Chapter 4: The Tiger

On the following day, the weather is chilly, but the roads are easy to hike on. Christian even lucks out when he notices a rabbit burrow. That's one extra meal.

About twenty miles out of Virginia, the duo finally managed to find a log cabin with a working chimney. The humble cabin was completely bare inside and the fireplace had definitely been used within the past few months. This was unsurprising given that many people traveled this path. Although Christian was uncomfortable with the prospect of someone else coming through, the winter night was closing in and the small area and large furnace were crucial for heat. It was an old building with creaky floors, but it would get the job done.

Christian went to work setting up small game traps and Ana at finding dry wood around the premises. Once the fire was going, the two travelers unpacked their thick wool blankets right in front of the fire. The chill of the night quickly crept in and the snow and wind picked up in minutes. Ana did find it particularly cold today, but never thought snow would be an issue this early on.

"It's bad out there." Christian disarms his rifle, leans it against the side of the sole window, then sits in front of the fire. He moves to sharpening his knife — he can hear the whistling of the wind through the cracks in the walls.

Ana settles next to him while hugging herself, trying to get warm. She peers out the window and can barely see past the snow barreling down outside, "Do you think it will die down by the morning?"

"We can't travel otherwise." Christian responds without answering. He wipes down his blade and places it back in its holster on his belt.

Ana opens her backpack and begins rummaging through her cooking supplies. She takes out a small cast iron pan and some supplies. The long journey has made her famished, "Let me make us something to eat."

Christian looks over, he's hungry as well, but doesn't want to rely on Ana's work, "You go ahead, I'm good for the night."

"Christian we just walked all day, we ate five hours ago." Ana places the pan flush against the fire for heat. Using a cloth on the floor for some semblance of a sanitary environment, Ana thinly slices a potato and tosses it in the pan with a piece of pork fat.

Ana hears rumbling and smirks as she realizes it's Christian's stomach, "Sounds like someone's hungry."

Christian frowns, upset that his body betrayed him. The smell of food wafting in the air is too appealing to pass up, "I got that rabbit we caught earlier. I could cut a piece off before I let it freeze in the cold"

"That'd be perfect, toss it on." Ana smiles gently, happy Christian can be amicable. She has the sense to also warm up a mug of water to make coffee. Hot drinks were perfect for warming the body.

Soon they're both enjoying their meal straight out of the pan to the sound of increasing winds.

"We made it a good distance today, I'm thinking we can make it as far as Michigan if we travel all day tomorrow."

"How many times have you taken this route?" Ana grabs a morsel of rabbit and pops it into her mouth.

Christian thinks back, "About eight times, starting from different states."

"Run into trouble?"

"Occasionally."

Ana patiently waits for Christian to explain himself, taking a sip of her coffee.

Christian looks hesitant, but continues, "There was a couple once, waiting at that bridge we passed today. The man had a Rueger, but the woman just had a knife. I didn't even see her at first, seeing as the man had me at gunpoint."

"They let you live?" Ana is surprised by this, lone survivors usually never came back. Nobody would risk letting them off alive.

Christian shifts uncomfortably, leans back and glances outside. He remembers breaking the man's wrist and dispatching him with his own gun, the wailing woman lashing out at him with a pocket knife. He could not calm her down, she wouldn't stop trying to kill him. She managed to gash his forearm. He didn't think he had much of a choice, but maybe he did.

Ana notices Christian's now somber state, she wonders if he's embarrassed about being robbed. He seems to be afraid to show any sign of weakness. She offers him her mug of coffee to share, he silently grips it and takes a sip.

"I brought a pistol if it comes down to that." Ana admits.

Christian already knew that, he noticed the shape in her right pocket. Knowing what you're up against is part of the trade, you either learned it or died trying. He didn't like to picture Ana using it, but he knew she deserved more credit than he gave her. He passes the cup back to her, "They will kill you if you draw it."

"I'll be killed if I don't." Ana counters.

"Be careful Ana." Christian gets up to stretch. He grabs the raw rabbit and opens the outside door quickly. He is greeted by the biting air and onslaught of snow. He quickly stuffs the meat in a small bank of snow right in front of the door. It's brutal out there, but at least meat was able to last longer. He shuts the door and begins preparing to sleep, taking off his gloves and boots.

Ana's not ready to sleep yet, it's too cold to drift off at the moment. She finishes the coffee and begins to wipe down the cookware.

