Divvy up

In a scarred, post‑war city where cruelty has become ordinary, a firing squad gathers to execute a condemned man beneath the rim of a bomb crater. The scene is tense and methodical, each soldier poised with his rifle, the squad leader barking commands as the sunrise paints the wreckage in eerie colors. When a rogue shot rings out before the order, the execution is thrown into chaos, and a young woman—calm as murder—hurls her rifle at the leader before sprinting away over the crater’s edge.

Hardesty, a opportunistic scavenger, watches the turmoil from the shadows, hoping to loot the dead man’s pockets while the others scramble after the fugitive. He recalls a recent coin toss with the mysterious shooter and wonders whether their brief gamble will lead to a promised split of the spoils. The story lingers on this uneasy moment, hinting at a world where survival hinges on split‑second choices and the thin line between profit and peril.