Chapter Seven: A Close Call
After Raven brought them back to the house, it was nearing sunset. The rest of their first day in the abandoned house was uneventful. They were both exhausted from travelling, and the lack of sleep from the previous night also took its toll.
Once they settled in, they only had a small meal together, using up the last of their food. They would have to get more food and supplies in the morning. Raven turned in first, spreading out a sleeping mat on the floor of the great room, and wordlessly telling Reese that she could take the only bed in the house by gesturing to his old room.
She was still unsure by the time he was lying down and closing his eyes. After a week of travelling through the desert and sleeping on hard, uneven, and sometimes rocky ground, a proper bed is an incredibly welcomed change. And no doubt he could also use a break from the discomfort, especially while still recovering from his injuries.
"Raven, are you sure?" She asked him. Raven opened his eyes and gave her a pointed look. She didn't want to push it.
"Well then...thank you", she said sincerely, albeit hesitantly. His expression softens.
"Hm." He only grunted in response before closing his eyes again.
Reese went into his old room. She lies on the bed, wide awake as she tries to sort her thoughts. Whether he allowed it or not, it doesn't sit well with her that she was being a burden to him. They would need to get another bed for him, among the other things they needed to make this place more comfortable. With that in mind, she finally felt somewhat relaxed, and soon she fell asleep, letting the exhaustion take her.
When dawn came, Raven rose first. He approached the bedroom door and quietly opened it. Reese was still asleep on the bed. He moved further into the room, intending to wake her, but then had to think twice. "The last time I tried to wake her up, she tried to punch me." He thought to himself, amused at the memory.
He was undecided. They needed to get supplies, and he wanted to go early to the closest town, before it got too busy. The less people who see them, the less likely they'll be recognized. When he looked at her, however, going early seemed less important somehow.
He looked at her sleeping face, a habit he had developed during the time he took care of her. She looked better now, compared to when she was running a fever. No discomfort, no pain, no beads of sweat, no uncontrolled shaking...just the most peaceful look he had ever seen on her. He observed her face, from her full lips, her pert nose, her long eyelashes…
He closed his eyes, lightly shaking his head. He was attracted to her, still. He thought he had gotten rid of his attraction after she had recovered. He had admitted it before, during the time he had to care for her, but he had chalked it to the situation, reasoning that it was due to the self-imposed responsibility of having to nurse her back to health. He never had to take care of anyone before. He had thought that once she was better and no longer needed him, the attraction would also go away. It seems he was wrong…and now here he was, just like before, staring at her sleeping form…
"Like some creep." He thought with self-annoyance as he shook his head again. He decided to stop looking at her, but try as he might, he couldn't bring himself to wake her up.
"The trip for the supplies can wait." He thought with a sigh. They didn't have any food left, but they still had some coffee, so he quietly left her side and went out to make a fresh pot. He lets her sleep.
It wasn't long before Reese also woke up, well-rested and feeling both grateful and guilty for taking the bed. Upon heading out of the bedroom, she was greeted with a carafe of coffee and a clean, empty mug on the table, but no Raven. The sleeping mat he had used was now securely rolled up, and propped against the wall.
She poured herself a cup of coffee before looking out the window, enjoying the early morning sun. She saw Raven outside working on the Geno Breaker's left leg joint. Remembering that they were supposed to get supplies, she quickly finished her coffee, trying not to burn her tongue, and headed down.
Raven was tuning up the left leg joint. He had piloted the Geno Breaker earlier after Shadow finished the final repairs on the zoid. It had taken multiple sessions to repair it completely, given how badly it was damaged. It took a lot of Shadow's energy every time, unlike with the Geno Saurer. He supposed it was because of the higher evolution of the zoid, or perhaps it was because Shadow had just recently recovered from their last battle. During his test run, the left leg had felt off somehow, not quite responding or keeping up the way he wanted; he needed to tune it up. Even if he wasn't looking to fight anymore, the battles have always found him, and he doubts that it would change anytime soon.
When he saw her exit the door, he started to finish up his work. They had already emptied the small storage compartment the day before; they should be ready to leave to get new supplies. He closed up the panel, just as Specula and Shadow show up, having been signaled by Reese that they were leaving. They entered the Geno Breaker and started heading southeast to the closest village about seventy kilometers away.
