ZRP-2 Chapter 6: Scattered

(Andrew)

=I turn around and hide my shock=

What the...

=I look around and hear a noise, a few gun actions charging and look around towards the buildings. I catch the glimpse of a gun barrel, and one word comes to my mind=

AMBUSH! Everyone get down!

I bump her back, glad I wasn't on edge like I should've been. "Hey, what are you doing here?" I put my pistol back in it's holster to hold her hand.

Then Andrew yelled Ambush, do the exact opposite of what I just did. Letting go of her hand and grabbing my pistol.
"We need to get to cover!"

(Andrew)

=I nod and point to a building=

Head for that building, now!

=I gesture for the rest of the group to head to a building a block a block away=

Now move!

I rush her with me to the building Andrew pointed out. I cover my eyes and point my pistol at the door knob.
*Click*
I almost facepalmed myself. I forgot I ran out of ammo during the Siege. Instead I grab the knob and ram myself against the door.
It didn't budge. I try it again, then again, then again. Finally it gave way and I fell inside, causing dust to fly everywhere.

I cough as I get up and move out of the way, letting those who wanted in in. Then I pull Jen to the side so I wouldn't lose her again.
"You okay? Did you get hurt?"

Abel had lost sight of the group when they entered the town, but he still heard Andrew's shout.

"Shit! Go get Cooper!"

Abel yelled to one of the people who came with him to watch over the group. The person quickly ran back to the cars to relay the information.

(James)
"It would if we had more than four rooms here Hibiki. There's only four rooms, two across from each other. Maybe we should put them in the room across from us?"

*Cooper*
=One of the people that had gone to investigate the town came running back, relaying a message about a possible ambush. Cooper immediately got on the radio=
"Andrew, what's the situation goddammit? Can you get out?"

Abel waited for maybe a minute before he decided to move out from where he was. He made sure his shotgun was off safe and had a shell in the chamber before making his way to the closest house and begun moving along its side, peaking around, down the street.

"Cattycorner, James. Less chance of them hearing." Hibiki said. "Now open the door, she's heavy."

Mira took cover near Andrew as Jen drew her gun, handing a spare clip to Tyler.
"You're not suppose to be out of ammo Ty." She said.

(James)
=Setting down the bag, opened the door, letting Hibiki walk in=
"You realize that if we.....decide to get intimate again, we're going to have to be extra quiet."

"Yep..." Hibiki sighed, then laid Eve down, taking her shoes off and tucking her into bed.

Kissing Eve's forehead, she retreated with James. "Hey, wanna go look for a sex shop? We can buy a ball gag." She said teasingly.

(James)
=I gave her a flat look before rolled my eyes and stalked away=
"You are too much sometimes Hibiki."

(Sam)
=Well, I managed to do it. Got someone to hold onto my car for me while I went on my voyage down river. Leaving the impala with my stuff I. Hand,I walked for the boat=

I take the clip she offered and nodded. "Haven't had to use it in awhile." I replied. Then I shoved the clip up into the gun and it clicked.
"Andrew! What's the plan?"

"Can't help it James! You're so fun to tease!" she called after him.

(James)
"Yeah, I really am...."
=Walking out, I saw Sam coming towards the boat with her stuff=

"Yo. You're room is across from ours, it's the one with Eve asleep n the bed."

(Sam)
"Heh, sounds like Christmas come ear--"

(James)
"Do you really want to finish that sentence?"
=I gave her a pointed look=

(Sam)
=That made me shut up=
"Sorry."

Hibiki kicked her shoes off once in their room, and flopped onto the bed.
"Man...could use a beer right about now."

Eve was asleep.

Dreaming of Sam.

(Sam)
=Nodding to James, I walked aboard and found the room with Eve, still asleep. Taking my shoes off, I climbed into bed behind her, wrapping my arms around her and pulling her close. I had gotten over my hesitation of any kind of relationship with her, and was now willing to be open=

(James)
=Standing out on the deck, I watched as the caravan started to get some camping supplies out. Tents mostly=

Hibiki started sharpening her sword quietly.

Eve shifted, the sleepily snuggled back, still out cold.

(Sam)
=My face pressed against the back of her head, as I breathed in her scent. Granted, there wasn't much to smell, since she needed a shower=

(James)
=Sighing, I walked back inside and found Hibiki on the bed, sharpening her sword=
"That's not your new sex toy is it?"

Hibiki glared.
"Not funny." She sheathed it, finished.

(James)
=I couldn't help but grin at her as I sat on the edge of the bed, laying a hand on her thigh=
"Feeling better?"

Hibiki nodded. "Yeah. I do."
She smiled. "Sam make it to the room?"

(James)
"Yeah, think she cuddled up with Eve."
=I leaned back and fell into the bed=

"I have a feeling we're going to be staying the night."

"Same here." Hibiki smiled. "So...their getting along well then?"

