Bailamos

[Enrique]

They planned. It was boring. Enrique paid attention. He did understand the necessity of it, but god it was tedious. She recommended he take some autos, but his revolvers would be coming for sure. The familiar weight of them in his hands had saved his life before and the life of his partners. He would bring the back-ups though. With only twenty-four shots and a long reload time, he wanted to be prepared. Plus, he could show off with the revolvers.

He was glad when she decided to go upstairs. For one, she could see what his bar was really like. For another he was hungry too. They went up and Enrique ordered arroz con pollo. He ate with Jacinda and had a few more beers. They chatted a bit and he spoke with the guys around him about football - real football.

Dinner finished Enrique rotated his chair to survey the room. "Hello there..."
he said quietly noticing a woman in a dark red dress that accentuated her figure quite well. Her dark hair matched her dark eyes. He lost her when the crowed started to part moving tables from the center of the room.

This happened every once in awhile. The patrons decided to dance. Enrique wondered what song they would choose and believe it or not, they went with that 90's pop star's Bailamos. It was pretty simple. A circle was formed and pairs went in the circle and danced for a bit. It was sort of a competition, judged by the applause afterwards. Enrique decided to watch while looking for the woman in the red dress.

The first few were meh. Enrique thought they were good, but it wasn't risqué enough. There was no seductiveness, no sensuality to it. Even though they were good, he was disappointed to say the least. He ordered a shot of whiskey, downed it, and stood up.

"Fuck it,"
he said and moved out into the middle of the circle.

His eyes roamed for a minute until he saw her - the woman in the red dress. He gave her a "come hither" stare and a grin before offering his hand and giving a slight twitch of the finger for her to come. She looked him up and down and smiled before entering the circle and taking his hand. He spun her around and pulled her close to him just as the chorus began again.

No light shown between them and they moved as one. One of her hands ran up and down his arms as his hand did her torso. He could feel the slight shudder she made as he did it. Their eyes locked and didn't move until she began to move downward seductively. She knew how to do this. The other dances had been discreet, but theirs was overtly sensual. It was the difference between a kiss on the cheek and making love.

She paused at his waist and glanced up at him, giving him a wink and a smile before moving back up. Those around that caught it whistled. She moved back up and as it was the end of the song, Enrique dipped her down, he back becoming parallel to the floor. His right arm held her back while his left moved and held her by her right knee. He held the position as the song finished and then lifted her back up, maybe copping-a-feel as he did so.

The applause was thunderous and it was obvious who the winner was as he took the girl back to the bar. Jacinda was there and he order three drinks to fill his guests as well as his dance partner and his own glasses.

"Jacinda, this is...I never got your name."


"Mercedes."

[Jacinda]

Ricky and her both ordered some food and a couple beers and she set to it. The bar was pretty full now and there was quite a bit of dancing going on. She enjoyed it on occasion herself. Not tonight though. Her mind was relaxed as it quietly processed their plans in the background. She was content to set there and watch the move of bodies to the music. She had to say that she really liked the way people dressed up when the went out. The men moved with smooth confidence- even those that, in her opinion, didn't have much to be confident about. Being 5'10 she was as tall as most of the men here, yet that did not keep them from sidling up to her and trying to make a move.

Quite a few pretty girls noticed, of course. The looks they shot her way made her laugh to herself. She wasn't particularly dolled up at all. But she knew she was pretty. Blonde. Tall. She was exotic and thus the source of more attention here. But she refused to dance. She talked a bit but gave little in response to any men who showed interest. She was hunting right now. Oh, not right this second. But her mindset was the hunt. She was only peripherally aware of Ricky out on the floor, though from what she saw, he certainly had the moves. He was helped by a particularly beautiful woman. When they were done, he returned and introduced the girl. Jacinda was polite and downed the shot immediately after saying thank you. But that only took part of her attention. Her mind was mostly on the upcoming job. A knotty problem, that.

