Keep Going (Book 1): The Beginning (14 page)

“Hang on a second.” Soldier said.

She got out of the ladder’s space and stepped to the side. Her back straight and her arms crossed she faced him ready for a fight. Yet he wasn’t there to fight. She had met this man as a drunken fool but then he revealed himself to be a soldier. Now though he looked just scared. His hands twitched as he looked anywhere but her.

Alex uncrossed her arms and relaxed her posture in hopes that he would speak again. He cracked his knuckles before reaching one hand behind him. He pulled out the revolved that Alex had given him and cradled it in his hands as if it weighed more then gold. Her stomach turned at the sight of it. She had been so angry and frustrated at the time now she felt horrible at the thought. Her posture slacked even more in grievance looking at the gun not willing to meet his eye.

“I’m not a revolver type of guy.” He chuckled.

He brought his eyes up turning the revolver in his hands and holding out the handle to Alex. She had prepared herself to be yelled at. She cautiously moved grasping the handle. It somehow felt like it was freezing despite being in the hands of the solider. She pulled it towards her but he didn’t let go yet forcing her eyes to his.

He wanted her to see the fight in his eyes; the willingness to survive that he was indeed a good man; a good soldier.

She responded with a nod of acknowledgement and released his hold. She tucked the gun in the back of her pants and smiled.

“Remind me to turn your gun. Don’t want you unarmed.” He smiled proudly as they descended back into the shed.

16

The three stood at the bottom of the ladder for a second trying to figure out what to do next. All Alex saw was how Maggie still had not moved can of peaches untouched. She had had enough of this childish act. There was a place and time when to act scared and this wasn’t it. They were all scared, she wasn’t special.

“Start packing.” She said before strolling towards Maggie.

“What’re you doing?” Petey asked concerned.

“Handling it.”

Her stride showed anger that she was ready to unleash. Coming up to the woman kneeling on the floor, she kicked the can of peaches that were left untouched drawing attention to her.

“Get up.” All sympathy gone.

“I said get up now.” Her voice held such a command it made the two men take a step back.

Not getting a response Alex let out a load growl and reached down. Grabbing Maggie by the collar of her shirt she dragged her up. Startled by the forcefulness she struggled to gain her footing but Alex and her anger was holding up most of her weight. The roughness snapped the men out of their thoughts and they rushed towards the two.

“Alex.” Petey said.

“No. Enough is enough.” She growled.

She pulled Maggie closer so that she could feel the warmth of her breath upon her lips, their noses almost touching.

“I have been patient. I have been nice but no more.” Fear rose in Maggie at the cold tone.

“I can’t…”She whimpered.

Alex shook her stopping her pitiful words.

“There is no more ‘I’ or ‘Me’ anymore; only ‘we’ and ‘us’ now.” She loosened her grip Maggie stumbled back a little but still felt the clenching of her shirt.

“We’ve carried your ass here but no more.” Maggie snarled at the words her, anger and fury finally coming to the surface.

“What’re
we
going to do?” She pulled on the word. “We got no safe place, there are zombies out there. We are fucking fucked!”

She got her footing and pushed against Alex’s hold. She released her but didn’t step away. Yes, this was the fight she wanted from the girl. She needed her to fight; she needed to push her harder.

“What’re you going to do? Uh? Drop to your knees and just give up? Waste away in here?” Alex knew what she had to say. Knew that this wasn’t enough, she knew exactly what to do to get the fire in this girl. Alex crawled into the depth of her mind. She chuckled darkly to herself. Rubbing her thumb against the small scar forming on the bottom of her lip. She cracked her neck ready to fight.

“Or you going the way of your boyfriend?” Alex said mockingly.

Maggie’s body tensed. She knew she had hit a never, Maggie was hiding this but no more Alex was going to push her right into the deep end.

“You know, Charlie? The guy you never asked what happened to when I came back alone and covered in blood.” She started to pace.

“I know what happened to him.” Her voice was soft and weak. She didn’t know shit.

Alex laughed again louder this time sounding like a mad man. It brought all of their eyes to her and she stopped her pacing.

“I don’t think you do.” Alex smirked.

“When we first discovered those things he wanted to leave your ass in the bunker with no defense and no idea what was really out there. Then he ran like a bitch.” She stalked closer. “We tried to escape we really did but they got him anyway. I tried to help him. He dug his nails into my arm to make sure I wouldn’t let go but they still got him.”

She stopped directly in front of Maggie. Leaning her face in close, her arms folded behind her back. She looked the woman up and down as if sizing her up. Maggie felt a shiver run down her back as it felt like Alex was peering into her very soul.

“You know what they did when they got him?”

“Stop.” Maggie begged. “Please stop.”

“They tore him apart. The dug they’re hands into his flesh and ripped it apart, shoving piece by piece into their mouths. Enjoying him like he was Thanksgiving dinner.”

In a blink of an eye Alex had taken a large step back as Maggie had taken out her gun pointing it straight at her. The action had the men pulling their own guns out raised ready to fight.

“I said stop it.” She said through clenched teeth.

Alex said nothing, didn’t flinch instead moved closer. She motioned for the men behind her to lower their weapons. They didn’t listen however feeling as though Alex had gone a bit mad. Seeing the gun nestled at the center of Alex’s chest had them terrified but not her. Her eyes were the ever blank and unforgiving.

