Woman is a trump card I am not ashamed to play. Like Jordan said, we work with what we’ve got and if this is part of my currency, so be it. I’ll spend that dollar.
The man looks back at Jordan, clearly happier to be speaking to him and not the whimpering woman.
“What supplies were you planning on?”
“A bow for me, one like hers. Extra arrows for the both of us and a book.”
“And sunscreen.” I say quickly.
The man scowls at me for a moment. “Sunscreen?”
“We’ll be walking outdoors. A lot. We’ll need sunscreen. And Chapstick.” I reply hesitantly.
I almost add that I want Wet Ones wipes as well, but the man is giving me a look as though I was asking for down pillows and room service so I shut the hell up.
“What kind of book?” he asks Jordan, ignoring me now.
“Archery. One that explains how to make arrows. Neither of us knows how.”
The man nods, thinking. He stands suddenly and the young man opens the door for him, never turning his back to us.
“Wait here.” the old man says, and leaves the room.
The young guy steps out behind him, closes the door and I hear the lock click again.
“He’s fun.” I mutter, releasing Jordan’s hand and rubbing my sweating palms on my jeans.
Jordan chuckles but doesn’t say anything. I want to ask him about the “everything” comment, what that exchange was about, but I don’t know how to bring it up, so I leave it alone. They leave us sitting there for at least another half an hour and Jordan starts rubbing his face and eyes again. I’m starting to get antsy so I stand and pace the room. When the door opens again and the old man reappears, he stops and glares at me silently. I hold his stare and slowly sit back down in my seat. Once I’m seated, he takes his own again.
“There’s no book to help you with making arrows.” he tells Jordan briskly. “But we have some phones still working and able to connect to the internet. We can let you look it up and write down the instructions. We also have the bow to spare and the arrows.”
I want to slap myself in the head for not thinking of simply looking up on my phone how to make arrows, but I keep still. I also can’t help but notice we’re glossing over the sunscreen and Chapstick.
Jordan nods his head and grins slightly. “Thank you, we appreciate it.”
“Now hold on.” the old man says, raising his hand. “We can’t just give things away. The way things are headed, we’re gonna need all the supplies we can get our hands on. We might be able to spare a bow and a few arrows, but that doesn’t mean we won’t want something in return.”
“But we don’t have anything to give you.” I say, opening my palms on the table.
The old man looks at me closely and smiles. “Oh, I think you do.”
Jordan is fast. Really, really fast. He jumps from his chair, knocking it back against the wall and has me up and behind him before I even know what’s happening.
“We’re not making that kind of trade, asshole.” he says darkly.
The young man at the door has the gun raised and trained on us. I try to step out from behind Jordan and show my hands or sit back down, anything to get the gun off us, but he holds me firmly.
The old man lets out an exasperated sigh and shakes his head at Jordan.
“That’s not what I meant. Sit down!”
Jordan hesitates for a full minute then slowly releases me and we take our seats again. The gun is lowered and I take a deep, shuddering breath.
“We have women and children here. Hell, someone’s grandmother is here.” the old man scolds. “We’re not animals.”
“You were looking right at her. What did you mean, if not that?”
The old man points at me but speaks to Jordan. “ She was carrying the bow when you arrived. You said you want another bow for you, ‘one like hers’. I assume she’s the one who can shoot it?”
Jordan nods slowly, his body relaxing. “She’s shot six infected today. In the eye on each one, dropped them
The man looks back at Jordan, clearly happier to be speaking to him and not the whimpering woman.
“What supplies were you planning on?”
“A bow for me, one like hers. Extra arrows for the both of us and a book.”
“And sunscreen.” I say quickly.
The man scowls at me for a moment. “Sunscreen?”
“We’ll be walking outdoors. A lot. We’ll need sunscreen. And Chapstick.” I reply hesitantly.
I almost add that I want Wet Ones wipes as well, but the man is giving me a look as though I was asking for down pillows and room service so I shut the hell up.
“What kind of book?” he asks Jordan, ignoring me now.
“Archery. One that explains how to make arrows. Neither of us knows how.”
The man nods, thinking. He stands suddenly and the young man opens the door for him, never turning his back to us.
“Wait here.” the old man says, and leaves the room.
The young guy steps out behind him, closes the door and I hear the lock click again.
“He’s fun.” I mutter, releasing Jordan’s hand and rubbing my sweating palms on my jeans.
Jordan chuckles but doesn’t say anything. I want to ask him about the “everything” comment, what that exchange was about, but I don’t know how to bring it up, so I leave it alone. They leave us sitting there for at least another half an hour and Jordan starts rubbing his face and eyes again. I’m starting to get antsy so I stand and pace the room. When the door opens again and the old man reappears, he stops and glares at me silently. I hold his stare and slowly sit back down in my seat. Once I’m seated, he takes his own again.
“There’s no book to help you with making arrows.” he tells Jordan briskly. “But we have some phones still working and able to connect to the internet. We can let you look it up and write down the instructions. We also have the bow to spare and the arrows.”
I want to slap myself in the head for not thinking of simply looking up on my phone how to make arrows, but I keep still. I also can’t help but notice we’re glossing over the sunscreen and Chapstick.
Jordan nods his head and grins slightly. “Thank you, we appreciate it.”
“Now hold on.” the old man says, raising his hand. “We can’t just give things away. The way things are headed, we’re gonna need all the supplies we can get our hands on. We might be able to spare a bow and a few arrows, but that doesn’t mean we won’t want something in return.”
“But we don’t have anything to give you.” I say, opening my palms on the table.
The old man looks at me closely and smiles. “Oh, I think you do.”
Jordan is fast. Really, really fast. He jumps from his chair, knocking it back against the wall and has me up and behind him before I even know what’s happening.
“We’re not making that kind of trade, asshole.” he says darkly.
The young man at the door has the gun raised and trained on us. I try to step out from behind Jordan and show my hands or sit back down, anything to get the gun off us, but he holds me firmly.
The old man lets out an exasperated sigh and shakes his head at Jordan.
“That’s not what I meant. Sit down!”
Jordan hesitates for a full minute then slowly releases me and we take our seats again. The gun is lowered and I take a deep, shuddering breath.
“We have women and children here. Hell, someone’s grandmother is here.” the old man scolds. “We’re not animals.”
“You were looking right at her. What did you mean, if not that?”
The old man points at me but speaks to Jordan. “ She was carrying the bow when you arrived. You said you want another bow for you, ‘one like hers’. I assume she’s the one who can shoot it?”
Jordan nods slowly, his body relaxing. “She’s shot six infected today. In the eye on each one, dropped them
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