They were looking at maybe 10 rougs in that convent. With the ammunition they had, it shouldn't be problem. But the hallways and alcoves nagged at her. The place was big and there were a lot of spots a roug could hide. And they were aggressive, especially towards women. It hadn't happened to her, but she knew that roug hungers always ran between two extremes: spreading their seed and feeding their bellies. And she'd seen a few cases where the hunger was somewhere in the middle. The poor girl pregnant and missing an arm or leg, kept like cattle.

For the rest, she wasn't sure which were the lucky ones. The ones who died or the ones who had been set free after the tortuous ordeal. If they ended up having the baby, there was a good chance it would carry the gene and become a roug itself. Between the memories of their experience as captives of the rougs and maybe raising one themselves, they usually went insane. Almost a kindness to put them out of their misery. Thankfully she had only been faced with that choice a few times.

As she was thinking, shouting suddenly could be heard over the music. She looked out onto the floor. The two bouncers were moving to take care of the situation. Two men were fighting while a woman in a green dress was screaming at them to stop. Ricky got up to take care of the situation too, leaving his red-dressed friend for a moment. Jacinda looked at her casually and the back to the floor. But she also notice movement toward one of the exits. Three men were leaving, but one of them was moving a bit more stiffly than the others. It could just be a friend who'd had too many and needed to be taken home by his buddies. But the man in the middle wore a nice silk shirt. No jacket. She looked around. Most of them there had jackets even if they were just draped across their chairs. She smiled to herself. Very well done. A public kidnapping sent a clear message.

She picked up her beer and took a nice long draw on it. Very nice indeed. She'd let Ricky know her idea tomorrow. He came back to the bar after the men had been ejected. She held up her beer to him and saluted with a smile. He looked at her puzzled but then focused his attention back on his dancing companion.

[Enrique]

A goddamn fight had to ruin his night. Enrique went to make sure everything was okay, but his bouncers were on it. They were quick. There wasn't much he had to deal with, but as the proprietor, it was better for him to check in.

He went back to his seat and got a salute from Jacinda, but was slightly puzzled by it, so he turned back to Mercedes. Her wandering hands were enough to show that she wasn't just teasing him earlier. Heh...overall it was a good night. It was starting to get a little late though, and Mercedes was definitely ready to go to bed, so they both stood and he approached Jacinda.

Mercedes was hanging on to him tightly as he approached. "It's getting a little late - everything alright with you - do you need anything else?"


Jacinda gave him a smirk as her eye went to the girl in the red dress. "Heh. Just you be careful skippy. We have a big day tomorrow. If youre too sore I'll leave you at the convent with the 'sisters'."
She barked a laugh and not so lightly punched him in the shoulder. "Sometimes it's good to save it for after."
She nodded over her shoulder to the door down to the basement. "Ill head down there in a little bit."
Her eye seemed to roam the bar.

Enrique nodded, said goodnight, and headed to his own rooms which were located on the second floor - also sound proofed. The entered his room, kissing, and it didn't take long for Enrique to peel the red dress off. Yeah...a good night.


Edited by Enrique, Oct 28 2014, 08:13 PM.

[Jacinda]

There was a cot in the basement but she opted for the couch. It was much more comfortable. Between the cushions, the blanket and the coolness she slept better than she had in a while. She very nearly slept completely, what with being in a safehouse and all. Nearly. She never fully went to sleep. Years of keeping watch when alone ingrained habits into you- habits that meant your life. But she could at least relax here more than usual. She liked her truck just fine- and camping too. But every once in a while, it was nice to treat yourself.

She got up at around 5 and took advantage of the shower and then put on some clean clothes- the same pair of jeans, her boots, and a tight t-shirt. She was going to be fighting today and they needed to be simple and keep out of the way. After a moment, she pulled out her body armor. It was a bit thicker than her shirt and wouldn't keep her from getting bruised. But sharp objects- knives, claws, even teeth- would not break the surface without a lot of force. It would only slightly restrict her mobility, but she'd used it often enough over the years that she knew how to fight with it. And the trade off was worth it. She wasn't going to put it on now, of course. But just before they went in, she'd put it on under her shirt.

