No friends among thieves

[revo]

It has been 30 years since a nuclear apocalypse wiped out the world as people once knew it. It ruined the ecosystem, turning the earth into a barren wasteland. The fragile infrastructure keeping society afloat failed. Education, human rights, the law... those things no longer matter. People now make up their own rules.


"Glock" used to be a sweet, beautiful girl named Natalia Cruz. Now she is only known by her weapon of choice. She was born in what was once New Mexico to a whore and a bandit who left her mother as quickly as he'd bed her. She knows nothing of art or literature, for those things matter little these days. At nineteen, this is the only life she has ever known. She knows nothing of how the world used to be.


She knows how to load a handgun, gut a man with a knife, and purify drinking water. She has learned only what she need know to survive. She knows how to negotiate, how to steal, how to lie if it means another day breathing. She doesn't remember kindness, for it is extinct in this world. It died out long ago, snuffed out by the boot of the apocalypse.


When she was fourteen her mother expected her to take up her place in the local brothel... but she knew the horrible things those men did in the dark at night. Her friend Gabriel was joining up with a group of scavengers and invited her to join them. So she packed her things and took off. She only cried once. Reality was, she wasn't leaving anything behind. Her mother had only kept her out of obligation and for the money she brought in begging and stealing in the streets.


Gabriel had been a good friend. He'd protected her. Their group of scavengers was a rough group and more than once they'd looked at her with lust in their eyes and saliva at the edge of their lips. He was quite a few years old than her and was willing to put his neck on the line to keep her safe. She wasn't very good at staying out of trouble and keeping her mouth shut either, so it wasn't an easy task. She owed him everything.


Now, as she made her way through camp, she longed for her friend. He'd died last week. He'd gone on a raid for food and never made it back. She hadn't even had time to grieve before the group started eyeing her like the weak gazelle.


Last night one of them had slapped her ass on her way to add wood to the fire. She'd spun on him and held a knife to his balls. His eyes nearly sprang from his head. He'd turned scared, quivering, begging her to let up. When she sheathed her knife again the group laughed and mocked him. He'd glared at her menacingly, a look that told her he'd make her pay. A cold shiver went up her spine. Big mistake.


Every night since she'd slept with her gun beneath her pillow and a knife in her hand. She needed to make a plan. To get away from them. She didn't know if she'd survive on her own... but at this point maybe it'd be better to roll the dice...

 

[Lady Odyssey]

A blast of hot, dry air blew in. Dead tree branches waved along. Trash tumbled along the deserted streets of an abandoned town. The only signs of life had ever existed here were the bodies that piled up, creating a rotting stench that masked the whole place. Dark clouds began to roll in, building higher and higher, almost touching the sun it seemed. Heat poured down, drying up any exposed natural water. Empty cars lined the roads, along with the occasional rotting body in the passenger seat. Flies scrambled from here to there, buzzing and flying.


A man, roughly in his early twenties, walked in the middle of the dirt road. A backpack on his shoulders, a pistol loaded in his right hand, finger on the trigger. He scanned the scene behind his sunglasses, blinking. His body tensed. Something wasn't right. Usually, towns weren't this quiet. No. There must be a ambush awaiting him. Or everybody really was dead. Highly unlikely, however. The man continued walking, gripping the pistol tightly. The buildings seemed to squeak and creak with every movement of the wind, putting him on edge.


He was young. Young enough to not know of the Before. The world before everything happened. No, he knew nothing. His father had, though. And his father had told him stories of the world when there was peace, before violence overtook the Earth. But he was gone. He had been the only family he had. And now, he was moving on. Searching for the people who had murdered him. Searching for vengeance. To put himself at peace for once and all. So, he was here. In this ghost town. Waiting to either be jumped, or to head to the next town.


Joel bit his tongue, keeping still for another few moments. Waiting. Listening. Then he walked a few meters, stopped, listened, and walked again. On and on. He heard nothing. Either these people were really desperate and patient, or he was losing his mind. Just as he was about to reach the outskirts of town, he heard it. Someone's footsteps. He stopped dead in his tracks, pulling his pistol out in front of him as he turned around. There was no one. He swore silently under his breath, scanning the area one last time.


"Come on, I don't got time for games. Show yourself already," he yelled, frustrated. Sure enough, there was no one. He sighed. He then began to walk again. Then he heard it. A scream. A cry for help. He listened for a moment, and with a groan, ran to the commotion. He knew it wasn't a good idea, but... but what if it was the people that had killed his father? What if? It was possible. Besides, he doesn't have much else to do, and he doesn't have much to lose, so why not? Sure, maybe it was a setup. And sure, maybe it was a trap. But it just might lead him to them. The murderers.