Even with the landscape made of rolling hills and mountains, it only took about 15 minutes to reach the far outskirts of the settlement. However, they can't risk having the Geno Breaker seen. Using the terrain scanner, Raven found a good spot to hide the Geno Breaker, about two and a half kilometers away from the village. They instructed their respective organoids to stand by and keep the Geno Breaker away from prying eyes, while also avoid being seen themselves. If they run into trouble in the village, Reese will call for them remotely. Raven and Reese travelled the rest of the way on foot, wearing cloaks to somewhat help cover their faces and markings.
On their half-an-hour walk to the village from the Geno Breaker, they had discussed what supplies they needed, and who was assigned to get them. Just as an extra precaution, however, they decided they would walk and pay separately once they entered the town, so as not to be associated together, and if either one of them is suspected, the other can serve as back up to help throw off suspicion. She also inquired how he would pay for the items without being traced, having the knowledge of how digital cash transfer, especially in the military, can be monitored and traced.
"That's not possible. My device is independent from the military's system." He replied, taking out a portable digital cash unit transfer gear, a 4-by-4 inch electronic device, about a quarter-inch thick.
"Most of my missions were off the books, so Prozen made sure to set up my transactions to be untraceable and disconnected, even from his loyalists sector." He glanced sideways at her before saying his next words. "I assume it was the same way for you and Hiltz."
Her features darkened, not at all liking even the mention of her association with Hiltz.
"I suppose you could say that, though he kept control of most of it. The man was obsessed with keeping everything and everyone under his thumb." She said bitterly. "He played Prozen like a fool, gaining access to multiple of his accounts, providing him the excessive power to hire countless mercenaries as his own army."
Raven was quiet as he took in the new information. It made sense now why there were so many mercs under Hiltz's orders; they would do any job for the right price. After all, the creed is greed.
"So how are you planning to pay then?" He voiced his question, focusing on the task at hand.
"I wasn't totally helpless." She takes out her own cash transfer gear and looked at him with a smirk on her face. "You really think a mind-reader can't get access to one of those accounts? Or maybe two or three?" He smirked back, shaking his head for even asking.
As they neared the village, she reminded Raven that this was their first excursion to this village, and they should only buy what they can easily carry, and gather as much information they could about the people and the building layout. They will come back another time once they had more information and adjust their plan accordingly. Raven had not argued, recognizing her expertise on covert infiltration tactics.
They separated ways upon entering the village, with Raven walking about 30 feet ahead; she kept up just close enough to keep him in her line of sight. The village was a fair size, but small enough that it gave Reese a bit of confidence that they would not likely get recognized here. The place was already fairly busy, though not to a worrisome extent. She lowered her hood down some more, making sure her hair and marking are covered, before trying to find her way to the general store, where Raven was also headed.
Raven reached the general store first, on a mission to replenish their food supplies, acquire the necessary hardware he needed to start the generator repairs, as well as electrical repair materials and replacement light bulbs. She entered a moment later, moving to get some basic cleaning supplies; a small broom, some scourers and rags, a small bucket, just the things to start the cleanup process. She also retrieved some basic bathroom supplies before heading over to browse through the store's meager apparel section. After getting her clothing items, she picked out clothes for Raven as well, trying to guess his size by memory comparison.
When she finished, she headed for the counter to pay. Before she reached the bored-looking man tending the register, she saw Raven leave the store, bags in hand. He would inconspicuously wait outside for her to exit as well before making their way back together.
Reese calmly approached the cashier, who immediately livened up with just one look at her. He scrambled to assist her, managing to look both extremely shy and ridiculously eager at the same time. Reese might have found it somewhat charming, but he smelled so strongly of tobacco that she had to fight the urge to recoil from him.
"Is there anything else you need, miss? Would you like some help carrying these?" He asked her eagerly while packing the last of the items in a plastic bag.
"No, that was everything, thank you." She said as politely as she could while paying for the items, transferring the necessary cash units to the store's electronic register. She noticed the dismayed look on the man's face and internally rolled her eyes.
