Time to Survive

I Used to be Such a Badass

Chris POV

Commander Branes.

"What the shit kind of name is that?" Kuza whispered to me as we set on a very uncomfortable love seat, our wrists still chained together, and my stomach was throbbing. Ricky and Kera were forced to sit in the two red chairs in front of the fancy desk, looking as uncomfortable as we were.

My eyes flicked around the room.

A grandfather clock in one corner, some fake plants beneath the curtained window and a shit ton of achievements were hanging on the wall.

Guy liked to brag.

"Fuck if I know," I grunted, shifting nervously.

What the hell was taking the guy so long?

It felt like we'd been in here for hours now.

"How long have we been waiting?" Ricky grumbled.

"Maybe an hour or two." Kuza sighed as he leaned back. "Are they trying to build up the suspense or something?"

Jeez.

I squirmed again, looking down at my wrist.

"Think we can get out of these?" I asked, tugging on it.

"I've been trying; not without breaking a digit."

Fuck.

I sighed.

My eyes flicked to the door as I heard voices, and after a moment, the door opened.

You've got to be fucking kidding me.

A man probably the same height as Kelsey stepped into the room, buzzcut and a severe expression; the dude was probably in his sixties, white fuzz running across his jaw and a bad scar beneath his eye.

Was this the commander?

This tiny dude my girlfriend could probably dropkick?

I frowned.

The guys eyes flicked around the room as he strode to his desk, tossing something down on it before motioning the door to be closed by one of his men.

We all stared at him, completely silent as he shuffled through some papers, finally rolling his chair close to the desk and sitting down.

Was this a joke?

Kuza and I looked at each other.

Seriously?

"I can see you're wondering why you're all here." the commander said after a moment, his cold eyes flicking warily between all of us, lingering on the cuffs on mine and Kuzas wrists. "Why we captured you."

Was he going to draw this out?

I tapped my fingers against my knees impatiently.

"I am Commander Branes," he continued, and I know we all had strange expressions on our faces.

Commander Brains?

Really?

That was his name and he was leading people against an apocalypse?

Irony.

"We survived the undead outbreak, obviously." he said, eyeing me and Kuza warily. "We have families here, women and children that we care for. You can understand why we wish to keep our base anonymous, that we don't want any outsiders knowing we survived because they threaten the existence of this place."

We'd caught on to that.

"I am sorry if my troops were harsh with you initially, we have to take precautions," he explained, nodding at our cuffs. "All lives are precious in a world like this."

"Then why the fuck did you try to have our friends killed?" the words came out of my lips before I could stop them. "How fucking precious are lives when you shoot first and ask questions later!?"

"Chris," Kuza hissed, his hand suddenly clenching on my wrist.

The commander sighed.

"It was a... Hasty decision made by young soldiers, that is all, and I apologize. I understand the one shot at is your girlfriend, and that she survived and is still out there. We're doing what we can to recover her unharmed."

So they didn't know about Ryan then.

Plus.

"We perceive all as threats, no matter who you are. One if my men said that the barriers that blocked this road have been moved and it is what made it possible for you to travel this far. As innocent an act as that might have been, it is still a problem as now you know we exist here."

I felt like this was out of some shitty movie.

They were holding us prisoner, I wasn't a fool to believe otherwise.

And neither was anyone else.

"As it is, we just lost four men a few weeks ago during an attack. The four of you showing up I see as a blessing," he shuffled some papers on his desk as he spoke. "I am going to let you all stay here, give you a chance to let this place become your new home. You have no other option. There is no negotiation that you can leave or escape, and any who try are regretfully dealt with; as I said, we don't want anyone knowing we are here."

So they'd murder us.

Great.

"I'll have you all set up together in a room, familiar faces are more comforting in a strange environment. For the first couple of days, anyway. Dinner will be served soon, I'm sure you're all starving."

We all just looked at him.

This was such bullshit.

This dude was living in a fantasy world if he thought we were just going to fucking take this.

I would tunnel my way out of here with a spoon if necessary.

I had to get back to Kelsey.

If these assholes didn't get her first.

And they'd kill Ryan if they saw him.

he couldn't stay in a place like this, he couldn't feed properly.

And we were all surviving together.

I wouldn't stay in here without them.

So fuck this place.

And whatever amenities it might have.

We were all better off surviving on our own.

Nomading it, as Kelsey had called it.

"I'll have my men escort the four of you to a room. I assume the miss would like to stay with you as well?" the commander looked at Kera expectantly as he motioned with his hand.

Kera was just sitting there, frozen, but her hand clenched in Rickys sleeve was enough.

I looked over as the door opened, a soldier stepping inside.

"Take all of them to a room to be housed, they'll be staying with us. Please uncuff the two gentleman as well."

Finally.

Kuza almost tore my arm off he lifted his wrist so quickly.

The soldier didn't say a word, although he did frown down at us as he unlocked the cuffs, tucking them into his belt. He took a step back to the door, waiting patiently for all of us to rise to our feet.

"Just one more thing."

We looked at the commander, and his eyes were on me, burning and serious.

