Young Writers Society

Glad to be back, guys!

We are going to bring in Jack/Mark later, maybe as a little needed twist. Until then....

2 months later...

Riley

The rain poured over my, soaking every inch of me. In most parts of America, it snowed in February. In Arizona, February brought rain. In fact, I hadn't seen snow since I got here two weeks ago. That didn't mean it wasn't cold, though. I drew my leather jacket tighter around me. The sky was dark, covered in clouds. Somewhere behind me I heard lighting crash. Besides that, all that could be heard was the drum of rain, and the footsteps next to me.

I pulled open the door to the warehouse, gun out. "If there is anyone in here," I hissed through the darkness, "come out, and I might let you live. No, actually, but I will offer you a quick death."

A man came crawling out on his hands and knees. He came here for the same reason we did, shelter. Well, as they say in western movies, this town isn't big enough for the two of us. I took out my gun, and shot him. Once in the head, once in the chest. I looked at him, my expression blank.

"We stay here," I said, and gestured through the darkness. I took out my flashlight, and flashed the beam around.

"He was alone," Alis said, peering into the darkness. "That's for the best anyway." Sometimes, she would make the strangest comments. They all did, and I didn't understand, but nor did I care enough to. If they wanted to make comments I didn't understand, that was good for them. Let's see how long they lasted.

"Best for them," someone else scoffed behind me.

Alis

I was flourishing under Riley's new reign. I could kill who I liked, and she was too wrapped up in the past to really care. I smiled. Everyone else hated her, but I didn't have a problem with her. Then again, most of the others didn't like killing. Jimmy was the only one who really had, but he was long gone.

"Best for them," I heard Howard scoff behind me.

"Yes, I guess," I laughed as we walked into the old warehouse. I watched as Maitea helped Ace lay down. All this moving around wasn't good for him, but Riley was convinced it was the only way to keep us all safe. Either that, or she was running from her own past, but what did I care. I was happy as I could be. I leaned against the wall, and ringed out my hair with my hands. As far as I knew, we were in some town in south Arizona. We had been in Arizona for a couple of weeks, and it had poured most of the time. But we kept moving around. Again, it didn't affect me, really. It reminded me of Spain, actually, when I had gone off by myself. Now I just had a few more people with me.

"So, how long are we staying here?" Maitea asked Riley. She looked with concern at Ace. I rolled my eyes at her stupid question. It was the same amount of time we stayed in any place: as long as Riley felt like it.

"As long as I feel like," Riley said coldly. I smiled. Things were really going great.

Ace

"As long as I feel like," Riley spat at Maitea.

As I drew my raincoat tighter around my freezing body, I just cut my already narrow eyes at Riley, silently daring her to say another damn word to my girlfriend or to me. She had become angry after the death of Reg. While I couldn't blame her one bit for being upset, I could for her taking it out on us. Besides, I was still fuming over my own sickness. I had dropped nearly fifteen pounds in those two months an was little more than skin and bones. My hair was thinning, though it looked like it wasn't going to fall out completely. Nonetheless, I'd stopped dying it or even taking care of it for that matter, and it was shaggy and two-toned. What was the point? What was the point in anything?

Maitea was the only reason I did anything anymore. But she fared pretty badly, too. Losing sleep, losing weight. We were a couple of hollow reflections of ourselves, but I loved her more than ever.

Riley didn't speak anymore to us, and just shined her flashlight around the old warehouse. It didn't look like a home. It looked like somewhere you'd throw a rave and then leave town. It had probably been done there before, I figured. Whatever. I could barely stand anymore, so I started to make my way to the far corner, but my legs gave out halfway. Maitea caught me and helped me lie down while she rolled out our sleeping bags and then helped me into mine. I just watched her in the near-darkness. She sat down and pulled a bottle of water from her bag, offering it to me. I took it, put it down, and took her hand instead.

"How are you?" she whispered.

