Violent Delights

2. A New Life

Wren's mouth curved into a smirk.

"Please don't shoot! My friend needs help." She spoke in a hoarse voice.

The guns were cocked, pointed straight between her eyes and her heart. But she was neither surprised nor afraid.

"Bring him to us." The southern female called.

Wren knew she meant business, she made her way quickly back inside to Bo. "Bo." She shook him, "You have to come with us, there are people willing to help."

He stayed still as stone.

"Bo." She shook him. Still, there was no movement. "Bo." She shook his shoulders again.

Stillness.

"Bo!" She said again, shaking his shoulders violently. "BO!"

"Yes?! What?! What's going on?!" He asked, clearly out of it.

"There are people willing to help us." She paused giving him some air, she knew how he felt about people sticking their neck out for strangers.

Stupid.

"That's stupid." She heard him whisper.

Smirking, "Bo, I need you to survive. I need you to live. Please" she pleaded. "I need you."

She heard a heavy sigh.

"Let them heal me, but don't fully trust them." Bo whispered, eyes fluttering back closed.

"I won't, but I need you to help me get you up." She said while grabbing his arm and placing it around her shoulders. She placed her arm around his waist, using her legs to hoist him into a standing position. She heard Bo grunt in pain at the sudden movement.

"C'mon, I need your help." She spoke softly.

Slowly they made their way to the entrance of the Wegman's, peering out Wren could see that the strangers were still there—guns still trained in her, and now Bo as well.

"Is he bit?" The woman with the southern accent shouted from the road.

"No! He was cut by broken glass!" She shouted back.

As they approached, the woman with the southern accent lowered her gun, placing it in her holster and coming closer to Wren and Bo. She inspected Bo's injury for a moment before speaking, "We have a doctor. We can help him, but medical supplies are hard to come by. What can you do for us that would warrant saving his life?" Her eyes cold and hard, she was most definitely the leader of this group.

"He's strong, he can fight. If you have anyone that needs training he's your man." Wren paused to look at Bo, his head slumped towards his chest, face pale. She turned back to the woman, "I can fight too. I can cook and scavenge."

The woman looked at them both, "We have plenty of fighters, but..." She paused looking from Bo to Wren. "We could always use more."

Wren let out a breath of relief she didn't realize she was holding.

The woman turned back towards her people and motioned for a few to come help Bo over towards the carriage where they loaded him up. "We'll help him, but you'll need to help out around the Hilltop in exchange."

"Right, of course." Wren replied.

"And we'll need your weapons until we think we can trust you." She spoke, outstretching her hand for Wren to give her all of their weapons.

Wren's hand instinctively went to grip Bo's axe she had hanging on her belt. He had had it since the beginning, it never left his side or his sight. If she was going to save his life she knew she had to give it to this woman. "You'll give it back, right?" She asked, her eyes searching the woman's for any sign that she might be lying.