"Thanks for dinner." Christian surprises himself by his courtesy. They have exchanged many meals since the start of their journey, but Ana's interactions with Remington and Ethan made him realize something he was missing. His father never said thank you, there wasn't anything to be thankful for. All he had was a boy to look after and the clothes on his back. As far as his father was concerned, Christian was a parasite that for some reason he never stomped out.

Ana tilts her head and looks at Christian in caution. She notices this is unusual behavior for Christian, but finds his attempt endearing, "You caught that rabbit, but it's no problem regardless."

Christian knows this, but didn't want to appear ungrateful for her contributions. For some reason he cared if she hated him. Christian settles down and wraps the blanket around himself, "We got a big day ahead, better catch some sleep."

Although she knows she can't sleep, Ana finally settles into her blanket as well. She focuses on the webs in the corner of the room and the sound of the crackling fire — lost in thought. This is their fifth day without Remington and Ethan. She's been sleeping side by side with a murderer by herself, albeit a polite murderer.

She wanted to be there when Remington and Ethan found out where her father was, but she never imagined she would need to do this herself. Ana doesn't know if she can do this by herself. What could she do to get him to open up? What could she offer him that he didn't already have?

Ana isn't sure how much time has passed, but she can tell by Christian's breathing that he's fallen asleep. She turns to her side to look at him, to study the man who became the conundrum of her life. She looks at the beard outlining his jaw, it's not a fully grown beard, although short, it did cover his entire chin and sideburns. She gazes down at his rising and falling chest and the contours of his arms. An idea strikes her. Sex.

Although Ana doubts Christian has never had sex, they've been traveling for nearly two weeks now with no other woman in sight. Not that such things were easy to acquire in any given town. Surely that would make seducing him that much easier.

She purses her lips in thought. It wouldn't be that straightforward though, there were a lot of other factors to consider. One would be if he was attracted to her at all. She thinks back to the way he looks at her, but behind his eyes it's hard to tell what he's thinking, they're fathomless. He could've been looking at her in disgust for all she knew.

Secondly, even if she managed to seduce him, that didn't guarantee that he would open up. It could even backfire, he could think less of her and possibly avoid talking to her further. And then of course there's pregnancy. Having a child is completely out of the question, much less with someone who potentially murdered her father. She could work her way around some of these obstacles, maybe she could try other things.

Ana stares at the space between them and sucks in a nervous breath. She adjusts her blanket next to his and shuffles closer to him. The fire is nice, but it's still freezing cold which is a perfect alibi. She gently places her hand on Christian's forearm and speaks, "Christian?"

Christian stirs and slowly opens his eyes.

"Christian, I'm freezing. Could you scoot over?" Ana attempts to make her voice soothing, not wanting to be abrupt.

Christian blinks again, for a moment thinking he's still sleeping. Ana's hand barely brings him back to consciousness, "Hmm?"

Ana doesn't wait for an answer. She scoots even closer and opens his blanket, pressing her back against his chest and wrapping herself in with him. Despite her intentions, the warmth of her startles Christian in a heartbeat. By instinct he had already wrapped his arms around her.

"Thank you... You're warm." Ana comments. Although she has her motives, she must admit that this could help her sleep much better. The biting cold was sedated.

Christian stiffens as his consciousness comes back to him, he hasn't been this close to a woman for a long time. He finds it a bit presumptuous of her to think he would be okay with this. Her presumption was right of course, but that's besides the point.

Still a bit groggy from sleep, he feels the top of her head under his chin. He contemplates removing his arms around her, but he didn't want to seem cold. He tries his best to relax against her.

Step one accomplished. Ana smiles, well he didn't seem repulsed by her. It's a start. She closes her eyes and pretends to be going back to sleep. She can't see how she could get any closer… Maybe shifting? She places her arm over his and shifts into his groin. It's bold.

She hears Christian gasp softly and shift himself. Did she do that on purpose? Christian glances below him and notices her eyes are closed. Her brunette hair frames her face gracefully in what appears to be peaceful sleep. He can feel her breasts under his forearms and her ass against his crotch. He's on edge with the feel of her body. He clenches his jaw, trying to bring his body to heel. It's not working.

He brushes her arm with his thumb and brings her closer. She can feel all of him now, pressed against her back. So, Mr. Grey does have a sex drive. She opens her eyes warily and looks up at him. She finds him looking down at her, eyes clouded with… lust?

"Christian?" Ana sounds unsure.

Christian is caught off guard, but brushes it off. His eyes move from her questioning blue eyes down to her plump lips. She notices where his focus is and they meet each other halfway with one soft kiss. It turns into several kisses then switches from exploration to passion. With both of their hearts beating in overdrive, Ana turns to face him. Christian brushes the side of her face and meets her in another kiss.

