OOC: Ok, here goes nothing

IC:


Harry laid in the dust, peering over the crown of the brown mound that was once a hill. A hill that was once covered in a blanket of soft grass, and bees buzzing around looking for pollen, that hill had once been a happy one, but that past was lost. Now harry gazes towards the blurred silhouette of the Warren, its outline undefined against the dull night sky.

"Soon, soon we'll be home again." Harry whispered to himself.

For the Warren was not his target, yet. Harry's gaze shifted to the left, to the next hill, where a hastily-made bunker was formed. That bunker contained soldiers of the Warren, and valuable intelligence, intelligence that Harry needed, and was going to get.

"Ryan, you are to stay here and provide sniper cover, don't let any of the escape, we don't need survivors telling the entire Warren military we're up here."

"Yes sir," was the reply, "I got your back."

"McHenry and Wagner, I want you going up the right side, I will take the left, move up, and stay hidden."

Harry and his soldiers snaked their way towards the lonely outpost atop the hill. Harry paused, his back against the sandbags that defined the only thing separating the soldiers inside from their untimely death. Harry could hear the clinking of glasses, and something else, something being poured into them? He couldn't be sure. But no matter, the men would be dead soon anyway.

"Sir, it's Wagner." His voice reverberated inside Harry's head.

"Go ahead."

"We are in position, I can identify 5 contacts, all sitting around a table, drinking."

"Ok, this will be easy, take them out on my count, 1....2....3......Engage."

Silenced gunfire ripped through the unsuspecting bodies of the soldiers, leaving a mess of tattered clothes, broken glass, and blood. Harry looked past the bodies of the soldiers, and noticed something he should have before, a tunnel, leading down, were there other hostiles down there? Did they hear us? No, that wasn't possible.

"McHenry, come with me, Wagner, stay here and cover our six, and radio to Ryan what happened."

Harry Clarke and David McHenry made their way down the dark, damp tunnel, that seemed to have no end. But ahead, was a bright light, they rushed to meet it, pausing only to check for hostiles, nothing. They emerged from the tunnel, and were greeted by what appeared to be an armory, or research facility, or, prison? it appeared to have jail cells along the left side, and in one of them....

"John? Your John aren't you?"

"Harry? What the [censored] are you doing here? Do you have a death wish?"

"I'm past wishing for death John, stand back, we're blasting you out."

McHenry placed the explosives on the lock, and watched as the cell door rattled back towards the dirt wall, it gave Harry a chance to look around, how did they get all this? They have enough weapons and ammunition to arm an entire battalion, and weapons that Harry had never seen before, he didn't understand.

"Sir, it's Ryan, you have a large force approaching from the North, I advise that you get your ass out of there."

"How many?"

"15+"

"[censored]. John, McHenry, get topside."

They sprinted into the stale air above, and Harry was unsure how to proceed. He called to Zoey.

"Zoey, it's Harry, we have captured a security outpost in the hills near the Warren, I'm sending the coordinates to you now. We have uncovered a large supply of weapons, ammunition, and technology, most of which are quite alien to me. However, we have a large force approaching from the North, we can hold them off, but doing so might draw a little too much attention, now i don't know what your plan is kid, but if your planning on taking the Warren by force, this is where you start, if not, tell me how I should proceed."

William stood before the massive crowd and prepared to begin. He tried to scan the crowds to see if his allies were embedded within but there were too people many to tell. He was a little nervous but he told himself not to be. Despite the great importance of it the debates were still highly informal and there was little in the way of the protocol they had to attend to. All that was needed was for him to

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we live in dark times, but through the years we have triumphed and shown the world that the human race is capable of surviving anything. However, we now face another crisis, with the death of our leader President Jessop we are left without a leader to protect us from the harsh atomic wasteland. We face the threat of being wiped off the face of the planet forever."

He let the thought of that sink in before he continued again, "My name is William Penn, and I will do whatever it takes to help ensure democracy once again returns to this safe haven. We have all worked hard for many years to build this city and I believe that we are on the edge of prosperity. In the words of a great president, 'We must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin the work of remaking America.' I promise to do everything in my power to make this city safe again and lead the weary people of America into a new golden age. No longer will we be content with simply surviving! We want our lives again!"

There were some cheers from the people and William hoped he had gotten their attention. "I am William Penn, and I say this, vote for me if you want to live!"

There would be enough time for mudslinging later. Building positive emotions was the priority.

~Ellis : Debate at Warren Theatre~

"Ah, then things were starting out tame. Very well." Ellis thinks to himself as William ends his speech.

"I cannot argue with much of anything William has said. These are dark times, no doubt. We have all lived through much. We have all pulled ourselves from the ash of this apocalypse and built ourselves a safe haven. We have all spent the last three years defending that safe haven from the Abu Nidal. They have been hard difficult years, have they not?"

He smiles bitterly, a quite useful expression really. Conveying amusemant and also some degree of sorrow. Quite useful indeed.

"Most of you know my name. I was a soldier in that war for many years. I have done difficult things to keep this place safe, things I will not speak of, for there are children present. I have struggled with what I have done, I have questioned myself, but looking upon you all...looking upon the safety that I, in some small way, helped to maintain while serving in Jessop's Army."

He smiles at the crowd and pauses a brief moment. He didn't need to finish that last sentence. The intention was clear. Sometimes you can say more by saying less and really he hasn't said a whole hell of a lot that William didn't say already.

"I know what it takes to secure a town. I can stop the crimes that our police forces have been incapable of putting an end to. It will not be easy, but it will be done. Even now my men, our men," he gestures toward the crowd, "are out there standing guard so that you may sleep easily this night."

"People of the Warren, since that traitor assassinated our great leader, Mr. Samuel Jessop, I have been that leader that has protected you from the harsh atomic wasteland Mr. Penn spoke of. I ask that you allow me to continue to do so. For those of you who do not know, once again, my name is Ellis. Like many of you I am the last of my family and so am proud to be known simply by that surname. Vote for me and allow me to continue to protect you, as I did under Jessop and as I will continue to do as his successor."

That ought to be just tame enough to not offend, but still plant seeds.

"Mr. Penn, I would like to suggest we take questions or topics from the crowd, what would you say to that?"

OOC: I'm Baa-ack!!! And with a character (well technically three, the other two ARE NOT TO BE KILLED). He be the sheet, post coming soon.

Name: Eli Jessop

Age: 29

Gender: Male

Race: Caucasian, Irish (on his mother's side, Lakota (on his father's side).

Appearance: Eli is a giant of a man, standing at a staggering height of 6 ft 4 in. He has quite a muscular build, both that of a body-builder and athlete, with numerous scars on his chest from knives, three bullet scars near his right pectoral, and lashes across his back.

He also has Celtic and Native American tattoos, his entire right arm is decorated by ornate Celtic designs and knots, colored dark green, white and orange like the Irish flag. His left pectoral has a Lakota design, a cougar's head with two arrows and a feather behind it, symbolizing stealth and marksmanship.

His face is actually quite handsome and strong looking, like his little brother, Samuel. He has grown a scruffy goatee and his hair hangs just above his shoulders, with a piece of cloth tying a couple locks of his hair together on the back of his head. His hair is brown, and his eyes are a deep silver color.

