Apocalypse Horizon: At World's End (Open to 1M, PM me first)

[CarnivalBarker]

(This thread is open to 1m character, and my idea is that whoever you play can be anyone.....cartel member, rogue policia, outlaw, or Chase. Basically, the idea is that the world is thrust into a post apocalyptic world, and cute, little Bridget finds it to be rather rough, hard, and scary, though perhaps there are small, happy moments too. Sex, noncon, coercion, romantic, whatever, are all possibilities. But whatever, PM your ideas to me, and I will pick a co-author)


"Bridget!" her mother called from downstairs, as the vacuum growled to a sudden stop. "Will you get your bag out of the floor?" The college freshman rolled her eyes and stomped downstairs in her plaid boxer shorts and tank top, grabbed her backpack, and trudged back up to her room, tossing it back down on the floor next to her bed before crawling back under the covers to go back to sleep on this rainy Saturday morning. She thought how glad she would be when she moved into the dorms in two weeks and got out from under mom and dad's annoying gaze and moved into a larger city away from this tiny town in dusty West Texas. She had grown up living nowhere but here, and as wide open as the spaces were, the vast open landscape served to put a crushing weight of claustrophobia on the town she had always known and left no room for her anymore. She needed to leave, to get somewhere that adventure could be found, where she could live her own life and chase her own dreams, free of the confines of her tidy little life as the daughter of the man that owned the largest auto dealership between Amarillo and El Paso. Bridget Baker had wanted for nothing, and now she simply wanted to leave.

No sooner had she begun to doze off once more, her phone rang. "Unnnh," she whimpered as she grabbed it from the bedside table and pulled it under the comforter to read the name of Chase Blalock, the guy that might be the closest thing she had to a boyfriend. Chase was three years older, and likely was only allowed to spend time around her because their families had known each other. When Chase's parents and sister had been killed in a car accident his junior year, he had dropped out of school to go to work in the Permian Basin oil fields. Though he had done well for himself, he was the very definition of a roughneck, with a massive build formed from the hard labor of working on a rig. In addition, he had developed something of a drug problem that he hid, until random tests at work exposed it and cost his job.

"What do you want," she whined, putting the phone to her ear.

"I need inventory," he said. She groaned again.

"No way," she replied. "I told you that I'd only do it the one time." After she had graduated in May, Chase approached her when they were both at the same rave. He had found her rolling on acid, and the two ended up crashing in a nearby twenty four hour restaurant booth until they came to early the next day. When they awoke, Chase drove to his dealer's house before dropping her off at home. There, she learned he was in serious debt and that his solution was to deliver massive amounts of cocaine and marijuana across the border from the dealer's link to the Zetas cartel. The job was simple, go to Mexico, get a package, and deliver it back here. Chase knew the guards on both sides of the border would wave through a pretty blonde before they would pass him through looking like the near junkie he was. She agreed because the dealer told them both that he would have Chase killed if he didn't get the job done. Two days later, they made the simple day trip, collected the drugs at an abandoned bus stop, and returned home with no incident, even though the United States agents acted as if they would not let a single car simply pass. As she approached the gate, the agent looked at their passports and waved them on. She had never been so scared.

"Come on, Bridget, just one more time. I need two deliveries to be up to balance, and my sister is getting one of those for me, but you can't cross repeatedly without suspicion. We haven't been there in four months."

"Chase, no." She tried to hold firm.

"Bridget they will kill me. They are going to tie me up, and they are going to fire a chain saw up in my ear. They are going to use it to saw through me from my shoulder and down across my chest until I fall over in my own lap!" She shuddered at the thought, and also knew that the cartels and their syndicates were nobody to mess with and that reports of such things were more common than most in the lower 48 ever knew. She sighed.

"One more time," she said. "And never again."

"Okay," he said. "I will be there in an hour."

An hour later, Bridget had put on some khaki shorts and a pink tank top for the hot ride, hoping to get a bit of sun with the top down on her convertible mustang. This is a terrible idea, she thought to herself. I cannot believe this is happening. As she came downstairs to put on her blue Keds shoes, the television began to warble with a breaking news report from Brian Williams, signaling the news about to be told was pretty significant.

