R-K

"Crane, this is Jade," Said woman spoke on the other end on my radio as I kept a violently trembling Libby close on our way out of the Tower. "Do you copy?"

"Yeah, I copy," I answered with confusion. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, no, it's just..." Jade began explaining. "Listen Crane, we all appreciate what you're doing and I know you're doing it to redeem yourself because... Amir died, saving your life,"

"No, I'm doing this because if we don't get more Antizin from Rais, we'll lose even more people here," I corrected, hiding my mild annoyance. Do you not hear Libby feeling guilty that she's allowed to go and nearly crying her eyes out too, woman? I understand your reasons for earlier, but still...

If Jade sensed this, I couldn't tell. "You know, I met Amir right after the Outbreak," She began reminiscing sadly. "I didn't know him for as long as I hoped I would, but he was the best, most decent man I've ever known. And I just want you to know that I don't blame you - Amir knew the risk, and we know that you too are taking a risk to do this for us,"

I sighed tiredly. "Look, Jade - we'll talk when Libby and I get back with the Antizin, okay?"

"Okay," The woman agreed with concern. "Just... Just come back in one piece, alright? Both of you,"

"You have my word," I reassured her, switching my radio off as my friend and I entered the elevator on Floor 19 and began our descent down. Looking over at Libby, my heart gave a painful lurch when I saw how guilty she felt.

"Please don't blame yourself for this, kiddo," I murmured, feeling bad for the poor girl.

"Why shouldn't I?" Libby demanded tearfully, desperately holding her emotions back ... but ultimately to no avail, because next came the glitched painful breathing and the tears. Oh no!

"Because you're not in the wrong here," I answered, not hesitating to gently place a hand on the back of her neck to comfort her. Let it out, Lib. Let it out.

"Yeah well, I feel like I am!" My friend cried, feeling humiliated that she was now sobbing. "What if this keeps happening to the point where Rahim gets jealous and he ends up believing that we're against him like he believes everyone else is?!"

The poor girl was almost hyperventilating, so much so that I could tell that she was now in physical agony. Lib...! Instincts of some kind suddenly kicked in and before I knew it, I found myself tugging Libby in closer and embracing her tightly. I think if she hadn't been in that emotional state, she would have reacted with surprise initally and I'm willing to admit, I was taken aback that I had the b*lls to do it! But my friend looked like she needed one, so...

I'm glad that I told myself "F*ck it," and went for it.

Libby soon managed to calm down thankfully and once she did, she glanced at me with shock. "Why did you do that?"

"You just looked like you needed one," I shrugged, pleased that she was now okay.

Hearing this, my friend gave a weak chuckle. "Yeah, maybe I did,"

Damn straight.

(Rais' Hideout in the Slums, Harran, Turkey, The Middle East, Europe - 20:35...)

Thanks to the volatiles roaming the Slums, I wasn't able to keep Libby's spirits high for as much as I hoped during our trek to Rais' hideout. F*ck you, you f*cking pieces of sh*t! But on the plus side, the two of us managed to get there in one piece ... despite the sinister vibe we felt as we approached the massive yellow building barricaded by a tall metal fence, along with two goons clad in black and yellow on guard.

F*cking hell, this place is like a fortress!

"Hey guys," I spoke to Brecken, Rahim and Jade on my radio. "Libby and I are here,"

"Make sure they see you, mate," The former instructed. "Be careful too, because they're bl**dy psychopaths if you p*ss them off,"

"Affirmative," I replied, quickly glancing at my friend with concern. Maybe not all of them are f*ckwits - that's if the one I'm thinking of is actually there? "Wish us luck, because we're probably gonna need it,"

The three responded in the affirmative and upon thanking them, I switched my radio off and threw another worried glance at Libby. "You ready?"

"Yep," The younger girl answered with determination. "Sooner we get this done, the better,"

"Alright,"

With that, the two of us steeled ourselves and approached the two goons. Cue one of them to instantly aim his military rifle at us. "Hands up! What the f*ck do you want?!"

