When The Dead Arise

Chapter 43

"Excited to see Dominican Republic?" Wild Style asked, taking the risky seat right beside you.

You glanced at her and looked back out the window, "Nope." You didn't feel like starting a conversation right now. You hadn't talked to Snake in days, Azure and Storm Shadow were on the loose with the red ninja, and Will was being moody.

"Why do we need to visit Dominican republic though? Its too poor to pose any sort of threat, and relies on tourists for survival money." Wild Style leaned back on her seat and crossed her legs and arms. 

"Dominican Republic is a good place to hide because of all that. Plus, General Hawk told us that here it's closed off from the rest of the world. If anything happens here everyone knows about it. Meaning, if Destro has been here at all we will know everything about his stayt." Will didn't talk much anymore, just staing commands and answering questions.

"Alright, how long does it take to get there again?"

"Six hours."

Wild Style gave a sigh, "I'm going to go use the bathroom." 

For the rest of the ride no one talked. Wild Style never came back to her seat, and no one asked why at the landing board. LGK was the only one that spoke to the flight attendants as they walked off the jet. Once on the floor LGK led the way to the exit, not holding his tablet to his chest.

You noticed that he lifted his head more, and straightened his back better. You also noticed how proud Rip looked, but you didn't comment on anything. By now, you had figured out that they weren't the traitors at all. By now you could tell what kind of looks the two gave each other, the same look you gave Snake when on your first date.

In the loud halls of the airport no one said a word. Outside in the sweltering sun you basked in some warmth, but quickly wanted no more. Rip, however, basked in it much longer than you. Even though she wasn't exactly dressed for the weather she absorbed the heat and kept wanting more. It made you wonder if she was used to this heat. Ever since Will called her out on being secretive she's been a bit more open. Not about her past, but about her thoughts and feelings, in a polite-ish way.

"Where do we go?" Rip asked LGK quietly, Wild Style probably didn't hear, she was messing around in her bag. But you heard.

Will pointed to a running jeep with a Joe symbol on it, "First we go to Santo Domingo." He walked over to the man, his usual bounce and energy gone. LGK walked with him.

The Joe lightly punched his arm with a smile and tossed LGK the keys, which he dropped. The Joe erupted I to laughter and picked them up. Placed them in LGK's hands this time, and held them there to make sure they didn't fall. He then winked at you and Wild Style before walking off whistling a tune. Before you knew that Snake would've pounded the man, but now you weren't so sure.

LGK turned on the jeep, "Lets go."

Rip hopper in next to him, you and Wild Style claimed the seats behind and diagonal from him. Wild Style was in a talking kind of mood today, "How long does it take to get to Santo Domingo?"

"From here, about an hour and a half." LGK reached for the radio and turned it on. He looked for a radio station and came across the song that the man had been whistling. You were surprised when Rip could mouth some of the words.

Here there were no real streets, just worn down pavement. It rained a lot, being why there were mini rivers running beside almost every side walk. There weren't that many big cars, in fact it was mostly motorcycles or walking used as transportation. You were startled by the yelling of two boys who were chasing each other.

"Benga!" The boy in the back shouted as he extended his hand forward. The older boy saw a crate and jumped over it easily. The younger one tried, but misjudged the jumping distance.
His back foot caught on the very edge of the crater. It was in slow motion that he began to fall, fear written on his face.

Rip diving forward, skimming her stomach on the pavement and caught the boy in her arms, lifted into the air so that he didn't touch the hard surface below him. "Conyo, tenga cuidado!" Rip snapped at him.

"Corre!" The older boy hollered. The younger one staggered up and sprinted after the other boy. Rip gave a long sigh.

"I'll get the mangoes," Rip stated as she walked off, not commenting on the fact that she just broke into Spanish. Everyone seemed a little hesitant to ask her about it.

"I'll go with her!" Wild Style bounded after her. LGK didn't comment, he simply turned back to the man behind the stall.

You watched everyone walk around as they played and shopped. The men gathered around an unstable table with rocks under the legs to hold it stead. The men had several packets of dominoes spread out on the table to play.

The women were the ones shopping. They chatted with everyone, always having long conversation. They only stopped to holler after a child that was playing too rough or straying too far.

"I think they got held up." LGK stated to you. You realized how you two had never had a proper conversation that wasn't relating to being a Joe. Or you basically threatening him.

"I'll go check on them." you uncrossed your arms and stepped out of the cooling shade into the blistering sun. In the burning shoes you had you walked to the alley they had gone down.

"What are you doing!?" Rip's scream echoed off the walls. This was followed by a maniacal laughter. You pulled out your gun and ran to the source you rounded the corner to see a lump on the ground and a looming figure gazing down at his. In their hand a bloodied dagger was dripping red to the concrete.

"LG-" Rip gasped before blood was coughed up out of her mouth.

You stood there, gaping at Wild Style. Her eyes were wide with fear. You lifted a finger and pointed at her.

"It was you!" You gasped. You didn't know what nonsense was spouting out of your mouth, you just said the first thing your gut told you to. Apparently, it was that.

Wild Style slowly turned her face into a hideous snarl, "You idiots are so easy. So quick to assume the best, surprising how easy it was to sneak in." She tossed her dagger, it landed in Rip's frozen stomach.

You fired a bullet at Wild Style. She dodged with ease and charged at you. You grabbed her arm, lifted her into the air, and banged her on the solid ground. Wild Style gave a blood curling scream, and you hated the sound of it. But at the same time it relieved you of your anger.
Wild Style slashed your arm with a spare dagger and stood up. 

That's when you heard the helicopter. And sure enough there it was. It threw out a ladder, Wild Style grabbed it and gave you a Grinch snarl. You grabbed a rung and felt Wild Style's knee in your face.

You held on after the blow, and rose a rung to point a gun at her. She punched it out of your hand, but didn't see your foot kick out and hit her back. You used the momentum to swing up a few rungs, now higher up than Wild Style.

That's when you realized the the ground was getting farther away. You took aim, and fired. But it missed again, because someone jumped down the ladder, grabbed you by the shoulder, and dragging you down with them.

At the very last ring he released you and held on. You fell to the floor, but not before LGK threw something that  flared up instantly. 

You gazed up at the helicopter as it flew away. You paid no attention to the screaming or yelling around you. All you thought about was how Wild Style was the traitor. And how Rip was dead. You didn't even notice the tear flowing down your face.