Hope you enjoy Chapter 4.
Don't forget to comment what you think. Vote and share if you like it.
Enjoy!
NJSH
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"So you have rations enough for two weeks for the both of you, several changes of clothes, water. According to mark if you walk near to the old barn above ground, there is an outdoor shower, which you should probably use whilst you are up there. The door will have to remain shut unless there is a large scale attack. I suggest you take it in turns to be on guard throughout the day and night." Justine explained, handing us bags to carry.
Justine used to be one of the best fighters we had, and she even helps out with teaching us tactics to use. But she got married 5 years ago and is currently pregnant with her 3rd child. She had long brown hair that was always tied up into a tight ponytail. Her physique was slender but muscular at the same time. She had a barely noticeable baby bump considering she was almost 5 months. Now, she tends to help out managing supplies and rations but that would never change my admiration for her.
"How long do we stay up there exactly?" I enquired, hoisting a heavy bag onto my back.
"Until we can be certain our location isn't compromised. We did the same thing last year when only Frederic returned from a raiding operation." she explained, before looking back at me.
I could feel my body tense up and I straightened up.
"I will not make my sister's mistake of being captured." I looked straight into Justine's eyes.
I don't know what she saw in me but she hesitated before looking away, busying herself with packing the final bag.
"I hope you're right." She mumbled.
I felt my anger flare but I contained it, Justine had been Sofia's best friend and was probably just as upset me. A year wasn't long enough to heal these sort of wounds.
I grabbed another bag and left the storage unit, leaving Justine to finish packing for us in peace. I tried to calm myself on the way to the bunker, heading up the almost deserted tunnel that lead to the secret door. I could see Frederic there with two mattresses that was clearly for us to use.
"Hey Freddy."I smiled.
He looked towards me with his dead stare and nodded. He had never been the same since he had come back to us.
Last year, my sister and her raiding group went on what should have been a routine raid but something went wrong. My sister Sofia, George, Kyle and Louise never returned, presumably dead or worse. Frederic managed to come back after a few days, escaping from the Vampires grasps. He told us briefly what had happened but clearly not all. After that he never went out again, would just wander around with a troubled look on his face.
I guess what he felt was worse considering Kyle was his brother and Louise was his wife. But that didn't stop people from blaming him and some even blamed Justine because it was normally her raid to go on.
I finally reached the back of the bookcase door that lead to the bunker. I pulled the key of the nail on the wall and unlocked it before stepping in. Apparently someone had quickly came in here and cleaned so it was ready for us.
I put the bags down on one of the bed frames before unpacking the contents neatly onto shelves which was hidden between the beds and the entrance to the outside. As I finished putting the last of the food rations away, Dave came in with a small camping stove and a two gas canisters piled precariously in his arms.
I lurched forwards before they could roll out his arms and grabbed them off of him. I placed them on the floor whilst he placed the stove near the door for us.
"Frederic is almost here with the mattresses, and Aisha is helping Ashley with the remaining bags." He explained, looking up at me.
His murky blue eyes stared up at me, his blond hair still damp I assumed from his shower. When he stood up, he stood almost a head taller than me and was well built for a cook.
"Yeah, thanks for the help. But I think Sammy was looking for you Dave." I smiled.
"Sure, I'll go find her later. But I figured you'd want some company whilst waiting for the others."
"Dave, you're company isn't good enough for me. We are clearly cut from different cloth, so I'd appreciate if you left. Now!" I glowered at him.
He looked stunned for a moment at hearing my tone but he quickly recollected himself.
"Maybe you should learn to not treat other people's attention with distaste. You'll never find happiness in marriage this way." he glared.
I was stunned for a moment be gathering my thoughts about me. I had never expected him to fire back.
"Hmm, I only treat those weaker than me with distaste. Humankind now relies on the survival of the fittest and I'm afraid you are not up to par." I declared, turning my back on him.
"You knew of my intentions?" he asked.
