7. She smells like teen-spirit
It was already pretty dark out when Hakima and Emily finally reached the Command Center. But it didn't take Hakima long to see what had happened.
"Poor bastards were overrun. Be on your guard."
"How can you tell they were overrun? They could've just left?"
"Are we even looking at the same scene here?"
Emily started to say something, but Hakima cut her short by raising a hand, "Don't answer that. Look, whatever happened here, they never made it to their vehicles. Get your gun out and expect to use it. See that raised container there? That's the Command Center that was used for the Atlanta-purge. It shouldn't be here anymore, but it is. So that's where we need to be. We can lock it from the inside and spend the night in safety, and maybe I can get some info and answers."
"Hey, if the Command Center is safe, maybe we can stay here longer, right?"
"No way, there are trucks, medical supplies and more weapons than we can carry. This place is a magnet for every wannabe action-hero for miles around. We should do what we need to do here and move on, but I rather have a safe place to wait out the night."
Even to Hakima's relief, they made it to the container without incident. As an icing on the cake, the container was deserted. Hakima closed the door and locked it. It went pitch-dark. Hakima slowly lowered herself and then stretched out on the floor.
"I can't see anything.", Emily said with a small voice.
"Don't worry, the only monster here is I. Get prone and try to get some z's. Tomorrow we'll give this place a one-over, get supplied and move on. Now be silent, sound carries far enough as it is."
Hakima sighed and stopped moving. For a few hours she listened to Emily softly crying and sobbing herself to sleep. Hakima spend time some wondering how the girl survived the purge. Odds out there are stacked heavily against someone like that. Emily was stereo-typical. Blonde and clueless.
Hakima directed her attention elsewhere. There was commotion outside. Voices. Hakima cursed under her breath. If she hadn't been worrying about Emily, she was sure she would've picked up on what was going on outside a lot sooner. Emily would be the death of her, that much was certain. Quickly and eerily soundless, Hakima came to her feet and moved over to where Emily was lying. In one swift move she hauled the teenager up and restrained her with one hand while placing her other hand on the girl's mouth. Emily was too confused to fight back or scream.
"Hush."
The voices came closer to the Center and Hakima tightened her grip on Emily.
"Hey bro, I'm going to see what's in there.", one of the voices spoke.
"Forget it, we have to go, man. We have the drugs and the guns, I say we bounce."
"Bro, we haven't seen a zombie for hours."
"Our next roll will be snake-eyes. Forget that container and let's go!"
"Think it over, bro. There could be survivors hiding in there. Maybe a family with twin-daughters. One for you, one for me. Have us some fun. Woohee."
"What if they tried to trap zombies in there at first? You open the door and god knows how many zombies jump at you."
"All right, bro. You changed my mi- Behind you! Willis! NO! Willis!"
Calmly, Hakima listened to sounds of the struggle until it went quiet again. She was still restraining Emily who hadn't reacted or moved at all since Hakima had rudely hauled her to her feet. Hakima became aware of the young body pressing against hers. Warm. Soft. Nice. It would be so easy to-
Hakima shoved Emily forcefully away from her. It wasn't the first time she had feelings like that. She was ashamed of it, Ashamed that she would have sexual feelings for women, but actually entertaining the idea to force herself upon a 15 year old girl aroused her so deeply she felt like her abdomen were on fire. With all the things people close to her could rightfully accuse her of.., same-sex stat-rape?
"Whisper?"
"Stayawayfromme!", stammered Hakima as the implications of her feelings, what she almost had allowed herself to do, bounced off of the insides of her skull, "Allah! This isn't happening!"
Emily seemed to search her pockets, judging by the rustling sounds she was making.
"Ah, my 'Hello Kitty penlight keyring', wait."
Emily switched on her Hello Kitty penlight. It produced a weak beam of faltering light as she aimed it at Hakima, "Are you okay?"
"Give me some time..."
"You're crying! Did you hurt yourself?"
"I'm fine, I'm fine. You could have told me about your Hello Kitty penlight, you know.", Hakima remarked as she dried her eyes.
"You never asked if I had one.."
"I never was interested in that stuff. Hello Kitty, I mean."
"How old are you, anyway?"
Hakima shook her head to clear it, "Why you want to know?"
"Because you look so young. I thought you'd be much older from the stories I heard."
"I'm arabic, I could be 40 and look like 19. That's just how it is."
"You're not 40.", Emily said with the accusive undertone of someone who spotted a lie.
"23."
They stood there looking at eachother for a while and it made Hakima very uncomfortable.
"Whisper, why are you looking at me like that?"
"Look, can we go back to me being a total bitch to you and you being in near tears at everything I say? Please?"
"I... I was angry at you because you were mean to me all the time yesterday. But just then, when you were holding me to keep me silent so those men wouldn't come here... I realised you're trying to teach me, that you're trying to open my eyes to what's going on. I shot that zombie because you wanted me to, but now... You wanted me to shoot that zombie so that I, we, would be safe. You're just acting like a bitch. I know what you're running from. When it all comes down to it, you're just as scared and afraid as everybody else."
