Chapter 10

The Crips styled themselves on one of the traditional gangs of old Los Angeles. They ruled their hood with a vicious oppression running rackets that ranged from prostitution and looting to protection. They were generally of a slightly older age group than the Medusas and their affiliates. However, like many a thug, they found preying on the weak a far more attractive pastime than engaging in a stand-up battle against a determined opposition.

Confident of their numerical power, the Crips and their associates came down all seven of the routes to the Floral river and the hood of the Medusas.

It would've been logical for de la Perrier to mine all seven of the tunnels, but he wanted to see his new army blooded. A defeat of the mighty Crips would have no end of an effect on their confidence.

Tunnels were easy things to defend because numerical advantage makes little difference. The only way to move forward is in files and thus, only the head of the file has any sort of field of fire. To defend, one only needs to block the tunnel with improvised fortifications and form a firing line spanning the whole width. De la Perriere was only too aware of this and thus left the battle to his subordinates. He knew the battle was their's to lose.

While the Bakhunin First set about mining the transformer installations of the linear railway, the Crips descended the first of the mined tunnels.

Shredders emplaced on the pathway and tripped with an infrared sensor, spewed shrapnel with deadly effect down the tunnel. The blast and concussion vaporized the leading group and sent the faint hearted fleeing back the way they'd come. Left were some of the bolder types who tried to knock out the pinhole sensors on the remaining mines from a safer distance. This technique would've been near impossible for even a Black Guard marksman let alone a barely trained thug. This useless activity was brought to a close when a shredder, concealed in an overhead ventilator shaft and fitted with a delayed action fuse, erupted with a decisive blast of red hot shrapnel annihilating the sharpshooter team.

Word was quickly passed to the columns in the other tunnels and they proceeded with far more caution. Sure enough, mines were discovered in five of the remaining routes and the respective attacks quickly abandoned. Why the Medusas and their Bakhunin allies would leave one tunnel open should've sent an obvious warning to whatever genius had devised the invasion. However, the Crips merely seized the opportunity and imagined their enemies had been careless. It's never a good idea to assume stupidity on the part of your opponents.

The Crips came down the tunnel in two columns - one either side of the small freshwater stream that flowed into the Floral. They came warily, at the crouch, with mining lights fixed to their helmets. The Medusas were convinced such aids would only have come from the Guardians. In any case, the lights provided a convenient aiming mark for the defenders.

The Medusas had erected a barricade of steel containers packed with sackfuls of mud and sand from the river. Behind this, six Medusa marksman took cover to await the attack. As a back up, a Bakhunin, Basil, with a shoulder launched missile armed with a timer fuse stood aways back.

De la Perriere had taught his soldiers to make every round count, rather than spraying ammo madly about. With their autorifles set to semi-automatic, they sent the head of each column tumbling back in disarray. Some of the smarter Crips threw their helmets into the stream. Some lay prone on the path and open a fusillade - sending down a deadly hail that forced the Medusas to keep their heads down. Basil judged there was little more to be gained so launched a missile down the middle of the tunnel. The effect was devastating, and decisive.

Few squabbles among the various gangs beneath Cityplex lasted more than a few minutes. Generally, they involved few casualties, consisting, in the main, of a great deal of point-making and 'staunching out.' No-one could remember a fight that was so decisive and resulted in so many casualties and the news flew around the tunnels there was a new, tough kid on the block.

In the sceptic, unhygienic environment of the tunnels, wounds were very serious. There was little, if any, medical help available and the general standard of battlefield medicine harked back to sometime in the early 19th century. Chest wounds were usually fatal and damage to a limb usually resulted in gangrene. Some civilians had a little medical knowledge, but there was practically no medicine nor equipment. It wasn't lack of compassion that resulted in the wounded being left to fend for themselves, but the fact very little could be done for them.