"I'm not sure," I replied softly, gripping her hand tightly. I was afraid, honestly, and it had nothing to do with the warehouse. Leaning over, I kissed her gently and held her close for warmth.

Reg Carter

It had taken too long and a hell of a lot'a surgery to get me back to half of what I was before the coppers had blown two holes in me. I guess I should be thankful that I was alive, but time seemed so non-existent in this place. I could've been here for several years if it weren't for the bastard surgeon's specs, which grimly revealed a vague reflection of my tiresome face. On that night, I could still remember the events; most prominently when Riley shouted to James. Ever since then I'd been hoping James had kept her alive, so that when - or if - I ever got out'a this shit hole I could go live upto my promise 'gain.

More thinking passed and I began to doubt whether or not an escape would even be of any use to the Gang. I had no idea where they could be; had they stayed at the mansion they would've been killed instantly. The government had become a no-tolerance policy and the rewards that were on the gang's heads had changed from a measly fee to the Government releasing convict serial murderers in an effort to hunt the rest'a us down. Riley was a good leader, no doubt, but she'd have to be careful as heck. I pushed my thoughts away. I knew for a start that I hadn't seen light ever since I was in that small room with Riley. That either meant wherever the hell I was would be underground or I was in one deep security prison. The chances of escape were slim to say the least.

Around me were white plastered walls, white painted steel bars and numerous armed guards in white suits and white stab proof vests. It was part of their method to driving me mental. They'd got as much information as they could get off me, which deemed me useless to them in the hunt. They'd have killed me by now, but I had told them of when I'd killed the State Journalist and the President. So, instead of death, they'd decided to taunt me with mental tortures, beat me and then let me rot away in jail. It was all under the radar of course; the honest truth was as much as someone may call a place a free country, it will never be. There is a line of freedom dressed by law and government that if ever crossed or corrupted rules would no longer apply.

I was there.

Eve

I sighed, sitting down against a wall. We had been moving around a lot, and I was tired, but I never dared complain or rest. I wasn't used to moving around so much, but I knew I was going to have to get used to it. We would be doing it a lot, and I knew that. We could never stay in one place for too long, with the government on our tails.

"So, what are we going to do now?" I heard Howard ask. Riley turned her flashlight to him. That was the only light around.

"We're going to stay here until the storm blows out. It's getting pretty bad, and it would be a risk to continue on. Everyone get some rest. Once it stops, we're high tailing it out of here." Riley said. I understood.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the wall. I wasn't going to go to sleep, but I didn't feel like moving at all. It was silent for a while. I didn't know what everyone else was doing, but I didn't really care.

Tia

I had been with my cousin only a week, and in that week I had decided she was half mad. All you had to do was look into her eyes and see it. I hadn't gotten around to asking anyone else what the hell her problem was, but I intended to do so soon.

"Riley, you're being stupid. It's been raining non-stop, and the weather forecast said it's going to blow like the dickens for another week. You couldn't have picked a worse place to bring us," I was one of the few in the gang who dared speak against Riley. She was my cousin, she couldn't kill me, but I still had my doubts.

"Well, we can't change that, can we?" She asked, "And what I do is no business of yours." Anger seemed to roll off her in waves. I sighed, and rolled my eyes.

"Riley, you need to slow your horses. Since I'm the only one of you not on America's Most Wanted, and with a working credit card, I'm going to go get some food for us." I began to walk towards the door, and fished in my pocket for my cellphone. I had a GPS that could hopefully locate the nearest mini mart.

"And who gave you permission...?" Riley put her hands on her hips.

I cut her off, not really wanting to hear her talk. "I did, screw, and I can go get food if I want. Unlike you, we're not all robots."

Howard

Tia was...interesting. After the time in the gang, I knew there was a kinder side of Riley, but it was pretty rare for the entire time I'd been around. Tia, however, seemed to not have kindness inside her. Riley was like fire; angry but with a comftorable warmth. Tia, on the other hand, was lightning; no bright side, just destructive electricity. I didn't mind the fire, but in this shit-storm, the lightning seemed much more fitting.

