On the Lam (Wistful Beast and Vermiciro)

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Despite knowing every police force in the nation was aware of their escape, and those in Nebraska were still searching for them, Judith felt things were going fucking-A fantastic. Luck was on their side and a fortune of pedestrian goods lay in wait to be plundered. She couldn't have asked for a better morning given the circumstances. If such continued as it was, within the hour they'd have a car, suitcases full of supplies, and be headed north to whatever motel of empty parking lot would keep them for the night.

"Those bags," Judith gestured lazily with the glock before tucking it once again into the waist of her jeans, "Dump 'em in the suitcases, plastic and all. You take one, I take one." and she approached Callie, a wicked grin like child's mischief, eyes narrowing deviously. Plucking a carpet fiber from the ends of Callie's hair and looking up, Judith met her partner's gaze. "Then, we're gonna have a little fun. We're gonna trash this place and take whatever isn't nailed down." she laughed playfully before turning away.

"We could be dead tomorrow." Judith spoke aloud, switching the radio back on. Abba's mellifluous harmony and energy enveloped the room. The pop beat swelling like a second pulse in her chest. It was a good day. "So let's make the most of it, yeah? Toss me a suitcase."
 
Callie didn't really appreciate Judith using the gun in hand to point to things, as it was a bit threatening, but she didn't utter a word of dissent. instead, Callie just opened up one of the suitcases and threw her bag in there. There was a lot of space to fill; and only a small plastic bag occupying it, so it looked a bit odd. Callie looked up when Callie approached, that fearful look returning to her very deer like eyes. Her grin and overall devious expression was enough to set Callie on edge again. She nearly flinched when Judith pulled a stray carpet strand from her mess of red hair. Callie wasn't really the "trashing" type, preferring organization. Her opinion didn't really matter though, as she was well aware Judith would do whatever she damn well pleased right about now.

Callie didn't desire to be reminded of their impending doom, preferring to stay alive. She didn't want imagine being shot down or hauled off to jail where she would more than likely remain for the majority of her life time. She didn't know if she preferred death or captivity, but she wasn't in the mood right now to weigh those options. Instead, she set Judith's plastic bag in the other suitcase and gently tossed it over to the woman. The music was preferable over silence, though she was still a bit paranoid about making much noise.
 
The flat, hollow sound resonating inside the suitcase as she caught it was encouragement enough for Judith to start dropping trinkets and rations alike into the vacuous compartment. She jerked open the bottom drawer of the dresser and rummaged its contents. Trousers, shorts, and jeans, all too large for Judith's petite frame, were flung into the room. The articles languorously draped over bed and piled in folds across the carpet. The second drawer had cotton shirts and pullovers embellished with college logos and mascots. Judith stuffed two minimally stained shirts and a green pullover with a bear into her suitcase. The rest found company among others on the floor.

As the song changed, Judith opened the final, top drawer. Each spouse had claimed a side of it for the duration of their vacation. Women's undergarments to the left, men's to the right. Judith wasn't interested in either, choosing to instead pull the drawer completely out of the dresser and up end it. Bleached whites and a rainbow of pastels cascaded to a pile at her feat. Landing with a soft rattle among the entropy of clothes was a prescription bottle. Plucking it up, Judith considered its contents. "Lisinopril." she read aloud, before regarding the other labels. Judith had no idea what it was for, it wasn't any drug she was familiar with, but after noting a warning for dizziness she figured it was worth stealing. Maybe they could sell it at a truck stop.

"Not much up hear to take." she commented, lazily kicking up clothes as she walked toward the hall. A resplendent, damask scarf caught Judith's eye as it sauntered back to the floor. It wasn't anything Judith would clad herself with, too gaudy for her monochrome taste, but something about its diaphanous, iridescent fabric was nostalgic. It represented a memory Judith wished she could look back on more fondly. Before it could dampen her spirits, Judith cast it aside with a snort.

"Take what you like. I'm heading downstairs." She informed, carrying the cumbersome suitcase with her as she went.
 
