Chapter Text
The toxicity of our city….
Killing Strangers - Marilyn Manson
We’re killin’ strangers so we don’t kill the ones that we love….
2025
Tobin Heath stood and stared at herself in the bathroom mirror after her daily ten mile jog through the busy Atlanta streets. She mentally prepared herself for the long, hectic night that would begin in only a couple of hours. In the background, the television aired the local station news.
She glanced briefly at the screen as the news reporter urged everyone to get out of the streets and barricade their homes and valuables before the big "holiday" started. Tobin listened as the reporter went on about the history of the Purge, how it helped keep crime rates down in the country.
Tobin wasn’t sure if it really helped much with the crime rates. She was an FBI agent with the Atlanta Federal Bureau and violent cases always seemed to pile up on her desk. Everyday, she was faced with new murders, rapes, and molestation cases.
The American government, on the other hand, was convinced that the Purge helped keep society swiftly moving. Unemployment rates were down and as was drug use among young people. The government figured that one night of senseless killing and crime was a small price to pay for relative peace throughout the rest of the year. Unfortunately, usually the poor were the main victims during the bloody night of mayhem.
The Purge was an event where every and all crime was legal for twelve hours on the same day each year. The holiday officially started in the horrid year of 2020. From seven o'clock in the evening until seven o'clock the next morning, citizens of the United States were free to kill, rape, and torture people they felt had wronged them or just innocent bystanders. Guns, knives, and other various weapons were permitted to be used by the Purge participants.
About eight years ago, The New Founding Fathers of America won control of the presidency after Donald Trump had announced that he would step down after only one year of his first term. America was already in turmoil from the President’s nonsensical rule. Race tensions were at an all time high. People pledged their allegiance to a political party instead of the country. The rich became richer while the poor wasted away. The country seemed more divided than ever. Citizens, disgruntled by both Democrats and Republicans, immediately voted in a fresh, new party into power in the special elections of 2017.
Unfortunately, the new political party established a total authoritarian rule and police state control after the great economic collapse of 2018. The new government quickly added a new amendment to the Constitution that established The Purge. However, the holiday quickly was used as a method of population control since the unemployed and poor were the main targets and the wealthy were usually left alone.
The new administration prioritized straight males and alphas(women born with a penis). That was good news for Tobin since she was an alpha. She never let the status go to her head, though. So far, she hated the new political party, no matter how much it benefitted her.
Tobin had lived through five Purges so far. During the first one, Tobin had rescued a family from a crazed knife armed lunatic. During the first event, many citizens thought it was all a joke and acted like it was a big party. When the kills started with no consequence, people realized that the holiday was no joke. Society quickly adapted to the new holiday.
Usually, during this event, Tobin stayed put in the apartment that she shared with her girlfriend and daughter, and protected them at all costs. The past three years, Tobin had been alone and now, she had a mission. She knew someone who needed to die and she wouldn't rest until they were dead.
Suddenly, a bark caught her attention as she turned to look at her dog, Roxie. The black doberman was a deadly machine in her own right. Roxie was trained to attack and protect when told to. Tobin didn’t want to bring her dog along, but she definitely wasn't going to leave her alone unprotected in the apartment while she purged. Plus, Roxie could hold her own against anyone who tried to mess with them.
Tobin glanced up at the clock on the wall. There was only a couple of hours left before the Purge officially started. She quickly cooked a quick dinner and drank a couple of energy drinks. The television played in the background as Tobin walked into the bedroom. She turned on the shower, the warm water washed away all her thoughts about the upcoming night.
The clock on the wall ticked away as Tobin quickly changed into a pair of slightly baggy black jeans with a black tank top. Over that, she slipped on her bulletproof vest, securing it into place. Tobin threw on a blue plaid shirt, and left it unbuttoned. She had a feeling that she would be fighting a lot tonight so she wanted to be prepared.
She grabbed her gun holster, and slipped it around her waist. Tobin found her extra ammunition and strapped on her handguns. Going over her gun collection, Tobin grabbed more automatic rifles and carried the weapons out to her Dodge truck. She placed the rifles into the front seat.
Tobin grabbed a small duffel bag and filled it up with extra firearms and hundreds of ammunition. She promptly threw the items into the front seat of the truck, along with a few bottles of water.
"Good luck this year. Please stay safe," Jill Ellis, Tobin’s neighbor, said to her. Jill carried bags of groceries into the apartment building.
"I will. You be safe too," Tobin smiled. She glanced at her watch, which showed that only forty-five minutes of safety still remained before the big holiday.
"Are you still planning on going out to take care of...you know?" Jill asked as Tobin nodded her head.
"Yeah. Nothing’s gonna stop me from doing what needs to be done," Tobin replied with determination.
"Well, sweetie, just be careful, alright? I hope to see you in one piece tomorrow," Jill put down her bags, and gave Tobin a hug.
"Hope your family is good, too," Tobin hugged the older woman back.
Jill glanced at Tobin. “Did you eat? You can’t be out purging on an empty stomach.”
Tobin nodded. “I ate dinner.”
“Good. Be careful, Tobin.”
“I will.”
Tobin walked back to the apartment after she locked up the truck. Roxie slept on the couch, snoring softly. Tobin took in a few moments of peace. She looked at the television, which continued to display the history of the Purge.
"Come on, Roxie!" Tobin called her dog. Roxie lazily lifted up her head from the couch, slowly dropped to the floor and followed Tobin into the bedroom.
Tobin stepped into the closet. She dug through all the junk until she finally found what she searched for. Roxie observed her owner in fascination as she laid down next to the FBI agent.
"Here we go! Now, you'll be protected during the night. Of course, if anyone tries to hurt you, I'll kill them, but it never hurts to be safe," Tobin said. She showed Roxie a bulletproof vest and armor specially made for guard dogs.
Tobin carefully placed the vest on Roxie, and admired how vicious her dog looked to the untrained eye. Roxie was a sweetheart by nature, but she was trained to kill if needed. Tobin glanced up at the clock, the ticking sound filled the silence in the room.
There was less than an hour left until the Purge officially started. Tobin grabbed her gun, barely listening as the news reporter on the television prayed that everyone would be safe on that bloody night.
Christen Press nervously tried to get her younger sister, Mallory, to hurry up at the grocery store that they were shopping at. The sisters only had a couple of hours to get back to the farmhouse, where they lived in rural Georgia, before the Purge officially began.
