“We need you up here, pard,” the man driving the carriage said through one of the speakers.

The violins started playing a soft slow set of music, then the concerto became intense.

“Enjoy the L’estate,” the old gunman said.

“What is that?”

“Summer is coming. So enjoy the third movement, it’s one of the best,” the old man said as he climbed out of one of the carriage windows.

Where did he go?

Jamie looked out the window to see the old man climbing on the roof of the carriage.

Jeez, that old coot is fast.

The most intense sound came from the Summer Allegro. As it played, Jamie’s mind wandered to Alice. He wondered what she was doing. Even though he was with Lucy, he was surprised that he still had feelings for his ex. A loud bang jolted him out of his seat. At the same time the music because much louder than before.

I know this one! It’s the Summer Presto, one of Vivaldi’s most intense concertos that I have ever heard.

Another shot rang out. He looked out the window. Several dune buggy-like vehicles pulled up alongside the carriage, which bounced as the driver had to dodge several fallen trees along the way.

“Keep your head down, boy,” the driver’s voice blared through the speakers.

There was barely enough room for the carriage, let alone a car as well. One of the men got out of the car and straddled the roof.

Is he going to jump over to the carriage?

Jamie’s guess was correct. The man who jumped nearly fell below the wheels. Jamie could see the man straining to pull himself up, but the old guard slammed the butt of his rifle into the man’s face.

“Pull him off,” the old man said to Jamie.

Jamie ducked back into the carriage. He regretted it immediately.

This is crazy.

“I’m talking to you, boy; he’s gaining. Now get out and help me,” the old man’s voice boomed from the speakers.

Jamie looked out the window. The raider had almost reached the top of the carriage. He could see the old man fighting with someone.

This is bad… the old fool needs help… real bad.

Jamie leaped from the carriage and grabbed the climbing man with both arms. The man lost his grip on the carriage and waved his arms wildly, desperate to find something to hold on to. He went down. The carriage rocked as the man screamed.

Did we just run over him?

The carriage seemed to gain speed. Jamie could see a bend in the road. Two more raiders on motorcycles pulled up alongside the carriage. Jamie could see the barrel of the old man’s rifle. It was pointed at him. He jumped back in the carriage with so much force that he hit the other side. The wood frame of the window he was looking out shattered. More screams.

“What the hell is going on? Why is the carriage under attack?” Jamie screamed.

“Hold on, partner,” the old man said through the speaker.

Jamie heard a crash. A metal harpoon had breached the side of the carriage.

“Holy shit!” Jamie cowered on the floor of the carriage. A wild-eyed man with a ragged and filthy beard climbed on the vehicle.

“We will come back for youz. Later, cuz,” the bearded man said.

The man started cackling as he continued to climb. Jamie snatched a glance out of the window. A motorcycle was keeping pace, with the carriage just behind it.

I wonder how long the horses can keep up.

Jamie heard screams and gunshots from what sounded like it was coming from above. He dared a glance out the window to see the old man’s arm with one dangling man. Moments later, he tossed him over the side like he was yesterday’s trash.

“Son, take this,” the old man said through the speakers.

Jamie looked up to see a rifle dangling from the window. Jamie grabbed the weapon.

“How the hell do I use this thing?”

“Good. Now just point and shoot anything that tries crawling up the coach,” the old man said.

“Who are these people?” Jamie said.

No answer from the old man. Probably can’t hear me.

The coach rocked so violently that Jamie fell back into the seat and hit his head and dropped the gun.

The coach is going faster. We must be going 50 miles per hour. How is that possible?

The coach was turning into a curve. The carriage slid, but stayed on the patch. The motorcycle gang had increased in number. Jamie looked out both windows. There were three on one side and four on the other, each with at least two raiders. One motorcycle had three; a crazy fuck was riding on the handlebars.

Bunch of psychos, Jamie thought.

Two raiders were climbing on either side of the carriage.

I don’t know how to use a gun!

