Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to Wcrp. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Dead Men Walking
Topic Started: Nov 28 2014, 02:20 AM (70,937 Views)
DoctorYerishi
Member Avatar
Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Gorski blinked, instantly grateful for the clean-up. He looked around for a bit to test his vision and was even more relieved to find it was fine. The kid’s maliciously benign form of interrogation hadn’t seemed to have done any permanent damage.

He had to chuckle again at the kid’s tone, though. So casual. A minute ago he was threatening to fuck him up – hopefully not literally – with a dildo.

“What, are we pals now?” he asked. “I don’t even know your name, kid.”
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Strompy
Member Avatar
More posts, more Busey.
"Already told you. You were distracted, that's fine. Brandon." he replied patiently.

He made his way back around the table and started putting away his tools, hopefully for good. He took a drink from his bottle and disinfected his hands after touching the dildo again.

"We're not friends, but I hope we've established some trust now. I need to use the can, I'm gonna call in my friend to keep an eye on you and when I come back we're going to start planning." Brandon said as he made his way to the door.

He closed it behind him and almost collapsed against the wall. His hands trembled with the nerves he'd kept at bay that whole time. He suddenly felt very sick, in more than one way. It hadn't gone far. Thankfully he was able to convince the man of how little choice he had. Brandon wasn't sure how far he could have taken it, or if all his threats were bluffs. If Tom had called him on it, he would have had to make good on them or lose what little power he had in there. The thought of what he had in mind for the paper clip was disgusting. He swallowed hard and walked over to the others, looking pale as a sheet. He took the bottle Emmett had been drinking from a took a swig himself.

"He's ready to cooperate. It didn't take much to convince him, he's reasonable enough to understand his situation. Can you go in there and keep an eye on him please? I need a little air." he asked of Eli.

"I didn't do much to him. Nothing outside the realms of kink or drunken dares. I've done worse to myself at parties. Would you be able to take a look at his wrist when you're able? I kind of promised you would. I hope you don't mind." Brandon said to Annie before making his way to the roof.

Willow was there. That must have been a painful climb for her. She was so resilient, it never stopped stunning him. He decided that later, when they had a moment and she didn't have to keep an eye out for danger that he would talk to her about that thing. He sat down next to her and joined her watch. He needed somebody who knew him deep down, somebody who saw something he didn't at that moment.

"Why do you love me?" he asked with more than a hint of unease.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Make-7-Up-Yours
Member Avatar
Is that so?
The sudden screams from the other room made Antonio's stomach feel heavy. It made him feel sick. At that moment, he knew without a doubt what was going on inside that room. Before Brandon could remove himself from it, Antonio shook his head and decided to remove himself from the strip club they had taken refuge in.

"I'm sorry. I need some air as well." Antonio abruptly got to his feet and headed for the front door.

He thought these people were different. The way they looked out for each other was an inspiration to him. But maybe they really were no better than some of the others. Maybe they were no better than those that had robbed them. Maybe this cure was just an elaborate story to ensure his cooperation. He didn't know anymore. He needed to talk to God and try to find an answer for these doubts in his mind.

* * * * *

Willow paused and blinked at Brandon. His tone was... uneasy, to say the least. She was blissfully unaware of what had occurred downstairs, but had a pretty good idea of what might be bringing him up here in such a way. She glanced across the roof to see Jen sitting alone on the opposite side, looking out across the surrounding area. It was a decent sized roof, Jen was out of earshot. While still trying to keep one eye on her surroundings, she looked back to Brandon and her lips curled into a smile.

"I thought I told you this before. Well, I love how you're helpful and teaching and compassionate. You go out of your way to help people and do things that you really don't need to. And you're great at it. I don't know how you do it, but kids in particular seem to love you. And that's sexy too."

Willow paused to flip a few strands of pink hair behind her ear.

"I love how you accepted me, flaws and all, when I was just a scared and anxious 24-year old woman with no self-confidence. You not only accepted me, but inspired me with your own strength, physical and mental, and kindness. You made me want to be better and stronger than I was the day before. I love your brain too -- you know so much that it never really ceases to surprise me. You're pulling out something new almost every day. I'm book smart and street dumb while you claim to be the opposite. I think it's a good compliment we have there."

Willow paused again to think.