Ladies and gentlemen, the AP has confirmed at this hour that a massive detonation, and that is the word we will use - a detonation, of some form of atomic weapon has occurred somewhere South of Shimla in the nation of India. This appears to be the first of its kind since the United States used such weapons at the conclusion of World War II. India is an ally of the United States, and a nuclear power itself and it sits on the border of Pakistan. This detonation appears to be less than 100 miles east of that country's border and threatens to thrust the world into significant conflict.

Just then, the doorbell rang. As she opened the door, Chase stepped in and said hello to Bridget and her parents, who were locked onto the coverage of the news. She pushed him outside as she grabbed her purse. "We are going to the art fair downtown," she told her parents, not coming up with any other reason she and a rather suspicious guy might be gone for the next six hours.

"Get back before dark," her dad said, his tone one of anxiety and fear as he only momentarily pulled away from the news before returning his attention to the apocalyptic reports on TV. She raced toward Chase's car.

"Let's get there and get back," she said, rushing him off the porch.

Two hours into their three hour drive, they had passed into Mexico without incident, and found themselves on an open road, headed into a tiny town an hour away in one of Mexico's many capitals of poverty, where the drug trade propped up a few wealthy citizens that served only as links in the cartel networks. As they drove, the car radio suddenly droned to a stop as if the car battery had died, and the car rolled to a stop after Chase pulled it to the side of the road.

"What are you doing?" Bridget asked.

"Car's dead," he said.

"It cannot be dead."

"It is," he replied, trying to start it and getting no reaction from the car. No other cars were in sight. The girl grabbed her phone, and found it dead as well.

"My fucking battery is dead," she said.

"Mine is too," Chase began to look concerned. "We're stuck here."

A hemisphere away, China's leaders were sending a fleet of warships toward the Pacific coast. In an effort to prevent United States influence over the new raging conflict, it launched a nuclear missile of its own over the Arctic sea to detonate outside the atmosphere near the border of Washington State and Canada. From Seattle, through the rest of the United States and into central America, the entire grid system shut down. When it did, anything electric ceased to move or work, and cellular service instantly shut off. The two travelers did not know how alone they were. They only knew they were in Cartel country, in a foreign nation, and had no way to get home. They would soon learn of their dilemma as the sun ravaged the sky, and eventually darkened the earth as it fell to the East to see the beginning damage the new war had caused.

Bridget:

 

[CarnivalBarker]

Bump. Still looking.

 

[CarnivalBarker]

Bump again.

 

[CarnivalBarker]

Seriously? No takers?

 

[wombat9966]

http://www.celebritydietdoctor.com/...DG2tJ1bWdLkhT79XW8ommT212-e1291190890757.jpeg

Conan had been making his way back to his bosses compound when his car had died on him. One minute everything had been fine, the next no power and no lights. He had tried to restart it but it wouldn't even turn over. Getting out of the heap of junk he had kicked the drivers door in and started the long walk.

At almost seven feet tall and with muscles most guys only dreamed about Conan was an in demand enforcer. He knew all there was to know about guns having grown up on a ranch and having one in his hands almost before he could walk. He had done a stint in the Marines and had come out alright and learned a few things about explosives as well. While down here he had picked up some knife skills and how to use a hatchet as a weapon. His main claim to fame though was his brawling ability. He was as good as any MMA fighter and was always being encouraged to try out for it. He laughed it off though. He made five times what those punks did and had a lot more privileges to boot.

He had been walking for awhile when he saw a car parked on the side of the road ahead. Ah maybe they could give him a lift into town. From there he could make his way to Frederico's compound. As he got nearer he saw that it too was abandoned and no one seemed to be around. Still he climbed into the drivers seat and tried the engine. Again there was nothing at all. Looking the car over he saw that it belonged to some American. A tourist maybe or maybe something else. There was only one reason to be traveling out this way and that was his bosses place and that meant either girls or drugs. From the looks of this car he would guess drugs.

Grinning to himself he got out and started to walk down the road again. Maybe he would catch up to whoever was in the car before they got to town. At the least it would be company on the walk in.

 

[CarnivalBarker]

Bridget ran her hand through her hair and thought about the situation for a minute. She reached into the backseat and grabbed her clutch purse, shoving cash and her ID into her front pocket. "Let's go," she told Chase.

"Go?" He asked.