Step two accomplished. She knows she has his full attention, but wants to move this further. Without breaking away from his lips, she reaches the edge of his boxers and brushes the entrance there with the tips of her fingers. Christian responds by deepening the kiss. She takes that as a sign of encouragement and slides her hand through his boxers, taking a hold of him.

Christian freezes, "What are you doing Ana?" He looks to her hands down the front of his pants.

Ana looks him in the eye and nearly clamps up, but she can't abort now. She decides to be coy. Praying it will work, she moves her hand down his length slowly, "You're excited."

Christian hisses at the unexpected pleasure, but his face turns into one of resolve, "Ana, stop."

Ana notices the change in his expression and knows she has overstepped. She lets go of him and slides her hand back out of his boxers, but leaves her hand on his stomach.

Christian notices the look of disappointment on Ana's face and before he can stop himself he breathes out hurriedly, "I won't be able to stop."

Stop what? Ana looks at him in doubt.

He sees her confusion and sighs, "You'll get pregnant Ana."

Although he stopped her, his words bring on a new wave of encouragement for Ana. He's not stopping because he doesn't want her, he's stopping because he can't help himself. Ana traces the band of his boxers again, "We can try other things." Her tone sounds hopeful. Admittedly, she didn't want to go far tonight anyways. It was too high of a risk.

Her fingers are distracting, but he still attempts to reason with her and himself, "That's what I mean Ana, I don't know if I can stop there."

"I'll tell you what, I'll stop you if it goes too far." Ana bargains, her lips settling into a tight line, her eyes smoldering with want.

"You mad woman." Christian laughs while gripping her even tighter. He likes her tenacity, she's a dangerous lady.

Ana can see he's not upset. That's something. She lets her hand leave his waistline and grips his face again for another kiss. Christian complies and they get back into their rhythm of tongues and desperate lips pressing against one another. When he's sufficiently distracted again, Ana's hand wanders once again to the forbidden border. She reaches in and finds he's even more excited than previously and this time he lets her begin pleasuring him.

Mad woman. Sensual woman. Christian pauses the kiss to look into her knowing eyes.

He wants to feel all of her, but he needs to be careful, "Let me see you." He brushes a lock of her brown hair that was covering her face then tugs at the edge of her shirt. She reluctantly lets go of him to roll her shirt off, Christian helps her to remove her bra. He pulls back the blanket that's been covering them to look at her. He drinks in the sight of her. Ana likes the way he looks at her.

He bends down to take one of her breasts in his mouth and suck it gently. He lavishes attention on both of them. Ana gasps in surprise, clasping him by the nape of his neck.

Ana gently moves him off. Christian can barely take his eyes off of her breasts, but when he does he finds Ana's eyes. She looks at his chest and begins sliding his shirt off as well. He helps her, slipping it off with ease. She looks at his defined figure, her eyes flickering to the scar across his forearm. She glides her hands down his chest and stomach and pulls down his pants and boxers. Before Christian says another word, she has him in her mouth and begins bobbing up and down.

Christian arches back and grips her head in his hand. His voice is gruff, but he manages to gasp out "Ana…" in reverence. It's difficult for him to regain focus, but when he does he's entranced, watching her mouth gliding up and down him. Ana looks determined and carnal, the living picture of the word debauchery. To Christian's disappointment, it does not take very long to reach his tipping point. His muscles tighten and his eyes nearly roll back as he reaches his climax. When he's in control again, he watches Ana smiling at him, proud of her accomplishment.

Christian waits until his breathing is even then pulls his boxers back up. He hugs Ana to him and rolls them both on their sides, pressing a hard kiss on her lips. "Mad woman." He accuses, giving her another peck.

Ana chuckles, leaning her head on his chest, "A mad man makes a mad woman." Ana listens for Christian to fall back to sleep.

Her sexual encounter stirs a memory from long ago.

—

February 14th, 2035

Ray Steele is a picture of concentration, underneath the yellow lights with glasses perched on his nose he's carefully suturing a patient. The sheen of sweat across his forehead is the only indication of how physically taxing the surgery is going. His daughter, Ana, stands by nervously awaiting his instructions.

"Scissors." Ray commands, performing his last loop and knotting the string.

She hands him the tool he needs and gets ready for the next step. She watches him cut off the absorbable suture and remove his gloves. She moves to clean the wound and apply gauze.

Ray comes back with clean hands to check Ana's work, "That'll do."

