“Pleased yourself then!” she snaps as she pulls forward on her knees, pulling herself away from him, arms pushing her breasts up from the mattress. Her blonde hair, so seductively draped in tangles across her back only moments ago, now brushes against his belly as she turns to look at him with accusing eyes.
“Sorry, it was … you were so … I couldn’t wait,” he gasps still reeling, his breath hard from exertion.
“And you’re dripping sweat … all over my clean sheets,” she continues, the look of disgust in the blue of her eyes as she follows the drips of sweat rolling down his forehead, a stone sinking in his belly.
He groans. Stupid woman. Can’t she ever stop whinging? He looks across at her. The pretty face, the curves of her slim waist and rounded arse and sighs. If only he didn’t need her so much! Anger gripes in his belly.
“Haven’t you got somewhere to be?”
“Yeah. Got to make sure the boys are on guard and monitoring the perimeter.”
“You’d better. We don’t want no scroungers getting their hands on our stuff.”
“No.”
“Did you get those gaps filled like I told you.”
“Yes! Stop going on woman. For Pete’s sake!”
“Pete! Pah. I’ll give you Pete,” she laughs and leans to him, pushing her slender fingers between his legs. He groans as her warm hand cups him, the touch too much on his overly sensitive balls. “Be a good boy and I’ll make you happy later,” she smiles up to him. He reaches forward to kiss her.
“Not now,” she says, jerking her head to the side. “I said later.”
He watches the swing of her breasts as she stands, and yearns for her again. If only she’d keep her yap shut. He’d be happy then.
He pulls his jeans back up, fastens the buckle of his belt, steps across the deep pile of the cream carpet, soft beneath his bare feet, and grabs the t-shirt he’d dumped on the end of the bed. Looking back, he watches for a moment as she dresses, watches as the sun shines on her bare arse as she bends to pull up her knickers.
“What you looking at?” she asks with an edge as she stands, breasts pert, a flush lingering beneath the hollow of her neck. “I told you to go! You’ve got work to do,” she says stepping up to him. Taking hold of his tattooed arm, she grips his upper arm and squeezes. “If them kids get in again … there’ll be hell to pay.” She pinches his flesh and the eyes of the inked dragon on his bicep bulge between the tips of her fingers.
“They won’t,” he reassures as her nails dig at his skin.
“They’d better not!”
“Give me a kiss then,” he demands pulling his arm from the cruel pinch. She profs her cheek. “No. A proper kiss,” he begs, bending his head towards her mouth.
“Later” she insists. “I told you I’d make you happy later, when you’ve earned it. Now go on! Get to the supermarket. I’ve got a bad feeling today.”
He was getting used to her bad feelings, and her spite, and turns to leave the room.
“Hey!” she calls.
He turns instantly, hating himself for his need. “Yeah?” he returns, sullen. She clasps her hand around his neck and pulls him to her, pushing her lips against his. He returns the passion and pulls her to him, his arm snaking around her slim waist. She pushes at his chest, pushing him away from her, refusing her lips once more.
“Now go! I’ll be down soon to check up—make sure them lazy gits are doing their job. I’m not having anyone hanging on round here who’s not pulling their weight”
Bloody psycho! Blowing hot and cold. I’ll show her later who’s boss. She’ll know it later. “They’ll pull their weight—I’ll see to that,” he replies stepping out onto the landing.
