Don, Rebecca, April, and Jake were already on the move. It had been half an hour since they left John's place. Rebecca had her traveling bag and Don's shotgun in her hands. April also had her traveling bag as well as her custom-made bow with her. Don was armed to the teeth as usual with his S&W M&Ps, his 1911 Rugar Commander, and his combat knife. Not to mention the two hidden blades that went with his gloves. As for Jake, well, he decided to take a steel pipe that had been lying around the garage. He also had a backpack with him.
Don did offer his combat knife, but Jake refused. Jake never gave Don a reason as to why, even when Don asked. Don decided not to pry further since Jake probably had his reasons for not telling him. The four were on Nogalitos St. They had passed by several vehicles that were stalled and parked. A lot of them looked undrivable. This could be due to the time they sat in this world and the bugs and undead; maybe even other humans decided to reign havoc on those poor machines.
"Don, you know there is a pharmacy and discount shop around here, right?" Jake asked. "Yeah." Don nodded in his reply. "I see. Well, a little way down, there is also a car dealership. I think we should try our luck there. It would cut down on time, and we wouldn't have to walk everywhere." Jake suggested.
"If you want to piss off any bugs and undead, then be my guest." Don replied in turn. His reply seemed a bit cold, but Jake understood his meaning. "Besides, just any car won't do. We may end up needing something big. Like a bus or jeep." Don added. "But you don't even drive those types of vehicles. You always said that bikes were the best." April commented cutely as a means to tease Don. Don did not react, but Rebecca and Jake chuckled since they could easily see Don saying something like that.
"Yeah, yeah. Anyways, let's scout the place out. Look for anything useful." Don stated as they approached the pharmacy. The doors wouldn't slide open automatically, so Don had to pry open the door with his hands. Entering the store was easy enough for him. Don took a moment to look around to ensure there was no one hiding to ambush them; before allowing everyone else to enter.
The place was decently lit up thanks to the sun that peered through the windows. Don traveled toward the section with painkillers and other medication he could think would make good use of for the future. Jake decided he would pick out body wash, deodorant, and other products that would maintain a clean appearance.
Rebecca was in the womanly section. There were females in the group, after all. Rebecca did not want to leave it up to any of the guys to pick out the products that would be needed, so she decided to go through and gather them up. As for April, she had left Don's side for a moment when she spotted a specific item she wanted.
Condoms.
April looked over the various packages and sizes available. She was too busy looking through the products and trying to guess what size would fit Don best to notice Don was behind her. "What are you doing?" Don asked as he looked past her. April suddenly blushed a deep red while turning around. She spread her arms out to try and hide the packs of condoms as best she could. Sadly, she wasn't able to. "Nothing!" She exclaimed.
Don easily guessed what she was up to and reached past her to grab an XL Icy-Hot box, which he handed her. "Anything in that size." April took the box and turned away shyly. Don shrugged and continued elsewhere. He wanted to gather some other things, like bandages, oils, and kits.
April didn't look at the box until Don walked off, and when she did, her cheeks turned a deeper shade than before. She would clear her throat to push aside the images coming into her mind before grabbing a few more boxes of different varieties.
Don seemed to be the first to finish gathering supplies and was already at the front of the store. He decided to be the lookout.
'The store is far too stocked up... I did not expect to be able to find all the medical supplies I was looking for. How long has this world been in an apocalypse? Tyrone has been here for six months... He did say he encountered other contenders and groups. Not to mention his own group. In that time span, this place should have been looted. Then there was what Noah said about food and water... Is someone restocking the world? If so, then how, when, and most importantly, why?' Don's brows furrowed with his inner thoughts.
"Yo, Don," Jake called out to Don, which drew Don from his thoughts. His attention shifted towards Jake, who seemed to have stood in the middle of the store. "Come check this out. I want to know if you think we should bring it along or not." Don's brow rose curiously, and curiosity got the better of him, so he went to see what Jake was talking about. Don's expression changed though, with an 'Ah....'.
He seemed let down, and Jake could see that. "What? Don't you think it would be better to use protection?" Jake asked Don. Jake had led Don into the same section April was previously in. Don sighed lightly, "Clearly, but who do you plan on doing it with?" Don wasn't asking because he didn't trust Jake or anything. He was asking because there was no one besides Rebecca and Sussan. April was not to be counted, and John's mother... well, wouldn't that be disrespectful?