"Easy, cowboy," I said calmly after we both complied. "My friend and I are here to see Rais, Brecken sent us,"

"Brecken, that *sshole in the Tower?" The guard probed. "Alright, what does he want?"

"We've come to make a deal,"

"What kind of deal?"

For f*ck's sake...

"The kind we make with Rais, not with his funkies!" I snapped, prompting Libby to hold back a smirk.

The guard and his mate took a moment to process this, and it didn't take long for him to order: "Alright, let them through! This oughta be entertaining,"

Damn right, it will be entertaining.

"Cheers, guys," I thanked them politely, as Libby and I climbed the metal fence, descended a blue van and walked towards a white barricade with: WELCOME, FRIEND! scrawled across in black. Once I knocked...

"How long have we've been friends, Osman?"

That voice pretty much screamed Sinister Point 2, and it didn't help that my intuition told me that it was Rais speaking. Point 3 went to the scene my friend and I were presented with, once a goon slid the barricade open. Thousands of orange crates were stuffed into a huge pile on the fortress' left side whilst a large group of goons wearing black and yellow were busy at work ahead.

Point 4 went to the interrogation occurring on the right side. One dude had his back turned to us (Rais?) whilst he addressed a terrified Osman sat in front of a wooden table, the latter accompanied by two men standing on both sides ... one of them? The friendly black-haired and blue-eyed guy who let me go.

And Libby recognises him. I f*cking knew it. I f*cking knew that was the singer she told me about this morning.

We weren't able to get very far in, thanks to someone I recognised holding up a hand to stop us whilst he approached. Cue the interrogation to keep on going...

"We have been friends for a very long time," Rais reminisced. "Which is why I'm so surprised... that you would steal from me!"

"Haven't I seen you somewhere before?" My old 'friend' growled.

"I could ask you the same thing, buddy," I snapped, keeping my younger friend behind me protectively as the three of us continued to watch the event crawl up the creepiness factor. Good god, what the hell are we about to witness?!

"Now, I'll give you a choice. Very simple," Rais explained calmly, taking a machete as Libby's friend and the other goon violently shoved Osman down and held him. Oh no! "Your right hand or your left?"

"Left!" Osman yelled with terror.

Nononononono!

The machete swung and Osman screamed in agony, upon getting his right hand chopped off. Libby gasped with horror whilst I attempted to lunge forward, only to get shoved back by my old pal. You and I are gonna have problems, mate!

"Hm, was that my left or your left?" Rais shot back, rising to his feet whilst poor Osman was dragged away by the singer and his fellow goon.

Now that I was able to see the warlord clearly, I was hit by an immediate realisation. Oh god. Hi, Suleiman - nice to finally meet you. He looked like sh*t for starters; reecedding black hairline, matching beard, brown eyes. He was clad in a black and red waistcoat which exposed the ridiculous tattoos on his chest, black pants and matching shoes. What the f*ck happened to you, buddy?

"You and your child have the look of the Tower about you," Suleiman coldly addressed us as he quickly cleaned himself up. "What do you want?"

"My best friend and I are here to make a deal," I calmly responded, correcting him.

"A deal for Antizin, no doubt. Desperate times," Rais scoffed, slowly stalking towards us with my old 'pal' in tow. "And what will you offer in return, hm? Your services, your loyalty - perhaps I should take both,"

Perhaps you should take a fist to the throat.

"Talk to Karim, you'll find him in this building," His second-in-command took over, quickly pointing to the left side. "Do what he asks of you, and Rais will consider giving your people some Antizin. Understood?"

He then began following Rais into the right building, just as Libby snarked: "We don't have much a choice now, do we?"

"Perceptive," Suleiman complimented, leaving us to see the gruesome work he pulled off. That's f*cking gross. Cue my best friend to look away with disgust and clasp a fist against her mouth to prevent herself from vomiting.

I know how you feel, Lib. God, what the sh*t have we gotten ourselves into?