Jamie pointed the gun at the raider, then tried pulling the trigger, but nothing happened. The raider looked in, noticing his predicament, crawled in the carriage.

“You point a weapon at someone. You better be ready to use it, boy,” the raider sneered.

Jamie fidgeted with the weapon, but the trigger wouldn’t budge. The raider attempted to pull the weapon out of his hands. Jamie pulled the weapon back. In the struggle to regain control of the weapon, he noticed something subtle. A small metal lever was engaged. He tried moving it with an index finger, but it didn’t move; he tried with his thumb, and it moved—barely. The raider had a knife, and Jamie had to duck to avoid getting skewered by the raider.

“Sharp, pointy things never jam or run out of ammo,” the raider said, laughing.

Jamie tried to pull the trigger. The next moments were a blur. He wasn’t expecting the rifle to recoil as violently as it did. He didn’t know what to expect. The top portion of the raider’s head was blown off; blood and gore covered the inside of the carriage. The raider slumped over.

“Five more are climbing the carriage. Kill a couple for me,” the old man said as his voice resonated through the carriage.

Jamie didn’t stop, but kept shooting raiders. They kept coming like cockroaches.

How much ammo can this rifle hold? I should have had to reload by now.

Jamie lost track of the raiders he had slain. He estimated it at over a dozen.

The once deafening engine roars became distant memories as the raiders backed off.

“I think we’ve lost them for now. I’m coming down,” the old man said.

Moments later, he clambered into the carriage. He looked like he had been through a battle. Blood was spattered all over his jacket, and something disgusting was hanging from his cowboy hat.

God, I’m going to be sick.

Jamie threw up on his first kill, and when he looked down at the mixture of gore and filth, he puked again.

“Damn, son, you should have killed him outside. Now I’m going to have to charge you extra for the cleaning.”

Jamie looked at the old man as if he’d just escaped an asylum. The old man laughed.

“I’m just fucking with you. I like you, son.”

“Who are these people? How many rounds are in this weapon?” Jamie asked in a shaky voice.

“Sorry, partner, I forget that you’re not from these parts. You’re city folk. We are passing though raider land; everywhere north, east, and south are inhabited by raider camps. We are carrying precious cargo that these sons of bitches want.”

“Cargo? You’re carrying me.”

“That’s extra money on the side for me. I’m talking about this,” the old man said as he took something from his jacket.

This is unreal. What is that?

The old man unfolded something that resembled a washcloth. Jamie thought he saw it glow. Moments later, he was looking at a glowing blue crystal.

“What is that?” Jamie asked.

“It’s something that I acquired in Yankee territory. I shouldn’t be telling you this, but it’s a core to something big,” the old man said.

“Are you delivering it to someone in Nashville?”

“You can say that. As soon as I get my bounty, I will cut you in on some of the action. Unless your predisposition doesn’t allow for such things,” the old man said.

“I’m in,” Jamie said.

“Good, because I didn’t want to kill you.”

Jamie shot the old man a fearful look.

“Don’t worry, you’re safe. Just stick with old Mav and you will be fine.”

The old man grabbed the weapon out of Jamie’s hands.

“I’m much obliged to you for looking after Sally. I see she took out some baddies for you.”

“What do you mean, she? I pulled the trigger. I killed those men.”

The old man laughed for a very long time.

“This here gun is special. You can say it has great accuracy. You thought you were a badass?” The old man laughed.

Jamie felt like he was a part of the biggest joke ever. As soon as the old man stopped laughing, he composed himself. “In all seriousness, I gave you this weapon because it has an auto aim and fire mechanism. It’s subtle; that’s why you didn’t know about it. All it needed was for you to unlatch the safety, then point. Sally did the rest.”

“You didn’t answer my other question. How many rounds does Sally have?”

“She doesn’t have bullets, if that’s what you mean. Sally is a pulse weapon and it uses energy packs. It has a kick to it, but it gets the job done. And with the auto sensing feature it, was as easy as pointing and pulling the trigger.”

Jamie was speechless.

What have I just agreed to?