It was a warm spring day and Beatrice was out in the boondocks enjoying some time alone by the river flowing down from teh mountains. She gazed off into the distance, at what to most anyone else would be into nothingness, but to her it was a beautiful landscape. It gave her a chance to reflect on things a bit, the life style she had chosen and what she felt the future had in store for her. 

"choices" she said to no one in particular. everyone made a choice, good, bad or indifferent, everyone made a choice. Each choice that was made, lead to a path and that path lead to another choice that would eventually have to be made. She always wondered if she would ever regret the choice to follow in her mothers footsteps and lead a life of crime. It sure beat the alternative, living pay check to paycheck, worries about where money was having to go or something coming up and her not having the money to take care of it, or worse herself. 

She sat down with her back against a tree and took in the sights and smells of the wilderness, the sounds of the squirrels, jumping from tree to tree, the deer running off and avoiding a potential threat. 

"Just like them" she thought

"I can finally live life without a care in the world" she said to herself as she got up and dusted herself off. It was time to head home but on her way she ran into some unexpected trouble....

Alex flew down the old dirt road kicking up dust and wildly steering around potholes as he attempted to escape the police following him. If he ever found the fucking Guinea prick who told him that the small nearby towns bank was lightly guarded he would gut him alive. The damn place was flooded with police within minutes of Alex busting into the place and he could only guess it had been being watched – if he had to guess he would have guessed the safe was holding dirty money the police were being paid well to protect; of course he would never know because he had to flee before he could even think of cracking the safe and had barely escaped with his life, let alone any score.

Snapping out of his thoughts he saw a young woman walking down the road and instinctively swerved to the right to avoid her. Hitting the ditch hard his driver side wheel flew off leaving the car inoperable. Alex could already hear the sirens closing in on him and so he pulled his PPD SMG off the passenger seat and jumped out of the car and took refuge behind a some trees just up the road, barely sparing a glance for the woman he had swerved to miss but yelling over his shoulder, “You might want to get out of here, it’s about to get rather lively.”

Just as he made it behind the trees two police cars came flying up the road – Alex took careful aim down the barrel of his gun at the leading car and squeezed the trigger.

"Well Shit!" she screamed as she ducked behind cover as the strange man pulled his automatic and began spraying bullets everywhere. Never mind the fact that he nearly hit her. She crawled up to a nearby ditch and shielded herself as the fire fight progressed. It was obvious to her that the guy shooting was a good marksman and probably hunted here at some point. 

The area around here was known for being a good spot for hunting and also a good place to hide out. The only advantage that she could see in this fire fight was the cops were in an wide open clearing. 

She reached out and grabbed the guy while he was reloading

"lets go, I know a good spot to hide" she told him as she turned and sprinted back into the woods. The cops would die of thirst and heat exhaustion before they caught them.

Galak was just sitting on a bench in the middle of the park messing around with a bunch of cards, looking intent to keep himself busy he was distracted as soon as he heard sirens and bunch of screeching; giving time to give a brief glance to the situation where the situation was gonna go down and where a young woman was just standing there shocked. Galak heard shots go off only to spot Alexander_Solonik letting the SMG rip out from bare cover with a tree, he jumped off and started speed walking away.

His intentions were far from the necessity to get away from the whole situation, he started to take the long route back as he heard the shots echo through out the streets, probably the first time Fyyar ever went anywhere in such a hurry, taking many shortcuts and small passage ways out that went to the other side of the park.

Alex looked over at the young woman who was now leading him away from the tree and nodded grimly. "Works for me, I only have so many bullets after all. Name's Alex, by the way. Came down here from LA for a bit of simple business and, as you can see, it got a bit out of hand. Sorry you got caught up in it." 

Alex looked around as they started away and spotted another man quickly walking in the other direction. He couldn't be sure what this guy had seen but he didn't want to risk killing an innocent man either so he simply kept following Beatrice. 

"I'll be honest, I'm a bit surprised your helping me out here - most folks would have been running as fast s they possibly could in the other direction if a firefight broke out in front of them."