That done, she made her way out the back exit. It let her out a block over in an alley just behind a couple dumpsters. Once the false wall had moved back into the place, she could only barely see where it was supposed to be. If she hadn't known, she would have missed it. This section of town and the wall was older- much older than Ricky. Very likely this had been a safehouse for a lot of years. It said something about him that he was entrusted with it. She felt cautiously optimistic about working with him. Course it all came down to how he did out in the field. He could be all brag. But she had a sense about people and he seemed to have good sense about it- as long as he was interested. He hadn't enjoyed the long planning session. Truth was she didn't either but that was the life. Only fools went out without at least a plan or two. When they meant your life, you sucked it up and did it.

But when you were young, you were invincible. She remembered that. Had been like that. Plans, shmans. She was badass Jacinda. And she had survived, it was true, sometimes a bit worse for wear. Nature had been selecting yet again. And it was Jacinda that was selected for yet again. The adrenaline frenzy heightened her senses, the torrent of emotion gave her the courage and strength to do things she might not. But coupling that with experience made a real difference. Skippy would learn, if he survived long enough, just as she had. In the meantime, she was in charge. As always.

She walked to a street vendor and bought a few tacos al carbon and ate them right there, the grease and lime juice getting on her face and hands. She was glad for the napkins. As she stood there chewing, she noticed a druggeria and watched it for a bit. It was a rundown ramshackle place with a faded pink and blue sign. Aside from poorer locals, she saw one or two well dressed men go in and then out. Very likely they would have what she wanted. An idea that came to her as she was drifting off. Her mind had continued to process the information and make predictions.

When she was done and wiped her hands and face and thrown everything away, she went into the small store. And it was small, with narrow cramped short aisles that were made worse by the fact that there were people crowded around buying supplies. That was normal, given the chaos the country was in. Curfews were not enforced by the government or the cartels of course, but only fools went out at night. So you had to stock up when you could. She smiled. Some might call her foolish- those who didn't know.

She went to the pharmacist and after a long wait, finally got to speak to him. His frown at her request- this was a Catholic country still, after all- was dire. But he was in the wrong business to be picky. She'd seen the back doors where the well dressed men had clearly gone. And she wasn't local so he could ease his conscience. After a 10 minutes he gave her a bag and seemed glad to see her go. She smiled and went back outside after paying.

She wondered if there was anything else she was forgetting. She couldn't think of anything so he made her way back to the bar- front entrance this time. Her truck was in a garage attached to the bar to prevent things from walking off. She went in using the code Ricky had given her and unloaded her heavy bladed knife. She really didn't need anything else. Ricky had all the equipment including their ride. She entered the bar's kitchen entrance and then went out front. It was empty so she went back down to the basement and sat down. They'd talked about nighttime for the attack but in the end, decided on afternoon. After their siesta, she thought wryly about the rougs. Very likely they would feed and feel more lethargic. A fight was never good on a very full stomach. Eat enough to get you through but not make you tired or sick. That was key. She would have an energy bar and some nuts a little before they left. And hydration of course.

She settled in to wait, still letting her mind wander aimlessly.

[Enrique]

Enrique woke up holding Mercedes in his arms. They were both still naked and she felt warm against him. She stirred as he woke and turned to smile at him. Neither one of them had wanted a relationship - they had both said so last night, but that smile made Enrique reconsider.

"I can't stay long. I have a job too you know,"
she said with a grin. "But I should probably shower."


Enrique told her where it was and enjoyed the show as she walked out. He got out of bed and got dressed. Surprisingly not feeling sore at all. He stretched and went to make some coffee. Mercedes soon came out, wearing her dress again - it was all she had. Enrique handed her a cup of coffee. She took it gratefully and they spoke for a little bit, getting to know each other a little differently than they had last night.

