Free Wasteland Rules: Born to Fight (The World After Book 2) by J.G. Martin

source gone and the truce ended, they
couldn’t maintain the blockade. That allowed for air travel again. He figured
the NASA folks would be grateful for him lifting the blockade, but they hadn’t
seemed all that impressed. He wondered if they hadn’t been using it for their
own purposes of keeping other people out and their own in.
    The pilot gestured to the headphones hanging from
the roof and they both put them on. “I’m going to drop you off several miles
from a small Cartel processing facility and then take back off immediately.
Once you have the scientists or the research or hopefully both; call the number
the general programmed into your phone. I will return and pick you up. Okay?”
The pilot informed them.
      “Yeah, we got it. The chopper is too valuable to
risk by waiting.” Derek replied.
      “With your track record, I don’t blame them.” Rora
said jokingly.
       When Derek didn’t laugh she asked a question. “So
what is the story on the Cartel? Who are they and why did they take the
scientists?”
       “The Cartel is the largest drug syndicate in the
world. Apparently drug plants were immune to the plant virus. Figures, right? They
control southern Florida from Miami, parts of Mexico and Central America, and
pretty much all of the Caribbean. Their headquarters are on Cuba, in Havana. It
is the result of a vicious turf war fought by the surviving drug lords during
the Aftermath. They realized they were just going to wipe each other out and instead
merged their organizations. They rule their individual turf like feudal barons
from the Middle Ages. Their workers are virtual slaves toiling on large drug
plantations while they live like kings in huge mansions protected by their
soldiers.”
      “How did they gain control of so much territory?”
Rora inquired.
       “They already had their hooks into governments,
military, and police prior to the Collapse. The governments in this area were
already unstable dictatorships for the most part, crippled by poverty and
corruption. When everything fell apart the drug lords had organization, resources,
and guns which they could use to secure the loyalty of the military and police.
The failing governments made a deal with them to remain in power, but just like
any deal with the devil they ended up on the losing end. Once the Cartel
settled its own differences they rapidly overwhelmed the unstable governments
and installed themselves into power. Before the Collapse the U.S. would have
intervened, but they couldn’t since they didn’t exist anymore.”
      “So how do they maintain power if they are so
awful? Why don’t the people revolt?”
      “Why don’t any subject people rise up? They are
afraid. The Cartel is especially brutal in maintaining order. They publicly torture
people to death for any kind of insubordination or resistance. Their standard
method is stuffing a person inside old tires, dousing them in gasoline, and
setting them on fire.”
       Rora’s horrified expression said it all. She may
be a fast learner and the trip to NASA may have been enlightening, but she
hadn’t yet seen all the horrors this world had to offer. Drinkers might be
scary, but they were following their base instinct to feed. People could be so
much worse, and be much bigger monsters.
     “It’s probably why they grabbed the scientists.
They were worried that they were on some kind of sabotage mission. Although it
is unusual is they haven’t asked for ransom once they figured out who the
scientists were.” He continued.
       “Why else would they keep them?” Rora asked.
       “At least one of them is a botanist; maybe the
Cartel wants help growing their drug crops. And maybe our friends at NASA
haven’t told us the whole story.”
      “Ten minute warning.” The pilot interrupted them.
      Derek spent the next ten minutes getting Rora
ready for the drop. He briefly explained how to exit the chopper and seek
cover. He went over how to use the M-4