"Yeah. We'll fry out here, and we need to find a phone or another car that can take us into town," she said. "So let's go." Chase pulled the keys from the car, and got out after she did, following her as she began trudging along the dusty street toward whatever the next town would be.

Thirty minutes later, Chase began to complain. "It's hot out here," he said, standing still in the road. "Where is the traffic?" He asked, as the little girl ahead of him turned around in disgust at his quick depletion.

"I don't know," Bridget said. "Come on, we have to keep going." She turned her back on him and kept walking as he plodded along, losing ground as she kept a brisk, athletic pace, showing no signs of fatigue, as yet. As she pulled nearly an eighth of a mile ahead, she turned around one and, while walking backward, she shouted at him down the road. "Let's go Chase!"

He sped up a bit, before stopping again and looking up and down the road. In the distance, toward where their car was left, he saw a figure. He blinked and then looked back at Bridget. He looked again, and didn't see anything. He rubbed his eyes and still saw nothing. It had to be nothing, he thought. He turned and ran to catch up to his fellow traveler, pulling up beside her.

"Something is not right," he said.

"Yeah," she said. "My car is fucked up."

"No," he said. "This road is always pretty busy. And we have not seen a single car pass by."

Bridget shrugged, giving it little thought. "Well, we won't see one if you keep stopping," she said, as he looked back again.

"You see something back there?" He asked her, prompting her to turn back herself.

"Nope," she said, as she continued down the road. She sighed again, from frustration. "This was a stupid idea," she complained. "This is bullshit." She wondered how and when they would be able to get home. If her dad began to worry, he would come looking for them, but she suspected he might not come this far. She wanted to find someone, anyone, that could help them get the car started and get home. As they continued up a slight hill, they both wondered if this would end poorly, though neither let the other know. They simply needed to keep going, for now.

 

[wombat9966]

Conan had left the car behind ten minutes ago and was walking towards a hill in the distance. The road continued up it and it wasn't all that high but the sun was high and he was beginning to feel the heat. It had been a while since he had been out in the heat for this long. Normally he would be inside in the middle of the day basking in the cool of the air conditioner and only come out when it became a little cooler in the afternoon.

Now he had been walking in the heat of the hottest part of the day without water and he was sweating like a pig. He knew this was not good and he needed to make it too town quickly. Looking up he saw two figures walking up the hill. They must have been hidden by the dips in the road before. As he had not passed them before he assumed they must be the people from the car. They were not walking all that quickly and he could see that he would soon catch up to them. He wasn't going to run but hopefully when he caught up to them they would have some water.

He continued trudging on at a decent pace and soon he could make out some of the features of the people in front of him. It was definitely a male and female and the female was the younger and fitter of the two. She was constantly having to stop and wait for the male who was barely walking at a stumbling pace. At the rate they were walking he would catch up to them shortly. He was not sure if they had seen him yet. They had not turned around recently but they had awhile ago. Well no matter, the company would be appreciated until they hit town, especially the woman's if she was good looking.

 

[CarnivalBarker]

As the two stranded amateur drug mules continued on their path to Find any sign of people who might help, Clara Santo began to buzz with word of a doomed world. The small town with a population of only around 100, heard the initial reports of the nuclear blast hours before things blinked off and went dark, and they began proceedings to shelter in place, fearing the worst as they gathered the few remaining supplies they had.

"Where the hell is Conan?" Asked Nero Martín Marquez, the head of the Zetas Cartel in the border region. "We are going to have to get him back here and then we are going to have to get to Cùantopuesto as soon as we can." The others nodded. Cùantopuesto was the seaside compound two hours west of here, where Marquez warehoused mass quantities of drugs and weapons and maintained three luxury safehouses that were free from government notice as part of the bribery schemes he had worked out years ago with local policia. There, he hoped to lock himself away for as long as necessary for the world to begin to sort itself out, and from there he could have his men monitor the shipping channels into the United States from the bluff overlooking two major highways into Texas and New Mexico, while also overseeing his largest warehouses if someone attempted a raid while the grid was down. "Find him," he said to one of the men. "Then meet the rest of us there." The man nodded and took off to find one of the horses. "And you," he said to the other man, "load up our weapons and supplies. We are going to need them."

