The midmorning air was warm, a welcome change from the cooler air of days past. The birds sang again, a few puffy clouds blew past, shining in the bright, early sunshine. Colgate loved to try and make things out in the clouds, if she looked long enough she could always find something. It took her mind away from the dismal reality what was this epidemic. She could head some groans and muffled barks, sure sounds of some zeds shuffling about. Even after the rough day she had yesterday, she was anxious to get up and out, to move on to somewhere new. She rolled away from the window, and out of the bed. Yawning, she trudged across the hallway to the room where obsidian had crashed after giving her the transfusion. She slowly opened the door, and there he was, sitting by the window with his sniper rifle aimed out.
"What do you see?" She asked him cautiously. He shushed her and waved his hoof for her to sit by him.
"A group of Pegasi have been hanging around the shed about... seventy-five yards. Give or take. If they make a move into the city, i'll move down to cover the doors until they pass, and we can skidaddle out." He said. He make tiny, precise adjustments to the scope of his rifle, light metallic clicks with every knob he turned. She looked out the window and could just barely see them moving around the building. Colgate looked around the room. A few valubles scattered around: rifle mags, a suppressor, and a HAM radio. She walked over to the radio.
"You know how to use one of these?' She asked him. He cut his eyes over to the radio.
"Yeah, why?"
"Dunno, we could probably use it if we took it, though." She said through another yawn.
"Maybe... You wanna carry it if we take it?"
"Not especially..." She said, flipping some switches and turning knobs aimlessly Nothing but static...
CRRRRSH....Come in, Blackbriar......Loud and clear, Blackjack, loud and clear.....krakRRRSH....... What's your Charlie-Papa, over?.... The radio flared to life in a mix of static and voices. Colgate jumped back, obsidian jumped out of his seat.
"Turn that thing down!" He hissed, regaining his aim on the Pegasi.
CRRRRSH...We are awaiting the go, we have a bird en route to the city....CRRRRRSH....... Confirm you're green on ammo and move in to secure a foothold in the city.... Bird ETA is seven Mikes, how copy?......Roger-Wilco, moving in The radio died down.
"Did... they say they had a bird heading to the city?" Obsidian asked. Colgate could see the look of worry on his face.
"Yeah, but it's probably not our city. No worries."
"It is this city."
"How do you know?"
"Because those Pegasi are moving in now..." He said, the blunt truth sinking in.
"Well...I suppose i'll go cover the front door." She said, taking the initiative. Obsidian shot her a grateful nod.
"Are we taking a shoot to kill on sight policy here?" She asked, a machine gun on her back and assault rifle slung across her chest.
"That'd be the best idea. Kill any and everyone, no worrying about freindly. Take 'em by surprise." He confirmed for her.
"Well, I'm gonna cover the front. Shoot straight." She said, walking down the stairs and taking a position behind the counter. Her rifle was trained on the pair of pegasi making progress towards the city.
'Just gotta wit for obsidian to take the first shot...' she throught to herself, her rifle trained on the one to the right. Silence, anticipation, tension.... *CRACK!* His sniper shattered the silence, and the Pegasus on the left fell. Pure instinct took over, and Colgate pulled her trigger, sending one single shot straight into the other Pegasus's brain. Dead silence again.
"Nice shot!" She called out to Obsidian.
"Same to ya. Now I guess we're just waiting for the Huey to fly over now." he said. "C'mon up."
She took a seat by the window by Obsidian. Both their ears were as sensitive as a stethoscope, just waiting for the first sounds to fade into the room. Minutes passed, and Obsidian had a small realization.
"Weren't there two groups, the one we took out and then... the one that was on the radio first?" He asked openly.
"Yeah, but they're coming through the opposite side of the city, aren't they?" Colgate asked, fidgeting a little.
"Nah, we're good. Keep an eye out for them, though." He said,
And it was as he said that, the room exploded in a storm of shrapnel, bullets, and adrenaline.