"Yeah, I know what you mean. But what if we stumble across anyone else? I want to prepared ya know? Wouldn't you want to be in case you and April decided to do it?" Jake asked. The man made an excellent point. If only Jake knew that April had already looked into this beforehand, the man might have never said those words.
"Yeah. Alright. Just make sure you don't overfill your bag with them. We must still look for canned goods at the discount shop across the street." Don replied with a *yeah, whatever* expression and proceeded to walk off. Jake's lips curved into a wide smile since he realized why Don seemed a bit off-put with his response.
When Don returned to the front of the store, Rebecca and April were already there. They seemed to have been chatting it up. "Find everything you need?" Don asked, which drew their attention. "Yup," April replied happily, though she had a bashful look. "Mhm. Just make sure you two keep it down tonight, alright?" Rebecca teased. "Becca!" April exclaimed with embarrassment on her face.
Rebecca chuckled softly. "What? At least you got a man to satisfy your needs. I do not. Although, I suppose could take Noah if I really wanted to." Rebecca remarked.
Don sighed softly and shook his head in dismissal of the conversation. "Anyways, we will head to the discount shop across the road. Look for any canned goods and bottled water. If you want to bring anything else, that is fine; but remember we will be walking another half-hour down the road. There is an event center, and a gunshop around that area. So keep your load as light as you can." Don remarked. Rebecca and April nodded with confirmation. "Alright, I'm ready," Jake said as he came up from behind them.
They exited the pharmacy and made their way to the discount store; however, Don stopped everyone just before they fully crossed the street. He could have sworn he saw a glint of light shimmering from the rooftop. "Shit! Everyone hide!" Don shouted with a severe tone of voice.
Everyone moved to take cover. Rebecca took cover behind a stalled vehicle. Jake took cover behind the hedges of a bush, and Don pulled April with him to take cover behind another stalled vehicle. A few gunshots went off with a loud BANG sound, but both missed their marks and hit the pavement instead.
"Fucking Snipers... I really need to find me a fucking rifle." Don cursed. He was annoyed with the situation. It seemed like he was always outmatched with weapons. "Don, what do we do?" Rebecca called out from behind the vehicle. Don looked around. Sure, there was actual cover this time, but the attacker had the advantage. Even if he managed to get a few shots off with his pistols, who knew if he would hit the mark? After all, he didn't really know where the sniper was. He just knew the sniper was somewhere on the rooftop of the discount shop.
It was then he remembered how April managed that headshot. The distance was far from average, especially with a bow. The gears in his head started to turn. "April, I am going to act as a decoy. I need you to..." Don stopped mid-sentence. It was due to the realization that he was asking April to kill a person. Sure, she did it for her violation last time, but he was asking her to do it this time.
He did not want to soil her hands in more blood. He did not want her to become like him. April could see the worry on his face. So she took his face in her hands to get his attention, "Don. You do not need to worry. I know what needs to be done. I understand the gravity of the situation. I had time to come to terms with what I did back then as well. I want you to know this: If you were ever in danger and needed someone to save you, anyone that stood in my would never see another daybreak again."
Don could see the sheer resolve in April's eyes. He could see how far she was willing to go to protect him. It caused his heart to skip beats. Only one other person spoke to him in such a way and made him feel the way he does now.
That person was his trainer.
Don's lips curved into a smile, and he nodded in silence to her resolve. "Very well. Then, when I get his attention, I need you to take the shot. Just like before. I know it will be difficult, but I believe in you." Don remarked, and April smiled, "Anything for you, Darling." April replied happily. It was almost creepy when you thought about it out of context. A young woman was going to kill a stranger, and she had a smile on her face.
Don drew his 1911 Rugar and peeked through the window of the stalled vehicle. The moment he did, a bullet grazed his cheek, which caused him to duck back down. "Shit!" Don cursed. "Well, at least you have his attention now." April remarked. Don gave her a *no shit, really* expression, which caused her to giggle. He rolled his eyes before kicking off the ground and pointing his gun toward the roof.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Don fired off three rounds.
BANG!
BANG!
The sniper fired back two rounds. It seemed they missed each other; however, the sniper's position was now given away. Since the sniper was focused on Don, April could peek out and gauge where the sniper was. She took her bow and knocked an arrow. "Okay... Just like last time." April commented softly as if to prepare herself.