Personality: Generally a helpful, protective, and good friend to those who call him that. He will be loyal and helpful to those in great need. However, Eli has a darker side, the side of him that he used during many Delta Force operations in the USMC. The tattoo on his chest was inked on him in Anchorage because he was assigned to a sharpshooter squad. If you become Eli's enemy, don't even think about fighting back.

Skills: Eli is a remarkable shot with a rifle, pistol, or any ranged weapon you give him. In CQC, he has been trained in Muay-Thai, Baguazhang, and Krav Maga defense techniques, as well as using melee weapons. He can make explosives, know where and how to place them, and detonate at the right time. Also, one hell of a cook.

Weapons: http://bp3.blogger.com/_LWATvIMoPtw/R3eh4vCELNI/AAAAAAAAAyU/3rRCLmBCQyM/s200/ak47u.gif, used mainly as a secondary weapon. 2 http://www.uberti.com/firearms/images/1851_navy_lg.jpg, worn in holsters on his lower back, found in a house with an old gun collection. Finally, he carries an http://www.lawndartdesign.com/guns/EBR_mk4_1.jpg sniper rifle, the very same one he carried as a Delta. As well as two KA-BAR knives.

Clothing: His http://firstpersonshooters.net/Games/Metro%202033/images/concept%20art/1-ganza_.jpg, part military, part survivalist. Thick leather plates on the thighs and shins of his pants, and thick leather vambraces with metal plates on them.

Bio: Eli was born in Wichita, where he grew up with his younger brother Samuel and his parents. In his late teens he began to get into a lot of fights, most of which were finished and not started by him, as Eli was a very tolerant person until you pushed hard enough. Well, one night, someone pushed him two far. A drunk was trying to feel up Eli's 19 yr old fiance, Ana. The medical report said that Eli had broken 3 fingers and his wrist, and he shattered the man's jaw. Two years, and one baby daughter later, the now married Eli was tragically drafted into service. He had a choice though, and he chose the Marines, just like his grandfather. His service began in Canada, where he killed his first man. There was little resistance, but being new to warfare, Eli was captured by some hold-outs who whipped him and beat him.

In the night, his adrenaline pumped and the sedative they'd given him made him calm. He killed 17 men that night, some in their sleep, some wide awake. Eli hiked through snow, alpines, and rocky hillocks to get back to his encampment. After hearing the story of his escape and feats of combat and stealth, he was promoted to Captain and transferred over to the Delta Force unit, leading his own team. Years went by, Eli's wife Ana got letters from him every month. It pained him to not be able to see his daughter grow, or kiss and hold his wife. At Anchorage, Eli played a key role by clearing a Red compound and sabotaging a weapons and armored vehicle storage unit, meant to overrun the Marines. He also conducted a solo operation, sneaking into a Chinese Base Camp and slitting the throat of a key officer who was responsible for extraordinary tactics against the American forces.

But it all went wrong during the final act of liberating Anchorage. As he was crossing the field with the rest of the platoons, gunfire rained down on them. They all took cover, and Eli managed to make a break for the wall. He chucked a C4 Charge on the wall and dove into a snowbank, but not before catching a few bullets to the right side of his chest. He detonated the charge and the rest of the American force rushed in. Anchorage was liberated. Eli was sent home with an honorable discharge, as well as many medals.

As he was on a train back to Wichita, coming down from North Dakota, he noticed planes in the sky. But they didn't look familiar. The bombs fell as the train entered a Nebraskan station. Hell and scorched Earth was all around Eli. He only survived because he managed to barricade himself in the thick concrete cellar of the train station, along with two other soldiers he knew, Nikolai and Markus. Both were Marines as well, Nikolai was a SAW gunner, and Markus was an Assault specialist. After a few weeks, they emerged. All of them still had their gear, as well as their weapons and ammunition. They were allowed to carry them because the Military declared a state of Marshal Law for fear of the impending holocaust. They traveled for weeks, finally making it to Wichita, KS. Eli and his two comrades found rations and some other guns, notably the Navy revolvers.

Then Eli went to his own house on College Hill. It wasn't completely demolished. Inside he found a cast-iron lock-box with a note inside, telling Eli that his wife Ana had managed to get into a nearby Vault with their daughter Jacqueline (or just Jackie). Eli searched for almost 2 years, but didn't know the location of the Vault. He had heard rumors from other survivors that a large town had been built by the old Warren theater, perhaps they knew of some of the Vaults, or maybe Ana and Jackie were there already. But what shocked Eli the most was how the Warren was founded, and who had founded it. His little brother, Samuel.

Now Eli, Nikolai, and Markus make their way to the Warren, hoping to find safety... and the family he thought he'd never see again.

OOC: I'm unfortunately not going to have internet anymore until February, (most of the time), so this is my last post until then. I'll be posting MUCH more frequently (with longer posts) and will try and integrate with the larger story.

ALISTAIR SATURDAY TRIES TO FIND HIS WAY TO THE WARREN.

Why were there so many raiders around these days? Those two got their blood all over my boots. Although, red certainly looks better than the green tinge they'd had ever since he waded through that sludge eight days ago. Alistair sighed and put away his knife. Where the hell was the Warren anyway? It probably wasn't that way but... Ugh. Alistair decided that perhaps he'd just have to find his own way there. And then Murrows would be able to fix him up. If he was still alive. And if the Warren hadn't be crushed into rubble. He consulted his street map... "Green Street? Hmm... It's probably somewhere to the east of here... but there's no way to be sure..."

He turned down another street finding only rubble in his path. A lot of it. He couldn't climb over it because of his leg, but... a manhole was in front of him. "Heh, the sewers, of course. Although, that's probably not a good idea for a man who has a brittle leg and could have a heart attack at ANY SECOND! But I guess there's no other way..." He strained so get the manhole cover off and climbed slowly and carefully down the ladder. The electrics worked down here, interestingly enough. You'd think the generator would've blown a fuse by now... "Ugh, stay focused Alistair," He said to himself, "Anything could be lurking down here in the dark..."

OOC: Okay then, first post for a LONG time.

Eli, Markus, and Nikolai: Near the Wichita Orpheum Theatre ((its a Big place where orchestras and plays are held))

"Well hell." Eli said, his fingers tapping on the side of his EBR. "Used to be a nice building," he was staring at the massive columns that had collapsed, and the massive blast hole in the main entrance, "Bombs didn't do this, someone else did." Markus concurred. Nikolai looked around, he knew they were being watched, so did Eli and Markus. "Get behind the cars," Eli ordered, Markus and Nikolai did so, Nikolai taking position and making sure his SAW was in place and ready. Markus crawled underneath a US army truck, checking his M4 with an M203 grenade launcher attachment. Eli took position inside a bus, also checking each of his weapons. Suddenly, a vice called out from inside a building across the road. It was raspy and filled with nothing but violence.

"We have twenty and you have three! You dumb [censored]'s don't stand a chance, give us all your gear and maybe you can get a quick bullet to the brain." At this, sounds of rasping laughter came from inside the building, along with taunts and even a few warning shots. That's all it took for Eli to give the order. He nodded to Nikolai, then made a gesture to Markus, pointing towards the building that (he assumed) was filled with ghoul raiders, common in these parts. He closed a fist then opened it up quickly, like an explosion. Markus nodded.

