He moved his body again. They weren’t that close yet. The post moved slightly. So, there were multiple possibilities here. If he managed to get it to twist he might be able to break free. If he managed to convince one of the adults or children, or even delay them from whatever they planned for him, it was worth a shot.

Having multiple ways to escape were always the best. One of them was bound to work.

Sure he didn’t actually have a plan yet beyond getting released or releasing himself yet, but Goa was always hopeful. He had survived as a gregga for longer than most he had ever known.

Where were the rest? The men who had captured him were nowhere to be seen. There had to be more than just this family. Were they doing more scavenging perhaps? Who knew? But perhaps there was likely a better chance with children than with hardened adults.

With any luck, the blast he’d heard had gotten one of them. Or at least a limb or two. That would be the least they deserved.

But still, all these people, living here? Under the eyes of the mechs. They must be crazy. As bad as it was on the ice, the mechs were worse.

They must be strecking crazy.

“Let us go,” he offered. “And we’ll make it worth your while.”

The man laughed.

“He’s a big man,” a boy said, smiling, “and the other one is fat.”

Goa’s vision was clearing up, at least in one eye. There were six children, seven if you include the baby the woman was carrying. They were dressed in piecemeal clothing, children and adults. They were all definitely as dirty and unkempt as he’d expected. Most of the children looked somewhere between curious and fearful. The woman, with her long matted hair seemed wary. The man had wild, angry eyes.

He was definitely a crazy one. And he had tools hanging from his belt. Tools that could probably be used for more than one function. Likely it wasn’t rust he saw staining them.

“I’m hungry,” one of the girls complained. It was the same girl he’d seen earlier. Goa smiled at her. She scrunched up her face in response.

“Glad you arrived when you did,” the man said, eyeing him, moving from one foot to another. “We were running low.”

“I know where there’s plenty more food for you,” he tried. “Look at my friend, how do you think he got that way?”

“How much more food?” One of the boys asked. He turned to the man. “I’m hungry too!”

The man turned his glare on the boy, then reached out a hand to slap him hard.

“That’s enough from you,” he said angrily. The boy yelped and stepped back. “You’ll get fed when we all do.”

“Food. Plenty, for you all,” Abek offered. “And good stuff to. Make you grow up tall like me and fat like my partner.”

“Tell us where it is then,” the man told him. “If it’s true we might let you live.”

“I’ll have to show you,”Goa told him. “It’s hard to describe the directions since I don’t know where I am, and you’re people hit me pretty hard on the head.”

Abek knew the drill. The goal was survive, as best as he could. But make sure they had to take you with them.

The man shook his head.

“How about you tell us and we’ll see.”

He pulled something from his belt. Short, straight.

Damn, he’s going to want to bargain hard.

The man jabbed Goa painfully with his own metal rod. What was it with these people and their incessant poking?

“You keep that up and you’ll get nothing,” he finally forced out between harsh breaths. “How long do you think we’ll last you? A week? A couple?”

“Plenty enough until someone else arrives,” the man told him with an ugly smirk.

“Well, if you’re committed to that, I have to tell you, if you’ve checked us out, you’ll know he’s got more tasty meat on him.” Abek suggested.

That was true, as tall as he was; Goa was not a heavyset man. Fatter, bigger, slower, Kel on the other hand… Hey, there was no shortage of cannibals in the world, he was well aware. And they need to be bargained with as expertly as anyone.