“You’d better!” she calls as his foot falls on the first step of the stairs. Yeah, she’d see who was in charge later. Once he’d finished with her she’d be begging for more and putty in his hands. He smiles, ignorant of his delusion, and lets the anger he keeps in check begin to rumble. Those boys had better have done something about those kids when he got there and if they hadn’t managed to get them doors shut across the entrance, or started to block it up, then there’d be hell to pay. Saskia was nothing compared to him. She could get angry all right, but he was worse. He winces at the memory of her last outburst, the welt she’d given him across his back was long and black but yellowing now. She’d got lucky, that’s all. Lucky that he didn’t hit women. Pussy! His father’s cardinal rule—never hit a woman—and there were times when he’d wondered why he hadn’t. Dad said his mother was just feisty and passionate and he could give as good as he got. He smiles at the memory of his father. Sitting watching the tv on a Saturday was a happy time in their house and the one time his mother sat down too. They’d both curl up together on the sofa, his mother happy, smiling, offering chocolate to them both. Those times didn’t make up for the screaming rows and his father’s broken look as he dabbed at the blood trickling from his nose though. He’d never end up like his father. He’d had been weak, not like Murray. He’d only put up with so much then she’d have to go. Pain gripes in his belly. She’d be pissed if those kids hadn’t been caught and if the entrance was still unsecured …
***
Flat 1a, Fleetgate
Finn looks across the room to Kyle sprawled over the soft cushions of the settee, the skin of his knee pale through the rip in his black jeans as it hangs over the top. His arm drapes over his eyes, shielding them from the fading brightness of the day’s sun. She picks up the remote again and clicks.
“How many times are you going to do that? There’s nothing on the telly anymore.”
She sighs and throws the remote down. “I know. Just habit, and I still can’t get my head round that there’s nothing there. I keep expecting it to flash and there just be a film on or something.”
“There isn’t even any power, Finn. It’s impossible.”
“Yeah,” she says and sadness clenches at her heart. She sighs again. “I’m bored.”
“Me too.”
“Let’s go out. We could check out the shops in the town. I need some new boots. Maybe there’s some in Miller’s?”
“I guess,” he says sitting up, looking out to the trees through the window. “And I want a new jacket,” he continues, brightening.
“You can have whatever you want now,” Finn says encouragingly. “Let’s go, shall we?”
“Sure,” he says jumping up. “If we go now we can get there before dark.”
“Oh, yeah! Dark.”
“What’s up? Don’t you like the dark?”
“Well, I wasn’t bothered before—at night—walking through the town, but now that the street lights have stopped working—it’s … eerie.”
“Hah! Well, if we hurry it’ll still be dusk when we get back so we’ll be OK,” he reassures grabbing for his jacket.
“If we’re going to Miller’s, we’ll have to pass by Murray’s!”
“Murray’s? Is that what we’re calling it now?”
“Yeah, well he seems to have taken over the place.”
“Greedy sod! There’s plenty for us all. Did you see how stacked the shelves were out in the stores. The looters didn’t get everything.”
“It’s packed? Hmm.”
“What?”
“Well … we could get in you know … through the back. We could get in and take stuff without them even knowing we’d been there.”
“Steal you mean?”
“It’s not stealing, Finn. He doesn’t own that food. He should share it with us—not hoard it all for himself and his henchmen.”
“Shall we?” she says, excitement growing in her belly.
He turns, and the deadened spark in his eyes shines again. “Yes,” he smiles. “We bloody well shall. C’mon,” he urges as he pulls the silver tab of his zipper, closing his jacket to his chest, then steps out of the door and launches into a soft run along the path.
Chapter Four
“Wait up!” she calls after him. “What’s your
hurry?” she laughs as she pushes her foot down hard and powers to catch his stride.
The soles of her boots slap against the pavement, crunching against the gritty tarmac, her breath steady as she keeps pace with Kyle. As they reach the end of the road he slows to a stop and bends, hands on knees.
“Just …”
“No way, Kyle. You’re not out of breath yet, are you?”
“Yeah,” he heaves and stands, hands on hips taking deep breaths from the air. “S’alright for you. You had years of training.”
“Looks like you should have joined me,” she says smiling, her breath coming easy, her muscles enjoying the workout.
“Yeah … I think I’ll have to get fitter.”
“Serves you right for smoking!”
“Hey! I stopped two months ago.”
“Well done! Don’t take it back up,” she smiles patting him on the back. “Come on. There’s no hurry. We can walk, but we should get off the road now and go up through the woods.”