"Open fire!" Yelled Eli, he took the first shot, hitting a ghoul he saw through a window, then dropped another as it ran out the door spraying bullets. More came crashing through the windows and rotted doors, that's when Nikolai opened fire. The recoil from his SAW shook then dust on the ground. Round after smoking round pounded the ghouls' "stronghold". Markus then let fly his 40mm grenade. It blasted open a wall and body parts came flying out. Eli shouldered his rifle and jumped from the bus, now pulling his revolvers and ducking behind a car. "Markus, cover me! Nikolai, suppress the upper floor." They did as they were ordered, Eli sprinted across the large street, leaping and bounding over obstacles, dropping a few ghouls along the way with quick fire from his pistols. "Advance!" Ordered Eli as he crouched against the buildings wall. The other two quickly sprinted to his position.

"N-no more, I give up!" A raspy and pained voiced called out from inside the building, "My boys are dead. I give up." He spoke again. Eli went in first, he saw what appeared to be the ghoul leader, laying on the ground with shrapnel in his leg and a bullet in his shoulder. Eli cocked the hammer of one of his revolvers, holstering the other and pulling a knife. He knelt beside the wounded ghoul, "Now, you're gonna tell me exactly what I want to know, and maybe you'll die a painless death, or by all means we could blow off your knees and leave you." The ghoul looked terrified as he looked at Eli, clad in his gear, the gas mask he wore gave him a frightening appearance,

"What d'ya wanna know." Asked the ghoul, out of breath. "Where is the Warren, and who leads it?" At this, the ghoul gave a raspy, coughing laugh, "Well, some guy named Jessop ran it, 'til he was murdered. The place is just east of here." Eli couldn't believe what he'd heard, his little brother was dead, not just dead, murdered. "Thanks for the info." Eli shot the ghoul three times and walked back outside.

"Well?" Inquired Nikolai. "Sam's been murdered, Warren's east o' here. Come on, we have some questions that need answering." They all nodded, looted some of the corpses for ammo and such. then set out east.

The Warren was their destination.

Now the debate was moving into the part where he would get his chance to hit at Ellis. "A fine suggestion Mr. Ellis, I believe I will choose a citizen and answer his or her question. William scanned the crowd for a citizen who he had planted to ask the questions he wanted. It was hardly fair but it was the only way he could avoid giving any reason to get back at him.

There were many faces amongst the crowd and for a moment William thought that he would really just have to pick another citizen. Suddenly his eyes passed over a a man wearing a conspicuous red cap. That was the signal he was looking out for! Upon closer inspection William confirmed that it was indeed his agent. He spoke out and pointed towards him.

"How about you! Over there in the red cap. Lets see what you have to say sir."

The man cleared his throat with a nervous cough then shouted back out. "Uh, yeah I have a question Mr. Ellis! You have my full support and I mean no disrespect but who gave you the authority to take over the government after Samuel's death? Couldn't the city council have had taken over the duty of taking care of the city? I think we all deserve an answer, so that we know what kind of man we're voting for."

It was actually a fairly simple question but one that would hopefully light a spark of dissent against Ellis. Of course, it could just as easily be countered by a smart answer. William hoped that Ellis would begin to go on the defensive but it was doubtful that Ellis would crack after the first question.

~Mr. Ellis and Mr. Penn Engaged in Debate~

Hmm. Ellis wonders at the question so readily available, and the rather distinct red hat. A plant? It was possible, but was William that clever? He rather doubted it, but that didn't mean it wasn't so. Perhaps he had underestimated the man. He would have to try to put his pride aside in the future lest it lead to his fall.

He holds a finger up, signaling to give him just a moment to answer. He returns to his thoughts instead, trusting himself to come up with a decent enough answer on the spot.

William really had rolled with the punches well. He had hoped to simply brush him aside as he became an irritance, but it looked like the man had no intentions of lying down and letting Ellis run the show. It was annoying, but he had to admire the man just the same.

"That, good sir, is a fine question. First off thank you for your support, these are trying times and we all need to be able to come together. That said, I suppose no one gave me the authority to take over this government following the untimely death of Mr. Jessop."

Admit to a bit of wrongdoing and follow it up with a justification, a touchy feely one whenever possible.

"As the head, after Mr. Jessop of course, of the Warren Military I considered it my duty to bring his murderer to justice and immediately sought her arrest. Unfortunately she eluded me."

He dons an expression of sorrow and anger, it is quite easy to slip on really because in this case the feelings are legitimate though their source is not what he has inferred it to be.

"When I came back The Warren was falling apart with the loss of it's dear leader and his betrayal at the hands of one of the founders of the town. The city council had failed to act and so I took the responsibility on mine own shoulders to protect this town from outside,"

as he continues he ever so slightly closes one side of his mouth so as to direct the sound toward William,

"and inside,"

he returns to normal,

"influences."

The answer seemed to be sufficient for some of the crowd, more than sufficient for others, and decidedly less than sufficient for another portion. Ellis probably should have known that would be the outcome, but he had held hope that perhaps it might please the entirety of the crowd. He had hoped for a standing applause and was met instead with clapping, guffaws, and a bit of silent acknowledgment. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst he guesses.

"Ok, I trust my answer is to you satisfaction sir," he gives the man a second to respond to the contrary but continues on quickly to avoid giving the man time to truly think up a response.

"I will pick the next of our fine citizens I suppose....let's see....."



OOC:
I don't want this to prevent others from posting, so if any other posters have a character who is at the debate and have a question feel free to post it. You can just start the question out having Ellis pick your character (or a temporary made up citizen if your character is not currently at the debate) as the next person to ask his/her question....or you can have your character speak up and ask his/her question without being called on if you prefer. The question can be directed at both of them or one of them, however you prefer.

As Zoey walked towards the Warren dust kicked up around her feet, it was silent in the darkening sky. Zoey’s earpiece connected to her radio started picking up static, stopping she pressed two fingers to her right ear as more static crackled, she could then start hearing what appeared to be Harry’s voice

"Zoey, it's Harry, we have captured a security outpost in the hills near the Warren, I'm sending the coordinates to you now. We have uncovered a large supply of weapons, ammunition, and technology, most of which are quite alien to me. However, we have a large force approaching from the North, we can hold them off, but doing so might draw a little too much attention, now i don't know what your plan is kid, but if your planning on taking the Warren by force, this is where you start, if not, tell me how I should proceed."
Zoey was shocked, this kind of recklessness reminded her of Dan, She spoke quickly into the radio

“What the hell Harry! I said recon only! You don’t need to send me the co-ordinates I know that bunker exists, what sort of special ops soldier would be if I didn’t know about the Warrens military positions, hell if you go one mile east from there you’ll come across another bunker that’s armed as well.”

Zoey looked over in the direction if the bunker Dan was in, she couldn’t see it but she knew where it was

“No, pull back and disengage I don’t want the Warrens military personnel hurt they are not our enemy, Ellis is the military just do as their told. Like I said recon the warren and find out if Ellis has hired mercenaries if he has find out where they are based and inform, Zoey out” Zoey cursed under her breath and carried on towards the Warren.

~Warren Citizen~


Ellis pointed towrds him

"I appreciate what you are saying Mr Ellis, but Zoey fought in the war as well, just as hard if not harder than any other soldier why would she betray us? and all there is as proof she murdered Samuel is your word what fact is there to prove Zoey's guilt? who else can back up your claim besides Stane? seeing as he is one of your closest military personell? who else can vouch for your claim!"

~Ellis With Tightly Clenched Teeth~

"****," Ellis thinks to himself, marking the citizen who had asked the question in his mind.

