Taking No Chances

I'm going to put it here and say this chapter isn't edited. This one has been sitting ready to be edited for forever now. So go easy on me. Anyway let's hope posting this will spark me back into action. At the very least I have thought more about what I want to do in the future, so at least there's that.

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The infected were soon left behind, the fear diminishing as the distance increased. However, the atmosphere was still tense. Both groups were apprehensive of the others. Even Bryson picked up on it, shrinking himself, trying to make himself as small as possible to avoid attention.

No matter how Levi appraised the men, they didn't seem like the friendly sort. The man in the front sporting a slash mark running down the left side of his face. While the other, in the back, looked like less of a threat, but Levi couldn't discount him. He'd just killed their compatriot. There was bound to be bad blood.

Levi had control, though. Although the two guys didn't look like slouches, he was the only person in the car with a gun.

"I'm sorry about your friend. I'm sure you understand—wrong place, wrong time," said Levi, breaking the tense silence that lingered.

The two men shifted at his words, their eyes looking at him with caution, "we don't hold no grudges." said the one in the front, the golden glint of a tooth flashing when he spoke.

His eyes darted as he spoke, sweat running across his brow as he gave a fragile smile and reached his hand out. "You were trying to survive. I get that. What happened to Thomas was unfortunate. Let's let bygones be bygones."

Levi never letting his vision from the men in the car as he looked ahead and decided to bring the car to a halt. The slow decent, putting the two men even more on edge.

"Look we don't hold no grudges." said the one in the front, the golden glint of a filling flashing when the man opened his mouth. Sweat ran down his brow as he eyes darted at the gun on Levi's waist, a fragility in his smile as he reached his hand out. "You were trying to survive. I get that. What happened to Thomas was wrong time wrong place. Lets let bygones be bygones."

Leaving the man's hand hang in the air, Levi gace the two men an idecipherable expression, making the two become antsy when Levi didn't speak. But when Levi reached his hand out to take the man's hand, a kind of relief could be seen on his face as he eagerly took Levi's hand and then lunged forward.

The corner of Levi's mouth rose as he saw the man try and reach for the gun. Moving his head forward connecting skulls with the man ahea, eliciting a groan as he freed his hand and grabbed his head with his free hand and slammed it against the dashboard. His other hand snaking towards the gun at his waist pointing it at the man who's head was pressed against the dashboard.

The other man at the back had been briefly stunned by the action, before he was about to lunge at Ricky. But the sudden end, with Levi once more brandishing his pistol had stopped him still.

"Let bygones be bygones eh? Just curious here, but what were you planning on doing if you took my gun?" Levi asked, the hand on the man's head grasping his hair and dragging it up to look at him as he pressed the pistol against his forehead.

"Agh. I was. I was just gonna kick you to the curb. You got a kid with you. My conscience wouldn't let me do any more," he explained, his face warped in pain.

Levi smiled at his words looking back at Ricky who didn't look convinced at all by the man's words. "What you think Rick? You reckon this man here's telling the truth?" asked Levi, getting a twitch of the eye from the man at the nickname.

"I can't say I do, Levi. I can't say i do," he responded, getting a contemplating nod from Levi, as he turned back at the man at gunpoint.

"That's not good at all. My boy Ricky here thinks you were gonna kill us. That can't be true, because if it is… I'm gonna have to kill you both," said Levi, his smile compassionate as he continued. "You understand don't you. Unlike you I tend to hold grudges. It's not my most redeeming quality but, it has its uses. I don't forgive and I most certainly don't forget."

His words making the man before him shudder as he rushed to speak, but when he opened his mouth Levi pushed the barrel of the pistol in his mouth. "You don't wanna be in a rush to speak, I'll give you plenty of time for that later," Levi said, a smile on his face as he fingered the trigger making sweat pour from the man.

"Because I, like my friend, think your lying. You can think of me as your judge, jury and executioner. You tell me some things I want to know and I'll decide whether or not you get to walk home with all your life in one piece." Levi said, cupping the mans chin as he forced him to look into his eyes.

"You understand?" he asked, getting desperate nods which made him smile. "Good, now both of you get the fuck out the car," his smile thawing in an instant, returning to his previous indifference making the two men's skin crawl, as he removed the gun from the man's mouth and let him go.

The two men scuttled from the car, Ricky getting out first watching them with his bloody bat in hand. And Levi shortly following behind after looking at Bryson and saying, "We'll be back in a minute. Stay quiet and you'll be safe soon. Got it?" getting a timid nod from the boy, who looked even more afraid after the previous display.

Getting out of the car, he noted the two men looked like they wanted to run but stayed still there wary eyes focussed on the pistol in his hands.

"This is how this is going to work. I'm going to give a question. You lie, you get shot. I'll decide on your fate after i hear everything i want to know. But here's the twist. I'm going to ask you separately, if one thing doesn't match up your both dead. We clear?" Levi said, getting nods from the two men as he walked up to Ricky and pulled another gun from behind his back.

"This ones yours. Keep an eye on the other while i go interrogate one of them." Levi whispered.

"Sure, I got it," said Ricky, his eyes looking out at the two that stood shuffling metres away.

"You. Long nose, your first," Said Levi pointing to the younger of the two, who looked confused at the description but hopped to shuffled forward when he saw eyes looking in his direction.

