Page 53 of Coerced into Submission

"I need something to pry it open," Riddick replied.

As the two spoke, the area was mostly silent until I spotted two shadows approaching the building. They appeared to have come from the opposite side as I hadn't noticed a vehicle. However, they could have been there since we arrived, waiting for us.

"You have visitors," I relayed through the mic.

"Talk to me, Snare," Scorn requested.

"Two on the right."

"Are there any more?" Scorn asked.

"Not as of now," I answered.

As soon as I spoke, a gunshot rang out, the bullet whizzing past my head. I quickly jumped off the bike and took cover behind it.

"What was that?" Scorn demanded.

"I just got shot at," I replied, attempting to see over the edge of my seat. In the distance, I noticed a glint in a shack, the reflection of a firearm. The shooter wasn't very accurate, unlike me, but close enough to be dangerous.

I waited, positioning my pistol on the seat and concentrating as chaos erupted in the background.

"Down! Get down!" Scorn's urgent voice echoed as bullets ricocheted around the building.

Suddenly, I spotted the glint I was looking for. I fired two quick shots and waited, tense and focused. Limping towards the building, I kicked the door open and found the shooter, his hand trembling and blood dripping from his head. Before he could pull the trigger, I finished the job with a shot of my own.

Retrieving his weapon, I made my way back to my bike. Blood was seeping through the bandage on my leg and I cursed Macabre under my breath. Adrenaline was still pumping through my veins, and I was sure that Catalina was still inside that dilapidated structure.

"Snare, talk to me. You good?" Scorn's voice came through the mic.

"I'm good. And you?"

"Took one down so far."

"Yeah, me too."

"Do you see any movement out there?"

As I took cover behind an old tractor, I noticed movement to my right, just a few feet away. "There's one on Macabre's side, and another one coming in from the left."

Our plans had fallen apart, and we were now heading towards a full-blown shootout.

Gunfire rang out, followed by a scream that I recognized all too well. Using the distraction to my advantage, I half-ran, half-limped to the front door and yelled out Abigail's name. But amidst all the chaos, I couldn't hear anything. The door was chained, so I searched the area for something to use. I headed back to the shed where I had taken down the man, and found tools of all sorts lying on the table. In the corner, I spotted what I needed: a hatchet. Armed with it, I made my way back to the farmhouse. That's when I spotted the incoming vehicles.

"We've got company," I warned into the mic.

"How many?" Scorn asked.

"I don't know, but we need to wrap this up quickly."

Riddick was waiting for me at the farmhouse door. "Didn't we tell you to stay back?" he scolded.

"Since when have you known me to follow orders?" I retorted, slamming the hatchet down on the chains.

"Yeah, you're right," he conceded.

He kept his weapon lifted to provide cover while I continued to hack at the chains. Finally, they gave way and I slid the door open, feeling relief wash over me. In the middle of the farmhouse sat Catalina, and slumped forward in front of her, was Enrique Solano.

“Fuck,” Riddick pressed his jacket to his nose. Macabre had been right, the smell of death permeated the place.

---