She took several breaths as well. "Don needs my help. I will keep him safe." April remarked. Her eyes flared a deep yellow. Her senses expanded. She could quickly tell everyone's position. It was almost like she had a bird's eye view of what was around her. She spotted the sniper hiding behind an air compactor. There was no one else on the rooftop besides the sniper. She did not detect anyone else around them, so she hurriedly repositioned herself to get a better shot.
Don continued to keep the sniper's attention on himself. Jake and Rebecca watched the events unfold. Both of them figured that Don and April had devised a plan. They did not want to make any unnecessary movements that could jeopardize the plan, so they decided not to take action unless needed.
Once April found the perfect position, she would pull back on the drawstring of her bow. Her eyesight narrowed as if it were zooming in. The sniper's head was in vision, almost as if April was looking through a scope of some kind. She released the drawstring. The arrow flew through the air silent, and then...
THUCK!
THUD!
Once again, April had killed a man with one shot. A headshot. April's eyes started to lose that flare of yellow, and her senses started to return to normal. She began to feel a massive headache coming on, and her vision was also starting to blur, which caused her to stumble. Rebecca had hastily moved to April's side to ensure she wouldn't fall. "Are you okay?" Rebecca asked with worry in her voice.
"Yeah... I just need a minute." April replied as she winched in pain and massaged her forehead. Her eyes would remain shut as well. Don exhaled a deep breath of relief and holstered his 1911 Rugar before regrouping with the others. Jake decided to keep a lookout for a moment longer before regrouping with them.
"So, we are in the clear?" Rebecca asked when she saw both Don and Jake approached. "Looks like it," Jake replied. "For now. There may be some people in the store. So let's regain our bearings and formulate a plan before we go inside." Don added. Everyone decided to take cover behind a stalled vehicle so they weren't out in the open if someone did come outside. Rebecca let April rest against the vehicle; meanwhile, Jake kept watch.
Don took out some painkillers and a bottle of water from his bag. "I have some painkillers and water. I am going to give you the pills first, then the water, okay, April?" Don remarked, and April nodded. Don slowly brought his hand to April's mouth, and she took in the painkillers. Don then brought the bottle of water to April's mouth to slowly partake of the water.
Once she swallowed the pills and drank the entire bottle, she would open her eyes with a soft smile. "Thank you, Don." April commented softly. "Of course." Don could see something was up. From the moment she looked in pain, he knew what had happened.
"You used your power, didn't you?" Don asked. Rebecca shifted her attention from April to Don when he asked such a question. Jake's brow rose curiously. "Power?" He asked. "Yeah. I used some kind of power as well. I used it to save Rebecca and Noah as well as fend off that Spider. The only reason I figured she used her power was that I was also in pain after I used my power." Don explained.
Rebecca returned her attention to April as if to wait for an explanation. She let out a soft chuckle, "Yeah. I did. It first came to me when I wanted to help you. My senses expanded, and I could detect everything around me. It was almost like I had a bird's eye view of what was around me. I could also contract my sight and hone in whatever I wanted. It was the same for both cases. After I used my power, I got a massive headache, and my vision blurred, but both faded after a short while. So there is nothing to worry about." April explained.
'So, it was just like mine... But, I do not like the fact that her vision becomes blurry afterward.' Don muttered internally.
"Well, as long as you are going to be okay." Rebecca remarked, and April nodded in return.
"Alright, let's rest up here for a moment. I want to formulate a plan before we go in. I want to be ready for anything." Don stated. Everyone agreed with him.
"I will take point. Rebecca, you will hold out the rear. Make sure no one tries to sneak up on us. April will be in the center. As for you, Jake, I would like you to linger back and keep hidden." Rebecca and April seemed a bit surprised by this. Why would Don ask someone to stay back?
Jake knew why Don asked him to do it. "That's fine with me. I should have known you would be able to take a guess, though. Since you always had me on back-line when we were at work and even offered me your knife before we left instead of your gun." Jake remarked.
"Do you want my knife?" Don asked, just in case, but Jake's answer remained the same. "No." And, of course, he did not give his reason. April and Rebecca figured that Don knew something they did not, so they would keep it in mind to ask later. "Alright. Once April is ready to move, we will start. If any of you feel that you are in danger, do not hesitate. Hesitation will lead to death, and I do not want any of you to die. Do I make myself clear?" Don addressed them one final time before allowing everyone to rest and wait.
"Of course," April replied.
"Certainly." Rebecca remarked.
"Yeah," Jake answered.