[center][img]https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSI6KFdimECBtrGn_Qn4XbLyF-TKhT1aLwyAKOdNfUL0Dyu8woUVN2of4e7P5JwlDQP8Jg&usqp=CAU[/img][/center]
[h3][center][u]Dozer[/u][/center][/h3]

When Violet growled and howled, tugging on her chain eagerly, Dozer shouted to Tasha.  "Hey Tash!  I think Violet's got something, over here!"

The raider braced his feet, trying to keep hold of the chain holding Violet in place.  She really wanted to follow the scent.  Dozer managed to keep her in place until the crew got there.  When Tasha gave the order, Dozer let himself be dragged by the wolf who followed the trail down the street, turning a corner here or there.  "Easy girl."

"Oooh, I can't wait to get my hands on the fuck who killed Tater-Tot."

Dozer was in agreement.  "Oh don't worry little man, we'll get em.  And when we do, they'll be begging for death."

"Grr, I told you not to call me little man!"

They must have been going for ten blocks before the road opened up into a small highway.  After that they were back on the small roads, travelling through ruins.  Dozer hoped that Violet knew where she was going.  Tasha would beat him to death if he'd led them all on a wild goose chase.  Where she finally stopped was a tall townhouse at some crossroads.  She growled and barked, Dozer letting everyone know that this was the building.

"Yeah, we have eyes, you dumbass!"

"Shut up, little man," was Dozer's reply.

"Grrrrr, I won't tell you again, you piece of shit, don't call me little man."

Tasha gave the order to check the building and unfortunately for Dozer, he was closest and went first.  He and Violet rushed into the entrance, and as the door opened, the resulting explosion would be heard by everyone except Dozer and Violet.

Dozer and Violet wouldn't hear anything... ever again.

[h3][center]*******[/center][/h3]

It only just occurred to Isaac, as he was ducked down under the windowsill, listening to the raiders outside, that Zara hadn't shown any signs of carrying a weapon.  He looked back at her, then fished a hand onto his belt and unclipped the big knife.  Silently, he tossed the knife to her, still in it's sheath.  It wouldn't perform very well against a bunch of guns, but it was better than nothing, and it was all he had.

Then the explosion happened.  Not as loud and powerful as a regular grenade, but loud enough to make Isaac wince.  The door to the bedroom blew open with the force of the blast.  Isaac chuckled as he new, whoever triggered that was absolutely in the afterlife, right now.  He peeked over the windowsill to see the raiders scrambling for cover, making a commotion.  Once the noise died down...

"Hey assholes, will you keep the noise down?" Isaac shouted.  "Some of us are trying to sleep."

"We know you've got the girl in there!  Hand her over, now!"

"And what if I do?" Isaac shot back, smiling.  He looked at Zara and gave her a wink.  It perhaps wasn't the time to be joking about trading a former slave to a bunch of bloodthirsty raiders.  Especially when Zara was so recently freed and probably untrusting of everyone.  This occurred to him as Tasha was making a trade offer, so Isaac made sure Zara knew he was on her side with his next action.  He rose into view of the raiders, leaned on the windowsill, scanned the crew, then brandished his gun and took a shot at the easiest target.  The resulting cry of pain said that he'd hit the man but not killed him.  Isaac ducked back behind cover, laughing, as a barrage of return fire hit and chipped at the window.  Beaming a crazy smile at Zara, Isaac was actually enjoying himself.  "Look, you guys should go back where you came from.  The downstairs of this building is rigged with more traps than you've got people.  You have no chance here.  The girl ran off a while ago, it's just me here!"

"Fucking liar!"

"I swear........  She transformed into a butterfly, gave me a blessing and fluttered off into the night.......  God's honest truth."  Now the young hero was just being ridiculous.  But all the while he was talking utter nonsense, between each line, he was whispering to Zara that there was an escape route in the bathroom.  "The woman you know as Zara was actually just her caterpillar form."