Warnings: Swearing only really. Smut to come eventually, I do like a slow burn ;)
The sun was setting, lanterns being lit around the house and along the fences. What few zombs were drawn to the lights were quickly picked off by the heavy armed sentries patrolling the property borders, and luckily no specials seemed to be near.
Maya had kept busy all day, scrubbing floors, helping wash dirty clothes in the creek behind the house, and folding threadbare sheets. Her hands ached, her chafed wrists throbbing. There was an endless list of tasks, but for once Maya was grateful for the mind-numbing work. Her stomach was in knots, the light soup she was given for lunch sitting badly after the talk with Crystal and Mickey's public claiming. She dreaded the night, and watched the shadows lengthen with foreboding. What new hells were in store for her? What about the others? Were they okay? She had never felt so helpless before, so out of control.
She hated it.
Sarah kept Lily with her at all times, the old woman's temper was enough to keep anyone at bay, and for that, Maya felt reassured. She was run ragged and barely had enough time to keep track of herself, let alone where and what Lily was doing. She had tried to subtly keep assessing the house as well, where the weapons might be and any potential gaps in defenses she might be able to utilize. The women were constantly supervised by at least two sentries, armed with rifles. Most of the time they were scanning for zombies, so if Maya could just figure out some sort of plan, she might be able to do…something.
Maya sighed, focusing her attention back on the task at hand. She was scrubbing the tables clean, her fingers cramping from the work. Dinner would be served soon, but Maya didn't hold out much hope of getting any. Sarah hadn't offered her any food during the day, merely setting her to work every time she asked. It was only because Kelly snuck a bowl out for her that Maya had anything to eat for lunch at all. She had to wonder if the old woman was denying her food deliberately. Trying to weaken her resolve or something.
Her stomach rumbled unhappily, and Maya winced.
"Havin' fun?"
Mickey stepped out from the shadows as if he had been one of them. Like earlier he was unarmed, his token rifle missing from his back. Maya wondered what he had done with it, if he was deliberately not carrying it when around her. It was a smart move, really. Maya was the most likely to wrestle it off him and go on a shooting spree.
Mickey didn't reach out to grab her like he had been doing, merely standing and watching her as she scrubbed the wooden table within an inch of its inanimate life.
Maya snorted, setting aside her damp and grotty sponge. "Oh yeah, it's a barrel of laughs. So what graces me with your almighty presence? Time for another demonstration of your ownership over me?"
That afternoon still stung on her psyche. She understood the necessity of it, but the humiliation of it, of being considered beneath another person…it made her want to kill things. No men had approached her, so obviously Mickey's plan had worked, but a few leers were thrown her way and the women all looked at her with varying degrees of pity. Lily hadn't looked her straight in the eye all day.
"We 'aint got much time," Mickey said gruffly, derailing Maya's rant before she could even get started. "Follow me, and keep quiet."
Maya left her sponge on the table, clambering down onto her scuffed feet with a wince. "I hope you found some shoes then, because I- AH!"
With a growl, Mickey swept forward, picking her up and hoisting her into his arms. Maya glared at him, crossing her own arms stubbornly as he turned and carried her away, off into the shadows.
"I'm not some fainting maiden you can cart around," Maya snapped. "Just get me some damn shoes and I'll walk."
The sentries nodded to Mickey as he passed, but he barely gave them a glance. "Thought I said keep quiet."
Maya huffed but obeyed, trying to squash the nerves that arose as Mickey walked them deeper into the forest. Mickey had had plenty of opportunities to play her false so far, he wouldn't start now.
The darkness felt oppressive, trees pressing in on them from all sides. Maya listened intently for the tell-tale shuffles of zombs, but found the forest around them eerily quiet.
Mickey was quiet too, his face cast in shadow. His black beanie hat was back, probably to ward off the night chill and Maya was acutely aware of her own state of undress, her bare feet, the torn clothes. She looked like a street urchin, unkempt and dirty. And she was pretty sure she still had bits of porridge in her hair.
Eventually, a small shack rose out of the shadows, a bored looking sentry keeping watch in front of it with a dim lantern. The glow was welcome after the choking dark of the forest, but Maya felt uneasy. What was a shack like this doing out in the woods? What was it for?
The sentry flinched as Mickey stepped into the orange glow of his light, straightening nervously.
