by Misty Vixen
“They’re run by an asshole named Stern,” Ellie growled.
“You sound like you really hate him,” Jennifer murmured.
“He is an asshole. Threatened to kill all three of us not all that long ago,” David murmured.
“Holy shit, seriously?” Jennifer asked.
“Yeah, but he and his squad also saved our asses from a situation that probably would have killed us, and Ellie did point a gun at him...” Cait said.
“He was being a prick. He could have given us one of those solar panels,” Ellie replied.
“Hey, I’m on your side,” Cait replied. “But anyway, I have met his second in command, a woman named Lara. She’s a lot more reasonable. I’m hoping to talk to her instead.”
“Should I even be here? I mean, they won’t like...shoot me, will they?” Jennifer asked nervously.
“No,” Ellie replied. “Though we should keep our distance, for good measure. I don’t really trust any of these shits.”
None of them were sure what to say after that, so they just kept on walking through the forest. David glanced up, trying to gauge the position of the sun, and realized that it was a few hours past noon now. Fuck, time was really flying. Had they really been out here for like six or seven hours? It didn’t seem right, surely it hadn’t been that long, but...no. That was about right. Time was such a weird thing. David found his mind start to wander as they walked. He glanced at Jennifer. She had been pretty good in bed, and he was genuinely excited to have sex with her again. Plus, it would be nice to introduce her to April and Evelyn.
There was something...vaguely uncomfortable about having sex with a woman without her meeting, or at least knowing, all three of his girlfriends. He supposed it felt somehow close to cheating, in a way, even if all parties consented to it happening, there was just something about it. Something that didn’t sit right with him.
Speaking of vaguely uncomfortable sexual situations…
“Cait,” he said.
“Yeah?” she replied.
“Am I crazy or is Amanda hitting on me?”
“Mrs. Carlson? No, you’re not crazy. I saw her giving you the ‘fuck me’ eye more than once,” Cait replied.
“Mrs. Carlson, huh?” Jennifer asked.
“Yep, she’s a married woman living with her husband in the campgrounds,” Cait said, looking extremely amused and self-satisfied.
He sighed. “I didn’t know you were gonna give me shit about this.”
“I’m not giving you shit, just...it’s amusing. I mean, right?”
“Yeah, it’s amusing,” Ellie agreed.
“Do you think it means anything?”
“Why? You want to fuck her, don’t you?” Cait asked.
“Duh.”
“You don’t think she’s a little old for you?” Ellie asked.
“No,” he replied. “I’d fucking love to go to bed with a noticeably older woman.”
“Yeah, I can see the appeal. And she is fucking hot. Still pretty fit. And she’s got a great ass. God, do I love watching that woman’s ass,” Cait murmured.
“So would you fuck her? If she came onto you?” Jennifer asked.
“If her husband was cool with it, then yeah, definitely. Something about her...I think that woman can fuck, you know?”
“Oh yeah. As a woman who can just fuck for days, I can recognize that in another woman,” Cait replied confidently. “If I had to guess, and I say this was no malice and only love, I’d say Amanda was a straight up slut in her younger days, probably for awhile, and she still likes to slut around with cute younger guys whenever she finds an opportunity. And again, I say that with no malice. I know a lot of people have trouble with the word slut,” Cait said. “But I get the feeling Amanda would appreciate it...I mean, you know, were we in the proper setting and more comfortable around each other.”
“That makes sense, I guess,” David murmured after considering it.
“Maybe I could talk with her. Have some wine one of these nights...” Cait said.
“Do we have wine?” Ellie asked.
“Yeah. I’ve got a bottle stashed there. Like thirty years old. I’ve been meaning to have a drink, one of these nights,” she replied. She frowned suddenly. “Then again, maybe not...”
“You’ve been holding out on me, huh?” Ellie asked.
“What? No. I told you.”
“When?!”
“Like two weeks ago, during the first blizzard...I think. Or maybe not. Fuck, I don’t know. I’ve been so busy recently...”
“Well, whatever, if you do pop the cork, let me know.”
“Yeah. I will.” David glanced at her. She looked distracted again.
Suddenly, the trees fell away from them, opening up into two huge fields of mud and snow and dead bushes. To the right, the lake. To the left, eventually, more trees, and the bulk of the mountain. Dead ahead, the military base. The road terminated at its front gates. It certainly looked like a base, almost like a fortress. A wall of metal plates surrounded it, no doubt welded together with professional precision, and there were two watchtowers built at the entrance gate, behind the wall, connected by a bridge over the gate.
He could see a person up there, a single figure against the backdrop of the three-story building that the metal wall protected. They were motionless, from what he could tell, staring directly at them, though not pointing anything their way.
“So was this always a military outpost?” David asked as they slowly walked up the road.
“I’m honestly not sure, but I don’t think so. I think it was some kind of storage building, or maybe a factory or something. What I think happened was, at some point over the past twenty years, a group came here and turned it into one, found big, solid metal plates and welded them together into a defensible wall, built the watchtowers, and then, for some reason, at some point, abandoned it. Or maybe they were all killed? Dunno. But I think Lima Company rolled through, found it, decided to set up shop and make a home for themselves,” Ellie explained. “But that could be bullshit. Honestly, history isn’t anyone’s strong suit around here. Myth is closer, sometimes.”