"Hey, now."
"Admit it."
"See? See what's happening? I told you I didn't want to bring you along. When I learned you're Deacon's kid, I let sentiment get the better of me and see what that got me? Do you think I would've spent the night here if not for you? I lost so much time already and every minute you're with me, is two minutes wasted. I just don't have the time for this. It should be light out. With some luck, whatever attacked those two guys out there has moved on and we can take their stuff."
"You can leave me, I know how to shoot now."
Hakima sighed, "Okay..,you know what I'm running from? The things I did and can't repair. And the things I might do if I give myself half the chance. I... Did your dad ever tell you why he accepted the posting in Hawaii? Didn't you think it was strange, sudden?"
"I know my parents had fights over it. Mum said dad had broken his career."
"That isn't the half of it. That's why your dad is such a good man, he still sees me as a friend regardless of what happened to him."
"How do you know that? We moved to Hawaii almost a year ago."
"I talked to him, over the phone, not just two days ago. I don't know why I keep calling him. Selfishness I guess. Maybe the guilty pleasure of being a homewrecker, I don't know. I know your parents were getting a divorce over it, so I guess that's why you're really in Atlanta."
Emily stood frozen and Hakima took the chance to gather up her weekender and to unlock the door to the outside. Sharp sunlight washed over her and she blinked into the light a few times. She spotted the remains of the men, not far from the container. There were a few walkers afoot, but not so many Hakima and Emily wouldn't be able to leave. Apart from the noises walkers make, it was suitably silent otherwise.
Hakima ducked back in and soflty closed the door again, "We need something else over guns. Those two guys were dicks, but they were smart. They had baseball-bats. Their 'corpses' are more or less right outside. We stay silent, move slowly over to them, get their gear and vanish."
"Did you and dad... you know..."
"As many times we could get away with until we got caught doing it one time. Everybody knew all along what was going on, we were warned to cut it out. If we had been told to go ahead and fuck eachother's brains out, it probably wouldn't have lasted that long. Anyway, when you get caught with your naked ass in the air asking for it up the shitter in the horniest voice possible while flying your best fuckface, there's not much denying it left. Can we go now?"
Emily suddenly lurched at Hakima, so sudden that they crashed to the floor. Emily threw punches left and right and wailed loudly. She was uncordinated and the punches that landed were weak. Hakima didn't bother to defend herself. After a little while, Emily stopped trying to beat Hakima to a pulp and just sat on top of her, sobbing uncontrollably.
Hakima reached in a sidepocket of her jacket and came up with a doo-rag. She reached up and started to clean Emily's face up with as much tenderness as she could muster.
"Look, I can't tell you that I didn't mean for all of his to happen. It would be a lie. I have pretty sick sexual fantasies and your dad went to town on it. I don't love your dad, I loved that nothing was too sick for him. But I like to think of him as the best friend I ever had and ever will have. He took the fall and made sure I was shielded. That's why I took you along when I found out who you were. For great justice. Heck if you want to, I'll let you beat me up everyday like clockwork, but now we have to go. You hear me? We have to go."
"Does that turn you on too, getting beaten?"
"Sheesh, Emily, what do you want me to say at this point? Collect yourself, level out and think about something else. Look outside and tell me it is not the end of the world. We have to go and daylight is burning."
"Take me to Hawaii, you said dad was still alive, so take me to Hawaii."
"I don't have to take you Hawaii, because your dad isn't there."
"MY DAD IS IN HAWAII!"
"Pipe down. He isn't in Hawaii, because I was supposed to meet him in a seedy motel not too far from here, to write a new episode in our sick-sex journal. I guess he'll understand why I didn't make it on time, but with a bit of luck he's still there. Knowing him, he probably took the weight of the world on his shoulders is organizing the people who are still alive so they can survive together. If that's the case, he'll be much slower than we are. If we press on, we can probably reach the motel in two days walking. Unless you want to waste more time feeling sorry for yourself and blaming me."
"You're lying, Whisper, you're lying all along. You wanted to go and find out where the United States still exists. You said so yourself. And now my dad is suddenly waiting at a motel to... to.. fuck you?"
"That was the plan. I saw no point in going the motel after Atlanta fell. Like it or not, I'm still a Marine. It kinda is my duty to check in, even though my time is almost up. But now I have you to take care off and I know where your father is. Your mother is gone, but I'll be mighty surprised if your dad got cashiered. That would be very unsportsman-like of him. So, Allah be witness, I'm going to bring you to him, probably goad him into taking it out on me a few times and then return to my original plan of returning to the fold."
"Why didn't you tell me before?"
"I was stupid enough to think I could keep it a secret and surprise you. Also hoped I would never have to tell you about your dad and I, but that I kinda bungled that too."
Emily opened her mouth to say something, but Hakima beat her too it, "Please don't ask me why I do the things I do. Just, you know, I feel things and that scare me. I look at you- You know what, it's not important. Please, I told you before that you can trust me. Come on, help me get up and we go find your dad."
