The Run & Go

[kailey]

And they knew it too. Erik was assigned to keep Aryal alive, so he hadn't been able to stay back and ambush the Enforcers.


Two men were positioned in large oak trees on either side of the clearing, their bows drawn. Luckily for the officers, these two men were young and not quite so skilled with a bow.


The first fired a shot aimed at Sayer, but it missed and hit off to the right. The second followed suit, but his arrow struck the tree behind him.


Meanwhile, Erik was right in front of her as they ran. She was growing tired from all if this running, but he promised the Camp wasn't too far off. Her pants were scraped and ruined, but luckily she had her expensive jacket in the bag.


A woman cried out up ahead, and the two of them rushed to see what had happened. She fell in a hole, her leg was twisted at an odd angle. Aryal yelped and jumped backward. It wasn't the blood that got to her, but rather the way her leg was sitting. It was so unnatural.


"For god's sake, calm down. She needs help!" Erik exclaimed, sending a glare her way. The rest of the group kept moving, so it would have to be their responsibility.


He reached back and removed his shirt, tying it around the woman's leg to act as a tourniquet.


"I'll lift her on my shoulders, but I need you to run behind me and make sure she's okay." He instructed before hoisting the woman up. Luckily, she wasn't too heavy.


Aryal nodded and followed as he took off. He nearly matched the pace they had before, which was impressive. She noticed his muscles straining as he continued to carry her. He had a lot of them.


Shaking her head, she glanced behind. Any footfall lost could cost them their lives.

 

[kindaemissary]

As the first arrow pierced the air and landed in the tree behind them, Sayer pulled Gallucci to the ground and pushed him into the brush next to them. The camp had been closer than they thought, and while that was a good thing in one aspect, it wasn't that promising in the others.


Sayer pulled off the rifle off his shoulder and adjusted the scope to find where the arrows were coming from. They continued to shoot just beyond the two Enforcers and it didn't take long for Sayer to find the source in the treeline above. He switched off the safety and cocked back the cage in a single switch motion and shot into the darkness. The arrows stopped for a split second but then continued on, and Sayer shot again. This time a body fell out of a tree onto the forest floor, one leg crushed under the weight. Another person emerged from the shadows and ran towards the body and Sayer aimed the rifle at him. The force of the strike had the man stumble back a few feet before he clutched at his chest and collapsed to the earth.


Gallucci looked at him expectantly for some kind of explanation. "I trained with a sniper," he whispered as quietly as impossible.


The arrows had stopped firing towards them and Sayer flipped the safety on before strapping the rifle back to his chest. He pulled his handgun back from his belt and checked the bullets before wrenching the cage again. They moved swiftly through the trees careful to watch where they were walking and skirted around the brush so they were silent. If they kept moving like this, quick and quiet, they would find the others soon enough and be able to get back to the city before their supplies ran out.


His first thought as they exited the safety of the woods was to find more growth to hide in. Sayer knew he was overreacting - they were the hunters, not the hunted. The camp members were the ones who needed to worry. Still, they only came to kill Cooper. If they were able to find her and solve the problem at hand, no one else really had to get hurt. They could go back into the city without too much blood on their hands.


But there was Gallucci. Gallucci who had killed an entire community beyond the gate in a single night, along with his sister. He probably wouldn't want to go back without something more than just Cooper's death on his hands. He might want blood.


Sayer couldn't think about that now. They had to keep going until they found Cooper. He didn't know how they were going to do it with an entire community on her side, but they had to try. It was for the good of the city and, ultimately, the world.


He didn't dare think about the fact that maybe they were not problem and not the solution.

 

[kailey]

Two gunshots. A rifle, to be exact. Aryal nearly stumbled as she heard the noise. They were close. Dangerously close.


Her and Erik had caught up to the rest of the group. The woman on his back had lost consciousness, so he had handed her off to another man. They would take turns carrying her as her weight had increased.


"How far off?" The blonde woman asked hoarsely as she panted beside Erik as they ran. They may have to carry her soon. She was fit, but not for this. She could run a couple miles give or take no problem, but they had exceeded that long enough. Besides, the dense brush made it harder.


"Another mile. There's guards there so if they try and get in, they won't make it." He reassured her as he grabbed her arm to help her keep up. His grip was strong, but light at the same time. He had a sense of urgency about him, but he didn't wish to hurt her.


Surprisingly, this have Aryal a bit more motivation and she was able to nearly match his pace as they finished off the last mile.


A large collection of warehouses lay before them. Around it were high barbwire fencing with guards stationed at the four corners. Men carrying ominously large weapons paced back and forth in front of the main gate. It looked quite terrifying for it to be a safe haven.


Erik turned to her and urged her forward. "I'll meet you inside later. Find the woman you spoke to earlier in the large camp and tell her I'll be back." He instructed before turning and running around to the back of the fortress.


Aryal sighed and jogged inside with the other women and men who were racing to get inside. They had the children move first, followed by the women, but she ended up being last because of her delay with Erik.


Once inside the fence, a guard closed the massive gate and locked it up. The main building was the biggest of all of them, with small sub-structures connected at the sides. It was made of brick and looked quite old and worn out.