"I grew up around that. My late mother died in a fire fight just like the one you were in. My name is Beatrice by the way" she told him as they continued to walk through the woods. 

"besides, I am a Dauntless and there isnt much that scares me these days..." she trailed off for a few moments and began listening to voices far off.

In the distance you could hear the cops shouting at one another and the chatter quickly died down as they got further away. You could tell that they gave up the chase as the cops around here weren't outfitted for a stroll in the woods, although you would think they would be considering what they did on the side.

She stopped and turned around at the man and continued.

"I hate those filthy pigs as much as the next guy. If I had my gun I would have helped. But alas, I wasnt expecting to be caught in the middle of a fire fight. Your actually quite lucky, the cops around here are excellent shooters themselves. Its a volunteer police force. These guys are hunters and damn good ones at that. I grew up around here." 

she took out a cigarette and lit it, offering him one. 

"there is a cabin up ahead that me and my mother used to come to for summer retreats when I was a little girl. Go there, I am gonna go into town and get us some food and drinks. Id invite you along but i'm sure by now, your face is plastered on every wall and street corner for miles. I suggest sitting tight here until the heat wears off."

With that she went towards town to get some food and supplies. 

Alex declined the cigarette and nodded at the woman's words. He quickly made his way to the cabin and relaxed slightly for the first time as he made his way inside. He hoped that the woman wasn't planning on simply turning him in for some kind of reward money but he doubted it - she seemed sincere enough in her dislike for the cops here. 

Alex considered lighting a fire but given what Beatrice had said about the local police force he was afraid that they might see the smoke and be able to find him. He looked around and, unsurprisingly was unable to find a phone - so he was stuck out here until the young woman came back - at this point he simply hoped that the wait wouldn't be too long. 

The sun was beginning to set when she returned. It took a bit longer than normal to get back to the cabin, as she had to take the scenic route back to the place, not that she minded much as in this neck of the woods, scenic really is scenic. She opened the door to the cabin and saw Alex sitting in the chair next to the unlit fire place. 

She placed the supplies in the kitchen and then grabbed some logs and placed them into the fire place and began to get to get the fire going. 

"the fire is safe to have here. there is nobody for miles. make yourself at home." she told him after she got it going. The place began to heat up rather quickly and soon was cozy and comfortable. 

"There is a pay phone nearby about a half mile up the road. You should call some friends to come over here and help you. I sent the cops looking in the wrong direction but it wont be long before the airport and train stations are crawling with local police and FBI. I have no clue what the hell you did, but they are all over the place. Going to be hell for both of us to get out of here." she told him

She went into one of the adjacent rooms and grabbed an SMG of her own. She loaded it and placed it on her hip and tossed the guy some extra ammunition. After the fight he had earlier, he had to be low. 

"When your ready there is a small armory in that room. help yourself to whatever you think you might need." she told him before walking outside and sitting in a chair. She loved to watch the sun set every night and tonight was no different but this sun set had an unusual shade of red in it.

Alex chuckled as the fire warmed his bones and he stood and stretched. Reloading his magazine and putting a few spares in his pockets he followed Beatrice out onto the porch.

“I’m going to head over to the payphone, make a couple of calls and get some of my boys out here to grab me. Sorry to bring all of this on you; I hit a local bank in town that was supposed to be as soft a target as they come – turns out it was more like a damned fortress. I’ll be back as quickly as possible.”

Alex walked down to the payphone, he was sure he could have used Beatrice’s car but the walk helped him clear his mind and right now that he needed a clear head.

Reaching the phone, he dialed Shini and when he picked up said, “Listen, I can’t talk long, but I’m in a pinch. I am here in Nevada near Henderson but out in the sticks a bit. I was hitting a small bank out here and it all went to shit, now my car is down and I’m stuck in a cabin as the pigs begin to tighten the noose. Get with Ranger and get down here as fast as you can to come grab me and the gal that’s helping me out. I don’t know exactly where we are but I was driving up a dirt road off Mission Dr, just off the new highway 57 when the car went down. You should be able to track us pretty easy from there if you can find it.”

