Caged Birdies: The Taking
| Location: Log_Location::Jiangyin | IC Date: Log_IC_Date::2535/05/27 | OOC Date: Log_OOC_Date::2014/08/29 |
| Characters: Has Characters in Scene::Covis, Has Characters in Scene::Riley, Has Characters in Scene::Esther, Has Characters in Scene::Conoger, Has Characters in Scene::Aces and Eights | ||
| Summary: [[Log_Short_Summary::After Esther had a confrontation against Kilbride, she is hurt badly and on her way back to the monastery crashes her hover bike on the side of the dirt road. This is where eventually the slavers get the upper hand and manage to take Conoger and Esther away and used as hostages.]] | ||
In the distance, less than a mile away from the monastery, there is a small plume of smoke. It looks to be along the road. It wouldn't take too long to get there.
Conoger had been taking a round about the monastery and it is when he hears the comm blare and it sounds like Esther. Taking a look around he notices a plum of smoke and he starts to job in that direction. At this time he is only wearing his helm, axe, side arm and normal clothing with his boots, cargo pants and a tight black shirt. So running is easy and he starts to get near and close.
When his comm buzzes, Riley is startled awake from the drink he was sleeping off. It doesn't sound good. He grabs his gun and heads for the cargo bay in time to see Conoger running off toward smoke rising in the distance. Definitely not good. He follows not far behind.
Conoger arrives in a few minutes, it's still a ways from the monastery but at least he arrives and is looking for Esther. It takes him a moment to find her and so he is quickly moving towards her. " Esther! what in ...what the hell.." he is actively angrier, upset, concerned and about to pound something to the ground as he see's her. He can see the injuries and some of them are definitely not from the accident. Then he is where she is and slides a hand under her and holds her in his arms. " Who. who..." though now he remembers the name she mentioned over the com. " Coward." he says in a whisper.
A few minutes later Riley arrives panting heavily. Damn Conoger's fast for a dude his size. There's no time for that though. The Captains hurt. "Sonofa...Is she alright?" He says rushing over to the two others. Seeing Esther's wounds the pilot draws his gun and scans the area to make sure whoever caused them isn't still lingering
Esther grunts when she is moved. "I hate that man. I fucking hate him.." She grunts. There is a moment where she is quiet. "Sorry.. I wasn't able to get the supplies. He blocked my way into the General Store.. He punched me after some heated words... then.. it dissolved into a fight with blades when he said my son is better off dead." She groans. Her gaze turns to the bike. "Hey.. I hope that don't explode.." And just then someone seems to arrive out of nowhere. They kick some dirt over the flames to help douse the fire. The grizzled man looks sideways to the group. "I heard the crash.. thought I would come take a look. She alright? She don't look alright.."
Conoger looks at Riley and frowns. "She is hurt...we need to get help...we.." then he see's the other man and nods to him. " I am not sure but she is real hurt." as he looks back to Riley again. " How fast can you go back to the ship...we need to ...get help. Here and fast." though he is not really concerned of others.
Riley eyes the newcomer with suspicion. He helped with the flames, but his timing is awful fishy. "Fast, but it'll be faster to call a doctor here." he says without breaking eye contact with the stranger. His colt remains at his side but he pulls back the hammer just to be safe. With his other hand he pulls out his comm and signals "Captain's hurt outside the Monastery. We need medical attention ASAP." Now addressing the newcomer "She'll be fine stranger. You got interesting timing. Not that we're not grateful to you for keeping us all from blown up in little bits, but mind telling me who you are?"
Covis notices Esther is in fact hurt and his brow furrows as he scans the area quickly "What.. what happened?" With Riley's weapon drawn he wonders if he needs to draw his own. He decides against it for now, instead going to Esther's aid. He looks to Conoger "What happened?", then back to Esther "Ya look great." he says to her with a crooked smile.
The man looks to Riley and Covis, then back to Esther and Conoger. "You guys got a MULE?" He asks. "Could be helpful to move her." He moves closer. "Name's Henry. I am a bit of a medic. I was just out hiking.. Let me see if I can help." He moves up towards Esther and kneels beside her, taking out a small red bag filled with various things. He pulls out a bandage and continues to rummage. "Looks like a knife wound." Esther replies, "It was a big sword.. taller than me.." She glances to Covis, "Got into a fight with an old rival. He won. I tried to get myself back home... but crashed.. " She is looking real pale. Just then, a group of more men emerge from the shadows of the wood around them. They have some rather nasty looking repeaters with them. "Oh shit.." The man says looking over his shoulder and back to the group that arrives. He waits for Conoger to look back to the newcomers with guns and then goes with a needle towards the big guy.
Conoger is actually not paying much attention to the man, more like paying attention to Esther and trying to stop the flow of the wounds she suffered. " We need to stop her bleeding." as he hears the man mention he is a medic and Conoger nods to the man, actual not really thinking but trying to get as much help for Esther.
Riley is watching the 'Henry' like a hawk. Something still doesn't sit right. So when he sees a flash of metal aimed at Conoger his gun is up in a flash. "Shit" he swears under his breath. "Tell me what the hell that was or /you're/ gonna need a medic." He's pissed. If it wasn't for the repeaters he would have pulled the trigger without a second guess.