******

Bridget walked a few more steps and dropped her arms to her side. "Christ, I cannot believe this!" Chase continued to trail her a bit, and it was shortly after she got to a small rise in the road that he saw the vast desert ahead of them with no sign of movement in the valley below. Cars sat in the streets of Clara Santo, but none appeared to move. She could make out people scurrying in the streets and wondered if this had something to do with the bombing she heard about earlier. It had to.

"What is going on?" Chase asked.

"We're in trouble," Bridget mumbled, as much to herself as him. In an instant she realized she was cute, blonde, without knowing anyone here, in a poor, crime ridden town with a violent reputation, at the worst possible time. "We can't go down there."

"Why not?" Her companion asked.

"I'm not sure it's safe." She looked up at the sun. It was still hours from going down, and the temperature had climbed to a swelter. It wasn't safe to stay here either, she realized. She looked for anything that would give her any idea where they might go that would be safe. She saw nothing. She looked up and down the road once more, peering back in the direction they had been. There in the distance she saw a man, still a good span from where they were. She wondered if he had seen them. Turning once more toward the little town, she saw a figure on horseback begin riding up a rocky path as if headed toward the road they were on, in their direction.

"We have to get off this road, until we can figure out what to do?" She said.

"And go where?" Chase asked. "There's a desert and there's the town.surely there is someone in town that will help us," he said, exhausted from their walk, and frustrated that she appeared full of energy still.

"Who? The cartels?" She asked rhetorically, knowing how that might end for her and Chase. She could not believe their situation. She looked down the road once more. Her eyes grew wide when she saw the man to their back was now gone. He had to have seen them, and she had no idea where he had gone. She did not have a good feeling about where they were.

 

[wombat9966]

Conan had been approaching the hill when he realized where he was. On the other side was the valley where Clara Santo was. Finally he would be able to rest and get out of this blessed heat and get a cool drink or a dozen. He looked up and saw the two people he had been following standing at the top of the hill looking down into the valley. He wondered why they were not going down into it but he would ponder on that when he caught up. He moved at a brisker pace but at the bottom of the hill he had an urge to relieve himself. He ducked behind a small tree and unzipped and spent the next minute or two getting rid of the last of his spare water.

He returned to the road and resumed walking and began walking up the hill. The two people were still at the top arguing if the sounds of the voices drifting down to him were any indication. He also heard hoof beats coming towards them. Maybe the boss was sending someone after him. That would be good, he could get back to the compound a lot quicker riding on four legs than walking on his own two.

 

[CarnivalBarker]

Completely frustrated with Chase, Bridget knew he was right and that sitting in the desert could not be an option. She continued walking down the hill and shivered as the single rider looked her up and down as he passed by them. He did not look friendly and she didn't say a word.

"Why didn't you ask him to help get us to town?" Chase asked.

"Chase, we're almost there." She continued walking, frustrated that he was so helpless. As they eventually roamed into town, the reality was unsettling. People were racing around and nobody seemed to be manning any of the local shops and the single convenience store that sat on the edge of town. People were racing out of the place carrying water and food, while others had obvious emptied the coolers of its beer and cleared any shelves of their alcohol. Chase ran over to a pay phone and hammered the lever to get a ring tone.

"It's dead," he said toward Bridget. She figured. This was bad. This seemed really bad. "What are we going to do?" He asked.

"We need to get home," she said. "I don't like this." She walked outside once again and found a man standing near the gas pumps.

"English?" She asked.

"No." He said with a wave.

"Que.....que es?" She asked, attempting simply to see if she could communicate at all, knowing no other Spanish. The man shook his head and shrugged.

"Zetas. Es malo." He replied.

Chase suddenly became useful, his eyes wide as he grabbed her hand. "The Zetas are leaving, or else this wouldn't be happening. People pay them for protection. If they pull out, then it's open season for outlaws and independents, who tend to terrorize the people, take their money, abuse their people. The Zetas aren't much nicer, but they bring some order, and you're better with them than against them." Bridget wondered what their options were.

"Would they help get us home?" She asked.

"They'd probably kill me," Chase said. "Worse for you, but you'd live."

"What about the outlaws?" She asked.

"Not much better. And they can't afford to take us with them," he said.

