Urban Dead: The Price of the Oath

[Josh]

The radio came to life after a moment. "For what it's worth, everyone here thanks you, Trouble. Word is that you probably saved all our lives."

[Caz]

Despite that she could hardly feel her face, Gwendolyn smiled.

"No better time than the present to start, I guess," she said with a laugh. And then, with finality:

"Watch yourself out there, post four," she said, holding back a shiver. "It's a mad, bad world," she finished deliriously.

[Josh]

"The general will be back to get you," the voice on the radio reassured her. "He always comes through. Just keep hanging on."

[Caz]

"It'll be good to... See your face..." she murmured nonsensically. Although she opened her mouth to say more, her throat didn't seem to be working, she noticed with alarm. Nor did her hands appear to be doing their job, she thought as she saw rather than felt the radio slide from her grasp and onto the snowy rooftop.

She closed her eyes and let the dark in.

[Josh]

The radio crackled a few more times, beyond her hearing, before finally going silent.

[Cynical Cat]

There was thud as something heavy hit the fire escape. It rattled for a moment as the creature pulled itself to the top. The woman. Trouble, they had called her. She would be dead soon. She was meat, but he had meat. Alive, she was worth than meat. Either way, worth taking her. Put her inside, wrapped in blankets, by his fire. Either she lived and was worth something more or she did not and he hung her on the hook.

Surprisingly gentle hands lifted her up as Reaper headed back towards his "castle."

[Caz]

She was hardly conscious enough to realise what was happening as he lifted her, and she let out a weak noise of protest. Because despite her state of delirium, she somehow knew it wasn't Petro.

"Who..." she managed through chattering teeth, hands twitching as she curled against herself in the blanket.

[Cynical Cat]

"Rest," he said. "Taking you to somewhere warmer. Safer."

[Caz]

The words took a moment to register, but she knew what 'warmer' meant and that was enough for her. Letting her eyes close once again, she relaxed in his arms with a quiet, "Okay."

[Cynical Cat]

He put her down gently by the oil drum fire and swaddled her in blankets. There was some human food around, cans and such. He had tried eating it and puked it back up quickly. His body wouldn't accept it. He rumaged around for it. Then he remembered the radio. He picked it up and hit the transmit button. "Trouble is in a bad way," he rasped. "Won't last too much longer."

[Josh]

"Post four here. Listen, we can get somebody out there to her, but we need to know where she is."

[Cynical Cat]

"With me. Two blocks north of where she was. Chains, cables, hanging meat. You will not miss it."

[Josh]

"We don't know where she was," the voice answered, half-frantic. "Can you bring her in?"

The men at the post hadn't been informed about Reaper, quite obviously.

[Caz]

She didn't have the strength to move, didn't want to make the infection worse, so she just laid there, curled in a semi-fetal position and blessedly close to the fire. It was apparent from her coughing and contorted face that she'd been near death since long before the cold.

"Th-thank..." she started, then broke into a fit of fresh coughing, the lining of her throat burning as blood spattered her palm. "You," she finished in a sick whisper.

Far off, she heard the radio, but it seemed like another world.

[Cynical Cat]

"Long trip in the cold. She is weak."

[Josh]

"Can you give us any idea of where she is, then? We can get a doc out to her."

[Cynical Cat]

"Two blocks north of where you left her. Almost an hour north of the mall."

[Josh]

"Listen, we'll get back to you. Post four out."

[Caz]

So they're sending someone? she thought, her wits beginning to return to her as she warmed. The oil fire smelled horrible, but it was the most wonderful thing to ever exist as far as she was concerned. However, that didn't do anything for the fact that she was infected and she knew it.

"Stay back," she warned the stranger, "I might... Turn on you."

[Cynical Cat]

"That's not a problem," he replied. "Your friends are coming."

[Josh]

"I'll go," Marley said.

"Fuck it, I'll come along. We just need one doc to come with us," Freddy said.

They were conversing quietly on the roof in private. Or what they thought was private.

"It comes to anything, I'll take the heat," Marley said quietly.

"Easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission," Freddy agreed. "So, Dorian should be up for it."

[Caz]

Gwendolyn laughed at the 'friend' remark.

"Not my friends," she forced out, "never... met them before."

Back at the mall, Melanie was returning from her intelligence session with Zimmerman and a break of checking in on Jared. She overheard the two men talking and raised an eyebrow.

"What's going on, boys?" she asked.

[Josh]

They both shot bolt upright from their conspiratorial crouch, looking at her with 'busted' expressions.

Freddy recovered first. "Oh no, we were just...just..."

"Huddling for heat!" Marley chimed in. Freddy gave him a 'you stupid fuck' look.

[Cynical Cat]

"They care whether you live or die. Want to try and save you. Close enough."

[Caz]

Although he probably couldn't even see, Gwen nodded. "Warm here..." She said with little to no coherence.

Melanie looked to the two, shook her head a bit.

"Maybe we do need more women here," she said.

"Really, boys, what's up and why's it so important?"