the redneck in charge order, "Fire up the winch!" In another five minutes they heard a very loud humming noise and could see the magnet moving toward the door. Rachel's hands had stopped trembling and a new kind of peace had settled over her as she looked at the black metal object in her hands. That peace was broken when the deafening sound of the magnet attaching to the metal rang out.

Slowly, inch by inch, the four-foot circular slab of metal was pulled outside. As it traveled the last few inches, Rachel became aware of a terrible smell as she realized David had soiled himself. His face was screwed up in fear; the kind of fear she'd never seen before. For all the months she'd spent agonizing over this possibility, she was eerily calm. That is, until the entire slab was removed letting in the warm night air and the deafening noise of the generators and machines.

The man she'd decided to call Hillbilly, was standing just outside the vault, holding what looked like an assault rifle. David was openly weeping and screaming for his life. "Please don't kill me!! Please!!"

That's when she first saw the barrel of the rifle appear from her right side taking aim at her husband who was to her left. That was followed by the weapon itself, and then the smile with the missing teeth. "Well, hey there neighbors!" he said as he spat tobacco juice on the smooth opening in front of him.

David threw his gun down and got on his knees and began pleading not to be killed. Outside, things became very quiet as one generator and then another powered down. All Rachel could see now was a very bright light illuminating the vault. The large portion of the front of their home had been destroyed in the first seconds as the plasma torch cut through it like butter and she could see all the way into the street in front of their home.

"Stand up, boy!" Hillbilly told him.

"Please don't shoot me! Please!" David sobbed.

"That's up to you, little feller," the man told him.

David forced himself to stand but he was unsteady and unable to stop shaking. "Okay, okay. I'm standing. Just don't kill me, please!"

"I'll give you a choice here, little man," Hillbilly said as he spat again. "I kill you or the little lady there. You can choose. How's that for fair?" he said as he cackled loudly.

He pointed the muzzle at her then back at him. "So, which one lives and which one dies?"

"Don't kill my wife," he begged. "She hasn't done anything to you." David was literally sobbing and snot was pouring down his upper lip and dribbling off his chin.

"Okay, so you want to die, I take it," Hillbilly said taunting him.

No one seemed to notice but Rachel that a black vehicle had silently moved into the frame of the video camera which was still functioning. Her heart leapt as she wondered if it could possibly be what she prayed it was. The odds of that happening were even smaller than the chance someone would do what Hillbilly's crew had just done. There were less than ten of them in the city and only a few thousand in the entire country.

And that's when she saw the car in profile and knew that it was. It was most definitely a Vanguard, a citizen volunteer who risked his or her life to protect others during The Purge. Very few people knew their identity because of the dangers involved. They were hated by the Marauders who would go to any length to eliminate them. She tried not to stare at the monitor as she saw something emerge from the front of the black vehicle.

"I'm giving you to the count of three to make your choice, boy," Hillbilly told him. "If you don't choose, I'll kill you first. Then that pretty little wife of yours will be mine—and then theirs." He tilted his head toward the other members of his crew who standing outside anxiously watching and waiting their turn.

Rachel lifted the 9mm toward her head as Hillbilly began counting. "One. Two." Just then she saw a small flash of light from the Vanguard's vehicle and almost instantaneously, Hillbilly's head disappeared in a red vapor.

Rachel shrieked while the other men outside began hollering. "Vanguard!"

She heard rifles and other automatic weapons firing and could see a constant twinkling of light from the front of the black Vanguard vehicle. The noise lasted for a few seconds then stopped as she heard the sound of the F-350's engine as it roared off.

She grabbed a blanket and threw it down on the surface of the smooth hole in the vault to cover the bloody mess left by Hillbilly's head. She held her pistol in front of her as she looked out into the dark night straining to see whether or not anyone was there.

She heard a car door slam. She hollered out, "I'm armed and I'll shoot!"

In return she heard a voice call out, "Rachel? Don't shoot. It's me, Ryan."

"Ryan? From The Security Store Ryan?" she called back.

"Yes. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. We're both okay," she told him.

Ryan ran through the debris that had been the front of their house then stepped over Hillbilly's headless torso and stopped at the front of the vault before peering in.

"Oh, thank God!" David cried out. "A Vanguard! Are we ever glad to see you!"

"Come on. We've gotta get you guys out of here and somewhere safe. They could come back and counterattack at any time." He held out his hand and helped Rachel through the large hole then did the same for David.

"Jesus Christ! What is that smell?" Ryan said.

David was still unaware he'd shit his pants during the assault. Ryan grabbed the towel and when they got to his vehicle he said, "Strip those pants off, clean off as much of your shit as you can, then get in the back, post haste!"

Ryan took Rachel by the hand and put inside in the front while David tried to clean himself up at least marginally.

Once they were inside, he fired up his armored vehicle and put it in gear. "Where are we going?" Rachel asked.

"To the store. We have a display model Premie there. I'll put you inside, lock you in, then come back for you in the morning."

They hadn't made it five miles when Ryan said, "Okay, this isn't good."