"And then there's always the the standard things too. Your self-confidence? Check. Your face? Check. Your smile? Check. Your body? Oh ho ho, yes please! You're kind of the full package deal, babe. I'm honestly just trying to figure out what's wrong with you."

She leaned forward and planted her lips against his. She held herself there for at least ten seconds, savoring the taste of his lips. It was amazing how quickly bad breath became a non-factor in these situations.

"I don't know what happened down there." Willow told him as she broke the kiss and touched her forehead to his. "But know that I love you because you are a good man with a good heart and that will always be true, no matter what. We all do stupid stuff that we aren't proud of when put in extreme situations like this, but that doesn't make us who we are. You being here now proves that. If none of what I said was true, you wouldn't be up here talking to me about it now."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
DoctorYerishi
Member Avatar
Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Eli studied Brandon as he delivered his report, trying to get a lock on his feelings about the role he’d just played. Judging by his paleness and the way he went for the whiskey, it seemed to Eli that they were bad. At the very least, conflicted.

He had done it, though. He had gotten Gorski all the way there. Eli was thankful for that.

“Nice work,” he said, and gave him what he hoped was a comforting pat on the shoulder.

He headed off to the back room, eager to extricate himself from this company anyway. Antonio’s judgment had been obvious but quick, at least. He had literally left the building. When Eli glanced at Annie, however, she was still looking back with critical eyes.

He shook it off and headed for the office, closing the door behind him.

* * *

Brandon. The kid was right, that did sound familiar. He was also right about him being distracted. Too busy thinking about how bad things were going to get.

Turns out, not too bad. At least, not yet. Sure, Gorski knew he was selling out his team – he wouldn’t call them friends, not after they gave up and took off like that – but at least he was literally still in one piece. No one had started cutting off fingers or toes.

Then Eli walked in. Gorski remembered his name from Wendy’s protracted conversation with him on the highway. Gorski was pretty sure he was the bad cop Brandon had gone about. He already had a little experience with that from the uncaring way he broke his wrist, or at least sprained it.

“I’m told you’re ready to cooperate,” Eli said.

He didn’t need to sound menacing. His look – jacked, sweaty, with eyes that reflected both weariness and a little madness – did that for him. Gorski decided not to bother testing him. Brandon’s deal sounded good, he didn’t want to jeopardize it.

So he sighed. “What do you want to know?”
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Strompy
Member Avatar
More posts, more Busey.
He was going to do it. She just settled it for him. Her lips on his were like a seal. She brought out the best in him, or at the very least made him proud of himself. She was what really made him feel like a big man. That somebody like her loved him and thought the world of him put him above other men.

"I think I might just love you forever. You make me a better person." he informed her sincerely.

He needed that. Needed her. He felt sure about everything if he had her vote. But he couldn't stay there elicit more adulation from her, they both had jobs to do and he was distracting her. Brandon got to his feet feeling renewed in his purpose. Even so he couldn't help coming back behind her and kissing her neck hungrily. He wanted to take her right there, even in front of Jen.

"Take it easy, okay? I'm going to do things to you later." he promised quietly in her ear.

Before he could torture himself some more he removed himself from the roof and rejoined Eli and Tom in the office.

"So, what do we know about this camp?" he asked, giving Tom permission to offer everything he thought would be helpful.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
DoctorYerishi
Member Avatar
Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Eli’s arms were crossed again, and his expression was stern as he considered the information Gorski – Tom Gorski, apparently – had provided.

Wendy and her crew were set up at a sports bar. If Gorski could be believed, they had the area surrounded by spiked traps for rotters and had set up a maze of cars to distract and slow them down. They also had a couple spotters with rifles at all times, watching every approach. Eli didn’t doubt that part. Even if that wasn’t true before, it would almost certainly be the case now. They would be paranoid for good reason.

Bottom line -- it was going to be tough to get close. Gorski said that too, and he was likely correct. Sneaking in and taking their minivan back was a risky proposition. Eli had been able to pull of the Old Fort Erie heist because their base was expansive and their guards were unprepared. This was much different.

Eli shook his head to himself. Stealing the supplies back was not tenable and the bar was not an ideal battleground. They needed a different strategy.

“Look, Eli,” Annie said, interrupting his train of thought. “We’ve been talking.”

Everyone was assembled by the stage now. Eli was standing, but most of the others had taken seats. Even Emmett, since Annie had finished stitching him up.

