They had stayed in the trailer until the sun had started to fade. If they were going to try to move into the town area, there was no way they would do it in the daylight. The snowfall had stopped for a short while in the afternoon, but by the time they got up to leave, the snow had started to fall heavily again as the darkness began gripping the town. They had decided to leave their backpacks in the trailer; they didn’t want to take anything extra with them if they would sneak into town. Kyto had his multitool and Tabs, a small knife she had brought from the house, tucked into her belt in a sheath.
They cautiously made their way by several buildings and came to what appeared to be a main road. They had been taking care to minimise their tracks. They could see footprints, and a vehicle had passed by as the snow hadn’t fully covered the tracks it had left. They could not tell from the tracks which direction they had recently travelled in as the tracks were going in both directions.
“We don’t want to stay on the main road,” Kyto said. “Let’s head straight over and see if we can find anything further into town."
They crossed the street and snook down the side of a road; the snow on the ground was untouched; nothing appeared to have been down it apart from the odd small track in the snow from some type of Wild One, which they assumed were rats or similar. They reached the end of the street, and in front of them was a derelict two-storey building; the walls had crumbled, but standing proud in front of it was a lone flagpole on the remaining wall that seemed to have stood the test of time the lettering ‘tre dame’ could be seen. Through the snowfall, they could make out the outline of an old radio tower in the quickly fading light. It was visible above the treeline in a wooded area to their left.
“Let's go and see if we can use that tower to scout from," Kyto suggested
“Sure.” Tabs replied.
They crossed to the woods, still being careful about what tracks they were leaving. The snow was again falling heavily, and they were being filled after only seconds. It must have snowed nearly 30 centimetres in the past 24 hours. The winters were always harsh, and it was bitterly cold. Tabs rubbed her hands together, trying to get warmth into her fingers, noticing Kyto doing the same.
They continued into the woods and found an overgrown track leading up towards the radio tower; it was hard going due to the undergrowth, and although there was no greenery on the branches, they were covered in thick, thorny brambles. Luckily, their jackets were hardy, and although the brambles pulled at their jackets, they did not tear. They eventually reached the radio tower, which had two small buildings at its base, surrounded by an old metal fence. Even though the radio tower was situated on a hill, due to the surrounding woodland, they could only get a vantage point by climbing the tower. The tower had, at one time, a ladder which ran up its side to allow for maintenance, but over the years, the ladder had corroded, and a section was now missing several rungs. There was no way they would be able to scale it. One of the buildings at the base was virtually destroyed, but the other still stood. Kyto glanced inside and saw the empty racking of what would have housed the communications equipment. He had hoped something might still be there with his keen outlook on scavenging and his skills focused on telecommunications engineering. Anything supporting his continuing development or enhancing his knowledge was always beneficial. While they had been at the house, he had studied all the books they had found, and his growth had paused with no further resources around, and as he had not been scavenging while they lived there.
From the base of the tower and the track they had arrived from, two options were now available to them. A road ran up to the site from the opposite direction they had approached, and then another small path forked off, continuing into the woods, winding down the hillside. They decided to take the path, wanting to stay off the road. Again, it was overgrown and difficult to traverse, and they eventually came out of the undergrowth at the far end of the path. The path had led them to the rear of a housing area. Most of the buildings on the street were single-storey and didn’t look like they had been visited in a long time. All their front doors were ajar, and from what they could see, they appeared to have had all their windows smashed deliberately at some point, or over the years, they had been derelict.
They were just about to turn to the left down the street when the sound of an engine being revved cut through the snow-filled night. It wasn’t close by but somewhere in the distance over to the right. The snow in this area was again untouched, so they made their way across and approached where the sound had come from. They cut across the back of several properties and came to another road swooping down and curving around a bend. It sounded like the engine was coming from directly in front of them, so they crossed over the road, entered a line of trees again and crept towards the noise.
There was a building on the far side of the trees; they stopped, listening and watching cautiously. The engine's sound seemed to be coming from over to the left down a slope. They left the treeline, where it opened into a parking lot, and there were the rusted and twisted shells of several vehicles that had stood the test of time now covered in a thick blanket of snow. They moved between the vehicles, keeping low, and made their way around to the edge of the building. They could see a large building complex further down a slight slope from where they now were. There were several buildings, and the one nearest to them had a skeletal frame with huge open windows where glass would have once been. It was open to the elements, and the wind blew the snow through the openings, giving no respite to the bitter cold as they approached it.
From their vantage point, they could see the glow of the vehicle's lights; they approached the corner of the building and looked down towards the light. They could see a truck and that it had been parked outside a building on their left. It was a large building with a vehicle canopy, and the truck had been reversed underneath it. There were also a couple of burning oil drums providing further flickering light, and they could make out people moving around by the vehicle. Through the falling snow and wind, they caught the occasional sound of a voice being carried along with the sound of the vehicle engine but could not make out anything being said.
