The pair moved down the prison at a careful pace. The guards were too few and their enemies too many and it didn't take too much effort from both siblings to slip through their lines. Both of them used their combined knowledge to go further and further down using tunnels and corridors that they hoped were unguarded. Still, their progress was somewhat stalled with Aggie's sickness so Lewis had to slow the pace down. The other prisoners usually backed off when both of them caught of their weapons. Even prisoners knew that a well-armed target was not well worth going after. Still, they glared mostly at their weapons as if they could teleport the guns into theirown hands if they stared at it long enough.
When they reached the mid-levels Aggie passed by her cell finding surprisingly untouched. She opened the cell and took as much as she could. The rations were good for another two years but she only carried four cans out of her stash of 10 cans of beans along with a few bottles of water. Then she told Lewis to carry her bottle of alcohol. In a time like this a little solace could go a long way and maybe perhaps a bargaining chip along the way. Aggie fashioned swiped a satchel from a dead warden lying in the next cell and put all they had there. Then they were off.
Somewhere in the mid-level, Aggie knew a way around a squad of guards to the entrance to the lower levels but it involved going across a catwalk above them. From there, a stair case should lead them down behind the guards. First they scaled a ladder to the catwalk but on the way up they heard the slight groan of metal and something swinging on a rope. Aggie slowed her ascent and carefully peeked her head to the side to see bodies hanging from a rope with a noose tied around their necks. To Aggie they were more casualties of this invasion and no doubt there would be more to see. But, curious as to why Aggie had slowed, also peeked out to see what remained of Shogun squad.
Oliva, Walker and Marino were hanging by their necks with their lives long gone. Lewis stopped his ascent for a moment, looking at the men he served with and the way they were killed. He stopped himself from looking any further and continued climbing up. He caught up with Aggie at the top of the ladder and on the narrow catwalk. She saw the shock in his face, wondering if Lewis had the capability to press onwards. Aggie knew suffering but she had to continue and fight on. It was the only way out and the only way through. They were within hands reach of the roof above them. Maintenance tools still lay abandoned from the crews that left them when the invaders came. What was now scattered among them was spent cartridges. The unmistakeable brass glimmered on the metal floor of the catwalk. The catwalk overlooked a large portion of the mid-levels and this was no doubt used as a sniper's nest or final stand. The other end of the catwalk was a door that led to a corridor which hopefully should lead them down.
"The thing is that my squad got disbanded once I left..." Lewis whispered, careful not to bring any unwanted attention to them. "Maybe they found each other during the mess of it all.... Saw that it was better to die with each other than alone in some cell..."
"That almost happened to me a few times." Aggie said. "Lunatics down here will get crafty just for one squeeze. They pick your locks when your asleep but I always caught them. It's easy to lose hope down and give yourself up to the nasty things along with the nasty people. Why fight when the next day the same thing is just gonna happen? Why resist it? Well, for us Lewis, fighting is the only thing we have. Living in this prison is no different than living life outside these walls. The world is a terrible place so you have to fight just to get through because it's the only way through, alright?"
"Yeah... Right." Lewis said. He took a glance over the railing where the bodies hung before continuing along the catwalk. They stepped over the tools laying on the floor but made no effort to avoid the spent bullets on the floor simply because there were too many. A few rolled off the catwalk or through its slits. The cartridges fell into the darkness below them. After a few minutes they reached the other side and opened the door to the corridor. The walls of the place was decorated with bullet holes and smears of blood on either side. The place reeked of death and gunpowder. The two made their way down the corridor to a staircase leading downwards. After descending down a few flight of stairs, Lewis found Albergo slumped against a wall with an empty shotgun in his hands. Bullets had perforated his midsection and his familiar face had made way for a slug. Lewis simply knew it was him because of his name-tape and the dog tags that hung loosely around his neck which was more of a souvenir now. Lewis placed the tags in his pocket and fought through.
After a bit of more maneuvering, the pair had reached the lower levels but it was as more of a war zone than the first day of fighting. Both of them found a quiet alleyway to take a break.
"So now what?" Lewis asked as he caught his breath. Aggie also breathed deeply but both of them were tired and they needed rest.