She watched as Mal filled the shopping basket with some snacks and drinks to get them through the long night. Christen hated this holiday more than anything. Usually, the farm that her father owned was safe, but last year, Cody Press had to shoot down a couple of men who were up to no good.
Christen remembered the first Purge that ever happened. When the concept was first introduced, she thought it was all a big joke. That was until she witnessed news footage of people slaughtered on the city streets. After that, everyone knew and understood that the government was serious about the Purge. Right now, the malicious rulers were in a deep debate about abortion. So far, the new political party wasn’t able to vote to outlaw the procedure. Even worse, their agenda included trying to legalize the arranged marriages of young women under the age of twenty-five. Fortunately, that law hadn’t been able to pass either, but it was only a matter of time. With each election, the new political party cheated to get more lawmakers into Congress.
Now, Christen and Mallory only had a couple of hours to get back to the safety of the countryside. That day, the sisters had decided to visit the city to do some shopping at the mall to ease their nerves about the mayhem that would occur later.
"Come on, Mal! We need to leave already, especially since Dad doesn't even know that we went to Atlanta. He'd kill us if he knew we were all the way out here," Christen anxiously stated as Mallory sighed. She knew her older sister was right, and they needed to head home. Mallory could already hear the lecture that their father would give them when he found out.
"Fine. Let's pay for this stuff and get outta here before Dad starts calling us every five minutes," Mallory agreed. She pushed the shopping cart to where the cash registers were located in front of the grocery store.
The two sisters quickly loaded all their items onto the conveyor belt where the cashier quickly scanned all the products. Christen glanced at the cashier. The young woman looked a bit worried, and Christen couldn’t blame her. The woman glanced nervously at the clock on the wall. Her name tag read "Andi".
"Be careful out there," Andi said.
"Thank you. Stay safe also," Christen replied. She and Mallory quickly collected their bags. They hurriedly went out to Christen’s black Honda Accord.
Christen watched as people quickly walked to their vehicles, probably heading to their safe haven for the night. She hoped that everyone would still be alive by the time the Purge ended. As the Press sisters finally reached the car, Christen caught sight of a group of men that stared at them. One burly man winked at the young women and licked his lips in a suggestive manner.
She could tell that the men were a group of bad people that waited to purge. They sat on motorcycles, surrounding a white van that looked like something a sex offender would drive around in. Some of the group members held long bladed machetes or had rifles strapped to their sides. They all had on masks, face paint, or bandanas to hide their true identity.
Christen had been staring at the strange group so intently that she didn't notice that one of the members was right beside her until it was too late. The tall, menacing man wore a blue bandana so only his intense dark eyes were seen, hidden under messy, black hair.
"We'll be seeing you later," the man's rough voice said, each word dripped with venom.
"Please step away from my car," Christen calmly replied as she tried to hide how frightened she really felt. From the corner of her eye, she spotted Mallory, fear written across her face.
"I'll be seeing you later, sweetheart," the man ignored her request. Instead, he opened her car door.
Christen glared at the man as he walked away, and headed back to his gang. She motioned for Mallory to quickly get into the car. After they were safely in the vehicle, Christen promptly locked the doors. She hurriedly started the car and drove out of the grocery parking lot.
The gang stared at the black Honda as it drove away. They slowly started to follow the two sisters from a distance.
Tobin checked that all her tactical gear was on correctly. She watched news footage of people all over the city as everyone barricated their homes and businesses, and prepared their weapons. Outside her window, Tobin heard a few guys trying to sell protection services for the night. She was sure that some people would hire the men since they looked tough enough.
She closed and locked the window. She checked all the windows and patio doors to make certain that everything was locked. Roxie stood, sensing a change in the atmosphere. Tobin checked her phone and typed in an address. The house was all the way across the city. The sooner that Tobin got there, the better.
On the television, some foolish man credited the Purge for the low unemployment and poverty levels that the country now enjoyed. Time ticked on, but for Tobin it didn’t seem to go by fast enough. She went to her gun collection that was safely locked away in a safe. Most of the guns were in the truck or on her person, but there were still a couple left. She grabbed a small firearm and checked to see if it was loaded.
She quickly fed Roxie before she stepped out of the apartment. Tobin walked down the hall, and stopped in front of the Ellis door. She knocked softly on the door. A few seconds went by until Jill opened the door. When she noticed that the visitor was Tobin, she pushed the door open wider.
"Tobin? Did you decide to stay home, after all? You can stay here with us. Roxie is welcomed, too. You shouldn’t be alone,” Jill sincerely offered.
"Nah, I have business to take care," Tobin replied.
Jill only sighed. She knew that Tobin would stop at nothing to right the wrong that had been done to her family.
"Be careful out there, Tobin," Jill said. She hugged Tobin tight, and hoped that she would see her alive in the morning.
"I will. Here, take this for some extra protection," Tobin handed over the loaded gun.
“I couldn’t.”
"You can. I would feel better knowing that you have it," Tobin insisted.
Jill took the gun. “Thank you, Tobin. Please stay safe.”
"You, too," Tobin replied.
When Tobin returned to her lonely apartment. The reporter on the television still went on about the Purge. In the corner of the screen, was an official countdown until the start time. Tobin watched as the seconds dwindled down from fifteen minutes. She grabbed her main rifle, ready to take on the blood fest, her muscles hard from the anticipation. Tobin almost felt like she was back in Iraq or Afghanistan when she had been a Marine in the service. She had spent about five years in the military and the knowledge served her well on Purge nights.
She watched as the countdown hit ten minutes. The time of safety and security quickly dwindled away.
Christen and Mallory drove on, the radio announced that they only had one hour until the Purge officially started. Christen relaxed a little since once they crossed the Memorial Bridge, then it would be a relatively safe drive back to their parents' house.
"We'll make it," Mallory said.
Christen turned to look at her sister.
"I know. It's eerie to see how empty the highways are now. I just wanna get out of Atlanta and into the country before everything starts," Christen explained as she pushed on the gas. The car quickly went over eighty miles per hour.
"What do you think that guy meant? Seeing us later?" Mallory asked her older sister.
Christen shrugged. Truth was, she still felt unsettled by the mysterious man even though he was miles away by now. . "I don't know. I don't wanna know to be honest. He was probably just trying to scare us."
"Let's not worry about it. And, let's change the station. Get some music up in here instead of this news," Mallory quickly changed the channel until she came upon a popular song.
