Thank you everyone for the reviews! As was requested - the next chapter is here!
Chapter 2: Forever Late
Claire repositioned her hold on the pistol as she walked up to the door and Alice was tempted to put a hand on hers; then she remembered that both were empty, and her other firearm was resting inside a saddlebag on her bike. The blonde woman kept a steady eye on Claire who now had out a flashlight, watching for any signs that she would turn on her, but all Claire turned was the doorknob.
The redhead searched the interior with K-mart on her heels. Alice stayed in the doorway; the sunlight spilling in behind her wasn't enough to illuminate the space so she waited not wanting to walk into anything unprepared. The beam of Claire's flashlight stopped moving and Alice's eyebrows knitted in confusion until a fluorescent light began to shine, bathing the room in dramatic shadows. Claire had a lantern in her hand and she set it on the countertop behind her; then shut off her flashlight.
The interior of the store was decked out as such a shop should be – with guns. Weapons of every make and caliber, from hunting to self-protection were lined up against the south wall and encased inside the glass counter. The majority of the shelves in the store had been dismantled and maneuvered so that they covered the windowless walls. They were filled with supplies but Alice only cared about the red and yellow boxes of ammunition that completely took up one rack.
Now, that is what I'm talking about, Alice walked over to the shelf and started picking through the boxes for the bullets that matched her weapons. She took out each of her double action pistols and loaded them with 9mm shells. When the clips were full she picked out a few boxes of rifle cartridges for the disassembled gun outside and stocked up for her handguns as well.
Claire approached her, the gun she had out earlier was holstered and the rifle was no longer on her person. K-mart had the weapon taken apart in her hands and was cleaning it thoroughly. The sight reminded Alice a little of herself.
"So," Claire interrupted Alice's thoughts, "you up for changing that tire?"
"I have to move my bike," Alice responded without answering the redhead's question.
"You can bring it in here."
The blonde walked out the front door unconcerned as to whether Claire was following her or not; she was. The sun had disappeared completely, but Alice's eyes adjusted well to the night.
She strutted to the side of the yellow Hummer, and waited as Claire retrieved a tire-iron and her spare wheel from the back. The redhead carried the weight in her arms to the front of the vehicle and set the extra tire down.
The blonde lifted the SUV without a word and Claire set out like a professional. Flashlight held firmly in her jaw to shed light on her work, her hands moved deftly to remove each of the nuts, the blown tire, and then replace it with the new one and reset the nuts. The action took only minutes, but Alice's muscles were quivering by the end of it.
"Alright," Claire said. "All done."
Alice placed the vehicle back down, and began to walk to her bike when Claire stopped her with a hand. Had her reaction time not been dulled by the exertion she'd just put her body through – the redhead would be flat on her back with Alice's knee digging into her stomach while the blonde's hands found their way to her neck, but as it was, she could only jerk away from the touch.
"Sorry," the redhead apologized for startling Alice. "I just wanted to thank you for saving K-mart's life. I don't know what I would do without her."
"She means that much to you?" It was less a question and more a statement of disbelief, but Claire seemed to take it as something else entirely.
"Yes…" Claire looked down, and Alice couldn't read the expression on her face. "Whatever you want," the redhead brought her gaze back up and met the blonde's, "it's yours."
Just like that Claire turned and went back into the gun shop, leaving Alice to wonder.
Did she just – offer herself to me?
Claire didn't seem the type to submit to anyone; let alone feel like she owed someone something, but perhaps Alice had misjudged her.
The idea of fucking the redhead thrilled the blonde; her core throbbed at the thought of the pleasure she could illicit from her, whether she truly wanted it or not. Claire was a beautiful woman, and no doubt quite responsive in bed – all means to a very satisfying end. Since the outbreak, Alice's body had remained practically untouched but perhaps that would change tonight. She checked her watch as she walked to her vehicle. 21:05:14
The blonde put her bike in neutral and rolled it into the shop. The fit through the doorway was a bit tight, but she managed and maneuvered the vehicle so that it was out of the way. She took a minute to map out her surroundings and get a better feel for the place.
