The Humvee was decked out in an assortment of sprayed words. The words over crossed in black and red spray paint and the woman watched as the back door slowly swung open. The older woman lying in the dirt peeked up from her wound that was gushing blood, which she had gotten earlier fighting off a horde of walkers to protect her daughters. Her daughters were only 15 and 17 years old they haven't quite learned the way the world worked yet and had a long way to go to learn. She knew if she didn't get help soon that they would have to learn an even darker lesson. One that required a bullet, one finely placed bullet to her skull. She knew she was losing blood fast and knew if something didn't happen soon that bullet would have to be put in place. The woman slowly reached out gripping hold of her eldest daughter, Alyssa was her name and she was the one she would have to come to rely on to place that bullet if need be.
The woman wasn't expecting this though as the young man decked out in military attire slowly dropped from the back seat of the military style Humvee. He wasn't quite tall, maybe reaching a staggering height of 5 feet 2 inches at best. The way he smiled told her, however, that this young man could be trouble. In her current state she couldn't really do much else, but stare at him. She gripped the only gun she had firmly in her hand and pointed it in the general direction of the young man. She placed her lips firmly together, tightly, easing her finger to the trigger as her hand shook. She hadn't had to shoot anyone, at least anyone living before. Her and her daughters have been fairly lucky. The only human encounter they had was one in which she lost her husband. The man gladly gave his life to protect his family and she knew if she had been stronger that wouldn't have been the case. She wouldn't make the same mistake again and slowly eased her finger, ready to pull the trigger if needed.
However, she stopped hearing the small whistle from the boy's mouth making her eyes dart up as he raised his hands in defense
"whoa there, no need for that, right?"
The boy kindly grinned to her and she studied him. He didn't look old, he was decked out in green camouflage, the type military boys would wear, but he didn't look old enough to be enlisted. She was sure he wasn't a solider and figured he had stolen the Humvee and the uniform. She cocked her head back keeping her finger steady on the trigger as the young man kept his hands raised as he repeated.
"no need for that, right?"
He nods his head again taking a small step closer and she raised her gun making sure to keep the boy in her sight. He strolled closer and stopped as he motioned down to a backpack on the ground.
'may I, may I sit?"
The woman kept her gun raised, but heard her younger daughter chime in turning her head slightly hearing the girl's voice raise answering the young man. Her youngest daughter Jade was a bit harder than her sister. It was a bit surprising how outspoken the girl had become and how well she adapted to this world. Her oldest, she thought would be the one to take charge if things got bad, but Jade always stepped in and did what was needed.
"you can sit'
Jade turned her head sideways eyeing the boy who grinned politely at her and watched him cock his head back towards the older woman.
"Is that okay, miss?"
The woman nooded her head towards the backpack.
"If you try anything towards me, my girls, ill shoot you, right between your eyes."
The boy grinned wide, nodding his head understanding her.
"I don't doubt that, how many bullet you got miss?"
The boy leaned a bit forward grinning as his eyes stared down her gun.
"I count two, am i right?"
The woman held her gun up and whispered.
"I'll only need one..."
The young man leaned back staring to the girls and the woman spoke loud.
"keep yours eye on me.."
She pulled back the clutch with her thumb and the young man grinned.
"All right than if that's what you want miss, but if I may say your leg looks pretty banged up there. May I ask what happened?"
The woman stares to her daughters than back to the boy as she nods.
"we ran into some walkers, nothing I couldn't handle..'
The young man smiles eyeing the gun.
"must have been pretty good huh? You sitll got yourself, two bullets and two kids'
She turns her head sideways and whispers.
"lets cut the bullshit.."
The young man laughs out and the woman nods.
"what are you here for?"
She watches the young man shift on top of the bag and cock his head back examining the gun then shift his attention to her daughters.
"your worried about your mom?"
The woman holds the gun up.
"I said keep your eyes on me!"
He turns his head a bit eyeing the woman with her gun held out, but keeps his body shifted to her daughters.
"your already outnumbered here so why don't we not do anything stupid, ok?"
The woman grips her gun whispering.
"what do you mean?"
The boy smiles down eyeing the gun and leans back whispering.
"your in my woods, my area, you have to understand I don't like people just coming around here, especially people I don't know. So you see I need to get an idea of what type of people you are miss..."