Christen relaxed a little as Mallory sang along to the pop song that blared from the speakers. Just as she was about to join in, the car made a weird noise and started to slow down.
"Oh, no! Not right now!" Christen said as she hastily parked along the side of the road. The car sputtered and then died. She tried to start the Honda, but to no avail.
"What happened?" Mallory asked in a slight panic.
“I don’t know,” Christen replied.
The sisters climbed out of the car to investigate their misfortune.
Christen quickly pulled out her cellphone and accidentally dropped it to the ground. As she bent down to pick it up, she noticed something strange underneath the car. Wires hung out from under her car and oil dripped readily from a hole poked into the engine. Christen started to panic when she realized that the vehicle had been deliberately sabotaged. She glanced at her phone. There was only about thirty minutes left.
"Someone messed with the car. They wanted us to break down," Christen replied in a panicked voice. Mallory looked close to tears.
"What are we gonna do? We only have a few minutes left! Maybe we can call Dad," Mallory suggested. She pulled out her own cellphone, intent on calling her father, Cody Press.
"No! We can't put him in danger! We just need to find somewhere to hide for a few hours. Maybe if we just stay in the car, we'll be alright," Christen tried to remain calm even though her heart beat wildly in her chest. “Or, we could walk home. After we cross the bridge, we’ll be out of the city limits. We can walk through the woods back to the house.”
Just then, the two heard a motorcycle engine as it revved a few yards away. Christen’s heart dropped when she spotted the scary gang from the grocery store. This time, they stood a few feet away, and blocked the only road to the countryside.
"Christen..." Mallory could only muster out her sister's name as she stared at the men ahead of them.
"Come on, Mallory! Let's go!" Christen wasted no time. She grabbed her younger sister's hand and practically dragged her back toward the city, which was already empty.
The sun slowly started to set beyond the horizon as the Press sisters ran through the desolate streets, scared beyond belief. Christen didn't think that the intimidating motorcycle gang had followed them yet, so that was some good news at least.
"Where are we gonna hide?" Mallory asked, dismayed to find that she had no signal on her smartphone.
"We'll find somewhere," Christen led Mallory into a dark alleyway. She prayed it would be a safe place until they figured out what to do.
They crouched behind a dumpster, both of their hearts pounded in fear. Christen glanced at her phone, still no signal. She quietly cursed to herself. What would they do? How would the two survive such a ruthless night? She became alarmed when the time on her phone showed that there was only five minutes left until the Purge started.
Mallory sat beside her sister, already crying from fear and anxiety. The teenager tried to keep as quiet as possible as tears fell from her face. Christen reached over and grabbed her younger sister's hand, anything to calm her down. Suddenly, a loud alarm rang out all throughout the city. The deafening noise startled the two as time ran out.
An automated female voice radiated from the speakers set up throughout the city: “This is not a test. This is your emergency broadcast system announcing the commencement of The Annual Purge, sanctioned by the U.S. Government. Weapons of Class four and lower have been authorized for use during the Purge. All other weapons are restricted. Government officials ranking ten and higher have been granted immunity from the Purge and shall not be harmed. Commencing at the siren, any and all crime, including murder and rape, will be legal for twelve continuous hours. Police, fire, and emergency medical services will be unavailable until tomorrow morning at seven AM, when the Purge concludes. Blessed be our New Founding Fathers and America, a nation reborn. May God be with you all."
The alarm rang again. The final signal that the Purge had officially started. Christen realized just what a predicament that she and Mallory had found themselves in. They were out alone in Atlanta city with no weapons, no transportation, no phone signal, or shelter on the night of total mayhem. Christen held Mallory's hand, and hoped that they would be able to survive the unpredictable night.
As soon as the alarm sounded, the Purge participants of the city let loose and emerged from their hiding places. A group of frightening looking men, full of tattoos, walked around freely with guns and swords that swung lazily in their hands. White supremacists ran around with the white hoods to hide their identities and drove around with crosses that burned in the back of their trucks. When the racists spotted a minority, they stopped to beat the poor person to death. Soon, a full on race war broke out throughout the streets of Atlanta.
Petty criminal and drug dealers trotted down the sidewalks, ready to find some trouble to get into. The motorcycle gang that had sabotaged Christen's car, rode through the streets as they searched for victims to kidnap. They had their sights set on the two sisters. Their leader, Vito, knew that he could fetch a pretty penny for two young beautiful women.
In a different part of Atlanta, a black ominous van drove around. Anyone who was unfortunate enough to encounter the vehicle barely had time to think before the doors opened up, and their body was riddled with countless bullets. The owners of the van tried desperately to fulfill their bloodlust. They took turns as they shot at victims and laughed at each kill.
Small fires started as unprotected stores were looted and bodies filled the streets. Snipers perched on the rooftops of buildings as they searched for any unsuspecting victims. The sun had fully set and now, the Purge was in full effect as darkness took over, gunshots rang out all over the area. The screams of women and men being mindlessly slaughtered or raped filled the night sky. Their pleas for help went unanswered for the most part.
Smoke filled the city sky as mayhem broke out all over Atlanta. No one was truly safe until the clock struck seven the next morning, if they were lucky enough to survive the long, brutal night.
Tobin heard the alarm and knew it was time to put her plan into motion. First, she needed to get her mission accomplished. Nothing would stop or get in her way of taking out the person who had made her life a living hell over the past few months. Afterwards, Tobin planned to help innocent people from being slaughtered by Purge hoodlums. She didn't care if she died that night or not, but if she was able to save a few lives then at least her life would have some kind of meaning again.
She turned off the television which now aired Purge violence that took place through the city streets. Tobin checked that all her weapons were loaded and ready. She whistled for Roxie to join her at the door, prepared to face the carnage that happened out on the streets.
"Ready, girl?" Tobin asked.
Roxie barked in response.
Tobin glanced around her apartment, too many painful memories rushed back to her. She wouldn't mind if she never stepped foot into the home ever again. The memories caused Tobin to become angry, ready for the vengeance that was hers.
She clicked off the light and locked the door. Tobin kept her hand on the end of her rifle, ready to kill anyone that got in her way. Roxie followed her to the Dodge truck that was parked in the garage area. Tobin unlocked the car and allowed Roxie into the backseat before she took her place in the driver's seat.
“This is it. The moment I’ve been waiting for. Three years all come down to this,” Tobin said to herself.
