--Somewhere, Gura Lupulul--
“Why didn't we just take a ship? We could've been half way to Vyshtorg by now...” Davis sighed as he leaned against the alley wall.
“Davis please shut up,” She peered around the corner, “I think we've lost him, come one lets go.” She motioned for him to follow as she exited the alley way.
“Yeah, lost the psychopaths in the endless tide of people,” he adjusted the strap on his rifle as he followed suit, “So, what do we do? He's gonna keep searching for us and I'd rather he not get the drop on us.”
“I don't know.” Kei scanned the crowd of people, hoping to spot something, finding nothing she turned to find Davis staring off into the distance. “Davis?”
Her companion pointed to a row of buildings further down the street, “Weapon shop, I have an idea.”
He pushed through the crowd, halting for nothing as Kei followed in his wake, apologizing for her wayward companion as she passed. Eventually the pair made it, opening the door to the space within, most of the merchandise held behind glass cases or held on racks behind the counter. The man at the counter looked up from his book, revealing a scraggly beard as he appraised them.
“Need something.” It most certainly not a question.
Kei sighed, Davis had gotten enthralled by some of the items for sale that he had forgotten why he'd brought them here. She elbowed him in the side, grabbing his attention from the wares.
“Huh?” He blinked, confused before remembering what he was doing, “Oh, right.”
He made his way to the counter as he unslung his rifle, setting it on the counter before him, “You wouldn't happen to have anything for this would you?”
The store manager reached out for rifle, cycling the bolt to peer into the chamber before setting it down. “I can sell you a box for 50 and throw in a package of strip clips for 5.”
“Done.” The two men shook hands as Kei joined him at the counter.
“Well, are you gonna tell me what this plan of yours is?”
“Yeah,” Davis turned to her as he pulled the requisite crowns from a hidden pocket in his coat, “what do you think about being bait?”
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“Shit, where'd they go?” He'd followed them as far as he could through the city, but they'd gotten a head start on him and quickly managed to loose him in the crowd and he was pissed. He looked around the street and grunted when he couldn't find anything.
He'd been wandering aimlessly for the past hour hoping to find some sign of them with no luck. It was either kill them or bring them back, and truthfully, he was feeling right vindictive about the trouble they'd made him go through.
They wouldn't get away, he'd make sure of that.
Of course the prospects of him actually finding them continued to fall as he wandered through the streets, no one gave him a second glance, armed mercenaries weren't uncommon after all. His irritation grew as he crossed into a quieter part of town, Eh, no way they'd hide here. Or at least that was his thought until he saw someone dive into an alley.
He unslung the rifle on his back as he drew closer,“Heh, gotcha.”
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Kei turned into the alley, certain their pursuer was making a beeline for their position, Davis was at the other end, finishing his task of stacking crates for cover as she came up beside him. “He's here.”
Davis nodded and picked his weapon off the ground and nodded, situating himself behind them as Kei fell in beside him. Eyes on the wooden platform above the alley.
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He rounded the corner into the alley, rifle gripped tightly in his hands as he scanned the space before him, the alley extended deep behind the row of buildings, plenty of things to hide behind, crates, old vehicles, dumpsters, barrels. He checked behind everything as he passed him, they wouldn't get in behind him if he had anything to say.
He checked the myriad of doors lining the alley, most of them padlocked to prevent unwanted visitors, others rusted, unmoved for quite some time. He creeped deeper into the alley, into the shade of an errant cargo platform.
A single gunshot filled the alley followed by the sound of rope as it sheared. Above him the wooden platform buckled, dumping the barrels and crates it held onto him, he dove away but a glancing blow by a rolling barrel loosed his grip on the rifle, the weapon clattering away from him as he fell.
Footsteps echoed as he tried to right himself, a kick to the head sent him sprawling against the nearest wall. A hand held against his skull as it throbbed in pain.
“Hands behind your head.” He spared a glance, the barrel of a rifle bearing down on him. Shit… The other escaped prisoner stood several feet in front of him, at this range he wouldn't be able to quickly tackle him before he got another shot off, and at this distance he was sure to hit.
He complied, slowly placing his hands behind his head, he knew how these things went.
“On the ground, now.” He didn't point with his rifle, instead motioning with his eyes, again he complied, kneeling to the ground, watching as the former prisoner slowly circled around to stand behind him.
“Sidearm, throw to the belt to the side.” He slowly reached down the right side, clicking the buckle he pulled it off and tossed it further into the alley.
“Kei! Grab his weapons.” The other prisoner appeared from behind a pile of crates and quickly crossed the distance, picking up both his rifle and the discarded pistol holster. She circled around him, probably to stand next to her cohort.
“What now?” He asked.
“Oh, very simple.” Things were silent for just a second, What is he-
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“Oh, very simple.” Kei watched as Davis faltered for just a second but continued to hold his rifle level at the raider's head, What is he-
The rifle barked once and the Raider slumped, dead before his body hit the ground. Davis stood there for a moment, staring at the body that lay in the expanding pool of it's own blood grim faced, rifle gripped tightly in his hands.
He breathed, letting the tension left unnoticed in his chest fall. Relaxing his grip on the rifle he slung it on his back as Kei continued to watch him.
“Lets… lets just find a radio station.”