"Little bastard, little plant bastard, you'll pay for this"

"Ah," he answers with a bit of a smile, "I sense you've been waiting to ask that "question" haven't you? Alright then, no secrecy here friend."

He takes a step forward, imagining himself pulling Dan's old pistol out and putting a round or two in this little ****.

"I don't know why she betrayed us, you'd have to ask her yourself but she's ran into hiding, hardly the actions of an innocent. I can only assume she killed him because she wanted his position, but again, you would have to ask her yourself. As for proof,"

He shrugs at this,

"I suppose you simply have to look at what has happened and decide things for yourself. I saw it with my own eyes, I know what happened, but I can hardly show you what I saw now can I? I wish there had been others to witness it, perhaps then Zoey would not have gotten out, but that's not how things played out."

He pauses a moment, looking into the crowd at the man who had asked the question, he fights to keep his expression pained instead of reverting to the mad rage that is burning a hole in his gut.

"I do not know why you hold Zoey in such high esteem and my friend Stane and I in such low esteem. We saw what happened and in the wake we, along with William here, have done what we could to rebuild The Warren after such a tragic loss. I hardly think it fair for you to question Stane's honesty based on his military service. What have you done sir?"

He gives the man a second to respond, but interrupts before the man can respond. It's quite a fun little strategy. Just long enough to infer that the man had time to respond, but not enough for him to actually do so.

"No, but I apologize. It is William and I that are up here, and it is your right to question us as you please, and it is only natural that events such as those we have so recently experienced will bring up some hostility."

He turns to William and continues, smiling wide for all to see,

"William, would you like to take the next question?"

OOC:
Again, anyone who wants to have their character ask a question is welcome to do so if that character is present, if not feel free to create a temporary character as Venix did to ask a question. It can still be to one or both of us, hard ball or soft ball.

OOC: sorry for the short and very unexciting post

IC: As Zoey walked towards the warren she could hear some commotion in the place
“That’l be some good cover” Sneaking down one of the side walls to the Warren she began gently kicking the walls until a loose panel moved, swinging it to the side she snuck into a darkened ally of the Warren.

Darting around the streets as to avoid guards on patrol Zoey finally made it to the police headquarters. Sneaking round the back she scrambled on to the roof of the small house next to the police station. Leaning over she slowly slid open the window of the WPF station and jumped through, as blind luck had it she was in Williams office. Grabbing a piece of paper and a pen she quickly scribbled a note

William its Zoey, I need to know what is going on inside this place if you can get the information to me I will be at the Notah tribe, you should know where that is.
Zoey

Zoey stuck the note to the back of the door, so that hopefully when William came back to the office and closed the door he’d see it. Climbing back out the window and down to the street she traced her steps back through the town and exited through the same hole closing it afterwards.
Jogging back through the wastes she made it back to the warmth of the Notah camp fire.

William smiled as Ellis began to take a string of punishing questions one after another. However it appeared that Ellis was able to keep a straight face as he appeared to be genuinely concerned for the people of the Warren. Now it was his turn, hopefully the people did not have any reason to criticize him in any way. His public image must remain untarnished.

"Thank you Mr. Ellis, Now if anyone has any questions for me I'll be more than happy to answer them. I have great plans for the Warren, we have everything we need right here in the Warren to help rebuild our once great city. I will set new economic policies and devote all of our resources to restore and construct new facilities that will someday allow us to rise to the top industrial power in the region."

Of course even if everything did go according to plan it might even take a long time before they could ever reach a point where supplies would no longer be a constant concern. That was not for the people to hear of course, what they needed was some inspiring works to get the cogs of industry to start turning again.

"Now if there are any questions or concerns that you have please tell us now. The sooner we hear about a problem then the sooner it can be fixed."

William looked through the crowd to see if there were anyone who might speak up. He found a man wearing a checkered scarf standing in the crowd with a BAR slung over his back. Ah this is perfect, an outsider, who is unlikely to know enough about the Warren to ask any difficult questions.

"How about you sir? In the red checkered scarf, do you have any concerns that you wish to voice?"

Something about the man was familiar though, perhaps it was the way he dressed but William could have sworn that he had once faced that man on the battlefield. However, the Abu Nidal were no more, whoever this man was, William didn't care. His subordinates would've already marked him down for arrest if he was a security threat. For now, he was just another citizen of the Warren.

Ali - The Warren Debate

The crown listened and carefully asked questions, the two men, Ellis and William both answering them as they could. It seemed though, Ellis was the one the people were interested in more, or at least questioned the most. When he spoke, he gave Ali a history of what had happened to the Warren after the war, how it had all come to be when the war with his Abu Nidal brothers and sisters came to a bloody and tragic end. But Ali couldn’t feel sorry, he had no sympathy for these people. For as much trouble and chaos the Abu Nidal sent to the Warren, the Abu Nidal got just as much back, and in that case, a bloody and ruthless war had taken place between the two sides. Thoughts of the war flew through Ali’s mind, remembering back to the soldiers that stood around him, and how just a couple years ago, they would have shot him without thinking twice about it, and he them.

But suddenly Ali was taken from his memories and thought, when he realized that the crowd around him was eyeing him, looking at him, waiting for him to say something? He didn’t realize that William had asked a question, or more, asked if he had a question for the two.

“What’d he say?” Ali asked, glancing at a little man who was partly bald near him.

“He asked if you had a question?” The man replied, looking at Ali like the others. The stare frightened Ali a bit, like a stare someone would give another if they had figured them out. Hopefully the people of the Warren weren’t that clever, and William was just asking him out of a random bout of chance.

“Uh . . .” Ali started, tapping his fingers along his B.A.R., trying to think of a question to ask. “Uh . . . yeah, I guess I’ve got a question?” Ali cleared his throat a bit, he always got a bit caught up when put on the spot with a crowd like this. “I can’t think of anything,” he finally said, shrugging with his B.A.R across his shoulders. “Sorry, I got nothin’ . . .” and then it hit him, the question he was going to ask. Like a light bulb going off above his head, the question came. “Oh, wait, I got one. What about protection? Defending from those scattered Raiders and Slavers in Wichita?”

Ali shrugged a bit, not sure if it was the best question to ask, but it would give him a bit of an idea on how the Warren might deal with people such as Rudi-bar and others. The question probably wasn’t the best, but seeing how he was almost in a new place, it was the best he could do. Ali stood there, waiting for the question to be answered.

~Ellis~

Fantastic

"Tell you what William, I took the others, I'll go ahead and take this one too, you can have the day off" Ellis says his smile beginning to return.

"You don't look too familiar sir, you just coming here to visit?" He questions the man in a friendly manner.

"Well I'll be honest friend, we're not as strong at the moment as we once were. Yes yes, it's true. It's not good news and it's not something I'm happy to say, but it's the truth and the truth is always the right thing to say."

Delightful

"I've heard a bit about this, raiders and slavers, mostly the latter from what I've heard, have been popping up around Wichita. I'll tell you what sir you probably don't know this since you don't know me," he pauses for a second before turning directly toward Ali.

"My name's Ellis by the way, and I spent the last several years protecting The Warren and the farms that support us from the Abu Nidal. Now I watched a lot of friends die and I killed a lot of men. I'm not ashamed of it, I'm not always proud of it either, but I'm glad I done it." Curious, he had seemed to take a bit of a twang in his speech, have to keep an eye on that.