“Sure,” he returns as she strides forward and walks up the grassy bank that leads off the road and into the dark cluster of trees.
“Wouldn’t want to walk through here at night. It’s already getting dark and the sun’s only just going down.”
“No. Me neither,” Finn returns as she steps onto the well-trodden path that leads through the small woodlands that sits at the edge of the town.
“I used to love coming in here as a kid. We had a rope with a tyre on the end tied onto one of the branches. Do you remember it?”
“Yeah, I do,” Kyle replies. “I remember you and your mates hogging it!”
“Hah! I don’t remember you.”
“Well, I am a few years younger than you, old bird!”
“Pah! Two years, Kyle. You just weren’t one of the popular kids at school—that’s why. You were invisible,” she laughs.
“Get Mrs Popular!”
She laughs at the thought. “Nah. Not me. I was the sporty geek.”
“I was a just a nerd,” he says stepping over the wriggling worm of a root as it buckles across the path.
“Get you!” she mocks. “Show off!”
He laughs again. She likes to hear the happiness in his voice. It lifts her and she jumps across the worming root enjoying the freedom of the moment. Free from worry and the soul-sucking sadness that has filled her life for the past few weeks. Ahead, the trees open to a clearing, a field of grass still littered with rows of browning grass, dropped as it was cut by the sharp blades of the mower. The sun sits low over the pitched rooves of the supermarket commandeered by Murray and his henchmen. The plate glass of the vast windows sits black in the shadows.
“How’re we going to get in then?” Finn asks as she joins Kyle at the tree line. He stands, hands over his brow, squinting against the dying sun. Silent. “Kyle?” she repeats.
***
“Barton! The sign says the town’s called Barton,” Harry calls out from the back seat.
“I don’t care what it’s called. I just need to find somewhere to pee,” Lina returns.
“I can pull over,” Cassie suggests. “You can pee in the grass.”
“Er, no!”
“No one would see.”
“Yeah, no one! Only Harry, Celie, Dan, Rick, and Zak.”
“Okay,” she sighs. “It was only a suggestion. I’m sure we can find a toilet here. There’s probably one in the market place. There often is in these small market towns.”
“But they always stink, Cassie.”
“Listen to princess Lina!”
“I’m hungry.”
“I know sweetheart, but that’s what we’re doing now. Remember? Rick and me and Dan—we all agreed that the next town we passed we’d pull in and find some food. We’re here. This is the next town, so it won’t be long,” she continues following Rick’s lead and turns right at the junction, pleased she’d remembered not to bother indicating this time.
“Look! There’s a shop. Can we go there, Cassie? Please?”
“Looks like that’s where Rick’s going,” she replies as the car ahead begins to curve over to the other side of the road and swings down the next road where the entrance to the sprawling supermarket lies. She smiles as she cuts the corners, free to break the rules of the road.
“It’s massive. Bet there’ll be loads of food in there.”
Cassie smiles as she looks in the rear-view mirror and catches the wide-eyed stare of Harry before he looks out to the huge plate glass windows of the supermarket’s frontage. She pulls the car into the parking bay, leaves a single car gap between the cars, and opens the door, glad of the freshness of the air and the warm sun on her skin.
“Do you think it’s safe to go in?” she asks as Dan opens the passenger door of his car and steps out. He’s tired, but the familiar tingle of desire washes over her as she looks at him. She likes the way his beard straggles now, rather than the too-clipped look he prefers—he looks more natural, less of the playboy billionaire and more of the rugged alpha male. Smiling as she walks towards him, she grasps his hand and gives it a reassuring squeeze. The doors behind her click open and slam shut as the children scramble out.
“I need to pee!”
“Me too!”
The driver’s door opens and Rick’s head appears above the roof of the car. He raises both arms. Cassie looks around in a panicked stare, looking for the guns trained on Rick. His arms high, he pulls them back and groans. She sighs. He’s only stretching. Of course he is! Calm down Cassie.
