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Dead Men Walking
Topic Started: Nov 28 2014, 02:20 AM (71,022 Views)
Make-7-Up-Yours
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Is that so?
Glenda pursed her lips in thought as her gaze shifted from the new young man in front of them, to the corpse at his feet, and finally back to Eli. She wished she had the right answer at her fingertips right now.

"There is risk involved either way." Glenda argued. "We can find another pharmacy somewhere else. I don't want to deal with people again right now. Our party is already big enough as it is, I don't think we need to risk bringing more people into the fold."

"We can always use more hands, Glenda." Randall threw in his input from the back seat.

Randall was a good leader, but Glenda thought he was too willing to see the good in people these days. He saw the good in Emmett; he saw the good in Maxwell; and he saw the good in Eli on the street that day. Any one of them could have been cold-blooded murderers. It was something she liked about him, but also something that annoyed her to no end. That kind of thinking would get him killed and it was her intention to make sure that did not happen.

"What do you think, Eli?" Glenda asked him.

"Whatever you guys decide, make it quick." Willow pleaded. "I don't really care either way, but we are way too vulnerable out here."
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Eli seemed to consider the question for a moment before frowning and turning back to the man. One of his hands rested cautiously on his gun holster.

“Okay, you want a ride out of here, you can get in the trailer,” he said to the new arrival. “S’up to you. Decide quick.”
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Strompy
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More posts, more Busey.
Willow took the words right out of Brandon's mouth. Even forgetting the possible threat of unfriendly people there were still plenty of rotters in the area and more than one had taken notice of the commotion, and as far as he was concerned they didn't need to get involved with this guy's problems. Still, if there were an unfriendly group in the area he may be able to provide them with information that could help them avoid some trouble.

"You said you were looking for a pharmacy right? I don't believe in fate but this is... a real coincidence." the newcomer said, lowering his hands.

"So ah, can I...?" he asked gesturing to his discarded mace.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
“Seriously, 'mano?”

Eli gave the newcomer a disbelieving look, then knelt down to retrieve the mace himself. He didn’t look away from the new arrival as he picked it up, then stood up and held it for Brandon to take.

“Now what’s this about a coincidence? And again, make it quick. You’re the one said you’re in a rush to get outta here.”
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Strompy
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More posts, more Busey.
"Pharmacy. The corner of Talbot and Hiawatha Street, second right after town hall. That's me. That's where I need to go. Whatever you need, I can get you." he explained rapidly with a hint of frustration.

The questions were understandable but the situation was a little more serious for him then it was for them. Being spotted didn't mean anything to them, he on the other hand was being hunted and every moment in the open was another chance for them to pick up his trail. They wouldn't hit a group this big or well armed, but they could follow them easy enough.

Brandon collected the new man's mace and looked it over. It was heavy. The head was comprised of eight protrusions, with two divots to create a focused striking point on each one. Brandon looked down at the deceased man. His head was a mess. His jaw was shattered, his eye socket clearly broken too as one of his eyes rolled to the side. His broken skull revealed bloody brain tissue. Brandon was slightly concerned at how little the sight disturbed him.

Before the man was escorted to the back of the truck he paused a moment to cough up a wad of phlegm and spit it at the corpse he just made, directly on the forehead.

"See you in hell, you fuck." he said hatefully, every word like another glob of phlegm spat at him.

With a sigh he climbed into the trailer at Eli's prompting. At least he wasn't out in the open anymore.
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Make-7-Up-Yours
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Is that so?
Glenda wanted to comment, but decided to hold her tongue. They knew of the dangers as well as she did and it was a risk they were apparently willing to take, just as they had with Emmett before him. A move that she had been in favor of because she trusted the guys she traveled with. And she was going to trust them again here.

"Talbot and Haiwatha Street, huh?" Glenda commented to herself as she and Willow slipped back into the SUV after Eli had put the kid in the back of Emmett's trailer.

"Well he said there are other people around." Willow concluded. "But the guy chasing him wasn't very well armed. I don't think this group is very strong."

"We be careful anyway." Randall warned.

"Of course..." Willow took a deep breath and fell back into her seat.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Eli was still frowning when he led the man back around the truck and opened the trailer for him. The situation they had come across was shocking and disturbing, and he had no clue whether this man could be trusted or not. On the one hand, accepting seemed to be what this group was – they had been with Maxwell, and even with Emmett. It was kind of becoming their thing. On the other hand, that luck was bound to run out sometime. Sooner or later, Eli just knew they were going to pick a bad apple.