When Shini let him know he was on his way Alex made his way back to the cabin and began cleaning his gun out of nervous habit as he waited for his friends to arrive.

Shini quickly wrote down the directions Alex had given him before he called Ranger and told him what was going on. He didn't drive himself but he hoped Ranger did. If not, it looked like they would be traveling on horseback which wasn't exactly ideal if the chances of getting shot were high. Fortunately, they both lived in the same area so all he had to do was meet Ranger at his place.

As Alex sat cleaning his gun he heard a gunshot sound from the next room over. Pulling his pistol from behind his back and ran into the other room to see Beatrice slumped against the wall, dead from an obviously self inflcted wound. 

Worried that the sound of the shot might attract attention and having no desire to answer for this death in addition to any trouble he was already facing Alex grabbed his gun, some supplies, and some food and quickly ran the mile back down to the payphone. Dialing Shini once again he hoped they hadn't left. 

When he heard Shini's voice he breathed a sigh or relief and said, "There has been a complication - the gal that was helping me, I don't know what happened but she decided to eat a bullet. I can't stay in the cabin any longer. There is, however, a small park about a mile up the road from it - were I am calling you from. I'm going to hide out in the treeline there. You and Ranger come to the park and I'll come out when I see you."

Alex hung up the phone and made his way to the treeline and about 50 yards in. Calling on his survival training from his days smuggling weapons he scaled a tree and made a camp of sorts in the nook of some of the boughs. He got as comfortable as he could and waited. 

Ranger waited for Shini to arrive at his so they could quickly head out. Shini seemed to have concerns with their ability to travel, but fortunately for him Decypha had left Ranger his Black Beauty. Seeing as though it was stolen, he had to keep it hidden away just in case any authorities come sniffing around and catch wind of where it originated from. 

He heard a knock at the door and opened to find his friend stood there eagerly waiting to set off.

"Howdy. No need to worry, we ain't gonna be makin' the journey on ol' Trevor. My brother, me he rest in peace, left me something when he passed on to the afterlife. Come with me." He said as he greeted him. 

They walked along the beach a little then walked inland for a few minutes before reaching a row of small garages. He put out a set of keys and opened the padlock on one of the doors and lifted it up to reveal the Black Beauty.

"Beautiful, ain't she? A Duesenberg. One of the fastest cars around. Hop in." He said to Shini as they both jumped in the car and swiftly headed out towards highway 57.

Eventually they were speeding along the new highway and Ranger seemed to be getting a little lost.

"Where exactly did you say this place was?" He said as he turned to look at Shini. 

"We're looking for a road called Mission Dr that's off Highway 57. We're supposed to track him to a cab and he's a mile up the road from it, hiding in the tree line." Shini repeated as he sat in the passenger seat. Ranger wasn't joking when he said the car was fast.

The sun was beginning to set by the time that Alex heard the sound of a car rolling up the dirt road that led into the small park area he had taken refuge near. Quickly shaking the stiffness and cold out of his joints Alex peered down the sight on his SMG as he examined the long nosed black car that had rolled up. A moment later two familiar faces came into view as Ranger and Shini got out of the car and began peering around. 

Dropping out of the tree Alex jogged toward them with a wave. 

"Good to see you my friends, now, lets get the hell out of here before anyone sees me. I will get in the trunk and hide there until we cross state lines. That way if you are stopped for any reason I won't be seen."

Ranger looked at Alexander_Solonik with a raised eyebrow when he ran over to them, as he looked a little bit worse for wear.

"Howdy Boss. What in the wide world...  C'mon, let's get the hell outta here." He said to his Alex who appeared as though he'd just stepped out of a freezer. He flicked the boot open so that Alex could climb in and he chucked a blanket on top to cover him up, partly for warmth but mainly so they stood half a chance if the authorities come snooping and fancy a quick search of the vehicle.

He looked down at Alex and chuckled to himself a little.

