Authors Note: I will be going back thru the first 10 chapters to clean them up some more. Wow the mistakes heh. Well will get them fixed. Please enjoy he next chapter. As always thank you for reading!

Authors Note 2: Have edited the past and this chapter. RED text are his direct thoughts Blue text are system messages.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter 11 Encounter

I drive at high speed now, heading to our next destination, the Sports Warehouse in town. I need to stock up on as much ammo, spare guns and what ever else I can find as fast as possible. We may be adding people in the future and building a little army is not a bad idea. I am planning ahead. But so far we have not come across any survivors thus far.

We do see the occasional car or Truck speed by, but they never stop, nor do we. Everyone is racing around with their own agendas.

After about 20 min we arrive at the Sports Warehouse. I put the Truck back into Inventory just in case someone wants to try and steal it while we are inside. Very damn convenient. The girls along the way were chatting about various things of their professions, talking about mana use and what each knew. I had tried to listen in but was so focused on driving I tuned it out, only catching a few words here and there.

I survey the area and see nothing moving, so head for the entrance. The place is unlocked, and we are able to enter without issue., the sliding doors open automatically. Items are strewn all over the floor, as if someone was in a hurry and grabbed whatever they could, but did not take much it seems, but it is not in the store front that I am wanting to search. It is the back, in the warehouse section, where they store all their received boxed or crated products not on the shelves yet.

We quickly head to the back. The back door to the warehouse is unlocked and I carefully enter and listen, no sound can be herd except the music playing over head lightly, otherwise not a sound. I motion for the girls to follow as we enter in a low profile into the warehouse section. It is big.

Boxes and crates are stacked on metal shelving thru out the place. A fork lift sits in the lane. Most of the items will be clothing, hunting accessories, camping gear and so on, not my first priority. I head further back quickly with the girls in tow, towards the metal cage in the East corner of the warehouse.

We arrive and I see a padlock, high security, locking the door. Not one you can use normal bolt cutters on, but thankfully I got something better. I take the Energy Pistol out of the holster and take a step back and take aim on the lock and fire. It shoots a clean hole thru the lock separating it in half. I remove the lock and open the cage and begin to take ownership of any and all boxes and crates I see and store them into inventory. While at Julie's place, I had taken my wardrobe out and packed it all into a box to free up inventory space.

I had found in the help section, I could quickly remove all clothing items from inventory with a single command, so there was no need to open inventory and then call out each individual article. It saved a ton of time, instead of having to call each item individually. Having uttered the command purge all casual clothing from Inventory, I had a small mountain of clothing, including shoes in front of me. I quickly boxed them up and placed the boxes in inventory.

After about 10 min, the caged area is cleaned out completely, I leave nothing behind. We head back to the front of the store, to grab a few more things, ammo if possible and any remaining guns. As we exit the door, I immediately spot 4 guys, carrying guns, a bat and a chain among them, heading our way. I quickly push the girls back and close the door, but the door motion was noticed.

“Hey you!” Yells one of the guys and all 4 run toward the door. I can not lock it and no time to barricade it, so I usher the girls back holding the AR-15 in front of me ready to shoot. The 4 guys enter quickly and come to an abrupt halt seeing the AR-15 pointed their way.

“Woah Woah woah there Hoss!" Says one of the guys apparently the “leader” of the group. Big guy with long brown hair past his shoulder in his 20's, Tattoos adorned both his arms, not able to make the patterns out. He had a below avg face and seemed to be missing a tooth in front He wore bluejeans and steel toed boots. with a Black T-shirt and Black leather vest. He was carrying what looked like a Smith and Wesson M29 classic, but not sure.

One of his friends, a BIG heavy set man probably pushing 350-400 lbs, standing at 6'5” at least, bald with tattoos on his neck and arms, also sporting a leather vest, but no shirt and blue jeans, stomach hanging out, was carrying a hunting rifle with scope, looks like a .22.

The other 2 dressed similar to the leader, jeans, T-shirt, one white, one blue, both have black vests, one had a chain while the other had an aluminum bat slightly used from the looks of it with fresh blood splatter on it. Both bald, one with a thick brown beard, typical thug look.

“Come now lets calm down here friend” he says with a nervous smile. The other three start to slowly spread out.

“That is enough moving around, stay where you are keep your hands where I can see them” I said in loud growling voice.

“My, my, a little antsy ain't we, I can understand my friend, I fully understand”, he begins, his nervousness shows, the other three stop moving watching me, keeping their hands in my sight.

“We are just here to arm ourselves, looks like you did too my friend, and oh my, and have you got some hot pussy with you too, ain't you the lucky fella”, he says with lust now starting to show in is eyes eyeing the girls.

“We were just on our way out, you can have whatever is left” I say in a final tone.

“I am sorry friend, but that will not do you see. We have needs too, and I am going to have to insist you hand over your guns and girls to us”, he says slowly raising the gun towards me with an evil grin, while his buddy was aiming the hunting rifle at me with a lustful smile.

Bang

Bang

Bang

Bang

I fire four consecutive shots. Each shot aimed at their heads. Not hesitating for him to finish or take the initiative. I knew we would run into something like this eventually, but wish it would not have happened at all.