"We'd better find someplace to hide then," she said, for the first time beginning to be afraid. She looked down the street where they had come. She wondered about the man behind them. She wondered if the man on the horse was with a cartel or independent. She wondered if anyone was good in this town with such a bleak reputation for death and destitution. She wondered if she would ever get home.

 

[wombat9966]

Conan was halfway up the hill when the rider crested the hill and came barreling towards him. The two ahead of him had finally decided to head on down and had disappeared a few minutes ago. As the horse got closer he saw that is was one of the men from the compound and he reined in beside him.

"Conan thank god. Senor Nero is looking for you. He was worried that you had not made it back before the world went to hell. He sent me to find you. I am glad I did not have to go far."

Conan walked over and grabbed the canteen hanging from the mans saddle and opened and sipped from it. Taking a few small mouthfuls he finally took a large swallow and smacked his lips. "Ahh god I needed that. Now tell me what is going on."

The man filled him in on what was happening in the world and what the plan was for the Zetas Cartel. "Ahh that Nero is a cunning bastard. That is an excellent plan. We will have all the supplies we need and an excellent base with which to raid any ships or people passing down the roads. The boss planned well hey. We will be sitting pretty while the world goes to shit around us. Now get down and hurry back. I will make sure there is a cold beer waiting for you."

Conan mounted the horse and galloped into the town. As he was entering he spied the two people that must have been walking in front of him. They stood out like two white pieces of chocolate in a choc chip cookie. He rode over to them and reined in. The woman was a beauty and would not last long out here if the stories were true. Perhaps he would take her for himself and have some fun. The guy was a typical Gringo who was always down here buying drugs. he might look big and tough but he could see by the look in his eye that he was scared as hell.

"Hola Amigos. I think you are in the wrong place at the wrong time. You will die if you stay here. I can offer you a place of safety but you will have to pay your way if you know what I mean. Of course you can stay here and take your chances, or come with me and come to a place of luxury. Your choice of course."

 

[CarnivalBarker]

"What, exactly is going on?" Bridget asked the man seated on the horse. "Were you following us?" She asked, recognizing him. "And I don't know what you mean." She stepped closer to Chase, and a bit behind him, as if he might protect her in this beginning wasteland. "What, exactly can you offer us? And how can we pay you?" She looked around and saw a building on fire at the end of the main street before them, and noticed people fighting over survival items in the doorways of several places nearby. She could not imagine the scene in larger cities in America. "Where is this safe place?" She asked, considering the option may be better than remaining here in the street. For the first time, as chaos began to break around them, she started to think that things were really bad. She had no idea how bad they were becoming all over the world. She simply knew what she was seeing and didn't like it.

 

[wombat9966]

"Chica you obviously came down here to buy drugs. The only other thing down her for Gringos like you is girls and you two do not look like the type for that. The man who controls all the drugs down here is my boss and I am his right hand man and chief enforcer Conan. As to whether I was following you or not the answer is simply no, I was just going the same way. As to what is going on," He smiled in a sort of cruel way at them and gestured around at the town and the world. "Welcome to the Apocalypse child. Get on board or die."

" The gossip is the big wigs finally did it and let off some bombs in the atmosphere. Ever hear of an EMP wave. Well they are happening all over the world knocking out most of the planets cities. You know they kill just about everything electrical or anything that has anything electrical in it. That includes cars, motorbikes, boats, computers anything. So now we are back to the stone age."

"Now what I can offer you is a place with me. When I get back to the Zetas compound we will be packing up and moving to a more secure place. There we will have nothing to worry about from bandits, rival gangs or the army. We will be safe and have food, water and maybe even electricity if the old stories are true. Of course you won't be traveling for free. The boy looks strong enough. He can earn his way working, Lifting and carrying, hauling and other menial things. Once we get were we get there well he will be doing more of the same. You girl well you can't do that, and so you will have to pay in another way. You can try your luck in the general pool and service all the men, or let me claim you and you will be my personal woman. I will expect you to fulfill your duties though, this will be no free ride."

"Of course you can always stay here, two Gringos in the interior of Mexico were money is useless now and the local ahh...gang yes gang is moving out. Oh and I suppose you speak Spanish of course?" He laughed at their looks of dejection. "Ah yes of course you do. So I need to go and I need to go now, so I need your answer now."

