by P. S. Power
No one said anything for a long time, but finally Vickie chuckled, just as it was getting awkward.
“You can sleep with me. Third bedroom.” She sounded happy enough about it. Friendly even.
Then Jake blushed when he realized that they had plenty of beds here now, until the new people came. Oops. Well, he wasn't going to turn the offer down, even if there was room. Vickie was hot and it would be warmer than sleeping alone. He liked to be warm when he slept. At least in the winter. It was why he'd put his other bed in the kitchen, near the stove.
“Good, well, I'm off to bed then. We can go over details in the morning.”
Everyone laughed. It was a soft thing, but it was everyone in the room. Except Jake, who didn't get it. Not until everyone broke up and headed to bed themselves. Vickie walked up alongside him and took his hand gently, so that she could lead him to the right spot. Nice of her, because it was dark enough that he might not find her again, not without speaking and no one talked in the bedrooms. Whispers directly in people's ears, but nothing louder than that, unless it was an emergency.
Or a nightmare.
“Good times.” The woman said softly as they ascended the stairs. “Then I guess I better be good if you really plan to give details in the morning.”
Then Jake got it.
“No wonder everyone laughed at me. I meant mission details. Oops. Well, no big. They can use their imaginations as to anything else.” Jake felt awkward about his misstep, but Vickie just chuckled and pulled into him, bumping his shoulder a bit.
“Ah, what the hell, right? We can tell them if it will boost the mood. But, you know, I don't do casual, so this means we're dating now. I have a reputation to protect.”
Jake shrugged and decided to play back, after all, it wasn't like he got to flirt very often. It was kind of fun.
“Well, OK, but you know, you have to come stay at my place part of the time too. Otherwise it will just look like me coming over for a booty call and that's just kind of tacky, don't you think?”
“Very. OK. Deal then.”
She helped him get situated and cuddled into him a lot more nicely than he'd figured she would. Way more. She didn't kiss him or anything, but Jake decided to push things a bit. After all, she'd let him know if he was overstepping what she wanted to do. It was freaking Vickie. She could toss him across the room. He moved to kiss her on the cheek, and got the corner of her mouth, which got her to turn to him, lips pressing suddenly, a lingering thing.
She murmured into his ear, which he expected to be her warning him off, and it kind of was, but only kind of.
“I'm also not doing it the first time in a room full of people. There's a reason I haven't been hooking up with people like Tip has you know. I like sex, but this is just too strange. Your place?”
Jake chuckled back.
“Eh? Why not, since we're dating now. Just, in the future, you know, after the first few times, we're going to do it all over the place. Crowded rooms, in the baths... not outside though, until it gets warmer. I have body parts that are trying to crawl inside my body right now, just thinking about how cold it is out there.”
“Alright. The cold doesn't bother me, but I get that you aren't as tough as you pretend to be. Very Good Man. I feel like I should be feeding you flowers and dousing you in scented oils. When you aren't killing things, I mean. That part is really... horrible. I'm sorry by the way. About not protecting you from that.”
The woman whispered, but it sounded incredibly genuine, almost like she was gently crying about it. Jake decided to change the subject.
“People eat flowers? That sounds... less than tasty. We could use some scented oils though. Cinnamon is my favorite, but I don't think we have that anymore. Not for now.” Jake still had an arm over the woman, who, now that he was touching her, was a lot firmer than he'd thought she'd be from her appearance. Cooler too. Not chilly, but he pulled the blanket tighter around them and pressed his body into hers, to try and warm her.
Which caused an erection that she had to notice. Jake nearly moved back, but she didn't shift or anything, so either she didn't or it was just something expected in the world of a hot chick. That kind of made sense. He closed his eyes and willed himself to sleep. It didn't really work, but he rested enough to make it until first light. He'd moved away from Vickie, but she woke up and threw an arm over him and kissed his cheek.
“Was it good for you?” She asked, her tone indicating play was the mode of the day.
He nodded, “Sure was. How about you?”
“Best night's sleep I've had in months.” Her words sobered. “It really was too. I didn't realize how much I missed having someone else in bed. It's been a while.”
They got up then and started their day, both smiling. Other people gave them knowing looks, but there wasn't a lot to know, was there? Still, if they wanted to smile about him and Vickie, it beat abject terror, which had been the working mode of most of the last half year or more.
Jake could work with it. Even if he was the butt of the joke for the day.
Oddly enough, after the first few minutes of twittering and stares, no one really paid attention to his supposed “luck” and everyone just ate a hastily thrown together breakfast. Lois had gotten up before everyone but the night shift and struggled to make all the food herself in the near dark. Justine had pointed one of the outdoor flood lights up to shine through the kitchen window though, after a while. It wasn't much, just that corn pudding stuff and dried meat added to it for protein, but it would make a difference in a few hours for sure. Working without food sucked.
At just far enough into the day to see fifty feet, Molly and Spence started screaming again. It worked a few dead out, but nothing big. Seven of them over the course of three hours.
“Alright!” Jake yelled loud, really catching attention, since he never yelled. “Wood teams get ready, first cleaners into the woods come with me!”