Mrs. Jones enters to clean the work area which is filled with smeared blood and medical packaging.

Ana looks at the breathing form on their metal table, "Will she be okay?"

Lifting his glasses, Ray rubs his eyes. They had been trying to save this woman's life for nearly eight hours, "Only time will tell. We'll pump her with antibiotics and keep her wounds clean for now."

Together they exit the work area and are met with many of Rushmere's citizens sitting in the waiting area.

José immediately stands up to meet Ana and Ray, "How is she?"

"We stopped the bleeding, we can only wait now."

Ana frowns, her father gives her too much credit. There was no "we", she simply handed him medical instruments.

"Thank you Dr. Steele." José is simply glad the surgery went right. He understood his wife's life was still on the line, "Can I stay with her?"

"Of course, Mrs. Jones is staying up for the night." Ray waves him through.

José doesn't waste a second, moving past Ana and Ray to meet his unconscious partner.

Back at their home, Ray speaks to Ana over dinner.

"Childbirth is a messy business, Anatasia." Ray's eyes look worn, the memory of Ana's mother haunts him. He stabs a green bean on his plate, but pauses to look at his daughter. He never wanted her to feel unwanted, her birth was the best day of his life and the seeds for the worst day of his life. He lost Carla two days after Ana was born.

Ana knows the story, but the details are hazy. She never pushed Ray about it, but it saddens her deeply that she never got to know her mother.

"Promise me one thing."

Ana hesitates, waiting for her father's request. She sips her water.

"I don't expect you to not have children, but never settle. If you ever have a child, you make sure that man loves you with every ounce of his being Ana. God forbid you have a deadbeat father in this world." Ray found it unfathomable to leave Ana unprotected. His connection to Carla meant everything when it came to his decision to keep his daughter. Now their bond was unbreakable.

The idea that his grandchildren could potentially be abandoned in Ana's wake was too much to handle.

"Dad." Ana nearly chokes on her drink. She hates it when he has melancholy ramblings like this.

"I'm serious Ana. I want to hear you promise me."

If it meant him stopping his rant she'd do it, "I promise."

"Good." Ray is satisfied, he continues his meal.

—-

The guilt eats at Ana as she thinks of how she nearly threw that promise out the window tonight. She comforts herself by reminding herself of her limits, she would keep him at bay as long as she could help it. She dozes off to sleep promising more caution next time.

When they wake, the sun is out. A welcome sight after the stormy night. It is Christian who wakes up first, he can feel air on his bare chest and is confused at first before memories from last night flood in. He looks down to Ana, his eyes shifting to her breasts. He's moved again, but quickly shifts Ana's blanket to cover her chest. Maintain control while you can. He gets up, rolling on his shirt and looking at the ashen fireplace. He'd have to start it again.

He shoves his boots back on and begins to bring the fire back to life. When it's up and running, he looks back to Ana. He's still confounded regarding the night before. What moved her to do that? He knew Ana was a beautiful woman, but it had never crossed his mind that she reciprocated the attraction. He was quite pleased with the revelation, but also wary. Just because she was frisky, doesn't necessarily mean she's interested in much more. He digs into his backpack, trying to drive away his pesky thoughts.

He hears a movement and turns to see her looking at him, hugging her blanket. Her bare shoulders stir something in him. "Good Morning." Christian looks away and retrieves his gloves. It's time to check the traps.

"Morning." Ana responds, sitting up, "Do you need help?"

"I got it. I just set up two, it should be quick." He slings his rifle back on his back.

Ana drops her blanket to begin fastening her bra again. Christian quickly looks away, he finds it funny that he's trying to be gentlemanly considering what they did last night, "I'll be right back."

"Okay. Do you want some coffee?" Ana slides on her t-shirt and takes out her pewter mug again.

"Please." Christian smiles lightly, halfway through the doorway. He bends down and reaches through the deep snow to pull out the frozen rabbit he stored last night. He places it in the cabin before stepping outside.

It's still cold, but with the sun, the weather is much more manageable. Without her presence, he can finally think clearly. This can't end well. Having her close was intoxicating and they may have been in moderate control last night, but they had at least one more week until the final destination. How long until she wouldn't want him to stop? Her proximity would surely be his end. Being close to somebody during these times only leads to tragedy. Attachments meant liabilities. He thinks back to her enchanting eyes and the feel of her. Maybe "liability" is a bit too harsh.

Christian adjusts his thoughts. Trouble, she's trouble.