All 4 fall to the ground dead with surprised expressions on each of their faces, a hole in the forehead. Blood and brain matter now paint the walls and door behind them sliding down toward the floor in a slow flow. I look at the girls, both have a horrified look in their eyes. I guess seeing someone killed, a real person, is different than a monster or Goblin. We will have to deal with this later, for now we need to move, no telling how many more there are, if this is a biker gang as I suspect.

Most likely they broke off into groups and are hitting various locations,like us. I do not want to start a small war if it can be avoided.

“Lets go, we are done here”, changing my mind I head toward the rear exit, it will not benefit us to go thru the store front any more. I get to the back door, it is locked, I use the Energy Gun and destroy the lock, throwing caution to the wind, I push the door and we are outside. I call out the Truck and we are on our way in the blink of an eye. I see 5 motorcycles in front of the store as we make our get away. I see a man standing with his back against the wall by the entrance, seems he is keeping a look out.

He sees us speeding away, then looks into the store. In my rear view mirror I see him hesitate and then begins to enter the store. I cut into a side street and start taking the route from the store I had previous planned out back to the house. It takes about 15 min, in the Truck it is deathly silent with the occasional sob coming from the girls.

Once at the house I put the Truck into inventory and usher the girls inside. Both are visibly shaken and do not speak, but simply comply. Sigh it is going to be a long night.

In the living room I place the AR-15 against the wall. I lead both girls to the couch, sit down in the middle and pull them to either side into my arms, where they simply fall. First Cindy, then Julie begins to openly cry out loud as they both cling to me furiously.

I let them cry not saying a word, but stroke each on the head in turn. After the crying calms down, I get up and sit on the table facing them, but staying close, taking each of their hands, holding them gently. “You going to be ok? I ask with a gentle an soothing voice.

Julie simply nods, not looking at me, while Cindy is looking at me with wide open eyes, a confused look on her face.

“How.....how can you be so calm Scott?” Cindy asks with a hesitating and uncertain voice.

“I know to you it must look like I was cold blooded back there, and you probably would be right, but it pained me having to pull the trigger Cindy. Those guys wanted to hurt you and Julie in a bad way and I could not let that happen” I try to explain, not rushing my words, hoping each word sinks in.

Julie jumps at me and hugs me tightly burying her face in my chest taking me by surprise, but I catch her and hold onto her, releasing Cindy's hand,” Tha,,,tha... thank you Scott, please do not ever leave me” she begins to cry again.

Cindy watching and the look on her face changes to one of a serious expression,” I know what they would have done to us if you had not been there..........”she begins “but I …....” she pauses.

A moment passes where she says nothing as if in thought, while Julie is still clinging to me lightly crying. Time passes, it is slowly getting on to 6 pm. Then as if a decision was made Cindy looks at me.

“Scott can you teach me.........?” Cindy asks not finishing her question.

I look at her, kind of understanding the question, but she is misunderstanding something here, but I ask anyways

In a gentle and caring voice,”Teach you what Cindy?”

“How to kill people and not be effected like you? We are going to come across more of those types of people aren't we? We are going to be in constant danger, and I am going to have to pull myself together and be able to kill, so Scott can you teach me?” she asks in a rushed voice with pleading eyes.

Julie says nothing but slowly turns her head to look at Cindy and quietly gasps “Cindy...”

I look at Cindy, my face becomes business like, serious and stern. “Do you honestly think that something like that does not effect me Cindy?” Then with a calm and gentle, soft voice again “There is nothing to teach honey, this is military training, kill or be killed mentality. Those men wanted to kill me and hurt you. If there had been a different way, so help me god I would have chosen it. But sweetheart, you have to understand, there is no teaching on how to kill and not be effected, you will always be effected by it, the question is how you are able to deal with it”.

Cindy looks at me with a blank expression. Then as if something dawned on her, she suddenly jumps at me throwing her hands around my neck,” Scott I am sorry, I am so sorry.......”

Again I am surprised, but I put one of my arms around her and keep the other on Julie. “I..” I begin, but there is a loud snap and with that, the table breaks into pieces under our combined weight and we fall in a heap to the ground.

Momentarily stunned, we each look at one another. Cindy, begins to smile, then breaks into laughter, Julie follows, and then me...we are all laughing.

“Oh god that ugly thing is finally broken”. Julie exclaims while laughing.

I look at her,” ugly thing? My Table?” I am confused.

Cindy interrupts,”Scott your fashion design sucks, that table was horrible”.

We continue laughing, as I pull both girls closer to me, not moving from where we landed, both pulling in closer snuggling close.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

“Boss, it was a white pick up Truck,some guy was in it, I saw maybe..... a girl with him? I could not get a good look” Says the man.

“Then what the fuck were you on look out for you piece of shit?” a voice calls out, as he enters the warehouse area. The big man looks around and sees the 4 bodies on the ground and kneels down by the man who threatened Scott.

“O Jack, Jack you stupid son of a bitch, you went and got yourself killed kiddo.”. The man sighs, ruffling the dead mans hair.

“Did you at least see which way they fucking went?” the leader demands.

“Well kind of Boss, they took a side street” the man replies nervous.

“Hank, gather the guys, tell them we are going hunting. Someone killed my little brother and that fucker..........I am going to gut that fucker like a pig”, the leader says viciously with clenched teeth. He spots the Smith and Wesson M29 Classic on the ground, retrieves it and stand up while looking at it, then looks a the lookout guy, points the gun and pulls the trigger four times killing the man. He then walks out of the Warehouse back to the front of the store.