Read Deadland: Untold Stories of Alice in Deadland (Alice, No. 5) for Free Online Page B

started out, a few people had questioned why
Gladwell played cowboy and fought other people's fights. It wasn't just
altruism, though Gladwell did believe that the world had been screwed up the
way it was at The Rising because everyone just thought of themselves. In
addition, Gladwell was right on one key front—they had started their settlement
with only soldiers and diplomats. The soldiers certainly helped in securing the
settlement, but if they wanted to survive out in the Deadland, they needed
other skills. So, over the years, by rescuing stragglers out in the Deadland,
they had added to their ranks a couple of farmers and a doctor.
    When they had their first home-grown fruits, people had shut
up about Gladwell going on his rescue missions. Of course, that put a lot of
the responsibility on Gladwell's shoulders. He had the unpleasant task of
turning away people he sensed would not fit in—as he had done with a couple of
young men who seemed to be on drugs of some sort.
    Gladwell stopped his bike when they were about fifty meters
away.
    'Hey, come towards us as fast as you can!'
    The couple heard them and began to increase their speed, the
woman half-dragging the man along. The first Biter was now just a few feet
behind them and Gladwell knew they would never make it in time. He took his
rife, an old Indian Army INSAS assault rifle, and selected single-shot mode.
While they had inherited a veritable arsenal, and added to it by raiding old
army bases and police stations, ammunition was still a precious commodity to be
used sparingly and only when necessary. Gladwell knelt and aimed as Vivek
brought up his own rifle.
    'Single shots. Aim for the legs.'
    Aiming for the heads at this range would waste ammunition,
and Gladwell just wanted to give the humans enough time to get to them, not destroy
every single Biter following them. Gladwell's first shot caught the lead Biter
just above the knee. The Biter, wearing a torn and gaudy yellow kurta, tumbled
and fell. Two more behind him, a bald Biter with his scalp covered in blood,
and another, a woman who still wore a diamond necklace around her
blood-splattered and torn neck, stumbled over him and fell in a heap.
    Vivek fired twice, bringing down another Biter. The couple
were now almost there, and Gladwell stowed his rifle and got on the bike.
    'Come on! Hurry up!'
    The man climbed on behind Gladwell and the woman rode with
Vivek as they pedaled towards the factory that had been their original
destination. As Vivek rummaged through the factory for spare parts, Gladwell
kept watch and got acquainted with the couple they had picked up. The man was
thin, and wore glasses that seemed to have been patched together with wire. He
was wearing a suit and had shaved recently, both of which were luxuries, and
rather unnecessary ones at that in the Deadland. The woman also looked freshly
scrubbed and was wearing clean clothes. Whoever they were, they were not
vagabonds or bandits. Bob stuck out his hand.
    'You can call me Bob. We have a settlement out there and we
came by to get supplies. What's your story?'
    The man adjusted his glasses.
    'I'm Rajiv. I was a banker before The Rising, and we've been
hiding in the city, moving from one place to another with a group. Kind of got
used to moving from one apartment to another, and finding canned food and
hunting animals. Yesterday, a swarm of Biters overran us, and we got separated
from our group. I'm not sure if they're even alive.'
    The woman spoke up, a trace of hesitation in her voice.
    'We've got no place to go. Can you take us in?'
    Vivek had come by and evidently overheard some of the
conversation and he pulled Gladwell aside.
    'It's your call, Bob, but we don't really need a banker.'
    Gladwell smiled and pointed to the canvas bag. Rajiv laid it
on the ground and opened the zipper. Gladwell looked in, his eyes widening.
    'Tear gas grenades, batons, pistols. Where the hell did you
get all this?'
    Rajiv shrugged sheepishly.
    'We came across