When she had to leave, Enrique escorted her out. He smiled at the sight of his bar. It looked exactly the same as when he purchased it. His crew was good at what they did.

He went down to the basement around lunch to see if Jacinda wanted anything, but found her gone. She must have been out and about. It didn't worry Enrique. She could take care of herself, so he went back upstairs and checked his revolvers, making sure they were in good order. He knew they would be; he was meticulous about such things. It was a good habit to have however, and a bad one to lose.

They were fine, so he loaded them and put them in his holsters. He showered and changed into his hunting apparel - Jeans, a tight fitting shirt, steel toed work boots, and some body armor. He didn't put the armor on yet. He would do that when they were getting closer to leaving. It would be the same with his coat. He decided not to bring his sword, but get his throwing knives out as well as a hunting knife.

About ten minutes before the time they had decided, Enrique headed down to the basement. Say what you want about him, but Enrique was a punctual man. Jacinda was sitting on the couch. Enrique approached, set his equipment on the table with care, and took a seat on the other side of the couch.

"Good afternoon."
he said warmly.

[Jacinda]

Jacinda was sitting on the couch looking over the layout of the convent. The place was huge with arched walkways, walled off private gardens, rooms of every size and function, and a large church on the ground. The pictures from a hundred years ago showed manicured lawns, shrubs and well tended gardens exploding with colors. Leafy vines growing along the stone and brick walls gave it a sense of age, of having grown out of the ground itself. Now, though, the greenery hand run wild, giving the place an abandoned look. The place looked like a lair, beasts inside waiting for their next prey.

The door opening made her look up and she saw Ricky coming down stairs. He didn't seem the worse for wear, for which she was glad. There were far too many places for things to hide from a lone hunter. "Good to see you up and about Ricky."
She nodded to the maps floating in the air above her wallet. "Had an idea last night while you were out on the floor with your little friend. You said that you were there years ago hunting chupes. We need a place where a little c4 can go a long way. Should make our little visit a bit easier."


Pointing to one of the maps, he said "These antechambers at the corners should be the best location. The walls are thinner there."


She nodded. "And where is the likeliest place they will keep their....captives?"


He looked things over, thinking, it seemed. "The room below the chapel would give them the most space, and more protection from outside eyes. It will also block out the sound of the victims."


She had the same idea but two minds were always better than one. Especially when he had been there before. They continued refining their plan- this time factoring in her idea. They'd need time to work undisturbed around the ante-chamber. Satellite maps showed the densest growth on the north-eastern corner so that'd be were they'd go. They plotted out their route and strategy in more detail, with Ricky adding much more than last night.

By the time she felt satisfied, it was nearing 3. Perfect. She felt the excitement in the pit of her stomach. Heading into a roug nest was always risky but the payoff was always worth it. She downed a couple of energy bars and some stim capsules so that she'd be hyper alert. Some water to wash it down and she was ready. She pulled off her shirt heedless of Ricky's eyes and slipped on her body armor. She caught his looking and smiled to herself. Then she put on her shirt and jacket and made sure all her guns, clips, knives and heavy blade were in place. She patted her jacket pocket and felt the package of pills from the druggeria. She was probably going to need them. Extra clips, their explosives and detonators, and other supplies were in the duffels.

"Let's go."


Ricky led her to his ride out back- a Chevy Tahoe SUV- and they loaded up. She wasn't much for talking as he drove the way to the park. She was keyed up now, ready for this.

Gradually, as they headed west, she noticed more and more how rundown things looked. They passed through a few neighborhoods and it was becoming clear that the little that the government did in the city was lacking here. Though every once in a while, they'd see places that were more well kept. Likely some of the cartels trying to keep up appearances.

Eventually they made there way on to a narrower and clearly unused set of roads that led into a densely wooded area, the old park. No maintenance workers to speak of to keep the trees along the roads trimmed or cut back the bushes. Ricky pulled off around a mile from their target. They would hoof it on foot from here. It was quiet with only the sounds of the trees and wind to keep them company. The smell of the outdoors reminded her of hunting in California, though the air was drier here. She didn't speak and neither did he, for which she was glad.

