She was paying attention at least. Charlie hadn't expected to go unnoticed.
The fact that Kassandra was still talking could either mean that she didn't know when to keep her mouth shut or she was just trying to stall out for time whilst her ally (allies?) moved into position. There was no reason to give out information that one didn't need to, and if Vaitaki hadn't just told her, Charlie wouldn't have been certain that the other girl had seen her move.
Didn't narrow it down much.
Still, there were other ways to provoke a reaction than distractions and movement, and from here, Charlie had the bonus of a much better angle on her own previous spot. She'd bought herself some time from anyone who may have been sneaking up on here.
"Maybe I'm improving my position. Think of that?"
The words 'to improve my firing lines' came to mind and weren't spoken. It was a threat for one, but for another--
No, focus on the task at hand. Intel intel.
Junkyard Nights
Phase 2 (13-24 Hours)
Improving her position? That sounded like a threat to Kassandra. She might as well have been saying that she was trying to find a vantage point to put a bullet in her head as far as she was concerned. She was sick of playing games with this chick. She wanted this bullshit to end fast, before anything went bad beyond repair.
"Fuck off." She fired verbally at the wall of metal, taking a few steps back toward the van's door. She just had to be within arm's reach. Then she could throw the door open and shot for Bishop and Marion to run out, or hit the side with the pipe to provoke the same reaction. Either way would be good for getting them out of harm's way.
Or maybe it might be wiser to leave them be and not draw them out? The other girl didn't know that anyone else was there, and she didn't know whether she would think to check the van, either. But even so, what if this chick really was dangerous? She didn't want to leave a sleeping Bishop and Marion at the mercy of whoever the hell this was, and whatever she might have on hand.
So yeah, if this chick made a move, she was sounding the alarm. She held her pipe ready to swing, just in case.
"Fuck off." She fired verbally at the wall of metal, taking a few steps back toward the van's door. She just had to be within arm's reach. Then she could throw the door open and shot for Bishop and Marion to run out, or hit the side with the pipe to provoke the same reaction. Either way would be good for getting them out of harm's way.
Or maybe it might be wiser to leave them be and not draw them out? The other girl didn't know that anyone else was there, and she didn't know whether she would think to check the van, either. But even so, what if this chick really was dangerous? She didn't want to leave a sleeping Bishop and Marion at the mercy of whoever the hell this was, and whatever she might have on hand.
So yeah, if this chick made a move, she was sounding the alarm. She held her pipe ready to swing, just in case.
Swearing.
Charlie relaxed. Slightly.
Telling somebody to fuck off wasn't peak distraction talk. It wasn't, to be plain, the type of thing someone would say if they were playing for time. So this probably wasn't a set-up for a flank. Probably. Charlie wasn't discounting it yet.
Back up against the container, Charlie very slowly leaned around it, peeking around the corner. Sure enough, standing off by a battered junkheap of a van was Kassandra.
"Vaitaki."
Charlie relaxed. Slightly.
Telling somebody to fuck off wasn't peak distraction talk. It wasn't, to be plain, the type of thing someone would say if they were playing for time. So this probably wasn't a set-up for a flank. Probably. Charlie wasn't discounting it yet.
Back up against the container, Charlie very slowly leaned around it, peeking around the corner. Sure enough, standing off by a battered junkheap of a van was Kassandra.
"Vaitaki."
So her opponent finally revealed herself, or at least enough for Kassandra to figure out who they were. Between the figure, the hair, the voice, and half of the face, she finally put together who she was dealing with.
Cade. Military brat. Icy bitch.
And as of a few hours ago, murderer.
Kassandra's next course of action was pretty clear now. She took another step back to the minivan and swung her pipe backwards, slamming it into the front passenger-side door and making a loud metallic clang. And it was pretty loud from where she was standing, so she could imagine how much noise it must have made on the inside.
She hated doing this to Marion and Bishop, but this was a special circumstance. She hoped they would understand.
Cade. Military brat. Icy bitch.
And as of a few hours ago, murderer.
Kassandra's next course of action was pretty clear now. She took another step back to the minivan and swung her pipe backwards, slamming it into the front passenger-side door and making a loud metallic clang. And it was pretty loud from where she was standing, so she could imagine how much noise it must have made on the inside.
She hated doing this to Marion and Bishop, but this was a special circumstance. She hoped they would understand.
Bishop let out a loud scream in surprise, a bang ripping him away from his dreaming state. His head swiveled side to side, seeing Kass standing outside the window from where he was positioned.