"Oh uh, Mickey, what-"
"I'm here to show 'em what happens when they don't cooperate," Mickey growled, jostling Maya in his arms. "So they 'aint gonna give us no trouble."
The sentry grinned, fishing in his pocket for a key. "Hell Mickey, you're a sick one. Don't put 'em off too much though, yeah? Want some fight in 'em."
Mickey snorted. "Go get some supper 'fore it's all gone. I'll watch 'em till you're back."
Well if that wasn't the easiest coup ever, Maya thought bitterly as she watched the sentry unlock the shed door, taking off running back to the house. I could kill Mickey and just run off right now.
It was almost tempting.
Mickey stooped to pick up the discarded lantern, pushing the shack door open and tromping inside. Maya's eyes watered at the close smell of body odor and fluids, shaking her head unhappily.
"Jesus, where the hell did you bring me-"
"Maya!"
Maya recognized that voice. She scrabbled out of Mickey's hold, knees jarring in dusty straw as he let her go. She stretched her arms into the shadows.
"Marcus!"
Her hands found him before the light of the lantern did, and she gasped, recoiling as light revealed the damage Marcus had endured during their captivity.
His eyes were puffy and black, half his face swollen and the other side mottled with purple. He held one arm protectively against his side, the other reaching out to touch Maya as if he couldn't believe she was really there.
"I…I can't see very well at the moment," he admitted, patting her arms. "But it looks worse than it is, I promise."
"Well that's a goddamn lie, 'cause it feels pretty awful to me," Ed piped up and Maya lunged to hug him as he shuffled forward. Both men had heavy chains around their ankles tied to a ring in the floor, but their arms were free.
"I was so worried," Maya said, voice cracking. She blinked furiously, releasing Ed. "Jacob…where's Jacob?"
Marcus sighed, the chains on his ankles clinking. "They took him away. We haven't seen him since they took all of you and threw us in here."
"We've been going plumb crazy in here!" Ed exclaimed. He looked slightly better than Marcus, but he too had been knocked around. "Are you okay? Where's Lil?"
"She's fine," Maya reassured him. "Nothing…nothing happened to her."
Both men relaxed visibly at that. Marcus sighed shakily. "That motherfucker didn't-"
"I 'aint no goddamn child molester," Mickey growled, startling all three. Maya had completely forgotten he was still there. "Now you hurry on up 'fore I change my mind 'bout lettin' ya say your piece."
He left, the shack door banging behind him. He had left the lantern at least, the pale light enough to see both men.
Marcus waved a hand in front of his eyes. "Didn't see him there," he joked nervously.
Ed was staring at Maya's neck soulfully, and too late she remembered the marks. "Jesus Maya, you look like a vampire went to town on ya."
Marcus bristled. "He touched you didn't he? That son-of-a-bitch. I'll kill him, I'll-"
"Listen to me," Maya said quickly, trying to head them off. She had a good idea of why Mickey had brought her here, and it was the only chance she had. "I don't know exactly what's going to happen, but I think Job wants to kill you both, as well as the others."
Ed pulled on his chains. "Well he kind of has the upper hand here, I gotta say."
Maya tugged on his leg sternly. "I need you both to listen to me. Carefully."
"Of course, Maya," Marcus winced, shifting his legs. The chains rattled. "Give us the plan."
Maya took a deep breath. She knew what she was asking of them, but she honestly couldn't think of another way.
"The minute Job comes to talk to you; I want you to beg him to let you join his crew. Make up whatever story you want for your change of heart, but you have to convince him to spare you. Mickey said Job needs more men, and it would be stupid of him to waste your skills."
"No," Marcus said flatly. "I'd rather die."
"And you will," Maya hissed, panic making her voice rise. She struggled to bring it back under control, swallowing the bile rising in her throat.
"If you can't do it for yourself, do it for me," she continued quietly. "For Lily. I can't protect her on my own; I need someone on the inside. If we're to have any chance of escaping, we need a plan. We need weapons. You think you're going to help us by being stuck in here? Or dead? Marcus, Ed, I need you. Please."
"Maya," Ed protested, his arms gesturing towards the door helplessly. "You want us to…grovel in front of those fucking monsters and beg to join the Wilkersons? Become one of those assholes who…hurt you? Shit I can't even say it."