She checked her wallet map and they began walking through the woods. Once they spied to the leaf and vine covered walls of the convent, she stopped behind some cover and just watched for a bit. She signaled to Ricky to wait. She settle back and just let her eyes roam over the structures, building up a pattern in her mind. Her eyes kept doing that focus-unfocus thing they did when she did this. Best she could explain it, she was getting a feel for how this place was, what was normal and what wasn't, what was natural random chaos and what was the result of intelligence. After 10 minutes or so, she signaled to Ricky and they continued forward. Now that she knew this approach, she was alert to anything that seemed out of the ordinary.

They came to the ante-chamber they'd decided on and did a once over. She had her heavy blade out. She really didn't want to use her guns yet. No sense calling them down on them until they were ready. They unloaded the c4 and began to rig up the various locations that looked best- as in the most weak and would make the most noise. She also noted the entrances that would lead to the ante-chamber. Very likely, the rougs would be coming from those directions. They worked quickly and quietly and soon they were ready.

She looked at Ricky and pulled out her automatic weapon. She got clips ready too. She smiled at him and then she looked back at their target. The tension was building in her, the adrenaline ramping up to fever pitch. Her smile became a big grin. God damn, but this was gonna be fun!


Edited by Jacinda, Nov 2 2014, 09:42 PM.

[Enrique]

The briefing began immediately and Enrique paid more attention this time. He had seen Jacinda's attention to detail the night before, and although he was still bored, he understood the necessity of taking this seriously. Jacinda was more experienced than him and he could learn a lot from her by paying attention.

Jacinda utilized his knowledge of the area by asking questions, and he responded. He kept the jokes inside, keeping serious this time. After all, they would be hunting soon. The briefing finished, there was a lot of rehashing of details; they were ready to go.

Jacinda removed her shirt and Enrique watched. She obviously wasn't concerned with him seeing, and quite frankly he had no issues looking. He followed suit however and put on his own gear before they headed to his SUV and drove to the site.

The drive passed in silence and Enrique let the anticipation build. As they arrived, Jacinda took the lead. Enrique was more than willing to allow that. Her own experience was worth that, and again, he could observe. As they went through the woods, Enrique snuck a couple of glances at her ass - something he honestly probably wouldn't have done if she had not removed her shirt in front of him. She may have had about two decades on him, but damn, she was built better than most women he had seen. He shook his head, forcing his libido away; he had a job to focus on.

He followed her signals to stop and then move on again, taking in as much of the area as he could. He noticed she surveyed the area carefully and he filed that away. They set up the explosives and Enrique kept his eyes open for any unexpected attack.

The explosives set, Jacinda grinned and pulled out one of her autos and got the clips ready. Enrique could feel his pulse booming in anticipation. Enrique returned the smile and pulled out the two Colts from his hip holsters, spinning one forward and one backwards. In unison, they snapped into his hands with a practiced ease, and Enrique nodded to her. He was ready.

[Jacinda]

Three, two, one! Jacinda hit the remote detonator and suddenly six explosions rocked the valley. Birds took to flight as smoke and dust and fire filled the air. The ante-chamber collapsed with loud crashes and moans, old timbers and stones twisting and snapping, arches and columns shuddering and falling.

The valley fell still and the chatter of animals and birds even had gone silent. Clouds of smoke hung over the debris and Jacinda's heart thundered in her chest as she watched and waited. Minutes that seemed like hours passed before her eyes caught movement in one of the hallways. She signaled to Ricky that they had incoming. Her rifle was up and ready but she didn't fire yet. There needed to be more than one.

The movement resolved into a thick man cautiously making his way out to see what had happened. His movements said he was a roug. That and the blood on his clothing. He was 60 feet off and they were well concealed but she still felt the rush of fear in her. Another shape coalesced and then another. She waited and periodically looked over at Ricky to see if there were any on his end. He signaled one. Damn! Only four. That left a possibility of six or seven still inside. They moved carefully while looking around for any sign of attack.

