forbidden (illicitus) wrote in the_colony, @ 2011-04-02 22:45:00 |
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Entry tags: | ^ week 35, analise gordan, derek miller, gregory blair, jed bailey, thomas galloway |
Week 35 - Thursday
Characters: Ana Gordon-Kirke, Tom Galloway, Jed Bailey, Greg Blair, Derek Miller, NPC kidnappers.
Location: Somewhere in the countryside around Grants Pass
Summary: Tom makes the kidnappers an offer they can’t refuse.
Rating: PG-13 for language and threat of violence.
“Not long now, honey,” the woman reassured Ana, giving her shoulder a squeeze. It might have been more reassuring if Ana wasn’t bruised, bound, and gagged, or if the woman wasn’t wearing riot gear.
The truck rumbled along down the road, nearly to the neutral meeting spot they’d set up with the colonists.
“You’ll be back home before you know it.” The man chimed in, glancing over at Ana and his partner. He was dressed in riot gear as well, at ease in the helmet and vest as if he’d worn them on a daily basis for years.
The riot gear was inherently frightening. Her captors made Ana think of insects, malicious and cold. Not that she was inclined to look favorably on them at all. The beating was unexpected after going unharmed all night. They’d even apologized for it and promised it would be as short as possible. Ana didn’t know how to tell - no one had hit her like this before - but it seemed efficient. The man had only struck her in the face a few times, filling her mouth with blood and raising a welt under her eye that throbbed painfully. Ana hoped Drew stayed home; she didn’t want him to see her bound and bleeding like this.
Tom had set things up as best he could once he found out the time and location of the meeting. Greg and Derek were concealed down the road ahead of them, ready to provide a crossfire if the situation presented itself and Tom gave the signal. The veteran himself had parked one of the pickups crossways in the street and had placed the M249 he’d liberated from the guard armory on the hood, the engine block providing cover.
All the men wore helmets and tactical vests that had also been taken in the guard armory raid a few months back, and Tom was determined to make this as one sided as possible and still get Ana back alive.
“Anything else I should know?” Jed said, shifting uncomfortably in the bulky vest. He wasn’t used to wearing one, mostly because he wasn’t used to shooting at things that might shoot back. His adrenaline was already going and he wanted the kidnappers to get there already.
“Just keep your eyes open and make sure they don’t have any friends, other than that just stay cool.” Tom told him, and his eyes narrowed as the car came around the corner and stopped in front of them.
The shock of Ana’s captors upon seeing the colonists so heavily armed was mirrored on Ana’s face as well. She knew Tom was military but she hadn’t expected to see them so well-equipped. It was a bit unnerving to have her rescuers and kidnappers so similarly dressed. The only one who didn’t look like they came expecting a fight was her. That’s not scary at all.
Maybe he was being a bit blatant, but Tom was making a point that nobody could take one of his people and expect to be rewarded for it. If he’d been in a more subtle mood he’d have placed the machine gun up in the treeline and opened up as soon as Ana was clear.
“What the fuck?” In the past year he’d never seen anything quite like this. The man turned and looked behind him, then over at Ana. “Who do you people think you are, Delta Force?”
The woman looked her lips nervously, looking at him. “Do we change the plan?”
“If we back out now that machine gun could poke us full of holes before we even turn around.” Of course, it would also kill their bargaining chip. Would the others take the risk of potentially killing the hostage to get them? He would have said no, but he hadn’t expected the machine gun either.
The woman swallowed but nodded. “Maybe you should stay in the truck and I’ll make the exchange.”
The man visibly didn’t care for the idea, but nodded reluctantly. “All right, be careful.”
That her captors were nervous wasn’t making Ana feel any better. They’d been so rehearsed about the whole thing that having them frightened actually scared her. People did stupid things when they were afraid and Ana didn’t want anything stupid done to her. Already the woman’s hand on her arm was tight.
Popping open the door, the woman pulled Ana out with her. She didn’t move past that, though. “Step away from the machine gun!” she yelled. “We want to do this peacefully!”
“Shit. It’s a woman,” Jed said, his brows furrowing.
“She doesn’t look like she’s an unwilling partner so she’s fair game as far as I’m concerned.” Tom muttered, not taking his eyes off the truck.
“If you wanted to do it peacefully you would have come and asked to trade without kidnapping one of my people.” Tom called back. “Let her go and you can walk, you have my word.”
The woman’s grip on Ana’s arm tightened, and she shifted slightly behind her. Like a shield. “That’s not what’s going on today! We told you to bring supplies!”
“Lady, you’re not in charge here. You touch a hair on that girl’s head and it’ll be the last thing you ever do.” Tom warned. “I’ve got you surrounded. Let her go and I’ll step away from the machine gun.”
The woman licked her lips, looking back at her partner before saying, “We’re supposed to just trust you? When you’re putting your friend’s life at stake?”
“The way I see it we don’t have much reason to trust each other.” Tom replied evenly. “I step away from the machine gun what guarantee do I have you’ll let her go? Make no mistake lady, you fucked with the wrong group. You’ll get no supplies and you don’t get to leave without letting the girl go.”
The man looked over toward his companion. He hadn’t bargained for this, but he wasn’t sure what the right call was to get them out in one piece. “What do you think?”
The woman’s eyes turned to Ana. “This guy a lying bastard?” she said, watching Ana’s eyes carefully.
There wasn’t a way to communicate ‘he’s military and will do exactly what he says’ telepathically so Ana just shook her head no. The part of her brain that could have reasoned out whether it would be better to lie had shrunk when the overwhelming nerves started.
The woman tightened her jaw but looked at her partner. “Right now I’d bet more on him keepin’ his word than on us gettin’ away.”
“Me too.” He ground his teeth in frustration and stared through the windshield at the barrel of the machine gun pointed their way. “All right. See if you can get a time count for him to step away and let blondie go at the same time.”
The woman nodded, shifting herself and Ana a little further from the truck. “We’ll count to three, alright?” she called. “And I’ll let go of the girl and leave, and you’ll step away from your gun.”
“Fair enough,” Tom called back. “We’re agreed.”
He turned to Jed. “Keep an eye on them, just in case they try something.” That accomplished, the veteran returned his attention to the woman and Ana. “On the count of three. One. Two. Three!” On the count of three he engaged the safety on the gun and stepped back, moving to come around the truck and get to Ana.
Running with your hands bound wasn’t easy but Ana did her best as soon as soon as they let her go, breathing heavily around her gag.
The woman bolted back into the truck, the engine already running, and it started flipping a turn before she’d even had the door closed. Jed stayed where he was, protected behind the truck, although his hand shifted on his rifle.
“We’re just letting them go?” he called to Tom, who was going to meet Ana.
“I don’t like it,” the veteran growled back, “but yes. I gave my word and I’m not going to shoot them in the back. They show their faces again and they don’t get the benefit of a doubt though. There’s no law around here but what we make.”
Tom pulled out his knife and cut Ana’s bonds. “You all right kiddo?”
As soon as her hands were free, Ana tore off her gag. “Where’s Drew?” She could ignore the way she ached from being struck for now. All she wanted was Drew.
“He’s back at the house,” Tom looked her over, seeing the bruises. His expression darkened and he had to restrain himself from getting the truck and chasing after the kidnappers. “I wasn’t sure what was going to happen.” And he hadn’t been sure he could trust the younger man to follow his orders where Ana was concerned. Drew could have snapped and gotten people killed unnecessarily.
“Derek! Greg! Let’s wrap it up and head for home.”