"We find a place to rest, then we go about finding other like minded individuals." Aggie said, checking her shotgun. She only had seven shells of buckshot loaded but one shell could be all the difference in the world. "We have to watch out, there's wardens around here with an itchy-trigger finger that would just love to return the favor of being driven out."
"Fair point but do you know of any place nearby?" Lewis asked, wondering if even Aggie knew the lower-levels.
"I have an idea." Aggie said before handing her shotgun to Lewis. "Stay here, I'll be back in a tick."
"Son of a.... Aggie where are you..."
Before Lewis could even stand, Aggie left the alleyway with nothing but a pistol. Then in a few moments she returned with an inmate with a pistol to his head. The man looked just as frightened as Lewis when they rounded the corner.
"Who the hell is-"
"Lewis this is Alberto, Alberto this is Lewis." Aggie calmly said with her pistol pressed into the back of the man's shaved head. "Alberto here knows a pleasant bed and breakfast nearby and he would love to take us to it, now would he?"
"Yes! Yes! Please don't shoot me!" The man cried out. He looked to both of them then to their guns and his eyes only widened a bit more. He quivered in his shoes and sweat began to bead on his tanned skin. There were tattoos here and there but his courage seemed to be sapped by Aggie's gun to his head. "There's a building nearby b-but nobody goes near it."
"Why is that Alberto? Aggie asked.
"B-because they think wardens are inside." The man said with a quiver in his voice. "Please let me go... I won't tell anybody that-"
"You won't tell anybody because you are coming with us, Alberto."
"What?!" Both Lewis and Alberto almost said at once.
"How are we supposed to get there if we don't know the way?" Aggie plainly asked.
After a bit of prodding, the three of them moved from the alleyway and towards the building Alberto talked about. It looked rather unassuming which was what Aggie had hoped for. She also saw the logic of the wardens as something unassuming would draw less attention and add that with the rumor of wardens an d nobody would approach the building without meeting a bit of "resistance". Alberto seemed extremely reluctant to move any closer but Aggie's gun did a bit of convincing. When the three of them got closer, Aggie swore she heard a whisper but Lewis heard a soft thud against the window sill. Then after a few moments of silence Aggie spoke.
"To whoever is inside, I'm giving my friend a few cans of food in a satchel to give to you exchange of letting us in." Aggie said, loud enough so that whoever inside would hear but not loud enough to draw attention. She gave the satchel to Alberto who gingerly walked up to the door with food in hand. She took the water though and if they would let her in then she would give them that as will. A little kindness goes a long way especially in here.
When they reached the mid-levels Aggie passed by her cell finding surprisingly untouched. She opened the cell and took as much as she could. The rations were good for another two years but she only carried four cans out of her stash of 10 cans of beans along with a few bottles of water. Then she told Lewis to carry her bottle of alcohol. In a time like this a little solace could go a long way and maybe perhaps a bargaining chip along the way. Aggie fashioned swiped a satchel from a dead warden lying in the next cell and put all they had there. Then they were off.
Somewhere in the mid-level, Aggie knew a way around a squad of guards to the entrance to the lower levels but it involved going across a catwalk above them. From there, a stair case should lead them down behind the guards. First they scaled a ladder to the catwalk but on the way up they heard the slight groan of metal and something swinging on a rope. Aggie slowed her ascent and carefully peeked her head to the side to see bodies hanging from a rope with a noose tied around their necks. To Aggie they were more casualties of this invasion and no doubt there would be more to see. But, curious as to why Aggie had slowed, also peeked out to see what remained of Shogun squad.
Oliva, Walker and Marino were hanging by their necks with their lives long gone. Lewis stopped his ascent for a moment, looking at the men he served with and the way they were killed. He stopped himself from looking any further and continued climbing up. He caught up with Aggie at the top of the ladder and on the narrow catwalk. She saw the shock in his face, wondering if Lewis had the capability to press onwards. Aggie knew suffering but she had to continue and fight on. It was the only way out and the only way through. They were within hands reach of the roof above them. Maintenance tools still lay abandoned from the crews that left them when the invaders came. What was now scattered among them was spent cartridges. The unmistakeable brass glimmered on the metal floor of the catwalk. The catwalk overlooked a large portion of the mid-levels and this was no doubt used as a sniper's nest or final stand. The other end of the catwalk was a door that led to a corridor which hopefully should lead them down.