“Hmm.”
As they drew closer, he noticed Jennifer stuck behind him, and he let her, encouraging it, even. Again, that wildcard element. He didn’t intend to let anyone hurt her, but...he looked around, this was admittedly a pretty bad place to get caught. Way too much open space, nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. No wonder they’d set up shop here.
“Hello, Ellie,” the woman atop the watchtower said.
“Lara. Thank God,” Ellie replied, sounding relieved. “We were hoping to talk with you.”
“Were you now? It’s been quite awhile since I’ve seen you. Hi, Cait. I see you’ve brought some friends with you,” the woman, Lara, replied. David was relieved to hear that she sounded actually amicable, and not that weird, veiled, vague-threatening ‘amicable’ that people like Colonel Stern or Murray put on.
“Yes. These are my friends. David, and Jennifer. This is Lieutenant Lara Hale,” Ellie said, making introductions.
“Pleased to meet you,” David said, while Jennifer offered a quiet ‘Hi’. He found himself staring up at a pale woman with sharp green eyes and short brown hair who carried a rifle and looked exceptionally good in the camouflage uniform she was wearing.
“And you. What’s up?” she asked.
“We need your help,” Ellie replied.
“Oh. Well...shit. I might not really be in a position to help,” she replied awkwardly, frowning.
“I know. Just...hear me out. The thieves, the ones that have been harassing people, the ones who burned down River View, we’re going to kill them,” Ellie said.
She was silent for a few moments, then began to open her mouth to respond. Instead, she looked behind her, like she’d heard something, then quickly looked back and muttered, “Fuck...maybe you guys should go.”
“Why?” Ellie asked, tensing.
“What’s going on up there, Lieutenant?�
� an unfortunately familiar voice asked from somewhere behind the gate.
“Visitors. Friendly visitors,” Lara replied, stressing that fact.
“Friendly visitors, huh? Well, I would like to know what they want.”
Lara sighed softly. A moment later, Colonel Stern appeared beside her after climbing up to the watchtower. “Ah. Ellie. Cait. And friends.”
“Stern,” Ellie growled.
“What brings you out here to my home on this glorious winter day?” he asked. For a moment, nobody spoke. Ellie seemed extremely reluctant to continue. “You must have come all this way out here for a reason,” he pressed, smiling down at them.
“We’re looking for help,” David said finally, stepping forward, because he was the one who’d insisted on this, so he should have to put up with the conversation. “We’re going after the group that burned down River View and has continued to harass basically everyone in the region. Obviously, we would benefit greatly from even a few soldiers from your unit.”
“Yes, you would,” Stern murmured, considering it.
“Colonel, if we could eliminate these jackasses, it would be a large improvement to the whole region,” Lara said. “I do believe that was our goal, right?”
“Of course. And that hasn’t changed. However...I must regretfully decline. We have more important tasks to deal with at present. I do wish you luck, though.”
He turned and began walking back to the ladder. David felt anger welling up within him and before he could think better of it, snapped, “You’re a fucking coward, Stern!”
The Colonel froze, and Lara looked down at him with wide, anxious eyes. He turned around, and David thought he would see anger on his face, but he didn’t. If anything, he saw surprise. It reminded him of the expression the man had worn when Ellie had threatened him back at the bunker, over the solar panels.
“How’s that, son?” he replied, taking a few steps closer. He almost looked amused.
“You and yours stay locked up here, safe and secure behind your fucking wall, and if something isn’t bothering you, well then, it’s not a fucking problem, is it? You’d watch the world burn and warm your hands by the fire so long as it isn’t burning you. You keep talking about how you’re here to help people, but every chance you get, you turn your fucking nose up at us. So I say you’re a coward, Stern,” David replied, a shocking amount of anger boiling around in him.
Stern looked amused, then actually regretful, though not guilty. “You’re what...twenty four? Twenty five?”
“Twenty five,” David replied curtly.
“You’re young, and you’ve got guts. Like Ellie. Like Cait. I’ll give you that. And I appreciate that. I remember what it was like to be your age, full of piss and vinegar. But you don’t see the bigger picture, and I’m not particularly inclined to show you. Suffice to say, there are bigger problems to deal with.”
“Let me go with them,” Lara said. “I doubt I’d be gone for more than a day.”
Stern opened his mouth, then paused as a very strange sound, what sounded like talking, but heavily distorted talking, emerged from somewhere near him. At first, David had no idea what the fuck was happening, but then watched as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black device, then brought it to his mouth.
“Say again?”
The same sound was repeated, and it was slightly clearer this time, but David couldn’t make out the words. It was a radio, he realized. He knew what they were, he’d seen them before and knew (roughly) how they worked, but it had been awhile since he’d actually seen one. Although he thought he remembered the doctors mentioning they had one.
“Understood. I’m on my way.” He pocketed the radio. “No, Lieutenant. The matter’s closed. And where is the other guard?” he snapped.
