A View to a Kill

[Solitair*]

((Warren Pace continued from There's Only So Much...))

Had Warren dug his own grave?

As the sky darkened around him, he marched wearily across the jungle, unable to get his mind off of the people he'd met on the island.

Sharon Kulikov stood no more than six feet away from him when they talked outside the hospital, but they might as well have been on opposite sides of the Grand Canyon for all it mattered. He recalled the practice of invading armies to sow salt in the territory of their defeated foes so that nothing would ever grow in that soil again. This described his relation with Sharon to a tee; he was vaguely aware that she'd had feelings for him, but he'd inadvertently destroyed them, and now the game had rendered her unreachable. It was with an air of regret that they had last parted, probably for good.

Benni was less extreme, but still troubling. She had paid little to no attention to him in the hospital, finally ignoring him and leaving him to be alone. He still wasn't sure exactly why she left, but the niggling little doubt clamped onto the back of his mind like a vice told him that his reputation had reached her ears and was the prime factor in her decision.

Completely logical. This was the deadliest game on Earth, after all. Why would anyone risk their life trusting a royal shithead of the first order?

And then there was Lenny Priestly, who worried him for a far different reason entirely.

Warren stopped walking and looked ahead. Through the trees, he could barely see a tall tower. He checked his map, which was already becoming grubby from being gripped in his hand for so long (the other hand currently carrying his revolver), and found the tower on it.

He suppressed a yawn. Being on the island had taken a lot out of him, emotionally if not physically. Thank God he found a place to rest. I hope.

After finally emerging from the underbrush, he took a good look around, but failed to notice any of the details; he was just that tired. He willed himself further ahead, plodding step after step until he saw a familiar face.

A very handsome face, as it turned out. It belonged to Dorian Ibanescu, track-and-field extraordinaire, a boy who couldn't take ten steps without having to shake off the horde of gals and gays that dogpiled on him whenever he went to a public place. The old, dead Warren would have given anything to be him.

"Dorian!" Warren called out, waving his map hand in what he desperately hoped was a friendly gesture. Let me in. For the love of God, please let me in, Dorian, he thought. I'll never mistreat another human being as long as I live, if only you'd give me a chance!

[Crash*]

Dorian's daydream was shattered a few minutes after it had began by a voice he recognized. At first glance the boy was too far away to make out, but as he gestured in the air and Dorian caught sight of his face, he placed him. It was Warren Pace, one of the starters on the football team. As they were both fairly extroverted individuals, Dorian was well-acquainted with Warren, having socialized with him a fair few times both in and around Southridge High. He found him easy to get along with, but they'd never really formed a strong friendship, like Dorian had with many of his other peers.

Getting to his feet, Dorian waved back towards Warren and quickly turned around, jogging inside of the lookout tower. With a significantly lower voice he whispered, "Warren's here, and it looks like he's got a gun. Somebody keep an eye on him." After he'd given the group sufficient warning, he jogged out acoss the grassy expanse towards Warren. He left his weapon stashed in his pocket, hoping silently that he wouldn't have to use it.

He hadn't heard Warren's name on the announcements thus far, and as Dorian had been paying careful attention to them, that relaxed him somewhat. The fact that Warren was carrying a rather powerful firearm was a bit unnerving, but he didn't detect anything malicious from his demeanor. Deciding to play it cool, Dorian brought out the same charming smile he always had and sighed awkwardly.

"Hey Warren, thank God it's you," Dorian began, noticing that Warren appeared incredibly fatigued. "Uh...don't take this offensively or anything, but you look like hell."

[Theseus*]

While Neil Sinclair slept through Dorian's whisper, Corbin Arlen had seen the exchange from up top. It was too dark to tell who it was, but through the course of the night, he figured out that it was Dorian on watch below. He wasn't sure though about the student that approached, but when Dorian went inside and came back out, he assumed it couldn't have been an enemy. At least not right away.

They had to be careful. Corbin aimed down his M16 from up on the top of the lookout tower and shouted down to Dorian, hoping his voice would be heard.

"Hey Dorian! What's the situation!"

Corbin kept an eye on the silhouette down below, while also searching the surrounding area. If S.A.D.D was smart enough to plan their movements and organize, that meant that other groups could form and plan. That meant that this could have been an organized attempt to get inside the lookout tower and kill everyone. Corbin knew he was being paranoid, but after watching his first ally on the island die right in front of him, something changed.

Khrysta's advice and words on survival seemed more prominent in his mind. He had to survive, at least for her. She made a mistake, and now she was dead. He wouldn't let that happen. He finally had a chance to get off this island, and he wouldn't let anyone destroy that chance.

So Corbin continued to be alert, aiming down at the new student, and searching around the tower for others.

[Solitair*]

Warren scratched his head and chuckled. "Well, you know how it is, after a hard night on the town," he joked. "I was wondering if I could, you know, crash at your place for the night?"

He laughed weakly at his joke, a laugh that quickly turned into a quiet sob. "I'm scared, Dorian," he choked. "I don't want to die!"

