Chapter 4

Nikole Hammond

Men were pigs, that's all there was to it. Even this Salone guy, with all this shit going on, was eyeing me up. I could feel his eyes on me as I walked back towards the armory. Even Alex had snuck a look or two. Even when there were corpses running around the streets, I guess it never occured to them that women might not be the highest of priorities? Idiots, all of them. But I needed Alex. So far he had protected me, and he didn't look like the kind of guy that would try things, so...yeah, I needed him for now. But this Salone guy? Just, no. He wasn't cool at all. And to make things worse...this gun was getting heavy.

I more or less dropped the thing after I made it inside the doors. Oh well...Alex could fix it, he seemed like he knew how to use a gun. Boys thought they were so cool because they could shoot each other. Pointless.

The sky was turning a deep shade of dark blue as the two numb-nuts came in. Salone was carrying a grill and a few cans of soup piled on top. Apparently, He'd made Alex carry the rest, what looked like a lighter and some junk food. Some supplies. I leaned against one of the lockers, watching them as they put everything down.

"So, which one of you boys is cooking?"

Alex looked at me as he straightened up. He caught some of his lazy breath before he replied.

"You know, I vas sinking. I 'ave not seen you do anysing productive yet, Neekole. Per'aps you would like to cook?"

Me? Cook? For them?

"If you think I'm going to cook for you two, you are seriously mistaken."

He blinked. Salone pursed his bottom lip. Just a glance told me he was trying to figure me out. I'd have to deal with him later. Alex did seem to be easily cowed, though.

"Alright, fine. I vill cook. Be varned though: I am not as skeelled with a spoon as I am vith a gun."

I smirked, giving Salone an evil look before pushing off the wall and walking back further into the building. It was going to be a cold night. Maybe those army guys had some sleeping bags lying around before they were eaten...I stretched, sitting down and leaning my back against a wall. In all honesty, I wasn't as mean as I made myself look to those two. I just didn't want them getting the wrong ideas. I had always tried to think things out, and my life had given me a lot to think with and about. If I seemed too dependant, they might see me as easy to take advantage of. I had to be smart, I had to establish that I wasn't going to stand for anything.

I took a breath before taking a look around, finding nothing but a door on the far wall. I closed my eyes... This whole mess about zombies was just unreal. Zombies weren't supposed to be real. They just weren't. How did they even get here in the first place? How? It didn't make any sense. They had killed what seemed like everyone. Everyone but us...but no. No, there were over six billion people on earth. Somewhere, there had to be someone else alive...fighting.

I opened my eyes again. Above the door on the far wall, there were a set of words I had missed earlier. I sounded out the words "Caution: Firearms, authorized personnel only". If these boys thought that they were the only one that could shoot, they had another thing coming. I got up, walking over to the door. The grin left my face though when I discovered the door was locked. However...

Crowbars had always worked nicely when it came to opening things. There were all sorts of various sizes of them littered over the place, so finding one wasn't hard. Instead of attacking the door though...I pulled my hand back, driving the crowbar into the top door hinge. The sound rang loudly throughout the place, but I wasn't concerned. If anything happened, Alex could fight it off. He seemed quite capable. I gave the hinge a few more hits before it clattered to the ground, the curved part of the bar making an excellent wedge. Wriggling it in between the now-bent door and the frame, I pushed it back and forth, widening the hole. After loosening it, I went for the second hinge. It was easier, with already being strained by the door moving. I pushed the door in, causing it to clatter and ring against the concrete floor. After waving my hand in front of my face to get rid of the dust, I looked around.

The entire room was decorated with guns. I picked one up off the near wall as I stepped in, one that looked familiar. It was black, with a folding stock and a laser under the barrel. I grabbed what looked like a couple of clips for it, stuffing it in my jean pockets. I heard the hurried footsteps of something from outside the doorway. I turned, aiming my gun as I stared down the barrel of a much larger gun. It was only Alex. Breathing a sigh of relief, we both let our guns down, looking at each other, before he opened his big mouth.

"M4A1 Carbine. Food is ready."

From what sounded far off, it seemed like I could hear the muffled choking noises of someone trying to swallow soup.