Dez solemnly kept watch from on top of their precarious fort. After the deaths of Mug and Goof, the food-fighting had passed. Now outnumbered and demoralized, their group had backed down and allowed Vance’s to take control of the kitchen. And we're all the worse for it.
With that in mind, it was decided that two people would stay up to keep watch, splitting the night into two. Dez would take the first watch, having volunteered, wanting the time to himself, and K had volunteered to take the second. Hooks and Hector are taking the second night assuming they made it that far.
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So Dez sat atop the stack of tables and chairs overlooking the rest of the lobby. There were a couple of Woods awake, watching over him as he was them, and guarding the food. It had been his hope they would leave a single guard or none at all. Then Dez could’ve snuck the food without issue. But two would be difficult to get by without causing a fuss. But his stomach grumbled as he looked at the Woods; they may truly have to survive this all without any food.
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It had been Hector’s idea to build their base. If they were to be attacked repeatedly and were more likely to be attacked here than anywhere else, they might as well increase their odds. The others had agreed with Hooks and K, who were keen on the idea. So now they rested within their shoddily assembled home. Dez doubted it would last very long against an attack, but he suspected Hector had suggested it more for morale than anything.
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Dez supposed it had been the one thing for Harry to die; he had been barely known and a mess. While his death weighed on Dez, it had been almost predictable. But the death of two of them shortly after had shaken them. Made it clear just how likely their own deaths were.
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With that in mind, Dez realized their current escape efforts were for naught. They wouldn’t have time, and with Vance and his boys around, there was no guarantee they would last very long enough to see any of it through.
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But what was there to be done? Vance seemed determined to keep himself safe, and by proxy, assure the rest of their demise. Olaf seemed to have no intention of intervening, and he couldn’t even settle the matter the way Dez normally would. Shame too, since Hector and K seemed like they could put in some real work.
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Either he needed to find a way to placate or handle Vance or the beast. Both options seem impossible, but they were the only options… unless…
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Dez hummed as it occurred to him the over weakness of this place. Olaf himself, the man, was running the show and seemed knowledgeable about his beast. If they could gain access to him or his office, they could find answers, potentially even a way out of it all.
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But how could they? Dez was certain there was an answer, but he was physically and mentally tired after a long day. The image of Harry’s remains, the eyes of the beast, his constantly flaring sense. It was a cocktail that made his mind feel as if it were submerged in thick oil. Incapable of thoughts other than the home he had chosen to run away from, and how much he’d like a meal.
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His tired mind did note his last thought, however. How long had it been since he missed home? The place his father, Mr. Little, had made feel restrictive and clinging, that Dez had practically forced Mr. Little to kick him out of. Dez had been happy back then, excited to get away from it all and start anew. But sitting on a fort of tables, hungry and covered in blood, knowing his demise was likely coming soon. He’d gladly go back to it all, even start going to church as his father had always wanted.
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Luckily, he was spared by such madness, hearing the shifting of tables, and turning to see K climbing to join him on top. Dez cracked his neck as she settled down beside him.
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“It’s my turn, Dez,” K said with a yawn. “Go get some rest already.”
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“Not much of a morning person?” Dez joked. Despite his complaint, he wasn’t quite ready for sleep yet. He had the awful feeling he wouldn’t sleep well anyway. A distraction was just what the doctor ordered.
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“Not much of being an awake person.” K joked in response. “Have those grubs made any move?”
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“They haven’t, though, who the hell calls someone a grub?”
“Something I picked up back in Australia, I always found it to be a great way to insult someone,” K explained. “Can’t stand bigots like them.”
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“I was wondering what you were. Are you a sister?”
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“Mixed. Mom was a stewardess from Nigeria, and met my father on a business trip.” K explained. “Used to travel a lot when they were still alive. Part of the reason I wanted to escape so badly is that I can’t stand being stuck in place.”
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“I just don’t wanna die,” Dez said with a forced laugh. There was a pause as Dez realized, as tired as he was, he didn’t want to sleep. “Hope you don’t mind if I keep you company for part of your shift. Don’t think I could sleep anyway.”
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“Hooks is snoring down there,” K said with a shake of her head. “Probably wouldn’t get much anyway.”
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“He’s always been like that. Loud and proud even when he was better off shutting up. Was even popping off even when we were being cuffed.” Dez said with a small, bitter smile. “I used to like that about him; now it pisses me off.”
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“I see.”
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“I should thank you, by the way,” Dez said with a sigh. “You saved my life earlier, something even Hooks, my supposed best friend, didn’t do.”
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“You had saved mine a moment before it. The creature nearly took us both. I didn’t even see it coming, but somehow you did…” K said with an odd tone. “It was only right to return the favor. Besides, only a weak person would be inactive by choice as someone dies.”
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“I guess, I’m learning that maybe people are weak in general.” Dez reflected. “Mug betrayed his own brother there; Hooks betrayed me. This lack of loyalty, something I consider a weakness of character, seems so commonplace nowadays. At least before, when I had thought that, it was with the idea that I had one person in my life who wasn’t like that. I trusted Hooks, and it brought me peace.”