"The thing is that my squad got disbanded once I left..." Lewis whispered, careful not to bring any unwanted attention to them. "Maybe they found each other during the mess of it all.... Saw that it was better to die with each other than alone in some cell..."
"That almost happened to me a few times." Aggie said. "Lunatics down here will get crafty just for one squeeze. They pick your locks when your asleep but I always caught them. It's easy to lose hope down and give yourself up to the nasty things along with the nasty people. Why fight when the next day the same thing is just gonna happen? Why resist it? Well, for us Lewis, fighting is the only thing we have. Living in this prison is no different than living life outside these walls. The world is a terrible place so you have to fight just to get through because it's the only way through, alright?"
"Yeah... Right." Lewis said. He took a glance over the railing where the bodies hung before continuing along the catwalk. They stepped over the tools laying on the floor but made no effort to avoid the spent bullets on the floor simply because there were too many. A few rolled off the catwalk or through its slits. The cartridges fell into the darkness below them. After a few minutes they reached the other side and opened the door to the corridor. The walls of the place was decorated with bullet holes and smears of blood on either side. The place reeked of death and gunpowder. The two made their way down the corridor to a staircase leading downwards. After descending down a few flight of stairs, Lewis found Albergo slumped against a wall with an empty shotgun in his hands. Bullets had perforated his midsection and his familiar face had made way for a slug. Lewis simply knew it was him because of his name-tape and the dog tags that hung loosely around his neck which was more of a souvenir now. Lewis placed the tags in his pocket and fought through.
After a bit of more maneuvering, the pair had reached the lower levels but it was as more of a war zone than the first day of fighting. Both of them found a quiet alleyway to take a break.
"So now what?" Lewis asked as he caught his breath. Aggie also breathed deeply but both of them were tired and they needed rest.
"We find a place to rest, then we go about finding other like minded individuals." Aggie said, checking her shotgun. She only had seven shells of buckshot loaded but one shell could be all the difference in the world. "We have to watch out, there's wardens around here with an itchy-trigger finger that would just love to return the favor of being driven out."
"Fair point but do you know of any place nearby?" Lewis asked, wondering if even Aggie knew the lower-levels.
"I have an idea." Aggie said before handing her shotgun to Lewis. "Stay here, I'll be back in a tick."
"Son of a.... Aggie where are you..."
Before Lewis could even stand, Aggie left the alleyway with nothing but a pistol. Then in a few moments she returned with an inmate with a pistol to his head. The man looked just as frightened as Lewis when they rounded the corner.
"Who the hell is-"
"Lewis this is Alberto, Alberto this is Lewis." Aggie calmly said with her pistol pressed into the back of the man's shaved head. "Alberto here knows a pleasant bed and breakfast nearby and he would love to take us to it, now would he?"
"Yes! Yes! Please don't shoot me!" The man cried out. He looked to both of them then to their guns and his eyes only widened a bit more. He quivered in his shoes and sweat began to bead on his tanned skin. There were tattoos here and there but his courage seemed to be sapped by Aggie's gun to his head. "There's a building nearby b-but nobody goes near it."
"Why is that Alberto? Aggie asked.
"B-because they think wardens are inside." The man said with a quiver in his voice. "Please let me go... I won't tell anybody that-"
"You won't tell anybody because you are coming with us, Alberto."
"What?!" Both Lewis and Alberto almost said at once.
"How are we supposed to get there if we don't know the way?" Aggie plainly asked.
After a bit of prodding, the three of them moved from the alleyway and towards the building Alberto talked about. It looked rather unassuming which was what Aggie had hoped for. She also saw the logic of the wardens as something unassuming would draw less attention and add that with the rumor of wardens an d nobody would approach the building without meeting a bit of "resistance". Alberto seemed extremely reluctant to move any closer but Aggie's gun did a bit of convincing. When the three of them got closer, Aggie swore she heard a whisper but Lewis heard a soft thud against the window sill. Then after a few moments of silence Aggie spoke.
"To whoever is inside, I'm giving my friend a few cans of food in a satchel to give to you exchange of letting us in." Aggie said, loud enough so that whoever inside would hear but not loud enough to draw attention. She gave the satchel to Alberto who gingerly walked up to the door with food in hand. She took the water though and if they would let her in then she would give them that as will. A little kindness goes a long way especially in here.