“Piss break,” Lara replied.
He sighed. “I’ll deal with him later. Goodbye,” he said, tossing another glance at the group, then he turned and left, heading back down the ladder.
Lara watched him go and after about a minute, waved them closer. They walked closer until they were at the gate itself, looking straight up at Lara, who looked down at them. “Listen,” she said, keeping her voice down, “I will help you. When do you need me?”
“Do you know where the old campgrounds are, southwest of River View?” David asked. She nodded. “Come there, tomorrow, just before sundown. Come prepared.”
“I will. Goodbye, and good luck.”
“Thank you,” Ellie said. Lara nodded curtly, then motioned for them to leave.
The four of them began making their way away from the military outpost. When they had reached the trees again, Cait said, “Well, that went better than expected.”
Ellie just grunted, and they continued their journey back to the fishing village.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The next hour passed without too much trouble.
They walked back through the forest and took a moment to stop by the secondary village once more, just to double check. Only a few zombies had showed up, and they were put down with ease. They checked the water as much as they could, but either there were vipers and they were hiding well, or there weren’t. Either way, the crew had done what they had intended to do, and moved on. They made the walk back to the primary village without running into anything else, and it turned out to be a relatively pleasant walk.
By the time they made it back to the main village, a surprising amount of progress had been made. Not only were most of the bodies shifted, the viper corpses all being tossed into a pile about fifty feet away from the settlement, but the amount of people had doubled. They were in the process of picking up the pieces, already beginning repairs to their village. They were hard workers, it seemed. He imagined having access to presumably a few great fishing spots would give them quite the command of commerce, like the farmers.
Murray was standing in the middle of it all, directing the people like a foreman. He looked very in his element, and he smiled as he saw them approaching.
“So, I take it you have succeeded?” he asked.
“Yeah,” David replied. “We killed everything that was there. We didn’t see any people, though there was one dead body, I don’t know if it was one of yours or not. But when we left, it had been cleared of anything undead.”
“Excellent!” He turned. “Elias! Get over here!” Then he turned back to them as a man with a plain face and a thin build came over. His chin-length brown hair was a mess and he was filthy from no doubt lots of work and running around through the forest over the past few days, but he seemed in decent spirits at least.
“Yes, Murray?” he asked.
“These people are here to take you to the doctors to continue our agreement.” He looked at them closely. “You get him safely there and back here again, and you’ll get Ruby. Not before.”
“Yes, yes, Murray,” Ellie replied. “We’ll get the job done. You got any firepower, Elias?”
“No,” he replied.
She sighed.
“He’s not the best shot,” Murray said.
“Fine. Just stay close to us, stay quiet, and keep up. Got it?”
“Yes,” he replied.
“Good. Let’s go.”
Ellie set off back out of the village, and they followed her, and once more they were off, again heading back the way they’d initially come.
It, too, was a mercifully uneventful trip. Though it wasn’t all a mercy. It left David with a lot of time to think. He kept wondering about Cait, if she was okay, if something was wrong, if it was something he’d done to upset her or worry her or...something. The problem was, he genuinely had no idea. There was so little to go off of, but he kept coming back to the concern that maybe something was wrong with her. She’d suddenly needed to go to the doctors for a ‘checkup’, and acted dodgy about it, and had been extremely distracted ever since her visit. What had they told her? He had yet to have a lover outright die on him…
And it was something he hoped never to endure, thou
gh he knew that was basically impossible, unless he died before all his other lovers, which was becoming an increasingly populated pool. He worried over it the whole way back to the hospital, and didn’t feel any closer to understanding it. He was still considering it when they got to the hospital and were let in through the front door. Donald was waiting for them.
“Ah, Elias! I’m so glad you’re here,” he said. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, doc,” Elias replied.
“The village was indeed attacked by a huge pack of vipers,” Ellie said.
“Oh dear,” Donald murmured.
“Yeah. Most of them made it out okay, and we helped them clear it out, so all should be well,” Ellie replied. “Go do your thing, we gotta escort him back, too.”
“Oh. Yes. Are you ready, Elias?” Donald asked.
“Uh...yeah, I’m ready,” he replied.
“Good, please come along.”
David watched them head into the infirmary, briefly toying around with the idea of asking Donald or one of the other staff about whatever they’d told Cait, but he immediately rejected it. Not only would they likely not tell him, it would be wrong. He wanted to give her her privacy, he was just so fucking worried.
As he and the other three began waiting around in the main room, he heard heavy footsteps coming from the only other doorway in the room, and the goliath woman, Vanessa, appeared in the door, having to duck a little to step in. She stared intently at him for a few seconds, and he felt caught in her gaze. She was very intimidating, and not just because she was probably approaching almost two feet taller than he was.
Finally, she looked at the others. “Ladies, I’d like a word with you.”
“What about?” Ellie asked.
“You’ll see,” Vanessa replied, and turned around, disappearing back into the room she’d come from. Jennifer followed after her, as did Ellie. Cait lingered for a moment, looking at David, who looked back at her with a questioning glance.