Covis turns his gaze on the stranger before returning his attention Esther. He smiles faintly to his Captain "Sword fighting?" He shakes his head and then looks over to Conoger "I can go back and grab a mule to move her. We should get her back to the medbay." He gestures to the 'medic' "Doctors orders." The pilot straightens and that's when he realizes there are several unwelcome men nearby. He carefully slips a hand into his jacket and pulls out his gun. "Perhaps they're here to surrender.." he smirks.
Esther blinks as she sees the rapid movement of Henry with a syringe, going straight for Conoger. The needle penetrates and the plunger injects a clear fluid. The man then jumps to the side as the five other men come out with their repeaters. The men are covered in camo and their faces painted. "Don't be stupid. You are far outgunned and outmatched." The men say to the two pilots. "We won't hesitate to kill you, but that is not what we are here for. See, boss wants the child back.. and until he has the child.. we will be taking them." He gestures to the two senior crewmen of the Aces. "You can try to fight us, become wounded.. and you Captain may die before help is given to her.. or you let us take her, treat her immediately.. When we have the baby back... we will be happy to give them back."
Conogers senses were not tingle ling, his concern for Esther was priority over what was happening around him. As the medic stabs him with a needle of sorts, he isn't to sure what is happening. Conoger has a broken arm and he can't let go of Esther. The reaction is fast, he tries to get up with her but slumps down. His strength leaving him or he is not moving. Then, not even ain 30 seconds Conoger slumps to the ground, all the while grumble ling, holding Esther within his arms.
"Gorrammit!" Riley keeps his gun trained on the medic while he scans the area to see how many there are. A bullet for each, but he doesn't stand a chance in hell of taking them all out before he's riddled with holes. "I bet you're pretty valuable to these bastards ain't ya Hank? Can't be a lotta people what took a doctors oath that're gonna run around with these types. How bad you boys need your doctor? I hear they're pretty scarce in these parts. Hill folk snatchin em up when they do happen by." This is a gamble for sure. "Cause you see boys, I ain't got a whole lot to lose, and I'm bettin' he's pretty important. Be a shame if he lost his head." He's bluffing of course. He's honestly about to piss himself.
Covis tightens his grip on his pistol, his palm suddenly sweaty. He licks his lips as the gang voices their demands. His eyes move from Conoger to Riley, definitely giving it a moment before easing his Ares downward. He steps away from Riley and smirks to the camo crew, "What assurances do we have they will be unharmed?" he challenges.
The men step a bit closer. One speaks quietly into a com. "You don't have any assurances. Now do you? Though, I can say one thing. Our boss says, your time is up. If you can go get the baby and bring her here right now, we will leave these two with you. If you cannot, well... they go with us. An eye for an eye. An infant is worth twice that of an adult. Don't you think." The 'doctor' puts his hands up and steps back. He doesn't say anything in reply. Though another man laughs cruelly. "Go ahead pull the trigger. Kill him. I think it would be fun to see if you are man enough to kill an unarmed man." There is the sound of a mule that begins to be heard coming down the road. They must have staged in the nearby village just to the southwest.
Esther speaks quietly. "Leave them be.. I.. I will go.. but leave them out of this.." She says weakly.
Riley doesn't like it, but he knows when he's drawn a bad hand. Heartless bastards called his bluff. Ain't no use in getting killed. They need a plan, and it ain't gonna happen now. "Jio Weh Sung Chiun, I guess." he says as he slowly uncocks the hammer and sets down his gun. "We'll get you what you're asking for..." a crater in your crappy little village from the new Aces shiny guns. "Just don't hurt them, and tell us when and where you want it."
Covis gives the man who steps forward a wary look "We will get the child." he says almost in unison with Riley. "Just make sure 'your guests' are well treated." He looks to Esther a moment, his features grim before his gaze flicks to Riley. "Well this is a real shit sandwich."
The mule pulls up with another pair of men. One has a cigarette hanging from his lips and he hops off the mule. He pauses to assess the scene. The 'leader' of this group gestures to Conoger and Esther. "Those two." Then there is grunting and heaving as they drag Conoger away and throws him up and onto the back of the mule. It takes three of them to do this! Esther looks dismayed through all this. "No..leave him.." But she is in no place to struggle. The come to her, and just scoop her up much easier. She is put in the back beside Conoger. The 'leader' looks to Covis and dips his head towards him, "You will be contacted soon enough."
Esther grunts. "Fuckin' Kilbride.." Yea.. she is blaming him for this.
Shit, this isn't going well at all. "Since we seem to be doing business now, I like to know the name of the man we're dealing with. A man's name is only as good as his word. Reputations and such. And, well, I'd like to know our people are gonna be alive when we bring what you want. So if you don't mind terribly sir, Who the fuck are you?" That's about as civil as Riley's gonna be in this situation.
Covis doesn't tuck his pistol away but keeps it down held loosely at his side as he takes one step then two backwards toward the monastery, steely eyes never wavering from the camo'd men.
The men leave the pilots unscathed, moving towards the MULE to climb in. The 'leader' is the last to get in. "Jack Fisher." He says to them. "That is what my boss goes by." Whether it is his real name, is yet to be seen. "It is not me you deal with. I am but the messenger." Then he grips the handle on the MULE and hoists himself up. "You were warned and ran out of time. My boss is a man of his word. You will get them both back alive, as long as they behave."
Riley just stands in silence as they go. Not good.
Covis continues a slowly backpedal "How will we contact you again?" he calls as the distance between the two parties increase.
The man calls out, "We will contact you!" And then they take a turn around the bend, disappearing from view.
