Room 202 [Dead & Locked]

[Ruby]

The leaves rustled quietly as Ruby took cover in their bushes, their branches scratching at her bare arms and legs. Just a little farther, she thought silently to herself. She had made it quite far into Avignon in France, a very well known and very hostile gang territory. She played it as safe as she could by staying in the downtown area. If they have the Palais des Papes for themselves, why would they want anything with the rundown hotels and shops in the downtown?

It's so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Those loud, arrogant patrols must not be anywhere near here right now. Ruby pushed the bushes aside, making a space big enough to get herself out and quietly ran to the opposite side of the street. She pushed her back against the wall of a building and held her breath. Her heart faintly pounded in her ears. Everything else was still silent. The silence was a little unsettling, but she had come too far to quit now. It was almost sunset and she needed shelter for the night.

Ruby relaxed herself and got sight of her target, a cozy looking inn. Or, what used to be one, anyway. It was half of a block away and her chances were looking good. Confident in the silence around her, she ran until she got to her destination's hanging sign. With a little bit of gentle force she was able to get the door open without making too much noise.

She walked in and pushed the door closed. Inside was torn up, the walls had holes and the wallpaper was ripped off in some places, the staff door hanging on by a thread and the floor was stained with who knows what, but it was as close as she was going to get to cozy tonight. Her chances of being discovered here seemed slim.

"Now what room do I want?" Ruby whispered to herself as she made her way behind the counter to the wall of room keys. "Eenie, meenie, miney, this one." She took the set of keys for room 202 and made her way upstairs.

Reaching her floor after two flights of stairs, the flood damage seemed minimal which meant the threat of mold and the sickness that comes from it was reduced. Her room was the first on the right. She checked the doorknob, it was locked. She put her key in the lock and it turned, unlocking the door. Perfect. The knobs still work great on this floor.

She made her way into her home for the night, locking the door behind her. The room was just a bedroom and a bathroom. Nothing special. But someone had been through here before. The room was trashed. All of the rooms probably were.

I bet there was no stone left unturned in this city. Damn raiders. At least the curtains are still in tact.

She removed her weapons and placed them on the armchair in the corner next to the bed. Everything was coated in a very thin layer of dust, which meant no one had been here for a little bit. Ruby couldn't think of a better place to spend the night. I'll have to hold on to these keys in case I ever again find myself in need of a place to sleep around here.

She got some of the dust off of the bed and laid on it, resting her head on a pillow. This is heaven. She thought. If only there was a lifetime supply of food in here. I'd never have to go outside again.

Ruby removed her shorts, kicked off her boots, and pulled the blankets up to her shoulders and drifted into sleep.

[Holiday]

Detective Holiday waited for the cover of nightfall to make his descent downtown. He traveled far for the opportunity Avignon promised. Unclaimed goods were of course always a perk during work, but the Bounty Hunter's primary concern was with the militant occupants of the Palais des Papes. An unknown number of hostiles patrolled their territory, and much of their nuanced leadership was a mystery to outsiders. The plan was simple. Capture grunts, and work up the chain of command for profitable intel. What the city held in hiding, there was more this gang held in their fortress.

His breathing was slow, calm, and controlled through the respirator. One…two…three…He counted each exhalation while he tried to discern patrol patterns, all the while remaining out of sight under the cover of bushes, and moving to dilapidated buildings and dark corners when he could. It was much easier in the darkness, and he found it comforting how much noise the raiders made during their runs. They ran together, inevitably with guns and attitudes in tow, enough to alert the whole damn neighborhood as they marched through, so comforted by their numbers. And that was when he spotted the inn and its hanging sign.

The lawman took his time moving over to the front entrance, which he opened with one hand, the other clutching the makeshift machete as he cleared the lobby after shutting the door gently behind him. He let the mask hang around his neck, and procured a hand rolled cigarette from his trench coat pocket and flicked open a refillable lighter, cupping the flame and toking sweet scented smoke as he searched the staff office, making note of the missing 202 key, and plucked 203 from the wall. Old detective habits kicked in, and he noted the lack of dust where the other key must have been. It was taken recently, and the prospect of another tenant bothered his hardened survival instincts.