He pointed at her neck. "Look at you! You look like a goddamn poster for domestic violence. I can't…I can't be chummy with men like that!"
"Maybe you don't understand," Maya ground, fire flashing in her eyes. "You either grovel, or you die. There is no reasoning with Job, no…working this out. We're prisoners and we don't have a lot of choices. You can't help anyone if you're six feet under. Tell him how he's too powerful, that you'll do anything to live, that you want to join his winning side of this war- just, anything. I don't care what you say, just that you say it."
She looked at them both. "I know what I'm asking you. I know it's the worst thing. But the rest of us are making those tough choices. To live. That's the most important thing right now."
Marcus looked unconvinced. "I don't-"
"You're good men," Maya interrupted. "I know that. You're worth more than this whole sorry crew put together, but being good men right now isn't going to help anyone. You do what you have to to survive this, just as I'm doing. Just like the others."
She felt dirty trying to guilt them, but it seemed to work, Ed hanging his head unhappily.
"We'll try, Maya," he said. "I don't know how but…we'll try."
The shack door swung open and Mickey was beckoning to her hurriedly. Maya got to her stinging feet, straw rustling. "That's all I ask. And if…if this all goes wrong I just…I want you to know I'm glad I met you both."
Marcus smiled tiredly. He was missing a few teeth. "We love you too, Maya."
"Yeah yeah, you're breakin' my heart," Mickey muttered, ushering Maya out of the shack before she could reply. "Now shut your mouth and if anyone asks I was in here fuckin' her brains out in front of ya."
He slammed the door on Marcus' outraged yell, just as Maya saw the sentry appearing from the tree-line. He had a paper plate in one hand, a beer in the other.
"Thanks, Mickey," he said happily as he jogged up. "Like a madhouse over there, everyone all riled up. Wouldn't 'a gotten no food for sure if you hadn't come along."
He peered over at Maya, and she ducked her head, staring at her feet. "You all done?"
"Yeah," Mickey grunted, dragging Maya over his shoulder like the first night. Maya resigned herself to being carted around like a sack of potatoes, letting him manhandle her into place. "Lock 'em up."
Maya watched the glow of the sentry's lamp disappear as Mickey's long legs retraced the path back to the house. Deeming the sentry far enough away, she rested her hand on the broad back beneath her, squeezing gently.
"Thank you," she said quietly. "At least I got to try."
She felt Mickey's shoulders heave in a sigh beneath her.
"If they can pull it off, Job'll let 'em join," he said. "Like I said, we need the men. He won't go easy on 'em though. They'll have to prove they wanna join, that they'll be loyal."
Maya shivered. "And what would that entail?"
"I dunno," Mickey said darkly. "But it 'aint gonna be nice."
They pushed through the last few trees and the brightly lit house welcomed them back. Maya marveled that it didn't attract more zombs than it did, wondered if the Wilkersons had traps set up in the forest and surrounding fields that might prevent it. A factor to take into consideration, she didn't want to fall into a spike lined trench in an escape attempt.
The dining area was packed with jostling bodies and loud talking. Mickey kept Maya on his shoulder, walking towards the cooking area where Sarah and Lily were stirring the stew. He set her down near the fire, warmth leeching back into her limbs. Maya stretched gratefully, her stiff knuckles cracking.
"Get her some food," Mickey ordered. "I 'aint gonna let her waste away to skin n' bones."
Sarah obeyed, ladling the brown broth into a bowl. Maya's mouth salivated at the meaty scent, her stomach dancing in her belly with anticipation.
"Job said you should limit 'er," Sarah warned as she handed the bowl to Lily, steam wafting from it. "Keep 'er weaker, won't kick off."
Lily wouldn't look at her, the girl staring at her feet as she put a spoon into the bowl, the utensil clanging against the side . Maya made a note to talk to her later if she could, reassure her that Maya was okay.
Mickey snarled at the older woman, and Maya was ashamed to feel a streak of vindictive triumph as Sarah cringed away.
"Is she Job's woman? Is Job the one who's gotta fuck her? No? Then do as I goddamn say! Feed her."
"Yes, Mickey," Sarah replied, and Lily stretched out the bowl to Maya, eyes still cast down. Maya took it, the warmth of the bowl feeling heavenly against her aching fingers.
Maya barely got a mouthful of the stew before Mickey was steering her away by the elbow.
