They Will Run You Down

Twenty: Front to Front

Plans for the safe transport of Harley and John to Sydney began to take form while the pair healed from their varied injuries.

While the group of people willing to risk their lives to accompany the duo was small, they were a tough crew, and completely devoted to the mission. Along with Robby and Edvin, Perez, Foss and Taylor rounded the coterie up to seven, including John and Harley.

The arrival, and subsequent events surrounding the pair had created a rift between some of the town's people, but even more so, the remaining members of Cooper's battalion, the very people who were best trained in dealing with the world outside the walls. Their unyielding devotion to their leader prevented most of them from agreeing to participate in anything regarding Harley, save for Perez and Foss, who weren't blinded by the illusion of loyalty. Both understood the two situations as separate and unconnected entities and moved forward with that knowledge.

In the interest of assuring Harley and John's safety during the rest of their stay in the town, everyone gathered together at Robby's house to sort out the logistics of their impending trip. It was decided that the group would be divided up into two armored military vehicles when they day came, and that after crossing through Port Augusta they would travel up the Princes Highway. With the help of this group of people, John was confident he and Harley would make it to Sydney safely and this brought him great comfort.

Aside from the plan to leave the town and venture South, John was also focused on how he going to deal with Shaun. He couldn't, in good conscience, allow a predator to roam the streets of Wudinna and he couldn't allow that sorry excuse for a man get away with what he'd done to Harley. John wasn't sure yet how he would make him pay, but when he found a way, Shaun would understand then what is was to suffer. Of that, John was certain.

As the meeting concluded, John was urged to accompany everyone to the vehicles they would taking so that John could be taught the ins and outs of how the machines worked. It would be important for him to know that if he and Harley were to find themselves alone.

He asked Harley to join him and the others, but Harley shook her head sternly, unwilling to leave the house and risk running into the family she wanted nothing more than to forget.

John argued, "I don't want to leave you alone"

"I'm a big girl, mate," she assured as she stood at the top of the stairs looking down at John on the landing.

John scratched the stubble on his cheek, "Lock the door behind me then, yeah? I won't be long"

"Aye-aye cap'n," Harley saluted as she trampled down the stairs to John's level.

John smirked as he walked out onto the front step. As Harley began closing the door after him, he turned around quickly, "Lock the back door too!"

"Yeah yeah," Harley rolled her eyes, then closed the door on John and flipped the deadbolt.

She was more than desperate for a little time to herself. People were exhausting, and more than that, she'd heard about all she could take of the tedious plan to get to Sydney, and the very specific way in which that plan would be executed. Harley was happy to be leaving Wudinna soon, but she hated how the whole thing had become such a meticulous, number one priority mission, with her being at the very heart of it all. She hated being the center of attention.

Once the coast was clear, Harley went into the box of toys that Robby had gifted and retrieved from its depths a small, red rubber ball. She could think of nothing more soothing than playing with her pup, and proceeded to do just that, after sitting on the floor and resting her back against the wall in the living room.

As expected, Rebel's first encounter with a ball was a hilarious sight to behold. Instead of chasing the rolling, circular object, he decided to lay on his belly and repeatedly slap it with his paws while his head reared back, suspicious of the strange object's intentions. As the ball inevitably rolled away from him, Rebel used only his front paws to drag himself forward, while his back legs trailed lazily behind as if he were paraplegic.