And all metaphors aside, I was starving. Maybe I was letting my stomach do half my thinking, but I didn't like a thing about where we were. Living in a warehouse was always, well, creepy for me, after living in one with the PK for so long. I had money on my head for something I had pretty much no part of, I was starving and living in a hell hole of a building, and last, the one thing on my mind to keep the rest of the insanity in check, my sweet tooth was killing me.

Tia cut Riley off and there was a silent, angry stare, and everybody inbetween felt the sparks of the daggers shooting out their eyes. For the most part, I don't think anybody else wanted to get in a fight with Riley, and I didn't either, but I still wanted my little demand fulfilled, as awful of a time to make it, as Riley was still looking pissed and Tia was continuing out the door.

"Get me a chocolate bar, would you?", I shouted to Tia across the room as she left, getting no response from her, of course. Instead, all I got was Riley's temper; she moved her angry stare right at me, and I made myself appear calm, but believe me, I couldn't have been more stressed at the time. I expected a yell or a lecture or, at worst, a gun pointed at me. I didn't regret asking for the chocolate...I just regretted asking it in front of her.

Riley

I turned to Howard, "You are so lucky I am in a good mood," I heard a few snide comments, and a little laughing. I took out my gun, and held it in my right hand. It was casually by my side, but it was still a warning to them. I smiled when the whole warehouse went silent. "That's better," I said more to myself than anyone else.

I noticed a latter at the end of the wall. I walked over to it, and shook it to test its stability. After checking the footing, I began to climb up. At the top was a large room, filled to the brim with fireworks. Too bad Sal was here. On second thought, good riddance. She was a little pesk and nothing more.

Shoving a box of them aside, I came upon a large stack of money.

Tia

"Get me a chocolate bar, would you?" Howard asked as I walked out the door. I didn't acknowledge his request, but kept walking. I hopped on my motorcycle, and rode out into the rain.

Getting wet had never really bothered me, and it still didn't now. I was beginning to get sick of never being warm, though. I thought back to the boy with the strange name, Ace, I think it was. he looked like he needed something warm. I grabbed a few bags of chips, and a few things of soda. Then, by special request, a huge bag of chocolate bars.

I took a look at the coffee maker on the counter, and made a large, hot cup. Ace needed it more than any of us. I went to pay for the food. I got an odd look from the lady, but I ignored it. Who was she to be staring anyway, the overweight pig?

I threw all the stuff under the seat of my motorcycle. It lifted up, and the container was almost waterproof. With that, I put up the kick stand and began to drive back towards the warehouse.

Maitea

Ace held me closer, and I pressed myself against him. Anyone could feel he was cold, and I wasn't sure how much I was helping. I was dripping wet, and not doing the best myself. I watched as Riley began to climb up a ladder.

"I hope she falls," I whispered to Ace.

"Don't let her hear that," he retorted, looking at her with disgust.

"She's gone completely mad." I leaned against the back of the wall. I reached for a little vial in my pocket, and drank a few drops. It was like caffeine, but stronger. It kept me awake. I hadn't slept in a few days, and I was running out of the liquid. I wouldn't let Ace know how hard it was to stay up all this time, he didn't need the stress. Nor was all this moving around doing anything for him, but heaven forbid I tell that to her.

If Alis wouldn't have killed me, I would have shot Riley.

Alis was a short of traitor. She was always the one who didn't like Riley, but now they were all buddy-buddy. Best friends, every one's happy, except the rest of the gang. And Riley couldn't care less. She was too wrapped up in herself and her anger that she didn't give a damn about anyone else. And her bloody, judgmental cousin wasn't any better.

Eve

"She's gone completely mad." I heard Maitea say from across the room. She had said it in a whisper, but this shack was really small. I looked at where Riley had disappeared to, hoping she hadn't heard that. The last thing we need was shooting in this small, pathetic excuse for a place to stay.