The space was only about as large as a house, but with the shelves not in the center of the floor the area looked much bigger. There were two twin-size spring mattresses pushed together on the tile behind the gun counter. It confirmed what Alice already knew – the teen was needy, but she had to admit that she could see the strategy of sleeping behind the counter. People were at their most vulnerable when they slept; lying out of sight was safer. In a far corner a table was placed up against a wall with two white, plastic chairs set on either side of it. The shelves she'd ignored before were full of canned goods, some clothes, extra blankets, a first aid kit, cases of bottled water, a few closed containers, and a couple of backpacks. The blonde reasoned that the bags were full of a little bit of everything – in case the two needed to make a quick run for it.
Alice wasn't impressed, but she did think a little better of the redhead. Claire had done well with this Hell she'd been given. Most fared much, much worse; the blonde didn't know how many times in the beginning of the outbreak that people starved or died of dehydration because they didn't prepare.
The blonde emptied her pockets of the ammunition boxes and placed them inside one of the saddlebags on her bike. K-mart was still using an oiled cloth to rub down the barrel of Claire's rifle and the redhead was moving about the store appearing to keep busy, but Alice couldn't say she was doing anything productive; she almost seemed nervous.
As if in response to the blonde's noticing of Claire's lack of purpose, the redhead walked up to her guest careful to keep her distance.
"We've got plenty of food, if you're hungry."
Alice compulsively checked her watch for the time; she felt that she couldn't respond until she knew. The numbers left her memory the second Claire lifted an eyebrow at Alice's bizarre action.
"I'm not," the blonde finally managed to say; she'd eaten yesterday.
The redhead shrugged and walked over to the table and took a seat. She withdrew a small red notebook from of an inner pocket in her jacket, and then pealed the leather coat off to set it on the back of her chair. Claire opened the notebook and grabbed the pen resting inside it. Alice's eagle vision picked out pieces of maps taped to the pages.
Suddenly K-mart rose from the floor, placed Claire's reassembled rifle on top of the gun counter and went back to a shelf to collect a book. To Alice it looked like an earth science textbook of some sort. Everyone's doing homework now? she questioned. Her curiosity was peaked.
The blonde treaded softly, removing her hood, and sat in the chair opposite of Claire.
"What are you doing?" Alice asked.
"Oh," Claire slammed her notebook shut. "Nothing, just um…writing, you know?"
She doesn't trust easily, Alice thought, but if that were the case – why let in an outsider? Especially someone of my…caliber? The blonde couldn't discern Claire's intentions; she was so out of practice in the art of reading people, but then again, before the outbreak she'd always been fooled.
Alice broke away from her inner monologue to see the redhead staring at her. The blonde shifted in her chair uneasily as Claire spoke.
"You have such a gift." She looked on wistfully, "if I had your abilities, I would use them to protect the ones I love."
There's no such thing as love, Alice thought. There is lust and desire, and when the night ends even those will be gone.
The redhead removed her ball cap and ran her fingers through her hair; then continued after a few moments of silence. "You don't talk much, do you?"
No, Alice thought as she shrugged.
"That's ok. I can talk enough for all three of us." Claire called to the teen across from them, "isn't that right, K?"
K-mart looked up from her book and smiled.
"She doesn't speak?" Alice questioned and Claire's voice softened.
"No, not since the day I found her."
The blonde opened her mouth lightly and closed it again. She had no idea what to say, and her lips were dry. Claire saw her hesitation and smiled.
"Do you have any chapstick?" Alice asked and it caused the other woman to laugh.
"Chapstick? Actually, I think I do."
Claire rose from her chair, walked over to a shelf, and pulled out a small, light-blue tube from a backpack and gave it to Alice. The blonde was careful not to touch Claire's fingertips as she took it from her. The waxy balm was soothing, but Claire was not as cautious in avoiding Alice's fingers as she took the chapstick back. Their skin touched and it sent pleasant shivers down the blonde's spine. The redhead was absolutely gorgeous and Alice knew her looks were just as attractive.
Claire's naked skin was probably soft to the touch, her breasts firm, her lips warm and delicate; and Alice thought, I need to have her. Need? Alice didn't need anybody. In fact there was only one thing she needed – to be alone. She was on her feet and at the exit in under a few seconds.