Rachel strained to see what was up ahead and saw what looked like a roadblock. "If it's anything less than a mobile anti-tank launcher, we can blow right through."

"And if it is?" she asked.

"Hang on to your hat."

"How can you tell what it is?" Rachel asked nervously.

There was a blinding flash of light as Ryan cut the wheel sharply, hit the emergency brake and turned the car around in a smooth J-turn maneuver.

"When you see that kind of flash," he grunted as he accelerated and swerved.

There was a very loud explosion at the rear of the vehicle which lifted it off the ground and sent it spinning into the guardrail.

"Let's go! Get out! We've gotta make a run for it. Hurry, people! Move!! And don't leave your handguns behind!"

Rachel's door was pinned against the guardrail so she slid across the bench seat and followed Ryan out the driver's door as David stepped out into the warm night air buck-ass naked with shit stains all over his backside.

The trunk had been blown open and Ryan said, "There are some things in the trunk we have to have. You two stay put right here. The vehicle will shield you."

He darted around the side and ran to the rear of the vehicle exposing himself to fire from the Marauders. He reached in grabbing something he slung over his shoulder as well as a rifle just as another flash lit up the dark night. Ryan sprinted to the front of the car and dove alongside Rachel as the second anti-tank round exploded about 20 feet behind the vehicle sending shrapnel and lethal chunks of asphalt flying all around them.

"This way! Let's go!" Ryan hollered. They made their way over the guardrail then down a long slope onto another road which ran perpendicular to the one they were on.

"We've to cover about three miles through the city on foot and I can assure there is danger everywhere. People with night vision goggles are just waiting for Strays to show up so just because you can't see anyone never think someone isn't watching you," he told them as they moved off the road and onto a sidewalk hugging the buildings as they went.

'Stray' was the term used to describe anyone wandering around during The Purge. While it seemed like no one would ever be outside, it happened all too often every year and many people died simply because they didn't get home in time or for whatever reason strayed outside.

"What is that you're carrying on your back? That green tube thing?" Rachel asked quietly as they moved carefully block by block.

"It's called a LAW for Light-Antitank Weapon."

"What do we need that for?" she asked.

"I have no idea, but if a situation arises where we do, you'll be damn glad we've got it. You ever used a gun before, Rachel?" he asked her.

"I went to a firing range a few weeks ago for the first time," she said. "I'm still not very good but I do know how to use it."

"Okay, good. What about your husband? Can he take care of himself?" David was walking behind Ryan while Rachel walked alongside him.

"I'm right behind you, you know," David said caustically.

"Yeah, don't remind me," Ryan said. "So can you use the 9mm you're holding?"

"I've never fired one, but I'm sure I can."

Ryan stopped them for five seconds to say, "Here. Give it to me." He showed him the safety and how to use it and told him to otherwise point, hold steady, and shoot.

The covered the first mile and a half without incident. The streets were eerily quiet until they all heard the sound of an engine growing louder. "Duck in here!" Ryan told them as they passed between a department store and some commercial building. They stepped inside just as the vehicle drove by training its spotlight from side to side looking for Strays.

The got to within three blocks of The Security Store with no further contact before Ryan noticed something that cause him to stop the group. "Look. Right up there. See that light? There's no way we can get to the store without going through that illuminated area without scaling buildings and having some way to get across the street. I don't have any rope to throw across so we have a very serious potential problem on our hands."

"So what should we do?" Rachel asked.

"We have two options. We can try and find a hiding place and wait it out or we go up there and get a closer look and see if there's a way to get to our building."

"Which one should we choose?" David asked his voice trembling with fear.

Ryan saw another small area where they could avoid being seen and told the other two to wait there while he did a quick recon of the area that was lit up. "Don't move! Understand?" he said pointing a finger in David's face. "Just sit here, be still, and be quiet. I'll be right back."

Ryan got about 100 yards before David panicked and started to follow him. "Where are you going, David? Ryan told us to sit here and wait."

"I'm not gonna stay here and die," he told her. "You can do whatever you want but I'm staying with him."

Rachel also felt panicked but refused to move. She knelt down in the covered area and peered out as David tried to catch up to Ryan whom she could no longer see. As he crossed the street to get on the sidewalk just as Ryan had done, she saw several flashlights turn on followed by loud shouts of, "We got us a stray!" Within seconds, four men surrounded David. One of them took his pistol while two of them each grabbed an arm. One of the men had his own pistol trained on David as they marched him into the illuminated area.

Rachel fought off the urge to cry as rage and frustration welled up inside her. Two minutes later, Ryan made his way back to her and said, "Where the hell is your husband?"

She told him what he'd done and Ryan said, "I'm sorry, but he's a dead man. I found a way through but we have to move right now."

"No! We can't leave him to die!" she cried. "I don't care what else has happened tonight. He doesn't deserve to die."

Ryan grabbed her arm and said, "Rachel? I told you I'd protect you and that's exactly what I'm doing. But if your idiot, chickenshit husband is that stupid, then there's nothing I do. It's over."