Christian crouches down to his first location, poking the deep snow with a stick. There's a poor frozen raccoon buried underneath. Not his favorite meat, but it's at least a couple of meals. He disarms it and drags it by its tail to the next trap which is sadly empty. Walking back to the cabin, he thinks about how he can approach the situation. He frowns at the possibility of hurting Ana. He has more than hurt a lot of people, but picturing Ana in pain displeases him greatly.

He finds Ana chewing on a piece of bread, back in her green coat, "Your coffee's by the fire."

"Thanks." Christian drags the frozen game next to the rabbit, "Got a racoon."

"You're good at trapping." Ana simply observes, this is at least the third animal they caught within the span of a week. Although knowing where to place a trap and how to set it up for a higher success rate were important, luck also seemed to be on their side.

"Need to be when you're traveling a lot." Christian takes the compliment reluctantly, grabbing the hot mug.

"Did your father teach you that too?"

"He taught me hunting and trapping." Christian's words make him wonder how his father would regard Ana. The vision quickly ends, he finds the prospect of Ana meeting his father unappealing. He never wanted his father's judgemental eyes to fall on someone as harmless as her.

This piques Ana's curiosity, "Do you still talk to him?"

This question stings, but she can't possibly know his situation. He changes the subject, "Not much. Are you ready to head out?" He practically scarfs down the coffee and impatiently shoves the rabbit into his backpack.

"Yes. Did you get something to eat?"

"The coffee's enough for now." He'll have to carry the raccoon. He heads out the door, too much talk will lead to more questions and possibly a mention of their affair last night.

"Slow down there Christian, let me at least put the fire out." Ana tails behind Christian using her pan to scoop up a pile of snow, she smolders the fire with it. She may need this cabin on the way back, it would be preferable for it not to burn to the ground.

Christian stands outside waiting. They walk through the ghost town with no words exchanged. Christian is keeping his sight out for any fresh tracks or moved snow. Any of these buildings could be holding other travelers. The snow has made walking considerably worse, the sun has turned most of it into wet slippery sludge. Soon they make it out of town and back onto the road.

"Let's move off to the left here." Christian points to the left of the main road. Ana silently obeys, dredging through the snow behind him. It's grueling and they seem to have only made half of the distance they planned on. On the bright side, they reach the bank of a river and manage to fill their receptacles.

"Let's stop here for lunch, I need to clean this raccoon." Christian kicks up the snow piled by the bank to clear a spot. He slips out his hunting knife and begins his work.

Ana glances around, noticing that there's not much options for dry wood. Regardless, she begins snapping off pieces of what looks to be a dead tree — hoping it'll do the job. Her flint and homemade kindle work brilliantly.

"Can I grab that rabbit?" Ana looks at Christian's backpack. She's not sure if he's sensitive about his stuff.

Christian looks up, hands covered in blood, and nods — keeping his eyes on her not so discreetly.

Ana reaches into his backpack pulling out the rabbit. Looks like they'd be using the rest and her last carrot. Ana deftly has it on the pan in no time, and lays out a tarp to sit on and watch Christian be a butcher.

He's completed skinning and gutting and is now breaking the animal into manageable pieces. By the time he's finished, Ana has lunch ready. Christian washes his hands in the river and joins Ana.

"I'm hoping we can make it to another town before nightfall. I don't want to be stuck outdoors if it snows again." Christian looks to Ana, seeing her cheeks flushed. He finds himself worried she'll catch a cold, but finds the thought ridiculous — he's taking her on a trek across a war-torn US and now he's worried about a common cold?

Ana points her fork at the flowing water, "Does it follow the river?"

"Not quite, but it'll be close."

"We better make time then." Ana begins packing up, "Come on." She tugs at the tarp they were sharing as a seat.

Christian pokes his fork into the last morsel of food and stands up. No complaints from him.

Using the river as a marker, Christian guides Ana further. This time, Ana attempts to make conversation, "My father used to take me hunting on occasion, but he never taught me how to gut live game."

Christian has a hard time picturing a life without knowing, but guesses that Ana had other means of support, "Why?"

"Well, he wasn't that great himself to be honest. That, plus the settlement didn't want him out hunting. He was the town doctor."

Christian is impressed, he's honestly only ever been patched up by veterinarians and occasionally his father. Both did shabby jobs. Maybe she knows more than she lets on. He urges her to continue, "Doctor? Are you good at fixing people up?"