 

[revo]

WARNING: Content in this post may be a trigger for those suffering abuse. Read with caution.


They'd finished off breakfast and the group was getting ready to head out, to try and intercept a supply caravan headed to the nearest local city center. She had proved her worth long ago at Gabe's side. They knew she was a valuable asset, but that didn't mean they respected her. It didn't mean she was trusted to watch their back. She was expendable.


She heard them whispering among themselves when they thought she couldn't hear. They knew deep down she wasn't like them. The things she had seen them do... they would make a grown man break down, make him cry like a mere child. She nearly vomited in her own mouth just remembering those instances of blood and pain. They'd robbed old women, killed children, ate the flesh of grown men when winters got tough. She was sickened by them, and yet they were the only sense of security she'd known for years...


Alone in her tent, she breathed deep. Her hands shook unsteadily. She needed to be stronger than this. Dammit. Damn. It.


This raid could go horribly wrong. She didn't trust a single one of them and they could easily let their trigger finger slip, kill her in the crossfire when things got dicey. She checked the magazine in her handgun, making sure it was fully loaded. Never mind the fact that she'd already checked it just moments ago. She took the knife from her pocket, verifying it was sharp. A long-range rifle was settled against her spine, strapped along her back. Like a woman stricken with OCD she checked and rechecked. She was armed to the teeth and yet still didn't feel safe. She couldn't calm her breath.


The fragile hold she had on her sanity snapped. She dropped her handgun on her sleeping bag and ran out of her tent. She stumbed over the lip in the entrance, barely regaining her footing. She ran into one of their men and he caught her, but she pushed him off. He yelled after her but she didn't hear him. She rushed to the woods. She was going to be sick.


Gabe, god. Where are you? Why did you leave me? Fuck. I'm in trouble... You're always here when I'm in trouble. Why, god why are you not here?!


Her mind raced. She reached a stream and knelt by the cold water. She took off her rifle and propped it against a nearby tree. On all fours she wretched but nothing would come. She hadn't been able to force anything down at breakfast. There was nothing to throw up.


Her hands reached into the cool water and brought it to her face. She splashed it against her cheeks. Get it together. She scolded herself.


"Hey little G, you wana let me pull that trigger, baby?" Came a cold voice from the trees behind her. Her hand went to her gun. Her fingers found an empty holster. Her glock. Shit, she'd left it in the tent. She'd let herself break and she'd left it in the goddamn tent! Her jaw slackened in shock for a moment before she was scrambling, reaching for her rifle.


He was quicker. He stepped on the gun, pinning it to the ground and crunching the bones in her left hand. She screamed out in pain.


"Tisk, tisk... You know better than that..." He lurched forward and let his hand fly, the back of his knuckles making a loud crack at they connected with her cheekbone. The force of it tossed her back, into the soft ground by the edge of the stream. She let out a loud yelp. Suddenly, his weight was on her. His hands grabbed her wrists; his hips moved against hers.


In the distance she could hear footsteps. Great, they were probably coming to watch the show, She thought with a strange, eerie sense of detachment. Won't they just love to watch me struggle? Like rapid dogs fighting over the last scrap of meat they are going to tare me apart until there is nothing left...


She couldn't help it. She screamed. She screamed harder than she ever had in her entire life. She dug her nails into his skin. She wriggled to get free.


"Really too bad about your man gettin' all shot up. Don't worry, you won't miss him much longer." He laughed cruelly. He bent to kiss her brutally and she snapped her lips together, her whole body tensing. She panicked. But in that moment, she remembered he pocket knife. If only she could re-position enough to reach it...


Her left hand was on fire as she struggled against his grip. It was useless but somehow she managed to get her good, right hand free. She grabbed the knife from the sheath on her thigh and lashed out.


She struck him in the ribs. His face turned dark and her let out a animal-like growl of rage. The noise was primitive and wild, from a dark place his soul may have lived, if it still existed at all. She'd meant to drive the blade up into his heart but her aim was off. She hit the bone of a rib and missed.


All she'd done was royally piss him off. Now he was out for blood. His hands wrapped around her throat. She gurgled, struggling to breathe... She wasn't stupid. Once someone closed off an artery... you had five seconds. Looked like she'd be seeing Gabe soon after all.


Five... four... three...

 

[Lady Odyssey]

Joel was tempted to pick his pace up, to get to the victim quicker. But he didn't. It would make too much noise ─ and besides, there could be a whole gang of them waiting for someone to come and rescue the poor person, so, he knew he had to be quiet in approach if he wanted to live, and possibly let the person live. He knew it must be a girl, assuming from the scream he had heard. The scream had been raw, a last battle cry. All concerns of this being a setup had vanished with that scream. It definitely wasn't a set up. It was a struggle between two people.