"Heh, never thought I'd see the day where I'd be throwin' your ass in the boot of my car. Oh, you might wanna grab onto somethin'." Ranger said with a wink as he slammed down the lid for the boot and hopped back in the drivers seat. He turned to Shini and threw a quick smile as he slammed his foot down on the gas and heard Alex rolling around from the quick start off.

"This is gonna be fun. Just for this it was worth the dang trip." He said to Shini, still having a little laugh to himself.

Alex had just started to try getting his large frame comfortable in the trunk when the car lurched forward and he was thrown rather roughly toward the cars rear. Quickly bracing himself by pressing his feet hard against one side and his shoulders against the other. Gritting his teeth slightly he pounded on the back of the car separating the trunk from the passenger area and yelling, "Ranger!" before grumbling slightly and taking his lumps in good humor. 

About 20 minutes down the road Alex felt the car slowing and heard the sound of footsteps approaching the car followed by a deep voice. Alex couldn't quite make out what was being said but he could guess that this was one of the roadblocks that Beatrice had mentioned were being set up. Alex pushed himself silently as far back into the trunk as possible and did his best to make sure he was well covered by the blanket, hoping the dark recesses of the trunk would help to hide him if the police decided to have them pop the trunk - though he hoped Ranger would be able to talk his way through this.

Ranger laughed to himself as he heard a slight banging noise coming from the trunk . It was hard to hear anything back there due to the sound of the roaring engine. Alexander_Solonik had warned of potential road blocks being set up to prevent him from escaping so Ranger was driving as fast as they could to get out of the area before they could close them in. Unfortunately, they were too late. Ranger slowed down to a reasonable speed with the authorities in sight as to avoid suspicion, although the car he was driving wasn't exactly inconspicuous. 

As he approached the road block, a police officer flagged him down to stop as they shone a car through the window. Ranger rolled it down so they could speak and looked up at him.

"What's going on here, can we get through?" Ranger said as he tried to not to give anything away.

The officer looked down into the car at both Shini and himself then said "The area has been sealed off. There is a highly dangerous criminal on the loose somewhere within this vicinity. I'm afraid we are gonna have to search your vehicle before we can let you through." 

Ranger through a quick glance at Shini then they both stepped out of the vehicle for the police to run their check.

"Of course, you ain't gonna find this baby harbourin' any dang fugitives, I'll tell you that for free." He chuckles to the officer.

They do a thorough search throughout the car as they stand there trying not to break a sweat. Eventually, the officer walks around to the trunk and asks him to open it up. Ranger went around to oblige and was praying inside that Alex was not visible, otherwise things were about to get messy. There is no way he would let his boss get arrested, which would mean a few dead officers added to the list. 

He lifted up the trunk and luckily Alex had tucked himself right at the back. 

"She doesn't have a lot of room in the rear, only downfall to her." Ranger said, trying to lead him away from looking deep into the back of the trunk. Although, the officer was  starting to look increasingly suspicious as he let out a "Hmm."

Alex heard car being searched and took in a a number of deep breaths followed by slow exhales preparing as he would if he were going to do a long underwater dive. As he heard the trunk lock being worked he took a final breath and held it, holding his body as still as he possibly could. The sun had begun to set which aided in deepening the shadows of the trunk without being so dark that the officer bothered to pull out a flashlight. 

What seemed like ages later Alex heard the officer say, "Alright gentleman, your free to leave. Be careful for a few miles though - we think this guy is trapped int his area but we can't be certain so don't go picking anyone up on the side of the road."

Alex heard the trunk slam followed by feeling the car rock slightly as Shini and Ranger retook their seats before the beautiful sound of the engine coming to life fill his ears once again and the car began moving forward. 

Another hour or so up the road Alex felt the car pull over to the side of the road and heard Ranger get out and come to the back popping the trunk. At Rangers all clear Alex rolled out from the back of the trunk and pulled himself out of the trunk. He stretched, his protesting joints popping and fire running through them but he smiled widely as he patted Ranger on the back and climbed into the backseat. "You boys did one hell of a job - now lets go home."