ZRP-2: Chapter 4, Backtracking

(Sarah)

=We make it towards the hotel, and I decide to get a little bit curious=

So...What's she like...personality wise?

(Andrew)

=I blink a few times, furrowing my brow a bit=

Well...she's kind, sweet, and understanding.

=I give a small smile=

But she can be abrasive if you rub her the wrong way.

(Sarah)

=I grin like a little kid, unfazed by the fact=

Well...I just hope we can get along.

=I smile sweetly at Andrew=

(Andrew)

=I couldn't resist that damn smile of her's...Even twelve years removed, that still weakened me=

Guess Abernathy couldn't get rid of that smile...

=I then wheel into the hotel and head to the room, wondering what Mira would make of Sarah=

(Allie)

I nod, whipping my rifle out.

"Ill watch the streets, watch out in case the have a alook out up there."

*Dex*
"No problem. If there's any trouble, whistle."
=He started climbing up the fire escape, the metal clanging loudly despite his best attempts to be quiet. He winced on the way up, hating that he was making so much noise=

(Allie)

I winch at noise, but the only thing it attracts is a walker from a building.

"Guessing we're not to the point where we can shower together?" She asked. But her voice was joking, obviously not serious about it and klmerely making a joke.

Hibiki si'ghed.
"Pigs." She said darkly towards some Raiders, as the twonlaughed over something. She looked to James.
"Can we just kill them?"

(Andrew)

=I make our way to the room, earning a few glances in our direction, but nothing that made me go for my gun=

Just try not to embarrass me...please.

(Sarah)

I'll try...

=I give Andrew a mischievous grin=

(Andrew)

=I sigh=

Well...here goes nothing...

=I then knock on the door, waiting for a response=

(James)
"I'd rather not.....we're trying to be stealthy here. But if they find us then, well no skin off my teeth."

(Sam)
"Heh, yeah."
=I'll be honest. While I still loved Eve and hoped that somewhere down the line we really would be 'together'......she and I were still too distant in age. Yeah, we already crossed that barrier, sort of, and even agreed on some bits, but in all honesty I loved her more like a little sister than anything else. So the joke, while it truly was a joke, left me feeling a little uncomfortable=

*Dex*
=He heard the walker, but was too busy climbing up to deal with it=
"Ace, take it out. Quietly."

Eve smiled softly. "Hehe..."

Hibiki shrugged. "Alrighty."

(Andrew)

=I then open the door, wheeling Sarah in after me=

Uh Mira, I hope you don't mind having a house guest for a few days.

*Rick*
=The group soon reached a decent spot within sight of the Raider compound. Hidden behind several trucks along the road, they got a good look at the wall=
"Okay, this side is way too defended. Hell, it's too hot here, e should head back."

(Sam)
"Agreed. We move slowly though, so we don't attract any attention."

(James)
"Come on, we need to get closer, see if we can find Sam's group. Remember, we're the backup."

Eve stayed quiet, drawing an arrow back cautiously.

Hibiki nodded. "Let's go."

Mira looked up...then scowled. "What, one girl not enough for you?"

(Andrew)

=I raise my hands up defensively=

It's not what you think.

=I blink, a shiver of fear running down my spine=

(James)
=We kept on moving, avoiding the streets and the Raiders walking down them. Eventually, I spotted Sam and Eve, among two other men, crouched behind some trucks. We were too far away to actually talk and yelling was out of the question. So we simply watched=

(Sam)
=I heard something over in the alley behind us, and I turned around shot gun raised. Standing there were two Raiders, one with a gun the other with a bow, both aimed at us=
"Shit."

Eve spun around, bow eaised.
"Mexican standoff. Great."

Hibiki tensed.
"We have to help them."

Mira crossed her arms.
"Talk."

(Andrew)

=I sigh, willing Sarah to keep her mouth shut=

Please...just keep your mouth quiet for a minute...

Well...how should I put this...

=I then rub the back of my head=

This is your sister-in-law...Sarah.

Mira slis off the bed and bent over so her nose was inches from Sarah's.
"Sister huh." She smiled.
"Hi. I'm Miranda."

(Sarah)

=I merely smile, still feeling sore after the beating Andrew gave me=

I'll get you back for that one...just not right now...

Hi there. I'm Sarah, as Andrew probably told you.

=I merely smile=

(Andrew)

=I breathe a huge sigh of relief, thankful that nothing went bad=

Wow...that went well...

=I then feel the urge to sit down=

C'mon, you four...that should have been a stroll...

(James)
=I was about to agree with her, before I saw four more raiders pop up from the opposite side, and surround Sam and Eve's group=
"Crap, we can't. There's too many, and if we start firing we risk hitting them."