Where had Riley gone? I stood up and walked over to where I last saw her, and noticed a latter. I walked up it, not caring to check if it was sturdy. I found Riley, standing there. I walked over to her.

"Riley...are you okay? You look a little--" I cut off, looking down at what she had seen. A huge stack of money was on the ground. My mouth fell open, and neither of us spoke. We just looked at it like idiots, completely baffled. Where had all this come from?

I could tell Riley was wondering the same thing. My eyes flickered to her, then back at the stack in amazement. We exchanged a few glances, but we kept looking back at the money. Howard came up the latter, then, and saw us standing there.

"What are you guys doing? You look like you just saw a ghost." He looked down at the stack of money. "Holy cow! Where did all this come from?!"

Ace

Truthfully, I hoped Riley fell, too. Maybe the landing would've knocked some sense into her. Or would have killed her, which at that point I wouldn't have minded that because all she was doing was helping to kill me. But then again, she had kept us one step ahead of those hunting us the entire time. I wondered, since I probably had the largest price on my head after Riley and Reg, and was maybe tied with Alis... I wondered if the police had found me, would they kill me or lock me up, or just send me to a hospital? I could see them doing the latter and then, when the doctors finally decided there was nothing more they could do for me and stopped treatments, sending me off to a dark, cold prison cell to die. The thought sent a chill through my entire body and I clasped Maitea even closer still as tears leaked from my eyes.

No...the thing was, I had to trust everyone at this point. Riley, even though most of us hated her at that moment, that she would keep us out of the forces' grasp. Maitea, that she would care for me. I trusted that when my mother came to meet me in her plane with medicines prescribed to me under a different name by my own father, she wouldn't be caught. I knew that somehow, the gang would all try to stay together despite all that had happened; safety in numbers. Most of all I had to have faith in my body's will to live.

Maitea was drinking from her vial again, so I put a hand up to stop her. "Don't do that anymore," I sobbed. "Please sleep. You need it as much as I do right now." Her bloodshot eyes had black circles under them, and when we were up and about, she always seemed neither here nor there. "Please stop drinking that, Maitea," I begged bitterly through my tears.

"What if something--"

"I'll wake you up if something's wrong; I promise. Please sleep. For me? Please."

"And if you don't know that something's wrong?" she asked.

I'd never not known if something had gone wrong. "Trust me. I'll know if it does, and I'll wake you up."

The very blunt woman who'd joined us, Riley's cousin, knelt in front of me with a large, steaming cup from the convenience store. "I thought you might need this," she said softly and handed it to me along with packaged cream and sugar just in case.

I looked down at the coffee, and back up at her. I hadn't even made an attempt to stop crying, and I almost wished that she would, like Reg, make a snide comment about it and tell me to quit my blubberin'. Because, of course, I was never mad at Reg, per se; it was just what guys did. We insulted and fought with each other, though there hadn't really ever been any hard personal feelings. I wished I could say Reg was a friend of mine, but probably couldn't even go that far. But dear gods, I missed him.

"Thank you," I said, forcing a smile. I'd share it with Maitea, if she insisted on being up that long. I couldn't keep much down anymore, anyway; holding it was good enough.

James~~

I finished rubbing branches over the tire tracks to hide are passing. It was only half done, but the rain would finish the job. After double checking to make sure the cars were hidden from the rode I went inside, pulling off the soaking rain coat as I went. I didn't mind being wet, but when you needed something done right, it helped to not be miserable.

The gang was scattered around with no real unity, except for Howard, Riley and Eve standing at the top of a ladder.

I walked over to a wall and sat down, pulling out my gun but not saying a word. This was how we lived, moving from place to place, always covering our tracks. Riley had stopped talking to me for the most part, and sometimes I was glad. The anger that she had I had given up long ago, and it didn't help to be near it again. Then there was Reg, who I know now that Riley loved, probably more than she ever had me, which again, was not a bad thing. All in all, I just kept quiet and did my best to keep us hidden. It wasn't the worst job I'd had.

