The young man woke from his light sleep to the sound of footsteps circling the camp. He did not leap from his sleeping bag and start firing, however. Instead, he left his eyes closed and clutched his revolver in his right hand.
The footsteps grew louder, then suddenly paused to his left.
Quicker than a flash, the young man's left hand snapped up and snatched the collar of the intruder's jacket. With his right hand, he drew his revolver and leveled it across his chest at what he assumed was the intruder's stomach. The young man's eyes opened into a cold scowl and focused on his target.
"Wait! Don't shoot!" A young, panicked, female voice emanated from the bandana-covered face. Blue orbs floated above the red cloth, focusing on the magnum, then locking with the young man's hazel green eyes.
The young man froze, but did not release his iron grip on the leather jacket's collar, or lower his handgun. The intruder took this temporary pause to clamp her left hand around the 9-inch barrel of the revolver, twisting it away from her stomach while gripping the young man's wrist in an attempt to rip it off of her jacket.
The young man released his revolver, surprising the young woman and causing the gun to clatter onto the broken blacktop. The intruder fumbled, easing her grip on his wrist. The young man cocked his right hand into a fist and propelled it up into her abdomen. The young woman groaned and doubled over as the young man withdrew his fist from her gut.
He guided her face close to his by her collar. "Who're you and what're you doing?", The young man growled.
The blue globes widened. "Who the hell are you? This is my camp!"
YOU ARE READING
The Collapse
Science FictionLong ago, humanity ruined its home world of Gaia with quantum weapon fire and synthetic production of soldiers. High-ranking officials were able to board battleships and disappear into the stars, but the rest of the population were left to fend for...
