Who: Jo Harvelle and Open When: Tonight Where: Random gas station in town What: Jo runs into a couple of desperate locals Rating: Probably med-high Status: Open
Relief at the fact that her friend had found had given Jo a little bit of an emotional high she could ride on for a bit, and so she did. Eventually, though, it started to wear off, and she found herself staring out through the window at the town full of dead people. It was rough, knowing that this was Nebraska. If this had been her world, she would have been five years old in this time frame. Somewhere out there, she wondered if there was another Harvelle's Roadhouse sitting off a lesser-used highway, full of people drinking. Or full of dead people.
The idea and the way her thoughts were running disturbed her, and finally Jo set out from the train to explore the town a little more. Maybe she'd be lucky and run into some more supplies. The Hunter went armed, of course. Knives, gun, and her shotgun this time, too. She had a bag slung over one shoulder and the gun held in both hands as she walked along the dusty roads, dark eyes scanning the buildings. When she finally reached a convenience store that looked relatively unscathed, Jo hesitated only a moment before she made her way inside. In the back stock room she struck gold, and started to grab various snack foods and canned goods, slipping them into the bag.
"The hell d'ya think you're doing there, blondie?" The voice tugged her around quickly, and her eyes narrowed as she found the door blocked by two men, both larger than her 5'4" frame. They looked hungry, tired, and indifferent - a dangerous combination in her experience, but in her mind she called the one on the left 'Dumb' and the one on the right 'Dumber'. Rather than respond, she cocked the shot gun once and pointed it at them, making her answer clear through her actions.
"Charlie - the kid wants to scare us with her gun! I bet that thing aint even loaded." Dumber spoke up this time, giving her a name for Dumb, but that didn't matter. "C'mon now, girlie. Why don't you toss over that bag and then come out real slow - we'll even make it worth your while." To Jo's disgust, he reached down to his crotch and gripped it while laughing, then elbowed Charlie in the side.
"Yeah - you don't wanna hurt me and ol' Tom, now, do ya?" Charlie stepped forward and reached out for her gun, and Jo's glare darkened. Reacting instinctively, she shoved the barrel of the gun hard into his stomach, causing him to double over. A hard strike at the back of his head, level with his ears, flattened him, just as Tom began to rush forward with his arms stretched out, bellowing. Jo ducked under his arms and used his own momentum to shove him into the shelves closest to her, sending him and the whole lot to the floor. He scrambled around for a moment, then began to try and get up, stopping when he realized the shotgun was two inches from the end of his nose.
"Move one muscle and you're dead, Tom." Jo spoke for the first time in a cold voice. She didn't really want to kill these guys, but if they attacked her again, she'd defend herself. "I'm going to grab a couple more things, then head on my way. You're going to stay right here on your ass, count to five hundred, then help out your buddy there, got it?" The gun shifted closer for emphasis, and he nodded. Satisfied, Jo stepped back and grabbed a few more cans, stuffing them into her bag. The last can, corned beef, she studied for a moment, then dropped on the floor next to Charlie as she looked over at Tom. "Remember - five hundred. If I see your nose poke out of this place even a half second sooner, it's getting shot off." Finally, Jo turned towards the door and stepped over Charlie, then made her way back out into the main part of the convenience store.