"You'll eat with me," Mickey told her quietly, voice pitched low. "Jake's been mouthin' off 'bout you, so it's better this way. Just keep your head down and eat."
It took Maya a moment to place who Jake might be, but then she remembered bearded man from that morning.
Her face still throbbed slightly.
"What's he been saying?" Maya asked nervously as Mickey steered her towards one of the emptier tables. "I've kept my mouth shut all day-"
"He wants you for 'is own," Mickey grunted. He sat down at the end of the table where no other men were sat. A few curious glances were thrown his way, but everyone gave him a respectful berth. He guided Maya down to sit on his lap again, and Maya perched on his thigh awkwardly, bowl cradled in her hands. "He thinks I should be sharin' ya, and fancies 'imself just the person."
Suddenly Maya's appetite was gone. Janet brought over another bowl for Mickey, and he shifted Maya so she was sitting on one thigh, back pressed to his right shoulder with his arm hooked under her elbow and lying across the top of her thighs. He ate with his left hand, glaring at anyone who dared look at them, his right hand spread palm down on Maya's left thigh. Maya was reminded of a dog with its paw on a bone, possessive and growling.
Ducking her head, she shoveled the stew into her mouth, appetite returning as the food hit her stomach. It was bland, slightly gamy, but she ate it all the same. Despite the heat of the day the nights were cold, and dressed only in a t-shirt she welcomed the warmth of the stew.
They ate in silence, Mickey practically keeping watch as she finished her bowl. Men came and went, apparently moving around on schedules. No doubt Job had set up watches, and Maya occasionally looked up to try and see if she could recognize any of them. By her estimations, Job had about thirty men in his crew, give or take. She recognized about eight of them from the attack on the church, which probably meant that Job had around ten staple men he used for assaults on small groups. These were the ones in Job's inner circle, the ones she needed to watch out for, because they were obviously more battle trained.
The sentries tended to be younger men with keen eyesight, but to Maya they looked inexperienced, good at shooting but probably weak in close combat. She didn't know how many sentries Job had, but she estimated another ten just to round out.
That left a final ten for doing runs and miscellaneous tasks. The women took care of cooking and cleaning, so these would be men drafted for construction, or adept at moving quickly and carrying weight. Heavyweights maybe, strong men that would be good in close combat but weaker over long range. Made sense to keep them close to the house in case of a hoard making it up the road, where they could just go and bash them to death with melee weapons.
Then there was Job himself. Maya hadn't really seen him in combat, didn't know what style he preferred, or what weapon he used. Mickey was long range, a sniper, but a big enough man able to hold his own in a melee situation. Was Job the same? If so he posed a bigger threat than she had anticipated.
She'd need to start learning which of the men were what, in an escape attempt Maya would need to utilize every weakness she could. Bearded man, or Jake, was one of Job's thugs. Inner circle, trained in assaults and being a general asshole. He was more of an immediate threat than the others, a priority.
Maya relaxed as she let her mind plan, easily slipping back into her military training. Mickey squeezed her thigh lightly, leaning in close.
"Feel better?" he asked , his nose nudging against her ear. "Didn't know Sarah was pullin' that food bullshit on ya. I'll make sure she don't do it again."
Maya kept her face neutral; training her gaze on the wooden table as she mentally filed away her plans. "Much, thanks. Not exactly the Ritz, but it hit the spot."
Mickey huffed a laugh at that, his breath tickling her neck. Maya's nerves spasmed at the contact, sending shivers racing down her spine.
Across the tables there was a disagreement, a burly man getting to his feet with a bellow. He was broad and stocky, solid looking. He was staring down a smaller man, a wiry blonde with a permanent sneer.
"I'll fuckin' show you, you runt!" the big man shouted, cracking his knuckles. Others were getting out of the way, hurriedly moving their meals to other tables. It was a good thing too, because the next second the two were locked in a tussle, slamming against tables and chairs.
Mickey released Maya, giving her a gentle push off his lap. Maya went, picking up their empty bowls as she listened to the shouting and swearing across the barn. Mickey watched the fight with narrowed eyes.
"Get the girl and head on up to the room. Somethin's got the men's blood up and I'm not gonna risk havin' you two 'round. I'll be up in a second."
Maya nodded, more than happy to retreat and seek out Lily.
