Ramon Salazar

"I'll do my best."

She turns her attention to Esteban and the rest of the men for the first time. "Weapons and ammo get first priority, rations a close second. Carry as much as you can without overloading yourselves; no reason to leave them a trail of shit we had to abandon."

(average foot speed over uneven ground, barring injury, is four miles an hour so--)

"You've got sixty seconds, and then we're moving."

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"I don't eat." Roxas states "Should I carry more ammo" he is clearly unused to the word "for other people? My pockets hold more than they look like, too."

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She nods.

"That'd help, yeah. Thanks."

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Despite the situation, Ramon smirks in the darkness. He can imagine how well those orders will go down and sure enough, all of the men look to him and only two of them start making a move toward the supplies.

'Do what she says. It'll keep you alive. If you even think about giving me shit about this, you won't have to worry about the Americans killing you.'

They start to do as they were told but he can see that some of them, at least, still aren't happy. It's a situation thats bound to come to a head at some point but he seriously can't be bothered to think about it just now. If it comes to it, Mary Anne can take care of herself and it's not like he hasn't already warned her what's likely to happen.

For his part, he picks up an AK-47 and slings it across his back, then stands back and lets the others share out the rest. Two guns and the virus, that's all he's damned well prepared to carry.

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When Roxas moves away from the car he looks like he's carrying exactly nothing - but the stores of ammunition are seriously depleted. Someone who was looking the right way at the right time could see him working an entire case into one pocket.

With enough work you can fit a person into one of those pockets.

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Mary Anne counts out the seconds in her head.

"Alright. I'll take point. Roxas, if you could hang towards the middle of the group." She's used to feeling her way through the dark, but she'd raterh they avoid as many twisted ankles as they can. "Everybody else..."

She trails off, looks at Ramon. "If you have any recommendations as to who brings up the rear, now's the time.

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He looks straight at his cousin.

'Esteban, take the back.'

This could be because the man would be best at the job. Equally, it could be punishment for suggesting this whole thing in the first place. It's not like Ramon cares if he gets picked off first or not. But the man doesn't argue - possibly because the sound of the choppers is noticably closer and they need to get moving. The cover is good here but another thought strikes Ramon and he curses under his breath.

'I'm right behind her. Make sure you all keep up - its your funeral if you don't. Lets go.'

He steps up to Mary Anne and mutters to her.

'There'll be troops on some of those choppers. Some will have unloaded already and just be looking for us - some of them are going to be looking for other cleared areas of this place and will look to set down there and cut us off. We need to stay away from them otherwise we'll end up surrounded.'

Maps are going to be no help - part of the problem with this place is that large swathes of it are uncharted. No one knows everything that loggers, industry and the natives have done to it; they could stumble into an ambush and have no way at all of anticipating it.

He's starting to wish Roxas never told him of his ability to blind everyone - in a pinch (a really desperate pinch), they might have to use it. If they get surrounded and trapped, it might be the only way to get out alive. Mary Anne can heal and he couldn't give a fuck what happens to his crew but he sure as fuck doesn't want to lose his eyes. Better than death though? Maybe.

And there's always the threat of the virus. He knows the number one objective will be to secure it. There's always that as insurance.

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Roxas doesn't bother explaining that he can keep the light anywhere he wants - it doesn't have to be centred on him. He doesn't bother protesting that he should be scouting - he's the fastest person there. He just takes up the position that he was assigned as emptily as he's done everything else.

If - when - the fighting starts he's going to ignore orders anyway. He fights his own fight and always has.

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Mary Anne nods.

"When we've put a little more distance between us and the main group, I'll scout further ahead. See if I can't clear us a path."

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The walk isn't easy, even with the light Roxas gives them. It's not long before the gentle slope upwards becomes a lot steeper, there are sudden crevices and rocks everywhere, it's hot and damp and the trees and undergrowth make it impossible to move quietly. The packs they're carrying get snagged on things, there's an occasional startled sound from behind as the local wildlife surprises the guys behind.

And then there comes the distinct sound of some kind of military vehicle tearing up the ground. Ramon thinks it's back on the track but that isn't far away - it seems likely to him that they've found the abandoned Range Rovers.

He drops back and is glad he doesn't need to tell his men to stay quiet. They file past and Ramon stops Roxas as he comes level with him.

'Can you check that out without being seen? And don't let this lot,' he jerks his thumb towards his guys coming up behind, 'see what you can do. I don't have time to answer awkward questions right now.'

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Roxas nods and slips off into the darkness. The gloom stays where it belongs - spread out around the real people as they walk through the forest. As he moves off Roxas pulls his hood over his pale hair and effectively disappears - the uniform works with the natural ability of Nobodies not to be noticed to be as effective as any magic without actually using any magic.

He begins moving faster once he's out of sight of the Somebodies - even manifesting Keyblades. Just in case.

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Ramon watches him go and briefly wonders again how he's ever going to explain the boy to the others. No time to worry about it now though - he catches up with Mary Anne to talk to her, ignoring the glare he get from Esteban as he does. He knows full well his cousin thinks he should have a say in what's going on, given that this was his idea, but again, no time to fight about it.