"I led my men through hell and high water, those Abu Nidal men they were some smart bastards. You can say what you want about them, but they weren't stupid, those boys had some fight in 'em." It was true. It had been hell. Those boys weren't stupid and they had certainly had some fight in them.

"I led my men through all the blood and dirt and smoke and brought them all right back here to The Warren. I can't promise you that you will always be one hun'red percent safe here. There's danger within the Warren too," he says gesturing toward William with just enough motion to capture attention.

"But I can promise you that I and every last one of my men will die before we let those raiding, slaving, sons of ***** take The Warren. I didn't go through that nightmare to let a bunch of wild, hooligan, raider ****s take my home."

He catches himself now, having perhaps become a bit too inflamed. He had done some bad things to get where he was, but the ends justified the means, and he meant to keep it that way. The tragic loss of Mr. Jessop had been necessary to allow him to protect The Warren...it had been a sacrifice on both their parts...but it was justified as long as Ellis kept The Warren safe. If he failed, well then he was nothing but a murderer.

"I'm sorry sir, I'm sorry y'all," **** the twang was still there, "I got a bit emotional there." He looks just a bit embarrassed now.

"Sorry kiddos, I know I shouldn't be using that language."

Won't someone please think of the children?

"To answer your question sir, The Warren is right about the safest place you'll find in Wichita and I mean to keep it that way. I believe with hard work we can make this town something to last the ages...but it's going to take a lot of hard work and sacrifice. I've never been one to let another man do that work whilst I stand idly by, it might be a long time before we get back to where we was,"

Dammit

"But we're taking them first steps now and I say we just keep right along going."

He pauses for a moment, his answer complete, and calms himself down. He's going to have to thank that man for the question later, although not in quite such a direct way. It had allowed him to capitalize on his clearest strengths, manpower and firepower.

*PHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS*
*Crackle*

"Huh, hold on a second."

Ellis pulls a small device off the front of his shirt, holding it up to his face and listening. After a moment he speaks into it quickly.

"We're on the way."

He turns to the crowd.

"Everyone in your homes, we are under attack. I repeat go to your homes, lock the doors, we are under attack."

He turns to the newcomers amongst them,

"Guests of The Warren, I apologize for this, but it is in your best interests to seek shelter either in the Warren Theatre behind us or in the Police Administration building to my right. Right now I gotta go."

He motions to his men, six of whom immediately fall in behind him.

"William, you're welcome to come with us. One of our units, the one at the Overlook, has failed to respond to radio communications and shots had been heard. Dampened shots, I think you know what that means."

He sets out quickly with his men, pausing a moment to give William time to join in.

It's got to be that little ***** Zoey. Well we'll see how Mr. Penn feels when we're gathering bodies again.

Eli, Markus, and Nikolai were cresting the hillside that led to the Warren. A few shots were heard and immediately the ex-Deltas made ready. Eli held his AK47u at his shoulder, scanning the area. "Markus, go ahead and do a sweep, Nikolai and I will flank around those rocks." Markus nodded and set off in a crouched run, his rifle at the ready. Nikolai and Eli sprinted around a large outcropping of boulders, climbing and jumping from one the next as they finally made it around. Markus was waiting for them, he was looking in another direction. "What is it, man?" Eli questioned, Markus pointed in the direction of a form running across the distant wasteland. Taking the scope off his EBR, Eli made out the shape of a young woman. Suddenly, he heard shouts coming from the direction of the Warren, they sounded like orders were being made.

"Lets follow her." Eli said, Nikolai gave him a questioning look and asked, "But I thought you wanted to find out more about your brother. How the hell do we know who she is or what she did to piss off those men in their?" Nikolai's question made sense, but Eli had a feeling in his gut that he needed to find this girl, maybe she knew something. Judging by her uniform, that of the British Special Air Service, she was no common thug. "No, we're following her. Let's get a move on." Markus and Nikolai exchanged glances as if to say ,Here we go.

The three men raced across the barren landscape, all the while keeping up with the tracks of the girl Eli had spotted. Eventually they came up over another hill, and what they saw was puzzling. It looked like a small settlement of some kind, men and woman were milling about, some cooking and whatnot. Most of them had weapons. Cautiously they moved towards the village, the nearby people immediately gave them strange, almost frightened stares. Eli removed his helmet and ski-mask. That's when he saw the girl, sitting by a fire.

"You!" Eli shouted accidentally. "Who are you? And what do you know of the Warren?"

William could clearly tell that Ellis was enjoying himself. Cutting others off at will and stealing the questions were quite immature and he was surprised that no one had called him out on it yet. It looked the debate was going to head for a draw soon. Ellis had managed to hold on to a good amount of people but William had found himself now with many more supporters as well. The situation wasn't ideal for both sides but it wasn't bad. No one's pride had been destroyed yet.

Suddenly Ellis received a report from his radio and in a second the once calm and civilized debate grounds became quite chaotic. Though the evacuation of the main square proceeded fairly well though there were many citizens who were concerned at the prospect of being attacked again. They had thought that the last of their troubles from the outside world had ended. William was also quite concerned as well.

He suspected it was Zoey's rebels but at the same time he was still gripped by the fear that it could be a major outside threat. If it was a rebel attack then he would just have to go along and hope that the rebels retreated before they arrived. He would have to take a squad of Enforcers along in order to make sure Ellis didn't try anything.

As he headed off along with Ellis he shouted out to the evacuating civilians, "Have no fear! The two greatest minds of the Warren are on the job and I say this: No matter who's in charge of the Warren no one, and I do mean NO ONE will ever get through these walls again!"

Hopefully the civilians would buy that, he was beginning to suspect that the people believed they had to make a choice between the police or the military. He had to make it clear to them sometime that there would be no compromise in security or manpower by electing either candidates.

"Mr. Ellis, I'll take a squad of Enforcers with me on this one. Whatever the problem is, I hope we can set aside our differences to secure the safety of the Warren," If they were fighting rebels William had no intention of pursuing them, but if they were fired at they would have no choice but to fire back as well.

Vincent Reins - Notoh Tribe Campfire

"Afternoon Vincent, you've been asleep awhile,we'll catch up in a moment", she said before refocusing her attention on a very well armed stranger. Vincent was uninterested in what they were discussing so he sat down by the fire. Staring into the heart of the flames relieved some of Vincent's anxiety and brought him a degree of peace. Still ignoring the conversation going on behind him, Vincent grabbed a few pieces of nearby timber throwing them onto the fire causing the flame to rise. Content Vincent watched the fire burn for an extended time when he finally stopped he noticed Zoey had left.

Getting up Vincent wondered where Zoey had gone as the sun had completely disappeared from view and the moon had taken it's place high in the night sky. Leaving the fire to relive himself Vincent returned to his hovel strapping on his colts as he felt out of place without them on his person. He also grabbed his tankard which he deposited in the fold of his inner jacket pocket. Upon his return to the fire he saw Zoey walking up.

Removing his shades he walked over to Zoey. "Zoey what exactly is happening? We have strangers in camp but what's worse is you just vanished from camp earlier without a word." Hanging his head,"I know I've been an emotional wreck since we got here and I haven't exactly been too helpful. Nonetheless I'd still like to be kept in the loop."