"Alice – wait," Claire said, but the blonde was already out the door.
The air was chilled but Alice's overactive blood kept most of it at bay. She'd left her coat draped on her bike, but she still had on her hoodie so she pulled the fabric back up over her head.
Why am I here? the blonde thought as her gaze found the North Star. Before she could answer, Claire was opening the door and stepping outside. She already had one arm in her jacket and was putting the other one inside the armhole as she walked to Alice and spoke.
"Are you ok?"
That's an odd thing to ask somebody, Alice thought in reply. True, it was commonplace before the outbreak; statements like 'how are you?' were merely customary introductions that had lost their merit because the only acceptable answer was: 'I'm fine. How are you?'
Claire was still waiting for a response, her head cocked lightly to the side in concern. It was more compassion than Alice had directed at her in years. It was unsettling and at the same time it made her realize something. The blonde had jumped the gun before; she didn't need Claire – she wanted Claire.
Alice caught the redhead's gaze, and held it as she advanced on the woman with the elegance of a predator. She used one hand to push Claire up against the store wall and claimed her lips forcefully. The blonde was quick to grope Claire's chest; she could feel the redhead's nipple stiffen beneath the fabric of her shirt at the touch. Alice hadn't expected the redhead to fight it, so she was taken by surprise when Claire shoved her away.
"God-stop! Get the fuck off me!" she screamed, her green-eyed stare was furious.
"You said I could have anything I want for saving K-mart's life," Alice quoted coldly.
"I didn't mean that."
Claire may not have wanted it, but her body couldn't lie. Alice could tell the redhead's breath was ragged; her heartbeat had been elevated when the blonde's hand was on her breast.
"Do you honestly think – you can do anything to stop me from taking what I want?"
Claire un-holstered her pistol and aimed it at the blonde in swift action.
"I already stopped a boulder," Alice argued. "What makes you think I can't stop a bullet?"
Truthfully, the blonde had never tried, but she was confident that it could be done. It wasn't everyday she faced off with another human.
2:35PM Alice let her left wrist fall back to her side. It had already been six months since the outbreak and the world was in utter chaos. Governments crumbled from the inside; morals fell to the wayside as everyone looked out only for themselves and people joined the horde by the thousands every day; decimating the human race to small pockets of warring factions. Gangs and brigands ran rampant, in areas that weren't part of the police states, taking everything they could. No one was working together to contain the infection.
The blonde had picked up a transmission from some survivors hiding out in a farmhouse in Ohio. They were pleading for rescue and she was close to the location. She parked her motorcycle next to a dying pasture and looked out at the degraded barn and homestead. She couldn't see or hear any movement; more than likely everyone was already dead. Forever late, Alice thought.
She withdrew a pistol as she approached the house to check it out, just in case her initial impression was wrong. Like Alice had suspected, the house was full of only corpses. She went to survey the barn and her blood remained silent. She walked cautiously through the large, open barn door, her eyes took a second to adjust to the darkness inside and then her stomach clenched. Shit, Alice tried to run but she was surrounded.
The armed men took steady steps to encircle her. The group was grungy; no better looking than escaped convicts. There were seven total, and every single one of them was smiling like a deviant as they undressed her with their eyes.
"Back off!" Alice shouted and aimed her gun at who she deemed was the leader by his smug appearance, but before she could fire, one of the men behind her hit her in the back of the head with the butt of his shotgun.
The blow caused her to falter but she remained standing. She brought her gun back up, and shot at one of the men. She was too dizzy to tell if her bullet found its mark but suddenly another shot rang out.
The bullet pierced her lower abdomen and she fell backwards to the ground. Blood seeped haphazardly onto the straw littering the dirt-floor, and Alice heard one of the men speak.
"I'm not fucking another corpse. Take her shit and let's go."
Two of them approached her and groped her for all that she was worth. They stole her guns, her knife, her watch, and got to cop a few feels while they were at it, but all Alice could do was concentrate on the dry, yellow stalks digging into her back.
They left her to die, but she never did. The T-virus worked to repair the damage and in half an hour she was staggering to her feet. Alice swallowed dryly, and looked at her wrist for the time but it was bare.