"I never had formal training, plus I haven't seen my father in years. That being said, I still know more than most. I can do basic stitching and make splints — I know medicine needed for the basics, but they're hard to obtain. That's why I'm going, I need to make sure we have quality stuff: antibiotics and materials to clean infections." Ana does not want to overplay her abilities, she knows her settlement only had the occasional injury.

Her admission about her father reminds him of his own. After stepping over a branch, he turns to look at Ana, "What happened to him?"

I don't know Christian, you tell me. Ana peers back then looks away, "I don't know."

Christian knows the mood all too well, he drops it and moves to his second question, "What about knife or bullet wounds?"

Ana shakes her head, "I could maybe handle a shallow knife wound or superficial bullet wound, but once we get into organ territory, I have no idea what I'm doing."

"Ah. I'm dead if I get shot, got it." Christian smirks, stepping through a large pile of snow.

"Oh, certainly." Ana smiles back. Ana can't tell if yesterday was successful or not. His questions are a new addition and at least show he's engaged in the conversation.

After four more hours of walking, they reach the edge of a new town also seemingly absent of life, "This should be Cedarburg." Christian notes out loud. They pass a few desolate buildings, mostly caved in buildings. Walking through town, they eventually find an acceptable place to settle. Something with four walls and no major structural damage.

They move into their nightly routines and are soon back in their blankets in front of yet another fireplace. It is snowing, but not nearly as bad as last night. Their makeshift beds are closer together than when they set up last night. This time, Christian is taut with anticipation, he doesn't know if last night set a precedent and doesn't like the idea of having to reject Ana. They need to be careful.

The thought of moving closer does cross Ana's mind, but she finds herself exhausted from the walk. It doesn't hurt to take a break for a day. Christian only lets his guard down when he hears Ana's soft breathing, she's asleep. His relief is palpable, he shifts to look at her. His eyes roam over her luscious amber hair and trim figure. I couldn't have told her no. He closes his eyes and drifts off.

Ana is up first and Christian shortly after. There is no fresh produce left, but they do share some raccoon. Without the time or resources to slow cook, it's a gritty meal. Ana thinks about opening up her pack of dried fruit, but she saves it. If the situation gets dire, it'd be a good contingency plan.

Back out in the open, Ana and Christian trek out of Cedarburg. Today would be an even tougher route, with a potential twelve hour journey ahead. With the sun barely above the horizon, they could make headway if the snow doesn't slow them down too much.

The further up North they head, the colder the weather conditions. Anaville apparently has a friendly settlement that they could hunker down in for a couple of days.

Christian discusses their possible plans for the upcoming town, "They got an inn in Anaville, we could trade something for a short stay."

"What did it cost last time?"

"A pack of cigarettes and four AA batteries."

Ana thinks back to her journey so far with Christian, she hasn't seen him smoking at all. Although smoking was common back in Rushmere, Ana found the idea of sacrificing essentials for an addiction to be less than appealing. A lot of the men and women still did it as a form of relaxation and something to do while sitting in a circle besides twiddling your thumbs.

Christian notices Ana's questioning expression, "I don't smoke, but it's great for a quick trade. Otherwise, I have to take up a job."

Ana frowns, "I got nothing. A book I've read a dozen times, but I'm not sure I want to trade it quite yet."

"Oh yeah, what book?" Christian filters the dozen or so books he's bothered to read of his own volition through his head.

"Life of Pi by Yann Martel"

It doesn't ring a bell for Christian, "Never heard of it. What's it about?"

"A boy who has to survive on a boat with a tiger." Ana doesn't want to spoil the ending reveal, maybe she can convince him to read it.

Christian chuckles, "So, us?"

Ana is amused, but on thinking further, questions, "Would I be the tiger or the boy?"

"The tiger obviously." Christian deadpans. He thinks about the night she seduced him and how he feels he can't escape whatever it is that connects the two of them. Two travelers stuck in a sea of nothing.

Ana understands the thought process, but initially thought of herself as the one trying to survive… with a monster. She just needed to last long enough to make it to land. For now, she would be biding her time. Keeping the monster satiated until she could find a means of escape. She realizes how she's been letting her guard down slowly around him, but every now and then she comes back to the truth: Christian is a killer.

"We could go on a hunt, if we manage to get something good we could buy a few nights and Maybe even meals." Christian was confident he could retrieve something, but a deer or elk was never a guarantee.

Ana was not an adept hunter, but would be happy to tag along and learn, "I'll help however I can."

"Alright, there should be a couple of buildings outside of Anaville. We could get into town in the morning and see if they're willing. I don't want to carry everything if we're bringing back big game."