Riley

I took as much of the money as I could and shoved it into the pockets of my coat. The rest, I put in a crate and dropped it down the ladder.

"This just made my life easier. I don't have to work with any of you on another heist," I said bluntly. I ignored Alis's glare, she knew what I meant. I accepted her from most of my comments. Whether she knew it or not was not of concern to me. I climbed back down the latter.

"All of you lot, get some sleep," I shot Maitea a look, "we are going to be up early." I had my reasons for this, but of course, I had to be challenged.

"Why on this bloody earth would we do that?" Tia asked, "It would be better for us to sleep later, and let the storm pass." Silly, silly, girl. Why didn't she just trust my judgement on something? She was being so stupid. I had far more experience being a leader than her. Obviously, I was right.

Tia

My stupid cousin refused to listen to logic, "I gave an order, Tia," she stormed off to inspect the rest of the warehouse. I rolled my eyes, and sat down, leaning against the wall.

I got up the nerve, and opened my mouth once I was sure she wasn't listening, "Riley wasn't always like this. I haven't seen her for some time, but I talked to her on the phone a few months ago. What happened to her?"

They all looked at me like I was crazy. Apparently, this was some sort of forbidden question. I sighed, and rolled my eyes again. Were they really this afraid of her? Or did they just not want to talk about it? This whole gang, if it could still be called a gang, was broken. The poorest excuse for a gang I had ever seen. I waited patiently for someone to answer.

Reg Carter Contains use of strong language and mild scenes of torture.

I was woken abruptly and ripped from my white-washed tin bed by two rough hands. They dragged me under my elbows out of the cell and down the main holding hall. A guard infront inputted a code into a small keypad and the door infront of him slid to the left, grinding across the base of the floor. The two guards next to me must've been pretty damn strong. I wasn't the heaviest of people, especially after being in here for two months, but I still carried quite a bit of body weight and assumed the guards were quite fit and healthy. It was practically impossible to make out much more than the white expanse around, with the odd movement of white block doors and that familiar grinding sound. I guess I should just thank the fact I hadn't gone mad; or atleast I hope I hadn't. There wasn't really anyway of telling, since it was so damn alien 'round here. I was the only prisoner. What kind of hell was this?

Eventually they dragged me into a room with one iron-cast hospital bed stationed in the middle. This time the floors were grey, surrounded by lengthy walls of steel and a ceiling of bright lights that seemed to be from decades ago. The uncomforting view of curdled blood rippled with stains of old prisoners all over the walls and floor was sickening, but I'd assumed it was another theatrical attempt to drive me mad. My eyes swirled and I momentarily blacked out as the heavy hands hulled me upon the hospital bed. As my eyes reopened to the bright lights, they shut instantly defending myself from the heavenly light of this deceptive hell. My thoughts smashed as I flickered my eyes open every so often to view a man walking closer and closer, covered in white overalls, his mouth hidden behind a green mask and his eyes far behind small binocular like things. In his gloved hands were tools, stained too with blood.

"This is fuckin' hygenic!" I yelled out as metal clasped my hands to the side of the hospital bed and I growled in pain as my feet were strung to the underside of the bottom of the bed. It wouldn't matter if they'd left me untied, I'd become so weak from the torture, it would be a lie to say I was anywhere near functioning properly, but hell, these bastards sure made sure I was awake whilst they messed about with me like some cheap rag doll.

The man in white overalls' face crunched up and implied an evil grin as he lifted the tools to my torso. "Time to play," he grinned and chuckled as the cold metal sliced through the first layer of my upper torso like he was playing with it, just to make the pain even worse. The slivering grinds against my flesh was the most hellish sound of all. For the first time in my life, I screamed.