The inside of the structure was much different. The halls had been cleaned multiple times over, giving the laminate floor and white walls a sort of shine. An old sign saying "Mitchell County Penitentiary" hung in the entrance. So it was a prison.

 

[kindaemissary]

The two of them ran quietly, tiptoeing through the brush with such poise that one would think they were ballerinas and not trained killers, until Gallucci halted to a stop at the view of a large complex. They huffed to catch their breath, breathing hard as they hunched over. Gallucci made sure they stayed inside the trees.


Sayer stood their staring at the people, the Camp members, as they assembled themselves through the gates of a giant penitentiary. It was a little unreal - the entire scene. He shared an astonished glance with Gallucci and continued watching. He picked out Cooper from the crowd. She was the only woman still outside before they closed the gates and locked the chain tight.


"I thought everything beyond the city was destroyed," he said.


Gallucci snorted from beside him and slid down the side of a tree, back scraping against the bark. "You believe everything you're told, don't you?" He turned on his safety and pulled out a water bottle from his bag and sipped slowly. "You think we'd go to as far lengths to make sure we were the only ones out there? That's ridiculous. The city might have a lot of resources and people to get the job done, but then it would look more like we were keeping people inside for our own reasons and not to keep them safe."


They shared another look and Sayer slunk down across from him. He took a bag of nuts out and tossed some in his mouth, eyes still trained on the jail behind the fence. "We're never going to get inside there," he muttered. "They probably know what we look like."


"So we find another and assimilate ourselves," Gallucci said with a shrug. "It's easier than it seems, Sayer. That's how I did this before. I made these people trust me. In a month or so, Cooper won't remember your face as clearly, and we make our way back here. Get the job done from the inside."


Sayer stared at him but didn't say anything. He didn't know if he could do it. Kill an entire compound. If he didn't, Gallucci might have already been on orders to kill him. Enforcers didn't fuck around with their jobs. They went in and came out, clean and clear kills. Sayer would probably come out of this looking a little worse for wear. If he came out of this at all. He almost wished he hadn't asked Marigold for the extended assignment, but he couldn't go back and take it back now. They'd have to do this Gallucci's way or die, really. They couldn't go back empty handed unless they had proof that Cooper was dead.

 

[kailey]

27 Days Later


11:23 AM


It had been nearly a month since Aryal had found the Camp. Over the years, they had revamped the place to be more accommodating. Each of the cells were furnished with blankets and other personal things that they had gotten their hands on. Two women per cell, unless they had children. If the women were married or in a relationship with a man, they would share one.


Relationships. She still hadn't fully grasped the idea of them, but she was learning. Love existed here and it was wonderful. Sometimes a man and woman would roam the halls hand in hand, smiling and laughing. It seemed so nice.


After they had discovered that Aryal had worked in security, they placed her in their own security system. The prison had an existing one with cameras set up around the perimeter. All of the monitors sat in a central control room. From inside, she could control the voltage that coursed through the fences and everything electrical that was within the fortress.


They paired her with Erik once again. Apparently, whoever saves the runaway is in charge of keeping them safe and alive until they get the hang of things.


He wasn't a very talkative or emotional man. He was a few years older than she was. He was very intelligent, actually, and helped her if needed.


It was a Wednesday morning and the two of them were watching the monitors. It was odd, the Enforcers seemed to just have vanished and given up their pursuit. At least, that's what it seemed like.


It had been requested from the Leadership positions that security become tighter and more enforced. They didn't like the situation one bit, and neither did Erik.


Aryal clicked around on the computer, switching between cameras. Something moved out of the corner of the front gate camera. Frowning, she zoomed in. It was a blurry movement.


"Hey, Erik, can you rewind Camera 2's tape a few seconds then play in slow motion?" She requested, keeping her eyes on the screen.


He complied. The footage went back a few seconds and began playing through. There.


Aryal paused the footage and zoomed in even more. It looked like a figure. More like a human.


"Take a look at this..." She whispered, gesturing for him to come closer.


Erik moved behind her and peered over her shoulder. He furrowed his brow and nodded. It was a person. Someone was out there.

 

[kindaemissary]

Being out in the wilderness and trying to survive on their own wasn't the best idea that either Sayer or Gallucci had had in their time of being an Enforcer for the city. It took them a week before they started to actively seek out a camp to stay in before they tried to leave and travel back to the penitentiary where Cooper was. The process of getting in the camp was harder since there were two of them and it tended to be a sole person escaping at once.


They knew that both of them looked a lot older after the three weeks they stayed at the Beloit camp. It was set up in a small town about thirty miles from the city gates and much more open that camp at the penitentiary. Most of the camp's resources were kept underground and a only a few houses were lived in. Sayer was surprised to find that they had running well water when they arrived. It was definitely a good surprise. Since it was summer, they didn't need electric heating, but A/C here or there would have been nice.


During the three weeks Sayer and Gallucci had been in Beloit, they had learned to garden and fish. The only time someone tried to teach Sayer to cook he ended up burning the seabass and they decided to keep him out of the kitchen. He had fixed cars, pretended to learn how to shoot a rifle, and kept watch over the town on shifts during the night.