(James)
"By the looks of it yeah. They've bonded over the past three weeks."
=I shifted so my head came to rest on her leg=

Hibiki rested a hand on James' hair.
"Which is good...means I don't have to worry about her..."

(James)
"Same. Plus I don't have to worry about you killing Sam."

Hibiki laughed. "yep."

(James)
=From my position, I looked up at her. Granted, most I saw was her chest and her chin, but that didn't exactly make it a bad view=
"So, we should probably leave tomorrow, first light."

"We need to leave fast. Everyone does. If the bandits came that fast..."

(James)
"True, but there should have been more of them by now."
=I reached up a hand to stroke her hair=

"I'm not talking about the bandits...Shepherds."
Hibiki looked grave.

(James)
=My hand paused mid stroke, hanging onto her hair without actually pulling=
"Yeah.....though we do have a three week head start on them. They may have lost our trail."

(Andrew)

=I heard Tyler as we made it into the building, gunfire hitting the building's front=

Right now, we're taking cover.

=I hunker down under a window=

Just stay low, cause I don't have a plan...not yet.

"Or their on the trail of the train. They can easily track it; there's only tracks after all. No where else it could go."
Hibiki frowned. "Andrew, Cooper, and a lot of our people could be chased by Shepherds and not even know it."

(James)
"True. But....this will sound cold, but they don't know where we are."
=I let my hand drop=

Thankfully, the building was thick enough that the bullets wouldn't pierce it. Which means that standing by the door, like me, you're not full of holes.
"We wait them out? They've got to run out of ammo some time."

(Andrew)

=I shake my head=

Give me a moment...keep their heads down.

=I get on the radio with Cooper=

Well...looks like the locals aren't keen on giving us food and shelter.

=I look out the window=

And we're pinned down...so it might take us a bit to get back.

Abel moved through backyards to get closer to the town's square, where all the gunfire was coming from.  Thankfully it didn't seem whoever had been shooting, even thought that there might be more people on the way.  Abel had made it to one of the buildings that sounded like weapons were being fired from, so he entered the home through the back door, quiet as he could.

"We don't leave people behind James...we can't leave the behind."
Hibiki'sf ace hardened.

Eve shifted a bit in her sleep.

(James)
"I'm not saying we leave them behind. I'm just saying the shepherds have no idea where we are. That gives us an advantage in two ways. We can retreat to wherever we want with little chance of them tracking us. Or we can attack them, without them knowing where to defend."

*Cooper*
"I knew I shouldn't have let you go out."
=He sighed=

"Well shit....we could come and get you, but we might get pinned. Hell, they might see us as more valuable and try and take us down for salvage."
=He checked his watch=

"What are the odds of you getting out of there, and fast?"

"I like the latter...because we need Cooper's group. We need everyone we can get, if we're to stop the Shepherds." Hibiki said.

(Andrew)

=I take a peek from a window=

I can see a side route that bypasses the ambush.

=I do a double check=

If we take that, we can get out of here quickly.

(James)
"You know,I never wanted to be a soldier. Or a survivor."
=I sighed=

"I never even wanted war. Just revenge. That was.....well, mostly you."

*Cooper*
"Then get the hell out of there."

Hibiki frowned. "Yet you're the one who pretty much organized us all. I turned your want for revenge into a cause. And without you, it won't happen. We'll live in fear, until we die, of the Shepherds...unless we take them out."

(Andrew)

=I nod and look to the group=

Give us a moment...

=I pop out and take a few pot shots=

And I'll get right to ya.

=I turn off the radio and turn to the the group=

Alright, see that spot over there.

=I point to it=

We're bypassing this ambush. Now let's haul ass, people!

=I kick down the door and and run for the open spot=

Come on people, meter's ticking! Move it!

(James)
"I never wanted to be a leader Hibiki. Or even a rallying point. As much as I was attracted to you when we met.....well, at the time I just wanted to go on a suicide run against the Shepherds because it hurt too much. Being with you made the pain go away, don't get me wrong."

"You idiot." Was all Hibiki said.

(James)
=I couldn't help but grin=
"Yup. I'm an idiot. One stupid, lovable idiot."

"Who needs to go with the flow and turn that revenge into a want to blast the Shepherds to oblivion." Hibiki said.

(Andrew)

=We run as fast as we can away from the ambush, the occasional gunshot sparking nearby=

Good...that means we're out of their line of sight. That was failed venture if there ever was one...

=I hear the crack of a gunshot...followed by a scream=

Oh man...that's not good...

=I look to see Sarah on the ground, all of us not much more than a mile from the vehicles. She was cursing like mad, and I looked for the sniper. Alas, I found nothing. I motioned for Mira to get over to Sarah and help me=

So close...so close

Come on, let's get her to the cars. It's clear we've overstayed our welcome.

=I pull Sarah up by her uninjured arm and loop it over my shoulder, moving on away from the town=