Wasteland Rules: A New Dawn (The World After Book 3) Read Free

demanded.
       “We are very low on fuel.”
Colonel Brandt informed her. “I think we have just enough to get to Edwards but
it will be close. But that isn’t our real problem.”
       “The air base is just
outside of Los Angeles.” Derek told her. “That’s where our friend the Pope
calls home, but he isn’t our real concern. It’s G-21.”
       “What is G-21?”
       “It’s an alliance of
twenty one gangs that took control of the city during the Collapse.” Derek
explained. “When civil order broke down the police stopped controlling the
gangs. They went on a bloody rampage throughout the city. They raped, killed,
and looted with abandon. Fired broke out and since the fire department didn’t
feel safe, the fires burned out of control. Entire sections of the city burned
down. Once the rampage had more or less run its course, the gangs turned on
each other. Resources were limited and there were decades old hatreds and
perceived wrongs to avenge. So they started fighting each other all throughout
the city.”
       “Why did the police stop
working?” Rora asked.
       “They wanted to protect
their own. And as it turned out they were betrayed from within. The L.A.P.D.,
just like any large police department, has always had trouble with corruption.
One of their high ranking officers decided that the city and the country were
going to fall and he was going to take advantage. He convinced a large number
of the SWAT and HRT members to follow him and they basically launched a coup
within the police department.” Derek continued. “They seized control of the
armories and vehicle yards and jailed the commanding officers. Some of the officers
fought back but were wiped out by the superior firepower and training of the
revolting officers. The leader styled himself the Imperator and the defecting
law enforcement officers his Praetorian Guard. He has added some ex-military
over the years, but they are still mostly loyal former LAPD officers. Very well
trained and well equipped.”
       “So what happened with the
gangs?” Rora asked.
       “The Bloods and the Crips virtually
wiped each other out and dragged all their allies and subsets into the war. The
survivors were forced to band together into a new gang called The Nation to
keep from being wiped out by the other gangs. The Mongrels and Vatos Motorcycle
Clubs joined forces to run the Hells Angels out of town. Most of the other
gangs, of which there were hundreds, merged into larger gangs along ethnic
lines to survive.” Derek informed her. “The Mexican Mafia was the largest gang
with the most connections and they controlled the most territory. But they were
still engaged in small clashes with gangs that refused to accept their rule.
The gangs were slowly wiping each other out. So, the Imperator offered to
broker a deal carving the city up into fiefdoms run by each gang with him as
overlord.”
       “Why would they accept
that?”
       “Because he controlled the
only heavy weapons and armored vehicles in the city, and he had the best
trained and equipped troops. Together they could defeat him, but individually
he had the power to crush each and every one of them. They could never work
together so he was the most powerful person in the city.” Derek explained.
“They set up a feudal system with each gang leader as a Lord and the Imperator
on top. He mostly just collects tribute from them and maintains order. He has
also fended off any external threats to the city, like from Aztlan or the
Collective.  He and his troops mostly live in the Castle, which is their old headquarters
now heavily fortified. They also have outposts at some of the old stations
throughout the city.”
       “So why is the name G-21?”
       “That was the number of
gangs that signed the accord plus the former police force.”
       “Not very creative.” Rora
pointed out.
       “Gangs aren’t usually
known for their creativity. They are however known for their