Their break came when a mother and her two young children stuttered into the camp in the middle of the night. The town needed more space but didn't want to expand, and since Gallucci and Sayer were young enough to go out on their own and still survive, they volunteered to find another camp until they could come back. Columbus, an older man, and his daughter Lydia - who had never actually been inside the city - made sure to pack their bags full of food and water before they left. They even gave a long distance radio in case anything went wrong.


"Just be safe out there," Columbus had said. "Let us know how you're doing. We'll try to find you when we build another house."


It was comforting, to say in the least, that someone that had only known them for months had put so much faith in them. Sayer didn't really want to break that trust. Gallucci had mentioned one night, when the lights were off and everyone was asleep, that they should get rid of Beloit before they left. Even though they had sheltered them for close to a month and had been there for them when they arrived - half-dead and starving - Gallucci still held the city's priorities first. Sayer convinced him it was a bad idea and they left without any bloodshed instead.


Walking the twenty-two miles back towards the penitentiary was long and took a little over three days. With the need to keep stopping and rest due to the heat, it took much longer than it should have. Sayer's hair was cut short, close to his head, but they didn't have razors back in Beloit so his scruff from before had turned into an unkempt beard. Gallucci still looked like a child.


This time, neither of them had assault weapons. Sayer carried a handgun on his belt and Gallucci had nothing. They didn't want to arouse suspicions.


It was a little afternoon when they came out of the clearing and stood at the mouth of the penitentiary. They were both sweating profusely - denim shorts damp from the summer air, shirts tied along their backpacks.


Sayer raised a hand to his eyes and shielded them from the sun, trying to get a better view. They had finally made it back - only 19 days after they arrived at Beloit - and they were ready to take the camp from the inside. Gallucci was still convinced that they should kill everyone, but Sayer remained hesitant. If it wasn't necessary, he wasn't ready to make that big of a move. They'd stick to killing Cooper right now and if need be, they'd take care of the rest later.

 

[kailey]

Erik began to say something but stopped when two clear as day figures appeared on the front cameras. It was two men. They both seemed quite worn out and tired.


"What do we do?" Aryal asked as she zoomed in again to examine them closer. A handgun could clearly be seen on the bearded man's hip, but other than that, no weapons were visible.


Erik frowned and ran a hand over his own facial hair, considering the situation. He grabbed a two-way radio from his belt and switched it on. "Hey, James, we've got two unknowns outside the front gates. Taller one has a handgun, other than that, no weapons visible. Meet me down in five and bring Rodrigue." He spoke into the radio.


Aryal frowned thoughtfully and got up from the seat. "Can I come?" She stood beside him and put a hand on the machete like dagger they had given her.


Erik gazed down at her. He didn't want her to get hurt, that would devastate him. Over the past month, she had grown on him. He felt as if her life was his responsibility.


"You cannot come down there." He stated firmly, turning to leave.


"I'll stay inside the gates with water bottles then." She responded with, equally as firm.


Their eyes met and there was a moment of silence before Erik sighed loudly and began heading down the stairs.


Aryal grinned triumphantly and followed. As he headed toward the gate, she moved to grab some water bottles from the kitchen area for the two unknowns.


Erik met up with James and Rodrigue, weapons drawn. The three of them made their way outside the gate.


"Hey, what're you doing here?" Erik called out.

 

[kindaemissary]

Sayer stayed a step in front of Gallucci as the men left the gate and approached them. He wanted to trust that Gallucci wouldn't do anything stupid, but he was still uncertain that the other man would stick to their long term plan.


"We're from the camp in Beloit," he answered, hands raised just above his head. "We just got a family and don't have enough space for new beds right now, so we left until a new house is built and gave up our own for the newcomers." There were only three men before them, and Sayer knew that if they had to make a move they could manage. They were both trained for combat. If the meeting got messy, they'd could manage.


"Columbus told us that the nearest camp was this one. It took us close to four days to get here, but we did it." He gave a bright smile and lowered his hands back down to his sides. "We're gardeners and we'll do whatever you need while we're here, if you let us. Cavo hunts and I fish. Need help for a couple weeks while we're away from home?"

 

[kailey]

Erik frowned thoughtfully and glanced to James. Columbus. They knew the name. He was a well and respected leader amongst the Camps. The fact that these two came from that particular Camp was promising.


"I'm going to need to confiscate your weapon for the time being, please come in. Our security is pretty tight here, so don't take it personally when we pat you down." He called out, gesturing for the two men to step inside first.


James radioed a watchman and had the gate opened. Just inside the gate stood Aryal. She held two water bottles in her hands and had a soft smile on her lips.


Erik couldn't help but grin at the sight. Despite living outside of the city for roughly a month, the woman always tried her best to look presentable on a daily basis.


"They say they're from Beloit, a Camp not far from here. Rodrigue, pat them down and we'll take them to their rooms." He ordered.


Aryal stood back, waiting to distribute the water until after the man was done. Rodrigue stepped forward and took the handgun, then continued to pat down both men. They were clean as far as he could tell. "They're good." He announced.


She stepped forward and held out the bottles, offering them. "Take these, you look like you need it."

 

[kindaemissary]

Sayer handed the handgun over and shared a glance with Gallucci. Before they decided to make their move, they'd get the gun back and probably raid the camp's armory. Go big or go home, he thought. When they finally took out Cooper and left the game, they would do it in a fiery blaze. No second thoughts.


