Burning Skies

Chapter 9 - Escaping Rio

As time passed, Jack had decided it was time to move. Ever since things went wrong he suspected it would be a good idea to move. Even if the supposed 'zombies' were a bit of a let down - compared to the ones in movies, and they were far from dangerous. But, they had to move. He had heard on the TV about some apocalypse crap over in Europe but he didn't care about Europe. Liverpool, maybe, because that was where he lived but Liverpool was far from perfect. Weeks passed and Jack had managed to teach Rafaela the basics in English, but English was a hard language to teach. Especially if you're Jack. But communication was now nothing but a ticked box. Jack didn't see Rafaela as a doll, or a pupil, or even a lover. They relied on each other for everything. From protection, to inspiration. Food was evenly split, and rationed, even if there was a seemingly limitless supply. The Brazilians definitly liked to party, that's for sure!

It was about eleven at night, and Jack was guarding their little camp from anything. Even if a rodent came close it was beaten to pulp before it could squeak. The infected weren't a problem, as they were effectively motionless, and they were yet to encounter any mercenaries, or anything of the kind. Jack assumed there would be - as soon as society crumbles then there are always that handful of people who deem it necessary to prove a sense of dominance. He had no problem with nodding off. He had drank about ten Red Bulls and eaten enough sugar to make a dentist spontaneously combust - basically an average Saturday night. He had come to the conclusion to move after quickly glancing the area and returning to the hall of the flat where he checked his phone.

"Thank god for constant power..." muttered Jack. Even months after the infection the power worked fine. His phone was only used for checking the time, The only contact on his list he was sure that was still alive was Rafaela. Everyone else didn't answer or went to answerphone - presumably they were dead. Sure, it had only been roughly a month, but he guessed that the virus spreaded quickly. Supposedly. Guarentee wasn't that high, and anyone on the news or radio kept referring to the 'Goldilocks Effects'. Jack vaguely remember learning something along the lines in Science, but he couldn't remember. He reminded himself as some of the German soldiers he'd heard about in a book. Being in war they forgot about a lot of the minor memories - except for maybe the ones about eating Schnell - but they were so focused on the time now - that memories faded. Jack tried to remember some of his memories, yet he had a feeling that overtime some would fade.

Rafaela woke suddenly as she heard a bang, Over the last few days she'd become a lot more alert with Jack, and within a blink of an eye she was up and armed. She called out to Jack. No reply. Fearing the worst, she slowly crept towards the apartment door. Her gun hand was quivering, it had an empty magazine and the gun wasn't cocked. Rafaela was fully aware of this - and truthfully, she didn't know which end made the load noises. Jack had tried to teach her but to no avail, she couldn't wrap her head around it.

Handling the gun in a position where it looked intimidating, she turned the corner to see Jack leaning against the wall, not looking particularly calm. Jack glanced at her and sighed.

"You're about as stealthy as a water buffalo, d'you know that?" Jack said with a smirk.

"That doesn't mean I can shove a boot up somebody's ass, does it?" Rafaela replied, mimicking Jack's smirk.

Over the few weeks that the two had been stuck together, Rafaela was starting to get a firm grasp on the English language. Her mother was American, so there was a little bit of English around her when she was a child - she would pick up the odd word here and there, but ever since the language just came quite easily to her, which was rare, but she was grateful nonetheless.

Jack was cleaning blood of his dagger when Rafaela arrived. He knew she was coming, she didn't do stealth well. After a bit of mindless chitchat Rafaela cut the crap and got to the subject at hand, the dead body and blood on Jack's knife. When the two realises shit was getting serious, the two made a promise to not hide anything; so Jack recited what happened.

Whilst he was off dreaming about Schnell and what not they had received a visitor. It was a woman, about 28 in decent combat gear and a Luger pistol. As her boots hit the once polished floor Jack glanced up and realised that thing were about to go tits up. Jack in return pulled out his Browning pistol which was promptly put of ammo. Fantastic. The woman shouted in Portuguese, unfortunately inaudible as Jack returned his pistol to its holster. Drawing a knife from his fine collection, and threw it at his attacker, expertly dodging it she shouted something else in Portuguese she cocked the pistol and curled her finger around the trigger. Jack then rushed towards her drawing another knife an she fired. It misses, grazing his ear and he drives his knife into the woman's only weak spot, her neck. Crude, yet efficient as the woman staggered... and then pulls out the knife and throws it to the floor - definitely no stranger to combat. She makes one last attempt to charge Jack before she falls on her face, dead.

About 5 seconds later Rafaela turned the corner weilding her pistol only to lower again after seeing him. Judging by Rafaela's expression when she saw him he guessed he wasn't in the perfect state - but alive none the less. Rafaela's eyes darted from place to place around the area, first at Jack, then at the knife on the floor, the dead body - and returned her now puzzled yet worried gaze to Jack, Jack, being Jack, tried to change the subject - trying to hint that he'd tell her later. He commented on her stealthiness, or lack there of and Rafaela replied with an equally witty comment, but her attention was focused on the body, and he didn't blame her. Then, without warning a gunshot was fired less than a block away. Silence settled, and after a moment Rafaela broke the ice.

"Jack,,.? What is going on?" She said sternly yet with a quiver in her voice.

Jack replied with silence; then ran to the room. Gears clicked in his brain as he realised a problem that they had failed to take into consideration beforehand. Mercenaries. Bandits. Mauraders. Whatever you called them they were here, and they were angry. Shared looks decided what they were both thinking. It was time to ship out. They'd had their fun in Rio, but all those years of cheesy apocalypse movies had paid off. Sooner or later there were gonna be people who just wanted to see the world burn. Jack and Rafaela turned and gathered the essentials. Food, water, blankets - the usual. Five minutes later, they were out of their flat. Rushing down the roads, dodging cars and bodies, they reached a rendezvous point they created - unused ever since the 'Buddy System'.

As they reached the point, next to the hghway, Jack did something that forever changed his way of life. To this day he didn't know why. He turned around, and stabbed Rafaela in the heart.