They cautiously made their way closer, moving back through the parking lot to the remains of a hedgerow that had been stripped of any life with winter's wrath. As they got closer, Tabs could make out more vehicles parked up and counted at least a further six. The running vehicle cast an eerie yellow light onto the snow. Their new position allowed them to make out a sign on the building foyer which read, ‘Medica’.
“I think that used to be a medical centre,” Kyto whispered to Tabs. “It would make sense for them to be here if anywhere. They normally contain loads of beds. I have searched medical centres before when scavenging.”
Tabs glanced over at him. “We need to try and get closer; we can’t hear anything from here.” her heart was thumping in her chest with both fear and trepidation at what they had found.
"Ok." he agreed, pointing towards the corner of the hedgerow and a further building at the top of what was once the entrance to the medical centre.
Night had set in quickly, and the only light source apart from the barrels and vehicle was a weak moonlight fighting through the cloud-covered skies. They cautiously made their way down the hedgerow, dropping further down and skirting the edge of some trees before reaching the final building. Once they reached the corner of the building, they stopped and listened again. Although they could still see movement by the vehicle and outside the building, they could no longer hear the voices, the wind driving the sound away. They stayed there for several minutes watching the vehicle being unloaded; the group of people were lifting down crates by the looks of it and carrying them inside. If they wanted to hear anything, they would have to get closer; this left them with no choice but to move across an open road. It was clear the road was used as the tracks were fresh in the snow, considering the truck parked outside being unloaded.
Without saying anything, Kyto tapped Tabs on her arm, pointing towards the far side of the road by a fence line and another building opposite. She nodded and, from her crouched position, went to stand. As she moved, a voice spoke out behind them. “Don’t move.” And they heard the click of a hammer on a gun being drawn back.
They had both been so intent on getting to the building they had not even considered checking behind them.
“Stand up slowly and show me your hands. I don’t want to blow your brains out unless you make me.” The voice said.
Kyto thought he recognised the voice from one of the men at the bridge. “You pair had led me on a merry little dance", he said. "I probably would never have caught up with you if you had stayed on the main drag. You gave it away when you headed down the side road; we never go down that way since it’s all derelict and has been emptied before. I am impressed, though, as I was unsure whether it was just one or two of you that I had been tracking most of the time.”
Kyto and Tabs looked at each other, fear clearly in both eyes. They slowly stood and raised their hands, turning and facing the man. “Now start walking,” he said, “over there to the truck.” Prodding towards them with the pistol barrel indicated their direction to travel.
They had no option but to do as he said. Kyto was frantically trying to think of a way out, but there was nothing; neither of them had a weapon that could be used against a gun, and if they tried to retaliate, at least one of them would possibly end up shot, if not both killed. They trudged through the snow towards the entrance to the building and the vehicle.
“Look what I found, boys,” the man called out as they approached the entrance.
“Nice one, Dean,” one of the men responded, “the boss will be happy.”
“Where is she?” Dean asked.
“She went out doing the rounds with Cid. She should be back in an hour or so.” He replied.
“Ok, well, get these two inside and locked up for now. They can have the pleasure of meeting the boss later.” Dean said with an evil grin on his face.
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They were led inside the building, and the pair were roughly searched. Kyto’s multitool was removed from his jacket pocket, and Tab's knife was taken. Inside the medical centre, the corridors were bare, the only furnishings where the raiders had placed lights on posts interlinked by cabling. Tabs could hear the steady thrum of a generator running, and the lights cast a cold, pale, fluorescent luminescence over everything. They were raiders and proudly wore their raider's flash on their sleeves. Tabs did not recognise the moment, her heart sinking knowing that this was not the same group she had been with previously. Her group had always worn a skull emblem with a snake, and this one was that of a fang with a blood drop.
They were directed down several corridors until they reached a set of doors labelled the 'Morgue'. They were pushed through the double doors, and then one of the group members escorted them, walked up to a large steel door at the rear of the room and pulled it open. “Inside,” the pistol-wielding raider said, pushing Kyto forcefully in his back. Tabs was forced in next, and the last word they both heard as the steel door was slammed shut was “Enjoy”.
The room was pitch black. There was not an inkling of light from anywhere. It had no lights that worked, and there were also no windows, and the door itself had created a perfect seal with the floor, not allowing even the tiniest hint of light into the room. Neither of them could see a thing. The room smelt musty and of death; it was the only way it could be described, and it attacked and clung to their nostrils.