The young man closes his eyes smiling to himself as the woman asks.
"your woods?"
He leans his head back staring at the stars.
"Well my families woods. It belonged to them for years, this whole stretch of land, and even the highway was private, people use to pay us to use it. You believe that? We made a killing off this town. You could say we owned it..."
The boy takes a deep breath and the woman asks.
"so your dad, he's the one in charge?"
The young man shakes his head.
"oh no..."
The boy laughs a bit, looking up at the stars.
"He's been dead for a while, like I said it's my woods now. I am the last one, my brother, my dad, my mother she was off on some fancy vacation somewhere in Europe. She was pretty weak anyway, not much of a fighter. This world doesn't need weak, it needs warriors, it needs people who understand..."
He clamps his mouth shut and the woman eyes the young man. His hair looks unclean and his face looks plastered in blood and dirt. Her hand grips her gun, but her grip loosens hearing the boy speak.
"See you ain't gonna kill me lady. You ain't strong enough. I saw it on your face, the hesitation to kill me. You can't kill a person huh? That right there, that is pure weakness miss, it will get you killed one day...'
He stops hearing one of the daughters interupt him as he hears the click of a clutch being pulled back.
"than ill fucking kill you.."
He glances at the gun being held to his face and up to the girl holding it. He grins kindly and shakes his head.
'i don't doubt that, but you wont have to. I ain't gonna hurt no one. I am feeling, i don't know, i feel kind today. I saw you all out here and my trackers saw you all limping around and told me i had some leeches on my land. I thought here we go again, but then i saw you all and thought damn these people look like they need help."
Jade looks down at the boy who grins up at her asking kindly.
"so, do you all need my help?"
Jade goes to open her mouth and her sister interrupts her.
"no we are just passing through, thats all'
The boy looks up again at jade and whispers.
"is that all? do you think your mother with that wound will make the night, she will die you know, if she doesn't get help. You know I can help her, if you ask me?"
Jade whispers
"but you want something, dont you?"
The boy smiles and turns eyeing jade's passed out mother and shifts eyeing her older sister. Then he turns back looking up to jade.
"how about we make a deal?"
jade pushes the gun into the boys face.
"how abotu you help her or i kill you?"
he laughs loud.
"whoa now girl i really like that spirit you got, but come on now I said your surrounded did you forget?"
Jade pushes the gun into his cheek whispering.
"i bet i can kill you first-"
he laughs pushing out his hand whispering.
"Mason.."
He nods down to his hand and smiles up at jade.
"I wont hurt you, I said I just want to make a deal. Taking you all in is a risk to my people, i am willing to take that risk, but I want something. That is fair, isn't it?"
jade lowers the gun and shakes his hand.
"i am jade..."
He stands up shaking her hand and smiles to her.
"Jade, i have one request it's a pretty simple one. its a little odd even. I want you all to listen to a song..'
Jade turns to her sister who walks up next to her and her sister asks.
"a song?"
Mason nods his head and whistles and a few boys come out of the woods holding guns.
"yeah a song, its a special kind of song, its close to my heart.'
The group of boys laugh and Mason turns to them and they all stand at attention. He nods his head towards the girls and whispers.
"So, will you two just have a listen, its not a long song and once you listen we will help your mother..."
Mason grins gripping jade's hand and whispering.
"you have my word.'
jade turns to her sister and her sister laughs.
"a song?"
Mason turns to one of the boys and nods to him whispering.
"go ahead..."
The boy gets up on top of the Humvee and blasts the speakers and Alyssa whispers.
"what are you doing it will attract the walkers!"
Mason laughs.
"and that is part of the fun!"
Mason turns eyeing the movement in the corner of his eye and turns back to jade.
"i apologize for this, deeply..."
He raises the gun as he hears the loud words of the song "easy street" and grins pointing it at the walker coming towards him. He shoots his gun and the body falls at his feet.
Alyssa drops down next to the body of her mother and jade looks down and back up at Mason.
"you knew she was dead..."
Mason shurgs his shoulders and grins hearing the speakers die down.
" i apologize the music tunes out the guns, but it's a song you'll never forget, after today...'
He grins holding his hand out to jade whispering.
"welcome to the saviors..."