=Man, did I hate what's was getting at. I was suggesting we do nothing, while our friend and our daughter faced raiders alone=

(Sam)
=I heard the guys ganging up behind us, and we were soon surrounded=
"Dammit....."

*Raiders*
"Why don't you toss those toys to the ground and come with us ladies. We'll be sure to show you a good time."

(Sam)
"Think I'd sooner blow my brains out with a shotgun."

*Raider*
"Heh, you'll be blowing something alright."

Eve let her arrow fly, nailing the perv right in the dick.
"Next person to insinuate you will force my friend to fuck you in any way will learn a whole new meaning to arrow to the knee."
Another arrows was knocked in less then a second.

Hibiki growled. "We can't leave them!"

(James)
=Hell, I was about to get up and run for them to help, before more of the raiders came down on them=
"Fuck, there's nothing we can do!"

(Sam)
=Sometimes, Eve's devotion to me was more curse than anything else. The minute the arrow flew and hit the guy in the dick, his buddies sprang into action, even as he went down screaming. The first one to attack fired an arrow of his own, hitting Rick in the shoulder. I wish I could have given him aid but...under fire and all. My shotgun roared, taking the guy with the arrow in the nuts right in the head. It literally exploded, but the moment was short lived. One of the raiders closed the distance to me, wielding a piece of rebar and knocked my gun from my hand, and then one of his buddies grabbed me, throwing me against the car while the guy with rebar went after the others=

*Rick*
"FUCK!"
=Even as he went down, he whipped out a pistol and fired off a shot. It missed though, and the guy with rebar swung the weapon down at his head. Everything went black for him=

*Max*
"AHHH!!"
=He charged the one with the rebar, tackling him to the ground. Then he felt something sharp, a white hot pain in his back, and coughed up blood. Another raider penetrated him with a makeshift spear, the tip bursting through his back and barely poking out of the skin of his chest=

(Allie)

I whip out my knife and take it out. I clean my blade and start climbing once Dex got to the top. I climb up the roof and whip off my rust crusted hands.

"Okay, lets see what we can see.."

Eve fucked up.
But she was not letting anyone touch her or Sam.
Arrowing another, she whipped out her knife and drove it into another's chest.
As she pulled her pistol out, the rebar guy raised the...rebar.

Planting two in his chest, Eve finally felt something hit her head.
Seeing stars, Eve went down.

(James)
"Shit...."
=There was nothing we could do, and I stood there helplessly as Eve, Sam, and the other two went down=

"We need to get back to the compound. We can organize a rescue from there."
=I placed a hand on Hibiki's shoulder=

"Come on Hibiki."

*Dex*
=While crouched on the roof, he heard a sound, gunfire, and turned his head in its general direction. His hand went for his walkie=
"Rick? Max? Anyone there? Anyone?"

*Voice over Walkie*
"This is a very important person here. We have your friends with us, and will be entertaining them for now. Y'all have a nice day now."
=Static crackled then from the walkie=

*Dex*
"Shit....see anything Ace?"

Hibiki blinked as tears flowed.
"Get me my fucking tank."

Mira beckoned Sarah over as she sat on the bed. "So. Tell me everything."

(Sarah)

=I wheel on over, my expression shifting from happiness to unease=

Well...there really isn't that much to say.

=I bite my lip, feeling nervous=

I mean...this is the first time I've met him in twelve years.

(James)
"We'll get them back Hibiki. Both of them."
=Then we got up and all but ran back to the car=

Mira nodded.
"Alright...Two years for me."
She sighed.

Hibiki was a wreck.

But mama bear's cubs were threatened.

Which meant this went from Mercenary Work...to personal.

(Sarah)

=I give a small smile=

Well...at least we've been in the same situation..

So...what's Andrew like...apart from being quick tempered...

=I look to Andrew with a smug look on my face=

This is payback...

(Andrew)

=My eyes widen slightly=

Aw hell...

=I just prayed the Mira didn't say too much about me=

(James)
=We got to the car, and once inside I headed for where we dropped off Ace, hoping they would fall back. I grabbed the walkie and hailed them=
"Ace? Dex? Listen, if you can hear this head back to the pick up zone, we've been compromised. Now!"

*Dex*
=He picked up the walkie and responded=
"Understood, we'll head back asap. Ace, we need to move now!"

Mira looked at Andy...evilly.
"He's amazing and rough in bed, a complete idiot, overconfident, and still makes me love him."

(Allie)

I nod, jooging away from where I had been searching for the shout.

"Lets go, ill keep a watch, you lead."