Ali - The Warren


As the crowds scattered, fleeing to their homes and place they could seek shelter and safety, Ali watched with a bit of a hidden smile, looking to see the fear that the Abu Nidal had left in the hearts and minds of the people living in the Warren. Sure he wasn’t apart of the Abu Nidal anymore, but the memories of his time with them made him proud when he saw the fear that his old friends and organization had caused. In away, it was sick, but to Ali he could relish in the fear that the people of the Warren showed.

Then, before turning to see William and Ellis speaking about the problem, Ali turned and looked towards the direction of the inn Madeline was at. He knew if he left, she’d be alright, staying in the room like he had told her. But just incase, he hurried to the inn, B.A.R in hand incase there was an attack on the Warren itself, and not just some little observation post. He quickly hurried in, the owner sitting there looking at Ali as he blew through the door, running down towards Madeline and his room.

“Madeline?” Ali asked in a raised tone, hurrying down the hall. “Madeline!”

The door to the room opened slowly, and quietly, with a piece of jerky in her mouth, Madeline stepped out and smiled at Ali, walking back in as she tore the jerky with her teeth.

“What’s going on out there, Ali? I heard a bunch of noise.”

“Don’t worry about it, just stay in here, I’ll be back in a minute. I’m gonna check what’s going on, don’t open the door like I said, alright?”

Madeline nodded and ate the rest of her jerky, looking out the window to which the memorial for Treacher’s Ranch stood.

“Ali, what’s that out there? That large thing by that ranch?”

Ali looked at Madeline confused, grabbing a couple extra boxes of ammo before walking over to her, and peering out the window. When he saw what she was talking about, Ali’s hidden smile became quite apparent. Madeline smiled too, thinking it was probably something good, something that anyone could smile at, but of course, she was wrong, and Ali quickly grabbed his binoculars to check it out.

“It’s a memorial, a large plaque they put up after the war. Over there’s where it all started really, where Warren and Abu Nidal first made contact.”

Madeline raised a brow, too young and too ignorant to know what Ali could be talking about. She had obviously been else where when the war broke out, and couldn’t have known or heard about the war between the two. On as large a scale as it was, the news about it was quite small, especially in parts where Ali had traveled after the war, and had asked about the war to others who were just as ignorant to the fact as Madeline.

“Stay here, I’ll be back in a bit, I’m gonna go see what’s happening with the Warren. Anyone comes knocking, you don’t answer the door. If they try and get in, hurry out the window.”

Madeline nodded and Ali patted her head, leaving the room and quickly closing the door behind him. When he walked out, the owner was standing in the hall, looking at him with her hands at her hips.

“What’s all the commotion out there?”

“Apparently some of the Warren’s military was attacked, people are told to stay in doors. I’d advise you do so yourself.” Ali said passing the old woman, not giving her a second glance. The lady nodded though, as if Ali was looking at her, looking down the hall before Ali left completely.

Back outside, people were still hurrying around. It wasn’t complete chaos, but fear was in the air, and Ali could smell it well. He smiled at the fact, remembering the times he’d done small little raids during the war against the people of the Warren, striking the fear of the night in their hearts. But of course, this was nearer to the end of the war, when the Abu Nidal had stopped trying to reason with the people of the Warren, and instead began seeing them as the enemy as well, when their efforts to grab them from underneath the Warren forces became a waste of time and effort. A lot of people died because of that fact, and Ali was one of many to pull the trigger on those who they raided and killed so nobody would forget what the Abu Nidal was truly capable of as an enemy.

Quickly, Ali moved through the crowds of people, knocking some of them down to get out of his way. He wasn’t trying to be rude, he was just in a hurry to get moving. Instead of heading back to where William and Ellis were, Ali turned before a diner, hurrying into the shadows and keeping himself hidden. He carefully looked around, spotting Ellis and William there with some men of theirs. He would stealthily follow them to the outpost, see what the problem was, just as he had tracked his prey so many times before, during the war.

Zoey sat on the log bench as Sarah sat next to her

“So, what did you do?” Sarah inquired to Zoey, She turned and looked at her but before she could comment a voice came from the other direction

“You! Who are you? And what do you know of the Warren” A man’s voice shouted from behind her, in one quick fluid movement Zoey stood up, spun round and pointed her rifle at the man. She quickly assessed the situation; the man looked like he meant no harm. Lowering her rifle but still holding it with her finger on the trigger in case it was needed she responded

“You might wanna be careful sneaking up on people like that, next time someone might pull the trigger. Me? I’m Zoey 22nd new S.A.S regiment and this is my second in command Sarah and who might you be?” Zoey looked the man in the eyes, he had taken of what appeared to be a ski mask

“We were the special forces unit for the warren before we were forced to run from the place, I was one of the original founders of the place. Now what do I know of it? Well its being run by a murderer, Ellis. He shot a close friend of mine, he was like a brother to me. Ellis then blamed it on me and my unit so we have had to flee the place” Zoey’s voice turned cold, she hated Ellis, She’d never truly hated anyone before. But inside she didn’t care what happened to Ellis, no matter how bad. Not only had he murdered close friends, he has torn apart the lives of Zoey and her unit a second time, the first time their lives where taken where when the bombs fell

“Ellis now run’s the place, he’s a murderer and most likely a dictator. The man he murdered? Samuel Jessop was his name, the town’s leader. He was a good man and like a brother to me. Now we are trying to form a resistance to try and get the Warren back from his control.”

“Zoey what exactly is happening? We have strangers in camp but what's worse is you just vanished from camp earlier without a word. I know I've been an emotional wreck since we got here and I haven't exactly been too helpful. Nonetheless I'd still like to be kept in the loop” Vincent’s voice piped up

“We are figuring out how to get the Warren back and clear our names. Sorry I snuck into the Warren and left a message for William, you could of asked Sarah she knew where I was” Zoey placed a hand on Vincent’s shoulder and returned to her normal self, warm and comforting

“We will keep you in the loop, it’s okay I understand how you feel but we’ll be all right. I’m jus talking to our new guests here then we can figure out what to do next” Zoey gave Vincent a reassuring smile, whether it was or not to him Zoey didn’t know but she tried she then turned back to the newcomer

“So, anything else you want to know or can we find out who you are?”

Eli turned his head, a small tear ran down his cheek as his fists clenched white with anger. He now knew who he was after, why, and where to find the bastard. He walked forward, Nikolai and Markus stayed back, knowing their friend. "Pleasure to meet you Zoey. My name's Eli... Eli Jessop. Samuel was my brother. I came to find answers about his death." Eli didn't have much to say at that point, he had no family left as far as he knew. His father had most likely died, since he was in Washington at the time the bombs fell. His mother had died when he was much younger. Now he knew his younger brother, whom he loved more than anything in the world, had been murdered in cold blood. His hate, his loss, his sorrow. It was all boiling inside of him, soon more tears came into his eyes.

"Can you tell me more about the men who killed my brother? Where they sleep? Their routines, officers, close friends," His jaw clenched as he spoke the last word, "Do they have family?"

In all of his misery at that point, he'd almost forgotten about his wife and young daughter. It then hit him that he DID have something more to live for. When this woman, Zoey, had told Eli of Samuel's death, he had only the plan of walking into the Warren and destroying the lives of those who had destroyed what was left of his. But now his inner warrior and man meshed together. "I have another question, I have a wife and daughter. Ana is my wife, and Jackie my daughter. If you know anything of them, please tell me." In all of this, Eli had forgotten just about damn near everything around him.