Levi pulled the man into a house right next to the car, breaking open the door quickly dealing with any infected before he looked at the man and said, "Sit," the man following his instructions as he sat down on the sofa without delay.

"You on your own? Got a group ot anything?" Levi asked, making the mans eyes winden a fraction.

"It's just u-" the man attempted. Bang! A single shot sounded, "Aghh!" which was followed by a scream as the man sitting on the couch could be seen with a single bullet wound through his shoe. The material beginning to turn red, as the man suppressed his screams, his bloodshot eyes looking at Levi.

"I don't know if you thought what I said was empty threats but, my patience is starting to wear thin. If you lie to me again It's going to be two bullets in two different limbs. And we'll continue all the way until you can no longer move a single limb, before i chuck you outside and watch the infected tear you apart bit by bit." Levi threatened. "So this time when I ask you a question you answer me correctly." getting a nod from the man.

"So lets hear about this group. How many?" Levi asked.

"Over sixty." the man said.

"Where?"

"A factory out on Normandy street, down in Roxbury." getting a raise of the eyebrow from Levi.

"You got anybody called Giana or Florence in your little group?" the man narrowed his eyes in thought, before he opened his eyes and recognition.

"There's this one girl called Giana, she's one of our boy's girl,"

"Surname?"

"I don't know. I swear i don't know her like that." his expression desperate as he looked at the gun in fear.

"Don't worry I believe you. You keep this up and I might let you live," Levi reassured, slapping the barrel of the pistol against his slick sweat filled cheeks.

"What do you mean 'our boys'?" getting a unsure look from the man, but the pain from his foot made him speak.

"Members of our gang."

"Is this place run by your gang?"

"Yeah, as well as another. We came together when shit went crazy."

"What did you come out for today."

"To raid a gunstore near here. We wanted more ammunition and weapons."

"Would you really let everything go if we let you go? Would your gang not try anything if we met in the future?" at this question, the man desperately tried to control his expressions as he shook his head.

"I would have. I swear, on my mothers life,"

"Is that so," said Levi, not giving away his thoughts. "Well enough with the hypoteticals lets hear a little about what. You and your friends have gotten up to in the past shall we, I'm interested."

—

"Their stories match up. Well most of it at least," Levi said, looking at the two men one of which was sporting two gunshot wounds on his feet and two stab wounds on his hands. And the other with six stab wounds on various parts of his body.

"We have to kill them," he continued, making Ricky stare towards the two men, an unreadable expression in his eyes. "Neither they or their group are the forgiving type. They've already been pretty busy everything thats happened."

"The younger one claimed that some of the other men in the gang have taken to forcing the girls arrive at their hideout into sexual servitude. Its only been a few days, these aren't the type people we should be chancing with. We kill the two and the connection is severed, before it can become a problem." Levi said, Ricky's face grim as he looked at the two men who whimpered in pain

"Did you find out if it was your girlfriend they were talking about?" Levi asked, getting Ricky to look back towards him. His gaze darkening at the question.

"Yes it was. Apparently she'd been with this Darius guy for a few months now," he spat out from between clenched teeth. "She'd been fucking him behind my back for months and i didn't have a fucking idea. I almost died for that bitch." There was a dangerous glow in his eyes, when he talked about her.

"I'm sorry. But at least that's one less person we need to find. She's no longer our problem, she made her choice all you can do is live with it and move on," Levi consoled, his face not matching his words.

"Thanks… I'll get over it, i just need time. You don't need to worry about me," Ricky responded, the glint in his eyes not diminishing at all.

"Get in the car. I'll finish them. And then we can look for Garett's mom and hurry up and return," Levi said, motioning for Ricky to leave. But he didn't move and instead turned to Levi with resolved eyes.

"I'll do it." Ricky said, getting a raise of the eyebrows from Levi.

"It's my fault. If I hadn't fucked up, we wouldn't be in this mess. I'll take care of it." he finished, putting his hand out asking for his gun. Levi gave Ricky an appraising glance before he nodded and watched Ricky take the pistol from his waist.

He felt it within his hand, before he turned to the men, the same glint in his eyes. The two men saw his approach and their faces fell. They weren't stupid, they might not be able to read Levi's expression but when they saw Ricky approach with a pistol in hand they knew they wouldn't survive.

"Please man you don't need to do this. Please," the older of the two pleaded, his face desperate. Ricky, faltering at his words, before the smouldering glint in his eyes resurfaced as he resteadied the gun in his arms and pointed it forward.

"Pleas-" they pleaded, but the words stopped as Ricky's finger pressed down on the trigger. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The bullets spraying out, two bullets flying into each man as they fell back onto the wall behind them and slumped down the wall leaving a bloody trail.

Ricky watched them slide down the wall, the life gone from their eyes before he turned and looked at Levi, who looked unbothered. But Levi noticed their was something different about his gaze now, something more dangerous. His face energised like killing the two men had been cathartic, but Levi knew it wouldn't last long.

"How'd it feel?" asked Levi, looking at the man who still seemed unhinged after the news he received earlier.

"Different. Different that I would have thought," his eyes tracing back at the pool of blood forming beneath the two men, the sound of infected getting closer as he limped back towards the vehicle. His eyes lingering at the bodies, as the car shunted forward, leaving him see only the infected moving towards their corpses as they disappeared from view.