Datcher heard the Woman's response, noting their need for a flashlight, knowing full well that soon enough that need might just be superceeded by a more pressing, relentless problem. Her pause in speech presented a minor red flag though, and her questions, and nod in his direction only heightened his alarm.
He'd been made. "There's no time like the present." He thought quietly. Typically, he might scold himself, but there were few other ways around, or out of this right now. His right hand hung at his side, the surpressed Beretta within it's grip blending in amongst the bulk of his clothing, gear, and shadows.
Finally speaking aloud now, his voice carried out, hushed, yet quite clear.
"Yeah, I'm armed alright. It ain't for ya'll though, 'less it needs ta' be." He stepped forward now, exposing himself to the moon's soft, revealing glow, and the visibility that came with it.
He wore a pair of ripped ACU's, jacket and trouses, combat boots that were more red-brown than tan, namely from all the dried blood on them. He'd ditched most of his additional armor long ago. Too heavy. Too cumbersome. He'd opted to keep only his Plate Carrier, and the bullet-stopping plates within, along with his kneepads, and elbow pads. Combined with the Assault Pack on his back, he had all he needed.. For himself, at least. On his head, he wore nothing, save for clear-lensed eye protection. Despite the circumstances, he still wore his patches. U.S. Flag and all. On his left arm, what remained of his Old-World rank, as he now called it, was a single square patch.
Three black stripes, with two 'rocker' bars beneath it.
Looking toward the Woman's form, he asked "Those rounds I heard. They come from here? From your gun?" He still couldn't see her well enough to know that she had no gun to speak of, let alone the true gunman further inside, provided he'd not run out through a back entrance. "Won't be long now.. They'll be on us." Thought Datcher.
They'd been carying on, celebrating from their most recent score. The same as it always was. A pocket of survivors, just trying to get by. They were even friendly. They'd welcomed in the rag-tag group of ne'er-do-wells. The poor people soon found out how misplaced their generosity had been. Everything had been taking from them. Everything, even their lives, in the end, and these Human Degenerates, these, raiders, were happy for it. They were joking amongst each other, just four to their number. What did they have to fear?
Much. The mob that'd been passing outside of the apartment block the Raiders were in, had heard the activity. Heard the commotion. They had a new distraction. In an instant, the previous gunfire was all but forgotten, the sight from which it'd came being just a block away now. The mob converged into the building, quickly occupying the first floor, despite their mindless shuffling. The Raiders, on the 4th, were still clueless.