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“You two were friends for a long time?”
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“Years, we’ve known each other since we were kids,” Dez answered. “Part of the reason I can’t believe he did what he did. I would rather have died than do the same to him…”
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“There are people like Hooks wherever you go. Those perhaps too charismatic for their own good, or too clever, or simply too uncaring. Because of this, they realize how people and the world work, and begin to twist it to their advantage. It’s good it happened, really, better to know than not, aye?”
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“Aye,” Dez said with a solemn nod. “It doesn’t help now. Our chances to escape shrink each day—with Vance, the monster, and Olaf in our way.”
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“It’d be ideal if we could deal with Olaf somehow. Vance, due to his rules, is basically untouchable. I’m not sure how we'd deal with the beast.” K said, nodding along, thinking it over. “So, we’d have to target Olaf and his forces directly for it to matter. Without Olaf, we could escape. I could teach Vance and his boys a thing or two.”
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“The how is where I’m stumped,” Dez said, shaking his head. “Olaf has turrets, goons, and defenses. There are cameras, too. Attempting anything would likely be stopped. We don’t have time for a cautious approach, either. I just don’t know how we’d even have a chance, even if we could do something about him.”
“What about during the attacks?” K asked.
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“When we’re literally being torn apart?”
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“Yes, think about what happens whenever it comes?” K pointed out, with an expectant smile.
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Dez realized it with a grim nod. “Every time that damn thing comes, the power goes out. Without power, we can assume no turrets or cameras, but the doors would surely still be locked; we’re still trapped with it.”
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“True, and as much as they claim we can be attacked outside of the lobby, every attack has been within it,” K said, standing with energy and pacing back and forth as she spoke. Dez flinched, however, their fort shifting with her walk precariously, yet the woman didn’t seem to notice. “It must be a bluff, assurance we’re paranoid and constantly on guard. Everything they’ve done is to break us down. Even our reconstructive work seems to be in place to keep us physically taxed! So if the next time we were out, if we were to hide away and not be brought back in…”
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“Assuming you're right, the guards, cameras, and turrets would still be in place. How would we manage that?”
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“Drongo, we just have to find a blind spot, or move quickly,” K said with a shake of her head. “It’ll be risky, but otherwise we just sit around waiting to die.”
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Dez hummed, realizing she was right. “What if we’re attacked before then?”
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“It seems likely to me that the last two attacks occurred relatively close together,” K said with her own nod. “If I were betting, I’d say it’s likely to hit us in the morning.”
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“If that's the case, this plan might not matter.” Dez sighed. “If it gets one or both of us, we’re screwed.”
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“But we have the chance to prepare,” K said with a smirk of her own. “All we need to do is find a way to leverage things in our favor. The first step should be waking the others!”
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“One second, actually,” Dez asked, K pausing and raising an eyebrow at him. “We shouldn’t tell them everything, definitely Hector, when we get the chance. But we are not telling Hooks anything.”
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K seemed doubtful of that, and Dez had doubts he had enough sway with her to make her so; he explained further.
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“We both know better than to trust him, K. The guy is plotting something plain as day. He hasn’t even seemed all that worried except when Vance’s boys made their move.” Dez elaborated. “Whatever it is, the brother is keeping something from us. Why not do the same?”
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K seemed to weigh it for a moment before giving him an approving nod.
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Dez watched bemused as K dived off the top of the fort and into the fort proper. Shaking his head, amused, he dropped after her. Glad he did, as he saw her kick Hooks awake. Dez decides to gently shake Hector awake to spare him the unpleasantness.
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The two of them took a moment to catch the others up on their thoughts. The four of them sat within their makeshift fort as they thought over their next move.
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“Sounds likely to me as well.” Hooks said with a smirk. “Which means for the first time since we’ve arrived, we can be ready. I’m guessing the idea is to turn Vance’s little hate campaign against him?”
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“It would have to be my friends.” Hector chimed in. “The way things are going, I’d imagine we are likely the next comida for that monstruo. We got no choice but to turn the tables on the gringos.”
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“They have more numbers than we do, too.” Hooks points out. “The sooner we can have that taken care of, the sooner we can get a meal.”
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"How? We need them to scatter or panic during the attack," K said. "That way it targets them."
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“We need to force them to abandon the kitchen.” Dez decided, slamming his fist into his palm. “If we could scare them out of it, they’d be in the open for a moment.”
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“We can’t fight or hurt them, though.” Hooks said with a hum. “What about a fire? If we managed to light it up, they’d have no choice.”
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“I have doubts Olaf would be fond of that, my friend,” Hector said. “He seems rather fond of this place.”
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Dez, though, had an idea. “Who says we can’t start a fire?”
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He started explaining his idea, which had come to him suddenly, and as he did so. The smiles on the others' faces assured it; it just might work…