They stay the night at a crossroads and are able to make it to Anaville in a couple of hours. The guards at the front gate confiscate Christian's rifle and sidearm to his dismay, but he's told he can take them back when he leaves the premises. He's annoyed when they fail to even pat down Ana, who he knows has a handgun.

They meet an old burly man named Dorian who agrees to let them stay the night if they get some quality meat: preferably turkey, deer, or elk. Christian doesn't have any bird shot ammo on him, so resolves to look for the later.

Hunting is not quite what Ana expected, it's a lot of hiking and waiting. About two hours out of town, Christian and Ana sit at a small hill overlooking a large area of dense trees. Even though an hour has passed, Christian insists they lay in wait for any signs of life. The only entertaining thing is that Christian is wearing earmuffs, but he insists it's a must for hunting.

"It's not looking good." Ana whispers, crossing her legs and observing a pebble she found on the ground, "We should move somewhere else."

Christian continues to scan the forest with his eyes, "Walking might spook them Ana."

Ana huffs impatiently, Christian pretends to not hear her. She would learn eventually — half of hunting is waiting. Another 30 minutes roles by when Christian's eyes catch movement in a brush far off, something black. He looks to Ana, "A black bear."

"A bear?" Ana tenses.

"Don't worry, black bears are less hostile than grizzlies, but we should still be careful." Christian assures Ana. Christian moves from a sitting position to prone, lining up his rifle and calculating the shot. He can't see the figure too well with the bush blocking, so waits until he gets a clear view, "Cover your ears." He warns Ana, it wouldn't help much but it was better than nothing at all. As soon as the bear's head is in view, a piercing shot rings through the air. There is a moment of silence, not a chirp or rustle to be heard.

"He's down." Christian confirms, standing up fully and removing his earmuffs. The body is at a bit of a distance, but they find it easily. It turns out he was nibbling on blueberries. It's big, but manageable to carry back together. Without having roads or a river as a guide, Christian resorts to using a compass to navigate back to town.

Two hours dragging a 200 lb bear is exhausting, but the old man, Dorian, accepts the bear with gratitude - elated for a new pelt. In fact, he welcomes them to stay for up to five days. This cheers Ana up, but Christian still plans to stay for two before heading off.

Dorian leads them to the inn that is nearly at the center of town. They pass the residents going about their daily routines, a lady hanging clothes outside of her home — children grasping at the hem of her dress, a man butchering chickens, whose glare suggests he doesn't like strangers, and a few guards standing around in a circle sharing a cigarette.

Dorian shows them their room, located in what looks to be a large recreation center. There are pool tables, old green sofas, and at least ten bunk beds lining the walls. He motions Christian and Ana to enter, "Here we are, feel free to use the firewood there." Dorian points towards the enormous furnace at the front of the room with a stack of chopped wood nearby.

"We got water in a bucket and soap in the bathroom through the hallway door if you'd like to wash up as well." He walks towards one of the windows and points outside at the man butchering chickens, "That man making a bloody mess is Roger the cook. Dinner will be ready in a couple of hours."

He looks back at Christian and Ana, "You can pick any bunk here." He eyes Christian and Ana knowingly, "I'm sorry we don't have any queens or kings." With that comment, he exits, shutting the rec door behind him.

Christian looks at Ana, they both break into laughter then get to unpacking. It's a relief to remove their layers of clothing and shoes.

Ana roams around looking into the bathroom, there's a trough filled with water with towels nearby, she pokes her head back into the main room, "Dibs on the shower!" She shuts the door behind her. Christian smiles back, he's already kneeling at the fireplace trying to get it started.

The water is freezing cold, but Ana can't complain. Soap and towels are more than she ever thought the town would offer, she carefully cleans every inch of her body — making sure to take extra care of her worn feet. She comes out, ready to sleep, but does not want to pass up the upcoming meal. She has a new top, a grey sweater, but the same pants. She would need to wash clothes tomorrow.

Christian has the fire going when Ana is back, and is rummaging through his fishing lines. He shoves it back in his backpack when she returns, unadmittedly excited for a shower himself. Once they're both fresh, Christian settles into his chosen bunk close to the fireplace. Ana picks a bunk on the opposite side, also close to the heat. It's odd having such a large space between them, but he shakes it off and lays back on his bed. He would rest until dinner was ready.

Ana organizes her backpack while she sits on the edge of her bed. She assesses her belongings: a lighter, kindle, canteen, cooking supplies, tarp, book, rope, a combat knife, blanket, a bag of dried fruit, and the antibiotics package. She would need to stock up on more food here before the journey back out. Maybe she ought to consider trading Life of Pi.