He retreated to the front seat of the truck momentarily, long enough to lean in and retrieve his AR15.

“Okay, set a course,” he said to Emmett and Glenda as he leaned out. “If it looks at all shady, though, keep driving. And Emmett – try to make it a steady ride.”

With that, he circled back to the trailer of the truck, and stepped in alongside the newcomer. He closed it behind him, enveloping them in darkness for just a moment before he turned on the flashlight of a gun.

There was plenty of space. Eli and his new acquaintance were sharing it only a motorcycle and a couple boxes of supplies. As the truck started moving, however, Eli had to worry about a sudden crash or swerve that would send those items – or him – flying around. There would be no seatbelt to break his fall. It made him consider how scared Kelsey and Julie might have been at first.

He took a seat through, cradling the assault rifle in his arms, aiming it across the trailer in the newcomer’s general direction – not at him, but close.

“Mission accomplished, ’mano, you’re on the road,” Eli started talking. “Now about those questions you’d be happy to answer. Let’s start with ‘what’s your name?’ and move on to ‘what the fuck was that all about?’”
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Strompy
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More posts, more Busey.
Brandon shrugged at the situation and swung the mace downward quickly, shaking off some small rivulets of blood. He gave the weapon an approving nod and climbed into the cab. The fact it was a murder weapon aside it did an admirable job, he'd have to take one for himself on the extremely off chance they ever encountered another. Where would you even find one?

In the trailer the new man sat back as comfortably as possible and met Eli's gaze.

"My name is Chris. What happened is you just saved my life. If that man caught me I'd be beaten and killed by him and his buddies. They've done worse, so I have no doubt about that. I was scavenging some food for my sister and I back there when I ran into him and a couple of his friends, and had to ditch my whole bag. I lost the others but he was pretty fast. I was starting to get really tired when you guys showed up." he answered.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
Eli stared back at the young man – Chris, as he now knew him. His answer seemed straightforward, as was his demeanour, but that didn’t necessarily make his words 100 per cent true. Though he was being chased when Glenda ran into his pursuer. That much Eli could verify was true.

Still, there was more to this story. Eli wanted to get it before he rendered any more judgment.

“So, Chris, how did you know this guy and his friends? You say they’ve done worse – where is that coming from?”
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Strompy
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Chris looked away from Eli. The last thing he wanted was to go over everything again. Then again, why wouldnt he want to tell somebody? Let the injustice be known to somebody other than him, let somebody else bear some of the outrage. He swallowed hard and drew a shaking breath.

"A few days ago my family and I were holed up in a church nearby. We managed to stay safe there from those things for almost a month." Chris started, looking at his feet.

His body tensed and his face twisted in anger as he fought to keep control of his voice. Trying hard to remained composed, he continued.

"That's when they found us. They drew a herd of those things in on the church and flushed us out. They took some of us in the chaos, my girlfriend and sister among them, most of the others were killed by those things. Only a handful made it out. They had our people for a full day before we found them and launched a rescue. Some of them died, most of us did, only my sister and I are left." he explained, avoiding as many details as he could.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
As Chris spoke, Eli studied his face. He was either a great actor, or he was telling the truth. Now that he heard a little bit of his story, Eli was almost hoping it was the former. What he had gone through sounded even more harrowing than everything Eli and his group had experienced. Emmett, after all, hadn’t done them any lasting harm. Even at the border, things only jumped off by accident – and they wanted to take their supplies, they didn’t want to kidnap their women, as Chris claimed this other group had done.

When Eli spoke, his voice was less combative, even as he mentally kept his guard up.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “That’s a…”

He trailed off with a sigh. If the story was true, there was simply nothing else he could say to make it better. He’d have to leave it with ‘I’m sorry.’

“Do you want to tell me where your sister is now?” he asked. “You don’t have to.”
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Strompy
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"Brooke. She's back at the pharmacy. She's diabetic, we had to leave her insulin behind at the church, had a bar fridge hooked up to a small generator to keep it cool. The pharmacy has plenty more, but it's all room temperature, so it won't be long before it goes bad. Importantly that place is also a fortress. Barred windows, security gates, nothing is just going to break in there." Chris said flatly.

Unspoken concerns raced through his head about what they were going to do when Brooke's insulin went bad, if they even survived long enough for that to happen. It was dangerous enough out here without a gang of sociopaths looking for you. Hopefully they'd all get bored of looking or be torn to shreds by walking corpses before they had to move on. That last thought elicited a genuine smile from Chris.