'Roxas is checking that out. Keep an eye out for a good place to defend ourselves if we have to. If the Americans have landed somewhere above us and are coming down towards us, we'll be fucked.'

He's seriously starting to think they already are. There are just too many variables they either don't know, or have no control over.

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She nods, eyes sweeping over trees and vegetation.

"Gotcha. Any thoughts on how far we want to try and push before we set up for the night?"

Pros - establish a defensible position

Cons - risk being surrounded

Everything is infinitely more complicated with this many people.

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'Anytime we can do it without getting caught.'

Hiking through the jungle at night is even less fun than doing it in the daytime, and with far more opportunities for random accidents and ambushes.

'Roxas doesn't sleep as far as I know. He can keep watch. We just need to find somewhere that wont leave us exposed.'

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"I don't." Roxas agrees, back again and pulling his hood off. He offers a quiet, monotone report on the followers.

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'Jesus Christ.'

Ramon jumps, not having heard him return. He'd tell him not to creep around but that's kind of what they need right now and besides, he's listening.

'So they're close. If we try and speed up, they'll hear us for sure.'

He glances at Mary Anne.

'Somewhere to defend ourselves. Right now. And Roxas, kill the light around us, it'll be seen.'

But even as he says the words, a shot rings out just ahead of them and there's a startled yell and the unmistakable sound of someone hitting the dirt. Suddenly, everything becomes a hell of a lot more loud, with their team firing into the darkness and yelling to each other, and the noise in the forest of men closing in on them.

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"Son of a bitch!"

Mary Anne dives and takes cover at the base of a tree. It's the scrawniest damn thing she's seen since she got here, but it'll do for cover in the dark. She spends a handful of seconds listening--(where are they coming from where would you be going if this were you)--before leaning out and opening fire.

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Roxas does as requested and kills all of the light in the area - until it's dark enough that he can't see either. He's never heard a firearm like the ones from Earth and so stays standing while everyone else takes cover.

The monotone and empty voice of the Nobody asks "Do you want me to kill them?"

It's good to be sure about these things. Somebodies get loud when you kill the wrong Somebodies.

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Ramon doesn't answer for a moment, not until his AK-47 is out of ammo and he's reloading in a hurry.

'Fucking yeah, kill them, you idiot! That's what you're here for!'

Jesus, what is with this kid.

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He's an idiot. Computers and Roxas - they do what you tell them and only what you tell them. Once he's got the direct order he's gone.

There aren't even noises. His path is marked by gunfire simply stopping where he moves. It's less than thirty seconds before he's standing next to Ramon admitting "I got all that I could find."

Three guns still rattle towards them out of the darkness. No more than that.

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'It'll do.'

He likes the odds a lot better now. It appears that his men do too, as they're emerging from behind their various cover (still staying low) and looking around to see what happened.

'Mary Anne, can you go find the rest? If I let that lot loose, they'll never find each other again and probably all break their legs or something.'

Gun reloaded, he starts moving towards the man who got shot first. He can't see who it was from here.

'Roxas, go back the way we came and see if any more getting close.'

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She nods, slinging her rifle.

"Sure thing."

With a knife in each hand, she slips further out into the dark.

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He nods and disappears into the darkness again while Mary Anne performs her part.

He'll be back when called in or when he's comfortable that the Somebodies are not in danger.

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Ramon trusts that they'll do their jobs and walks up to the man down. It's Felipe and he's hit in the chest - probably not mortally but he definitely needs a hospital and right now.

He squats down next to him, handgun hanging loosely in his hand, looking at the mans face. Felipe was there when Ramon shot Hector and there's no hope in his eyes.

'I'm sorry, Felipe. But we can't help you and I can't leave you for the Americans to find.'

He knows too much and Ramon's willing to bet he'd swap information for medical treatment. So he stands and Felipe nods once, white-faced and resigned. It's over quickly, a shot to the heart, and afterwards Ramon looks to the faces of the others. But he can't see them in the dark.

'We'll stay here until she gets back otherwise we might lose her.'

Silence.

'Who is she?'

It's Esteban and his voice is carefully polite. Very carefully. Ramon considers for a moment, then lights a cigarette.

'She's a friend. She kills for me and that's all you need to know.'

No one says anything else.

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One of the guns in the dark goes silent.

And a second.

And a third.

When Mary Anne comes back, there is blood on her face that doesn't belong to her. She scrubs it off with the back of her hand.

"Way's clear."

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Everyone's watching her wipe that blood away and Ramon's the only one not surprised. He has a small smile on his face whereas the others are silenced by the sight. He nods at her (good job) and tells the others to take Felipe's pack off him and share the stuff out.

'See anywhere that might be alright to spend the rest of the night?'

Directed at Mary Anne, obviously.

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She nods.

"Not far at all. Decent cover; with watches posted, we shouldn't get snuck up on."

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