S5E06:
They kept walking down the dirt road until they came across the van Dante had driven through the gate of Altura. It looked abandoned now and had the back door flung open. Bailey took her gun out and surveyed the area in case whoever had ambushed Dante was still around waiting for more victims. 10K drew his rifle, resting the end on his stump and checked out the vehicle but there was no one inside. He looked down at the dirt and saw footprints and wondered if Doc and Warren had been there.
"10K." he heard Bailey call him and turned to see her looking up over the hill where there was some kind of gallows looking structure. They went to investigate and saw three thick posts made of half nailed together wood with some kind of metal cones over them like on an electric chair. They didn't see any body's but looking in the distance they did see three graves, whoever had been up there had been found and someone had been kind enough to bury them. There were three crosses also made from the old wood and whoever had buried the dead had carved their names into the crosses. It had to be Doc and Warren, 10K thought, George was traveling with them and only she would know the names of the Talkers.
He heard a muffled sob and turned to see Bailey looking at one grave in particular bringing a hand to cover her mouth before she sobbed again and fell to her knees in the dirt. The grave she was in front of was marked 'Carlos' and 10K put his only hand on her shoulder and started rubbing her back a little in comfort as she cried at his feet. She must have known him, he thought, Bailey had been living in Altura much longer than he had, she had made friends there with both humans and Talkers. She must have known Carlos, it could have even been that Talker she helped free back at the infirmary, he wondered. Either way, he felt bad she was hurting.
Then he heard snarling and quickly turned to see a zombie right behind them. He quickly grabbed a plank of wood with his one hand and using his stump to help balance it he whacked the Z in the head knocking it over, then he smashed the end of the plank into its head twice giving it mercy.
"8,609." He counted throwing the wood aside and turning to Bailey who was still crouched on the ground, now looking over her shoulder at him. It looked like she'd been reaching for her knife before she froze and realized it was still jammed in the roof of that truck. Then her gaze moved down and she quickly stood and walked toward him taking his injured arm. The stitches looked irritated from the wood rubbing against them as he killed the zombie and he quickly pulled his arm out of Bailey's grip.
"I'm fine." He said taking a navy bandana from his pocket, the handkerchief Red had wrapped around his stump was still stuffed in the leather cuff he'd lost in the truck. Quickly, he covered his wrist and tied the corners of the bandana with his teeth. She looked a little hurt that he'd rejected her help but then her expression became confused and she tilted her head and walked past him. He followed her and saw what she was looking at, on another piece of wood someone had spray painted some kind of sun with three pointed rays coming out of it. Bailey rubbed her fingers against it but no paint came off telling them that the symbol had been put there a while ago. Still, that didn't stop them from continuing down the road looking for anymore markings.
Murphy POV
After Wesson had brought him to Limbo the patrons there had welcomed him like the superior leader he knew he was. They gave him the best set up and treated him like a king. Limbo was like a strip club slash bar slash casino dowsed in red light as people of all species, blends, Talkers, humans you name it all flowed in to get drunk and have a good time. The last person he thought he'd ever see there was Warren but at this point should he really be surprised?
He showed her where he hid some Talkers who had been fleeing Altura. He told her someone had been dropping them off at his doorstep almost daily. She asked if he knew who it was but he had no idea. He took Warren and her small brigade and ended up going upstairs to wait for the Talker delivery service to show up. Thankfully there was another bar there even if it lacked the nicer things like neon signs and lighting but it did have glasses and liquor and that's what was important.
"Anyone want anything?" he asked pouring himself a drink, "While we wait for our mystery Talker hero?"
"How many bars you got in this place anyway?" Doc asked him.
He chuckled, "Hey Doc, remember back in the day? When you accused me of being a sniveling coward letting other people fight my fights for me?"
"Yeah. Why have you changed?" he asked chuckling knowing what the answer would be.
"No. I just learned to swing first." He said putting on his spiky leather gloves as they heard a car pull up.
"I think this is it." Warren said looking out the window with George. She reached for her gun but didn't cock it so there wasn't a bullet in the chamber.
"What's the plan?" George asked.
"We wait for them to start to unload. I'll talk up the driver, you guys protect the payload, remember this is not an attack, we are all on the same team, but be ready for anything. Okay, on my count, three, two –"
But then a weird feeling came over him and he swore he started hearing Lucy's voice.
"Murphy?" Warren asked seeing the expression on his face, "What is it?"
"It's Lucy." He said before rushing out the door and running down the fire escape toward the truck. He pulled open the door and the driver already had a gun to his face.
"Don't move." They threatened.
He paused a moment making sure he really was seeing who he was seeing, "Addy?"
"Well of course, you're the 'big red one'." She said sarcastically with a smile, her red bangs over her missing eye while the other one lit up in amusement.
Third Person POV
Warren and George had joined Addy at the bar in the basement of Limbo after they'd moved her latest group of Talkers inside. Addy already had a drink and the bartender poured one for Warren and one for George.
"Addy, this is my good friend George." Warren introduced them and Addy nodded in her direction.
"So the Talkers you've been helping." George began, "Have you come across one named Dante?"