The SUV and truck pressed on unhindered by the shambling remains of the town's population as they rolled at a safe speed through the town's commercial district along Talbot street. Just like in Buffalo store windows were busted open, likely by scavengers or even looters. Unlike Buffalo though the roads weren't nearly as congested, the population having more warning about the impending epidemic and having an easier exodus north than the congested streets of a major metropolitan area allowed.

The absence of that tell-tale sign of panic and disorder somehow made this town even more haunting to Julie. Those who got out, got out. Those who stayed just bunkered down and prepared for the storm, judging by the number of rotters, most chose to stay and weren't really prepared at all. Like everyone else, they probably died expecting the military to come to their rescue.

"This place gives me the frickin' creeps. Like this whole town just rolled over and died." she commented looking around them at the almost empty streets.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
“Okay,” Eli said when Chris was finished talking. “I guess we’ll find out soon. I’m Eli, by the way.”

A dead group, a diabetic sister, the victim of a homicidal group of marauders – someone up there really has it in for this guy, he thought. If it checks out, at least.

A little while later, the trailer came to a slow stop without incident. Eli was grateful for the smooth ride. He waited for someone to come by and let them out, and when they did, Eli was the first to stand.

“Wait here,” he said to Chris, rising with his AR15. “Just for a second.”

He hopped out of the trailer and back into the light, nodding at Emmett, the one who released them. When he was back on solid ground, he leaned towards Emmett to quickly relay the info he had gathered.

“Name’s Chris, says his diabetic sister Brooke is locked down in the pharmacy,” he reported. “The last survivors of a group being hunted by this other group. According to him, at least. Keep an eye on him while I fill in the others.”

Emmett gave just the slightest nod back. It occurred to Eli how weird it was, trusting someone who had just joined the group with that kind of task. Somehow, though, that decision seemed like a safe one. He theorized that some upcoming decisions might prove harder.

He walked around to greet Brandon and the others in the Explorer. Quietly, he recounted Chris’ tale in essentially all of its detail. The recap unnerved him all over again, and he was frowning as he wrapped up.

“It sounds like he’s telling the truth,” he concluded. “It sounds like it. But I don’t know. We’re here, though, so my vote is we trust him enough to get him to call out to his sister, have her open up. Once we’re sure it ain't a trap, we go from there.”
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Make-7-Up-Yours
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Is that so?
Randall was the last one out of the SUV. It took him a little more work than he thought it would. He also had accidentally bumped his amputated arm against ones of the seats as he crawled out; it was an accident that had stopped him in his tracks and left him biting his lower lip in a desperate attempt not to howl. He now had first hand knowledge of how much cauterization hurt and he was finding himself glad he had been unconscious at the time.

"Judging from the looks of this place, we don't have any other choice." Randall agreed with Eli's plan as he got his first good look at the pharmacy. "We can't break into that easily."

"We have numbers and we are well armed." Glenda added. "If they try anything funny, don't hesitate to take advantage of that. We aren't losing anyone else."

Surprisingly, Randall noticed Maxwell nod his agreement to Glenda's statement. It seemed a little harsh of Glenda; but she had been more protective of everyone recently. A lot had happened though, so he could not hold it against her. Maxwell reached into the back of the SUV and withdrew the fire axe that had cut off Randall's arm.

"If any zombies wander too close, I will take care of them." He announced.

"Alright... if nobody has any complaints, then I say we get this started." Randall gave his approval to Eli while drawing his M9 with his left hand.

The weapon felt odd in his weaker hand, but it wasn't like he had a choice in the matter. It was evolve or die.
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DoctorYerishi
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Dude, wake up! We've got a world to save.
“Okay then,” Eli nodded back.

He gave Randall a sympathetic look before turning back -- he was clearly and understandably struggling, even if he was doing his best to hide it.

Once he was turned around, Eli squeezed the grip of his AR15 for comfort, and then returned to Emmett and Chris on the other side of the trailer. Neither had moved.

“Did you hear any of that?” Eli asked Chris, but moved on before waiting for an answer. “Get your sister to open up, and then have her come out with her hands up. At least for the minute, I wanna make sure she’s not armed. It’s not even that I don’t believe what you’re saying, but we’ve all experienced firsthand what can happen when a frightened person has a gun to wave around.”

Eli stopped for a beat to glance at Emmett, who seemed to sink in place just a little bit. Eli was instantly sorry to bring up the memory. He looked back to Chris, ready to move on.

“Point is, we’re not taking the risk. Once we know we’re safe, we’ll give your weapons back,” he assured. “Your mace, too.”
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