The pat down was normal, so neither of them were too offended. They had gone through the same procedure before they enter Beloit. The levels of security that the camps had was impressive to say in the least. They went to great lengths to make sure that their people were safe from the outside and that they city wouldn't pay much attention to them. If runners were roaming throughout the entire country side, it would be much easier to catch them. Staying in groups was a good tactic on their side.


Just beyond the gates, Sayer saw Cooper waiting for them. She had only seen him through the computer screen, so there was a slim chance that she would recognize his face. When they moved forward, he took the water bottle out of her hand and gave a toothy smile. The facial hair probably helped conceal his identity. He was also wearing sunglasses when Cooper saw him through the security cameras. There would be no reason to express her knowing him. She hadn't even seen his full face.


He had told Gallucci about Cooper seeing him on camera and he said he'd take care of it if it became an issue. Sayer didn't know what he meant by that, but he didn't pay it that much attention.


"Thanks," Sayer said, and he looked towards the entire group of people that had come out of the penitentiary. "Sayer Pollux," he offered, and he pointed to himself after a long steady gulp. "I was a nurse before I left."


"Cavo Gallucci." Sayer looked over at his partner and gave a tight smile. "Grew my own produce inside and out. Owned a grocery store." He shrugged to himself and grabbed a bottle from Cooper too. They stood there and drank the water quickly. Neither of them realized how thirsty they were until they had the water in front of them. Traveling for half a week had taken a great toll on their bodies. They were sore, tired, and dirty beyond belief. Sleeping on the earth left dirt caked into their skin and hair. Sayer definitely wanted to show.

 

[kailey]

Aryal smiled gently as they began to drink the water. They were obviously thirsty. Luckily, the Camp had large stores of necessities such as water and food. They did have gardens out in the back courtyard and sometimes the men would go hunting.


"Aryal," she offered in return. "There's a lot more water inside. You two seem parched." She glanced up and nodded at Erik. He placed a hand on her shoulder and propelled her forward.


Rodrigue and James walked behind the two men while Erik and herself led the way inside. The group of Camp members stepped back to allow the group to enter, although they cast curious and welcoming glances at the two strangers.


"We're running a little low on space, but we're working on it. For now, you two are going to have to share a cell. There are two beds, so no worries there. Well, they're just mattresses, but you'll live." Erik spoke as they walked. Once they were inside, Aryal followed him to the men's wing of the main building. There was one cell left, but it was larger than the others.


"This is where you will stay," Erik began. "There are some rules. After dark, you must be in your cell. You will each be assigned a job to help around here. Don't go outside of the gates unless with a hunting party or you have explicit permission from our Director, Mariam. You'll meet her at some point."


Aryal stood back, hands clasped behind her back. "Erik and I work in security. If you need us, our radio channel is 6. You have a two-way attached to the wall there. Get us if you need anything," she said with a smile.

 

[kindaemissary]

Sayer didn't like this place.


From staying at Beloit for the last three weeks, they had expected freedom to reign and do what they liked, but this place seemed more like a prison than being inside the city ever did to Sayer. Him and Gallucci shared questionable glances towards each other. Expressing their frustrations this early in their stay would hinder more than help. If they made it a week or so without any sidelong glances from other camp members they'd be able to make a move. They would have earned some semblance of trust by then.


The room was small and cramped, but it did have the two mattresses that they were promised. The walls were peeling from themselves and looked like a penitentiary like it used to be. There were bars on the windows and toilets shoved into the corner. Sayer hoped that they didn't have to use it.


The two of them looked around the room and turned back to face Cooper and the others. None of the men had introduced themselves yet. He didn't know what that meant. "Your camp is much different from Beloit," Sayer pointed out with a small smile. There was no malice in his tone, but it sounded confused and curious as to why. "We're used to having an entire town to roam where we please. This feels a little bit like a prison."


He pressed his hands into his back pockets and prayed Gallucci wouldn't say anything yet. "It'll take us a while to get used to the change, but we'll manage. It's just not what we were expecting from what Columbus told us about your camp. We expected it to be more like ours."

 

[kailey]

Aryal frowned thoughtfully. She turned to Erik, but he was preoccupied talking into his radio. His tone sounded urgent. "Of course, ma'am." He muttered into the device. "Aryal, you're in charge of these two. The three of us are needed out back." He said no more before him, Rodrigue, and James left.


The blonde woman's frown deepened as she turned back to Sayer and Cavo. "You do have freedom. There is an entire garden out back, and what looks to be old ball courts. There is also a field as well that has some forestry in it. All of it is within the fence, so you're allowed to roam back there if you wish." She explained. She felt bad that she couldn't provide them with more. Personally for her, the prison didn't bother her. She was out of the city, that's what mattered.


"That was Erik, by the way. The other two aren't important, they were just helping," she continued, folding her hands in front of her politely. She wore her signature leather jacket, but it was beginning to make her warm.


Aryal sighed and peered behind them to the toilets cramped in the corner. "Oh, you don't have to use those. There are restrooms just down the hall." She said with a bit of a laugh. It was a concern she had when she first arrived.