Tobin took a deep breath as she started the truck and revved up the engine. Anyone who heard the rumble of the large truck knew that Tobin meant business that night. She briefly touched the military dog tags that were on a chain around her neck. All her Marine knowledge would be put to the test that deadly night.
"Alright, Roxie...let's rock n' roll," Tobin said. She placed her rifle in her lap and pulled the truck out of the garage. She knew exactly where she needed to be. Tobin pressed the gas pedal to get there quicker, determined not to stop for anything or anyone.
Christen and Mallory remained in their hiding spot. They barely wanted to breathe for fear of being seen or heard by people busy purging. Suddenly, there was a loud commotion as tin trash cans tumbled down to the ground. Mallory's grip on Christen's hand became tighter as they heard frantic footsteps make their way down the alley.
"Shhh..." Christen quietly instructed her younger sister. Mallory nodded and slapped a hand over her own mouth to keep quiet.
Christen poked her head out from behind the dumpster. She spotted a group of people only a few yards away. She was dismayed to see that it was the masked motorcycle group from the grocery store earlier. In front of the gang, stood a homeless man on his knees. The poor man pleaded for his life.
"Please don't hurt me. I ain't ever bothered anyone," the poor man cried. The vicious ring leader of the gang slowly walked to the victim, machete in his hand.
"You think we can get a good price for him?" one of the members asked.
"Nah. The boss had specific types that he wanted. This scum ain't it. Boss man only wanted women and a few faggots. People he can fuck and kill," the leader clarified. Without warning, he brought the machete up, and stabbed it into the homeless man's body. There was barely any time to react as the victim was gutted.
The gang leader laughed as blood pooled at his feet, the lifeless body fell to the ground. The others in the group looked on without much emotion, some even snickered at the bloodshed.
"Fuck, Vito. That was fuckin’ ruthless," a gang member commented. He wasn't afraid to admit that he was frightened of their malicious leader, especially on Purge night. That night loyalty meant nothing.
Vito stood to his full height, his huge body intimidated his followers. "It will be fuckin' ruthless when I kill all you idiots for not finding me those two girls. They could easily fetch me one hundred grand….each. So, get your asses out there and find them!"
"We're on it. There aren’t many places they can hide all night. We’ll find them," a man holding a sword answered. The group climbed back onto their motorcycles. “We can check all the alleys. They always hide there.”
“Start with this alley,” Vito ordered. A couple of members hopped off their bikes and started to turn over trash cans and look behind dumpsters.
Christen knew that the motorcycle gang would soon head down the alley, intent on finding and delivering her and Mallory to their boss for the money. Christen gently shook Mallory's shoulder. She tried to bring her sister out of the shocked state.
"Mallory...we need to get outta here. It isn't safe anymore. That gang is gonna ride down this alley and they'll see us. They’re checking behind every garbage can," Christen gently said as Mallory glanced at her, her eyes wide with fear.
"Alright, where are we gonna go?" Mallory whispered. She knew it was their only chance. The gang would find them eventually if they stayed put. It was only a matter of time.
"Just keep moving 'til we find another hiding spot. That's all we can do. Come on," Christen glanced at the gang members, most of them too occupied to pay attention. She placed her finger to her lips, indicating that they needed to be as quiet as possible.
Without wasting any time, Christen grabbed Mallory's hand, pulled her out of the alley, and onto the empty street. She held onto her sister's arm as they ran as fast as they could down Main Street. Suddenly, rumbles of motorcycles were heard behind them
Christen grabbed Mallory, and forced her into another alleyway. Just yards away, the gang stopped, and glanced around as they searched for their prizes. Suddenly, Mallory let out a scream when a huge rat tried to climb onto her leg. She promptly kicked the offending creature away. The teenager quickly slapped her hand across her mouth to keep quiet, but it was too late.
Vito let out a harsh laugh. "Well, looks like we found them!! Let's get 'em, boys!"
The gang revved up their motorcycles, ready for the chase. They headed toward the alley where Christen and Mallory hid. Christen grabbed her younger sister's arm and yanked her out of the alley, onto another street. Her heart dropped when she realized that they were out in the open with nowhere to hide. Adrenaline ran through her body like never before. It was too late. No one would save them.
The gang surrounded the terrified women as Vito stepped off his bike. He roughly grabbed Christen and yanked her close. The white van from the grocery store pulled up beside the group, ready to collect its next victims. Christen fell to her knees as the leader roughly pulled her hair, and tried to drag her to the back of the van.
Christen watched in horror as another gang member did the same thing to Mallory. She tried her best to fight back, but it was useless. These men were way stronger than she was, and they were determined to capture her. Christen prayed that somehow Mallory would be able to get out of this mess. Maybe she could distract the men so her little sister would have time to get away. Mallory was way too young to be subjected to whatever horrors the men had planned.
Tobin drove down the active Atlanta streets. She observed some petty wars between feuding gangs. Most of the disputes were about turf and money for the most part, the problem settled itself with a shoot out between the gangs. So far, no one had been brave enough to get in Tobin’s way, which was how she liked it. She only wanted to kill the bastard who deserved to die that night. Tobin didn’t care what happened to herself after that.
When Tobin stopped at a red light, she caught sight of a group of motorcycles in the distance. The gang surrounded a young woman and a teenager, both clearly in distress. Tobin noticed that the young woman had slightly curly black hair, and wore a low-cut shirt with a pair of jeans. Beside the attractive woman, sat a teenager, who couldn't have been older than sixteen. The poor girl pulled her jacket tighter around her body that shook in fear.
Tobin intently watched as one of the men reached over, grabbed the young woman by the hair, and roughly pulled her toward an ominous white van. Tobin knew that the victims were goners as soon as the van closed its doors. There were so many rich people who paid for fresh victims to rape and kill. The missing posters always landed on her desk the morning after the Purge. From the backseat, Roxie let out a ferocious growl, clearly not liking what happened in front of the truck.
"Don't get involved...don't get involved..." Tobin said to herself. Roxie continued to growl; the dog's long, white fangs clearly displayed.
The truck idled as Tobin sat there, unsure of what to do for the first time that night. She wrestled with her good nature to save the damsels in distress. But, Tobin had somewhere that she needed to be and couldn't afford to be slowed down. Roxie jumped into the passenger seat, ready for the signal to attack the violent men.
