Gearing Up

by Daniel Schinhofen

  “I’ll let you get her ready to take back to the others,” Alvin said, leaving the room and looking through the rest of the house.

  Every room held the mutilated remnants of the victims, all with their heads bashed in. Alvin felt a little sick to his stomach by the time he finally got back to the room the women were in.

  Becky came out, helping Karee along. “We’re going to be moving slow,” she told Alvin.

  “Piggyback her?” Alvin suggested.

  Becky shook her head. “This is as much as she wants to be touched right now.”

  Nodding, Alvin guessed that Karee was going to be dealing with post traumatic stress, more than she already was. “Okay. I’ll take point,” Alvin told her as he left the house.

  Leading the two of them back toward the others, Alvin motioned them on as he stopped at the building they had left Han and Lotus in. Once Becky and Karee had hobbled past, he opened the door to find both Han and Lotus with guns up and aimed at him.

  “Problem?” Alvin asked.

  Both of them lowered their weapons. Han let out a deep breath, “I just woke up. What the hell happened in the basement?”

  “Ghost,” Alvin said. “Poltergeist would be more accurate. It was a real fucker who was sucking the life out of you both, though it seemed to be taking its time with Lotus.”

  Lotus flinched when Alvin said that last part. “It was not pleasant,” she hissed at him.

  “I’m sure it wasn’t,” Alvin said, facing Han. “You need to go back to the others. Becky is taking Karee there now. As bad as your day has been, hers was much worse.”

  Han’s eyes widened, “What happened?”

  “She was tortured and raped by someone, who also killed George,” Alvin said. He wasn’t surprised when Han bolted out the door. Looking at Lotus, who stepped back from him, Alvin shrugged. “Back to the others seems like a good idea.”

  Lotus nodded warily, then went after Han, glancing back over her shoulder at him. Shrugging again at her odd behavior and the fear in her eyes, Alvin trailed after her.

  The group was in an uproar when Alvin got there. Shawn and Han were both talking softly with Karee, while others were demanding to see the house she’d been tortured in. Alvin stepped in just as one of the poor idiots started to advance on Becky, who was glaring at the guy.

  “Don’t, because if you do, I’ll reenact what happened to the attacker.” Alvin said the words flatly, staring the aggressor down.

  “Why the fuck can’t we go see the place?” the man was still demanding, though he did take a step back.

  “Because we are probably leaving,” Alvin said as Han gently picked Karee up and carried her to his Jeep.

  “We’re done,” Shawn said sharply, addressing everyone. “Get in your vehicles, we’re leaving.”

  Alvin looked at the empty rig. “Leaving it or taking it back?”

  Shawn shook his head. “Taking it back. It can still be useful.”

  “Did you want to burn the house down? George is still hanging inside,” Alvin asked quietly as the others dispersed.

  “Will you do it for me?” Shawn asked, looking haggard.

  “I’ll take care of it,” Alvin said. “Just set aside the XP for us. There wasn’t much loot that I really want, besides the Humvee. Set aside a few crates of each explosive as well, and then just give me a split of XP for whatever is sold to make up the difference.”

  Shawn nodded and stomped off toward his Scout. Lotus kept her eyes on Alvin the entire time, until Shawn got the convoy rolling out. Alvin and Becky watched them go as the sun slowly inched toward sunset.

  “You think she’ll recover?” Becky asked.

  “She was a fighter before, so she has a chance, but she’s going to be scarred for life now. More so than before,” Alvin said.

  “How are we going to burn that house down?” Becky asked after a moment of silence.

  “The shop had jerry cans,” Alvin said as he led her that way. “We’ll get a few and soak the room with all the fuel we can get to it. Then we’ll spread more throughout the entire house. I want to burn down the medical building too. Fuck that ghost.”

  “Then we’re going to turn in for the night?” Becky asked.

  “Yeah, we could use the rest,” Alvin said, putting his arm around her waist.

  The medical building and house were both burning nicely by the time they set up the portal and retired to their room for the night. Becky, for once, didn’t try to jump Alvin. Instead, she was subdued, and Alvin let her be. He made a quick dinner of steak and rice, as they were both pretty hungry by the time they got out of the shower. Once the dishes were done, they curled up on the bed and watched some Firefly, which got Becky to smile a bit, and even laugh a couple of times.

  Eventually, they were both nodding off, and Alvin had Jarvis turn off the show. Spooning Becky from behind, he nuzzled her neck and listened to her breathing slow. Once she dropped off, Alvin spoke softly, “Jarvis?”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Thank you for doing what you could,” Alvin said. “I’ll try to find a way to repay you in time.”

  “Honestly, Alvin, it has been my privilege to be your handler, even with the slap on the wrist I received today.”

  “Night, Jarvis,” Alvin murmured as he let his heavy eyes slide closed.