"No! No, I can't accept that!" She was now crying and pleading for her husband. "Please, Ryan. Please don't let him die! I'm begging you."

"Shit," he murmured. "There five of them over there. I'll have the element of surprise, but I can't guarantee I can bring him back."

"Just please try. Please?"

"All right. But you stay right here. Don't move under any circumstance."

Rachel nodded and as he went to leave she reached for his arm and pulled him back. "Please be careful, Ryan." He looked into her eyes and remembered why his was risking his life for her.

"I will. I promise," he told her. She pulled him close and held him as she sobbed. "Hey, look at me," he said. "Nothing will happen to me and I will get you through this. Do you trust me?" he asked her.

"Yes. I trust you," she said as she fought for control of her emotions.

"Then do what I tell you and you'll be fine." He looked in both directions then made his way back to where he'd just been.

It was obvious none of these Marauders had any formal training as no one was on watch. All of them were standing in front of David taunting and threatening him. David was on his knees begging and pleading for his life. What Ryan heard next almost caused him to abandon his efforts to save Rachel's husband.

"Please! Don't kill me. My wife is across the street. You can have her. All of you can take her! I'll show you where she is." Ryan had an optical/recording device mounted on his rifle scope that was recording the entire event.

"You fucking piece of shit," Ryan hissed under his breath as he put the crosshairs on the chest of the man furthest to his right. He took a deep breath, squeezed the trigger then moved immediately to the next. He took down three of them in place, hit one of the remaining two as they tried to run, and saw the other guy duck inside a building.

"Get over here—NOW!" Ryan called out to David.

David managed to stand up and start moving, but he was sobbing unaware of how much danger he was putting both of them in by moving so slowly. Ryan knew why. Fear paralyzed the body and David was struggling to force his legs to move. Both of them seemed like lead weights making the simple task of walking very difficult. When he finally reached Ryan's location, he slapped him hard. "You dumb sonovabitch! You nearly got yourself killed and you put me and more importantly, Rachel, at risk. But what the fuck do you care about her as long as your sorry ass is okay, right?"

As he pushed David in the return direction he cried, "What did that mean? I love my wife!"

"Yeah, I can tell just how much you love her, asshole. Now MOVE!"

Ryan arrived first and for the first time, he panicked. He shined a flashlight into the small space and there was no sign of Rachel. "Fucking goddammit!" he cursed.

"Where's Rachel?" David asked.

Ryan saw a small piece cloth stuck between the doors which led inside the building. "Holy shit!" he said quietly. "They've got her."

"Who's got her? Where are they? Where is she?" he whined.

"They're inside. There's an old security vault in here. I know because I installed it five years ago myself. It has an external monitor and two rooms inside. We'll have to be very quiet and stay low so they don't see us coming."

"Us? I'm not going in there! If you want to get yourself killed, that's up to you but I'll be damned if I'm getting myself killed!"

Ryan grabbed David by the throat and said, "I don't give a fuck whether you live or die, shithead. But evidently it matters to your wife because she made me save your sorry ass. And now she needs our help and you're not willing to even try and get her out?"

"No! I do want her to be okay. It's just that...I don't know how to do this kind of thing. And I'll just be in the way and..."

Ryan wound up and cold-cocked him. David went out like a light and slumped against the wall as Ryan looked inside the hallway leading to the room with the vault to assess the situation.

He knew the two security cameras weren't motion-activated so unless someone was physically watching, no one would know he was in the hallway. Again, he was counting on whoever was inside to be an amateur as he slowly opened the door, lay on his stomach, and low-crawled down the hallway. Also in his favor was the fact it was completely dark so that unless someone saw him open the door it was unlikely that even someone who was looking would be able to see him.

He crawled to the door then crawled down the hallway to his right. He'd need at least 30ft to have a chance of not being seriously injured by metal fragments from the LAW's explosion. He knew this particular security system had a small room behind the main room and he was certain Rachel would be in the smaller back room. The only thing he didn't know was whether or not she was still alive or more likely being... He didn't even want to think of that possibility.

He reached his chosen spot, flipped around, and unslung the LAW. He removed the rear cover and strap, slid it into the locking position, and squeezed the trigger. A deafening roar followed by an even louder explosion blew the entire door off the old vault as shards of metal, glass, and wood flew everywhere. Ryan was peppered with flying debris but beyond some cuts and scratches, wasn't seriously hurt. He knew he had to get up and move and in spite of the ringing in his ears (which was the only thing he could hear) he willed himself forward. He drew his own weapon, a Glock 19, and charged headlong into the room.

One man was on the floor who'd been killed by the blast. He heard Rachel screaming as he peered around the door jamb of the smaller room. The other man's pants were down and his weapon was on the table next to him.

"Get down!" he called out to her as he stepped in and fired two quick rounds into the half-naked man.

Rachel screamed as he fired. The man was hurled against the wall by the force of the rounds and fell dead against it. "Let's go!" he said as he grabbed her hand.