Terribly sorry this chapter took so long! I like having at least a first draft of the next chapter done before updating and I was just having major writers block, and I was busy with school and clubs for a while as well. I'll stop churning out excuses and hope I can be forgiven. Enjoy the chapter, and thank you so much for reading!
"Alright, guys," Pete said, dumping the contents of a plastic bag on the ground between himself, Myka, and Helena. "This is the last of the food until tomorrow, so make it last."
Myka eyed what was on the ground: a small bag of beef jerky, and some dried mango. She reached for the jerky, but then opted for the mango. She opened the package and took a piece out and bit into it, then she held out the open bag to Helena, offering her some.
Helena didn't notice though. "Tomorrow?" she questioned. "What's tomorrow?"
Pete and Myka both looked at her. "How much did Artie tell you before dropping you off with us?" Myka asked.
Helena shrugged. "Just 'you'll be working with agents Lattimer and Bering to kill zombies'."
"That's it?"
Helena nodded. "It was a very brief debriefing."
Pete laughed. "Well, at the end of each month, Artie picks us up and we head back to the Warehouse," he said. "The Warehouse is what we call base. We stay there about a week, sleep in actual beds, relax. They're like our days off. Then on the first of the next month, it's back to work, but Artie still stops by once a week to get us supplies and stuff."
"You get…vacation days?" Helena asked, bewildered.
"Yep!" Pete exclaimed. "And we don't have to worry about zombies. No place safer than the Warehouse!"
Helena still looked a little confused so Myka tried explaining a bit more. "This is still technically our job," she said. "We could be in one of the safe houses with family and friends, but we choose to be out here, trying to help the world get back to normal…eventually. They just want us to be comfortable for a bit and have time to recuperate."
Helena nodded. "Huh," she muttered. "The only way to get out of the job back in England was injury or death."
Myka looked at her sympathetically, and Pete stopped chewing on the piece of jerky that was in his mouth. Myka reached out and put a hand on Helena's back. "Things are different here. Maybe you'll get to enjoy yourself a little," she said with a smile, and took out a piece of dried mango and offered it to Helena.
"I think I already am," Helena said, returning the smile, and graciously accepting the piece of fruit.
"Okay you two, stop flirting," Pete said jokingly, but Myka quickly broke her gaze with Helena, blushing furiously. Helena just smirked and continued looking at Myka. "And for the love of god, don't eat it all right now!"
"But I'm hungry right now," Helena pouted.
"And you'll probably be hungry again later," Pete replied. "It has to last until tomorrow. Not this afternoon or later tonight. Tomorrow."
"So that's why you're in charge of the food," she remarked. "Spoil sport." She glanced to Myka who was still blushing, but giggled at the comment nonetheless.
Pete rolled his eyes. "Just put away what's left and let's head out. We could check out that building over there?" He pointed down the street to a very dilapidated, eerie-looking building. It looked like a small shop, maybe a thrift store or pawn shop. The walls were covered in what looked like old blood and guts, the windows were so dusty you couldn't see through them from this distance, and it looked like the roof had caved in. "It looks a little suspicious if you ask me."
"Pete, nobody's lived in cities for over a year," Myka pointed out. "Everything looks a little suspicious."
"Whatever, just, come on!" Pete shoved the jerky in his backpack and jumped up. Myka rolled her eyes. She gave another mango piece to Helena and took one more for herself before putting the bag in her own backpack and following Pete.
The team made their way down the street to the shop Pete pointed out. They stopped next to it and set down their backpacks.
"I'm going to try to peek through the window and see what's inside," Myka said. She moved to the front of the building, rubbed at the glass wall a little to remove some of the dirt, and peered inside. A few seconds later she came back around to the two waiting for her. "Shit Pete, you were right. Good call!" Pete gave her a thumbs up and a grin. "There's at least ten of them in there, maybe more."
Pete rubbed his hands together and grinned. "So, Mykes, what's the plan?"
"I can head in through the front with my knife and take them head-on." She turned to Pete. "Pete, you can follow after me; be ready with your gun to take down any I can't get to. HG, there's probably a back entrance you can—"
When Myka turned to Helena, she was gone. They peered around the corner just in time to see her kick open the front doors, wielding her sword, and disappear into the shop.
"Son of a bitch."
Myka and Pete ran after Helena, guns out, and ready to attack full force. When they entered the shop, Helena was taking down three zombies at once. Myka shot at one that lunged at her, and it fell to the ground, dead. Pete took down one that was about to grab Myka from behind. She'd have to remember to thank him for that later. They fired at a few more zombies that were a little behind at reaching their intruders.
Helena had five dead zombies on the floor around her, some decapitated, some with their heads chopped open, some you couldn't even tell what was done to them, but they were dead nonetheless. It was quite a sight. She turned to Pete and Myka, a triumphant grin on her face. "That wasn't so bad." However, when Myka raised her gun and aimed it at the English woman, her eyes grew wide. "Myka…"
Myka fired, but instead of hitting Helena, she hit a zombie that was about to attack her from behind. It fell to the ground with a thud. That was the last one. Myka glared at Helena for a few seconds, before storming angrily out of the shop.
Helena was just about to run out after her, but something caught her eye. It was apparent that this place used to be a thrift store, and she spotted something on the counter. She admired it for a few seconds with a small smile on her face before picking it up and shoving it in her pocket. Then she followed Myka out of the store, leaving Pete alone inside.
"What the fuck was that?!" Myka wasted no time in confronting the other woman as soon as Helena joined her outside.
"You're angry," Helena stated.
"Of course I'm angry! You could've died!" Myka exclaimed.
"I knew you'd have my back."
"Okay, but why the hell did you do it in the first place?!" Myka asked. She was enraged.
"I don't see the point in strategizing," Helena replied. "Those things lack intelligence, organization, everything except sheer force. There's no way to predict what move they're going to make. I've learned the best approach is to just attack. It's either kill or be killed, and personally, I'd rather just kill." Myka said nothing. She just continued to glare at Helena. "You're angry, I realize that, I just…"
"You pull that shit again, I might not have your back next time." It was both a warning and a concern. Myka was angry, yes, but she was also worried that if Helena did that again, she might not get there in time. They were getting closer, but Myka still barely knew the woman. And yet the thought of losing Helena terrified her.
Helena picked up on the fear in Myka's voice and realized what she was implying. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again." Myka looked up and their eyes met. "I promise."
Myka nodded her head but walked off; she needed time to calm herself. Helena was alone for only a moment before Pete came outside, tossing and catching an old baseball she assumed he acquired from the store. He was grinning.
Pete caught the ball once more, and looked away from it. He noticed the hurt and concerned look on Helena's face. "Don't worry," he said. "Myka likes you now so she won't stay mad for too long." He tossed the baseball to Helena, who caught it and smiled.
"I hope so," she said, and tossed the ball back to Pete.
