CHAPTER FOUR

Violet found that life with Estelle was peculiar. The child wasn't very demanding, but she went through her supplies at a rapid rate. She was a quick learner and Violet took great amusement in teaching her basic things. She was perhaps a month old when she started rolling around and Violet was pleased with her progress. The child seemed to sense that being quiet was key to survival as the numbers of Infected seemed to be rising every day. No survivors had been seen since the group with the pregnant girl. She suspected that very pregnant woman was Estelle's mother and she wondered how Vincent had stumbled upon her.

Vincent liked to watch the small human even more now. She often carried the creature he had given her around and he sensed she had changed, just a bit. She was just as wary, but she seemed to put a little more worry onto that small creature. He pitied the Infected that dare approach the small human when she had the creature with her. He had never witnessed such savagery, even from the Big Angrys.

It was a warm day in October when Violet finally saw another group of survivors. She counted herself lucky once again because she and Estelle were in quite a tight spot. Holding Estelle to her with one arm she ran out of ammo for her handgun and had to resort to a shotgun. Doing her best to fend off the advancing horde and cover poor Estelle's ears, violet knew their situation was grim. She started to panic, and had to quickly snap herself out of the idea of abandoning Estelle. That simply wasn't an option.

Vincent observed the human from a roof top, with mounting agitation. Little One snarled unhappily, unable to comfort him. She never understood his fascination with this human, but perhaps he with his two good eyes saw something she did not with her one remaining eye. He was odd but a mate was a mate. He protected her and hunted for her. She was fond of him. Vincent didn't like the panic he felt coming off the human in waves. He sensed that soon he would not have a human or her creature to observe.

Violet was frantically trying to pump the shotgun with one hand when she heard a very familiar and a very welcome sound. A machine gun was cutting through the horde surrounding her and Estelle. She continued her assault upon the beasts in front of her as her rescuer made quick work of the rest. After the last infected was dead, she took a moment to check on Estelle. The infant was shaking and she saw terror in those unsettling blue eyes. Violet pulled her closer and let out a breath she didn't know she had been holding. She looked at her savior and was surprised to see more than one person gawking at her.

"Damn. I've never seen anything like that before!" A portly Latina girl exclaimed. She stared at Violet as if she were another species all together.

Ever the socialite, Violet smiled sweetly as she wiped the blood off her face. "My name is Violet. This is Estelle. We are quite thankful you showed up when you did. We were in a little bit of trouble."

"Hello Violet. My name is Francesca. I'm just glad we got here in time." The Latina girl thrust a hand at Violet, which she took reluctantly.

"I'm Sage. Good to see somebody who's healthy." A very tall African-American man offered her his hand. What was with these people? Why so touchy feely? Did they want to "hug it out" too?

Violet shook each hand and plastered the smile she had used to manipulate dozens of people on her face. She needed to learn more about these people to figure out how to convince them to take this child. She quickly led them to her sanctuary and offered them something to eat. As they ate she explained to them Estelle's sad, sad story. Obviously not the real one. That wasn't nearly dramatic enough. Violet had to spin a tale of dying wishes and health problems and the desperate need for a guardian for her darling beloved Estelle. Francesca looked almost moved to tears by violet's tale, but Sage was less than moved. He thanked Violet dryly for the food and insisted he and Francesca move on. Without Estelle.

After they had gone, Violet started cleaning in agitation. This stupid brat had made her soft. No one had ever seen through her ruses, ever. And now a man of all people had seen right through her! She was so enraged she went outside and shot a few infected just to make herself feel better. After five dead Infected lay at her feet she heard a shriek. A hunter was about and Violet couldn't wait to take the predator on.

If she had been paying close attention Violet would know that Hunters very rarely make the noise she had heard. That was a fear scream and it had come from Vincent. He was racing after Little One, simply scared out of his mind. That stubborn strange hardheaded female had really done it now. The human hadn't secured her dwelling well when she left and Little One noticed. She also knew that the small human's little creature was inside the dwelling. And the little creature smelled like food. Good food. Not the barking food or the flying food they had been living on. She was trying to enter the humans den and Vincent knew that would anger the small human and Little One would not survive the encounter. He needed to get her away. He needed to get her away quickly.

Violet headed back to her sanctuary, disappointed that she had heard nothing more of the passing hunter. She stopped short when she heard a strange chorus of screeches. And saw that her sanctuary door was ripped open. Violet felt pure terror as she realized her door was open and Estelle was in there alone. Defenseless. A scream was ripped from her lungs when she saw blood and a blanket on the floor as soon as she entered the door. She raced to the bedroom and her heart nearly stopped when she saw Vincent and another, smaller hunter, in a pool of blood on the bed where Estelle had been.