  “Sleep well, sir.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Alvin woke to the smells of bacon and coffee. Rubbing the gunk from his eyes, he rolled over to see an apron-clad Becky, dancing to soft music while she focused on cooking. A soft smile touched his lips, as he hoped this meant she’d been able to put the events of yesterday behind her.

  Getting out of bed trying to make as little sound as he could, he snuck up behind her to the Pink Panther theme. Becky raised both hands above the stove briefly to conduct the song, allowing Alvin the chance to put his arms around her and cradle her glorious mounds.

  “Morning, sexy,” Alvin murmured into her ear as she froze.

  “You’re going to give me a damn heart attack,” Becky breathed out, “you sneaky bastard.”

  “I doubt it,” Alvin said as he began to gently knead her soft flesh. “Though I might get your heart to speed up.”

  A soft moan came from her as she leaned into him. “You do that with just a look.”

  “Is that so? Because I’d rather do it through touch… and taste.”

  “I need to make sure the food doesn’t burn,” Becky murmured as she ground her ass against his rising manhood.

  “Point, bacon must be treated with reverence,” Alvin whispered as he nipped her ear. “I’ll let you work.” He took his hands away from her chest, and made sure she was stable as he stepped back. “There.”

  A shiver ran down her spine. “So mean…”

  Swatting her ass, Alvin turned away and headed for the bathroom. “And you like it, bitch.”

  “From you, Hero, yes I do,” Becky agreed as she looked over her shoulder, watching his naked body until he had left the room. “This bacon isn’t going to cook itself, sadly.”

  “Miss,” Jarvis said softly, “you might like to know that he is currently murmuring about just how lucky he is.”

  A pink hue tinged her cheeks and warmth spread through her chest. “Thank you, Jarvis. He tells me that, but it's difficult to accept at times.”

  “Which is why I thought I would say something,” Jarvis replied.

  “Isn’t this going to get you in trouble,” Becky asked, “talking to me in such a friendly manner?”

  “As I’m not giving advice that can be used for an advantage, it is not an issue,” Jarvis said. “But thank you for thinking of me, miss.”

  Turning the bacon over, Becky nodded. “Of course.”

  Alvin came out to find Becky whipping eggs in a bowl. “Did you need me to take over for a few minutes?”

  “That would be appreciated,” Becky said as she stepped aside. “The eggs just need to be cooked, and the bacon needs to be pulled off.”

&n
bsp; “I got it,” Alvin said, tugging the apron strings to untie them. “Just give me this, so the bacon grease doesn’t sting so much.”

  Collecting a kiss as she handed the apron over, she left him at the stove. Alvin turned to watch her go as he put the apron on. A pop from behind him, followed by the sting of hot grease on his ass, made him spin back around. “Fucking bacon,” Alvin muttered, “if you weren’t so damned tasty…

  “Jarvis,” Alvin began as he got the eggs started on the stove, “how much health is recovered during rest now?”

  “Asking due to the gunshot from yesterday?” Jarvis asked.

  “Pretty much,” Alvin nodded. “I was shot in the neck but, besides a brief moment of pain, it didn’t slow me down in any way and I didn’t feel any lingering effects.”

  “Unless you drop by a quarter or more health, you won’t,” Jarvis said. “Han, for instance, lost approximately one third of his health when his hand was shredded by the ant, which is why it was visibly injured. As for health regeneration, you get back your Heartiness in health after a good night's rest.”

  “Which is why I’m fully healed, since he only shot me with an M16,” Alvin mused. “Okay, and the medkits heal for twenty-five percent and trauma kits for fifty percent. That means it also removes the injuries, like Karee’s flayed skin.”

  “If they are healed enough, yes,” Jarvis said.

  “Good to know,” Alvin nodded. “Did they make it back to Beatty okay?”

  “I can’t give you that information, sir,” Jarvis said tightly.

  “Assholes,” Alvin muttered, then thought about his new Humvee and smirked. “Send Shawn a message and ask if they made it back okay.”

  “Message sent, sir,” Jarvis replied instantly.

  “I see,” Alvin murmured as he considered what he had just learned. “Do we have any messages from the other Settlements?”

  “Sheriff Ohm has agreed to your offer, but at thirty-three percent of the XP garnered.”

  “Fair enough,” Alvin shrugged. “Give him the info about where the dragon corpse is, please.”

  “Of course, sir,” Jarvis replied.

  “Now that is a sight I can get used to seeing,” Becky said from behind him.

  “Do you want to grab the coffee? The eggs and bacon are about done.” Alvin turned off the burners for the bacon and stirred the scrambled eggs a final time.

  Becky giggled as she squeezed his ass on the way by. “Any buns to go with this morning?”

  Shaking his head at her antics, Alvin focused on the food. When she went past him to the table, he began plating their breakfast. “You didn’t have any out for me to toast, so no buns or bread.”

  “I’m sure we can figure something out,” Becky murmured, staring at him over her coffee cup as he brought loaded plates to the table.