He climbed the stairs with the machete in one hand, and a stun-gun in the other. Maybe one of those raiders decided to crash outside the complex…or maybe whoever took the key was long gone. But before he explored 203, 202 merited investigation.

And there it was. Room 202. He approached at a slow pace, before finally putting an ear to the door and listening for any tell-tale signs of residency. Nothing yet…

THUMP THUMP THUMP

He used the butt end of the machete handle to knock three times, and waited with stun-gun pointed at the door, the bladed end of his machete poised to strike if someone responded with hostility.

[Ruby]

A commotion downstairs woke Ruby from her sleep. She opened her eyes and lay completely still, holding her breath to listen closer. Walking, she said to herself. Someone is walking downstairs. Then it stopped. Ruby exhaled and relaxed. It must have been a small animal, she reasoned. Closing her eyes, she tried to fall back asleep. Though she was hungry, it was too late to hunt. She would have to take her chances with game at dawn.

She had almost fallen asleep when she heard it again, this time it was coming up the stairs. Step. Creak. Step. Creak. Each became louder the more stairs they climbed. That's not an animal. That's someone stalking. Ruby got out of bed and stood up as quietly as she could. Did someone see me come in here? If I stay quiet, maybe they won't realize I'm here. She grabbed her shorts from the chair and her boots from the floor and got dressed. If she was going to get caught in here, it wouldn't be with her pants down. The footsteps continued to climb higher. She strapped her weapons onto her body and waited.

The footsteps reached her floor and paused, as if to contemplate what they were going to do next. Ruby unsheathed her katana from her back and held it out. The stranger made their decision to skip the stairs and walk through the floor. Each calm, confident step they took instilled a fresh panic in her. She had no idea what was beyond her door, but if it found her she couldn't afford to be sloppy.

Ruby gripped her katana tighter when the footsteps stopped at her door. I'm so screwed. I should have just left this damn city.

THUMP, THUMP, THUMP. came from the door and echoed all around her room. 

Ruby tip-toed to the door of her room and looked through the peep hole. It was a well-dressed man. A well-dressed man! The movement in those clothes must be terrible. Amateur. He'll be an easy fight if it comes down to it. She looked back through the hole. It was dark, but she could make out that this man was grown, maybe late twenties to early thirties. Where did you come from? 

She stepped back and held her katana in front of her once more. It doesn't matter where he came from, if he barges in here, that fool is getting floored. I'll send him running back to the tux shop.

[Holiday]

When the detective noticed a flicker of movement at the peep hole he sheathed the blade and whipped the double-barreled sawn-off shotgun up from its shoulder strap and aimed both guns at the door again. Holiday's cigarette burned to almost nothing by the time he decided to speak up. "Should have known I'd watch the peep hole. Bet the door is locked too. And since you haven't opened fire yet…chances are you aren't one of those itchy trigger finger gang bangers. Am I right?" He spit what was left of the cigarette and chuckled softly, not waiting for a response.

"The good news is neither am I. But I'm a busy man, and the bad news is if you don't comply and identify yourself, one shell opens the door. Better hope I choose non-lethal pacification if you pull something stupid." There was no way he could walk out of here, much less pick a room, without first figuring out who was underneath the same roof.

"I'll start. Name's Holiday. I'm not exactly from around here." He spoke in a cool, calm demeanor and then paused before adding, "You're turn."

He started internally counting in his head. If more than a minute passed without a response, or any movement to indicate the stranger's intentions, he would have little choice but to keep true to his warning and barge inside guns blazing.

[Ruby]

"Should have known I'd watch the peep hole. Bet the door is locked too. And since you haven't opened fire yet…chances are you aren't one of those itchy trigger finger gang bangers. Am I right?"
the stranger chuckled.

He speaks! Ruby stumbled to her right and pressed her back to the wall that hid her from immediate view should he barge in.