The decision was ultimately made for Tobin when she witnessed the tall, heavy man forcibly slap the young woman hard on the cheek. The woman sat shocked for a few seconds, unable to comprehend what had occurred. The teenager started to cry harder and begged the brute man not to hurt her sister. Tobin felt unreasonable anger course through her body as she reached over and grabbed her assault rifle.
"Come on, girl. Attack!" Tobin ordered the doberman. They jumped out of the truck to the complete surprise of the motorcycle gang.
Tobin wasted no time as she fired rapid bullets into the men that tormented the two sisters. She glanced at the captives on the ground as they held onto each other, both jumped from the loud sound of gunfire. Tobin placed herself between the girls and gang.
“Go hide behind the truck! I’ve got these bastards. Just get out of open fire!” Tobin ordered.
Christen grabbed Mallory’s arm and yanked the shocked teenager a few yards away to the safety of a black truck. They quickly took cover behind the vehicle as bullets rained through the night sky. When Tobin saw that the sisters were safe, she turned her attention back to the gang. She continued to slam the men with rapid bullets that wouldn’t stop. A few quickly dropped to the ground, dead.
One of the gang members tried to take Tobin by surprise. He popped out from the behind the van with a long sword, swinging in her direction. She easily sidestepped the long blade, and gunned down her opponent.
Roxie snuck up behind one of the men. The brave dog tackled him to the ground, and bit down into his neck until all movements ceased. The leader pointed his revolver into the dog's direction, but was shot in the arm by Tobin.
"Fuck! Kill her!" Vito yelled out in pain as he quickly scrambled into the passenger seat of the van, and ducked for cover.
His men followed orders as they charged at Tobin. She quickly let out another round of bullets before one hit her on the side. Luckily, Tobin’s bulletproof vest took the brunt of the force, and only left her a bit sore, but unharmed. Roxie quickly brought down the man that had shot her owner. The dog viciously ripped out his jugular vein, and left him to bleed to death.
Christen and Mallory watched the gun fight in amazement, not sure what to think about their strange savior. The sisters decided to keep their heads down. They held onto each other for dear life as the violence continued.
"Let's get the fuck outta here!" Vito shouted. The men that remained climbed into the van and onto their motorcycles. Tobin glared at the leader when they made eye contact.
“I ain't giving up on those two. I'll be seeing you later...that's a promise,” Vito threatened.
“I’ll kill you. That’s a promise,” Tobin countered back.
The van drove away as Tobin continued to shoot at it, bullets punctured the doors and shattered the windows. The vehicle screeched away. Tobin tried to catch her breath as her grip on the rifle relaxed a little. Roxie trotted over as Tobin knelt down in front of the frightened former captives. They scooted away from her, fear in their eyes.
“Please don’t hurt us…” the teenager pleaded.
"I'm not gonna hurt you, I promise. I'm not a bad person. Are you alright?" Tobin asked. She couldn’t stop herself as she gently stroked the young woman’s cheek where a red bruise started to form. Tobin instantly pulled away when the woman flinched under her touch.
"Yeah, I'm okay for the most part,” Christen answered. She glanced into the stranger's dark brown eyes as a sense of calm settled over her.
"What are you doing out here? No offense, but you two don't look cut out to survive these streets," Tobin asked.
The teenager started to cry, which made Tobin feel a bit uneasy.
"We were heading back home when someone messed with our car, and now, those crazy guys are hunting us," Mallory wiped her tears away. Christen hugged her close in a feeble attempt to comfort her.
"Come on. I'll take you away from here at least. I'm Tobin Heath, by the way," Tobin helped the sisters to their feet.
"I'm Christen Press and that's Mallory, my little sister," Christen introduced herself and Mal to the stranger.
“It’s nice to meet you both. Let’s get out of here,” Tobin said.
Tobin opened the doors to the truck and everyone climbed in. Mallory and Roxie jumped into the back while Christen sat in the passenger seat. Tobin silently cursed when she noticed that her truck had endured bullet holes into the hood. She hoped that the vehicle would get them at least a few miles away from the carnage that littered the street.
"Is your dog gonna hurt me?" Mallory nervously asked as Roxie wagged her little tail.
"Nah. She only attacks when ordered to," Tobin answered. She started the truck and drove away from the scene as fast as possible. She glanced in the rear view mirror as the dead bodies were left behind.
Christen peeked over at Tobin, who kept focus on the road in front of the truck. She would be lying if she said she didn't think Tobin was attractive. The sleeve of Tobin’s jacket was slightly down and Christen saw the marks of a tattoo. Not only that, but Christen felt some kind of instant connection when their eyes had met. Christen knew it was crazy, but she felt like she had experienced love at first sight. She quickly turned away and glanced out the window at the mayhem that went on around the streets.
She watched as people were gunned down in cold blood or stabbed in the middle of the street. One man tried to run away from a couple of teenage boys that chased him with baseball bats in their hands. One of the boys whacked the man on the knees, which brought him down. The boys savagely started to beat the poor man to death. Christen couldn't comprehend all the brutality that took place in the city. Back home, there never was this much rampage in the quiet farm fields during Purge night.
"It's best not to think too much about it," Tobin glanced over at Christen. She saw the distress that was written all over her face.
"Is it really this bad every year in the city?" Christen asked. Tobin nodded.
"Yup. The killing sprees on the streets. You tend to get used to it. I was in the Marines for five years so I got used to this stuff real quick. Nothing surprises me anymore," Tobin shrugged.
Mallory leaned up and poked her head into the front seat area.
"Why are you out? You obviously know how to handle yourself. You're purging, aren't you?" Mallory questioned. She suddenly wasn’t sure if she fully trusted the stranger that saved her life.
"Not that it's any of your business, Sherlock Holmes, but yes, I am out to get someone who deserves to die tonight," Tobin answered. Silence filled the air except for a few sputters from the engine. She knew the vehicle was about to die in a few minutes. The truck definitely didn’t drive as smooth as it used to, and it jerked slightly to the side.
Tobin glanced at the woman that was seated beside her. She definitely was attracted to Christen, but it didn’t matter...there was a mission that needed to be handled. Tobin shook her head, but she longed to look at Christen’s beauty. For the first time in years, Tobin felt some semblance of hope….and maybe love.
Tobin glanced away. She didn't need the distraction when there was an important mission to accomplish.
The truck drove a few more blocks before the engine released a loud pop and quickly overheated. Christen and Mallory were startled by the loud noise which almost sounded like a gunshot.