“Charlie stood up. He got up just like one of them. His eyes turned the most beautiful glowing blue and the blood on his clothes went perfect with his new soft snow white skin.” She said.

Maggie screamed as the she pulled the trigger. The gun only made a soft click again and again as she pulled the trigger repeatedly. She let out a heavy breath she didn’t notice she was holding in. Alex rolled her eyes and grabbed the gun. Popping open the chamber to show that it was void of any bullets.

“It’s empty.” Petey whispered as he lowered his own weapon. Alex nodded popping the chamber closed and tossing it to him.

“It was empty! You gave me an empty gun!” Maggie screeched.

Alex shrugged unapologetically. Her body was relaxed as she stood, her legs apart and her arms behind her back. Looked like she was bracing herself to take a hit but knew that one would mostly not come no matter how much she stirred the girl up.

“I did. Told you I wasn’t going to die because you can’t handle yourself.” Alex admitted. “I would have let you die. Just like Charlie I would have tried to save you but in the end the weak die.”

“So you’ve got two choices; stay here and rot or come with us.” She said matter of fact. Maggie pondered the offer she was given. She knew that she wouldn’t survive alone not for a second. In the end it was not really a choice. It was never a choice for her.

“Okay.” She nodded giving in.

“Good.” Alex picked up the half spilled peaches and pushed into Maggie’s hand. “Now eat your food.”

17

Alex wondered why there was so much liquor in this shed but this time she was really grateful for it. As the bottle of vodka made the dinner of canned beans, dry oatmeal and beef jerky into a feast for them.

After everything, they needed this. They needed the Soldier making a bad joke about Petey and a small gun and he flipping him off in response. They needed Alex making just as bad of a joke causing Petey to blush and drop his head while Maggie spat out her drink not being able to hold back her laugh.

This was needed.

Sleep was also needed as the overdramatized stories turned to soft mutters and the howling laughter into yawns. They got up from the table going their separate ways to find a private area to doze off. Only after a particularly loud bang that had them drawing their weapons did they think better to sleep near each other.

Using the blankets and pillows from their own backpack and around the shed they created a little nest. Settling close to each other but with just enough space that if someone rolled over they wouldn’t land on each other.  The banging on the door had settled down to a soft tapping. The rhythm becoming a twisted sort of lullaby that ushered them into a dreamless sleep or at least it had for most of them.

The army had trained soldier to be constantly alert. So when he heard a soft patting closer then other noises, he shot up, gun raised. Yet there was no enemy in sight. He lowered his weapon as he saw Alex walk back and forth between the door and the ladder. The soft patting sound had come from her socks hitting the floor with every calculated step.

He settled his gun to his side and drew his knees up. Maybe the dark haired woman would just go back to sleep but no such luck as she did it again. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, yawning loudly but it didn’t interfere with her task.

“It’s 200 feet.” He mumbled tiredness dripping from his voice.

“It’s 213 steps to be exact.” She flashed a smile never stopping.

He stood up stretching and walked over mindful not to step on the other two. He looked at her black socks as she placed one foot in front of the other carefully. She must have taken off her shoes in hopes not to arouse anybody from their sleep.

He noticed on the table there were several folders with government stamps on them. He settled down at the bench and flipped one open.

“Light reading?” He said.

“Well if I’m going to die, I at least want to know the reason why.”

He put the folder down and looked up. She had stopped her pacing and gave him a shrug.

“You’re not going to-“ He couldn’t promise that.

He couldn’t promise that she would survive tomorrow. So he didn’t. The soldier lifted up the folder again and began reading the documents inside listening when the soft patter started up again.

There were a lot of orders and basic information until the second page then it got interesting. His eyes skimmed over each word with delicacy it was the truth, the truth about everything and the lies they had been told. His stomach turned as he leaned forward resting his elbows on the table but not willing to lower the words.

“So that’s what really happened?” He uttered.

“I figured you knew.” She said.

There was no accusation in her tone. He rubbed his chin at the hollow felling form in his stomach but continued to read. How could they do such a thing? And if she really thought he knew how could she still be around him?

He shook his head.

“No, they told us the same lie they told everyone. Oh God.”

He nearly puked at the photos in the back. Why would they have such photos? Their poor twisted bodies. He looked away; he needed a break for a second. He listened as Alex moved to the table behind him. He felt a gentle touch on his back.

“Yeah, I forgot to warn you about the photos. I wouldn’t look in the green folder it’s pretty bad.” She admitted.

He snapped it shut and grabbed the purple folder. He hadn’t even noticed the different colors until she meantioned them. There was a whole rainbow of secrets in these folders. Snapping it open he read more as she pulled her hand. As gasp escaped him as he read the first page, that’s all he needed to read as he shut and turned it around.

“What?” She asked as he faced her.

His face was riddled with guilt and pain. It mirrored much of the first encounter they had. Alex began to worry that he would slip away again. He couldn’t, they needed him.

“The order it’s…” He couldn’t even say it. “I guess it’s a good thing you didn’t get here in time then.”

Alex turned away ‘oh that order’. She had read that single page over and over again. It made a lot of sense about what went down and how this place came to crash and burn. She nodded.