Fighting to Survive (7 page)

Stacey
sighed and looked back at Katie.
“
Don't
get me wrong. I'm glad Eric is involved with fort business, but
sometimes I just wish...
”
She let out another long sigh.
“
You
know, sometimes I wish we could just relax, for a moment, and be glad
we're with each other and safe. But it's always about scrambling to
be safer, scrambling to survive, scrambling to anticipate every
little thing that could go wrong.
”

“
I've
been thinking about that lately,
”
Katie confessed.
“
That
maybe we'll never know real peace ever again. You know that feeling
that the world is safe and sane. That we can get up in the morning
and there will be food on the table, a job to go to, a loved one to
curl up with at night. That the world humanity has created is
secure.
”
She was thinking of Lydia and their beautiful home again. She
blinked her eyes hard to fight back tears.

“
I
guess if that's true, then any little bit of happiness we find, we
should just hold onto it.
”
Stacey looked toward Eric. Katie knew from what Stacey had told her
that they had fallen slowly in love with each other as they struggled
to survive.
“
I
guess, maybe, just being here with him alive is enough.
”

Katie
found herself looking toward Travis.
“
Maybe,
”
she said at last.
“
Maybe.
”
She quickly began to fill the next box, shoving cans into neat
stacks inside.

Stacey
lifted her box onto the pallet behind them and reached for another
box stacked nearby.

“
Hey,
”
Travis said from behind them.

Katie
turned around and looked up into his face as he leaned over them.
Stacey sat back on her butt and let out a long, tired breath.

“
You
two have been in here long enough. Why don
’
t
you finish up your boxes then take a break?
”

Katie
nodded her head. Stacey looked relieved.

“
Thanks,
Travis,
”
Stacey said and swept as much of the remaining casserole boxes into
the box with one stroke of her arm.
“
Done!
”

Travis
laughed and helped her tape up the box and heave it onto the pallet.
Katie quickly stacked as much of the cans as she could into her box,
anxious to get out of the smelly store and take a break.

“
I'll
see you on the next shift,
”
Stacey said to Katie, and jogged out of the store into the bright
sunlight.

Katie
hurriedly packed her box and waited for Travis to move on. But he
didn't. He squatted down next to her and helped her pack the box.
She didn't know what to say, but it felt awkward not to talk to him.
She searched for words, but all the ones that felt ready to slip off
her tongue where not ones she was ready to say.

“
It
looks like we'll be able to get this area secure by tonight,
”
Travis finally said.
“
So
we can go into the hotel tomorrow or the following day.
”

“
It
will feel good to get into it and spread out. I adore Nerit, but I
need my own space,
”
Katie confessed.

“
It
is hard to find actual alone time around here, isn't it?
”
Travis smiled at her warmly.
“
But
it's kinda lonely at the same time.
”

She
finally looked up at him and saw his hazel eyes were staring at her
flushed face.
“
I'm
sorry.
”
It was all she could think to say.

“
I
miss you,
”
he said.
“
We
rarely talk.
”

“
I
have a lot on my mind,
”
she answered lamely.

Travis
started to say one thing, then visibly changed his mind. He closed
his mouth, thought for a second, then said,
“
I
just want to be your friend.
”

“
No,
you don't,
”
Katie corrected him in a soft voice. She was painfully aware of all
the people in the store, packing boxes, breaking down shelves, and
cleaning up. This was not a conversation she wanted overheard and
repeated around the fort. She was scandalous enough with the
whispers going about that she was a lesbian.

He
winced, but nodded his head in agreement.
“
But
I can settle for being your friend.
”
He folded the box flaps over and reached for the tape.

Katie
rested her hands on the box and leaned toward him.
“
I
need time to think.
”

“
Being
friends with me is not a threat to your memory of your wife,
”
Travis whispered.

She
couldn't answer him without giving herself away, so she busied
herself by grabbing the marker and writing in bold letters on the
side. She could feel Travis' gaze searching her expression for
clues, seeking to understand. It made her nervous. She wanted him
to walk away before he figured it out.

“
Or
is it?
”

Her
green eyes flicked upwards and she saw that he was suspicious of her
silence. Maybe something in her gaze gave her away, because he took
her gloved hand in his. She started to yank away, but only managed
to pull her hand out of the glove. Travis caught her fingers gently
in his and held her hand. He didn't seem to mind that they were
sweaty.