"The good news is neither am I. But I'm a busy man, and the bad news is if you don't comply and identify yourself, one shell opens the door. Better hope I choose non-lethal pacification if you pull something stupid."


What an arrogant man! What power does he hold in this wasteland? I owe him nothing, he broke into my shelter. she thought while he paused.

The man continued, "I'll start. Name's Holiday. I'm not exactly from around here." He spoke in a cool, calm demeanor and then paused before adding, "You're turn."


She put her katana in her right hand, and removed her pistol from its holster on her thigh with her left. None of your business.

Angry that he not only disturbed her sleep, but also threatened her, she got ready to take the upper-hand from him. She pulled her revolver's hammer back and strengthened her grip on her sword. Let's dance, buddy.

[Holiday]

Fifty-Nine…Sixty…

Holiday decided to keep both loaded shotgun shells handy for whatever waited behind the door. Instead of blasting away and causing a ruckus, he brought a foot up and kicked the door near the handle, breaking the lock and making the door swing wide, revealing an initially empty bedroom. He suspected the occupant was hiding behind the interior wall.

He waited outside the entrance of 202 and kept both guns pointed, his one bright blue eye waiting for movement. "By the time you take a peak and pop a shot or swing whatever is in your hand, I'll pepper this whole god damn room with buckshot." His fingers hugged both triggers of the sawn off, while his other hand clutched the stun-gun tight, ready to fire that one first. Whoever was staying here was amateur enough to get caught with their pants down, but wasn't willing to give up.

"Your call"

[Ruby]

Ruby jumped a little when he kicked the door in. She was expecting the pest to do it, but that didn't mean it was any less of a surprise.

"By the time you take a peek and pop a shot or swing whatever is in your hand, I'll pepper this whole god damn room with buckshot." This guy is going to get us both killed with all of this damn noise. "Your call." he finished.

Ruby rolled her eyes. He really thinks he something special. Damn him. She smiled and decocked her gun so he could hear it. Crouching, she heavily placed her katana and revolver on the floor of the room, making an audible THUD.

"You win." Ruby told him. "Don't shoot."

She stood from her crouch, quietly picking up her weapons. "I give up."

[Holiday]

Holiday kept both guns primed and ready to fire. A woman's voice surprised him. "Ah she speaks! Apologies for the rude intrusion. Don't move and I won't shoot. Here's a few ways this can play out." The Detective cleared his throat, starting with the obvious. "Noise is bad. I don't need you pulling any shit to prove a point, and I don't wanna ring the dinner bell for all those fuckers outside."

Holiday took a breath, "So your first option is to stay put right where you are. I must have literally caught you with your pants down, so no harm wanting to stay out of sight. That's fine. We can talk from this distance no problem."

He then shook his head, "Second Option, If you want to come out from around the corner, then I expect to see your weapons kicked away from you, and on the ground in my view. Otherwise any movement will warrant both barrels."

Then he sighed, "And last option, you pull some stupid shit, I pacify and handcuff your ass and conduct the interview the hard way."

Holiday shrugged, "Sorry lass, you've forced my hand. I'm hunting those bandits and need to confirm you know nothing about them, or share any affiliation before I pick a room and crash for the night."

"So whats it gonna be lady?"

[Ruby]

Feeling defeated, Ruby unloaded her revolver, putting the ammo on the bedside table behind her and let her weapons fall to the bedroom floor. Fuck. Ruby closed her eyes and swallowed. This guy is good. An impasse was the last thing she wanted at this time and location and especially with this psychopath that had kicked her door in. She was used to fighting dumb brutes, not being cornered by cocky men in fancy clothing.

She unclipped her hunting knife from her waist and went to toss it to the entrance hallway, but at the last second she decided to conceal it by slipping it into her brown leather boots. Biting her lip, she then hesitantly kicked her other weapons into the stranger's view. The katana first, the sword second.

"My weapons are in sight and unloaded. Now it's your turn, do the same to yours." Ruby demanded angrily.

"You're not getting shit from me if they're on you." she spat at him.