"If you'd like me to show you anything, I'd be happy to. I'm off security for the rest of the afternoon," she offered. The mane named Cavo didn't really spark any interest in her, but Sayer did. There was something about him that she was desperately trying to place.

 

[kindaemissary]

Sayer watched as the men left them and moved onto whatever they had to do for the day. He didn't want to be stuck with Cooper for the next couple of hours, but he didn't complain. Mentioning it would make them look offput and like loners. They didn't need the negative attention.


"We didn't have fences back in Beloit," Gallucci said from next to him. They made eye contact and Sayer looked away and back towards the room as Gallucci kept face forward. "It's just something we'll have to adjust to. We knew that your camp was in a penitentiary, but we figured you had made it a little more homey. It feels a lot like a compound." He gave an awkward glance to the cell doors and frowned towards Cooper. "I wasn't expecting to feel trapped."


As Gallucci talked about the lack of amenities, Sayer glanced around. 8 horizontal bars on the windows. 33 chalk marks on the east corner of the room. He wondered how many years it had been since the jail was actually used for its purpose. A hundred? Two? The beds looked uncomfortable, but it was a prison. They knew what they were heading into when they left Beloit, but even Columbus thought that the camp had move past solely primitive uses.


"We're just used to having a house, is all," Gallucci added, and Sayer turned back around, hands on his hips.


"It's just weird," he said, and Gallucci fell back into silence. They worked in shifts. No need to talk at the same time. "Columbus thought that you would have done renovations. This place still looks like it was recently taken over. Beloit was much cleaner. Family-friendly." He scratched at the back on his neck uncomfortably, face twisted a bit in disappointment. "I know it's not supposed to, but it almost feels more like a prison than living in the city ever did. I left for places like Beloit. Not to be put on lockdown again."

 

[kailey]

Aryal sighed loudly. The renovations were currently in place. They still needed supplies,which were sometimes tricky to come by. "They're working on it." She replied simply, a bit impatient. She was just grateful that she was free, for the most part.


"It's safe here, at least. It's one of the safest Camps. Nearly impenetrable. We run tight security." She continued on with a nod. She tapped her boots and glanced behind her. A couple was moving into one of the cells. One thing they did have, was privacy. She couldn't help but stare a little longer. Love was a new concept, but she wanted to learn about it. She wanted to experience it.


All in due time. Aryal turned back to the two men and forced a cheerful smile on her lips. "If that's all, I think I should show you around. It's not as bad as it seems." She assured them.


Of course, without clearance they couldn't see the bulk of the compound. She could, working in security and all. She'd show them the outer courtyard and gardens, the kitchen, and other areas.


"Alright, let's go." Aryal turned on her heel and began walking down the hallway. She stripped off her jacket as she walked. Underneath, she wore a blue tank top and it was much cooler that way.

 

[kindaemissary]

"Does it really matter if it's safe if there's no free reign?" Sayer asked, and he started walking to catch up with Cooper. Gallucci stayed a couple of feet behind them, glancing around the camp as they made there way away from the rooms. "We have to have permission to leave the camp? And there's curfews?" Sayer gave her a look. "We had more freedom back inside the walls."


After being outside of the city for so long, Sayer knew what freedom felt like. He did whatever he wanted whenever he wanted. There were a couple people back in Beloit that he had a connection with - friendships, relationships. He kept them on the downlow and didn't talk about them to Gallucci. If, for a second, Gallucci thought that he was enjoying leaving so free and lively outside of the gates, the tables could turn on him so quickly. Living outside the gates had definitely had its fair share of weird moments and emotions, but there was a lot to be desired.


He didn't really want to walk around with Cooper, but he kept up. More than anything he wanted to lay down and take a nap. Walking around through a tour would be exhausting.


"Can we make this quick, though?" he asked after they turned down a corridor. "Neither of us have had a good night's sleep in days and the idea of having a bed to sleep on..." He trailed off and itched the back of his neck, chuckling. "It's very comforting. A lot of this is confusing, but we're still very thankful that we're here. We just want to sleep."

 

[kailey]

Aryal cast a glance back at Sayer as he asked if she could hurry. Sighing, she turned to the right and passed by the kitchen. "This is the kitchen. You're aloud in there whenever you'd like. Whatever you need should be in there," she explained, but kept on moving. He wanted this quick, after all.


As they walked, she noticed that the awkward one didn't seem to speak much. He was more observant... And had an odd aura. She didn't like him.


She turned down the next hallway and turned to face the two men. "Since you want this quick out that door is the back courtyard, gardens, fields, that freedom you're talking about. The door is always unlocked." She began walking back toward them, brushing against Sayer's shoulders accidentally as she did.


She was growing tired too and wanted this over with as well. She assumed Erik would take care of this part of it, but she got stuck with it. Oh well, anything to help.


After showing them a few more key rooms, Aryal led them back to their cell. "You'll be assigned a job tomorrow. Again, if you need anything, radio me. Get some rest," she waited a moment, just in case they had any more questions.

 

[kindaemissary]

As they walked, Sayer counted windows on the walls and every exit he could find. He knew that all of the lengths that the camp went to for safety were necessary since it was much closer to the city than Beloit was, but it was still a shock to his senses that on the inside it was as much of a prison as it appeared to be from a first glance. They took the autonomy they were granted in their first camp for granted. Cooper could say all she wanted about renovations or that they could find freedom in a garden, but Sayer wasn't stupid. He knew what freedom looked like, and this wasn't it.