“
Katie,
I'm not a threat to the memory of your wife, am I?
”
Travis asked in a whisper.

She
could feel tears in her eyes and it was hard to speak. At last she
was able to say,
“
Please...
”

The
word could mean many different things, but, surprisingly, Travis
seemed to understand.
“
Okay.
”

There
was a spark of hope in his gaze now and she averted her eyes quickly.
She knew she had opened up the door to her heart. It may have been
just a crack, but she was terrified.

“
I
better go check on how things are going,
”
Travis said finally. He let go of her hand. He pulled out a bag of
M & Ms from his shirt pocket and handed it to her.
“
It's
a bit mushy still. I have a feeling there will be a run on the
chocolate soon, so have this.
”

Katie
couldn't help but smile despite herself.
“
Giving
me chocolates now, huh?
”

“
I'm
just a romantic kinda guy.
”
He winked.

Her
gaze followed him as he walked away. She looked down at the bag of
candy and allowed herself a small smile.

3. Safety In Twos

Juan handed Jenni
the bag of Doritos. Seated on the wall, side by side, they could see
the final shift mopping the floor of the Dollar Store. Night had
come and the air was cool as it ruffled their hair and dried the
sweat on their tanned limbs.

“
Are
we really ready?
”
Jenni yanked the top of the bag open and pulled a chip out. The
smell was amazing and she breathed it in deeply.

“
Yep.
Eric gave the okay on the bricked up windows and the reinforced
doors. And it doesn't smell so much like zombie in there anymore,
”
Juan said, and grinned.

“
Yum.
The smell of Doritos is so much better.
”
Jenni pulled a chip out and munched it down with relish.

Juan
laughed and shook his head.
“
Ah,
the simple things in life.
”

“
Are
we going in tomorrow morning?
”
Jenni looked over her shoulder at the dark countenance of the hotel.
“
Or
what?
”

“
Travis
is going to make the call after inspecting the new area one more
time. He's really nervous about all this. He hates the idea of
putting anyone at risk. He even put himself on one of the teams to
go into the hotel.
”

“
Travis
hates guns,
”
Jenni said in disbelief.

“
Yeah,
but he's doing that whole thing where the leader won't ask his people
to do what he won't do.
”
Juan shrugged.
“
Since
I've known him he's been like that. He is annoyingly good at times.
”

“
Not
a bad boy like you, huh?
”
Jenni elbowed her boyfriend and stuffed another chip in her mouth.

Juan
pulled off his cowboy hat and smoothed out his hair with one hand.
“
Yeah,
he can't stand up to my cool factor.
”

With
a smirk, Jenni leaned her head on his shoulder and continued to watch
as the last crew mopped the floors inside. One of the women, a red
head named Katarina, stood watch at the sentry post nearby. Jenni
didn't know her too well, but knew she was a good shot. As more
people came into the fort, the dynamic was changing. It wasn't just
the townies anymore that made up the fort's population. People from
other towns had joined them. Each new person contributed in some way
where it benefited everyone. Jenni thought it was good to have
diversity.

Of
course, Jenni's contribution was as the loca zombie killer and she
was fine with that. She ate another chip and crunched it loudly. It
felt good to be on the brink of something new and big. The fort was
about to grow in a dynamic way. Taking the hotel would change
everything. Unless they failed. But then again, that would change
everything.

“
You
be careful in there,
”
Juan said softly beside her. He was staring at her face as she
chewed her chips. His finger lightly slid down the bridge of her
nose.
“
Nothing
crazy okay. I know you're loca, but try to curb your natural loca
tendencies.
”

Jenni
grinned at him.
“
I'll
come back out alive. I've got too much to live for. Like giving you
hell and eating Doritos.
”
She popped another chip.

He
laughed and slid an arm around her waist.

Jenni
savored the flavor of the chip she was eating and the feel of Juan's
arm around her. She had no intention of dying. There was no way in
hell she was going to let a zombie get her. She had not survived
this long to die. She now had Juan in her life and she wanted to be
with him forever. She had a new family and a new life. That was worth
fighting for. Looking toward the swarthy man with the dark green
eyes, she grinned.