The redhead's eyes narrowed as she kept her gun trained on the blonde's heart, and Alice continued harshly.
"What makes you think I won't just send it right back at you?"
Claire lowered her weapon in surrender, but kept her chin raised in defiance and the blonde chuckled. Alice's smile however, fell at her next thought.
Why am I still here?
All of this was a mistake; Alice not just driving away at the approach of the Hummer, stopping those boulders, saving the girl…deciding to stay.
The blonde walked back to the door and Claire asked with apprehension, "what are you doing?"
"Leaving."
"For good?"
Yes, but Alice would not dignify her with an answer; she just twisted the handle and walked inside. K-mart was still reading on the floor but when she looked up at Alice, the blonde read kindness on her face. The girl stood, approached her with no fear whatsoever and held out a closed fist as if to give her something.
Alice slowly held out her palm and a colorful bracelet fell from the teen's hand into it. The blonde didn't know what to think, let alone what to do. Suddenly she was pulled from her confusion when the teen wrapped her arms around Alice in a tight hug. She froze until K-mart released her a moment later.
The girl sat back down at her spot on the tile and Alice looked at the gift in her hand. I don't understand, the blonde thought and the redhead appeared behind her.
"She doesn't want you to go," Claire said, causing K-mart looked up at Alice in anxiety and confusion as the redhead finished, "and neither do I."
"Why?" Alice demanded.
"You can keep us safe. You can keep her safe – so much better than I can."
So, you just want to use me, the blonde thought. Figures. Everyone else wanted to use her; to take something from her. She had nothing to give, and even if she did she wouldn't give it freely, but the warmth of K-mart's embrace still lingered.
Again Alice gave no reply. She just walked over to her motorcycle, pulled out a fleece blanket from one of the saddlebags and sat down with her back leaning against the bike. K-mart smiled softy at her, but she ignored it. Alice brought the dark fabric up above her shoulders and lowered her head so that the two could not see her eyes beneath the hood.
Just one night, Alice thought. She covertly checked the time on her watch, 21:19:02, and then feigned sleep.
A few minutes passed in near silence and already the blonde was feeling antsy. She was unconsciously tensing random muscles in her body to relieve the stress, but then Claire's voice interrupted her quiet charade.
"Last call for bathroom, K."
Alice didn't know how K-mart responded until she heard movement by the door. It sounded like someone was scraping something heavy against the tile floor. Alice opened her eyes and tilted her head only enough to see Claire's tan leather boots in a pose of exertion and in front of them was one of the shelves laden with supplies. She's blocking the door, Alice surmised but she wasn't doing a very good job. The heavy shelf was hardly moving.
Claire spoke again. "Anytime you want to help K – feel free…"
The redhead grunted with effort and K-mart moved to get up, but before she could assist her the blonde's eyes dilated slightly as she contributed her powers to forcing the shelf in front of the door. She didn't do it to help Claire; she did it because she wanted the redhead to know that she couldn't be contained – unless she wanted to be.
Claire met Alice's blue eyes and gave her a timid smile when the blockade settled into place.
"Thanks," the redhead said.
Alice left her expression blank and put her head back down. Claire's footfalls sounded loudly in her ears as she walked past her and Alice assumed, to the beds behind the counter. Claire addressed the teen again and the blonde could hear the motherliness with which she spoke.
"Lights out in half an hour. No more of that staying up past midnight 'cause you simply had to finish the chapter, got it?" Claire paused like she was actually expecting an answer. "Don't talk back to me missy."
That comment caught Alice's interest. She wanted to see how the teen would react so she peaked out of the front of her hood to find K-mart shaking her head in amusement. Claire smiled lovingly at the girl and their playful interaction confused the blonde.
It was half an hour on the dot when K-mart finally rose from her spot on the floor and put out the light on the counter. Alice knew because she looked at her timepiece at regular five minute intervals. At exactly 21:53:24 the room was thrown into darkness, but the lack of light could not stop the blonde from checking the time. The lower right-hand button on her watch illuminated the numbers for three seconds at a time and she pressed it constantly.
So who's liking the lengths of these chapters, eh? They take longer for me to write of course, but I like 'em. Let me know what you guys thought of the update please!