"Where are you," Kyto said, his voice unable to cover his fear.
"Here." Tabs replied.
They eventually managed to grope and find each other in the dark.
"It isn't them; I am so sorry," she said as she started to sob.
Kyto just held her tightly, and he did not reply. He felt her warm tears against the side of his face. Eventually, Tab's sobs subsided, and Kyto just continued to hold her tightly.
'If I had not been so stupid hoping to find my sister, we would not be in this situation." she said, her voice cracking slightly.
"Shit happens." was all Kyto responded, not loosening his grip on her. Every inch of his body was tense, and he had probably never felt so fearful before in his life. He had never been at the mercy of raiders, and after stories Tabs had briefly shared, he could feel panic rising in his chest. He didn't blame Tabs, though; he would have done the same, he knew that, and he loved her. She was the only person in his life who had ever meant anything to him in the years since his group had been murdered and captured.
"Let's see if we can find the door," he said.
Not letting go of each other’s hand, they worked their way around the edge of the room to where the door had to be. Reaching out in the pitch dark, they felt the cold metal surface of the steel door. They frantically ran their hands all over the door, but neither could find a handle inside. They were not getting out of this room unless they were let out.
They moved following the edge of the wall until they reached what they believed was the far corner of the room and sat grasping each other, awaiting their fate.
∆∆∆
They heard footsteps making their way down the corridor outside. Time seemed to stand still in the total darkness, and they did not know how much time had passed since they had been placed in the room. They heard the metal scrapping and the latch's click, and the door clonked as the handle was turned. The door was yanked open, allowing light to stream in from the doorway; this made them squint in pain, the bright fluorescent light that now permeated the room, making them shield their eyes.
“Get up, you worthless pieces of shit,” a rough male voice said.
They slowly got to their feet and stood in the far corner of the morgue, unable to see the man initially. Eventually, their vision began to settle, and they saw the man brandishing a pistol he pointed at them. “Come on, get a move on. The boss wants to see you once you are softened up.” He said.
They walked out into the corridor, and the man directed them through a maze until they reached a large open room. It looked like it may once have been a canteen or similar. It had picnic-style tables pushed to the edges, and several metal ‘A’ frames with chains attached were set up in the centre of the room. The room had about twenty males and females who looked at them both, feeling malevolence. There was a small group in one corner who were laughing and pointing. Tabs could see clearly that they were Radstim users by the red rings around their eyes. Many of the raiding groups were regular users, and there were several serious addicts. The several users she had met when a captive herself were what she would class as your everyday run-of-the-mill ‘happy violent type’, which is the only way she could describe them.
Tabs and Kyto were led towards the centre of the room where the frames ominously stood. They both then had their hands and feet bound in chains. The pair of them were then dragged over to the frames. Kyto was first made to lift his arms while the chain was looped onto a hook, and Tabs followed suit. The hooks were attached above their heads to the structures via more chains. If that was not bad enough, being chained up, as soon as they were both in position, a raider wound a handle that attached to a gear mechanism, which started to pull the chains, lifting them both until only Kyto's tips of his boots remained in contact with the floor. Tabs had been lifted fully and had no purchase under her feet. They both twisted and strained but to no avail.
The tall, thin raider they had seen on the bridge earlier with the beard walked up to them, making jokes at their expense. “Look at the nice fresh meat. Let’s soften them up for the boss,” he said. Fear pulsated through every inch of Tab’s body; she had witnessed this same scenario many times. She hocked and spat at the raider as he approached her, a thick globule of phlegm striking him on his cheek in a sign of defiance. He wiped it off with the back of his hand and then slapped her hard across the face. Her face stung from the blow, her body twisting, and she felt blood trickle on her cheek. The bastard was wearing a ring or similar. Her retina flashed from the impact, and the bright green outline of her head faded.
Kyto shouted, “You bastard,” and tried to kick out at him. He could do nothing from his strung-up position, though, and for the very brief amount of time they had been up, his arms were already starting to feel numb, holding virtually his full body weight on his wrists. His comment and action drew the attention of two other raiders, who calmly came over, jeering at him. The first raider looked at Kyto in his eyes, “This is going to hurt you more than me.” He balled his fist and struck Kyto as hard as he could in his stomach.
Kyto immediately exhaled and started gagging, feeling as though his stomach had just been forced back up into his throat. The second raider then stepped forward, laughing, and repeated the process. They then began taking turns punching him as hard as they could in his stomach. He was gasping for breath and heaving from the blows, not able to recover sufficiently between each impact. He could feel the tenderness of his abdominal muscles, and every strike sent a fresh signal of pain to his brain. His retina flashed with every strike, soon losing any green colouration and turning a dark yellow rapidly, and the way things were going would soon be red. Kyto could not remember ever being subject to a relentless beating, and in the back of his mind, he wondered how Tabs had ever coped. In a fit of sheer frustration at being so helpless, he managed to scream out and curse “Fuckers” at them.