His first thought was that maybe she wanted to swap out, but he instantly threw that aside. There was no reason for her to not just open the door and shake him awake rather than just waking the both of them, and her posture was far more tense than normal. Something was going on.
Grabbing for his gun he heard Marion say something about keeping it down.
"M-Marion, I think t-this isn't t-t-the time to be s-sleeping."
And his stutter was acting up again. God dammit... Whatever, he needed to figure out what was going on.
"K-Kass!" He called out. "W-w-what's happening!?!"
His first thought was that maybe she wanted to swap out, but he instantly threw that aside. There was no reason for her to not just open the door and shake him awake rather than just waking the both of them, and her posture was far more tense than normal. Something was going on.
Grabbing for his gun he heard Marion say something about keeping it down.
"M-Marion, I think t-this isn't t-t-the time to be s-sleeping."
And his stutter was acting up again. God dammit... Whatever, he needed to figure out what was going on.
"K-Kass!" He called out. "W-w-what's happening!?!"
Kassandra didn't stand on ceremony, stepping back and crashing whatever object it was she was holding into the side of her van. That it looked long and sounded like metal—some kind of baton?—was slender consolation to the fact that there was only one way Charlie could interpret that; raising an alarm.
For a moment, the idea of a scrapyard full of hostiles all attending to Vaitaki's distress call and converging on her position flashed through Charlie's head.
No. Not possible. She would have seen sentries, and if this was the centre of it, there would be no need for Kassandra to stand guard. She was alerting someone, but they weren't out on patrol.
Charlie's eyes still flicked out around her, darting to and fro, searching every blind corner and scouring every possible avenue of approach. Her position had just become far, far less safe.
"You'll attract unwanted attention making noise like that," Charlie said, surprised at how measured her own voice was. Why was she still talking? There was danger, she needed to leave.
That was an enemy.
Like Dyne. Like Peters.
For a moment, the idea of a scrapyard full of hostiles all attending to Vaitaki's distress call and converging on her position flashed through Charlie's head.
No. Not possible. She would have seen sentries, and if this was the centre of it, there would be no need for Kassandra to stand guard. She was alerting someone, but they weren't out on patrol.
Charlie's eyes still flicked out around her, darting to and fro, searching every blind corner and scouring every possible avenue of approach. Her position had just become far, far less safe.
"You'll attract unwanted attention making noise like that," Charlie said, surprised at how measured her own voice was. Why was she still talking? There was danger, she needed to leave.
That was an enemy.
Like Dyne. Like Peters.
Unwanted attention? Fuck, she already knew that. She didn't plan on being around by the time it showed up, though. They had already been spotted by one killer, and that was enough. Now they just had to drive her off before they made their own getaway. The salvage yard was hot territory now, too hot for her liking. Admittedly it was partially her fault for being so loud, but that was just the way things happened.
"I was just thinking this place didn't seem too safe anymore." She raised her voice, imparting a similar message both to Cade and her allies, but with different implied meanings. "You know. Might be best to head somewhere else."
She reached back and hooked her fingers around the back door, opening it just slightly. Hopefully the others were thinking the same thing that she was, and weren't too groggy to act.
"I was just thinking this place didn't seem too safe anymore." She raised her voice, imparting a similar message both to Cade and her allies, but with different implied meanings. "You know. Might be best to head somewhere else."
She reached back and hooked her fingers around the back door, opening it just slightly. Hopefully the others were thinking the same thing that she was, and weren't too groggy to act.
There was another person out there. He could hear a voice off in the distance, telling Kass not to make noise. However judging by Kass's reply, the person out there with her wasn't exactly a friendly face either. Crap, this wasn't good. What the hell was going on? Was Kass in danger? Who was even out there. Oh god why didn't he take the first shift, he's the one with the gun for crying out loud! He could have at least scared them off by pointing the thing at them!
As much fun as berating ones self in the middle of a crisis was, Bishop knew he had to put that to the side for now. Now of course was the time to act. Kass moved towards the back of the van, popping the door open slightly. That was all the signal he needed to tell him they were going to move.
"M-Marion" Bishop whispered to his groggy ally. "I-I think we're going to r-run. G-grab your b-bag and W-wait for K-Kass to open the door. S-stick with her, I-I'll take the r-rear."
Though Bishop wanted to rush ahead and get out of there as soon as possible, he also knew that Marion wasn't exactly the best person to leave at the rear. She was handcuffed, and hardly in the shape to fight. Bishop, on the other hand, had a god damn shot gun. As much as he hated to admit it, he was better equipped to keep the group safe should their assailant catch up to them.