 

[CarnivalBarker]

Bridget crossed her arms, entirely skeptical and a bit anxious. This brute on horseback before her was asking both her and Chase to essentially commit themselves to slavery, and it sounded like he was asking her to do the unthinkable. Her eyes narrowed as he spoke. She had no intention of agreeing to any terms.

"You need my answer?" She asked. "You're insane." As she spoke, Chase looked around at the scene unfolding around them.

"We shouldn't.....do you think we should.....we should think about this," Chase said. "We will not survive here alone."

"We just have to get back home," she replied.

"How will we do that?" He said, low enough that the man could not hear him. "We have no car, no.....horses. How will we do that?" Chase said. The girl brushed the hair away from her eyes as she sighed in frustration.

"He wants to rape me," she said. "Do you understand that?" She shook her head again. "There is no way we are going." Chase thought a moment and looked at the man on the horse.

"What are we going to do then?" He asked her. "Where are we going to go?"

"I don't know," she said. "Someone here will help us. They have to."

"But they don't," Chase told her. The reality looked bleak. She could not imagine a worse situation. She looked at the man herself and crossed her arms again, taking a defiant stance.

"If we go, then he'll work," she told him, pointing at Chance. "But I am not going to be anyone's personal woman. When we get there," she paused, knowing she was gambling. "We can discuss what I can do to around the compound to earn my place. Cleaning, cooking.....something. But not that." She stood on her own terms.

 

[wombat9966]

Conan looked down at the woman. She certainly had spunk and he liked that but he had no time to waste on a woman who tried to argue when she had nothing to bargain with.
"Well then good luck gringos, I wish you luck with the locals and the bandits. I have urgent business elsewhere."

Conan reined his around and proceeded to walk it down main street. He looked around himself observing the locals. Word must have gotten out that they were leaving. People were looting stores and grabbing all the foodstuffs they could find especially any bottled water. As he rode down the street, people would look at him and give him a wide berth. He was well known here and even unarmed they knew better than to mess with him. All around him was anarchy but he seemed to bring a pocket of calm with him.

Finally he made it to the end of the street and he made ready to ride off to the compound. He looked back for the last time and looked at all the chaos.

 

[CarnivalBarker]

As the man rode away, Chase and Bridget watched, feeling suddenly painfully alone. Neither knew what to do.

"We have to get out of here," Chase said, frightened. She watched him as he sprinted toward the enforcer riding away.

"What are you doing?!" She cried out. Chase ignored her. As the man on the horse turned around to take a last look at the scene, Chase waved his arms and caught his attention, causing him to gallop up the street once more. Pulling aside the junkie, Conan looked down from on high.

"We'll do it," Chase said. "I mean, I will do what you want. And Bridget will too," he ofered, glancing in her direction. From where she stood, she could not hear what Chase was saying, but felt like she knew.

No! her head screamed at him, silently. At the same time, she watched a man stab another man along an alley near the convenience store in full view, while a wwoman across the way pushed a child down and ripped a bottle of water from the little girl's hands. The world really appeared to be getting away from its moorings, and Conan's idea of a world of hardship and evil may be all too real. She began to walk in the direction of Chase and the cartel soldier, not fully believing what was happening. She might have no better option than what this vile man offered. She was committed to not making things easy. And she was committed to survival, as she approached them in the street.

 

[wombat9966]

Conan heard the male yell behind him and turned back. He would give these two one last chance. The male rushed up "We'll do it," he said. "I mean, I will do what you want. And Bridget will too." So the females name was Bridget was it. A pretty name and one that would set her apart from the others in the compound.

Looking down at the man Conan frowned at him. "Look little man, let me make your situation very clear. We really do not need any more workers. I am only allowing you to come along because of the woman. If she does not agree then you are out on your own as well. I need to hear her agree to my terms, not you. To me you are just trash, she is the one I am interested in." Raising his voice so it clearly carried to her he continued, "Do you hear me woman? I have no qualms about leaving you here. This is your last chance. Agree with my terms or you and your friend take your chances with the jackals. I give you to the count of tres."

