Chapter 474: Ashley’s Guilt
Meanwhile, Rum’s rock-and-roll spirit had been completely beaten out of him as he drove back toward the base.
"God damn it," he grumbled to himself inside the empty bus. "Everyone’s already having all the fun... fuck!"
He slammed his foot on the accelerator, the wildfire and thick smoke looming larger with every passing second.
If he hadn’t needed to escort the children and the injured to the safe cabin they’d prepared during the planning stage, he would’ve been out there wreaking havoc alongside everyone else.
"It’s still not too late," he muttered, adjusting himself in the driver’s seat. "I can still catch up. Those idiots are gonna need me."
As the bus sped down the road, his eyes narrowed.
Someone was standing in the middle of it.
The figure waved both arms wildly.
"Oh, no..." Rum shook his head with a laugh. "No fucking way."
He clenched his jaw and pressed harder on the gas.
For all he cared, he was about to run Warriyo over.
But at the very last second, Rum squeezed his eyes shut.
"FUCK!"
He lifted his foot off the accelerator and slammed the brakes. The bus screeched to a stop barely a hand’s breadth away from Warriyo.
Rum glared through the empty space where the windshield used to be.
It had shattered earlier, so he’d simply kicked out the remaining glass after dropping off his previous passengers.
Warriyo, on the other hand, stood frozen.
His eyes were wide as saucers as he stared at the bus stopped inches from him.
"ARE YOU FUCKING STUPID?!" Rum roared from the driver’s seat. "When you see a bus speeding at you, YOU MOVE! You’re not getting reincarnated into another world if I run your ass over!"
Warriyo blinked.
His heart still hammered violently in his chest as Rum continued unleashing a torrent of profanity.
"So... this is why Gin told me to just stand in the way," Warriyo mumbled, exhaling shakily after briefly catching a glimpse of heaven... or maybe hell.
During one of their casual conversations, Red’s crew had told Khan, Warriyo, and the others what it was like working with Rum.
They’d shared several interesting stories.
The first was that Rum became completely uncontrollable in battle. Out of everyone in Dominion, he was the only one who genuinely enjoyed the chaos of a battlefield.
Combat was a different kind of high for him.
Another thing they learned was that Lucian himself had personally recruited Rum.
Beyond that, however, no one spoke much about Rum’s past before Dominion.
But one lesson had stuck with Warriyo.
Whenever there were civilians or hostages involved, the crew only had one reliable way to make Rum listen.
They physically got in his way.
That was exactly why Warriyo hadn’t moved.
"Still..." He patted his chest. "That was way too close."
He turned toward the group he’d secretly escorted out of the infirmary. Behind him stood another batch of injured prisoners, women, and children.
Warriyo nodded toward the bus. "Get in."
They hesitated.
Their eyes drifted toward Rum, who still looked ready to murder someone from behind the wheel.
"It’s alright," Warriyo assured them. "He’ll protect all of you."
Well, that’s what I hope. Madam would probably kill him if he didn’t.
The prisoners looked at Warriyo.
To them, he had been an angel. Now, that same angel was handing them over to a devil.
Even so, this was their only ride.
The women quickly picked up the children.
"Come on! Hurry!"
The others helped the injured climb aboard.
As everyone piled into the bus, Rum never stopped cursing Warriyo’s entire bloodline. The passengers simply pretended not to hear him. Before long, the bus was packed like sardines once again.
"Rum! Thanks!" Warriyo shouted with a grin as the bus pulled away.
He let out a long breath and rested his hands on his hips. Then he turned toward those still waiting behind him.
"There are still too many people left," he muttered.
He looked down the road. "I hope Vodka gets back soon."
His gaze shifted toward the base. Even from this distance, the massive blaze illuminated the night sky.
The battle had clearly escalated.
"I hope everyone’s alright," he whispered.
*****
At the same time, Ashley sat in the passenger seat of the truck.
With only one truck available, everyone had been forced to squeeze inside.
Men clung to both sides of the vehicle. Others stood packed into the cargo bed.
A few even rode on top.
Ashley turned around with a satisfied smile.
Everyone was now fully equipped.
Although they’d decided against changing into military uniforms.
The tactical gear was practical, but it would make it harder to distinguish friend from foe in the middle of a firefight.
Instead, everyone simply put on bulletproof vests over their prison clothes.
"You guys look awesome," Ashley said, giving them a thumbs-up.
The men in the back only stared at her. They didn’t know how to respond.
After years of torture...
Years of beatings...
Years of starvation...
Most of them had forgotten how to smile.
Yet Ashley had been smiling from the moment she met them until now.
Then again, maybe in a world this insane, being a little crazy was the only way to stay sane.
"Listen up!" Ashley shouted over the rumbling engine. "Here’s what I’ve learned about the soldiers we’ve been fighting!"
She turned back toward the road.
If these people were going into battle, she wanted to give them every advantage she could.
"These soldiers are trained to torment people like you." Her words landed heavily. "What I mean is... they’re used to pointing guns at unarmed people. At people who can’t fight back."
She paused.
"But on an actual battlefield? They’re sloppy. They don’t handle their rifles well. Their marksmanship is terrible, and they rely on numbers."
That was the conclusion she’d reached.
Not once had she encountered a lone soldier willing to face her alone.
They always attacked in groups.
"Just like you, they’re wearing body armor," Ashley continued. "Aim for their legs first. Then finish them with a shot to the head."
She swept her gaze across everyone.
"If you get the first shot, take it. If they shoot first, find cover. Distract them. Create an opening."
Then she smiled.
"And if all else fails..." She glanced back one last time. "Make it work."
Silence settled over the truck, with only the roar of the engine filling the air. Yet every pair of eyes remained fixed on Ashley, filled with determination.
She slowly looked at each of them, one face after another. As though committing every single one to memory.
"I won’t forget any of you," she said quietly.
Her voice caught.
"I’m..." She swallowed. "I’m very sorry."
Confusion spread across the prisoners’ faces while Ashley had already turned away.
Behind the wheel, Red cast her a brief sidelong glance.
He said nothing.
He understood exactly why she’d apologized.
The guilt in Ashley’s eyes lasted only a moment before it vanished, replaced by cold resolve.
"We’re gonna bury these motherfuckers," Red said, eyes fixed on the road. "Boss."
Ashley’s eyebrows lifted.
She looked at him before a grin slowly spread across her face.
A soft chuckle escaped her lips.
"Damn right we will."