Callie peeked into drawers and found nothing that she really liked. Callie grabbed a few of the woman's shirts anyways, since they seemed like they'd be able to fit or at least be a touch loose. She chose ones that were more solid colored like a grey short sleeved shirt, a black short sleeved shirt, and a light green one because why the hell not. She would probably just use them as undershirts for her vest anyways, as she liked to maintain a well kept appearance even in this situation. She also grabbed two extra pairs of jeans, choosing the ones with less stains and avoiding the rinestone studded ones like the plague. Callie also made sure to grab one or two loose shirts for sleep as well as a few of the woman's undergarments. She felt rather uncomfortable handling some stranger's undergarments, but she they seemed clean and there was no way in hell Callie would stoop low enough to wear the same undergarments the whole damn time. Then Callie folded the clothes neatly and placed them in her suitcase. If she was going to die soon, she'd die organized and well dressed at least. It was little consolation, but she supposed it would be better than looking as awful as she felt.

Callie traded Trevor's old hooded sweatshirt with a simple grey one with a volleyball plastered on the front. She didn't care much for the logo, but this sweatshirt was bound to fit a tad bit better than the one she had been previously given. Callie then closed her suitcase and dragged it downstairs, following quietly after Judith. Once on the bottom floor, she made her way towards the kitchen where she needed to fetch something. Callie discarded her suitcase on the tiled floor of the kitchen and approached a block of wood with various handles protruding from it. She grabbed one of the smooth black handles and pulled, revealing a silver bladed kitchen knife. She examined it carefully, eyes fixated on the object. She would never dream of having to use it, but it was better safe than sorry. "I have terrible accuracy with a gun, but from my time on the farm I've learned to use knife fairly well for like...gutting the animals my father shot....I'd rather not have to use this though."she commented.
 
Once she left the bottom step, Judith tossed her suitcase on the sofa and began inspecting the living room for anything of interest. The coffee table, adorned with magazines and ring stains from former beverages, was glanced over before Judith casually tipped it with her foot. Glossy pages spilled open across the floor and slid under furniture. The bookcase was for show, mostly empty with asymmetrically placed baubles and picture frames. Judith threw one against the wall. The shatter and tinkle of glass was satisfying.

Finding nothing worth taking, she sauntered into the kitchen. She hadn't forgotten about cereal and the bagel from early hadn't been nearly satisfying enough. Inside the pantry Judith found a paucity of goods, basic staples not meant for a long stay. Bread, corn flakes, ground coffee, cups of noodle soup, popcorn, canned tomato sauce, and pasta. She wasn't starved enough to find any of it appealing, let alone useful since almost all of it required some means of cooking. It was antagonizing.

Throwing the cornflakes and bread on the counter to later be added to her suitcase, Judith caught the flat gleam of a blade. She smiled, listening to Callie. Having a weapon you're reluctant to use was as good as giving your assailant a weapon, but maybe that was just the kind of situation her partner needed to cleanse her fears. Once you have the confidence to eliminate a threat, the anxiety isn't so suffocating. "You know, you don't have to shoot a gun to be good with one." Judith said casually. "If you can hold a gun and make like you're gonna kill with it, most fucker's 'll bend their knees to you. Now a knife, that ain't as threatening. People can catch a knife and still fight back. You catch a bullet and it's gonna stop you." Judith opened the refrigerator and idled in its rolling chill. "Where you gonna put that anyways?" she asked, finally. "Gonna duct tape it to your calf?"
 
Callie flinched when the heard the shattering, then relaxed when she realized it had just been Judith breaking something. For a second, she had wondered if one of the windows had been smashed in or something ridiculous like that. As to why someone would do that, she had no idea. Her paranoid thoughts usually held little ground when assessed for how realistic they may be.

Callie listened to what Judith was explaining as she gently ran a finger along the flat edge of the blade in hand. Callie knew Judith was right, as people would do anything to avoid being shot. One couldn't dodge a bullet easily, so when guns were involved there tended to be a lot of pleading. At least that's what Callie believed considering the representations of such situations in the media as well as her common sense. Callie would practically do anything if placed under gunpoint since she wouldn't know the true intentions of the person behind the weapon. "I know guns are superior, but we only have one and it's yours. I just thought this would be better than a pocket knife if push came to shove."Callie replied. If one ignored Callie's crippling anxiety, they would be able to tell that she was clearly not an idiot. She never really had been, always pushing herself to gain more knowledge and assess the world around her.