Addy's head snapped over to George and the look in her one eye wasn't friendly. Then she turned to Warren.
"No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. No, no, no. I know what you're gonna do!" she said getting up and sounding very drunk, "This is what you're into now? You're gonna get him executed!"
"Right now Dante is a fugitive, a trial will clear his name." George defended herself.
"We have all seen what kind of trials Talkers get. He's better off exactly where he is." Addy yelled at her.
"Where is that?" George asked picking up on Addy's slip up.
"Hey, hey talk to me." Warren said drawing Addy's attention but she only shook her head.
"It's been real Warren." She said unenthusiastically. "Bye, bye."
"Addison –"
"I'm out of here." she said storming out and they followed. When they got outside Addy was already fighting off a pack of zombies and even for as drunk as she was she was holding her own. Warren jumped in anyway and had her back.
"Just like old times huh?" Addy asked sarcastically.
"Yeah you and I have history Addy." She said mercying a Z. "I used to think of you as my lieutenant."
"I was your lieutenant." Addy replied as George jumped in the fight too.
"I'd give my life for you." Warren said as Addy swung her Z Whacker into two more skulls.
"And I gave mine for you!" she shouted.
"And George and Dante are the same - look out!" she said taking out a Z Addy didn't see because of her missing eye.
"Mercy."
"Mercy."
"Mercy." They all said when all the zombies had been put down.
"She can't protect him if she can't find him." Warren told her while she gestured at George.
"You can help me find my friend I know you can." George begged, "Please."
Addy grabbed the collar of her jacket. "You better promise me, promise me, you will not hand him over to Altura. You won't give him over to a bunch of vigilantes." She said.
"I promise." George said. Addy looked from her to Warren then led them both to a lot of nothing but dirt behind Limbo. She sat down on a rock and picked up a smaller stone.
"Okay, where is he?" Warren asked and Addy smiled before tapping the stone in a rhythmic pattern. Then from the dirt a hand shot up.
"Dante?" George asked as he sat up.
"Hey George." He greeted smiling at her as they got the dirt off him. He asked where his wife was and they told him she was inside so they all headed back into Limbo.
Bailey POV
They hadn't seen any more symbols as they continued down the road with the hot sun beating down on them which was starting to wear on Bailey. 10K looked fine, though she wasn't sure how with that black jacket on but he seemed to be focusing on other problems anyway. She was about to try and talk to him, though she was running out of things to say that might help. There was also a zombie stumbling its way down the road at them but it was slow enough that neither one was too worried about it.
"Hey." She said drawing 10K from his thoughts as he looked up at her, "You want me to get it or do you want to try?"
He looked up at the zombie and instead of answering her question he raised his gun and rested it on his stump. He looked through the scope and fired missing before shaking out his shoulders and fixing his stance.
"Come on." She heard him mutter to himself under his breath and she rested her hand on her hatchet as the Z got closer and she became a bit more worried. 10K looked through the scope and shot again also missing the second time, "Shit."
He tried again this time not bothering to look through the scope the zombie was so close. "Shit!" he growled as the recoil of the gun made him lose his grip and the gun fell. Bailey grabbed her hatchet but before she could take one step 10K had fired and mercied the Z. Bailey looked down on him and saw he had the gun in his left hand and because he'd been on the ground that had actually helped prop the gun up steadily. 10K looked just as shocked and impressed as she felt as he got up and counted.
"8,610." And they continued down the road.
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The road eventually led them into a small town, or at least the outskirts of one. Buildings started to pop up made of concrete and bricks, old warehouses with the windows open and glassless. There was an old car in the middle of the street and on it they saw that same red symbol again.
Before they could check if it was fresh they heard an engine and ducked behind the vehicle. A tan armored truck went by not a moment later driving pretty fast, clearly knowing where they were going.
"Altura." Bailey said under her breath recognizing the guards inside. "They must be looking for Dante."
"And you." 10K reminded her and she turned to him remembering that Dante wasn't the only fugitive running from Altura. But she hated just hiding feeling helpless, you can't help anyone if you're locked up, she reminded herself then looked back to 10K.
"We should follow them." She said.
"Bailey –"
"They seemed to have a good idea of where they were going which means wherever that is they're about to start trouble. And trouble means –"
"Operation Bitemark. Which means that's where Warren, George and Doc are." He finished her thought and they both went down the road after the vehicle.
Third Person POV
Warren and Addy along with George and Dante had just gotten back into the basement when the doors burst open and Altura guards rushed in with their weapons drawn.
"Who's in charge here?" the leader demanded as George and Dante took off for a hiding place.
"Can I help you?" Murphy asked as another guard tipped over a table, "Was that really necessary?"
"We're searching for one Lieutenant Dante." The leader said pointing his gun at Murphy, "And we have reason to believe that he is or has been in the area."
"A Talker? Here?" Murphy asked knocking the gun away from him and scoffing, "Please."
But just then Marjorie stumbled out shaking and starving from the storage room Murphy hid Addy's rescued Talkers in.
"Isn't that Dante's wife?" the guard asked him and he scoffed like he didn't know.
"Dante. Dante. Dante." Marjorie started repeating over and over as another guard restrained her.
