[hr][hr][h1][center][b][i][color=ec008c]Alicia[/color] & [color=firebrick]James[/color][/i][/b][/center][/h1][hr][center][b]Location:[/b] Newnan
[b]Interacting With:[/b] Each Other, Caesar[/center][hr][hr]

	Alicia looked over towards James and smirked a bit as she returned the [i]fist bump[/i] before crossing her arms over her chest. She had been on runs with him before and knew he knew how to handle himself. Truth be told she enjoyed their runs. As much as she wanted to have her Papi's back she understood why Leann set things up the way she did but that didn't mean she was going to remain silent about it. She never was even though she usually conceded. She was about to say a few more choice words but Papi called her out and she automatically shut up. She was different around him, probably because she respected him in ways she never would anyone else. 

	[color=ec008c]"Ey, Papi. I got it covered. Watch, listen, kill. I know the sacred trilogy,"[/color] Machete in Training said as she hugged her father. [color=ec008c]"Be back before you know it,"[/color] she added before giving a wave as he walked off. It was funny to her watching his demeanor change. To everyone else he was this frightening hardass; to her he was just a life sized teddy bear. 

	Turning she made her way to her quarters; well her and Ashes. After all this time it was bound to happen. She and Caesar had been sharing a place; Papi liked to keep her close, but after enough nights of her sneaking in he basically told her to stop. So she did, just probably not in the way he intended. She moved in with Ash, no more sneaking. Grabbing her usual gear, shoving it into a pack and lacing her rifle strap over her shoulder she headed out; making sure to grab the satellite phone just in case. Hoping over to James as she spotted him she grinned a little too widely. 

	[color=ec008c]"Think I could get away with [i]sneaking[/i] out the Hoard Buster?"[/color] she asked with lilt in her voice. 

	[color=firebrick]"Ummmmm NO, little lady. You'd have better luck sneaking nitroglycerine out onna mechanical bull first."[/color]

	[color=ec008c]"Oh, what's he gonna do spank me?"[/color] Alicia laughed as she crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot. 

	Admittedly, James had always wanted to drive the road beast that was the Hordebuster. On occasion, he and Ash would imbibe the bitter and horrifying glory of his his homemade ethanol, and the good Captain would regale James with highly descriptive stories centered around him plowing a path through miles and miles of stopped traffic and hungry corpses, twisted remains of vehicle husks and greasy dead people being hurled asunder under the stresses of outward and centripetal force. The man had once described the experience like Moses parting the Red Sea, courtesy of a power greater than himself. James [i]really[/i] wanted to see this firsthand. 

	Also as a credit to this plan, it had a marvelous carrying capacity, and sustainable fuel source. The Hordebuster might just be the perfect vehicle for this run. A long sigh escaped the ordinarily jovial James, his face now betraying his rejection of the idea as completely as it illustrated his temptation to take it, just moments ago. 

	[color=firebrick]"Naw, we ain't passed it by The Man That Owns This Monster, and Leann'd kill us. Besides, I wouldn't like it much if he took my truck a'muddin' while I was away. Lemme just grab some snacks and extra fifty-cals, and let's get gone."[/color]

	[color=ec008c]"Oh please, ain't like you're taking me for a ride. It's for my protection,"[/color] she yelled over her shoulder as James headed off to grab his stuff. Shrugging she leaned back against one of the cars in the lot and waited for him to get back. She knew Ash would lose his shit if she took ol' Buster out but she was always told it's better to ask for forgiveness than for permission. 

	James grabbed his floppy, tan cowboy hat as he ran back to his bunk, gathering up every piece of supply he could for what promised to be an interesting ride with a slightly unstable woman. Life with her was never dull, granted, but for the life of him, James had no idea how Ash dealt with this woman and kept his cool, steely demeanor. 

	[color=firebrick]"Ok, got my Barrett, got my Nine, got my bow... Need my axe, got my knife... PUDDING SNACKS! No, we're out. Ok, um, um, Duck Tape!"[/color]

	Another gaspy run later found the large man at Supply, picking up a few gallons of water and whatever they had a lot of (which meant more than half instant Ramen). Hustling back to the Motor Pool, he found himself cursing both he and his run partner, repeatedly. [color=firebrick]"...damn damn damn, bitch gonna get me into trouble. Big, nasty fucking trouble..."[/color]

	The truth was, he [i]really did[/i] want to take the Hordebuster out for a spin, but there had to be one hell of a good reason to give him before he'd relent. He had half a mind to load everything up into his Silverado and cruise. Of course, that meant he also had half a mind to run with the 'Buster. His barely vocal damnit-ing dried up as he neared Alicia. 

