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the head of one of their machine gunners watching her over the rooftop.   She walked on past their fleet of vehicles that was comprised largely of pickup trucks and large SUVs.  She could easily have had her choice of one of them, but she preferred to walk whenever possible.  She spent enough time pent up inside that stinky, claustrophobic pit of a pump station, and it was nice to get out and enjoy some fresh air occasionally.  And while walking these days wasn’t as safe as driving, Ava could take care of herself.
    The first few times she’d gone out on her own, Jake had been pissed.  He’d insisted that she take along a bodyguard.  But eventually, and after she’d come back one day carrying the severed penis of a man who’d unsuccessfully tried to rape her, Jake had relented, realizing that Ava was indeed capable of handling herself when out on her own.
    He’d passed the severed member proudly among his men both as a trophy to show off just how badass his woman was but also as a warning that she was not one to be fucked with should they have any ideas of their own. 
    Ava had shown that her silky smooth skin could easily be shed to reveal the venomous asp concealed within.
    Today’s walk wouldn’t be a lengthy one, but she was prepared nonetheless.  A razor-sharp, eight-inch knife strapped to her thigh, and her two “lucky” 9 millimeter handguns fit snugly into holsters that were strapped tight against her body and concealed by her black leather jacket would leave anyone who made an attempt on Ava instantly sorry they’d tried.
    This morning, her hike took her to a shabby-looking brick bungalow that most would have thought abandoned.  The front windows of the house were broken out.  The front door stood wide open.  Trash and clothing littered the front lawn. 
    Ava walked around to the back of the home where the garage was located.  She peered through one of the grime-covered windows.  She could just make out a vehicle beneath a beige tarp.
    It was all she needed to tell her what she wanted to know.
    She walked to the back of the house.  Here the door was not only shut, but locked.  Ava had been here before.  This door led directly to the basement of the house where the two individuals for whom she was searching, resided.  She looked around, ensuring that nobody was watching and then knocked softly on the door.  She waited for a moment, and then knocked again, louder this time.  Several seconds later, she heard some rustling behind the door, several locks click, and then the door creak open.
    An unshaved, yet handsome face peeked from behind the door.  “We were hoping it might be you,” said a dark-haired man as he opened the door wider and stepped back to allow Ava inside.  “You bring the rest of the stuff?” he asked eagerly.
    “We’ll get to that,” Ava said calmly as she entered the home and followed the man downstairs.
    They entered into a large, yet musty and sparsely furnished basement with a concrete floor.  The space was dimly lit by a single overhead light.  Just like the last time Ava had been to the home, she caught the hum of a generator concealed somewhere within the basement.  A blonde-haired man sat on a couch before a television.  He was playing a video game.
    “While things change, somehow they stay the same,” Ava shook her head, smiling sadly.  “We still have our grown up boys, playing with toys.”
    The blonde-haired man paused his video game, turning around.  Seeing Ava, he stood.  His boyish good looks radiated through the poor lighting of the basement.  “Ava,” he grinned, approaching her, arms outstretched, “good to see you.”
    “I don’t think so,” Ava said, refusing his hug and pushing him back from her.  He was obviously high.  “Business first…” she paused, smiling at each of the men in turn, “… then pleasure.”
    “So the other half of our stuff?” the dark-haired man asked her again.
    “Yeah, I got it,” said Ava.