He crouched down low, every step careful and precise. He heard muffled voices, but nothing he could make out. It was a man, and a girl. Everyone knew what happened to girls if they were caught alone. It was awful, yes, but no one ever had the guts to stop it from happening. Joel was different. He was determined to stop this man, and possibly save the girl's life. Then he'd be on his way. In, do the job, and then he'd be out. Just like that. He'd been given the nickname 'Ghost' many times, because of how quickly he did the job; merciless and without hesitation.


He heard it. A yell. A roar. This time, it was from the man. She probably had punched him good, or somethin' to piss him off. Joel had to hurry. Time was ticking, he knew. He hopped over a car, landing on the ground as silently as he could. He finally got a view of the commotion. It was just the man, and the girl. The girl was pinned underneath him, struggling to get free. The man's large hands were gripping her throat tightly, teeth clenched with anger. Joel knew, as well as everyone else, that once a artery is closed off, you have five seconds, and then you're done.


Five... He needed to do something. Four... Joel had to act fast. Three... Without second thoughts, he pulled his pistol out, cocked it, aimed, and fired. A loud shot rang through the valley. The man collapsed on top of the girl, motionless. He was dead. His eyes were wide open still, but he no longer breathed. Joel stared down at the girl. She had no injuries. He'd done his job. And this wasn't the man that had killed his father. Disappointment filled him. He took a step closer to the girl, grabbing the man's collar, and yanking the body off of her with one hand. The body rolled to the side as he offered her a hand.


"We don't have much time. The others will be coming. You can either come with me, or start running."

 

[revo]

The air shook with the sound of gunfire. For a moment she didn't comprehend what happened. She'd been reluctantly expecting her death and then in and instant she could breathe. The hands around her neck went suddenly slack. Her ears were ringing. A heavy weight flattening every inch of her to the ground. For a second it didn't register. It was his body... his body had flattened her. He'd been hit. But how? Why?


The found of soft foot falls approached and once again anxiety sent a shock down her body. She tried to wriggle free but the bastard easily had a hundred pounds on her small, lithe frame. She craned her neck trying to try and see but then he was above her, blocking out the sun that shone through the trees, his face little more than a shadow. She squinted, trying to bring his face into focus. Who was he? She'd never seen him before. He wasn't from the camp, not that she needed to see him to know that. None of those men would have wasted a bullet to save her life.


He reached his hand out and suddenly the weight was being pulled off her. Her shirt was soaked red with blood. She couldn't help but stare as the stranger deposited the body in the mud, the eyes gazing open and unseeing. He no longer had a snarl on his face, jaw slack, mouth open. She sighed heavily, mostly from relief. It had been a long time since death had shocked her. His was just another carcass among many.


The stranger turned back to her and offered her a hand. For a moment she looked at it questioningly. An offer of help wasn't something she was used to. At least not from anyone but Gabe. Suspicious she gave him a pointed look and used her hand against her knee to get to her feet. Everything hurt, but she'd be damned if he'd get to see her weakness. She ran a hand through her muddy, tattered hair. She must be barely recognizable with all the mud and blood.


We don't have much time. The others will be coming. You can either come with me, or start running. His few words told her a lot. He knew the size of their camp, that there were more than just her and her attacker. He'd been watching. He knew what he was doing. It also told her she had a choice to make. Not that it was much of a choice really. The second the body was found they'd be on the hunt. They'd find her. They'd kill her. They'd kill them both. She nodded sharply, with barely a pause to think.


"I'm in."


{OOC: Sorry! I know this is hella late. I've been swamped by finals and holiday schtuffs! Hope you're still down to RP.}

 

[Lady Odyssey]

A few brief seconds of silence passed by. The last echo of the gunshot could be heard, piercing through the air much like that of a canon. The girl, eyes dilated with fear and shock, squinted up at the man, who had now holstered his pistol. Seven rounds left, he noted. Seven shots he'd need to use wisely; seven shots he couldn't afford to miss ─ ammunition was difficult to come by. The man watched as the girl's eyes flicker with hesitation and doubt. In any other situation, she probably would have ran straight away from him, but he knew she wouldn't. Not when the rest of the camp would begin to hunt her down. There was no going back now, he knew. It was a risk he had to take. They had to take.