[Mitsuko2*]

Matt followed Neil's example and sat against a wall, leaning his head back and sighing. What was he doing here? He was no help to any of them. They were all able to come up with ideas for the plan except for him. He was useless… He sighed again and leaned his head against the wall, slowly drifting off into dreamland.

[Crash*]

Dorian, responding to Warren's obviously shaken emotional state, put his arm around his shoulder and began to slowly guide him towards the lookout tower. "Hey, don't worry...it's all right, we'll get out of here," He began, speaking calmly in an attempt to re-assure him. As they got closer to the tower Dorian eased up on their pace, lowering his voice and indicating Corbin at the top of the tower. "You might want to put your gun away just so that you don't freak the others out," he directed, then decided he'd take the opportunity to explain the situation as it stands.

"Neil gathered a bunch of us together...we're gonna get out of here," he put it simply, deciding that it would be better to wait until he could show Warren the notepad if he decided to join up with them, rather than letting all the terrorists in on what their plan was. He was sure the terrorists had already caught onto why a bunch of the students were rallying together anyways, so he hadn't really given anything away in his mind.

Continuing to embrace Warren, he smiled faintly at him. "Don't worry, we're going to be fine."

[Solitair*]

"Get out?" Warren asked, already beginning to brighten up. "Neil?"

He felt a smile creep onto his face. Neil remained a bit of an enigma to Warren. He never really understood what compelled the other boy to dye his hair or listen to the sort of music he liked, but other than that, Neil was a decent guy whom Warren hadn't really abused at all. He could definitely see himself spending the last days of his life-

NO! BAD WARREN! They weren't licked yet. There was still hope, and Warren would do anything he could to make it flourish.

"Count me in," he told Dorian. "Who else is with you?"

[Ciel*]

Wow... this whole venture is starting to look like a huge group of walking targets... why did I even join?

Dominica was conflicted. She had really thought that killing was the only way out of her situation, but now... now she really had no clue. What was she supposed to do? What was she meant to do? Was it killing, did she have to kill? Or should she risk escaping? She couldn't decide. She couldn't decide. it was too hard. Her mind kept telling her what was right, that these people would eventually be killed... but she didn't accept that. She couldn't accept that. It was hard thinking of what another person might do, not because she couldn't think down to their level but because she simply didn't know. That was Dominica's huge flaw: she never spent any time getting to know people to know what being a person actually is.

Don't think that way. You're better than them.

"..."

Dominica kept to herself, in one of the chairs in the back of the room. She didn't need to talk to any of them, oh no she didn't. She had gone through school without uttering a peep to anyone, and the worst she got was getting picked on and teased. Nothing to it. It was simple. SOTF wasn't as simple. Dominica needed to trust people and that was something that she couldn't do. So she would stay in the back, saying nothing.

"..." she sighed softly, almost depressingly.

Bet my brother would get through this perfectly unscaved. From how my parents treat him like the center of their world, that would have to be the case.

[Badwolfwho*]

Dane couldn't sleep, he didn't want to. What if one of his comrades was just waiting for the opportunity to slaughter them all? Maybe he could talk to Dennis in the morning and make sure that one of them was awake at all times. Dennis was really the only one Dane felt he could trust.

Dane looked around at his allies; perhaps he should get to know them better? He noticed Dominica sitting alone, he had never really got to know her in school but then again he didn't think many people had. She always seemed alone. He met her eyes and gave her a smile then moved over and sat in a chair next to her.

"So, hi," He paused wondering what was an appropriate topic of conversion was with someone you barely knew but were about to be launching a rebellion with. She said nothing. Dane reached down into his backpack and pulled out a thermos flask of tea, "Would you like to have a cup?"

Maybe it was his British upbringing but Dane had been brought up to know that tea was the solution to all life's problems and if there ever was a need for tea, it was right now!

[Ciel*]

"So, hi..."

Dominica looked up to face the boy that just sat down in the chair across from her. Who was... what was his name? Dominica didn't know, nor did she really care to know. Her tired eyes stared at the boy for a moment, but said absolutely nothing. She didn't even bother to smile, there just wasn't any point at all. This boy was going to die most definitely, all of them were. Any time used to converse with one of them was time horribly wasted, or at least this is how Dominica saw it. Besides, why would anyone want to bother with her of all people?

"Would you like to have a cup?"

Dominica looked at the canister in the boy's hand. Was that tea? Dominica liked tea though she wouldn't admit it. Dominica couldn't even tell if it was tea. It was steaming, yes, he probably heated it over an open flame. There was barely any light on this island other than the sun, no electricity, so a large fire was the only solution. It was strange: why was she thinking about the possibility of there being tea on the island? Why was she questioning it? It was there, she should enjoy it... although, it could be drugged. Maybe this boy wanted to end her. No, that was stupid. He had a gun, why make it all complicated?

"..." Dominica stared, not answering right away. She sighed. "... sure. Why not?"

[Theseus*]

Corbin was satisfied when he saw Dorian down below approach the mysterious figure and put his arm around him. That was a sign that the new figure was trustworthy, and while Corbin (Who was still at the top of the lookout tower) looked around his mind raced. He wondered what Khrysta would have thought about him now. Was he surviving like she tried to do? He wasn't just merely trying to survive, he was not apart of this large scale revolutionary attempt.