Lily followed Maya meekly, head down as Maya led the way back into the house and up the stairs. Maya side-eyed the weapon closet again, but could see the heavy padlock on the door. It was certainly big enough to contain Mickey's rifle, and she wondered at what other weapons were in there. Maybe her own.
God, she missed her rifle and axe.
Lily was still quiet as they reached the top of the stairs. Maya paused, turning to look at her.
"Lil, please. Look at me."
Lily didn't, still staring at her feet. Maya sighed.
"Come on, Lil. Please talk to me at least."
Lily swallowed, her hands picking nervously at her threadbare jeans. "It's all my fault."
Maya frowned, not understanding. "What is?"
Lily finally looked at her then, and the look of absolute guilt in her eyes staggered Maya. "You. Mickey. I…I saw you by the outhouse today, Sarah said I should look, so I understood."
Maya flushed, embarrassment heating her veins. "Lil-"
"It's my fault!" Lily continued, more sure. "If I wasn't so cowardly, if I wasn't…me, you wouldn't have to…wouldn't have to do that. I should be able to look after myself, I'm not a kid!"
Maya shook her head, stepping close to rest a comforting hand on Lily's shoulder. "Lil, no. It's not your fault. This…this would happen either way. To these men, it doesn't matter. You don't understand how glad I am that you've been spared. I swear Lil, you have nothing to feel guilty about, okay?"
Lily looked at the floor miserably. "He hurt you. I don't want them to hurt you, Maya. I don't want them to hurt any of us! I want my brother, I want Marcus and Ed I…I even want Sam, even though she always kind of scared me."
Maya smiled weakly. "Sam has that effect on people."
Lily lunged forward to hug her, wrapping around Maya like an octopus. "I want to go home."
Maya could hear Mickey's boot steps below, could feel how Lily tensed up as she heard them too. "Me too, Lil. But for now we…we have to make this our home."
Mickey was coming up the stairs now. Lily tightened her hold.
"Never," she said firmly, and Maya couldn't help but be proud of her. "Never."
She pulled away as Mickey reached the top of the steps, going silent and bowing her head.
"How goes the fighting?" Maya asked as Mickey pushed by to unlock his door.
Mickey grunted. "When I left two more idiots had joined. I left 'em to it. Job'll sort 'em out."
The door swung open with a click.
Maya entered, Lily trailing close behind. It seemed during the day Mickey had been busy, a small battery powered lantern was now sitting on the chair, and Mickey switched it on, the small room filling with a weak yellow light.
There was a sleeping bag spread out against the wall of the room that hadn't been there before. Maya looked at it curiously, and Mickey motioned to it, looking at Lily.
"For you, girl," he rumbled. He jerked his chin towards the camping mat, kicking off his shoes, and Maya noticed two small piles of clothes, a very familiar pair of boots beside them. "I scrounged what I could. Couldn't get everythin' but…"
Lily shot forward, grabbing her pile. Just a few things that had obviously been taken from the church after their capture, but they were hers. A hoody, some jeans and tops. It wasn't hard to pick out her things, most were pale pastels and smaller than the clothes the other women wore.
Maya's pile was more generic. The only thing Maya had owned was what she had worn the day she met Marcus and Ed, so Mickey had obviously just gathered what he thought would fit her. The boots were a welcome sight though, as well as a few pairs of thick socks. Two flannel shirts were also buried in the pile, well-worn but clean. Maya fingered them thoughtfully, knowing that with colder nights closing in they would keep her warm. They were also undeniably Mickey's.
"Thank you," Maya said, because Lily wasn't going to. Mickey just grunted, watching them both as they claimed a part of the floor to set their things. Lily picked a spot close to the door, moving the sleeping bag so it was up against the wall and a good foot or two away from where Mickey slept.
There was no other sleeping bag, though Maya noticed a few new blankets stashed over by Mickey's boxes. Seemed she was still going to be sharing the camping mat. Despite doing it the night prior, the thought made her blush.
Did he expect something in return? A favor for a favor? He had helped her talk to Marcus and Ed, had even made sure she ate.
"Figure while you're stayin' 'ere, I should say a few things," Mickey grunted, and over in her corner, Lily burrowed into her new bedding, cringing.
Maya went to the camping mat, sitting down and crossing her legs. "We're listening."