[Holiday]

The familiar click and release brought a hint of satisfaction to Holiday's otherwise stern features. His blue eye widened at the sight of the katana and revolver, and couldn't stifle a quick, surprised laugh. "That's quite the blade you have there. Have to admit I'm a little jealous." Who was this girl?

He nodded, dismissing her tone. "Yes yes of course. Only fair. I don't expect to hold a proper civil conversation with weapons drawn." The lawman popped open the sawn-off over his other arm and pocketed the shells, and then set it down with the stun-gun and the leather sheath with the makeshift machete, a sharpened slab of metal wrapped with duct tape, and put them in a pile with the woman's weapons, and covered them with his trench coat. Behind his back were a pair of handcuffs, with the keys hidden on his person.

Holiday's white shirt, black vest and tie combination were surprisingly immaculate despite the horrid conditions of the Apocalypse. It looked as if he knew how to maintain fancy clothes rather well, and the way they custom-fit provided more mobility than typical for formal attire. Over his left chest strap gleamed a police badge. And a black leather eyepatch covered where his right eye should be.

The Detective rolled up his sleeves and lit another cigarette.

"Who are you and what do you know?" His good blue eye narrowed as he took a deep drag, and blew thin rings into the air.

[Ruby]

Ruby glanced over to watch him toss his weapons into a pile. Her eyes couldn't help but widen. This guy wasn't bluffing when he said he was packing. Not only did this man have a sawed-off, he also had a stun gun and.. this guy is carrying around a giant frickin' shiv, Lord have mercy on my soul. She slid her back down the wall because she had to sit for this one. She did the sign of the cross and thanked the powers that be that he didn't kill her. It would've looked like Saw in here.

The stranger tossed his trench coat over the pile. Guess no one will have quick access to any weapons. She touched her left boot where slipped her hunting knife into. She almost felt guilty for keeping it on her, but only a fool would put all of their weapons aside for a complete stranger during an apocalypse.

As she stood from the floor, she heard pop, click, poof, click, and immediately recognized that sound. It was Zippo, or Zippo-styled knock-off, at least. "Who are you and what do you know?" he questioned her, she was too busy with the Zippo sound to listen to him talk. Please be a cigarette. Please be a cigarette. She heard him take a drag of something. She waited patiently and saw smoke rings float by before dissipating. The smell of tobacco made it certain, he had a cigarette.

She put the back of her head against the wall. I'm acting like a fiend, right now. She quickly composed herself and made her way to the end of the wall. She cleared her throat, stalling. "Um, where did you get a cigarette from?" she asked.

Looking at the floor, Ruby stepped away from the wall and walked into view to face the stranger for the first time. It was a foolish move if he had hidden a weapon, but the cigarette was driving her nuts and it had only been lit for a drag or two. She held her arm and looked up from the floor to make eye contact, but froze and cocked her head slightly to the left when she processed what her eyes were seeing. As sharply as this man had dressed, it couldn't distract her from the scar on his face that ran from his right eyebrow through an eye patch, and past his chin. By far the most terrifying facial scar that she's ever seen in person. Add a terrifying facial scar to a terrifying man, and you apparently get this guy.

She fixed her head, let go of the arm she was holding, and held it out, pointer finger extended. "Holy shit," she whispered, and slapped her hands over her mouth immediately after as if to take it back and stepped back a little. This man has clearly seen and done some shit. She removed her hands from her mouth and nervously fidgeted. "Uh, never mind, I think I might be good on that cigarette... Am I good to go?"

[Holiday]

Holiday closed the zippo and pocketed it, taking another drag while he gave her space to come out on her own. There wasn't a point to pushing the issue after all the politics of meeting people in the apocalypse. Trust was a big thing. Trust took time to cultivate, and Holiday had little time these days for anything that could compromise his way of life. She asked about the cigarette. Holiday laughed.

"I hand roll them these days. Not a whole lot of pre packs left. I take bounties for what few communities are left, and they provide the tobacco. Else if I'm chain smoking and running low, I scavenge cities and search for plants in rural areas." He spoke matter of factly, and the description made the cigarette taste that much better.