	[color=firebrick]"Ok, thought 'bout it for a minute. You need to throw me a compelling muthafuckin' reason why I should fire up 'Buster without Ash's sayso. Real good one. Or two, don't lemme limit ya. You give me cause I wouldn't mind tellin' ta Leann, I'll get the keys right now."[/color]

	[color=ec008c]"Other than we heading for a major area with multiple lock ups and Uni's? Other than clearing the roads in case we need to take another trip down there? Other than we might have to take the main roads if the back ones be washed out ese'?"[/color] Alicia began as she pulled out the map and flipped it open to La Grange. [color=ec008c]"Other than the protection it provides? The amount of shit we could bring back within 48 hours? The number of people we could carry instead of one of them trucks? The intimidation factor? I got one for you,"[/color] she added as she rolled the map back up and shoved it in her pants pocket. 

	[color=ec008c]"It'll be a hell of a ride and I'll take the heat when we get back,"[/color] she chuckled with a sly grin as she pulled a set of keys out of her pocket and jingled them in front of James face. 

	[color=firebrick]"Well shit, Negress!"[/color] exclaimed James, snatching the keys out from in front of him, [color=firebrick]"That's all you had to say! WE GONE, BABY!"[/color] 

	[color=ec008c]"Andale Tio!"[/color] Alicia cackled as she tore off and climbed into the passenger side of the rig; making herself comfortable. She looked more excited than a kid on Christmas morning as the door closed next to her and she waited for James to fire up the mammoth machine. [color=ec008c]"We better move before anyone can stop us,"[/color] she said looking around out the front window. They had the vehicle, now they had to get out of dodge quick before anyone could order the outer gate to be locked down.

	James tossed his Barrett up to Alicia and scrambled to get his provisions and ammo into the sleeper cab. He glanced around to see if anyone was raising an alarm yet, and satisfied, climbed in and slammed the door closed. Now, he'd been in this rig before. Not in the driver's seat, mind you, but he'd been inside this beast. James fumbled with the keys for just a moment, his hands trembling ever so slightly as he inserted the big, shiny key into the ignition. Adrenaline spiked, lancing through his muscles and arteries, making him feel [i]alive[/i]. He turned said key, waking the diesel-alcohol engine from its long, cold slumber. It seemed angry, but grateful for the push into action. James jumped back slightly, the startling flinch of a man who wasn't fully prepared for the lion to ROAR. 

	[color=ec008c]"Whoo-hoo! Like waking a bull with a rattle snake, damn!" [/color]

	[color=firebrick]"Ooh, girl. 'Bout made ol' Jimmy shit hisself."[/color] He checked the rearview, looked ahead, and pulled the Hordebuster out, onto the streets of Newnan. Unaccustomed to the power of the machine, James overshot the first turn, causing him to take overly dramatic corrective action. [color=firebrick]"Gonna have to throttle back on this girl."[/color] mentioned James aloud. He looked over at Alicia, grinned like an idiot, and turned his eyes back to the road. 

	[color=ec008c]"Come on man, handle it like you would a fat woman, hit it and ride it all the way in."[/color]

	Approaching the main gate, James leaned out the window and called for the Gatekeeper to let them out. The second that the Hordebuster cleared the secondary wall, the colorful boar-hunter known colloquially as Black James let out yell of elation. Alicia laughed as she looked in the side mirror, there would be hell to pay for this but it was already worth it.

	[color=firebrick]"[b]WHOOOOO![/b] God damn 'Licia, I messed the fronta my shorts UP! Got a smoke? Now... which way?"[/color]  

	Pulling out the map she looked it over as it rested in her lap; reaching forward and popping the glove box open, a pack of smokes inside with a lighter shoved into it. Oh well, if she was going to get in trouble for taking the Buster she might as well add the smokes to the list of crap taken without asking. Lighting two up she handed one over to James and began spouting off directions. 

	[color=ec008c]"Old Cornith Rd until we hit 100 S in Hogansville, after that it's 29 south to La Grange. If we're lucky we'll be there within the hour."[/color]

	Still riding the end of the adrenaline wave, James Grady steered the Buster onto a steady course down Corinth. They had food (kinda), weapons, ammunition, a full tank of gas and a fortified place to rest. Life could be worse. As far as James knew, it would get a lot worse when they returned, but for now he was feeling a genuine love of being alive. 

	Onward, to LaGrange.