What?

"My reconnaissance team did not radio in at their time, the ones sent after your girlfriend. If they have met an unfortunate end, I cannot expect it will be good for her either. Is there anything I should know when recovering her? If she can be."

My jaw worked.

I couldn't tell if he was threatening her or not, his tone was so pleasant.

"She's barely five two, she's not very dangerous." I said after a moment, "she couldn't take out military. And if she could, then you need to reconsider your training for your soldiers."

Kuza snorted.

Kelsey and Ryan could no doubt do whatever they put their mind too.

I had a feeling this was about to get interesting.




What the fuck kind of room was this?

I eyed the bunk beds, all covered with tucked green blankets and smelling of boot polish. There was a small sink against the wall with a cracked mirror, a flickering light above it, and a screen separated the toilet.

So much for privacy.

"Do you think they're okay?" Ricky asked after a moment, gingerly sitting down on a bottom bunk, coercing Kera to sit beside him. "Kels and Ryan?'

"Probably. They're both tough as fuck." Kuza grunted, rubbing his wrist as he eyeballed the room. It was just concrete walls, not even a window.

Or a fake plant.

How homey.

"What are they gonna do to us?" Ricky chewed his lip ring. "What is this place?"

"We're gonna be fine." I sighed, running my fingers through my greasy hair; did we at least get a shower? "We won't be here long."

"Why do you say that?"

"We're getting out of here."

I was resolute in that.

Fuck this place.

My woman was coming for me.

I hoped.

Although I wasn't in a tower with a dragon guarding me, it might as well have been that scenario.

I'd been separated from her for like two hours and I was already borderline mental breakdown.

Talk about clingy.

Fuck how had this happened?

I used to be such a badass.

I thought about Sabrina a moment, the baby we could have had together... Even with her I'd never been like this. It had actually gotten to a point in our relationship where I'd been grateful to get away from her every day.

It had never been like that with Kelsey.

But the situation was completely different.

This was an apocalypse.

And if it hadn't been, Kelsey would no doubt still be with Chase, apparently the love of her life; I knew she still thought about him, he'd only been dead four or five months now. You didn't get over someone that quickly, not if they really meant something to you.

We were just together because of the situation.

But I wanted to think I loved her.

And she loved me.

Or was that stupid to think?

"Dude, stop pacing, you're making me nervous."

"What the hell else is there to do?" I growled, glancing at Ricky.

"Sit. Relax while you can." Kuza offered, sighing. "Check your stomach and see how bad it is. It's gonna be sore as hell. You don't wanna be exhausted when Kels is here for you."

I didn't miss the look Ricky sent him.

he didn't think she would come.

Or be able to get us out.

I sighed.


All of us looked at the door as it suddenly opened, and I recognized the soldier who'd unlocked mine and Kuzas cuffs standing in the doorway, his face pale. He looked familiar for some reason, but I knew without a doubt that I didn't know him from anywhere.

"I'll give them a rundown, Taylor. You can go to the mess hall if you want," he said to whoever was standing behind him. "I'll taze them if they try anything."

Comforting.

I scowled, crossing my arms as I stared the boy down.

Why the hell did he look so familiar?

"Alright."

I stared him down with narrowed eyes.

He was tan, with short black hair and small, nervous eyes, tall but slim. We could probably beat the shit out of him easily enough and make a run for it.

"What the hell do you want?" Kuza demanded as the kid closed the door behind him firmly, dressed in the same military fatigues as everyone else.

The kids dark eyes flicked around at all of us.

"My names Davion. I'm... Maria Brink is my mom."

What?

"Maria?" I gasped, feeling shock ripple through me.

Davion nodded.

"Yeah. She saw you guys get taken."

"What, how --- how do you know she did?" Kuza frowned suspiciously.

"Because... I was supposed to leave with her today, when the guards suddenly went out and captured you guys." the kid looked chagrined. "She came all the way here to get me, but she said she wouldn't leave, not with a good conscience knowing you guys were trapped here."

Seriously?

She was alive?

So then running into Chris hadn't been a coincidence.

Maria was all about family, she wasn't going anywhere without her son.

God I couldn't believe she was alive.

That's amazing!

But what did it mean?

"How can she help us?" Kuza asked while the rest of us just looked dumbfounded, except for a confused Kera. "There's four of us to get out now."

"I know. Mom was gonna look for your two friends who escaped."

"Who's with her? She can't be all alone."

"She's not. Tom's with her, and Randy and Travis. She said Chris got bit and they had to leave him behind."

Yeah, we'd found him.

I frowned.

How did I know this wasn't some kind of trick? Like, this kid could be bullshitting us up the ass; someone could have recognized us, knew our history and all that shit and we could be playing right into their demented hands.

But that would be a heavy and deeply thought out plan for someone to come up with in four hours.

"You need to tell maria to be careful," I muttered after a moment, thinking, "Kelsey won't trust her."

"Ryan will." Ricky said quickly. "They know each other."

Yeah, but...

Ryan wasn't exactly...

That was going go be interesting.

I wondered who would kill who first.