When they arrived back at their cell - even Erik had called it that, a cell - the two men sat down on at the edge of one of the beds. Neither of them had showered in days, and deodorant could only go so far. The hair on Sayer's head was matted down hard to his skull. Cleaning off in any creek they could find was nice when they were traveling, but more than anything Sayer wanted to sleep and bathe.


"Thanks for the tour," he said, and he set his backpack down on the ground next to him. Sayer took the shirt tied into his belt off and wiped it down his face, the summer heat creating perspiration he hadn't felt before. Stretching his shoulders, he reached out and patted Gallucci on the back. "Cavo and I, we're not really used to new people. We've spent the last couple of years in the same place, so meeting more people is a little awkward." He smiled down towards his knees and looked back up towards Cooper. "While we're here, we'll do the best we can to help your camp, but the second we hear word that a new house was built, we are going to head back to Beloit. It shouldn't be longer than too months, but there's a lot we can offer you for your hospitality."


Before they even made it Beloit, the two of them discarded their Enforcer uniforms and any paperwork that they were carrying. The people in Beloit helped clothe them when they arrived since all that they had were the clothes on their backs - ripped denim shorts from the journey, a thin t-shirt, and running sneakers. They each had a few extra pairs of underwear and socks, but everything else they had brought with them to the penitentiary was from Beloit. In Sayer's sack, he carried more summer clothing, an extra pair of sneakers, undergarments, a switch blade, dried fruits and vegetables, three water bottles (two empty, one almost there), pain medication, a shaving razor, two bars of soap, a flashlight, a bandana, a pocketwatch, and the 2-way radio that Columbus had packed them before they left. Gallucci had similar items, but in addition he carried a large box of matches and a collection of lighters. Spending the last few days camping out in the forest wasn't something either of them wanted to do, but Beloit made sure that they had everything they could have needed.


"Before you leave," Gallucci started, and he stood up from the bed and untucked his shirt from his shorts. "Is there a certain time we need to meet for meals? Or is eating something we do individually?" It was a fair question. In Beloit, the bell tower chimed and everyone met at the church basement to eat. Religion had long since dissipated from the city, but small forms of it were found on the outside. Sayer had yet to meet anyone that believed in a God, but the Beloit people used the space to hope and pray for their futures. He thought it was beautiful in one of the most confusing ways.

 

[kailey]

Aryal turned at Cavo's question. She hadn't done the best job at explaining everything, she realized. Her annoyance at Erik for leaving this to her was getting the better of her. Sighing, she ran a hand through her blonde hair and forced a slight smile at the men.


"Meals are individual, although most go to the kitchen around 8 am for breakfast. Lunch is pretty sporadic, but dinner is always served at 5. When you pick it up is your choice," she explained. She wasn't ignorant to their state of cleanliness,or lack there of. "There are showers in the men's restroom I spoke of earlier. They are individual, so if you are shy, no worries there." She chuckled lowly.


"There are extra clothes in an adjacent room to the kitchen. Just ask a cook or someone in there to unlock it for you." Aryal sighed softly and turned to leave again. These men... She couldn't place them and it bothered her.


"I'll see you two around." She stated simply before leaving. Her mind was racing a bit with everything they said. Were they actually not as free as they thought? That other camp they spoke of sounded so nice. Was she allowed to relocate?


Probably not. Besides, Erik was her supervisor and he wouldn't let her. It was better here than in the city, anyway. She needed to keep that in kind. Still, she would definitely keep an eye on those two. It wasn't that she didn't trust them, there was just so much to learn from them.


Erik rounded the corner, bumping into Aryal as he did. "Oh, hey," he muttered after taking a step back. As always, his face was expressionless and he was all business. "Did you get those two settled in?" He asked her.


"Yes, thanks for leaving me to do it myself." She grumbled before pushing past him and heading outside. Erik decided to let her go. It wasn't his problem.


Aryal opened the door to the outer courtyard and made her way outside. She passed the gardens; several people were busy weeding and watering. It look great, actually, and there was a lot of fresh foods to be harvested. In the field some children were playing a game of tag. The sight made her smile.


She went over and sat in a plastic chair that was on the sidelines of one of the old ball courts. She needed to think, and also needed fresh air. It had already been a long day.

 

[kindaemissary]

When Cooper retreated back away and headed out of the hallway, Gallucci sat back down next to Sayer, both of their backs pressed against the cold cinderblock walls of the cel. Before they said anything, they made everyone was out of hearing distance.


"This place is weird," Gallucci whispered, and Sayer nodded in agreement. "There's a lot of security and that'll make it almost impossible to get anything without some alarm being triggered. You were trained to parkour, correct? We might need to get crafty when we decide to raid the armory."


Sayer nodded at the question and he leaned forward, checking the corridor again for stragglers. "I think the more we work with them and show them that even though this place is a lot different from our last camp, we still try our best, they'll be lest skeptical. Cooper was watching you as if she already suspected something, but it might just be because you didn't talk a lot. You're trying to play that whole loner-vibe, and it's working, but I think I'm going to have to make it clear to Cooper and Erik and whoever else that you went through some trauma or something. We could even make you a victim of your own massacre that way all the facts would line up."