"Altura has no power here." Murphy said trying something else, "You can't do this."
The guard left him and walked over to Marjorie to interrogate her.
"You're wanted for questioning in the whereabouts of Lieutenant Dante."
"Dante." She repeated.
"What's wrong with her?"
"Isn't it obvious? She needs bizkits." Murphy told him as Warren discreetly sent Addy and Doc out to make sure the other Talkers were still safe. Then the guard looked over his shoulder up at a stage covered by curtains, the same direction Marjorie was staring. He grabbed Marjorie and held his gun to her head.
"Come out now or I will shoot this Talker deader than she already is." he said following his own hunch.
"Dante. Dante." Marjorie kept repeating.
"Come on you're hurting her!" Warren shouted.
"Up here!" they turned and saw George and Dante reveal themselves with their hands up.
"We're coming down. Don't hurt her." George said as they made their way down from the stage.
"Dante." Marjorie repeated smiling.
"See? They're surrendering come on." Warren said to the guard who kept his gun to Marjorie's head as George and Dante came out. "They're surrendering look."
"Lieutenant Dante, you are under arrest."
"Marjorie." He said looking at her almost like he hadn't heard the guard or was just ignoring him.
"Dante. Dante." She said as he stepped toward her and the guard turned his gun on Dante in case he tried anything.
"Marjorie, I love you baby." He said smiling at her then he turned to the guard with a glare, "Now I'll let you take me."
The guard paused then brought his gun back to Marjorie's head.
"Captain, look he's surrendering." Warren repeated trying to make him see sense. "Hey, hey, I understand you're doing your job but let her go, she's not even a part of this! Come on let her go!"
Then he shot her in the head and she fell to the ground. George tried to tackle him but Warren and Murphy grabbed her before she could.
"No!" Dante screamed as they led him away, "Marjorie! No!"
"You're no good to Dante if you're behind bars." Warren whispered to George and even with tears in her eyes they could all see the rage in her stare.
"No!" Dante cried again, "Marjorie, no!"
"She was too far gone." The guard lied, "She gave me no choice." He said as they left.
"Still think humans are the good guys?" Murphy asked looking at Warren and George.
Bailey POV
They found the building the Altura guards had stopped at, it was easy considering their big armored truck was parked outside. They stayed out of sight in an alley but 10K had to hold her back when she saw them come out with Dante who was struggling to be free and shouting his wife's name at the sky. They peeked around the corner of another building as they watched them load Dante into their vehicle and take off heading back to Altura. Only when they were out of sight did 10K let her go and they ran across the street to the busted down door the guards had broken. They followed a set of steps downstairs into a room drowning in red light. When they went through the door they found who they'd been looking for.
"Doc!" 10K shouted happily.
"10K? Where've you been Kid?" he asked as 10K rushed forward and they hugged, when they pulled back another person stepped out from behind Doc and both 10K and Bailey were shocked.
"Addy?"
"Addy?" they said simultaneously.
"10K." she said before turning to Bailey, "Hey Bay."
Bailey rushed forward and hugged her long lost best friend. Last she'd heard of her the Man had said she'd pushed him off a cliff tumbling after him. She was glad to know Addy had somehow survived the fall though it looked like it had cost her an eye.
"What the hell?" Doc asked looking down at 10K's bandana covered stump.
"Oh, I have news."
"Man." Doc said sounding bummed.
"Is that?" Bailey asked pulling away from her hug with Addy seeing a body on the floor. That was why Dante had been shouting for his wife, he'd just seen her get killed and she was still down here on the floor lying in a puddle of her own blood. Bailey brought her hand to her mouth again to try and hide her sob and Addy pulled her into another hug, this one much sadder then their last one.
"Hey get her out of here and clean the floor." Bailey heard Murphy tell some of the workers as Addy led her to the bar where George was filling glasses with liquor. They all joined her and took a glass as she raised it to Marjorie. Bailey brought the glass to her lips but the second she got a whiff of the alcohol she got woozy and had to lean on the bar for support.
"Hey, hey, you okay?" Warren asked her and she nodded.
"I'm fine. Probably just dehydrated from walking all day in the sun."
"Well then none for you." She said taking the glass from her and turning to Murphy, "You have any plain water in this place?" she asked and the bartender immediately brought a glass over for her. She started sipping at it and immediately felt better as she and Warren turned in their seats and joined the conversation the others were having. Everyone else was sitting but 10K stood in front of their line telling the others about the trucks they'd found.
"Those vans are being loaded up deliberately." 10K was saying, "Somebody's shipping in truckloads of zombie tourists."
"So you think its Altura?" Warren asked.
"I dunno, that's where we saw the vans but it could be anybody." He replied.
"Well we need to find more bizkits before every Talker turns in Newmerica." Warren continued knowing that was the problem that had a ticking clock that was running out fast.
"We could always feed them brains." Murphy said, "Just throwing it out there."
Warren shook her head and got up determinedly and they all followed her to the door.
So this just popped into my head today, but we've reached 1,000 votes on this story and I'm curious. What are your favorite things about 10K? What drew you to his character?