It wasn't part of the plan, there was no specific group set up for it, so Jake just walked. Someone had to go first after all. When he got to the edge of the woods he kind of figured he'd be alone. That was wrong. Seven people stood with him. Vickie, Tipper, Dave, Carl, Len, Molly and little Darla with a rifle in her hands. They were all spread out.
“OK!” Jake yelled again. “Mol, you're up. Constant screams when I signal. Everyone else set up and spread out. Ready?”
“Ready!” Dave yelled, getting the idea first. Then, he didn't feel fear like a normal person.
Lucky. Part of his power, which was basically just being a tough guy. Double Y chromosome male, so kind of like an ubber-man.
“Ready.” Vickie and Tipper said, just before Carl grunted.
Len looked at him and grinned, a slow, loopy thing that still seemed incredibly slow somehow.
“Set.” The large man added.
“Go?” Molly said softly.
“Go.”
She screamed loud enough Jake's ears hurt from fifteen feet away. Then she had to keep it up for a while. Finally, single zombie showed up.
“Mine!” Darla yelled, drawing it right to her, little voice piping in just the correct range for the shambler to try and run. Normally they just didn't, not even for food, but to get to tender baby flesh they would. Or little girl, it seemed.
She took three shots, two missing, one hitting the thing in the head solidly. When it went down she shot it again, twice, which worked better. When she closed to aim she stayed out of reach, but got pretty near it.
The second one tried to jump her out of the brush, only to have Dave take it down with four shots. The kid was good, but he normally used shotguns. It made a difference in how you aimed. The rifle did the job though.
Then they waited while Molly screamed. Nothing else happened.
“My voice is going...” The dark haired woman said finally, nearly an hour later.
“Darla, it's your turn, think you can scream for a bit?”
It turned out she could. It was impressively shrill too
. Jake couldn't scream at all really. His voice just locked down into kind of a hoarse grunt.
Nothing else came at all.
“Wood teams, go!” Jake called back to the House, ready to pitch in where needed.
That, apparently, was only as a guard. The teams moved with near military precision, and so fast you'd think it was their lives that depended on it. Carl moved to help Dave load the big metal cart, doing all the logs alone. Some had to weigh over a thousand pounds easily. Carley's team had to work together to get the same thing done, which meant that Carl actually outdid her team of ten, by himself.
“Jake, cover the right flank.” Tipper said, pointing to the trees on the right.
“Got it.” He didn't know why, but Vickie and her darker haired sister moved to help Carley's team. Working together they lifted the large logs, carrying them to the smaller wooden cart the second wood team was using, getting it done at about the same time.
Right. Super soldiers of whatever. Not humbling at all.
“Tip, Vickie, you're with Carley's team now. Carl you stick with Dave. Get those unloaded. Everyone but the other cleaners back with them. Molly, ready for another round yet?”
She screamed as soon as the others were safe, having moved away from the work site, and managed to attract another, very slow shambler. Len got that one, with two shots. Dead on the head, even as it moved. It was nice shooting.
They spent the rest of the afternoon that way, skipping lunch, until about three. Try and draw zombies, take down trees and load wood, then when the crew was back at the House, try to draw again. No one slacked off, and finally the carts didn't come back, just Carley.
“Done.” She husked, handgun out, ready to fight if she had to.
Good. After that bite, Jake didn't know if she'd have it in her. That had to be scary. Of course now she knew for a fact she couldn't be infected, so for her it was just fighting a bunch of bitey people that had severe handicaps. That had to make a difference too. Jake pointed this out to her with a chuckle which had her sticking a tongue out at him.
“Like I hadn't already considered that? Sammi and I should practically be the first line of defense now.” She was joking, but Jake stopped for a second, going still.
“Um... that's kind of a good point, now that you mention it. I guess it's kind of a promotion for you?”
“Um...” The woman didn't say anything for a bit, as they all walked back.
Len did though.
“Excuse me, Carley?” The big man said, in a low but charmingly innocent voice. “Could you walk between me and the trees, in case anything comes out...” It was a joke, but she really did move into place.
It was cute.
At the House teams trimmed the logs down while others built the structures in the ground rapidly. They were freaking strong things and had to be, some five feet underground. Burt felt that should help keep the temperature constant year round. Not warm, but not freezing or boiling ever either. There were air vents made out of pipes, which just came up from the log structures.
Jake walked patrol until dark, and then grabbed some meat, pot roast with potatoes in a bowl, eating as Sammi walked the perimeter with him. He couldn't see like she could, but no one was going alone until they had things under control again.
“Jake, I... need to tell you something.” The girl was quiet, her voice so soft he almost didn't hear her. “It may not be easy for you to hear. That or it won't make any difference to you at all. I don't know.”
They kept going for a while, as he ate carefully, making sure he stayed as ready as possible, when he finished he made a point of passing near the House and setting the bowl down. Then he motioned the girl towards the dark again, deeper into it this time.
“OK. I'm listening.” Jake didn't know what to expect at all. He wouldn't have gotten it, even if he'd guessed. Not at all.
Sammi hesitated, actually missing a step.