De la Perriere believed an army must clean up its own mess. He believed a soldier must learn what his weapon does to a human body and the first steps to peace involved proper care of the wounded and respect for the dead. The Crips suffered 12 dead and around twenty suffered wounds of varying severity. In gathering the wounded and administering first aid he taught the Medusas war had a heavy price. In the subsequent truce, de la Perriere returned the dead to the Crips and their allies adorned with the gang insignia under which they fought.

Shortly after, nine power transformers blew, bringing the supply network of the Mid Southern Sector of Cityplex to an abrupt halt.

Meanwhile, down in Bluefields, there was little for Rada, Gina and Kroon to do but recover from their injuries and wait for the outcome. Gina was feeling much better and Sian and Kroon decided to move her into their bed. Kroon lay in the middle - Sian had secured a bigger bed so they could all bunk together for those times Gina felt lonely.

While Gina dozed, Sian and Kroon cuddled, whispering together and kissing.

"Is she asleep?" Sian asked.

"I think so," Kroon whispered back. "At least her eyes are closed."

"Hmm, so good to have you here like this," Sian said. "I've missed you."

"It hasn't been that long," Kroon chuckled. "Four days?"

"Well? I guess I'm kind of high maintenance. I need a lot of loving," she pecked him on the lips. "Do you mind?"

"They told me you were the quiet one," he grinned.

"Quiet as in..." she smiled, slyly.

"Quiet as in you don't make a lot of noise."

"Really?" she replied. She ran the tips of her fingers over his cock then gently stroked it. Kroon's hand, smoothed over her butt to come to rest between her legs. "You want me, ah, to make a lot of noise?" she panted.

"You'll wake Gina," he cautioned.

"Hardly," she scoffed. "She sleeps like a baby. How's the wound?"

"I'll cope," he grunted, as she stroked him faster.

"Baby!" she moaned. "On your back. I'll be careful." Sian rolled on top of Kroon and maneuvered his cock towards her pussy, rubbing the tip over her clit. "Hmm," she sighed. "Oh!"

"Um, excuse me? I'm not deaf!" came a voice from the other side of the bed.

"Gina? Uh, shit, I thought you were asleep?" Sian said. She stopped moving and stared at Gina, transfixed.

"As if, with all your panting and moaning. Can't you save it?"

"For what?" Sian replied.

"Well, hell, I get blown up, blasted with metal shit, and I'm lying here trying to recover and all you can think of is fucking. I mean, fair's fair!"

"Hey! What's wrong with that? Kroon and me are partners. We haven't screwed for, like, at least four days, maybe five?"

"Six!"

"Oh, so, you're keeping book?"

"We agreed to share. You're not keeping your side of the bargain. Sharing is just that. I think one fuck to three is a fair ratio."

"What? We never agreed to that. You're making stuff up."

"Not!"

"Are!"

"Hey, can I say something?" Kroon protested.

"What?" Gina said.

"This rivalry is driving me nuts. I feel like a favorite pair of shoes. I adore you both and you two are like sisters. How hard can it be to figure something out? So, Gina, I get you're feeling better?" Kroon said.

"Some," she said, suspiciously. "Why?'

"Well, all three of us are here, together, naked, and horny."

"Yes, so?"

Meanwhile, at Novgorod, the Holo-multicube that had been installed earlier by the Cityplex technician, suddenly flared. Appearing in the council room of the Bakhunins was none other than Charles Kingston, himself. Roger and Suetonius rushed in.

"Gentlemen," Kingston smiled - not unlike a cat that's spotted a mouse, Roger thought. "A smart move or unbelievably foolish. An element of 'plausible deniability', perhaps? Until the Guardians actually capture one of your hairy saboteurs, how can we prove you Arks are responsible?"

"Get to the point, Kingston," Roger told him, irritably.

"Y'know?" Kingston continued, ignoring Roger. "I've spent years trying to manipulate the Board of Cityplex. It can't be done," he said, throwing up his hands. "Oh, I can bend the odd director, maybe rig a Board station with narcogas..."

"You?" Roger exclaimed. "You abducted George!"