Callie added, "I could do that since I grabbed duct tape. I'll figure that out later though."Callie replied, shoving the knife into her suitcase. Callie figured she could find a way to stick the tape to itself to fashion a makeshift sheath and then attack it to her calf. It seemed like an idea worth trying at least and may make Callie a tad bit more confident. Callie looked around, wondering what else may be worth taking.
 
The refrigerator, also minimally stocked, contained only perishable food stuffs. It would spoil to rot and slime in the heat of a car. Judith decided to cram a slice of lunch meat into her mouth regardless. The salt was pleasing, though brought back memories of the jerky she had uselessly gnashed at earlier. As she tossed the baggie back into the fridge, Judith noticed the drinks of glittering glass bottles along the door shelving. There were at least five pale ales and a beetle-green bottle of pinot grigio. Maybe she could develop a bibulous propensity in her partner after all.

Slotting what bottles she could between her finger's Judith shrugged. "Pocket knife's as good as any knife." she reasoned. "Can't penetrate a chest, but it'll open arteries all the same. And even if you've got the length of blade to hit the heart, takes a fuck ton of force." and that was something Judith could relate with experience. She'd only murdered one person if they weren't counting the guard. It would have been two had she accomplished what she intended. Straddled over a gang member sent to clean her, a sixteen year old boy who'd pulled a gun spray painted matte black. Instinct before morals or mercy, Judith sunk a knife into the kid's breast plate. Two inches of serrated steal buried in the flesh between ribs, but Judith's downward force had failed to plunge it deeper. Instead her hand slipped down the handle and the remaining three inches of blade bit into the bends of her fingers. The boy had escaped, but she still remembered the incident, more clearly than the thin pink lines on her hands.

"So, before I flood this place," Judith began as she walked to the living room to store her bottles, "Should we steal some soap and tampons, or would that make it obvious that we're women and not some kind of klepto pervert?"
 
Callie didn't heed Judith's words, as the woman seemed to want to negate her idea of stealing the kitchen knife. Callie felt safer with it in hand instead of a pocket knife and that was final. A pocket knife was useful for a tool or as Judith mentioned, to use on arteries. Callie knew such fine cutting could only work with a target that was unable to move much since the pocket knife offered little reach. The kitchen knife offered more and it looked a bit more intimidating. Someone was more likely to balk with an eight inch culinary blade at their throat instead of a three inch one with a cheap plastic handle. Callie pulled another slice of jerky from her bag and gnawed away at it as she took another look around the bottom floor of the house.

Finding a random discarded book, Callie picked up the object by its thick binding and flipped it open. Scanning the words inked upon the flimsy white paper, she judged from a single passage that this was some sort of action based book. Callie closed it quietly and returned to the kitchen, adding the book to her inventory for the hell of it. Callie decided reading could pass the time if and when Judith wasn't in the mood to speak during their travels, as the woman didn't seem to be the most talkative. Callie responded to Judith's question with, "Does it really matter what they think of us? They'll obviously hate us and guess we're awful criminals, so why should we care if they think we're creepy?" Callie was already feeling very guilty for stealing, so she didn't really want to imagine how the couple would view them.
 
Returning briefly for the bread and cereal, Judith rolled her eyes wryly. "It does't matter what these fucks think." she called back, emphasizing these. "I'm asking because of the cops. If they don't find any usable fingerprints then they'll have to pursue suspects and shit. If they're just looking for some panty snatcher, 9 outta 10 says they're looking for a dude. Unless they suspect that same dude of shoving tampons up his ass while he waxes his carrot, then the'll be looking for some suspicious women."

Returning to the living room, Judith jammed the box and bread into her suitcase, bottles clinked together as they rearranged. "Now, I don't know about you," she said, "but a pair of ladies hitchhiking down a residential road is a bit flaky." It was likely that no matter the setting or circumstance Judith found herself in she would appear suspicious regardless. It wasn't her actions, word, or dress that brought such upon her, but the general aura of her nature. Judith was anything, but inconspicuous.
 
Callie brought herself and her suitcase into the living room where Judith was located. The woman did seem to have a point when one focused upon the message she was conveying and disregarded the more vulgar details. Callie did find that stealing tampons would reveal them as women because although men seemed turned on by the weirdest shit, tampons were a severe no go for them. In fact, any mention of feminine products could make the toughest seeming man cringe, even though they weren't the ones that had to bleed out tissue each month for decades and be expected to act natural and beautiful.