He was proud to be here, and he glanced at the arm bands and the t-shirt that he was going to make into a flag. It would be nice to have something to rally behind. Corbin went up to one of the cameras he had managed to pry off the wall and looked it over. He considered taking his flashlight out and studying it now. Maybe he could find something that could help them with their plan.

Corbin resigned to taking out the wine bottle Paul Smith had given him before he left the group.

Where were you now Paul? Were you alive? Was Mary alive?

Corbin didn't drink. He made an exception on the island.

Taking a swig of the wine, he thought to himself.

How can you stand this stuff Paul?

Corbin put the wine bottle back in his pack and looked back over the island. He couldn't wait until daylight.

All this time, Neil Sinclair, the unexpected revolutionary, was still sleeping back on the main floor where everyone else was. He stirred slightly, and mumbled something, but he was still asleep. Resting for what was to come.

[Badwolfwho*]

Dane took two cheap plastic cups from his bag and poured some tea into both of them. He screwed the lid back on; he could tell he had three of four cups left in the flask. He handed one of the cups to Dominica.
"I hope you don't mind but it's got sugar in it." He smiled as he took a sip from his cup, tea was always so soothing to Dane, he tried to think of happier times but it was so difficult. "I know we didn't really talk back at Southridge but we're all in this together now."
Dane paused, he still couldn't think of a conversation starter that wouldn't seem rude, trivial or just bizarre. "So, is there anyone from school that you want to find on the Island?" Perhaps this was too personal a question, "Um, you don't have to say if you don't want to. We could take about something else, er," Dane looked around desperately, "Um…some crazy weather out there, isn't it? It's completely ruined my shoes." Dane took another sip of tea, this really wasn't going well.
Maybe I should just shoot myself in the head! Dane thought.

[dinah_shore*]

((Jake continued from Silent Waters...))

It wasn't long before Ivan had caught up with Jake. The boys spoke infrequently, using hushed tones to avoid detection by other students. Thankfully, the trek to the tower was terribly...uneventful. They soon saw a soaring structure several paces away. Jake quickened his steps, battling the buffeting of branches and brambles in his path. This was the first time during his stay on the island where he had a set destination, and it was drawing him in like steel to a magnet.

In a few minutes, they had arrived at the tower. Now, Jake was at a loss. Should they make an approach? Hopefully whoever was inside would address them soon.

[Crash*]

"Well..." Dorian began, unsure of exactly where to start. In the last day he'd managed to go from having no allies to having half a dozen, and it had sent him for quite the ride. "Well, you know about Neil already. Corbin's up there..." Dorian indicated with his finger, pointing towards the top of the lookout tower where Corbin was stationed. "Dane and Dennis are inside, too. All three of them got really good weapons. Then there's Dominica, the quiet girl, and Matt..." He trailed off. "Then me, and you." He concluded with a satisfactory grin. Things were beginning to look up.

Dorian released his grip on Warren, but whispered in his ear once more. "Like I said, you should probably put the gun away, just so that you don't freak the others out." With that he made his way back to the side of the tower, sliding downwards and taking a seat against it. He laid the back of his head against the tower and peered out past Warren into the distant treeline. "I'm on watch. You can stay out here with me for now, and when Neil wakes up I'll let him know you're joining up. Take a break until then," He suggested, sighing outward heavily.

Although he was well-rested and now had reason to believe he could get off the island, Dorian felt less than satisfied with his current situation. He'd managed to stay alive for almost five full days, but he still hadn't found Marnie anywhere. He'd originally figured that with her eccentric sense of style she wouldn't be hard to pick out, but that had turned out to be just an overly optimistic way of thinking. The announcements would ring to life soon, judging by the sun's ever-rising position in the sky, and he silently hoped that for yet another morning her name wouldn't be on them.

Dorian was shaken from his train of thought by the appearance of a silhouette in the distance. A thin figure broke free of the treeline, and after squinting a little he recognized the boy as Jake Henkie. Despite the fact that many people had shown up at the tower recently, Dorian was relieved to find that yet another person that was relatively harmless had graced them with their presence. Standing up, he thought he could catch a glimpse of another person breaking out of the treeline, but he was too far away to tell. Dorian waved to Jake eagerly, alerting him of his presence and signalling his non-malevolent intentions.

[Theseus*]

Corbin continued to keep a watch over the island.

Then he saw them

Two figures moving through the night. Corbin shot through the possibilities. They could be killers. They could be trying to just attack from the outside and cause as much damage as possible. They could be smart killers. They could get inside then kill everyone once SADD's guard was down. They could also just be two innocent students. Corbin wasn't sure. He was on guard for a reason though.

Still, up on top of the tower, Corbin shouted at the two figures.

He aimed his M16 at them.

"Both of you stop right now!"

It was too dark to make out who they were.

"Give me your names and what weapons you have! Dorian! We have two outside!"

Then Corbin saw that Dorian who was down below was waving at one of them. While Corbin had a better view, Dorian would be able to make out who the students were easier. Corbin could tell they were both boys, but besides that it was too dark to tell.

Corbin shouted down to Dorian.

"What's the situation man?"