Operator (A Hat Films Fanfic)

- Six -

America's warm cheek bumped against my shoulder again, but this time it stayed there. She was dozing off, tired from the mile and a half we had already cleared. I could tell she was in pain, which is why I offered to carry her on my back for a few minutes to give her a break without loosing time. It was well into the night now, and the longer we stayed out the more worried I became that someone might find us. 

We still had roughly another two miles to go, but I couldn't carry her and both backpacks for very long. Either she had to keep going or we had to stop and rest for an hour or so. Unfortunately, we were in the worst part of town and I was sure it hadn't gotten any better with the EMP. 

Ahead of us, a pile of cars shoved laterally across the road blocked our way forward. I didn't feel safe in the middle of the road like this, but it was better than having someone grab us from the shadows of the building. Everything was eerily quiet, and I didn't want to go any closer to the road block if I didn't have to. 

"Mer," I whispered, hearing it echo off the quiet buildings. She gave a soft mumble into my shoulder, and I bounced her a little bit with my hands under her thighs to shake her awake. "America, wake up," I said a little louder, nudging my head against hers as I felt her stir.

Suddenly there was a blinding white light coming from the barricade of cars, and someone shouted "Don't move!" 

I felt America freeze on my back, alert. I was dazed by the blinding light, and couldn't see anything past it. Three lights bobbed out towards us, shinning right in our faces, and I could just make out the silhouettes behind them. Brighter and more powerful lights came from between the cars, and after a week of total darkness, it was pretty disorienting. 

"Well, who do we have here?" a male voice, slightly slurred, asked. The three figures lowered their torches, pointing them at the ground as they circled around us. A fourth appeared through the darkness, a hunting rifle across his chest. 

I could smell the alcohol on them. "Evening fellas," I said, keeping a tight grip on America and holding still. I didn't dare let her down in case the man with the gun had an itchy trigger finger. 

"What are you two doing all alone out here at night?" the man guy asked. I couldn't see much through the darkness and the flashlight glare, but I noticed a dirty flannel and scraggly beard. The guys voice was raspy and held a perpetual tone of amusement, but there was something off in the way his voice changed drastically in volume. 

"Looks like we got a couple of love birds," another guy cackled, his voice a thick, cockney accent. There was a rumble of laughter all around us. 

"We're trying to get home," I said, attempting to keep my voice from wavering even though my heart was starting to pound with adrenaline, "She hurt her ankle. We thought we could get there quicker if we cut through town." I felt America's grip on my shoulders tighten, and I realized I shouldn't have mentioned that she was injured. 

"See mate..." the head guy drawled, getting up close to me so that I could feel his shirt brush against my arm and see his wild and crazy eyes dimly in the light from the flashlight. His pupils were dilated, and something told me it wasn't just from the darkness. "This is our turf now. And we can't just let anyone walk through here. It's a security thing, you understand?" 

"We can go around," I offered, taking a step back and only getting a torch shinning directly into my eyes again, "We didn't mean to bother you, we didn't know you were here." 

"Now hold up a second," he said, raising his hand as if he were going to grab me, "We will gladly let you through. . .for the right price." 

"What's in the backpack mate?" a new voice piped up, low and grizzly- like. Because I was carrying America, the bag was on backwards for balance, and it was clearly bulging with stuff.