Mickey glanced between the two of them. "At night, you don't leave here. If anyone catches ya wanderin' about, there'll be consequences, 'specially for the lil' one, yeah?"
Maya nodded. "Understood."
"So if you gotta use the bathroom, do it 'fore bed."
"We're not dogs," Lily spoke up from her corner, fierce. "You can't train us to go when you want us to!"
"Lily," Maya reprimanded her sharply, and the girl frowned, scooting back down into her bedding. Maya was proud the girl hadn't lost her fire, but Mickey wasn't the one she should be fighting.
Mickey snorted, undeterred. "Second, you can say what you want in 'ere, but out there, you don't say shit. Head down, only folks you talk to are the other women. 'Specially you, runt."
The last part was directed towards Lily, who just scowled at him. "My name is Lily."
"I'll call you whatever I damn well please," Mickey fired back. "And don't you forget it."
Without further ado, he started unbuttoning his shirt. "Last, we gotta live together in this shitty ass room. It's 'lil, and there 'aint no such thing as privacy. So you don't like somethin', tough. Close your eyes, sing a song, I don't give a shit, and I'll do the same."
Lily made a noise of disgust, throwing the hood of the sleeping bag over her head as Mickey stripped off his over shirt. Maya merely nodded slowly.
"Fair," she agreed. "What about bathing?"
The white shirt was next, leaving Mickey shirtless. Maya's face heated. He was broad-shouldered, tapering down into a waist with a flat stomach. Dark hair dusted his chest, lead down to below his belt, which he was currently undoing.
"Every other day the women go down t' the creek out back and wash." The belt slid free and Maya was feeling far too warm. "Sarah'll take you tomorrow if the weather holds."
His fingers went to undo the button next, and it was then Maya looked away, staring at the wall.
"Right. Okay."
She listened to him shuck off his jeans, kicking them away. Was…was he going to sleep naked? Did he expect her to?
She snuck another look. He had stripped down to a pair of boxers, but that seemed to be as far as he was going to go.
She wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed, and promptly hated herself.
Mickey motioned to her. "You gonna sleep like that?"
Maya glanced down at herself. She was still in the burrowed shirt, her usual yoga pants and a bra she had now worn for two days straight. It was uncomfortable, cutting into her shoulders and around her ribs. She'd prefer to sleep with it off but…if she was going to be sharing sleeping space with Mickey…
Fuck it. She'd been hit, had pretend-sex, and done more cleaning in one day than she'd ever done at boot camp. A little embarrassment over going braless shouldn't even factor in at this point.
Reaching behind herself under the shirt, she undid the clasp of her bra. Like all practiced women everywhere, she then pulled the straps down her shoulders, keeping the shirt on. Mickey watched, bemused as she freed the bra, tossing it towards her claimed spot.
"Can't say I've seen that done before," he remarked, padding towards her. Her pants were next, Maya shucking them off quickly. Even her thighs were bruised, small dark dots that if she looked at them closely, could have been fingerprints.
"I'm just full of surprises."
She made a note to check her pile for underwear in the morning. Over in her corner, Lily stubbornly didn't move, unwilling to get undressed and show any vulnerability. Maya couldn't exactly blame her.
Mickey turned the lantern off, stepping around Maya, and rearranging the mat slightly. He rustled in the dark, and Maya felt the brush of a blanket against her leg.
"Couldn't find any extra pillows," he muttered. "All the ones from your place were taken as spoils of war. Had to kick a few asses just to get a damn blanket."
Maya had wondered at that. Whether everything from the church would be taken, or if the people were all Job cared about.
Mickey settled down beside her, and Maya lay down on her side to find a comfortable position. The camping mat was small, designed for one person but they managed, Maya facing the room and Mickey at her back.
His breath stirred her hair. "Raise your head."
Maya obeyed, and Mickey moved his arm, sliding it under her head and urging her back down, her ear cushioned on his bicep.
"This'll have to do 'till I can get you somethin' else."
Maya thought to the pile of clothes and how that would work just as well. But Mickey's skin was warm beneath her cheek, and as he pulled her closer with his other arm, fingers barely brushing her stomach, Maya relaxed.
Bearded man couldn't hit her here. Job wouldn't look at her with those calculating eyes. Here, in Mickey's room, away from prying eyes and in the circle of his arms, she was safe.