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Log journal of T.J. Johnson aka Strike
Entry 2 of 3   [ go to the beginning ]

Pursuit and Escape Pt. 1 of 3

Written by Lord Reynard, added 07 November 2013 @ 13:00

Entry in Timeline: 0023, 10, 14

As Strike walked out of the general store after trading off most of his haul and turning over his bounty to the local bondsman he felt the tingle up his spine that told him someone was watching. Moving slowly he glanced around trying to discreetly spot the watcher unsuccessfully. Turning away from the parking structure and stables he headed deeper into the safe zone, the dusty road was bordered on both sides with two story metal sided buildings for two blocks before it opened into the camps. Folks that had nowhere to go, or not enough money to do so, wound up in places like this. The conditions were not great but it was safe and no one starved which was more than the wilds offered. As he slipped into the camp he took a hard left into the crowd and around the side of the nearby building. Once he had broken the watchers line of sight he flipped up his heavy hood and pulled his Shemagh up over his face then slipped back into the shadows of a narrow ally to wait for his tail to show itself.
The wait wasn't long before two men in trench coats pushed through the crowd obviously searching for him. Moments after they passed him by Strike slipped out of the ally and followed them down the narrow winding path between the tents. When the two reached the center of the loop they met with two more. From his vantage point he could see that they were speaking in heated tones then one put his hand to his ear.
With a strange crackling and a hiss the man's voice came into Strike's ears,
*"We've lost the Target sir, awaiting orders."*
*"He is a priority one target Captain, find him, he has not gotten past our men at the gate, find him and bring him in or else."* A mechanical voice said over the comm line.
*"Yes sir, right away sir."* the Captain said then waved his free hand at the other men scattering them back into the search.
Once the others vanished into the camp Strike slipped up behind the Captain, shadowing him through the canvas of the tents. When he found an empty tent he quickly reached through the opening, grabbed the Captain from behind and dragged him through the opening slamming him down on his back. For an instant he tried to struggle before he realized who had him.
With his eyes wide in fear the Captain opened his mouth to speak but before he could Strike slapped his hand across his mouth.
"Don't speak." Strike said reaching into the man's ear he pulled out the comm unit and slipped into his own ear, "Now, you are going to tell me everything."
"I-I Can't, she'll kill me, please there's no way out, this place is surrounded the gates are being watched...eck...eck... Arrgh!" The Captain choked, foam boiled out of his nose and mouth as his body convulsed then he stopped, his eyes stared vacantly at Strike as he breathed his last.
Strike swore under his breath, rose and kicked the man's boot in frustration.
Then an idea crossed his mind, grabbing his extra bag from his pack he stripped the man's outer layer of clothes and stuffed them in the bag. Next he stashed the body in a nearby cot laying the man out as though he were sleeping. Quickly changing his clothes into something less conspicuous, a stolen set from the nearby clothes line, a set of ratty trousers and a hole filled poncho concealed his identity sufficiently. Taking a moment he left enough bolts to easily pay for the rags ten times over, then slowly Strike wandered back toward the shops and right past the other members of the captain's team.

©, est. 2014