[b]Floyd - Business [/b]

Floyd looked directly into the single dangling light that weaved side to side like a rocking chair. His eyes became red, not only from the burning displeasure, but his mental and physical exhaustion. Slowly, he raised, his hand clenching his trench knife, which lost the knuckle guard after striking a large walker's cranium. His breath was as dilated as his stance. He noticed the dark figures that stood around the flashlight, there was definitely more than one person surrounding him. And he predicted correctly when all of a sudden, four more flashlights became active. All of them were pointed directly at Floyd, making him feel targeted and threatened, so he continued to take a defensive stance. 

"C'mon Floyd, don't you remember me?" the first flashlight called out. Floyd's left eye then ticked as he attempted to figure out how this man knew his name. He tried to match the voice to the people he met at the track. The doctor maybe? No, it wasn't his voice. Could they be the raiders? But there was no way they knew who he was. Feeling the agitation of not knowing, Floyd barked. "Who the hell are ya?" 

"I can't believe you don't remember me Floyd. Its me, your only friend, Eli!" the man said as a soft laughter followed. When 'Eli' started laughing, the other men surrounding Floyd put their weapons down, not on the ground, but let go of the trigger and let the machines hang by their shoulders. But to resume their little exchange - "I ain't got no friends" Floyd answered. Another soft laugh came from the dark skinned man, his appearance had become clear when the moon seemed to shine over the surrounding area. Even with his appearance visible and his entire character/persona evident, Floyd did not remember this person, not even as a visual learner did not recollect this person. "I can't believe you don't remember me Floyd. I helped you get started here in New Orleans. Do you remember that at least? I helped you buy that cabin. I can't believe you actually left it though? I thought you'd live there forever, even through this hell" Eli added. Then it clicked. Eli was the salesman that sold Floyd the cabin for a decent price, but he had nothing to do with him after that. Actually, a month or so after he sold Floyd the house, he vanished with his girlfriend. He had gone to Houston Texas or something, to visit family. He traveled like that after every sale he made, because the commission he got from a sale was over thirty percent. "What the hell do you want with me?" Floyd asked. 

Eli's brow raised at Floyd's tone. "What's up with you man? Its like you've got somewhere to be? Do you? Because if you don't, me and my pals here have camp set up west of here. We have a couple more friends down there too. So how bout you come with us Floyd? If you stay out here you're most likely gonna die. You look like shit, you've got them following you huh? Tsk tsk. C'mon, get up" Eli said, walking up to Floyd, extending his hand out to him. He waited for Floyd to return the generosity, but instead, was faced with malevolence. Floyd slapped Eli's hand off of his face. "I don't need ya help. I've gotta go back, she's waitin' for me" he said, limping his way towards the track intersection behind the armed men. As he passed Eli, the dark skinned man turned around and seemed surprised. "Huh? She you say? Did you get married or something Floyd? Congrats man." 

"It ain't like that" Floyd answered, not knowing why. He didn't need to explain anything to this man, he owed him nothing. "So its just a booty call huh? Hahaha! Didn't think you rolled like that Floyd, you never put up with anybody back in the day. Its weird that yo-"

"Shut ya damn mouth!" 

"Oh, getting defensive aren't we?.............I'd help you, but its night, they're more active during this time. We also have to get back to camp, they're waiting for us to return. These men have wives you know. Well, some of them. But it doesn't matter does it. We've gotta go, you coming or not Floyd?" 

With a huff, Floyd started to struggle and walk back down the tracks. He was going to return for Jessalyn because she was out there alone waiting for him, and from what he knew, she trusted everyone she met. That meant she trusted him as well. As much as he hated her gullibility, for some odd reason, he couldn't let her get hut. Even though it was for survival, she befriended him, regardless how he treated her. That reliability and trust would eventually get her killed one day, that's why Floyd would always object it harshly. That's also the reason Floyd didn't go with Eli, he was not trustworthy in any way. He was a businessman, that's all. If Floyd would have gone with him, eventually, he would have to pay him back for the 'generous housing' he would supply him. "You know where to find us if you change your mind Floyd, old pal!" Eli called out one last time, informing him that if he chose, he could join them, all he had to do was travel West, following the tracks. 

As the armed men dissipated into the darkness that beheld the woods, it seemed that Floyd no longer had thoughts of running away. He was going to face the unknown, face his mistakes head on like a real man would. He thought of the event that unfolded, of the rage he showed Jessalyn, the insensitivity. His entire life he treated others the way his family treated him, but as he furthered down the tracks, he understood how unjust it was. Though he may not be able to change his ways, though he may not be able to take back what he'd done in the past, it was evident that he would not allow himself to be demised with the same fate as his parents. His entire being was filled with the same shades that fill the woods. It was a dark entity that clenched his heart, but as he now could see a figure in the distance, he felt that effigy exhaled. With some sort of push, he started to jog forward, exiting the previous limp he had. "Jess! Jess!........." he called out, breathing heavily in between each step. "JESS!" he called out yet again when all of a sudden, a bullet grazed the side of his leg, eventually leading him to fall to the ground immediately, landing in a puddle of mud that spread through the side of his body. 

The bullet was shot by none other than Eli, the real-estate agent. Floyd looked up to see Jess in the distance, close enough to see them as well. Eli came up to Floyd and pulled his head up by his hair, then slamming his face against the hard ground. "Go ahead" Eli commanded, allowing one of his men to kick Floyd in the gut repeatedly. "So this is the girl Floyd fell in love with huh?" Eli taunted, laughing his ass off. "Look guys, he even got her pregnant, ha!" The businessman used his arm to signal his other men to capture the girl, she wouldn't be able to run fast enough to get away, she was pregnant after all. And within seconds, they caught her, using merely their arms to lock hers'. "Well Floyd, you should have accepted our offer, maybe this would have never happened, who knows? Anyhow-" Eli paused as he crouched to meet his level. "If you dare follow us now, I will have your head and feed it to the walkers, if they don't come and get you now." With one last kick to the face, Eli started off separating his group in two. He and the two men carrying Jess headed in one direction, while the rest of his men headed forty-five degrees in the other direction. Maybe the tactic was used to hid where their true haven was located. Was that the reason they were in the woods in the first place? Floyd thought they were hunting or lost, but it seems they had some sort of schedule or program. Were these the raiders from earlier?