He was in a strange camp, with strangers, and his two friends were behind him probably wondering what the hell was going on. "I'm sorry, you know my name already." He stood straight and tried his best to look like a soldier, "Eli Jessop, Captain of the 223rd Delta Force regiment, USMC. These men behind me are the last of the squad that infiltrated Anchorage, Nikolai and Markus." He indicated each of them.

"So, any plans for the men who have brought us all together in this situation?"

While she ambled a slight distance from the borders of the Warren, no longer linking arms with her robotic friend for the sake of not being any more noticeable than she already was by being in close proximity to a robot and a citizen of the community, Kathy had been both quietly glancing toward the debate and the edge of the location with an underlying hint of curiosity. The debate even seemed like a time to gain some answers in a more indirect way, as her thoughts wandered on the topic more and more, from that Ellis guy. Maybe even William, though he was far easier to contact in general. The debate held the bitter reality of limitations-Kathy understood inquiring things questioning their authority or pointing out problems they didn't want to discuss would make it far difficult to gain more detailed and less politically influenced answers if she could catch either in person. That was, under the suggestion that they weren't political a** holes outside the official political arena, outside of the public eye.

Yet it wasn't more than a few questions later that something interrupted and killed the planned event entirely; incinerating any possibility to participate in the debate through personal inquiries. As panic ensued, Kathy's almost absolutely mellow attitude became consumed by a sort of concern and frustration-a need to better understand what had just happened. Obviously some event of violence, but that wasn't exactly a lot of information. It seemed that, thus far, the young woman's world had been enveloped in ignorance-or perhaps, more likely, just the recognition of it's overwhelmingly large presence. Either way, it caused her brows to deepen and wrinkle near the center of her face, generating a mild look of anger and an even more noticeable look of pondering.

Suddenly a mumble slipped under her breath, to be heard under the group, "I'm not sure if there's a better time to go than now."

Despite the fact that few, if any, were abusing their voices to abuse others' ears, a sort of soft din grew from the majority speaking in surprise, worry, and the like. Kathy amplified the volume of her voice to an extent that could continue to be comprehended by her company. "I don't know if the guards will be diligently guardin' the place once all this is over or not, and I don't think you two can both be able to be as quiet as me, or look as normal as me." The brunette didn't really know what Johnny's ability in stealth was, but underestimating seemed like the safer decision, if anything. As for Mirvin, he had the very unfortunate position of being a Protectron-and thus probably was often as noticeable as firecrackers unless in a large, swarming and congested crowd. Which he couldn't manage to be at all times.

"And Zoey might want an update, actually."

Personally? Half, or nearly half, of the girl wanted to smoothly, swiftly slip out of the place and just do her part of the job now. There was no requirement to remain and learn what had just happened then, nor was there any to learn more about it's general situation. Not for the job. Yet there was a growing part of Adler that wished almost desperately to have a somewhat elaborate, at minimum, understanding. Hell, she still wasn't even sure if this "Samuel" was a guy she knew, or the guy she had considered it possibly being. And the long-time loner didn't know any side ignoring Zoey's and William's-if they were telling her everything, that is, either. Zoey seemed at least somewhat trustworthy, based on a small amount of experience on Kathy's part-but William? He was a complete stranger.

The feeling of being an unquestioning tool in a game she didn't comprehend grew more and more nagging, even if it was Zoey who had sent her to the Warren and asked her to be of use. And even though both she and William seemed to have given as much information as time permitted.

"I think I might see what's going on, or just explore town some. On my own, preferably, for a little while...Maybe it'd make me more useful in the long run, eh?" There was a bit more positive of a tone at the last possibility.

"I don't need anymore than a day, really. Just want to get a feel of the place and all."

The heavily armed group made their way out of the Warren at a brisk pace. The soldiers led the way while William and his men trailed behind slightly, making sure their flanks and rear was secure. They were all well armed and ready for whatever they would face out in the bunker. Each man was toting a heavy FN FAL with a thick kevlar vest and helmet piled on top, making them somewhat resemble armored pancakes. Their weapons supply was hardly anything to boast about but for this task William made sure his men were issued with the best they could afford.

In some ways this expedition was like Treacher Ranch, he was grabbing a police contingent to back up some troops who were on their way to investigate a local disturbance. They certainly wouldn't make the mistake of being outgunned this time, not if he could help it at least. Between he and Ellis they had enough to deal with whatever they would face.

As they made their past the city gates, William witnessed as defensive positions and plans not used since the Abu Nidal war came into effect. Emergency aid stations were getting prepared, militia members were grabbing their rifles and running all about, checkpoints and patrol units getting set into place. It would be a formidable defense but he didn't like it, all of this only served to give Ellis more power. If he wanted to, Ellis could very well take advantage of his emergency powers. He could only hope that that news headlines would not read: DIRECTOR PENN DIES OF MASSIVE CEREBRAL HEMORRAGE! Most likely of the 9mm variety.

If anyone was to escape however, now would be the best chance while the chaos masked their movements. The sooner a real resistance could be mounted the sooner Ellis could go back to shoveling irradiated brahmin dung out on the work camps, camps that

His well polished jackboots now began pounding on the irradiated dust that was the atomic wasteland. Now there was nothing to keep a man from eating another for the sake of survival, they had just passed the borders of civilization. It had been many months since he had set foot outside the relatively safe confines of the Warren and he felt it begin to eat at his mind. Every step he took could be his last and every breath he took was a miracle, for he shouldn't have been able to survive out in the wilderness.

Their journey was not long however, and before he knew it they had reached the base of the ridge where the bunker lay. The men spread out and took cover while the leaders would set the course of action. There was no detectable movement on the ridge but nevertheless they had to be careful. Preferably Ellis would lead his men up first and get "caught by a rebel crossfire" with fire coming from the front and back. Then he could stroll up and drink tea with the rebels before returning home with the good news. He would become president and everyone would be happy.

Unfortunately things were never that easy. If the attackers proved to be mutant monsters with machine guns for arms then they had to be prepared. Even if it meant working with Ellis.

He crouched and quickly made his way behind a large rock where Ellis was taking cover, "Alright Mr. Ellis, how are we going to move on that bunker? Whatever hit the place managed to take out a full platoon so lets not go in too hastily, things like that might get you killed,"

This was certainly not going to be the average encounter.

Ali & Madeline - Wichita Wasteland

As Ali watched the soldiers and police force of the Warren gather, he knew that they were either over compensating with numbers, or just being careful with whoever it was that was attacking; or more, who had attacked. By the time they would get there though, Ali was sure the attackers would be gone, but then again, the attackers could have just been a rag-tag group of raiders, looking to get whatever supplies they could from the bunker. Ali, thinking on this, decided it was best not to pursue, instead, he broke from the shadows and returned to the inn, watching as the soldiers hurried off, and he hurried to get Madeline.

Inside the inn, the owner grabbed Ali’s arm, looking at him with a worried look. “What happened out there? Are people attacking us?” She asked in a scared voice.

Ali just shook his head and pulled his arm away, hurrying to the room and seeing Madeline sitting there quietly.

“What’s going on, Ali?” Madeline asked sitting up.

“We’re leaving, the Warren’s not a great place to be right now. We’re gonna go find a new place to stay, a new settlement.”

Madeline nodded and helped pack what had already been unpacked, and left the room with Ali in silence. The old woman at the front didn’t bother to speak, she just watched as the two left and closed the door behind them.