“It’s the engine. Not gunfire,” Tobin reassured her passengers.
Tobin stopped the truck in an empty parking lot. She jumped out and opened up the hood to inspect the damage. She was surprised that the truck had lasted as long as it did with all the bullet holes that had punctured the engine.
"Fuck!" Tobin loudly slammed the hood down. Christen had to admit that Tobin’s outburst scared her a little bit.
Tobin tried to calm down so that she wouldn't frighten the Press sisters, but without a vehicle, it would take longer than necessary to get to where she needed to be. She seriously started to regret the stop to help the sisters.
"Well, my fuckin' engine is shot and I have somewhere I need to be, so take this gun, and we'll go our separate ways," Tobin handed Christen a loaded firearm.
Christen adamantly shook her head.
"No! We need to stick together. We'll have a better chance of survival if we help each other out. Plus, you can't just leave us out here on our own," Christen argued as Tobin rolled her eyes.
"Listen, princess. I don't have time to baby-sit you two. I have someone I need to deal with and I can't have you dragging me behind," Tobin said in a tone much harsher than she meant.
"We won't slow you down. We can help you out..." Christen gently touched Tobin’s shoulder. Truth be told, she also didn't want to lose contact with the stranger. Tobin acted like a jerk, but Christen knew they were destined for something more. Plus, Tobin had literally saved her life. The two were connected whether Tobin would admit it or not.
"Yeah sure, whatever, Wonder Woman. I bet you guys don't even know how to shoot a gun. I shouldn't have gotten involved. I should've just kept going," Tobin angrily said. She hit the hood of her truck which produced a loud bang.
"Well, you got involved. Now, we're stuck together, whether you like it or not," Christen replied in defiance. She placed her hands on her hips, and held her ground.
Mallory and Roxie watched the disagreement that happened in front of them, not sure exactly what to do. The teenager leaned against the truck. She decided to look out for danger since her older sister and Tobin seemed too preoccupied with each other. Mallory could tell that Christen liked Tobin and she hoped something would come out of those feelings, if they survived the night, of course. Right now, Tobin and Christen bickered like a married couple over what to do next.
"You don't even know me. You don't even know if I plan on hurting you later. What's to say that you can trust me so much?" Tobin’s intense eyes met Christen's beautiful ones.
She hated that her resolve slowly faded away. Tobin didn’t know what it was, but she felt some kind of need to protect Christen at all costs. Still, she tried to fight the feeling...falling in love hadn't been in the plans for this Purge night.
"I know that you're a good person despite what you plan on doing later," Christen’s hand gently caressed Tobin’s arm. Both felt a rush of electricity from only the simple touch.
Tobin wanted to surrender to Christen's soft touch, but she still stubbornly resisted. Tobin was not obligated to anyone but herself that night and she wanted to keep it that way. She definitely had not planned to run into the sisters from the countryside. Tobin harshly shrugged off Christen's hand and glared at her.
"Listen, I don't have time to run around after a couple of sheltered country princesses-" Tobin immediately was silenced when she felt a hard punch to her jaw. The strike caused her to stumble backwards a few steps in complete surprise.
Mallory witnessed with wide eyes as Christen punched Tobin hard in the face. She wondered how Tobin would react to the unsuspected hit. Mallory glanced at her older sister and saw that Christen had even surprised herself with the strike. Christen rubbed her fist which started to become sore from the force of the punch.
Christen watched as Tobin staggered backwards, and held her jaw in pain. She hadn't meant to hit her, but the insults that Tobin threw were the last straw as she released all her fear, anger, and anxiety into that one single punch.
Everyone waited for Tobin’s reaction as a few tense seconds ticked by, even Roxie seemed concerned as a worried look crossed her face. Tobin turned away from the group, her hand rubbed her jaw as the coppery taste of blood filled her mouth.
She promptly spit out the blood and took a deep breath. Tobin realized what a jerk she had been towards the Press sisters, and quickly chastised herself. They were frightened because they weren't used to the deadliness of Atlanta during The Purge. Tobin didn’t think that anyone could get used to all the violence.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Christen quickly apologized. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry. You were being a jerk and I don’t know….”
Christen wondered what damage had been done. Tobin turned to face her and spit out some more blood. She would probably have to visit a dentist after this whole Purge business...luckily all her teeth were still intact.
Mental note...don’t make Christen mad. She hits hard, Tobin thought to herself.
Christen noticed that a bruise had already formed on Tobin’s face.
"Yeah...you were kinda being a total jerk," Mallory agreed.
"Okay, I get it. I was a prick and I'm sorry. Alright, we'll stick together and I promise that I'll do whatever I can to make sure that you both survive this night," Tobin sincerely promised. She stared into Christen’s eyes as the world seemed to melt away around them. Suddenly, the deadly night didn’t seem to matter...only Christen.
Tobin shook her head to break the trance.
"Thank you..." Christen wiped away some tears. Without a thought, she wrapped her arms around Tobin, and held her tight. Tobin hesitated for a second, but the affection seemed so natural. She hugged Christen close, and memorized the feel and scent of her body. Christen smelled like lavender; Tobin already addicted to the amazing scent.
Christen couldn't stop the soft sigh that escaped from her lips. She felt so safe and protected in Tobin’s arms that she never wanted to let go. Mallory watched the interactions in front of her with a sly smirk on her face. She would definitely tease Christen about Tobin later when they didn’t have to run for their lives. Tobin reluctantly let Christen go. The small group needed to get a move on before trouble found them.
Tobin glanced at her watch, dismayed to see that less than two hours had gone by. This was definitely going to be a long night. She quickly opened the duffel bag that she had packed earlier that evening. Tobin searched through it until she found what was needed.
"Here, put this on," Tobin instructed as she handed Mallory a bulletproof vest.
While Mallory strapped on the armor, Tobin pulled off her jacket and plaid shirt, revealing her own vest. She swiftly pulled it off, and tossed it gently to Christen.
Meanwhile, Christen took a second to appreciate Tobin’s toned arms that were covered in various military tattoos. Tobin had almost two full sleeves of artwork that looked like it had taken hours to complete. Christen wished that she had time to admire all the art. She wanted to put to memory all of Tobin’s ink.
"Put that on," Tobin threw her plaid shirt back on. She left it unbuttoned since she still had on the black tank top underneath. Christen felt disappointed when the tattoos were covered again. She wanted to know the story behind each one, but that would have to wait. Right now, survival was more important.