Sitting on the thin mattress, the two of them continued to talk about their overall plans and agenda for the takeover of the penitenairy. It would take a couple of weeks to earn the camp's trust before they were able to go through with their mission and kill Cooper, but the time and effort would be worth it. Something about Cooper set Sayer off in the wrong way. She wasn't an unattractive woman, but she had an air about her that said she did everything she was told. It may or may not be true, but Sayer knew that he had to stay away. The less time they spent around one another the easier the process would be.


After a while, Gallucci rose up from the mattress and started digging through his bag, knees pressed hard into the cement floor. "I'm gonna shower," he said, and then Sayer started doing the same thing. They both gathered up new clothes and soap before carting their backpacks with them to the bathroom. It would be weird if they kept their belongings out in the open even though this was a safe place. Neither of them had been there before and taking their stuff with them would be normal. Slowly, they'd start to trust the camp, but until then, they'd keep up appearances.

 

[kailey]

It was early evening by the time Aryal decided to head back inside. The sun was beginning to creep behind the tree line and the air was becoming chilled. The children had gone in long ago, and so had the gardeners. It had to be about 7.


Sighing, she rose to her feet and headed back in. Her stomach made a noise to remind her that she hadn't eaten since that morning. She turned the corner and headed toward the kitchen.


While outside, she had a lot of time to ponder the newcomers. Cavo was an oddball. He seemed... Stand off-ish, in a way. She didn't like that, it set her off. Sayer, on the other hand, was equally intriguing and off-putting. He didn't seem the friendliest if people, although he tried to appear that way. Despite this, she wanted to learn more about him. Something told her that he wouldn't open up so easily, though.


There was a few people in the kitchen, but she assumed most had already eaten. A teenage girl worked behind the counter, ready to serve her. With a youthful smile, she plated a small cheese sandwich and some snap peas from the garden onto a plate for Aryal. The later you arrived, the less choices you had. This didn't bother her much, though.


There were other items, but this would do. She moved toward a back table and sat facing the large glass panels that showed the corridor outside. She didn't particularly like being alone, but there wasn't many options at the moment.


Erik passed by the kitchen. He noticed Aryal sitting alone and picking at her sandwich, obviously preoccupied. Frowning, he tapped on the glass and motioned for her to meet him outside of the room. She rolled her eyes and deposited of the tray of food and slipped outside the kitchen.


"What?" She asked shortly. Fatigue was getting to her, and she wanted to rest.


"I was just going to walk you to your cell. You didn't seem like you were enjoying your food anyways." He replied stoically. Aryal nodded and allowed him to lead her around the building.

 

[kindaemissary]

Sayer and Gallucci showered in adjacent stalls, whispering silent nothings back and forth as they ridded their bodies from the muck and grime of nature. Over the course of these long weeks, they had become much more friendly towards each other. Gallucci no longer annoyed Sayer to the brink of death and back, and Sayer no longer sang in the shower when Gallucci was around because he knew that it bugged the other man. They worked together far better than Sayer could have ever imagined and it made the entire journey a lot easier.


They turned off their showers and dried off with their dirty shirts before stepping into new underwear and clothes. The bathrooms were a little run down, more than Beloit was at least, but the only important thing was that was running water. Neither of them could care less about the cleanliness of the amenities as long as they were there. Before leaving the city, Sayer was a bit of a neat freak. He'd lose his shit over crumbs on his desk top and made sure to make his bed perfectly everyday. Out here, without all of those extra materialistic wants and wishes, he didn't really have a choice. He was clean when he could be and didn't worry when he wasn't. He considered it progress.


He pulled up his jean shorts and stepped out of the shower. Gallucci was still naked next to him, but living in the wild made nudity normal. All the ideas that society had wanted him to think when he lived inside the city were now gone. No more pretenses to believe that certain things weren't normal.


"The water pressure here sucks," Cavo said, and he pulled his shirt up and over his head.


Sayer scoffed and shoved all of his stuff back into his backpack. "At least it's not a creek. I'd rather have shitty water pressure than another fish swimming through my hair."


Gallucci laughed and threw his backpack over his shoulder, dark brown tank top clashing with his light denim shorts. "Hey, we caught food that night."


The two of them headed back towards the cell, chuckling along the way, and laid down on the mattresses when they arrived. The small amount of comfort that the mattresses offered wasn't much compared to the hard and cold desolation that came with the cement underneath. Tossing and turning, Sayer finally decided to rest on his side so the force wouldn't cramp his tailbone.


They stared at each other from across the room.


"How long?" Sayer asked, voice low as he peaked down the hallway.


Cavo stared down along with him. "We'll know when the time is right. It shouldn't be too much longer."

 

[kailey]

Erik groaned. He had been assigned to show the two newcomers to their respected jobs. He really didn't like those two, not one bit. He tried to be optimistic but it wasn't working.


The bearded man made his way down the men's corridor, stopping in front of Sayer and Cavo's cell to knock on the wall beside it. "Rise and shine, I've got jobs for you two!" He called out, not really caring if he woke them up or not. After today, they could get up whenever they wished as long as their jobs got completed.