Callie thought for a moment. "Let's not steal tampons then. Neither of us are...menstruating right now...I believe."she replied, seeming a bit sheepish. The last thing she wanted to do was discuss anything like that with the hardened felon that was now accompanying her. Especially since it was the same woman who had just painted a mental image of a man sticking feminine products up his asshole and had referred to male genitalia as a "carrot."

"Yes, it isn't the safest way to get about, but we may have to."Callie replied, having not yet thought of that possibility. She had no desire to stand on the road and hop into the car of anyone that was willing to offer. It could be a creepy man with the intents of stealing them away for...awful reasons. Callie attempted to shake that thought from her head, having enough to worry about already.
 
Judith shrugged, seemingly in understanding. "Fine by me." she agreed. "But you're going to be the one going in a rest stop or club and busting one of those quarter cotton plug dispensers. 'Cause I might not have much shame, but hell no am I gonna walk the length of a bar with my fists and pockets full of tampons as the bartender eyes me down for not even placing an order." As usual, Judith had an angle for all of her questions. Making any argument just to back Callie into a corner, forced agreement. Guised in a casual tone or sound reasoning, Judith's belligerence was pervasive, imbuing nearly every aspect of her character.

Zipping her suitcase closed, Judith made for the stairs again, calling to Callie over her shoulder. "Flood the kitchen sink, would you. And while you're there wipe the knobs and handle of the fridge. I probably left a decent thumb print on it." She meanwhile intended to flood the bathroom. But before doing so, Judith quickly returned to the master bedroom and roughly scrubbed the dresser drawers and closet doorknob with a handful of discarded clothes. Satisfied, she slipped into the bathroom. Washcloth in hand, Judith plugged the drain in both the sink and bathtub, then spun the four knobs as far as they'd go. The hiss and patter of deluging water was like white noise throughout the second floor. Satisfied in her work, Judith discarded the cloth and returned to her suitcase.

"Ready to roll?" she asked, lugging her beverage heavy case from the couch. The contents clattered as Judith shifted her weight. So much for less noise.
 
Callie had no problem fetching tampons when needed, but she could tell that she would have this task whether she liked it or not since Judith seemed far from willing. Callie nodded obediently, having little reason to challenge the simple request as it was not entirely relevant as of now. Callie was beginning to learn that Judith had a way of phrasing her orders or requests in a way that seemed nonchalant. Callie could tell she had no choice, but Judith still tended to make it seem like she had one. For example, Callie had been convinced to consume a copious amount of alcohol in exchange for favors she now knew she would never get. She'd have to think on her feet if she wanted to avoid any trickery.

Callie understood why Judith would ask her to remove fingerprints, but wondered why they were going to flood the place. Callie would comply anyways, as she knew if she didn't do it Judith would just get pissed and then do it herself. She retreated to the kitchen and grabbed a towel from the counter, wiping down the specified surfaces and then some just to be extra safe. Then Callie carefully plugged the sink drain and turned on the water, mindful to wipe her fingerprints from the faucet controls. Letting the water run, Callie exiting the kitchen and returned to the living room to fetch her suitcase. She found Judith had finished her task as well and had made her way downstairs again. "Ready."Callie answered.
 
"Fan-fucking-tastic. Let's move before we end up treading water." Awkwardly, Judith covered the front door knob with the hem of her shirt and twisted it open, her torso following the gesture before kicking the door further ajar. "Don't lock it. It'll give that couple something to argue about." she said, stepping out into the humid, late morning sun. A balmy sensation cloaked Judith's skin almost immediately. She felt greasy, like a second skin, thin as a membrane and made of oil and sweat, had grew on her overnight. And it likely had. Judith thought of the overflowing tub and hissing water, wishing she had taken the time to bathe. A pity they had more pressing matters to attend to.

Suitcase weighing to one side and shadowing her eyes, Judith crossed the lawn to the street. There wasn't a soul or car on the road. The revelry of the previous night had died out and was replaced with an unsettling, quiet, small-town ambiance. It was possible a neighbor had saw them leave from a window. With any luck, they would recall Judith, still wearing Trevor's clothes, as a short man.