She waited to see if they came out any further but they seemed suspicious enough. It would have to do. She looked over at Ricky and nodded. She took a deep breath and lined up the one furthest back in her site. As she sited on the one, she mentally noted the position of the next furthest one in relation, for the next shot. Her finger lightly caressed the trigger and she exhaled slowly as she squeezed and her gun spat across the distance. The things chest bloomed red even as the report registered on its face. She didn't waste time and immediately moved the barrel the few inches necessary to point to the next roug. Even as it moved she squeezed again and the second went down.

She pulled back from the site and scanned for the remaining two, though she was pretty certain that Ricky had gotten them. The smile on his face said as much.

Cautiously they stood and worked their way closer, guns at the ready. The blast and the sound of gunfire had alerted the rest. The air was chalky with dust and smoke as they moved silently toward the nearest hall, her on point.


Edited by Jacinda, Nov 3 2014, 05:07 PM.

[Enrique]

The explosions came and Enrique covered his eyes from the dust, quickly recovered to scan the area. Four rougs coalesced from the dust. Two for each of them. Enrique threw one his right pistol behind his back as he brought the left to bear on the first. As he fired, he caught the other pistol in his right hand and spun it to fire on the second one. The move was completely unnecessary, but it was fun nonetheless.

The rougs dropped and Ricky gave Jacinda a smile to move on. He followed her and that ass was getting easier to look at. Damn it. He focused once more, turning around to watch their backs and turning again to follow. The pair entered the chapel and found it empty. Something pinged at Ricky's senses. Something didn't feel right.

He turned slowly, checking for hiding places before signalling to Jacinda that the entrance to the room below was in the sacristy. He then signaled again, telling her that he thought they should search this area first. He explicitly gave the signal for ambush, and was essentially asking for her input.

Before she could answer, a sound caught his attention and two rougs charged him. One was closer and arrived first. Ricky turned and delivered a roundhouse kick to the roug, pushing it back. He used the momentum to continue spinning and shot the second roug with his pistol as he did so - no tricks this time. Accuracy was more important. He brought his pistol up to bear on the second target and fired bringing down another. Six rougs down total.

He spun his guns once and nodded at Jacinda that he was okay. There was still an unknown amount and he once again signaled his question to her. He would follow her lead and expertise.

[Jacinda]

They moved quietly down the halls until they came to the large room that Ricky had designated. The place was eerily quiet. Too quiet. There was no question that the rougs knew they were being stalked and had taken to hiding.

Hiding in a place that they lived. Every corner, every alcove was a potential place for ambush. Ricky held on to his guns. His aim had been true. But.... "Hey Skippy!"
she whispered. "Just hold onto the fucking guns next time! This isn't a movie!"
Despite her words, she was smiling. He was showing off. She even appreciated it. He was having fun. Right up until he found himself face to face with a roug and his gun was being batted out of the air. Show offs died quickly or were real lucky. So far, he had been lucky.

Occasionally she heard the clatter of stone or a pop or creak of timber. The wall that ran along the north east had born the brunt of the explosions and the new lack of support at the end where the ante-chamber they'd blown had been was now being felt along the wall and ceiling. The sounds got louder and more frequent. They needed to get away from this wall.

Carefully but quickly, they made their way to the church or whatever that large building was called. With her on point they made their way in. Most of the pews were splintered ruins. Dust and rubble covered the floor but foot prints and cleaner paths indicated up near the alter or whatever was where they needed. It didn't sit right with her. This was a perfect place for ambush. The confessionals to the side were dilapidated and falling apart but they provided enough cover for something hiding.

Ricky signaled a question- Ambush?- to her and she rolled her eyes and was about to nod to the fallen structure near him when suddenly two rougs were on him. He moved fast, for which she was glad because Ricky was in the way of her shooting them down.