Aryal had made her way to the security room, but they told her that it was covered for the day. Maybe they were changing their minds about having a woman up there? That would make her upset.


She wasn't entirely sure what to do, so she decided to make her way out to the garden. Perhaps they could show her a thing or two about agriculture. She didn't wish to be bored. Boredom led to bad thoughts and even worse actions. She didn't really feel like hacking any computers of stealing at the moment anyways.


An older man was tending to a few small rows of root vegetables. He whistled as he worked and had a straw had atop his bald head. Aryal smiled as she let herself into the gated garden plot. "Hello,"


"Morning Miss Cooper," he replied back, a toothless grin on his lips. "What can I do for 'ya?"


His name was Robert. He was a nice man, and she had run into him a few times since arriving at the Camp and had gotten on nicely with him. "Just wanted to learn some things."


Robert pointed to a few gardening tools. "Pick that up."

 

[kindaemissary]

15 DAYS LATER



​

It happened when no one expected it. Even Sayer and Cavo were caught off guard by the onslaught of yelling coming from the main courtyard in the penitentiary. Voices carried through the wind, screaming swears and praises and everything else in between. It took a little bit of calming down for everyone to gather together so that Miriam could tell them the amount of truth that came from the rumors, could tell them the world that they had come to understand was all about to change.


A rebellion had risen up and, for the first time in years, it was actually getting somewhere.


Sayer knew that he should have been alarmed with what she was saying, but he couldn't help but feel relieved. If the city was taken over by rebels like it had been a couple times before, he wouldn't have to go back to be a simple pawn, forcing the entrapment of others when it was clear that they were living without issue outside of the perimeter. He felt Gallucci go rigid next to him and knew that he needed to keep it together. If Cavo Gallucci, for a second, believed that he was getting second thoughts about their, Sayer was dead. There was no way around it. He remembered what he heard Marigold whisper to his partner. Watch Pollux, she had said. If he slips too far away from the goal, he's no use to us. Use your best judgement.


"Should we act sooner than planned?" he whispered towards Gallucci, voice hushed by the racket happening around them.


Gallucci shook his head. "No, not yet. We might have to help on the outside before we do anything in here. We'll know when the time comes."


Sayer had noticed that Gallucci had talked in that same ominous tone most of the time, and while it was slightly off-putting, he had learned to work around it. He nodded his head and turned his attention back to Miriam as she instructed the security teams to increase their numbers by double. The two Enforcers shared a glance. If they had to create more teams, there was a good chance that one of them would be chosen. They had worked their asses off since arriving; no mishaps, no run-ins with patrol. They followed the rules, played with the children. Sayer had even helped a woman give birth to twins on his fourth day. They had showed that they could be trusted.


Deep down inside, Sayer wanted to be the only one of them to be picked. He was worried about Cavo having a machine gun. Something about the other man still had him cautious. If he was chosen, he couldn't show his disapproval. He'd need to keep it underwraps.


In the short time that they had been there, Sayer became friends with a couple of the older teenagers and a few of the elderly women. He wanted to fit in, show that this wasn't a joke to him, and that he was serious about proving himself to the camp before they left for Beloit (even though that would never happen). Even Erik had warmed up to him a bit. Not enough, if it was up to Sayer, but he was getting there. If he continued to work hard and showed Erik that he was trustworthy, he might just get that gun.

 

[kailey]

Aryal was up in the security footage office when she heard the racket down below. She exchanged a glance with Erik, and the two got up and moved toward the stairs. This was odd. Typically the Camp was rather peacefully and ran smoothly. Maybe someone had stepped out of line?


The two arrived just as Miriam explained the bit about increasing the security teams. That would be interesting. They'd probably stick her with a gun instead of simple office work. This made her both excited and a bit nervous.


Erik stood with his arms folded and a frown on his face, his typical expression. Although, she detected a hint of worry in his eyes. If he was anxious about this, everyone should be. Aryal sighed and stood beside him, scanning the crowd for the rest of the security team. They were standing beside Miriam.


"Alright, I need every strong and capable man to step forward. My best men will choose who they wish to be in their groups. If you are chosen, report immediately to the east building," she called out to the group. She shifted her gaze to Erik and nodded slightly. He grabbed a hold of Aryal's arm briefly and dragged her up with him.


Miriam explained that Erik and James would begin recruiting men, reassured that everyone was safe, and went into the crowd to lead the women, children, and elderly men to the outer courtyard. More jobs were to be assigned.


Aryal stood with her hands clasped in front of her. She stood behind the men and looked out at the group before them, instantly spotting Sayer and Cavo. So they were interested in this? They'd make good men for the job, they were very dedicated.


"Alright, guys. My team is doing the dirty work. You'll have a gun and we'll be patrolling outside of the compound. James over here will take inside patrol, running the cameras, keeping everyone in here safe." Erik explained. There was about 15 men in the crowd. He frowned thoughtfully. "Alright, if you're on the left side of my arm here, you're with me." He held out his arm to divide them.


Aryal noticed that Sayer was on the left of his arm while Cavo was on the right. She frowned thoughtfully. Would that be a problem?