"Uno"
"Dos"

 

[CarnivalBarker]

"I'll do it," she said, against everything she was and believed. "I'll..........I'll do it," Bridget repeated. She remained dedicated to her own safety, and she remained dedicated to not being easy for this horrible person or anything for the cartel. She continued walking toward Chase, ending up beside him as they stared up at the man on his mount.

"Thank you," Chase whispered.

"Fuck you, Chase," she said. She grew louder, directing her words back to the cartel enforcer. "I will do it, but do not believe for a second that I am simply going to lay back and take it if I don't want to," she said, aware that she would likely be forced to do just that. In the distance, an eruption occurred as one of the buildings in midtown exploded in a ball of fire. The situation was escalating. The distraction from their situation made her wonder about what the rest of the world looked like. She wondered if her parents were safe, or if her sister would be subject to any situation like she was now in. She slowly acquiesced to her situation, knowing her choice was made. "Can we get out of here, already?"

 

[wombat9966]

Conan leaned down and easily picked the slim girl up and seated her in front of him. He did it for two reasons. One, to show her just how helpless it would be for her to struggle against him, and two, she had a great body and he was not above getting a free feel. He grabbed her bag and moved it around to her front, putting it in her lap and allowing his forearms to brush her boobs lightly as he took the reins. Looking down main street he could see the man who had been sent to get him making his way towards him. Much like himself a bubble of calm seemed to surround him.

"Right you Chase is it? You will walk back with this man. You will do as he tells you and he will keep you safe. Amigo another willing back for the Zetas cartel. He will be doing a lot of menial work for us. See he is looked after."

The man grinned up at Conan and nodded. "Si Senor Conan it will be as you say. We will be back soon."

Conan nodded and then kicked the horse into a steady trot and moved out of the village. If he was lucky he would arrive in time to move out with the first wagons and Senor Marquez himself.

 

[CarnivalBarker]

Bridget felt herself hoisted onto the horse and tossed in front of the enforcer that she was already repulsed by, given the terms and requirements of his offer of help. He had no trouble flinging her upward, as if she were a rag doll, and she felt his body pressed against her from her upper back to her hips once she was secure on her mount. He felt like a mountain pressed against her, his body a slab of rock which would not give way. Her body quivered at the simple thought that this beast would, at some point, be on top of her. And inside her. He was giant and powerful. And she had no doubt she would be his, though she was set to fight him if she could. Feeling him against her, she suspected it would not be enough to try.

The man barked an order to the other cartel member that would accompany Chase. She suspected that now, with her wrapped in his arms and between his thighs as he grabbed the reins, Chase would be expendable. The horse beneath them began to gallop, and she held tightly to her bag, which was now the only thing that was hers and the only things she still possessed, though nothing inside it seemed useful to her now. She clung to it simply for comfort. As they began to gallop farther away from Chase and the man with him, she turned her head slightly to engage the soldier that was taking her to wherever they would be going.

"You're not bringing him with us, are you?" she asked him. "Chase," she said. "He's not really coming with us, is he?"

 

[wombat9966]

Conan looked at the girl, no Bridget was her name.
"Bridget you do not know me but I will tell you a few things about me. One, my word is my bond. If I say I am going to do something it will be done. If that is killing a man, Bringing him back, delivering an item or defending a post it is done or I am dead it is that simple so if I make a deal it is kept. Two if you make a deal with me you better keep it. People around here know this as do a lot of people I deal with. You two had better learn it quick. I give one warning and then you are dead. You have agreed to be my woman and that means no fighting, punching, kicking and the rest. You do this and I will treat you right. You don't and you will not like it I swear. Your friend better also work and not shirk his duties. He does and my amigos know what to do with him. From now on your treatment is up to you."

They rode in silence for a little longer for a little longer before he spoke to her again. "By the way my name is Conan but for obvious reasons most people here call me El Barbaro or in English The Barbarian."

In two minutes they had arrived at the compound and Conan waved to the guards on the gate. They immediately recognized the big man and to shouts of "El Barbaro is back" he was let in.