"What about you? You won't be protected,” Christen started to argue. Tobin stopped her.
"I'll be fine. My priority right now is that you both are well protected," Tobin said as she dug through the duffel bag full of weapons.
Christen noticed what was written on her bulletproof vest. "FBI? Are you an FBI agent?"
"Yeah, I am," Tobin replied as she handed Mallory a loaded firearm.
"Really?" Christen asked. Her attraction to Tobin grew more and more by the second.
"Don't act so surprised," Tobin smiled. She pulled out her badge and displayed it to Christen.
Christen looked over the badge before she handed it back. Tobin noticed that Christen shivered when the cool wind blew around them. The cold night air offered some relief from the carnage that took place around the savaged city.
Tobin handed Christen her jacket and insisted that she put it on. “Here. It's kinda cold out here. I don't want you to get sick or anything.”
"Are you sure?" Christen questioned as Tobin nodded. She quickly shrugged on the jacket and immediately noticed how good it smelled...it smelled like Tobin.
“So, you work for the government? They’re really bad. Taking away our rights everyday,” Mallory said.
“Mallory…” Christen started.
Tobin shrugged her shoulders. “I don’t believe in a lot of what the government does, but it’s my job. I try to help people whenever I can.”
“Can we really trust you?” Mallory cautiously asked.
Tobin nodded. “If I was going to hurt you, I would’ve by now.”
“You’re an alpha, then. Women can’t work in law enforcement anymore,” Mallory deducted.
“Yeah.”
“You could rape us if you wanted to…” Mallory said.
“I’m not like that. I promise,” Tobin replied. “I swear.”
Mallory thought about it for a few seconds, but realized she didn’t have much choice. Tobin was more experienced than either her or Christen when it came to Purge survival. She had to put her faith in the stranger.
“We good?” Tobin asked.
Mallory nodded.
"Okay, you two. Quick gun lesson. Here's the safety, make sure it's off when you want to shoot. Only put your finger on the trigger when you’re gonna shoot. Never for anything else. These guns are semi-automatic so pull back the slide ejector to chamber a round. Any questions?" Tobin asked as she demonstrated how to use the firearm.
Both sisters shook their head and Tobin felt confident enough about the short gun lesson.
“No. I think we’re good,” Christen said.
"And, the most important part of the lesson...don’t shoot me,” Tobin said. She meant it as a joke, but the reality settled over the group. Christen or Mallory could very well shoot her if they really wanted to. She put as much trust into them as they did her. They needed each other to survive.
“I’ll try not to,” Malloy said with a small smile.
“Alright, let's get the fuck outta here. Stay behind me and be on the lookout for danger. Remember, shoot first, ask questions later. Don't hesitate," Tobin ordered. She began to walk the semi-empty streets while Christen and Mallory stayed behind her. Roxie walked beside the group, her eyes searched the area for bad people. Everyone on high alert for any sudden surprises.
Christen tried to remain calm. Mallory had a tight grip on her shirt, afraid to let go. After the gunfire from earlier, the area seemed eerily quiet. Too quiet. Christen felt like something bad would happen as she stayed as close to Tobin as possible.
The group walked a few blocks down the street. So far, this part of the city seemed like a ghost town.
“Maybe I can find a car to hot-wire,” Tobin started to say.
Suddenly, bullets flew into their direction. Tobin glanced around for their attacker. She spotted a gang of hoodlums that fired from a street corner. The young men hollered, laughed, and continued to shoot. Tobin roughly grabbed Christen and Mallory, and forced them to duck behind a car.
"Stay down," Tobin yelled to the two sisters as bullets continued to fly. The car became riddled with bullet holes and shop windows busted, glass flew everywhere.
Tobin stood up. She fired back at the gang members that attacked. The young men realized that Tobin had bigger and better firepower as they started to pull back. Tobin easily brought down a couple of the gang members with a few headshots. When the hoodlums realized that they had messed with the wrong people, the uninjured men quickly ran away.
"Stay hidden. I'll be right back," Tobin ordered.
She motioned for Roxie to follow. The pair carefully trotted to the fallen bodies that covered the sidewalk. Blood covered the ground.
One young man gurgled as he died, half his face ripped off by a bullet.
“Please….” the man coughed.
Tobin didn’t hesitate as she shot him again to end his misery.
"Fuckers,” Tobin said to the lifeless bodies that draped over one another.
Tobin ran back to the car that the Press sisters hid behind. She knelt down next to Christen and inspected her for any injuries. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, we're both fine," Christen whispered. She tried to stop the tears that fell, but failed as a few escaped, and ran down her cheek. This whole experience was unlike anything she ever witnessed before. She didn’t want to die, but so far, that outcome seemed more likely.
"Hey, it’s gonna be alright. We'll get through this together. We just gotta find some place to hide out for a bit. Let some time pass," Tobin gently wiped away Christen's tears. She wanted to help her feel better despite their desperate situation.
Mallory inched closer to her older sister. She wondered if she would ever see her parents again. This night seemed to never end.
Tobin reached over and placed her hand on Mallory's shoulder. "I won't let anything happen to you or your sister. I promise."
"Maybe I can help," a voice, in the shadows of an alley, interrupted their little moment.
Tobin instantly grabbed her rifle. She swiftly raised it in front of her as Roxie growled to warn the stranger. Tobin stood in front of Christen and Mallory, adrenaline pumped wildly through her body, ready for anything.
"Come out or I'll shoot...that's a promise," Tobin warned.
A tall, blonde stepped out from the shadows. She wore a pair of cargo pants with a plain black shirt. She held her hands up in surrender, eyes wide at the sight of a rifle pointed at her. Roxie growled at the stranger before she relaxed. The dog sensed that she didn't mean her people any harm.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you. But, I saw what happened. Those punks tried to mug me earlier. I have an apartment where we can hide out the rest of the night. It's only a few blocks from here. My name’s Lindsey Horan, by the way," Lindsey introduced herself to the group.
Christen and Mallory felt a bit of hope. Tobin wasn't so sure that they could trust Lindsey so easily. She could tell that Lindsey was another alpha. Tobin was able to distinguish alphas from the general population. The skill definitely helped during her career.
"Another alpha. If you have an apartment, why are you out here?" Tobin asked. The gun still trained on Lindsey, who stood a few feet away. She wouldn’t trust her that easily.