“I...” She sounded strange. Not scared really, but far more British than he'd heard her before. Suddenly proper and almost prim.
“I love you.” Her voice went still after the words.
Jake considered it for a second, then shrugged, knowing she could see him.
“I love you too.” It was true enough. In the whole world, he was probably closer to her than anyone else. Maybe closer than he ever had been to anyone. It struck him as strange that he just realized it, but he really did. It wasn't just liking even. He loved her.
Of course he'd eat his gun before sleeping with her, but other than that, it was real enough.
How odd.
“No, I mean I love you Jake, the real, full meaning of the word. I know it can't work, but... I wanted you to know. It's important not to hold that kind of thing to oneself. Especially with the world the way it is. I hope this won't make things awkward between us. I'm not saying we should be intimate, but...”
“I don't see why it should really. It's the end of the world. If you want to fall in love with some guy a sixth your age while looking a third of his, who's anyone to say no? Besides, I got what you meant the first time. I love you too. It's weird, but... nice. Thanks. Just for the record though, I won't sleep with you. Too old.”
“I'm too old for you?” She said her voice slightly playful.
“No. That's not it and you know what I mean. It's a silly prejudice, but I grew up with girls that looked like you being way too young. I don't think I can separate that now. Kind of encoded. Almost hard wired by this point. I know, end of the world and all that. Sorry. Though I really think you're great and promise not to shoot any of the other guys if you want to sleep with them.”
“It's alright. I just... wanted you to know. It's nice to hear the words in return though.” She sounded sad about the whole thing, which made Jake take notice of something.
She'd mind tricked him.
To make him say he loved her too? Why? If it wasn't real, what was the point. He nudged her shoulder.
“Hey. I caught that, you know, what you just did. Don't do that. Alright? It makes it hard to know what's real or not.” He looked at the glint of her eyes in the dim lights from the building site behind them.
“I meant my words Jake. I just can't expect to hear them in return. So I cheated. I'm sorry.” She sounded it.
Jake snorted softly.
“It's still true though, only now you have to ask if you made me feel that way or if I already did before. What I can tell you for sure is this; I'm your friend and you're my favorite person here. Even more than Vickie and I suddenly like her way better.” He winked at her.
“Sex will do that.” The girl sounded wistful.
“We didn't have sex. Just shared a bed. Without anything that implies other than a bit of cuddly sleeping.”
“Really? I thought, from the reactions people had earlier...”
“In case you haven't noticed, people here sometimes jump to conclusions not based in fact at all. A lot.”
“Most do.” The girl held a smile in her tone now at least.
They finished the circuit in silence. Jake thought it was just a companionable thing, until she fired next to him suddenly.
“Three, at about ten o'clock to your forward.”
Jake could maybe hit a target at twenty feet from that, even blind, but head shots were out. He knelt, faced that direction and let the girl do the shooting. Only one of the things got to them and as soon as it was about ten feet away, he could see it against the sky. A woman, slow and dragging a leg. No scent that he could tell. He made the take down in five shots. Sloppy for him, but given that he couldn't see it really, that wasn't so bad. Sammi made sure it was finished with a single well placed round.
Then they did it all again.
After a few hours it was down to burying the shelters and Jake went to take a turn, since it didn't take actual skill or knowledge. He'd even done this part before on his little emergency hidey-hole.
It was late when he got washed up, with actual hot water, and managed to find Vi
ckie's bed again. She was in it and grabbed him when he lay down next to her, kissing him harder than he expected.
“There you are. Have a good day at work?” This got murmured into Jake's ear. It was playful.
“Yeah, you?”
“Not bad. Here, spoon with me.”
At least he got to be on the outside, arms wrapped around her warmly. It was a good thing. Sweet and gentle. Being daring for no reason at all, he leaned in and kissed her neck gently. The small hairs tickling his lips as he did. That close to her he could tell that she smelled familiar, like earth and dust. It wasn't unpleasant. He probably smelled like soap after all. Which was hardly romantic. Not that this was that kind of situation.
He told himself that as he fell asleep. Oh, he wasn't stupid. He got that she intended what she'd said about them to be real. Or him to think that at least. Jake just didn't know if it would lead anywhere at all. Heather had said she'd liked him and Jake had let that become too important internally, which made things hurt worse later when she'd thrown him over for Randy without pausing. This time he wasn't going to do that. Oh, if he could score with Vickie he would, and even better if she'd be his girlfriend, but he counted on nothing.
He was going to confirm all that in light of day. Tomorrow though. He wanted to enjoy the here and now for a bit first.
Even if it wasn't the right thing to do.
Chapter Seven
They had a team of fifteen going into town, all ready to fight, even die, if they had to. The zombies wouldn't stand a chance. They moved slowly, the distance was great, and nerve wracking, fifteen miles of forest lined roads, then city, where anything could jump out at them from behind buildings, parked cars or bushes without warning.
They saw a cat.
Not even two cats, just one. It was a nice orange one, with a white chest that reminded Jake a bit of a creamsicle. He got ready to get caught in a strange desire for those now too, but nothing came. Oh, he'd eat one if it were there, just for variety, but it didn't do what fudge kept doing to him.