“Ohhh! That feels good,” he says she she stares at him, a curious smile creasing around his eyes. “Cassie?”
“You scared me—just for a minute. When you raised your arms, I thought you’d seen someone and you were surrendering or something.”
“Hah!” he returns, keeping her gaze for just a moment longer than is comfortable. She breaks from him and looks up to Dan.
“Do you think it’s safe here, Dan?”
“I don’t know. It looks deserted. The petrol station had a pile of tyres to stop us getting in—there’s nothing here.”
“Can’t be too careful though,” Rick comments as he steps next to Dan. She notices the breadth of his shoulders and the extra height Rick has compared to her husband. There’s something so reassuring about Rick. She takes a deep breath, enjoying the calm that washes over her, and holds Dan’s hand a little firmer. He doesn’t return the pressure and as she turns to speak to the children, he pulls his hand from hers.
“There’ll be toilets here. Isn’t that right, Rick?”
“Yes, there will, but that doesn’t mean we can use them.”
“What? But the kids need to go and … and so do I.”
“Listen. We have to be careful. We don’t know who’s around.”
“Oh, come on!” Dan blurts. “We’ve barely seen a soul since we set off from the service station-”
“There was that guy on the cool bike!” Harry interrupts.
“So that makes one! I don’t think there is anyone else alive,” Dan continues, biting at the words, “and this supermarket could be just what we need.”
“We could stock up, Rick. We need food.”
“I know, but we need to make sure it’s safe first,” he repeats.
“How’re we going to do that?”
“We’ll have to wait.”
“Wait!”
“Shh!”
“But I can’t wait,” Lina says, her voice desperate. “I’m gonna pee myself if I don’t go soon.”
“Go in them trees Lina.”
Cassie follows Celie’s hand pointing to a copse of trees at the side of the supermarket’s entrance. It looks thick enough to give Lina some privacy.
“Lina, I think you’re going to have to pee in the trees.”
Harry sniggers. “I need to go too.”
“OK, OK. Listen. Go over to the trees and do your business then come straight back here,” Rick instructs the children. “Cassie, go with them, but keep your wits
about you.”
“Sure, but I really don’t think there’s anyone around. I’ve been checking and nothing’s moved since we got here,” she replies as she ushers the children across to the cluster of trees and shrubs.
Chapter Five
“Cassie. If there’s food in that supermarket, can I have some crisps and some fizzy pop?” Celie asks.
“Sure.”
“They’re bad for your teeth! My mum never lets me have fizzy pop. She says its full of sugar,” Harry retorts.
“Well, your mum’s not here is she, so I can have what I want.”
Harry’s face crumples for a second and a then a deep frown creases his brow. “Huh! And your mum’s dead too so-”
“Hey, you two!” Cassie intercedes. “Don’t say hurtful things to each other.” She looks from Harry to Celie. “Harry’s right though; we need to eat healthy, especially now.”
“Why especially now?” Celie asks as Lina reappears from behind the bush pulling at the sides of her jeans and pushing the button through the hole in the band. She looks sullen and Cassie frowns with concern.
“Yeah, why now?” Harry asks distracting her. She’ll talk to Lina later, ask her if she’s OK.
“Well, because it’s going to get more and more difficult to get food to eat so we need to choose what we eat carefully to make sure we stay strong and healthy.”
“Why does that mean I can’t have any fizzy pop?”
“It’s bad for you. It rots your teeth and if you get a hole in your teeth there’s no one to fix it anymore.”
“Oh,” Celie says looking downcast, a frown of puzzlement crossing her face.
“No dentists?”
“I guess that means there’ll be no doctors either,” Celie continues. “What we going to do if we get sick?”
“Well, we’ll just have to look after ourselves so we don’t get sick.”
“My mum knew lots of stuff about natural healing,” Lina adds. “Cassie, I …”
The Savage Road: A post-apocalyptic survival series (A World Torn Down Book 2) Page 2