"Yeah, I’m an alpha, but I’m not bad, I swear. I lost track of time while I was out. By the time I realized that I needed to get back home, it was too late. I've been hiding, trying to make my way back," Lindsey answered in a sincere voice.
Tobin slowly lowered her rifle. Still unsure.
“I swear, I only wanna help,” Lindsey said.
"I'm Tobin Heath. That's Christen and Mallory. And, the dog's name is Roxie. You have a place we can safely rest for a few?" Tobin held out her hand for a handshake.
"Yeah, we just need to get there. It should be safe. I mean, no one ever messes with me during the Purge,” Lindsey replied.
"Alright, we'll head there, then," Tobin grabbed her knife, and held it out to Lindsey. Before she handed the weapon over, she stared the other alpha down in an intimidating manner.
“Umm...I kinda need a weapon,” Lindsey said with some hesitance.
"Just know that if you do anything to hurt Christen or Mallory, I'll kill you. Lay one finger on them, look at them a certain way and I'll gut you. We clear?" Tobin threatened as the Press sisters looked on.
"Crystal clear. I promise I'm not a bad guy. I’ll keep them safe, too," Lindsey almost pleaded.
Tobin narrowed her eyes at Lindsey. A few tense seconds passed before Tobin handed over the knife to the other alpha.
"Tobin, let's get out of here while we still can," Christen said as she gently caressed Tobin’s arm. She appreciated how protective the agent had become over her and Mallory, but they needed to keep a move on.
"Lead the way," Tobin said to Lindsey.
They quietly followed Lindsey a few blocks down the street. Tobin’s eyes were peeled for anything out of the ordinary, but everything stayed quiet and motionless. She felt Christen's tight grip on her shirt. Tobin reached behind, and grabbed onto Christen's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
The group tried to stay in the shadows as they quickly jogged a few blocks down the west side of the city. Snipers were perched on various rooftops as they shot at unsuspecting victims. The group witnessed a couple of men and a woman get picked off by fast bullets that came from the distance. Mallory tried to erase the awful image of the woman's brain matter all over the street, but it was forefront in her mind.
“Come on,” Tobin said. Mallory had a firm grip on her sister’s arm.
Suddenly, as they passed by an alleyway, someone jumped from the cover of darkness, and tackled Tobin to the ground, her gun fell from her hands. More large figures bounced from the alley and grabbed Lindsey and Christen, holding knives to their throats. One tried to grab ahold of Mallory, but was attacked viciously by Roxie.
Tobin wrestled with the man that had taken her down. The unknown assailant tried to drive his knife into Tobin’s chest. She fought to keep the blade away from puncturing her skin.
"It's Purge night, motherfuckers!" the man laughed maniacally as he tried to stab Tobin. His skin already stained with blood from previous victims.
Christen looked on in dismay as a huge man grabbed her sister and roughly manhandled her. Mallory’s captor tried to keep Roxie at bay with a machete. The weapon didn’t deter the dog as she bared her teeth and bit at the man.
Christen tried to escape from the man that held her in a strong grip. She desperately needed to help Tobin. The alpha practically fought for her life. She watched in horror as the man punched Tobin a couple of times before he raised his knife to stab her in the chest.
Suddenly, a loud gunshot rang out as the man dropped the knife, his body fell forward. Tobin quickly pushed the lifeless body off her, and grabbed her rifle. She didn’t give any warning before she shot the man that held Christen.
Christen glanced at the ground, almost in disbelief that her captor was dead with a bullethole in his head. She felt his warm blood on the back of her neck. Lindsey flinched when her own captor's blood splattered onto her as something sank into the man's skull.
"Fuck!" the man that held Mallory threw her forward into Tobin’s arms, and tried to run away. Roxie quickly caught up to him, tackled the offender to the ground. The dog viciously bit into his neck with her sharp teeth. The man’s screams of pain echoed throughout the air until he was silenced by the dog's death bite.
"Mallory!" Christen ran to her sister. She hugged her tight, glad that she looked unscathed for the most part.
Two figures stepped out of the shadows. The two women looked a lot alike, almost as if they were twins. One had blonde hair while the other was a brunette.
"You guys alright?" the blonde asked. She held a long rifle at her side.
"Yeah, I think everyone’s good. Thank you," Tobin held out her hand in thanks, which the stranger shook.
"It's no problem. My twin sister, Rachael, and I swoop around town during Purge night, looking for people that need help," the blonde replied. “I’m Megan Rapinoe, but the way.”
“Thank you,” Christen said.
Megan smiled. “It’s nothing. We hate the government. We hate the New Founding Fathers. The least we can do is try to save the innocent people that the Purge was designed to kill.”
Tobin instinctively pulled Christen close and placed a quick kiss on her slightly messed up hair. The action caused all sorts of feelings to invade Christen’s body. She wanted more. Suddenly, the group heard a scream ring out in the distance.
"Megan! Someone needs our help! You guys get to shelter!" Rachael instructed. Without another look, she jogged toward the sound of the distressed scream.
"Stay safe!" Megan called to Tobin’s group. “Get to shelter!”
Megan ran after her twin sister, intent on saving more lives before the night was done.
Tobin watched the duo as they disappeared toward the scream that grew more frantic by the second. She glanced down at the dead bodies, already forgotten on the cold ground. She realized how close she had been to being stabbed by one of those lunatics. Tobin quickly pushed the thought away. She needed to get Christen and Mallory off the deadly streets...the sooner, the better.
"How far away is your apartment?" Tobin asked.
Lindsey snapped out of her dazed state. “Just down the street. Come on!”
Tobin kept an eye out for any danger as the small group ran as fast as they could to Lindsey’s apartment. Mallory screamed when she almost ran into a homeless man. The man was not out for any trouble, his worry was to hide from bloodthirsty Purge participants.
"It's okay. He's not a threat," Tobin said. The group continued to jog to their safe haven.
Finally, after running a couple of more blocks, they ended up at a grey brick building that held a few apartments. Tobin pushed open the door, and checked that the entrance was safe before the others piled in. Lindsey quickly led Christen, Mallory, and Roxie up the stairs to her apartment.
Tobin stayed at the entrance a little longer. She wanted to be sure that no one had followed them to the building. The coast seemed clear. Tobin glanced at her watch and realized that less than three hours had gone by since the start of The Purge. This was definitely going to be a long night...