The day they had met Mary had been two weeks ago.
The reading glasses propped on the tip of his nose trembled. He looked up from his book, now hearing the distinct sound of a diesel engine. He listened as it grew louder and louder, rumbling, until brakes screeched. He set down the book and his glasses. Whatever it was had to be directly in their street with how noisy it was.
Nick lifted himself from his seat on the couch and proceeded to the window warily. He drew aside the sheet that served as a blind and peered out. A large truck now sat, idling, just outside their domicile. Nick frowned. It was the kind of truck usually used for freighting steer, as hitched to it was a large metallic compartment, pock-marked with hundreds of small, evenly-spaced ventilation holes. He could see motion inside the cargo area, but he couldn't really tell what was inside.
Until he saw the flash of a single yellow eye.
Nick bit his lip sharply. His eyes darted to the cab as he heard the driver's side door slam shut on the side opposite. A man, dressed in some kind of armor that covered most of his body, walked out from around the front of the truck, studying a clipboard in his hands. He was also armed with an AK, which was strapped to his back. Nick promptly slid the blinds back shut before the man had a chance to look up and catch him in the window.
Still and all, he had a feeling they were about to get a visit.
Because no doubt El's pickup, as well as the organized exterior of the building in comparison to its neighboring structures, was likely a tip-off that there was someone home.
He rushed for the bedroom to get his magnum. From the bed, Ellis blinked himself awake at the sound of the bedstand drawer closing beside his head.
"S'goinnn' awnnn?" he asked him blearily, head rising from the pillow.
"We've got company," Nick mumbled, pulling the safety off the gun and jamming it into his pocket.
"Wh'ttt k'nnnd uv comp'nnny?" he sat up, even more confused, yellow eyes focused on the now concealed weapon.
Nick worried his lip between his teeth. "I don't know, but I think you should hide."
The hick's brow drew down. "Hide? Wh'ttt forrr?"
There was a loud knock on the door, pounding and insistent. Ellis froze at the sound, nostrils twitching, spine arching; he forced his hat onto his head and the pounding continued.
Nick kind of got the feeling that if he didn't go answer the door promptly that they wouldn't have one much longer.
El gave a territorial hiss. "I ain'kt hidinnn'," he asserted firmly.
Nick swallowed tightly. "Stay close to me then."
The hick jumped out of bed and pressed close to his side obediently. They crept into the front room; their was a loud thump against the wood, followed by a shout of "Open up!"
Nick reached for the knob with his right. With his left, he eased Ellis fully behind his back, out of sight before opening the door.
The armored man, who had been poised to take another wallop at the door, stared at him with a little incredulity. He straightened up and his eyes took a quick survey of the conman's body, up and down– likely weirded out by his choice of a suit. "Good morning, sir," he barked, the formality forced. "I am one of many on assignment to clear out this section of Baton Rouge. Are you the sole inhabitant of this residence?"
Nick shifted on his feet; he felt Ellis hug up tighter against his back, pressing into the concave curvature of his spine. "No, one other," he spoke softly.
The man's gaze was back down on the clipboard, from the looks of it, some kind of map of the area; he marked something with his pen. "Then I would ask you to get him or her and I will escort you both to an appropriate facility."
Nick tapped his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "We aren't interested in being transported out."
"I'm sorry," the soldier said, without a hint of any actual apology, "but while the city is being cleansed, all survivors and/or immune must be secured in a facility."
Nick liked how the guy spoke with slashes in his speech. Apparently the mantra was rather well rehearsed.
Not to mention he was somewhat amused by the irony. The three months they had spent trying to find an open evac, only to be deserted or denied repeatedly… and now, two years later, when they had long since given up receiving aid, had settled and established themselves, now they were going to be forced to move into some… camp?
Yeah, that wasn't happening. No thanks.
So he'd just have to convince him to go away.
Nick leaned against the doorframe casually, lackadaisically; Ellis followed his motion perfectly, staying concealed. He folded his arms and addressed the man. "Listen, the both of us have been living here for almost two years," he said cooly, voice like silk. "We're not harming anything. Just continue about your business and forget about it." He gave an aloof shrug.
The man regarded him emotionlessly. "My business is to escort civilians such as yourself to a facility. I cannot proceed until the both of you are en route."
Nick's patience began to wear thin, but he wasn't out of cards. "We both know what your primary business is," he spoke, giving a quick incline of his head at the truck. The man frowned, but quirked an eyebrow. "Escorting me and my friend is just going to cause you delays. I can tell you that I've been 'clearing out' infected from this area myself for months, so you're not likely to find much of anyone else to…" he hesitated, "collect."
The soldier gave a heaving sigh and looked down at his clipboard, finally relenting. Nick smiled inwardly, smugly. Goddamn, two long years away from anyone but El and he could still wrap people around his fingers.
"Just allow me to conduct a quick investigation of your home and I will be on my way."
Nick seized up from top to bottom involuntarily. "I don't think that's really necessary," he grimaced.
The man's eyes narrowed down. "Nor is your non-compliance."
Nick stepped away from the door with a jerking motion, tugging Ellis back with him, allowing the soldier entrance. "Fine, whatever. Just be quick about it," he growled. El clung hard to him, claws digging into his sides with a degree of fear.