He just hoped it wouldn't come to that.
As much fun as berating ones self in the middle of a crisis was, Bishop knew he had to put that to the side for now. Now of course was the time to act. Kass moved towards the back of the van, popping the door open slightly. That was all the signal he needed to tell him they were going to move.
"M-Marion" Bishop whispered to his groggy ally. "I-I think we're going to r-run. G-grab your b-bag and W-wait for K-Kass to open the door. S-stick with her, I-I'll take the r-rear."
Though Bishop wanted to rush ahead and get out of there as soon as possible, he also knew that Marion wasn't exactly the best person to leave at the rear. She was handcuffed, and hardly in the shape to fight. Bishop, on the other hand, had a god damn shot gun. As much as he hated to admit it, he was better equipped to keep the group safe should their assailant catch up to them.
He just hoped it wouldn't come to that.
The response was less than veiled. Charlie was at the yard and that meant it was now dangerous. Was that because she'd—because of what she'd done, or was it a natural reply to anyone arriving? The latter was smarter, but Charlie couldn't help but think that it was more than likely the former.
Of course, between the clang of metal and the way Kassandra was speaking, Charlie was more or less certain that she was the sentry at this point. She was giving warning.
"I didn't mean from me."
Of course, between the clang of metal and the way Kassandra was speaking, Charlie was more or less certain that she was the sentry at this point. She was giving warning.
"I didn't mean from me."
Cade spoke, and Kassandra barely listened. She stared her down while keeping her fingers on the door, face unmoving. Cade's words had logic, but Kassandra still didn't trust her. She was an intruder, and she was an unknown factor. Admittedly not entirely unknown, but what little information they had didn't point in a good direction, and Kassandra wasn't going to take a risk with her. She tightened her grip and answered neutrally.
"Nah, I'd say you count."
She threw the door open and barked an order to the rest of the group.
"Run!"
"Nah, I'd say you count."
She threw the door open and barked an order to the rest of the group.
"Run!"
Ya know, Bishop really should have expected Marion to just toss Kass the bag. She was handcuffed after all, it was likely a little hard for her to carry it. Maybe he should have just grabbed it himself. Whatever, he just needed to make sure both the girls got out okay before he booked it too. So long as they all survived, it didn't matter.
Following Marion out, Bishop quickly moved besides Kass and faced the direction Kass was looking towards before. Crap, where was the person she was just talking to? Were they hiding? Oh god this really wasn't good. If he couldn't get a visual on them, the group were effectively blind as bats. Well, he was at least? But he was the guy with the gun so he for sure needed to get a visual on them.
Then, he saw it. Somebody ever so slightly sticking out of the cover the junkyard provided. He didn't take long enough to figure out who they were, the darkness kind of made that a little difficult with just a simple glance, but he could ask Kass that later. For now, he knew where they were. So long as he didn't lose track of that, they were hopefully safe.
Assuming they didn't have a gun that is. In which case they were super screwed.
"K-Kass, I'll c-cover our rear! G-go help M-Marion!"
Following Marion out, Bishop quickly moved besides Kass and faced the direction Kass was looking towards before. Crap, where was the person she was just talking to? Were they hiding? Oh god this really wasn't good. If he couldn't get a visual on them, the group were effectively blind as bats. Well, he was at least? But he was the guy with the gun so he for sure needed to get a visual on them.
Then, he saw it. Somebody ever so slightly sticking out of the cover the junkyard provided. He didn't take long enough to figure out who they were, the darkness kind of made that a little difficult with just a simple glance, but he could ask Kass that later. For now, he knew where they were. So long as he didn't lose track of that, they were hopefully safe.
Assuming they didn't have a gun that is. In which case they were super screwed.
"K-Kass, I'll c-cover our rear! G-go help M-Marion!"
That was fair, though it didn't make it any less painful. Perhaps it hurt because it was fair. Anyone should count. Should. As much as logic and strategic thinking tried to hold that up, though, anyone didn't.
Charlie's attention was unwanted because of Dyne's death.
No.
Because she had killed Dyne.
And she needed to leave.
Charlie said nothing and slipped away into the maze of wreckage and junk.
((Charlie continued in Quietus))
Charlie's attention was unwanted because of Dyne's death.
No.
Because she had killed Dyne.
And she needed to leave.
Charlie said nothing and slipped away into the maze of wreckage and junk.
((Charlie continued in Quietus))