"Actually…" The man's face lit up as she spoke. "Do you know where I can purchase a bed around here?"
"Ah that would be our local carpenter's shop just further down the street to your left. The carpenter's name is Axel, big burly guy, you can't miss him. He can make one for you if you want, or you can browse through his completed works." He said, seemingly all in one breath. "I can escort you there if you want, miss…?" Reese caught on to his game, and decided to play along.
"Selena." She said with a feigned shy smile on her face. It didn't hurt to make friends, right? Besides, they were new here, and this connection could perhaps prove useful. "And that's alright, I'll find my way there. Thank you." She added the last part as she sensed that he wanted to insist, a tone of finality to her voice. He at least accepted it and handed her the bags, satisfied that he got a name from her.
"You take care now, Selena." He said as she was about to leave. She only gave a small smile and nodded in response before exiting the store.
She subtly searched the crowd for Raven, expecting to find him further down the street. Instead, she found him in the direction where they had come from. He made eye contact with her, and gestured for her to come closer with a slight tip of his head. Something was wrong.
She calmly walked over to him, stopping just in front of him, not acknowledging his presence by not facing him, still on the pretense that he was a stranger. He behaved similarly, softly whispering under his breath so only she could hear.
"We need to leave." He said calmly, keeping his eyes trained straight in front of him. "Listen."
It was fairly noisy in the street, but Reese knew exactly what he was talking about, as just behind him was a fueling station, where a group of three men seemed to be in the middle of a heavy discussion. She focused in on their conversation.
"It's not worth checking out, man, there's no way loot that big would just be sitting there this close to a settlement." One of them said, seemingly exasperated.
"That's exactly why it won't hurt to check out! It's practically close enough to go on foot. A large metallic signature like that could be a larger zoid or even a group of smaller zoids right for the picking. And why would it be in the canyons anyway? It's probably abandoned or immobilized." Another man insisted; he seemed to be the instigator.
The last man gave a heavy sigh, and the other two quieted. He seemed to be the leader of their little group.
"Alright, alright, settle down. I'm certainly not going on foot, and if it does turn out to be legit, then we would need our Gustavs to transport the scrap. We'll go once we're done refueling here." He said diplomatically.
They had heard enough. Reese started walking, keeping her pace with the crowd to avoid attracting attention. Raven shortly followed suit, picking up the gallon of fuel he obtained from the fueling station before noticing the group of scrappers. They needed to get to the Geno Breaker, and fast.
Once they reached the outskirts of the settlement, they started walking faster. Raven easily caught up to Reese who was slightly ahead. If they keep going on foot, the scrappers will catch up to them with their Gustavs.
"I called Shadow and Specula to meet us." Reese said quickly, slightly out of breath from the faster pace and the extra weight she's carrying. Raven wordlessly took some extra bags from her; she let him. They were now able to run, with Reese carrying a lighter load and Raven having no problem with the items. They cannot allow the scrappers to see them, let alone catch up to them. They certainly would have questions and cause for suspicion why they were heading in the direction of their signal in the middle of a grass field with no other settlement anywhere close.
Reese sensed two zoids trailing behind them, although still far enough away to be in their line of sight. Thankfully, they saw two black and blue figures coming out of the tree line on the other side of the field. They kept running until they met with the two organoids. Shadow and Specula slowed down just enough for their masters to quickly jump on their backs, before turning and making their way back to the Geno Breaker.
They hurriedly put the supplies away, knowing the items would only just get in the way of the controls, especially if the situation escalated any further. Once they were secured in the cockpit, Raven expertly maneuvered the large zoid out of the canyons. He got as far away from the area as stealthily as he could with the giant, red zoid.
They were silent. Reese was focusing to see if she can sense the scrappers' zoids following them, and Raven was concentrating on changing the path he's taking to lose any possible trackers that may want to follow them. He doesn't want to lead them straight to the house.
No doubt the scrappers were wondering what happened to the signal they came across. Reese only hoped that they would blame it on faulty machinery. It was also fortunate that, from the sound of the conversation, the group was already skeptical about the signal being a legitimate find. However, even as they knew that they were far enough away, and that no one was following them, it was a close call.