A beautiful woman stepped in view, and the Detective was hard-pressed to contain his surprise and attraction. His eye searched for hers, and connected for the briefest of moments before she turned her head in a cute, but telling fashion. The lawman traced a finger down the nasty facial scar. Her exclamation and revulsion made his heart sink a little, but he was used to such reactions by now. "Yeah, I'll skip the story about how that happened. Think that's bad? Should see the rest of my collection."

Judging a book by its cover, he decided this girl was an enigma of the new world with relics of the old. She was young, but certainly not a teenager, and she was smart and strong willed enough to keep surviving, but there was also a naivety to her character that charmed him. He softened his stance, dragging again before plucking the cigarette and holding it out as an offering, a thin trail of smoke dancing from the lit end.

"Sure you don't want a hit? You're eyeing it like candy." He smirked, shaking his head. "Not a bad deal right? I mean, when's the last time you've had a cigarette?" Holiday let the question hang in the air.

[Ruby]

Too ashamed of herself to look at the man, Ruby looked down. She could tell her reaction had offended him. "It's been a couple of months," she replied. She walked a few steps closer to him and reached out for the cigarette. When she took the cigarette from his fingers, she slowly looked up at him and made eye contact. Being this close, she noticed how tall he was compared to herself and how blue his eye was.

She took a long drag of the cigarette and continued, every word blowing a little bit of smoke out, "I'm sorry about how I just reacted, I don't think before I speak. That was very rude and inappropriate of me. I was just still freaked out about how you kicked my door in and whatnot. Too many surprises in one night." She stopped and blew out what little smoke was left over from that drag. "But that's not an excuse. There's no excuse for how I acted."

She took a small drag and handed it back to the man. Her eyes left his face to study the rest of him, this time finding a badge on his chest. She stepped closer for a better look and touched it. It was real. "I'm assuming you were a cop of some sort before the world ended, which is a believable story because it explains your intimidating attitude and experience." She looked up and glared at him. "But you must not have been a very good cop because I don't see that you had a warrant to barge in here on me." She said, poking him in the chest a few times. "If you can still wear that badge and it be some sort of reality for you, then I think I'm entitled to my rights. Or am I incorrect, Officer?"

[Holiday]

She accepted the peace offering and Holiday watched her enjoy it with no small degree of satisfaction. He continued to smirk. Months? That longing looked like years to him. He looked down at her and smile almost bashfully, and shook his head. "Don't fret over it. Part of the territory. I've accepted my marks and don't blame ya." He did just bust down her door in the middle of the night after all.

He accepted the cigarette and took his turn, this time letting it burn between his lips, a steady stream of smoking pouring through both nostrils. "No harm done. I apologize for my abrupt entrance and the circumstances of our crossing paths."

It had been a long time since someone touched the badge besides him. Its numbers glistened with the rest of the shield. He waited for her to finish, restraining amusement until she ended with 'Officer'.

"Detective actually. Detective Holiday."

He smiled with what was left of the cigarette bouncing between his lips and answered, "I issue my own warrants these days, and technically I don't require one to investigate apartments or hotel rooms with probable cause for search and seizure." He shrugged and bowed his head. "The badge does still mean something, at least to me, so please accept my humble apology." But then he cocked an eyebrow.

"All you had to do was comply ya know, and you wouldn't have forfeited your rights during my investigation." His tone dripped with teasing sarcasm. Then he softened again, "There isn't a whole lot pleasant left to enjoy these days, but its a pleasure nonetheless to make your acquaintance."

[Ruby]

Ruby snorted. "Ah, well, Detective Holiday, I'll have you know that if you had stepped foot in here, you would've been walking out of here with a ruined suit. You were just too much of a bull in a china shop for me to get you that close. I'm pretty sure aliens on the moon heard your little fit with the door. As smart as you seem, you're just as deaf." Ruby held her hand out for the man to shake. "My name is Ruby, and now that we have names out of the way, can we find a place to discuss this "interview"? Preferably somewhere I can sit? I've had enough standing for one night and it's not often I have a decent roof like this over my head."