Chapter 8

“Get down!” said the unexpectedly high voice as the pistol in the woman’s hand clicked. We instantly stopped and stared as she emerged from the murky corners of the damp cavern. She was wearing a dark hunter’s green jumpsuit; standard uniform for the Officers of Command.
My eyes glanced over at our weapons which were lining the wall we had been sitting against just moments prior. I gazed boldly into the eyes of the woman of Command, obviously someone of higher up power. I knew her type; travel alone, fight alone, reap in the benefits and allow no one else the glory. It was then that I noticed her Flaw. Yet another side effect left by the Capital. Everyone that was working with them sported one in some form or another. Her right eye was off, looking slightly to the side; and as I noticed how  she was holding the pistol, she was right-handed. She was sizing up the two men in our group, She was viewing them as the leaders, and therefore as her primary targets. Those would be the ones to get her the most pious and heinous recognition that she so desired.
The imbalance of her eyesight as well as her shifted focus was all that I needed. I fell back in one swift movement and grabbed a throwing knife; throwing it at her. It embedded itself deep in her thigh and she let out a guttural growl, as she ever slightly lowered her aim. This was all that was needed as Landon jumped forward, grabbing the single pistol from her hand, disarming her. The situation now out of her hand, she made a grab at the knife in her leg, rising it up as defense; though in complete realization that she was outnumbered and completely at our mercy.
In a last desperate attempt , she brought the knife up to her own throat in an attempt to bring her own life to an end before any further actions could be put against her. Once again, we reacted quicker as Zech grabbed the knife as well as pushed her against the wall to ensure she could not move.
“The last time I was this close to a woman, I got slapped!” Zech joked and grinned back at as, despite the fact that he was doing so while he was holding a knife to someone’s throat.
Landon rolled his eyes and stepped forward to the woman and began to run his hands up and down her sides, checking for concealed weapons or wiring. I narrowed my eyes instantly, as I always did when he touched another woman; even under the current circumstances. As I had suspected, nothing was found and he stepped back, “Zech, let her go”. They used rope to bind her hands behind her back and Zech backed off.
She sank to her knees, looking up at the three of us; towering giants above her. Her fate was entirely in the balance; in our hands. She tried to keep up her facade of falsified confidence, but to no avail. The defeat was apparent in her eyes, as we contemplated her very existence. We deemed her docile for the time as we moved a ways away to discuss what we would do. After debating for a few moments, we came to the obvious consensus that at least she wouldn’t be able to leave. This left two options; going along with us, or killing her.
Killing her would be the easiest approach and would leave less of a trail behind. However, there would definitely be it’s benefits in bringing her along. Whoever this woman was could have the answers we had been hoping to stumble across. She could hold the metaphoric ‘key’ to the Capital. Yet again, killing came out to be the top of the list, ensuring the fact that she could not escape our company.
We walked back towards her, as she still sat unmoved, and gave Zech the large dagger to do the ‘honours’. He walked up to the woman who was now blatantly cowering in the corner in her unmasked terror of what she then knew was to be her tragic fate. He walked up and raised the knife rather ceremoniously before bringing it down and slicing the rope.