The girl gave him a sharp look, and after refusing his helping hand, stood upright on her feet with some effort. Joel could easily see the pain straining on her, even as she attempted to mask it. His hand dropped to his side, and he took a glance over his shoulder. It would take a few moments to register that their camp member is dead; they would presume something went wrong, perhaps a struggle, and the guy had popped the girl, but as time goes on, they will soon realize he's not coming back. He's dead. And then they'll come running for them, hungry for vengeance of their friend's death. He snapped back into focus as she responded, her voice steady and even.


"Then let's go. We have a few minutes. Five at the most," Joel said as he checked for his backup weapon; a knife. It wasn't much when it came to a whole gang, but it was something. He would, eventually, run out of bullets, and be forced to hand-to-hand combat. The thought didn't faze him, or strike fear in him. Most likely, they would be outnumbered and outgunned. But that wouldn't stop him. He's been in multiple situations such as this, only he had been alone. Surely, if he could survive without help, he could survive with another being and make it out alive. The odds weighed heavily against the two, but he refused to let the doubt creep in. He knew that if it did, all would be lost.


"If things go south, I want you to do as I say without questioning or hesitating. If I tell you to run, you run. If I tell you to hide, you hide. You cannot doubt my orders when the time comes, or you won't make it out alive. Understand?" He spoke as he began to run, hand resting on the pistol's curve, ready at moment's notice to flip the safety off. Joel knew she didn't know him, or trust him, but she would have no other choice if she wanted to live. It would be a leap of faith, he knew, but he still hoped she'd be willing to take it ─ it was the best shot she had at surviving another day. He squinted through the sunlight, mind racing at the possible outcomes. Soon enough, he would find out.


Joel checked every now and then, making sure she kept up with the pace. They needed to put as much distance between the camp as possible before time runs out and the gang finds out about their fallen member. His legs burned as he ran, a trail of dust leaving behind his feet. As he ran, he formed a plan in his mind. If the gang did indeed catch up with them, he would distract them and use it to let the girl hide until he took care of them. He would try to talk it out with them ─ with only one objective, of course; to kill ─, get close enough to take one out with a knife, and use the body as a shield from the spray of bullets. Then, he would reach for his pistol, and pick them off, one by one. Simple, really.


"I can hear them," he informed the girl, glancing at her with a grim expression. Whoever these people were to her, they would be dead. That, he was sure of. "Be ready to hide when I tell you to."





{OOC: Not a problem at all, haha. I got finals and projects to keep me busy, too. c:}

 

[revo]

Yes, five minutes, if they were lucky. She moved swiftly, her frame light and mobile now that it had a purpose. She went to the prone, dead body of the evil man, knelt, and grasped the hilt of the knife she'd embedded in his side. With a strong, smooth tug she unsheathed it from his rib cage. Then she locked eyes with the stranger. She listened to his instructions silently. By nature she wasn't so keen on taking orders, but she'd long ago learned it was smart if you wanted to survive.


They both began to run. He ran with the stride of someone used to covering harsh terrain, someone used to minding where he stepped when hunting a predator. She was not as coordinated but she was light and it was easy for her to move without a sound.


"I understand. They have a trailer and a truck. This route through the woods is good. There's cover. The truck can't get through." She spoke it through labored breaths. He may or may not have heard her. "There's about a dozen of them all together, if we're talking about guards. Not the biggest group in the territory, but they're the best at what they do: killing." She resisted the urge to throw up, imagining what they'd do if they caught them. "They'll leave two guards at camp. Probably send a few out in the truck to check the main roads. We're looking at at least six to eight headed for us once they find him."


A few minutes passed and suddenly, behind them in the distance, a guttural scream tore through the air. Dammit. They'd found the body. She cringed, hoping they'd put enough distance between them and the camp to make a clean escape. God, let it be enough.


I can hear them. Be ready to hide when I tell you to. The voice beside her said, the noise coming out deep and raspy as his grim gaze fell upon her. Her gate slowed. She knew what that look meant. The hour glass had just run out. The time for running was over. They hadn't been fast enough. Her eyes darted wildly in the direction they'd come from. She couldn't hear them yet. God, his hearing must be good. A lump rose in her throat. Her hand clenched on the hilt of her knife. She didn't want to hide like a coward, her mind revolted against the idea. Yet she had nothing to protect herself. Nothing but her knife which now felt puny and useless against her palm.


Even if she'd had a gun, had the skills to defend herself from six to eight men armed to the teeth, seeing her might make things worse. They would assume it was her who'd killed their man. Maybe this stranger would give them pause. The unknown factor might cause them to hesitate, and that could be the end of them. She hoped.


Finally, she could hear their clomping boots, breaking brush and twigs in their wake, not caring how much noise they were making. Grace and swiftness was not in their nature. Stampede and destroy was much more their style.