chapter 14: Spreading rumors

I woke up extra late. First time I slept in two days. Josh and Raymir were not around so I got out of bed, leaving the filthy hotel room, not even bothering to put my armor on. I had a denim jacket on and blue jeans, torn at the knees and work boots on.

I dragged myself into the hallway and looked away from the sniper posts on the end and towards the hall that leads to the hole in the wall with the scaffolding bridge. I saw Josh and Raymir walking down the hall chatting to each other. Some how, they haven't noticed the zombie that just stumbled out of their room. I walked towards them, rubbing my eyes.

Raymir noticed me and notified Josh. "Look, he finally woke the hell up." Josh chuckled and walked over to me, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Good thing you woke up man. If you were still asleep when we got back we'd of throught you were dead." They chuckled again And I just smirked a bit. "We got breakfast at the bar. Burner's a really nice guy, was forced to join the slavers. Wants to leave really bad." I took a deep breath to kinda wake me up.

"You think if I tell him about it he'd join the rebellion?" I whispered to Josh. He nodded, leading us into the room. Closing the door behind us, he got to business. "So when are we gonna split and spread word about the thing?" I put a hand on my chin and thought. "I don't see why we can't go now. We just need places to go." I started thinking again. "Josh, you spread the word outside. I'll spread word through anywhere we haven't been yet. And Raymir, you go to the metal factory and we'll meet up. Ready? Let go!"

We gave each other fist bumps and went on our ways. After leaving the building, I went to the place we first entered, the garage. I walked past the propped open doors and through the rest of the ally until I reached the street opposite of the one across the building. It looked like an mirrored version of the other street, so I looked for a factory. I found one, but this one wasn't the same as the other. On a makeshift sign above the door it said "bullets". The name made me nervous. Were these guys really making their own ammunition? If so they could even put up a fight against the military in the unbombed states.

I opened the door and got hit by the smell of sweat and copper. There were no incinerator in this one, only presses. Walking towards the furnace I was handed a welding mask to protect my face by a slave. I took it, smiled, and gave him a motivational pat on the back. He winced at first but when he realized I wasn't hitting him, he smiled back.

I put the mask on and walked towards the presses. The slaves took turns on the presses and the others would rest in a corner. The slavers who ran this part must have been nicer because they seemed okay with it. I started approaching them and sat down with them. I got strange looks but I looked around the corner and saw a few slavers around. "When I walk out, meet me in the alley outside before its your turn's on the furnaces again." I stood up and briskly walked away outside of the factory. 

I quickly ducked into an alley next to the factory and waited for them. Soon, three of the five of them showed up. I took a deep breath, nervous since I didn't know how they'd react or if any would snitch. I snapped my fingers to get their attention and waved them deeper into the alley, which they cautiously did.

"What do you want?" One of them said. It was to dark to see who. "Ok listen, Im not actually a slaver. I'm just an average survivor who wants revenge. Well I found something that could benefit all of us." They were all nodding when one spoke. "Please continue."

"Well you see, me and a few friends of mine have came up with an idea. Since me and three other friends are undercover as slavers, we have access to the armory. Well, me and my friends are going to smuggle weapons from the tops and to a secret abandoned building that the slavers forgot to cover that connects the slave are and tops. Now go before I turn you in." I said jokingly. They chuckled and ran off back into the factory.

I walked out of the alley and towards the place where me and the others split up. I sat on a bench on the side of the street, waiting for Josh and Raymir. After about a half an hour of thinking what I'd do after this situation, Josh showed up with a happy look on his face. I looked at him and smiled with him. "Why are you so happy?" I asked him.

"You'll never guess who I found while spreading word." I tilted my head curiously, non-verbally asking who. "TJ."

I gasped and stood up with a smile on my face. "No way! Where?" Josh smiled at my excitement.

Josh got a saddened look on his face. "Sadly, he's a slave. He works where he's needed. Like a replacement slave, you know?" But he suddenly got a weak look of optimism. "But, he was excited to see me and was so happy to hear you were here. He agreed to join."

I let out a deep breath and ran my fingers through my hair. "Damn. Can't believe the slavers could even catch him. Runs fast as shit, he does." Josh chuckled and nodded.

Soon after, Raymir exited the factory and saw us talking. He walked over to us with an uncomfortable look on his face. Just then I remembered he went in the metal factory. That place was violent and he probably saw something fucked up. We spared him the pain of explaining his experience by just telling him our stories. He was also pretty excited hearing TJ was ok as well.

"Anyways, we got our job's done. Lets get back to the room." I said to the two of them. They nodded and I stood up, walking a head of them to the delapitated hotel building. We Josh and Raymir took the beds, as I took the couch.

I didn't plan on falling asleep yet anyways, since I still had my smuggling job to do. I sat for a few hours and it was officially closing time, as the sounds of factory's had stopped.

I stood up from the couch and grabbed my duffle bag Dustin had given me a while ago and snuck out the room. I silently walked down the hall of the hotel, hearing a few people fighting, others doing things that usually happen at night.

Anyways, I was out of there quick, going though Burners. I waved to him. "Hey Burner." he nodded to me and smiled. Not many people were in the bar, but ones who were were alone. I followed the signs on top of doors of every building until I found the armory. A sign said "help yourself" with a smiley face with evil eyes.

I opened the door to the small shack, where there were boxes and barrels filled with rifles and shotguns. The first thing that cought my eye was a carbon grey mossberg with a handled on the pump and no butt, just a handle. I grabbed it and put it so the strap went around my chest that held a few extra shells.

I grabbed a few rifles without trying to figure out what they were. I grabbed a few grenades and put them in the bag as well. Finally I took about 7 hand guns from the wall.

I zipped up the bag and put the strap on my shoulder, walking briskly out of the armory to the office building. A few levels down, I met her. A White woman whose hair color I couldn't make out in the dark. From far away I couldn't see all her features. I decided to make my presence known.

"H-hello? Are you the one I'm meeting?" She turned her head to look at me and saw the duffle bag I was holding up.

"Yes, great. Your right on time." She smiled and I walked closer to her. She stood by the window looking outside at the shadow covered wastes. I walked up next to her and set the bag down, looking out the window with her.

I looked over at her. "Anything in particular you looking at." I asked to break the dead silence. She nodded and pointed out at the towers. "The tallest tower out there is the 'kingpins' fortress. I plan on making that building fall." I looked back out at the tower and saw her clench her hand. She let out a deep breath and looked over at me. "M-my names Lilly, nice to meet you." she turned her whole body to me, looking me in the eyes. I could examine her now. She had blue eyes, long blonde hair, and large lips. "Xander. Nice to meet you to." I put my hand for a hand shake which she took, shaking it for a short time.

I pulled back and grabbed the bag of guns. "Well anyways, lets take this bag out of here." She nodded as I put the bag over my shoulder, walking down the building slowly.