Outside, Ali took a look around, deciding to head back towards Wichita, instead of towards the wide open nothingness that was in every other direction to the Warren.

“What settlement are we going to go to next, Ali?” Madeline asked as they walked, passing through the Warren streets one last time.

“I don’t know, but we’ll know when we find it, and we’ll stay for longer too.”

Madeline nodded with a bit of a smile, holding hands with Ali as he led her out of the Warren and back into the wilds of the wasteland.

By the time they were far enough out, and had lost sight of the Warren, Ali began to search for a place to rest. The walking had began to burn his feet, and he could tell Madeline needed to sit down and rest as well. Sadly for the two, there were no homes or places to take shelter, they were out in the open, and wouldn’t find anywhere for shelter until they reached Wichita.

“Take a seat, I’ll gather some things to start a fire,” Ali said pointing to a flat empty spot. Madeline nodded and took her seat as Ali gathered some wood and prepared to make a fire. When he lit it, the fire roared up immediately, and Madeline and him were quickly warmed by the fire they sat around. The two smiled at each other, warming their hands and resting their feet as the small fire roared and continued to roar without any help from Ali.

“I’m kind of hungry,” Madeline stated suddenly, her stomach growling a bit. Ali nodded and grabbed his bag, pulling out some food for her and him to eat. Some of it had to be cooked, but that was no problem, Ali had experience when it came to open flame cooking. Quickly, and with ease, Ali started preparing a slab of meat, piercing it with a stick and letting it cook over the open fire. The smell of the food rose up into their nostrils, making them both lick their lips in anticipation for the meat.

But suddenly, as the two sat quietly watching their dinner cook, the sound of a twig snapping echoed through the air. Ali quickly leapt to action, grabbing his B.A.R and panning it around the fire. Madeline just sat there, a worried look on her face as her protector tried seeing through the darkness.

“Who’s there!” Ali demanded, spinning around at whatever sound he heard. “Who’s there dammit!”

“Easy,” a deep american voice said from the darkness.

“Show yourself!”

“Set down the rifle, I mean you no harm,” the voice said.

“I don’t think so. Show yourself and I won’t pepper you full of holes!”

Then, out of the darkness, a lone figure came walking out. He was dressed like a cowboy, and when the light of the fire hit his old rugged face, Ali knew he had seen him somewhere before. Maybe it had been during the war, or maybe sometime after, he couldn’t say for sure.

“Mind if I sit down?” The lonely man said, looking at Ali.

“Fine,” Ali said lowering his guard a bit. “Don’t stay long, we don’t want visitors.”

“Understandable,” the Cowboy said passing Ali and taking his seat by the fire. Madeline smiled at the Cowboy, not saying a word to him. The Cowboy looked at her too, smiling and then turning to Ali. “So where are you two from?”

“Doesn’t matter, we come from all over.”

“Where are you going?”

“None of your business, stranger,” Ali said getting a bit irritated by the old cowboy’s questions. The Cowboy realized this, nodding as he took of his hat and ran his hand through his hair.

“Been a long day for me, and I’ve just been lookin’ for a place to sit down.”

“Us too,” Ali muttered, cutting off a piece of meat and handing it to Madeline.

“Want a piece?” Madeline said out of turn, looking at the Cowboy, but the Cowboy refused, looking at Ali who didn’t give a look or gesture to have a piece.

“No thanks, I’ve already eatin’, I just needed a minute to rest.”

Ali nodded and cut himself off a piece, bitting into it as the Cowboy pulled out his own food and started eating some.

“Where you from?” Ali asked, looking the Cowboy over again. “I think I recognize you from somewhere? Anywhere around here?”

The Cowboy just nodded, but didn’t add anything more than that. He filled his mouth with his chow and ate quietly. Ali knew the man from somewhere, but knew it was best not to push it, unlike the Cowboy who had asked too many questions in his mind.

“What’s your name?” Madeline asked finally, eager to get to know him.

“Cowboy,” the Cowboy said bitting into his chow.

“No it's not," she said in protest. But the Cowboy only smiled. "I’m Madeline,” the little girl said smiling and holding out her hand to shake. The Cowboy smiled and obliged the little girl, taking her little hand in his big hand, and gently shook.

“You know Madeline, you remind me of a little girl I once knew. She’d be older than you, but she was about the same age as you are now when I last saw her.”

“Who was she? What was her name?”

“Her name was Abby, and she was my daughter.”

“What happened to her?”

“She died, she died before the bombs fell,” the Cowboy said holding back any sign or sound of sadness. Madeline quickly dropped her head, feeling a bit sorry for having asked. All the while, Ali sat quietly eating his meat, listening to the two patter on.

“I’m sorry,” Madeline said in her little voice. The Cowboy just nodded, finishing off his food, and cleaning off his hands.

“Well, it’s been a fine time, but I’ve got to keep moving. These parts just ain’t what they used to be,” the Cowboy said getting up and grabbing his things. Madeline nodded, along with Ali as the Cowboy looked at Ali with a calm friendly face.

“The war’s over pal, the problems between the Abu Nidal and the Warren are finished, for good and all. Mohammed’s nothing but a scavenger these days, just like me. And even he doesn’t believe in the cause he once did. It’s time to give that life up if it’s still what you’re doing . . . Everyone else has.”

“Not the Warren,” Ali said in a quiet voice, “they’ve still got wounds to lick and fears to overcome.”

The Cowboy just smiled and tipped his hat, turning his back on the two and headed north, north to the empty wastelands that lay ahead of him.

“Goodbye John Holmes,” Ali said to himself quietly, holding up a hand in goodbye as the old Cowboy walked into the thick darkness of the wasteland.

OOC: Very nice ending to your post there Doc, and sorry for my absence, from now on I should be making some sort of post most days

Zoey saw the man turn his head, there was possibly a tear but she couldn’t see

"Pleasure to meet you Zoey. My name's Eli... Eli Jessop. Samuel was my brother. I came to find answers about his death." Zoey instantly felt sorry for him, she was however happy to meet another Jessop

"Can you tell me more about the men who killed my brother? Where they sleep? Their routines, officers, close friends," Zoey saw Eli’s jaw clenched as he spoke the last word, "Do they have family?" Zoey was about to speak up when he asked another question

"I have another question, I have a wife and daughter. Ana is my wife, and Jackie my daughter. If you know anything of them, please tell me."
“Eli, I am so sorry. Sam never spoke of having any siblings. He was a good man, he taught me a lot” Zoey stood up and looked Eli in the eyes

“Ellis? He doesn’t have a family and Stane is his lackey the two are probably the only friends each pother have. Couldn’t tell you there routine’s or anything like that, I was never close to either of them. I never had to be as head of Special Ops, Ellis was just a commander who took control of the place after…” Zoey slowed for a second it hadn’t hit her that hard until now

“He killed Sam, he wasn’t even decent about it” Zoey picked up her rifle and slammed a clip home and pulled back the charging handle and was about to storm over the Warren and shoot him then, But she took a step back and breathed
“He’s got his coming, here look on this list” Zoey handed Eli the list of Warren residents

“If there on that list they’ll be at the Warren, That’s Sarah by the way” Sarah nodded her head

“Your more than welcome to join us in our campaign against Ellis if you want, so they on the list?”

OOC: okay, it's been over five days since somone else other than me posted so I'm officially declaring this dead, sorry guys if there is any of the cast still lingering around. We tried but perhaps it's just beat to let the warren sleep now.