<div class="floatright">(http://wallpaper.pickywallpapers.com/nokia-n8/auto-assault-girl.jpg)<strong><br/>Kriss (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=150938.msg6869979#msg6869979)<br/>Hiding behind rusty barrels,<br/>at the back of the houses<br/></strong><br/><hr/></div>Some days are not worth waking up. Unfortunately, you rarely know it before it is too late. And today was one of those for Kriss the She-Wolf. Not that she would have had much a choice to stay in her hammock as the Black Eagles' chief had ordered her to scout for new potential places to raid.<br/><br/>Following her instincts and relishing the wind in her black mane as she drove her old, patched-up, boosted Suzuki bike along the desert roads. She loved the feeling of the bike humming between her strong thighs as she sped away at high speed. Speed was exhilarating. She had boosted the engine in such a way that her bike was probably the fastest vehicle of the World, or at least of her world.<br/><br/>But suddenly, everything had begun to fall apart. Her engine began to overheat. A quick inspection showed that the radiator tank had been leaking and was now almost empty. Kriss had fixed the leak as best as she could and refilled the tank with water from her canteen but she knew it would not be enough to drive back to the Black Eagle's camp. She needed to find water in large quantities. In the middle of the desert, it was not going to be easy.<br/><br/>Unless... Yes, there seemed to be a faint bit of smoke in the shimmering distance. Probably a village. That meant there was water, if only her bike would allow her to go that far. Driving at low speed, she headed for the village.<br/><br/>As she slowly approached it, she realised it was very small indeed. She noticed the look-out on top of one the biggest buildings. Automatically, she checked that the bike chain wrapped around her waist would uncoil without jolt and the big knife hanging from her belt would unsheath easily. In a holster on the side of her bike was a crossbow, loaded and ready to fire in case of need. If all went well she would not need them. She always tried to avoid fighting when possible, preferring ruse and speed to force. But today, speed was not going to help her...<br/><br/>As she entered the village, she smiled at the young look-out guy and waved at him. It was not the day to bully around. She needed to fill her canteen, get a jerrycan of water and then she would zoom away. Maybe, if the villagers helped her, she would not report their location to the Black Eagles.<br/><br/>She parked her bike in the shadow of the main house, taking care to head it towards the main road so that she could run away immediately in case of need. She climbed down the bike, her boots creaking on the sizzling desert ground. She took her crossbow and walked toward the entrance on the main road.<br/><br/>That was when the siren tore the silence away. Kriss was used to hear that sound, but usually it meant that she, and her gang, were arriving. Today, it suddenly had an entirely different signification. As she looked down the main street, she saw the dust cloud that was signalling the approach of fast-moving vehicles.<br/><br/><strong>"Shit! And shit! And shit!"</strong>she cursed. There was little time to think. Staying here was out of question. If she drove far enough, the raider would not see her and would concentrate on the village. But when she tried to kick her bike on, the engine refused to start. She knew that insisting would only make it burn.<br/><br/>The noise coming from the raiders could now be heard, approaching fast. Kriss pushed the bike behind the house that was just next to the town hall. There were heaps of old tires there, which allowed her to hide the precious bike under. And then she hid herself a little farther, crouching behind a few rusty barrels. She uncoiled the bike chain from her waist, holding it in her right hand, and removed the security from her makeshift crossbow. About 20 bolts were in a sheath against her left thigh but she doubted she would have time to fire more than two or three. Still, they were deadly weapons that could pierce through a man's body when fired from close quarter, and could kill or maim someone 100 feet away.<br/><br/>However, her plan was to remain hidden unless discovered, and then to sell her life at the highest price. Falling alive in the raiders' hands was out of question. The raiders were rushing in the little village now. Kriss felt her heart beat slowing a little, now that the action was opened.