This changed the direction of the next punch, which caught him square in the face. His nose gave way, and his lip split under the impact. Blood started to ooze from the wounds, and he could taste the bitter copper in his mouth where he had bitten down on his tongue. At least his abdomen was being given respite, he thought.
While Kyto’s beating had commenced, Tab’s torturer shouted at her, “You dare spit at me bitch. I will show you.” The bearded man then got hold of her jacket and unzipped it. This got supporting hoots and cheers from some of the on-lookers. “Let’s see what we have under here.” He said, leering at her and acting for the crowd.
Tabs tried to resist but could not do anything with no traction on the ground. She tried to lift her legs and push at the man, but she could not from the position she was in. The slap to her face had caused her to feel a little lightheaded. The strain of her body weight pulling down on her shoulders for an extended period was excruciating. Eventually, the man finished unzipping her jacket, ripping it open, revealing her sweatshirt and top. He then pulled a knife from a sheath on his belt, pulling her tops away from her, and proceeded to cut up through her clothes. "Let's see what we have here then," he said. He continued until he had fully opened them down the middle, pulling them aside and exposing her breasts.
He gleefully smirked and grabbed her left breast, roughly groping her, turning, and laughing at the raiders around the room. He turned back to her and glared into her eyes. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “You wait till later. I am going to fuck your arse so hard that you will scream for mercy.” As the man moved his head back slightly, Tab’s defensive mode kicked in. She brought her head forward as fast as she could and managed to catch the man on his forehead and the bridge of his nose with her own. His nose exploded in a crimson mist, making him stagger, and several raiders burst out laughing at his stupidity. Pain shot through her forehead. She had not head-butted anyone in a very, very long time and had forgotten how painful it can be for the perpetrator as well as the victim.
“You bitch.” He screamed, holding his now crushed and flattened nose. Blood was free-flowing onto his bearded face, and Tabs could see immediate colouration around his eyes. ‘He was going to end up with one hell of a set of black eyes’, she thought. The raider then got back his senses and turned and, from what seemed like the pits of hell, launched a balled fist up and hit her square under her chin.
Her teeth smashed together, and she was not sure if she heard one crack or not, and her head flew backwards; she immediately became dizzy from the vicious blow. Warnings flashes fired across her retina. She had received many beatings in her past and was used to the feeling of the pain, although it had been a long time now since she had felt it. Her survival instincts kicked in, and she instantly took herself inside her mind as she had those many years ago now when she had been beaten and abused. She had got to a point of control where she seemed to ignore what was happening to her physically and mentally. She withdrew to maintain her sanity.
She could hear Kyto groaning next to her with every punch landing on him, and she dared a glance, seeing the pair of thugs continue to beat him. Through her blurred vision, she could see they were acting as though they were tenderising a piece of meat, beating him all over. His face was covered in blood, and one of his eyes was already swollen and closed. Blood and spital dripped from the side of his mouth, falling to the floor.
The bearded man hit her solidly in the stomach, and her body convulsed from the blow, bringing her full attention back to her attacker. She wretched but had nothing to bring up. He then followed up with several more blows to her face, her vision becoming worse with each strike.
WARNING - You are lapsing into unconsciousness,
Flashed before her eyes. She could no longer hear Kyto groaning from his gruelling punishment, and she only hoped he was just unconscious and not dead. Her head began to fall forward limply, and she no longer had the strength left in her to raise it, her mind becoming cloudy through the assault.
Seeing that she had lost her ability to resist, the bearded man bent forward and pulled her sweatpants down around her ankles. “What have we got here then?” she heard the man say as she felt the rough skin from his fingers on her stomach as he grabbed the top of her underwear. She could only look down where her limp head rested on her chest, struggling to focus on the man’s hand pulling at the top of her underwear. She felt weak and defenceless, knowing that she could not resist; she just hoped that it would be over soon. Her eyes began to flutter, struggling to keep them open against the sensation of unconsciousness that started to take her.
The bearded man’s hand suddenly stopped moving and let go of the waistband of her underwear. She watched his hands move upwards out of her line of sight. Then, she watched the raider fall to his knees before her as if in slow motion. His open and shocked eyes looked up at her as he grasped at his throat. She thought she could see blood oozing from between his fingers as he gasped for air. She then saw a boot lash out and kick the raider in his side, forcing him to slump sideways to the floor, still pawing at his throat as he bled out. ‘What the actual fuck’ she thought as she succumbed to the darkness.