The only person who wasn’t present was Gorski. He was still tied up and waiting in the office, except now he was equipped with a bottle of water and a straw to help him get at it. Eli wasn’t ready to trust him enough to unbind even a hand.

“Father Mendez and I think we should move on,” she said. “He thinks he can get a new vehicle operational, and we have some ideas about where to get more food and water – and if we need more guns, we can figure that out too. The important thing is the cure. And our lives. Engaging with Wendy again puts those at risk.”

This again… Eli groaned. Annie frowned in response. She looked up to the group – Willow and Brandon in particular. They hadn’t offered opinions yet.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Strompy
Member Avatar
More posts, more Busey.
"We'd be risking our lives either way. This way we'd be risking our lives to take back what's ours. Ours. That's important to me. I don't want them to get away with this, using our weapons, our supplies and our van to keep robbing more people. Maybe as little as two or three of us can get in there and get it all back. It's dangerous, but I don't think it's much worse than our chances without that stuff." Brandon said.

"We also have one of theirs. Maybe we can work out a trade. They don't seem very cuddly but he's one of theirs. They'll want him back. However we choose to go about it, I say we take back what's ours." he continued, offering an alternative approach.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Make-7-Up-Yours
Member Avatar
Is that so?
Willow furled her brow when the eyes of the others fell on her, looking for her opinion.

"I'm not opposed to getting our stuff back." She said after a moment. "We lost a lot of weapons and supplies -- we are pitifully under-equipped to be picking a fight. But we do have the cure. And plenty of cars that we can take to replace our lost ones. I don't think that the stuff they stole is worth more than any of the lives we have here."

The truth of the matter was that she didn't want to kill anyone. But if she had to choose, she wouldn't hesitate to put a bullet in one of Wendy's crew before they had the chance to return the favor. The fact that she wouldn't feel bad about it was what was becoming scary.

"But it feels dirty knowing that our supplies are going towards future robberies and murders. And replacing all the guns we had stolen will be difficult. If we ran into another group on the road, we would barely be able to defend ourselves. If we can agree on a plan that keeps us relatively safe... then I'm down for it."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Strompy
Member Avatar
More posts, more Busey.
"You're right. We don't even have a plan yet, we're getting ahead of ourselves." Brandon concurred.

He couldn't dismiss that he may be somewhat motivated by revenge. His concern was everyone's safety first. Looking out for your own was important, but it was exactly that mentality that allowedWendy and her goons to take everything from them. If she had even an ounce of concern for other people she would have left them alone, or maybe tried to trade for what they needed. She seemed like a career criminal and she would do this again.

If taking their stuff back hurts those people than it could only be a good thing. That way they were looking out for their own, exacting a little reparation and potentially helping others. If Wendy and her group went hungry they may have to move out in search of food, the harder it was for Wendy the easier it became for everyone else. It might even be for the greater good if they were all dead though, if desperation made them more dangerous. After what happened today they might not let the next people who came by live. It was a legitimate concern and a legitimate solution to the problem she presented.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
DoctorYerishi
Member Avatar
Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
“Enough,” Eli said sternly.

He was finished with this discussion. As far as he was concerned, it wasn’t even a discussion. It was decided. Moving on without recovering their guns and food was simply not an option.

“This is how it’s gonna work – I’m going alone, and I’m taking the radio. Their position is heavily guarded, and they know it way better than we ever could. So we’re not gonna take them there. We’re gonna draw them out.”

He pointed to Brandon – who seemed to be one of his only clear allies on this. Unlike the others, he wasn’t suggesting letting bygones be bygones.

“Brandon’s got the right idea,” he said. “We’re gonna make a trade. Gorski for our stuff. We’re gonna propose this trade from a distance. Hence, the radio. I’ll drop it off, I’ll come back, and we’ll figure it out from there. Good?”

It wasn’t really a question.

“Good.”
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Strompy
Member Avatar
More posts, more Busey.
"Okay." Brandon conceded.

Brandon was relieved to know they were making a trade. He still had doubts about what this would all mean for anybody else who ran afoul of Wendy's gang. The perfect scenario would be that they all reflected on these events and realized that they should be trying to do right by others,but he was positive they wouldn't. No they'd most likely start killing people. Taking Wendy and her people out was the only way to be sure, but they weren't in a position to make that happen and it would put them in jeopardy even if they were. This way was safer for them at least and despite his feelings about Wendy and her people he didn't relish the idea of killing them.

