#2

Levi's expression softened momentarily as he gazed upon the identical twins. Although he was well aware that looks could be deceiving, it seemed probable that the two were not murderous thieves.

"Sorry, I thought you would have killed us first if we didn't get the drop on you." he explained in an apologetic tone.

He lowered his gun slowly, glancing over at Evelyn and nodding in approval upon noticing that she still had her firearm fixed resolutely upon the sisters.

"Just a precaution, ladies. I'm sure you don't mind." she said coolly.

"We're strict adherents of the law of finders keepers so you can keep your loot. How about we trade?" he asked politely, keeping his senses sharp in case the twins decided to try anything. "We have clean, bottled water but we're in need of nine millimeter ammo, hydrogen peroxide or painkillers. Got anything like that?"

Although it was an uncomfortable and awkwardly hostile situation, Levi preferred it to the alternative of killing and looting and he knew that Evelyn shared that sentiment. Regardless of how brutal the world had become, it was not in either of their natures to engage in that kind of brutality. The retention of their humanity meant that trading under gunpoint was infinitely more desirable than slaughtering two defenseless survivors.