mother-in-law.” Leila looked up, a forced smile on her face. “That woman was so mean, she could scare off rotters.”
The fourteen women around the room laughed. Not that they found the joke especially humorous. They all realized they needed to bond and reaffirm their camaraderie for what lie ahead.
* * *
Natalie crouched down outside the blockhouse, far enough away from the open window so none of the Angels could see her, but close enough so she could listen in on their conversation.
Leila’s outburst bothered her, and not because of the tension it caused within the group. It was impossible for fourteen people to live in constant close proximity to each other, especially under these conditions, without tempers flaring. No, Leila’s outburst was merely a symptom of something more troubling. As Josephine said, every one of them carried demons as a result of the outbreak. And everyone dealt with those demons in their own way. But no one had exorcised them yet, and those inner tensions were more of a threat to the camp than a hundred rotters. Hell, even after pinpointing the problem, she could not bring herself to come to terms with her own guilt over losing David and to act on her feelings for Robson. She was not sure that she could.
“If I got caught spying on your girls like this, they’d call me a stalker.”
The voice startled Natalie. She whipped her head around to see Robson standing behind her. “Jesus, you startled me.”
“Sorry.” Robson crouched down beside her. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. I’m just worried about them, that’s all.”
“Because of the fight?”
“No. There’s a lot of pent up emotion among my girls.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. They’re the best fighting force in camp, thanks to you.” Robson placed his hand on Natalie’s shoulder. It felt pleasant, even through the leather jacket. For a moment, she wondered what his touch would feel like against her naked skin.
“What about you?” she asked, trying to draw him out. “What demons are you fighting?”
Robson withdrew his hand and became sullen. “I’d rather not talk about it.”
“Are you afraid of digging up bad memories?”
“I’m afraid you’ll think less of me.”
“I doubt that. If it wasn’t for you leading the raiding parties, none of us would have survived this long.”
“Thanks.”
Robson did not pursue the matter, so Natalie dropped it. Laughing from inside the blockhouse caught her attention. She looked inside, relieved to see the argument had ended and the girls joking amongst themselves.
“I’m concerned about how they’ll handle this trip.” Natalie stood up and brushed dirt off of her knee. She strolled toward the sea wall overlooking the ocean, with Robson walking along beside her. “This is the first time they’ve traveled this far from camp.”
“It’s the first time any of us have. But all of your girls came from out there, some as far away as New York and Pennsylvania. They have more experience with what we’ll encounter than us locals do. I wouldn’t worry about them.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I usually am.”
Natalie flashed him a flirtatious smile, though she doubted he saw it. They stopped at the sea wall and looked out. Without a moon, darkness enveloped everything. She could barely see the whitecaps as the waves crashed against the base of the wall a hundred feet beneath them. A year ago, prior to the outbreak, you could trace the outline of the shore off in the distance by the lights of the numerous coastal communities. Now water and land merged into a single black void. All the lights had long since gone dark, and not even a fire burned to indicate where humans once lived.
In a few hours, they would be entering that unknown void.
Chapter Fourteen
People began gathering in the motor pool twenty minutes before midnight, both those going on this mission and those bidding them farewell. Paul and Elena were among the first to
The fourteen women around the room laughed. Not that they found the joke especially humorous. They all realized they needed to bond and reaffirm their camaraderie for what lie ahead.
* * *
Natalie crouched down outside the blockhouse, far enough away from the open window so none of the Angels could see her, but close enough so she could listen in on their conversation.
Leila’s outburst bothered her, and not because of the tension it caused within the group. It was impossible for fourteen people to live in constant close proximity to each other, especially under these conditions, without tempers flaring. No, Leila’s outburst was merely a symptom of something more troubling. As Josephine said, every one of them carried demons as a result of the outbreak. And everyone dealt with those demons in their own way. But no one had exorcised them yet, and those inner tensions were more of a threat to the camp than a hundred rotters. Hell, even after pinpointing the problem, she could not bring herself to come to terms with her own guilt over losing David and to act on her feelings for Robson. She was not sure that she could.
“If I got caught spying on your girls like this, they’d call me a stalker.”
The voice startled Natalie. She whipped her head around to see Robson standing behind her. “Jesus, you startled me.”
“Sorry.” Robson crouched down beside her. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah. I’m just worried about them, that’s all.”
“Because of the fight?”
“No. There’s a lot of pent up emotion among my girls.”
“I wouldn’t worry about it. They’re the best fighting force in camp, thanks to you.” Robson placed his hand on Natalie’s shoulder. It felt pleasant, even through the leather jacket. For a moment, she wondered what his touch would feel like against her naked skin.
“What about you?” she asked, trying to draw him out. “What demons are you fighting?”
Robson withdrew his hand and became sullen. “I’d rather not talk about it.”
“Are you afraid of digging up bad memories?”
“I’m afraid you’ll think less of me.”
“I doubt that. If it wasn’t for you leading the raiding parties, none of us would have survived this long.”
“Thanks.”
Robson did not pursue the matter, so Natalie dropped it. Laughing from inside the blockhouse caught her attention. She looked inside, relieved to see the argument had ended and the girls joking amongst themselves.
“I’m concerned about how they’ll handle this trip.” Natalie stood up and brushed dirt off of her knee. She strolled toward the sea wall overlooking the ocean, with Robson walking along beside her. “This is the first time they’ve traveled this far from camp.”
“It’s the first time any of us have. But all of your girls came from out there, some as far away as New York and Pennsylvania. They have more experience with what we’ll encounter than us locals do. I wouldn’t worry about them.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I usually am.”
Natalie flashed him a flirtatious smile, though she doubted he saw it. They stopped at the sea wall and looked out. Without a moon, darkness enveloped everything. She could barely see the whitecaps as the waves crashed against the base of the wall a hundred feet beneath them. A year ago, prior to the outbreak, you could trace the outline of the shore off in the distance by the lights of the numerous coastal communities. Now water and land merged into a single black void. All the lights had long since gone dark, and not even a fire burned to indicate where humans once lived.
In a few hours, they would be entering that unknown void.
Chapter Fourteen
People began gathering in the motor pool twenty minutes before midnight, both those going on this mission and those bidding them farewell. Paul and Elena were among the first to
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