*Dex*
"Just give me a second, we'll never get another shot."
=He pulled out his rifle, went to the edge of the roof and peered through the sights at the Raider compound. There was a weakness he spotted, and made a mental note to inform Cooper of it=

"Alright, let's move."
=I went down the fire escape=

(James)
=We reached the pick up point and waited for Ace and Dex. I wasn't aware of it, but my knuckles were clenched over the steering wheel, turning white=

(Andrew)

=I pale slightly=

Oh man...that again...

=I resist glaring at Sarah=

(Sarah)

=I giggle a bit at the statement=

Well...guess some things haven't changed.

=I grin at him wickedly=

(Andrew)

=I just groan in shame=

Bloody hell...these two are so much alike...it's scary

=I then sigh and smile inwardly, thinking of ways I could show Sarah up once she was recovered=

(Allie)

I don't wait, but follow up behind.

"Do you know exactly what happened?"

*Dex*
"Nope, all I got was a look at their compound, maybe an idea of what their weakness is."
=Once at ground level, he broke into a run for the pick up point=

(Allie)

I run along easily. Luckily I've managed to keep my endurance up in the past years, so a even paced run barely got me over 150 HB per minute.

(James)
=I saw Dex round the corner, followed by Ace. I rolled the window down and shouted at them=
"In the car, now!"

*Dex*
=He opened the door, but let Ace in first then got in=
"What happened?"

(James)
"Sam and her group were captured, and we had to leave. Too many of them and too little of us for a rescue."
=I started the car, and we headed back to the compound=

Hibiki was ashen...but emenated anger.
"I need my tank."

(Allie)

I sigh and rub my head.

"We still need eyes, I can track them and keep a eye on them. If I can get into some brush I have my ghillie, and I've been trained to handle this lone wolf stuff."

(James)
"They'll have dragged them inside by now Ace. If we leave you her, chances are you won't get anything good. No, we head back and work on a plan of attack."

(Allie)

I nood, mental tired.

(James)
=As we drove in silence, I looked to Hibiki. There were a few small streaks of tears. but I knew the look in her eyes. Rage. Fury. She probably wanted to rip the raiders to shreds=
"Hibiki? I know what you're feeling, and I get it. But stay level."

"I'm completely level. I just want to rip their intestines out and decorate their base with them like it's bloody garland, then burn the place down before walking into the setting sun."
Hibiki was deadpan.

(Allie)

I gast a glance between the two of them

"It'll be all good guys, they're desperate raiders and we have a tank."

(James)
"Yeah well I'm right there with you, but going in guns blazing, at least right now, won't help anyone."
=I looked in the mirror at Ace=

"Ace, desperation can make people do extraordinary things, and can make them beyond violent. Right now these raiders are basically cornered animals, and you attack those kind of things with caution."

*Dex*
"Listen, before we retreated I got a good look at their defenses, at least from two sides. Southern and south-west sides are the most defended, plus from what Rick's group were saying, they have the most patrols. Our side though had the least, and the walls were least defended, probably because that side faces the river, and there's very little chance of traffic."

(James)
"So we hit them there. Ram the tank down their throats and pour in through the breach."

I quickly grab my shoes from the room and leave. Then put them on and head back downstairs. Looking for James.

(Andrew)

=I left the room, still feeling embarrassed. I head out of the hotel, finding a spot to sit down, still red-faced=

I haven't felt this embarrassed since high school...

=I sigh, wondering what would happen next=

*Dex*
"Sounds like a plan."

(James)
=The rest of the drive was in silence, though the air pressure in the car seemed to be enough to crush soda cans. So much tension, anger.....and fear, most of all fear. A parents concern for their child, and my concern for both Eve and my friend Sam. We had gone from Shepherds to fighting Raiders. A two sided war. Great=

Hibiki now just cried quietly, face in her hands.
She was getting her crying out of the way.

Soon...soon, she would be screaming her rage.

=One of the Raiders knelt down by Sam, hand brushing away some of her hair so he could caress her cheek, and then did the same to Eve=

*Raider*
"Looks like we're going to have fun boys. But first things first.....food, before pleasure."
=Standing, he looked down at the dead form of Max=

"Tell them to get the grill ready."
=Then they picked up the bodies, dead or unconscious, and carried them into the compound=

(James)
=We got back to the compound, and I all but flew out of the car for the hotel=
"Cooper! Cooper! We've got a situation!"

=Cooper must have been waiting for us, because he came running out of the lobby=

*Cooper*
"What the hell happened? Where are my men?"

(James)
"Raiders. They killed one of your men, and took three others. It's a hostage situation."