The hick had noticed the truck full of infected.
Nick gave him a soothing purr as he let the man begin to step his way through their home. He reached back a hand and squeezed one of El's, mentally conveying everything was going to be alright, that soon he would be gone and they would be left alone once more.
After a few minutes of prodding around, though certainly not thoroughly– he had never once strayed far enough to be out of eyesight– the soldier returned to where Nick stood stiffly at the door. "This 'friend' of yours…" he asked, adjusting the strap of his AK, "what is her current location?"
"He," Nick corrected curtly, "is out."
"Procedure would dictate that I must acquire his consent to reject transportation to a facility as you have done; I will be remaining here until I can verify this."
That didn't sound like procedure, that sounded like something he had made up on the spot as an excuse to prolong his already unwelcome presence. "Absolutely not," Nick snapped, his hackles raising as the situation circled slowly down the drain. Ellis gave an uncomfortable shuffle, but he felt the hick's muscles tense as fear turned into anger.
The man stared at him harder. "Unless you can supply some kind of viable proof that your companion does in fact exist, I may have to escort you against your will, sir."
Oh that was a hoot. No wonder he had wanted to take a quick look around. He thought he had gone crazy from loneliness or some shit.
Heh, well, he was about to convince him of that.
He tipped his head. "El," he instructed.
The hick stepped out from around him, unafraid and standing tall, yellow eyes blazing with indignance.
The soldier took a step back, a scowl forming on his features as he unleashed a baton from his belt. "You are in possession of an infected individual," he said, brandishing it.
"Tell me something I don't know," Nick mumbled with a roll of his eyes.
"I am required to seize him immediately."
Nick stroked the magnum in his pocket with a cat-like calm, biding his time before he would be inevitably forced to pull it out. "He's not yours to take," he murmured.
The man straightened up to his full height, adding another couple inches to his already-prior advantage. "I am under authority to remove all infected persons from the area for containment until they normalize," he barked. Apparently he was back to the mantra.
Nick didn't move a muscle, other than the supple lift of his left eyebrow.
Ellis spoke up. "I ain'kt goin' w'thh yewww," he said resolutely.
The soldier's face twisted with further shock.
Nick motioned at El with a flourish of his hand. "As you can see, he's already 'normalized'," he said, giving the man one final chance to back down. "So you'll be leaving us now, with his 'consent acquired' as per your request."
The man found words. "His outward physical traits are decidedly infected. I cannot harbor any exceptions. He will be coming with me."
Nick had tolerated this intrusion long enough.
He pulled the magnum and trained it on the soldier's head. "Out," he said forcefully, eyes narrowing down. Ellis' lifted his chin a little higher, proudly.
The man took a side step this time, shimmying towards the door. "Your possession of a firearm is against the law," he said, as if saying such a thing would even possibly get him to lower it.
Nick answered him by raising his left hand to pull back the top, cocking it into double-action. His lips pulled into a tight grin. "Like I give a shit." The man flinched, unnerved by his expression. His fingers twisted around his club, but at gunpoint he was helpless and unable to draw his larger munition. "I'm not going to ask again," Nick rolled his tongue in his mouth dangerously. "Leave." He inclined his shoulder. "Or my pal here is going to get a nice meal of your brains on my floor."
Ellis played along and bared his teeth for effect.
It effectively sent the man skittering for the exit. He quickly found the door, slamming it shut as he rushed for the safety of his vehicle.
El hurried to the window, yellow eyes locked on the retreating soldier. "He'ss usin' h'sss radkio…" he whispered.
"Ah shit," Nick cursed. Though he had to say he was less than surprised the man was pulling in backup after such a confrontation. He should've just shot the guy when he first came to the door.
Though then, of course, that probably would've sent more authorities looking for the missing man and truck. So really, they had been fucked from the beginning anyway.
"What're we g'nnna dewww?" the hick asked.
Nick chuckled sardonically, shaking his head. "We're going to have to make a break for it."
He was too old for this. He really was.
He hastily snagged a couple more magnum clips and shoved them into his pockets, hoping to God he wouldn't need them. His fingers sought out the shock collar on the bedstand, which he slipped more gently into his inner breast pocket, securing it just over his heart. He peered up at Ellis, who hadn't moved, but instead stood just peering about their home, eyes scanning the interior with a slow sadness. "You got everything you need, El?" he asked.
Ellis looked to him. "G'ttt my hat an' yewww," the hick smiled sweetly.
Nick smiled back. He delivered a kiss to his forehead. "Alright, tiger. Your your truck can handle this, can't she?"
The mechanic's smile transitioned into a grin. "H'ckkk yeah, she c'nnn. She'sss rarinnn' tuhk go!"
"Then let's do this," he nodded. They made for the front door. Nick pressed his face to the peephole; Ellis waited patiently. When the soldier wasn't looking, Nick yanked it open. They dashed to the truck and piled in, keeping their heads low. Ellis quickly ducked down and gave the wires under the steering wheel a sharp twist.
The truck rattled eagerly to life.
The soldier looked up, his mouth opening in protest, hands groping for his weapon. But Ellis was already gunning it, foot depressing the accelerator to the floor. The tires screeched and slipped, but within seconds they were tearing down the road, barreling away from two years of a former life, and they were not pursued.
Nick didn't look back.