 

[CarnivalBarker]

She listened to him intently and shivered. His size and power alone would make her not enjoy any experience she had with him, and he now warned her against any resistance. Like hell, she thought, perhaps not fully appreciating the horrible world she was both in and about to enter. As they approached the compound, she noticed it was fortified, striking her more as a jail than anything pleasant. She wondered if she would ever experience anything pleasant again. The man mentioned his nickname. The Barbarian. She rolled her eyes where he could not see them, and continued to ride in silence. She got that she had made a deal. She did not have to make it easy, and she refused to speak with him further until they were somewhere at least somewhat safe from the world at large. It would not be long before civilization no longer resembled civilization everywhere. She wondered if she had made a good decision, or if there was any other decision to be made. The sun began to set low in the sky, an only a few hours of light remained. She felt the man's hand wrap around her waist, causing her to take a deep breath of insecurity, before realizing he was simply balancing her as the horse beneath them continued to gallop. One question ran through her mind, and she could not shake it.

"Are you going to hurt me?" she asked, knowing it would be his prerogative to do so. Whether he actually would or not, she simply wanted to hear an answer.

 

[wombat9966]

He stared over her head looking at the activity in the courtyard and all the extra security that was on the walls. A few ancient cars had been brought out of mothballs and he could see a couple of mechanics working on them as well as a lot of horse drawn carriages. Most of them were stuffed with goods and furniture from inside and he assumed they would be leaving in the morning. The beds and regular furniture they would leave for the jackals and vultures to fight over, but Senor Nero's most Important things would be packed along with all food and as much water as they could get. All the kitchen utensils would also come as well as their armory.

He nodded at the preparations. Everything looked in order. His lieutenants had done well, he would have to congratulate them. Finally he answered the woman in his arms. "I told you Bridget that is up to you. If you behave yourself then you will not be hurt. I am not a selfish lover. I am not just going to spread your legs and fuck you. I like my women to enjoy themselves as well. However if you fight me then yes you will be hurt and I will take my pleasure and I doubt you will feel any."

Riding his horse up to where several others were tied up, he dismounted and tied his up then reached up and lifted her off just as easily as he had lifted her on.
"Follow me and don't speak to any one for now I will take you to my room."
He opened the door and set off for the top floor.

 

[CarnivalBarker]

The tiny girl did as she was told, following him up several flights of stairs and down a rather dark, windowless corridor, wondering what would happen once they arrived, while fearing she knew. It was impressive and frightening that in the midst of the end times, this monster could only and immediately think of his need to have sex. She feared the worst, being raped repeatedly by this beast at his will. She wondered if any part of her captivity would be comfortable, as he had promised. She would reserve all judgment, hoping just to get through the next day.

The man opened the door into an elaborate, if sterile suite, decorated with rather modern amenities. Had it been in the city, and not a drug lord's barracks, she would think it typical of any single guy with some measure of wealth. She thought it perhaps reflected this man's value to the cartel, as most soldiers could not have been treated so well. Or perhaps the Zetas were simply that wealthy.

"I want to go home," she said, as the man stepped behind her and closed the door. "I mean," she said, "I'm here, but at some point, I want to go home to my family."

 

[wombat9966]

"That may be possible at some point. In fact it may surprise you but I have family in the US that I would like to see as well. As I said though, my word is my bond. I have agreed to work for Senor Nero for another two years. Besides right now is probably not the best time for traveling anyway. I would give it at least 6 months if not a year before making for anywhere in the US. I know you don't want to hear that but listen to my reasons."

He motioned for her to sit on the bed and after looking at him in a mixture of horror and revulsion she did although she clutched her bag in front of her like a shield.
"Okay where else is basically everyone armed to the teeth but America. Right now every gun shop owner is barricading themselves in and they have a chance to set themselves up as feudal lords. That is till their ammunition runs out."

He chuckled. "Then of course you have every survivalist nut and paramilitary and Armageddon group out there. Well they are sitting pretty now aren't they. They have vast supplies of food, water, gasoline, guns and ammunition and the basics of human living. It is going to be survival of the fittest for awhile out here. Soon here in Mexico it will die down. Only the army and the cartels have the weapons and the food to survive long, however the Government needs to feed the people, the cartels only themselves and we can raid. In America the fighting will last longer because everyone is armed.That is why I say give it a year to settle down."

He saw her listening to him but he didn't know if she agreed with him. "Now stay here and don't wander. If you leave this room the men will probably consider you fair game and you will be raped. I must go see Nero. I will be back soon though Bridgett."
He turned and opened the door and left her sitting on his bed.