Suspicion aside, there was another option that needed to be addressed. They couldn't linger on residential streets long without drawing attention. Someone would likely identify one of them. Playing dead in the road, or running in front of cars wasn't an option here. They could dissemble hitchhikers for a bit, see how that worked, or try to steal a residential vehicle with Callie's expertise.

Judith pushed her hair from her eyes as she asked. "So, you wanna try flagging someone down or stealing a car in the neighborhood? Keep in mind, anyone who sees one of our faces has to be put down." they couldn't risk the police knowing they were already over the border, not yet.
 
Callie suddenly remembered that she had to at least conceal her hair. She set down her suitcase and opened it up hastily, pulling out the sweatshirt she had snagged from one of the drawers earlier. Though she knew she'd likely be cooked alive in such a garment, but she slid it on anyways and flipped the hood up. She would spare her comfort if it meant no one could identify her. Suddenly Callie was really regretting having her hair dyed since being unique was no longer important or advisable in this situation. Sure she'd look odd wearing a hoodie in such weather, but if confronted she could just fake a cold or some shit like that.

Callie proceeded to close her suitcase again and follow Judith outside, immediately being assaulted by the sun and the heat it provided. The sooner they were on the road and out of sight, the better. Callie noted the lack of activity and people as she followed close behind Judith. It made Callie a bit nervous because of the uncomfortable silence, but that meant that less people would see them. Callie hoped that no one was peeking out from their windows right now, not that they'd have a reason considering the lack of activity. Callie guessed that everyone had left to hit the river or elsewhere considering the heat and the location of this little place. Callie wasn't totally sure what they were to do now and how they'd acquire a vehicle. Hitch hiking would be sketchy and leave them in sight for an extended period of time, but if they stole a car then there was a chance they could be identified by the people that were missing the car and who possessed its license plate information for easy finding.

Callie heard what Judith had said, suddenly having to think. She really didn't want to "put anyone down," as Judith had put it. "Um...stealing maybe? Hitch hiking would leave us out here and exposed for everyone that drives by us. Also, if we act the least bit suspicious the person driving us could contact the police."Callie replied quietly, think aloud. She could certainly hot wire a car to get them going, but she still wasn't fully sure what they should do.
 
"I'm not opposed to stealing one." Judith admitted genuinely. "The only problem is finding one that's not in a garage and won't be noticed by people inside." The car would be reported much quicker as well. Stealing's auspiciousness lay in its availability. People weren't likely to pick up hitchhikers, especially in a residential area with a modicum of traffic. However, if they did manage to get picked up, they could easily kill the driver and steal the car which wouldn't end up on police radar for awhile. Even after weighing the benefits, Judith assumed they'd have to take what came to them.

"How about this," she proposed, "If a car comes along we stick our thumbs out and test our luck. If they stop, it's our ride. If not, we keep walking until we find an ideal steal, yeah?" It wasn't certain that either scenario would occur. They could end up sitting on the curb, near death from heat stroke. But it wasn't like they could call a taxi or- Judith almost stumbled mid-step as the thought came to mind. "Fuck, or even if one of those don't play out, we could call a taxi!" Another equally insane idea. "Seriously, we use a pay phone at a gas station or convenience store, get picked up, slit the the asshole's throat, and we've got a ride to our next stop!"
 
Callie followed behind Judith for a while before she picked up her ambling pace enough to walk at the woman's side instead. Judith had a point since it wouldn't be easy to just find a car sitting around that wasn't in the view of the public. Callie could work pretty quickly, but she wasn't sure if they would be able to avoid suspicion. Especially if they had to try to unlock the car since that would prove to consume more precious time. Stealing was looking more difficult by each passing moment considering the area they were in. They were probably better off hitch hiking now, but they didn't even know the area enough to tell the person where to take them. That was an odd realization and Callie wondered if Judith had thought of it.

Callie was eager to listen to any suggestions from Judith because she was beginning to be stumped. It seemed like a decent idea, but Callie didn't really know where they'd ask to go. "A taxi?"Callie said when the idea came up, raising an eyebrow. It was an idea, but that didn't mean it would be the best. Killing them wouldn't be too great either. "Well, that brings up a problem. Aren't taxis like, monitored by the company that controls them? They usually have GPS and stuff to ensure they're on track. Also, it's sort of suspicious to travel in a taxi to begin with being that they are brightly colored and meant to pick people up."she said, trying to weigh their options aloud so Judith could add her own input.
 