He looked to her expectantly. She signaled to him to stop. More creaks and moans from the wall drew her attention. Another sound from near the alter came to her- living sounds. The entrance to the room below was right there. Six or seven left and they'd be entering blind one at a time.

She pulled out a flashbang and they moved quietly to the stairs. After a moment, she pulled out another one. The whole room could be filled with rougs and she didn't know how much room they'd have to fight. The vics were likely there too but taking out the rougs was priority. And they moved fast. She looked at Ricky and held them up so he could clearly see them and know what the plan was.

She took a deep breath, flipped down her land-warriors to pierce the debris and held up her gun after loading a fresh clip. The pressed the activation and tossed them down the stairs and waited for the telltale bang and smoke. It was loud but through the floors, there was very little vibration.

At the first explosion, they ran down the stairs, guns at the ready, the acrid smell of smoke filling her nostrils and smoke. She picked up four heat signatures but they weren't moving toward them. They could be vics or rougs. Part of her just wanted to put them down and make an end to it. Ricky was there, though. He might not understand.

He was smart enough to be covering the stairs and the corners of the room while she carefully advanced on the bodies. The dust and smoke cleared and blood and bones were visibly scattered throughout the room's wreckage- some of the pews from above had been brought down here and used as furniture though they were scattered haphazardly in the room as if they had been thrown down here. She kept her eyes on the four bodies.

She saw three young hispanic girls with hair in disarray and clothing nothing but rags. Two of them had hair that looked thick and matted on one side. The third was a bit cleaner but all of them had a feral terror in their eyes. The fourth was a male bound to one of the pews. Both of his legs were merely stumps, crudely tourniquetted to prevent bleeding out. But next to him were two more bodies. Remains of them, actually. Mostly a torso and a few limbs. She wasn't sure if one of them was the other brother she'd been tracking. It didn't really matter. They were dead anyway.

Upstairs, she could still hear the cracking and popping. They needed to go before the wall collapsed. "Come on!"
she hissed at the girls. "Let's get out of here!"
The girls were frozen so she grabbed the nearest one and pulled at her. The girls all screamed and the sound echoed around the stone walls. She didn't have time for this. She got behind them and shoved them out toward the stairs. There wasn't much she could do for the man.

She then got in front of them and nodded to Ricky to herd them. Carefully she made her way up the stairs, taking deep breaths and focusing, getting into her zone. As she neared the top, she threw another flashbang out. At the explosion, she rushed up. She saw movement in front of her through the smoke and she fired without thinking and less than a second later, more movement and a shot. She rolled to the side and felt the rocks and splinters through her shirt and armor. They would be coming to where the shots had come from.

She was in her frenzy now, her blood rushing through her, feeling as well as hearing and seeing movement. She wanted blood. She felt that craving. They fed on humans, on their fear and despair and terror. They thought themselves the hunters and them the prey. Her mouth pulled back into the widest and most wicked smile. They would learn. She wanted pain. She wanted fear. She wanted suffering. They had awakened a human nightmare.

She dropped her gun and pulled out her blade and rushed the oncoming roug. It saw her and its eyes widened in suprise. She gave it no time as she dropped to a knee and slashed at its legs. Her hand shivered with the thchunk into the thing's shin and she twisted. The thing screamed even as she wrenched her blade free and sliced deeply into its side. Even as she went for the killing stroke she was bowled over by another roug, a rotting smell of decay on its breath, teeth yellowed and red, eyes mottled sickly yellow. It bit into her arm and the pinch of it was terrible, though the armor's sleeve kept the skin from breaking. She swiped the little blade from her pants and flipped it open and stabbed it in the back of the neck even as it tried to bite her face.

It spasmed and blood spurted on her as she pushed the thing off her. She saw the bloody trail of the one she'd wounded head down another hall. Ricky had his head up with the girls next to him, their fear now palpable. "Get them out of here! I'll get that one!"
She wanted this one. Wanted some time. She rushed after it down the hall. He was the tenth.