He approached Emmett and Annie a little uncertainly. He doubted either of them appproved of enhanced interrogation. In actuality he'd done very little, he really had done worse to himself for fun in the past. Like snorting chili powder whichleft him without a sense of smell for several days and required him to go to the hospital. It was that he didn't know what he was prepared to do. Ultimately it may be that everything turns out relatively okay... but it could have gotten so ugly, and he was afraid he may have just lowered himself significantly in some people's regard.

"Emmett. How are you holding up?" he asked, knowing the answer but that wasn't the point of asking.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Make-7-Up-Yours
Member Avatar
Is that so?
While Brandon went to check on Emmett, Willow caught up to Eli.

"Okay, I know you've decided on this for everyone already, and you know, whatever. But what if they don't want their guy back? They already abandoned him once and we probably killed at least one of them during that gunfight, they might not be too keen on playing it nice with us."
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
DoctorYerishi
Member Avatar
Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
“We’ll find that out when we ask them,” Eli responded, and then immediately moved on. “While I’m gone, I’m gonna need you guys to round up another set of wheels, or maybe fix the truck – or hell, maybe both. Padre, I’m lookin’ at you.”

He started walking for the door, tossing one more comment over his shoulder.

“I want us to be ready to ditch this place when I get back,” he said. “So get on it.”

After that, he was out the door.

* * *

Annie frowned as the door opened and closed, letting in a cold breeze from the outside. She didn’t like any part of this. She didn’t like the idea of vengeance, and she didn’t like Eli’s attitude. At the very least, he could have pretended harder to care about her and Antonio’s objections.

She suppressed the displeasure and turned back to the others – Emmett in particular, since he was so recently injured.

“I’ll be okay,” the big man responded stoically to Brandon’s earlier comment. “And I can help. We can probably find replacements for the tires just… Gah!

He tried to sit up as he spoke, but a flash of pain obviously went through his ribs. He clutched his wound and stopped in place.

“You’re not going anywhere,” Annie cautioned, in her most professional doctor voice. “You need to give yourself a minute to rest.”

Emmett shook his head. “No time.”

“We’ll find the time,” Annie insisted. Left unsaid was ‘Forget what Eli told you.’ “Keeping you in one piece is what’s important.”

If Emmett registered that at all, he ignored it. With his next try, he dangled his feet over the stage and then stood up. There was no grunt of pain this time, but Annie noticed him wince.

“Let’s go,” he said, looking to Brandon and Antonio.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Strompy
Member Avatar
More posts, more Busey.
"Don't worry, we'll make sure he takes it easy." Brandon assured Annie as he and Antonio readied to leave.

"Would you be able to look at Tom's wrist now? If you do just be careful okay? He doesn't like us much." he said as he pushed open the bar door.
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
DoctorYerishi
Member Avatar
Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Connor stood up when the others did, though he wasn’t sure why. He had only been half-listening to their conversation. It was a lot of talk about a plan he wouldn’t be involved in and didn’t have an opinion of. He was just a kid; he didn’t even really contribute to the group – at least, not until recently. Not until he killed those rotters out on the highway.

That was pretty cool, he thought. I was pretty cool.

He wasn’t feeling so cool now. His mood had levelled off once the adrenaline had died down and all he could do was sit by and watch his mom stitch up Emmett. He wanted to talk to Brandon about the fight out there – he craved his approval for some reason, but before he could, Brandon had disappeared into the office. Later, that man – the tubby one with the patchy beard – had screamed out. He called Brandon mean names. Connor had to wonder why.

It’s all he had wondered about for a while. Because that man was – well, a man. He wasn’t one of the dead. He wasn’t even like Ethan back in Flint. It wasn’t a choice between killing him or getting killed.

His mom looked upset after Brandon left, but also resigned. “Stay here,” she instructed Connor, as she picked up her bag and headed for the office Brandon and Eli had been in and out of.

Connor didn’t listen. Instead, when she turned her back, he trotted out the front door. He wanted to catch Brandon before he got too far away.

“Uh, Brandon,” he called out, as the door closed shut behind him and the chilly air greeted him. He looked up at the older man with uncertainty. “That guy in there. Is he – is he okay?”
Online Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · Roleplaying · Next Topic »
Add Reply