She opens her mouth to speak to Christian, but looks to his sleeping form and closes it. She would bother him about this later when he was done napping.

Dorian brings a thermostat of chicken soup. It's delicious and the fresh celery, carrots, and potatoes are welcomed. Ana was hoping Dorian would join them, but he seems preoccupied with skinning the bear. Rather than speak across the room from one another, Christian and Ana sit at the edge of one bunk — enjoying the hot meal and amicable company.

With their bellies full, they continue their plans. Christian has a map sprawled out for Ana to look at, he points at Anaville and shows Ana the path, "We'll head out to Beaver Dam then Portage, that's a couple of more days. Then a few more pitstops to Rochester. I wouldn't want to pass through Minneapolis though, it's been years since I've passed through a city and I want to keep it that way."

Although Ana's father kept her away from the large metropolises, Ana could see why that would be a bad idea. Between the unstable skyscrapers, traffic jams frozen in time, and scalpers running the streets — she would also prefer not going herself.

"You've been through a city?" Ana knows there's a story to be told when it comes to visiting these once pillars of society.

"Yes, it's barren of any food and full of hazards."

"Why did you go through?"

"My father sometimes did smelting runs. Went around collecting metals to cast bullets. After he left, I've never stepped foot back in a city. I trade for bullets now."

Ana recalls José giving Christian the ammo bag of .22 rounds. He killed someone for those bullets. Could running through a city really be that bad? The idea is preposterous to her. She hugs her knees and addresses Christian coldy, "What did you do for José's ammo?" She knows the answer, but she wants him to admit it. She wants to test his honesty.

Christian is put off by the change of tone, he wonders if he's reading into it or if José told her something. He considers telling her the truth. José never made him promise discretion, but Christian kept his occupation private unless forced to address it. He did not advertise himself as a hitman, he considered himself a man who would get practically any job done no matter how messy it was. That's what everyone did, but some people drew the line at taking lives.

"Did José tell you?" Christian studies Ana's eyes, it's hard to read them when she's looking away.

"Does it matter?"

Christian takes that as a yes. This knowledge puts a lot of things into perspective for him. This woman was willing to travel across the continent with a man who kills for hire. Not only that, but she was going to sleep with him. At least that's what he thought the first night. Was this a good or bad sign for him?

"There was a man hiding out in New York state, in an abandoned town, Hugh Morris. José wanted him dead."

"So, you killed him?" Ana presses, she wants to hear the words, understand his thought-process. She could picture all manners of approaching such a situation: cold and calculated, regretful yet determined, sadistic… the possibilities were endless.

"Yes." Christian can see this heading in a bad direction, but being dishonest with someone you must trust traveling with for the foreseeable future was a reckless move. From what he knew of Ana so far, she was not a woman to be trifled with. He finds himself trying to explain his actions, "I don't ask too many questions Ana, but I only make deals with trustworthy individuals. You know José better than I do, do you think he's a man of his word?"

Ana knows Hugh Morris, he was a drifter who rolled into town three years ago. He came to stay the night, but was gone in the morning. All he left behind was Sindy's dead body. Sindy was a lone wolf like her, no parents, kids, or husband. She was my friend. They wouldn't let her see the body, the men insisted on it. It must've been bad.

Christian's hand hovers over Ana's shoulder, "Ana?" He's afraid she won't let him touch her.

"Do you care whether they deserve it or not?"

Christian pulls back his hand, "Ana, I don't enjoy killing people."

"Answer me."

Christian moves his fingers through his hair, beginning to get agitated, "It makes it easier when I know they deserve it."

"So, you've killed innocent people." Ana isn't asking, she's simply making a statement.

"Who is innocent Ana? That couple I told you about who had me at gunpoint? They're dead Ana, I had to kill them. Maybe they were starving and needed some food. We all do what we can to survive."

Ana rejects his implication that she's naive of the way the world works. If she was, she wouldn't be here to face it right now. Remington would be here in her place and she could've waited back home for news that the man responsible for her father's disappearance was dead. Christian and her at least had that in common, a willingness to do what needs to be done. Ana removes herself from Christian's bunk, and begins walking to her own.

Christian reaches for her, but she's too quick. "You think I'm a monster?" Christian isn't bitter, but this question nags at him.

Ana pauses at her bed. Christian has to strain his ears to hear it, but her words are clear, "You're the tiger Christian. Let's get that straight."

The answer keeps Christian up for most of the night.