Outcast Villiage

"Ranger briefed me on them because he knew this would happen." Ephraim ignored the other question.

---

Citlali tried to relax, just staring at Rangers prone body.

Chiquita leaned against him again.

"Tell me what they are Ephraim."

He kept her close.

He held her close.

"I don't understand the complete concept. Just the basics."

"Not another word, Five," a sharp voice suddenly said. A young woman had arrived, hands behind her back and staring down at them with a sneer. "Or I'll be resorted to less than savoury methods of silence."

---

Citlali hiccuped and tried to hold in her sobs.

"How long do we have to wait here?" Chiquita's temperature hitched again briefly.

"It's rude to butt into the conversation." Evelyn muttered.

"Let's just go back to your room."

Alex gently rubbed her back.

"I don't happen to care." The woman tangled her hand in Ephraims hair and yanked his head violently back, pressing her heel into his thigh. "Where's the rest of the numbers hiding? Show me the rats nest."

---

"Is that going to be okay though?"

Citlali hid her face against his shoulder and shuddered.

If he was able to look at her, it would be easy to see that Evelyn was getting very protective over how Ephraim was treated, and she dug her nails into the jeans on her legs.

He nodded, standing up.

He held her close.

The woman yanked harder on Ephraims hair and he ignored her. Eventually she smiled grimly and hissed out a foreign sounding word that made Ephraim stiffen and swear violently in pain.

---

Chiquita stood as well, hands nervously twisting together.

Citlali took in slow shaky breath, trying to calm down.

Evelyn closed her eyes and it was almost like an avalanche was starting, but instead they only hit the woman who had hold of Ephraim.

He held out his hand for hers.

"Come on, let's get you somewhere calm."

The woman threw her free hand up to the side and the avalanche seemed to pause. "Intervene again and Five suffer the pain physically instead of mentally."

---

Chiquita nervously took his hands, wary of burning him.

---

"B-But dad...He..."

Evelyn hadn't moved. "That wasn't me." She opened one eye and watched the rocks.

"You can't hurt me remember." He brought her up to her room as he spoke.

"He will be fine."

"Whoever it was, Five will suffer. Tell me where the others are."

"They're right on fuck off boulevard," Ephraim spat sarcastically.

---

"I always worry." Chiquita watched her feet.

---

"C-Cant lose him...All I've got..."

"Down in the cave on the right side of the mountain." She told her. "That path will lead you directly to them." She nodded to the path and then she told them how to find the cave from there.

"I know you do."

"You won't."

"I'm not taking directions from you. And I know that there is no need to travel through a mountain because all of the contracted live cosily in a mansion. Either you tell me Five or I ransack each house individually."

---

Chiquita leaned up to quickly kiss his cheek.

---

"I'm just scared."

"Thry reside in the safe house which is where I've just told you." She shrugged. "But if you're not going to listen, that's fine with me."

He done the same to her.

"There is nothing to be scared of."

The woman turned to look at Ephraim, murmured something else and he arched in pain with a colourful swear.

"There is no safe house," the woman deadpanned. "Fives memories hold no such thing." To the men behind her she said, "The mansion. They're there."

---

"I suppose with this hullabaloo going on it isn't safe to go out in case we're needed..."

---

"I might lose my dad though and...as awful as he is he's all I got."

"He wouldn't know, I should know I built the fucking thing."

"You've got us too."

Xander sighed. "As much as I hate it, you're right."

"I don't care. Five has more information for me than you."

---

"I barely know you..." Citlali hiccuped.

---

Chiquita stretched slowly and sighed.

"You're point?"

Xander watched her.

Evelyn raised an eyebrow, though she made no movement apart from to slightly thread her fingers with Ephraims.

"No offense, but I can't trust many people if I don't know them..."

---

"This is going to be one of those boring yet frightening days isn't it?"

---

"I also know from Five that One is alive and well. It would be nice to reintroduce her into the fold."

Ephraim twitched but didn't stop staring at the woman.

"You touch her and I'll rip you apart."
____

"Surely you know me a bit by now."
____

"Probably."

"Then there will be another to replace me. It's not simply going to end by killing people. Citlali should come home."

---

"I'm not supposed to...to trust strangers too much. In case we have to leave or..."

---

Chiquita sighed quietly.

"I don't fear your people, so I will kill everyone you send."
______

"Ranger said that you weren't going."

"Daddy, there's bad people outside." Anjuli told him as she grabbed hold of his leg.
______

He kissed her forehead.

"Death isn't final." She sounded amused. "Why don't you ask Ephraim about the contracts, hmm? Or has he not told you that you're dating a dead man?"

---

"I can't remember the last time my dad kept a promise." Citlali watched quietly as Anjuli came close.

---

"Nobody's gonna get hurt, right?"

"I hope not." He looked at Alex. "Still got the underground tunnel?"

Alex picked his daughter up. "Its okay Anjuli." He looked at Citali. "He probably hasn't."

Evelyn raised an eyebrow at the mention of the contracts.

Chiquita just sighed, combing fingers through her hair.

---

"He does try his best, but his best is..." Citlali hesitated.

---

"I knew he wouldn't have told you." She sounded amused. "Lies upon lies, the lot of them. Just let me take them back."