Chapter 222 Leverage
Spencer knocked the ashes out of his pipe and smacked his lips, looking all smug.
Across from him, Darryl, rocking a leather jacket, jeans, and a head full of rainbow hair, rolled his eyes. Man, he couldn't stand Spencer. To him, Spencer was like some relic from the boondocks, stuck in a time warp from forty years ago.
Spencer snorted, eyeing Darryl, the big shot of the Hungry Tiger Knights, and shot back, "Why the long face? Hate my guts? If you were my grandson, I'd shave off that clown hair of yours."
Someone in the crowd snapped, "What the hell did you just say?"
Another one barked, "Show some respect when you're talking to our boss!"
A voice yelled, "I'll mess you up!"
Behind Darryl was his crew, all decked out in wild outfits. Just a month into the apocalypse, their clothes were already looking pretty grimy, making them look even more outlandish.
Spencer had his own squad from East Hill Village backing him up. Hearing the trash talk, they got riled up, and the two sides squared off.
The Hungry Tiger Knights had about seventy or eighty folks, all apocalypse warriors. Some had guns, others had knives and axes, and they all rode motorcycles. They were a pretty tough bunch.
Moreover, Darryl and his lieutenants were seasoned fighters. Rumor had it they were damn near unstoppable. They'd even tangled with the Tech City warband and almost took down their leader, Logan, who was already a two-star Evolving dude.
That fight put the Hungry Tiger Knights on the map, showing off their nearly forty one-star Evolving members and making sure no one underestimated them.
East Hill Village had three two-star Evolving members and more one-star Evolving folks than the Hungry Tiger Knights. However, they were lacking in seasoned fighters, with only two true veterans among their number.
Both sides had their strengths and weaknesses, so neither was backing down.
Just as things were heating up, the sound of hooves came from behind. Everyone turned to see a squad of two hundred charging in. Leading the pack were over twenty strong horses, each rider with a lance on their back. If it weren't for their modern clothes, you'd think it was some ancient cavalry rolling in.
"Mr. Lowe!" Spencer called out, waving to the incoming group and signaling his villagers to chill out.
Both he and Darryl knew they couldn't throw down now; there was a massive score waiting to be grabbed.
A burly guy in his fifties hopped off a horse, looking tough as nails. He glanced around and finally gave Spencer a nod and a slight smile.
Darryl gave a lazy nod to the head of the Lowe Family, who ran the island in the middle of the lake. But when he spotted the woman in red on a horse behind him, his face lit up. He dropped the tough-guy act and sauntered over, grinning and chatting her up.
"Valerie, long time no see. When you gonna swing by my place? Got a bunch of new cool stuff."
Valerie was a stunner, but her face screamed attitude. She snorted, "Come to your place to smell cement?"
The Lowe Family warriors behind her cracked up, leaving Darryl looking a bit sheepish.
Forget about the muscle these two groups had; just look at their bases. The Hungry Tiger Knights were holed up in a dusty old cement factory, while the Lowe Family was chilling on a picture-perfect island. Total opposites.
"Alright, let's get down to business," Terrence Lowe, the head honcho of the Lowe Family, said, shooting Darryl a look that screamed, "Quit bugging my niece."
"Meet Brody Lopez from the Zero Commerce Guild," Terrence continued, stepping aside to reveal a shadowy figure in a hoodie.
This person was rocking a white hoodie, black baggy pants, and a military green backpack. With their hands stuffed in their pockets and half their face hidden, it was impossible to tell if they were a guy or a girl. They were only about 5 feet tall, adding to the mystery.
Spencer and Darryl exchanged a look, both clearly annoyed. This Zero Commerce Guild dude wasn't part of the original plan.
"Mr. Lopez is just here to watch," Terrence explained. "He won't be getting in on the loot."
With that, Spencer and Darryl relaxed a bit, but they still weren't thrilled about the silent observer. The Zero Commerce Guild was too shady, and in the apocalypse, shady wasn't good.
"Of course, if we run into trouble and need Mr. Lopez's help, that's a different story," Spencer said with a grin, turning away.
Darryl just smirked and popped a piece of gum into his mouth.
Terrence wasn't fazed by their attitudes. He pointed to a small military base nestled against a mountain in the distance and said, "Shall we stick to the plan?"
Spencer and Darryl got serious, knowing it was go-time.
As the three groups geared up to hit the military base, another crew was lying low in a yard three miles away in the wilds of Spring Harvest County.
Jack put down his walkie-talkie and excitedly told William, who was chilling nearby, "Mr. Wright, they're on the move."
The folks on the roof jumped up. With the action starting over there, it was time to kick things off here too.
William looked around and pointed to a warehouse not far off, saying, "Our target is the Spring Harvest Granary."
He explained, "No one's hit this place yet because it's on the edge of the county, swarming with zombies and mutated creatures. Plus, there are two level-three beasts lurking around. They're no joke, and any fight here could draw them out."
"The battle plan's been laid out. If we pull this off, our food problems will be solved for a year. We can't afford to mess this up," William stressed.
He continued, "I know a lot of you are facing this kind of fight for the first time, dealing with so many mutated creatures. But don't sweat it. This is how we grow! We're gonna win this."
Some weird noises came from the other side of the granary. William clapped his hands and announced, "Candice and Clarissa are starting over there. Now, follow me into the granary, clear out the zombies, and those who kick ass will get Evolution Elixir after the battle! I keep my promises! Move out!"
A squad of nearly a hundred people poured out of the small yard, ready for action!