  “You still want to go to Cali?” Alvin asked after they started eating.

  “Just someplace with trees,” Becky said. “Jarvis, what’s the closest place with a good amount of trees?”

  “The Stanislaus National Forest is probably the closest thing to what you are looking for, miss,” Jarvis informed them.

  “Set a course for the Stanislaus National Forest, Jarvis,” Alvin said. “That’s where we’re going next.”

  “Did you have a specific destination, sir, or just into the forest?”

  “I don’t,” Alvin shrugged. “Pick a good stopping point, and we’ll figure out our course once we’ve enjoyed the sights.”

  “As you wish, sir,” Jarvis said. “I have plotted out a travel route that will give you plenty of scenery that is not desert.”

  “Thank you,” Becky said as she finished her last bite.

  “Trees ahead, desert behind, and my favorite little sociopath at my side,” Alvin grinned at Becky.

  Chuckling, Becky grabbed their plates and got up. “A quick shower, then back on the road?”

  “I don’t know about quick,” Alvin said as he stood up and took off the apron, draping it over a chair. “I think a small bit of fun before we go wouldn’t be amiss. On the road means no play time.”

  Looking back over her shoulder with heated eyes, Becky’s smile promised plenty. “What did you have in mind?”

  “I was thinking a little cross, and the floggers, then we can shower to clean up before we head out.”

  “Hmm. Sounds lovely to me, but can I ask for a bit of crop in there to leave one or two good marks?” she asked as she quickly cleaned the plates and pans.

  “We shall see,” Alvin said as he stretched. “I’ll go get things ready. Don’t keep me waiting long.”

  “No, Hero, I won’t,” Becky said, doing her best to clean quickly, her body tingling at the thought of what he was going to do to her.

  Seeing her thighs begin to rub together, Alvin smiled as he went to the dungeon. He would make sure she had a good time before they hit the road. They could both use some time to work off some lust, and he did love the sounds she made when she was being tormented.

  Chapter Twenty

  Refreshed and ready to go the next day, Alvin had Becky purchase a medkit and trauma kit to replace the ones they had used on Karee. Once she was ready to go, he motioned her towards the door.

  “Ladies first?” Becky asked.

  Alvin grinned at her, and as soon as she walked past him, he swatted her ass. “Not really, just wanted to tap that ass one more time,” Alvin chuckled.

  Rubbing her ass, Becky smirked at him. “Still need to try that, Hero.”

  “Maybe when we come back,” Alvin said as he walked past her through the glowing doorway.

  Becky blinked as she found herself standing outside with him. “That reminds me, we still need to see if I can leave and come back in when the portal is open.”

  “Point,” Alvin said, not having considered it. “That will give us something else to do when we find a place to stop.”

  “Let’s get going,” he said, putting his arm around her waist.

  “Freeze! Put your hands up nice and slow,” the command came from behind them, where three men had come around the corner of the manufactured home.

  Alvin sighed as he put his hands up, then turned around slowly with Becky mimicking him. “This is a bad way to start a meeting,” Alvin said to the trio of men armed with rifles.

  “Where did you come from?” the man who had ordered them to stop asked.

  “We were passed out inside,” Alvin said blandly. “Look, can I put my hands down? I’m obviously not going to try and draw my pistol against three of you.”

  “Geno will want to see you,” the man said. “Take out the pistol nice and slow, put it on the ground, then back up. We’ll collect your guns and take you to see Geno. Once he clears you, we’ll give you your weapons back.”

  “Who is Geno?” Becky asked. All three men finally took stock of Becky, the sweep of their eyes raking her from head to toe.

  “He’s Lister’s right hand,” one of the others said. “If he thinks you're worthy, then you get the chance to meet Lister and maybe join our family.”

  Alvin felt his jaw twitch. What the man had said implied either Lister was another player, or he was like the leader of the biker gang. “Okay, just don’t shoot,” Alvin said as he used two fingers to pull the pistol slowly.

  Setting their pistols on the ground, Alvin and Becky stepped back a few feet. Once they’d stepped back, one of the three came forward and picked the pistols up, letting his rifle dangle from its sling around his shoulder.

  “Geno is with the others, trying to get into the armory,” the first man said, motioning with his gun. “Start walking, we’ll follow along behind.”

  Starting toward the front gates, Alvin glanced at Becky, giving her an eye roll. “I’m a little curious,” Alvin said. “Where did you all come from? Because there wasn’t anyone here when we got here from Luning.”

  “Geno will tell you, if he thinks you can be trusted,” the man snapped. “Now stop talking and keep walking.”


  “Hero, I don’t feel good,” Becky said. Hunching her shoulders in, her hands went to her belly and her Kevlar appeared on her.

  “I’m sure the mean, impolite man doesn’t mean to cause your issues to flare up,” Alvin said as he put his hand on her back. “Your meds are in the car, right?”

  “Stop talking,” the speaker snarled.