Judith was reluctant to admit that her partner had made a valid, if not crucial point. She wanted to argue that hiding in plain sight was genius, a trick that was so brazen it could work, similar to their attic stay. But a GPS was something Judith couldn't counter, technology. She was thoroughly inept when it came to chips and circuits. Mastering a cell phone was the extent of her knowledge.

Trying to walk in Callie's shadow, if only to spare herself a little less heat, Judith considered what other options they had. Admittedly, there was an obvious dearth of them available. Taking a bus was absolutely out of the question, too many people to recognize them, and almost impossible to steal even with a gun. Dialing 911 for a ride wasn't happening either. It was only when Judith began thinking with her stomach that one final idea came to mind.

"We could order pizza." she said, her brow knit as if she almost doubted her own words. "I mean, the delivery dude drives their own car, not a company one, and they go where ever you say. We could just tell 'em to look for us along the sidewalk of some street."
 
Callie was trying to concentrate, but the sun was practically assaulting her with its obnoxious rays shining upon her. What was worse what the damned sweater she had to keep on to hide her hair since an extra layer meant more suffocating heat. She could already feel herself begin to sweat and knew that they would have to find a way out of the sun pretty soon to avoid having heat strokes or something awful. That would be just their luck, wouldn't it? Being caught by the authorities when barely able to even lift their heads from heat exhaustion. Callie would make sure that wouldn't happen.

Callie found Judith's idea to be the best they had right now. "That just may work. And we'd get pizza. But how would we....dispatch him...in such a public area?"she asked. It seemed like a decent idea considering it would probably just an acne clad teen taking a summer job with some little, cheap car his parents gave him. A little cheap car was better then no car though and it just may work.
 
That was a considerable dilemma and created two possible pizza scenarios. In one, they leave with the pizza deliverer driving. Judith sitting shotgun, while Callie crashes with stacks of steamy ameri-talian goodness. It could be pulled off on a sparsely residential lane as well. The second choice would have them slitting the punk's throat on a small stretch of road between distant edifices and tossing the crumpled body in the trunk before driving off. Judith proposed these two scenes to Callie.

"So, we could order, sit in the brush between a couple of houses and when pizza arrives, I pull the gun, keep it close to me and threaten the fucker. You whisper and cry convincing him I'll shoot, 'cause I really will if they scream, we're taking that car with or without shit going down. And hopefully we'll be let in the car" she elaborated, gesturing with her free hand as she spoke.

"The other option is that we find a spot out of sight, maybe just enough trees to block view, or distance so people won't get a good look, and when you go to accept the pizza, I circle 'round and slit their throat." Judith chuckled to herself, feeling clever all the while. "So, what d'you think? All we need is a spot and a phone."
 
Callie took a moment to analyze both options, allowing herself some time to think. Either way, she knew the delivery man would end up dead whether it be a bullet to the head or a slash across the throat. Both of those results were unpleasant, but predictable and almost unavoidable. Callie didn't like the notion of taking someone's life, but it would be Judith doing the murdering so maybe she could remain innocent to a degree. It would still be pretty traumatizing, but she best get used to thee scenarios.

The plan with the gun had some possible consequences, with the pizza deliverer screaming. Sure they would be killed, but a scream was all that would be needed to draw attention to themselves. Also, the delivery person could likely just drive away and have a chance to avoid getting shot. Then they would be able to contact the police and Callie and Judith would have no ride and no chance to escape. The other possibility held a tad bit more promise for a favorable outcome. Knives didn't make noise when used, so no gunshot would draw anyone to the scene. Then they had the car to themselves and wouldn't be spotted as quickly. They would just have to find a more secluded street.

Callie had made her decision and was willing to explain it. "I say we slit their throat. Drawing a gun that they can see means that they still have a chance to drive off and be harder to shoot. If they drive off we have no ride and have been reported. And if they didn't drive off, their scream could draw attention. Then when you shoot them, a gunshot is also quite noticeable. So just sneaking up on him and trying to slit his throat seems to be more inconspicuous."Callie explained quietly, looking around to ensure no one was near.
 
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