A harsh scent filled Zoe's nostrils; rust, motor oil, smoke - the smells of dead and dying machinery. The remains of several centuries-old cars stand piled up around the crowded street, mottled with the orange stains of rust and welded together with whatever bits of fencing and sheet metal were to hand, steel hides pocked here and there with bullet holes. Stacked carefully together like bricks, they stretched out into the distance in either direction to form a protective wall encircling the town. This place was a product of the new world, a testament to the will of Humanity.

	The bazaar was bustling with the activity of locals going about their daily business, trading junk that they found or what little extra supplies they could scrummage up. Though nothing like the great cities that once were, it was a hub of civilization, proving that even in the end - times, people still craved stability. The hustle and movement of the crowd provided everything that Zoe currently needed; a public space, cover to escape into, and sound to zone out to.

	A cigarette sat between the index and middle finger of her left hand, occasionally moving upward to her lips so that she may take a drag. Zoe's right hand remained gripped on a dirty glass which found home resting on a small metal table in front of her. She sipped at the strong alcohol here and there, taking solace in the warmth as it slid down her throat and into her stomach. She sat with one leg crossed over her knee, waiting patiently for a particular person to approach and sit across from her.

	Just as the Mongol was starting to get pissed off about her contact being late, the man had emerged from the roving crowd and pushed his way to the table, taking a seat in front of the woman. He gave a weak, nervous looking smile and rested his hands on the table top. Zoe grinned, finishing the rest of her liquor and flicking a cigarette butt to the dirt floor. With a small huff, the woman shifted her weight in the chair and leaned forward.

	[color=92278f]"Hello, Sedgwick, I see you took your goddamn time"[/color], the woman stated plainly. Her eyes scrutinized the greasy looking man whom she had just addressed, trying to get a read on him as per usual. She had never fully trusted this guy, assuming that he would sell out his grandmother in order to come up on a couple of nickels, but she was desperate to make this final deal and hit the road. Zoe could tell that Sedgwick was nervous, though she didn't think much of it.

	[color=39b54a]"I was uh-...  there was a bit of a holdup..."[/color], Sedgwick explained, [color=39b54a]"...some of the boys got pinched"[/color]. It looked like the man was starting to sweat. Something was eating away at him and it was starting to put Zoe on edge.

	"Well, you didn't get fucking followed by these Novus Ordo freaks, did you?", the Mongol questioned in a harsh tone. In response, Sedgwick simply offered a shake of the head. This brought a small sigh of relief to the woman, who visibly relaxed a bit.

	[color=39b54a]"So umh... is the deal still on?"[/color], Sedgwick asked.

	[color=92278f]"Give me the money and a few minutes after I leave, you can grab the product in the bag at my feet"[/color], Zoe explained. The man didn't even respond to this. He simply took a deep breath and remained still in his seat.

	[color=39b54a]"I'm sorry, Zoe. I didn't mean for it to be like this..."[/color], Sedgwick quietly uttered. Zoe raised a brow curiously in response, contemplating the meaning of the words for a mere second before it hit her like a ton of bricks. The Mongol's dominant hand immediately shot to her side, ripping a pistol from the holster on her belt. As she whipped the gun up and fired a round into the man across from her, she saw armed figures emerge in the distance. Sedgwick had instantly been flung backward as the bullet smacked into his chest, bringing the table and chair down with him. 

	The Mongol simultaneously pushed herself up from the chair and swiped the rucksack which had lay at her side. In an effort to escape her militaristic pursuers, Zoe forced herself into the now frightened and rushed crowd. People screamed and dashed forward while a myriad of shopkeepers grabbed their own weapons and took cover, ready to protect their life's work. Zoe made her way down the street with the escaping crowd, occasionally looking back to spot the armed men still following behind, though unable to precisely locate her among the many bodies.

	As gunfire started ringing out, the crowd began to thin out. It wasn't long before Zoe, confused by the varying directions of the dispersed crowd, was spotted by the gunmen. Their ploy had worked, by firing into the air, they had cleared out those who were inadvertantly hiding their target. Within mere seconds they were damn near on top of the woman.

	Zoe struggled through every second as four soldiers attempted to pin her down. They had removed both the bag and gun from her hands, simply pushing her to the ground and making her eat dirt. The Mongol howled and writhed as they kept her to the floor. One of the men began looking through the bag, shouting as he emptied the contents into the open.

	[color=930b0f]"It's speed! This is the bitch bringing all the dope into town!"[/color], he exclaimed. Another one of the soldiers chuckled.

	[color=9e0b0f]"Hell yeah, we're getting promotions for this one. Looks like we bagged the last Mongol, fellas"[/color], the chuckling troop replied. Zoe grunted, knowing that she was fucked on this one. She heard what these guys did to their prisoners and it was nothing that she was remotely excited for.

	As these thoughts flooded Zoe's mind, the squad had suddenly become distracted as a boom rang out and black smoke began to appear over the horizon. The soldiers looked to their squad leader, immediately seeking guidance.

	[color=ed1c24]"Romero, stay with the girl while we go and check it out. If that's the camp, we're gonna' have a lot of trouble on our hands. Just make sure she's on the ground until we get back"[/color], the squad leader ordered as he motioned for the rest of the men to follow him. One of the soldiers stood behind, aiming his rifle at the woman on the ground. Next to his feet were Zoe's pistol and various cellophane drug bags.

	Zoe looked up at her now lone captor. If she could just reach her pistol...