3 Death Stride

Leo and Amanda enter town, gazed at by the residents. They take a turn down a shady alley and bang on the metal door blocking them.

"Password?" A scrawny man demands.

"The password is: I'll break your fucking kneecaps if you ask again," Leo replies.

"I'd like to see you try," the man remarks. He shuts the peephole and locks the door.

"Your funeral," Leo remarks. The door unlocks and creaks open.

"You get creative with these calls dude," the man laughs.

"Yeah they need to change it so some thug doesn't accidentally get in," Leo agrees.

"How much of that was the password?" Amanda wonders.

"All of it. The password is to threaten their kneecaps then their life," Leo explains, "It's so no one word or phrase can fall into enemy hands and allow infiltration."

"Seems stupid," she remarks. She and Leo enter and walk down the stairs to the hideout. The candle lit stage displays a woman in lingerie.

"If this is a base why are strippers still here?" Amanda asks.

"Apocalypse doesn't change what a man wants; one of those is sex," Leo replies, glancing away.

"Then why do you look away?" Amanda wonders.

"Gotta keep my head," he replies. Just before they enter the backroom, Leo and Amanda catch a glimpse of the woman taking her bra off.

"Okay maybe one glance," he mutters to himself. Amanda looks at him with disappointment.

"Shut up you glanced too," he reprimands embarrassedly.

"Curious, not horny," Amanda replies.

"Yeah I tend to forget you're flatter than my dad's EKG," Leo snaps back.

"Rude!" She complains, hitting his shoulder. They enter Samuel's office.

"Samuel! Buddy! How's it going?" Leo greets.

"Junior, how are you doing?" Samuel exclaims, "Who's the fine young lady?"

"She's my partner on this smuggling run I'm doing," Leo explains.

"Smuggling again, eh? You love being in danger don't you?"

"It always finds me so I'm chasing the bastard 'til I die," Leo laughs, "Anyways I was told you guys had the package."

"Yeah we got it. It's in the warehouse at the edge of the settlement," Samuel explains, "Quick question, do you have my package?"

"Yeah I got it," Leo replies. He fishes into his backpack and pulls out a mahogany colored box. Leo hands the box to Samuel. Samuel excitedly opens it up, but a face of disappointment creeps across his face.

"The fuck is this?" Samuel demands, throwing down an empty box.

"I don't know. I'm just a smuggler. We don't look inside packages," Leo explains.

"Bullshit! I've seen you sneaking around the bars with those pretentious smoking bastards!" Samuel accuses.

"If it was me why would I bring an empty box?! That's just begging to get clipped!" Leo retorts.

"I'm done with you kid! I tried being nice but you just went behind my back!" Samuel yells, reaching for his revolver.

"Let me ask you something," Leo says, "What would happen if your father found out his son was smoking again? His recovering son is smoking Backwoods behind his back while he searches to the end of the earth for a therapist or doctor to help you. Might even be the last straw before he has your head on a mantle. Or what about your son Conrad, huh? It sucks to grow up without a dad. Trust me, I know."

"You lousy brat," Samuel swears. Samuel tightly grips his revolver on his desk, but he knows better. It's true; Leo has him by the balls.

"Well, it's a shame my old man has to learn about his favorite smuggler getting executed by Peacekeepers," Samuel aims. He angrily fires at Leo and Amanda as they duck behind a conveniently placed couch. It's metal interior frame stops the bullets, but not for long.

Thankfully, Samuel is a terrible shot and fires runs out of ammo. As soon as Leo hears the clicks of an empty cylinder, he vaults the couch and desk, kicking Samuel into the wall behind him. Before Samuel can defend himself, Leo sticks his shotgun into his face.

"Y'know, even at point-blank you're a terrible shot," Leo remarks, before turning Samuel's head to a bloody red paste.

"Holy fuck!" Amanda wails.

"We gotta go!" Leo yells.

"You didn't have to shoot him!" Amanda screams. Leo grabs her by the arm before sprinting out the backdoor.

"The man was ready to lay us out!" Leo reminds. He runs through the alley as Samuel's guards realize his killers are escaping. At the end of the alley lies a locked gate; they'll need to find another way.

"Quick! Up the roof! I'll boost you!" Leo commands. He presses his back against the wall and creates a stepping stone for Amanda as she hoists herself up.

"Here! I'll help you up!" Amanda calls. Instead, Leo turns around and backs up. He dashes toward the wall and runs up it; he almost slips at the last step but Amanda catches him and helps him up.

"Over there!" A guard yells.

"Keep moving! Get to the warehouse!" Leo commands. They run across the roof, pursued by guards. They've got great distance, but the guards are catching up.

A guard cuts them off and grabs Amanda. Leo tries to attack him but the guard swats him like a fly.

"I've got 'em!" He yells. Leo gets up with an idea. He takes the guard's cap off, revealing the bright sun into his eyes.

He's stunned for a moment; that's all Leo needs. He sucker punches the guard, releasing Amanda. The guard flinches; before he can recover, Leo dropkicks him, forcing him off the roof to the ground below.

Amanda struggles to breathe so Leo helps her up.

"Marco's down! Get them!"

Amanda and Leo make it to the warehouse, which is thankfully empty. A hail of gunfire from the roof trails them as they drop down to a nearby truck, presumably holding the package. It's the only thing in there besides clutter; besides, there's no time to look for it.

Leo finds the keys in the glove compartment and hands them off to Amanda. She starts the car up and blasts through the gate to freedom. A team of guards stand in their way to the gate to outside, firing their rifles with laughable inaccuracy.

The windshield is smashed as Amanda ducks for cover from the bullets. She finally makes it to the gate and bashes through, driving off as the sun gives way to the night.

"We made it…!" Amanda breathes with relief.

"We freaking made it!" She affirms, "Leo we made it!"

"Leo…?"

"Leo…??"

Amanda glances to Leo, wondering why he isn't responding. Leo's hunched over, with three bullet holes on his back. Blood pours out as Amanda shrieks in fear.