Against This World

Six

"Alright, Tits. It's you and me on the next run. We're leaving in an hour. Get your shit together." Jasper called over the various noises of the men around me training.

My heart stopped. It would be my first time outside the compound in seven months, and I was itching to get away from the smell of man sweat and constant oggling.

Olan held out his fist and I gave it a light bump before running off to pack my travel kit.

My boot knife was finally back in its rightful place, but it felt foreign, as if I'd never worn it before. Amelia had brought me a pair of jean shorts and a tank top to keep me cool in the sweltering heat.

In my bag, I packed a small first aid kit; which, if I'm being honest, is a bottle of vodka and some gauze, a few baggies of dried fruits, and my canteen.

"Ready?" Jasper startled me as he yelled into the women's bunk.

"Yeah." I sighed as I threw the bag over my shoulder.

"Go by Joaquin's and get the list of stuff he needs. I'll meet you out front." He called as he walked away.

I rolled my eyes. I'd been doing my best to ignore and avoid Joaquin at all cost. The few interactions we'd had were short and awkward, and mostly consisted of conversations about my training. Needless to say, I shattered his expectations of my limits and surpassed his week and a half guess by a long shot.

I knocked on the door to his office and there was no immediate answer. I knocked again, louder this time. When there was still no answer, I tried the door to his room.

When he pulled the door open he smiled at me.

"Well, hi there Matthews. Can I help you?"

"I just need your list. We're about to head out."

"First run, huh? How exciting is this?" He crossed his arms and leaned against the door frame. "You're going to catch a pretty wicked case of sunburn if you run around like that." He nodded to my sleeveless shirt.

"Can I please just have your list so we can go?" I sighed, earning a chuckle.

"Here." He pulled a folded slip of paper from his back pocket. "Good luck out there." He commented before closing the door in my face.

"Rude!" I screamed through the wood and heard another chuckle from the other side.

I stopped by Amelia's room on my way out. She smiled up at me when she opened her door.

"Is there anything special you'd like me to try to find for you?" I tucked a stray lock of curls behind her ear.

"I'm good for now, I think." 

"Alright. See you in a few days." I grinned as I stood to my full height and turned to walk away.

"Wait. Jordan. There is something I need."

I turned around and could see that she felt uneasy about whatever she was about to ask for.

"I'm running low on... supplies... for..."

"Say no more. I read you loud and clear. If you need any while I'm gone, there's some stashed in my footlocker." I whispered to her.

"Thank you." She sighed with relief.

"No problem." I walked to the front of the compound to find Jasper sitting on the bench outside.

"There she is." He called out as soon as he saw me. "Got the list?"

I handed him the paper and he scanned over it.

"Same basic shit as always. Meds and food if we find it." He looked up from the page. "Right, let's go." He took off and I followed behind him.