I could feeling him hesitate behind me, as though he thought he was being subtle the whole time.
"Mark told me of your request, and I'm in mind to decline your proposal for I have made one of my own to another. But even if I hadn't I still wouldn't accept you." I told him, lying slightly.
I had made no proposal as of yet but I knew he wouldn't follow up on it. He made a sound as if he was going to continue talking but stopped. I looked back a saw Frederic stood in the door way with 2 mattresses he had been dragging. I pasted a smile on my face and went over to help him bring them in. I put one of the mattresses into a bed frame on the right whilst Fred sorted out the one on the left.
I stood up just as Dave walked past us and left the bunker to go back to the Base. Freddy straightened up and looked over at me with worry and concern.
"Don't worry Freddy, I'm sure everything will go fine." I grinned, placing my hand hesitantly on his shoulder.
"I have a feeling that something is going to happen." He told me.
His deep voice surprised me as I hadn't heard it for so long, the difference in a year was before it use to make me feel safe but now it made me want to tremble in fear. He placed his hand on my cheek and stroked it before leaning over and kissing me on the forehead. My eyes widened in shock as his lips left my forehead and with that he left me alone in the bunker.
I sat down on the right bunk and stared at the far wall, contemplating Frederic's words. Frederic had been my trainer whilst I was growing up and like Justine, was excellent strategist. The big difference was he also relied on his gut feeling, which was very rarely wrong. What worried me the worst was he hadn't specified whether it was a good feeling or a bad feeling.
"Hello, Earth to Mya."
Aisha was stood in front of me waving her hand in front of my face, 3 bags at her feet. Ashley was just beside her, putting down another 2 bags down on the floor.
"Sorry, I was in a world of my own." I got up and grabbed one of the bags from the floor.
I busied myself with unpacking it with the help of Ashley, whilst Aisha sat on one of the bunks.
"I just saw Dave walking from this direction, he looked quite downtrodden." I heard her.
"Yes well, I had to break the poor blighter's heart, didn't I." I Started sorting out clothes into piles.
"Ha, serves him right. Who does he think he is?" she laughed.
"It's not just that, I think Sammy wants a crack with him." I giggled.
"Really? I thought her type would be more masculine." Ashley turned to look at me.
"You mean like Aisha's Raven." I raised my eyebrows at her.
"Well, not everyone's lucky like me I suppose." Aisha smirked.
"Oh come on. He is not just gorgeous, He is god-like. I wouldn't be surprised if he had blood like ours." I announced.
You see, I wasn't the only Halfbreed at the camp, so was Aisha and obviously my sister. I don't know what happened to her family but she had been found wondering the woods about 10 years ago. Mark took her in and she was raised alongside us. At first we'd been rivals but that eventually we became best friends, almost sisters.
"Nope! Both of his parents are very much Human." she grinned.
"He even has a brother, do you think I have a chance?" Ashley queried, puffing her hair up at the back and pouting.
"Oh, I don't know, depends on if I get him first." I joked.
We all giggled and before I knew it, we had unpacked everything into place and the bags were bundled together and stuffed under my bunk. I sat down next to Aisha and Ashley sat on the over bunk opposite us.
"Just think this time next year, we will all either be married or getting married." Aisha contemplated out loud.
"But I think I would always want to raid with you guys. I don't care if I end up with 4 kids, I couldn't just stop raiding."
"I think we all feel that way. Why should we give up raiding to become a baby vending machine?" Ashley asked.
"Baby Vending machine?" both me and Aisha said simultaneously before all three of us burst out laughing.
Aisha left shortly after that, kissing us both on the cheek before leaving us and shutting the door behind herself. I could hear her lock it and then I assumed she hung the key up on the hook on the wall. I grabbed some of the bedding and made my bed up so it was presentable, Ashley following my lead.
"So what happened back at that house?" I asked, sorting out my pillow.
Ashley explained that whilst she had been gathering, she had gone in to the empty bedroom and as she was collecting the bedding, and hand had shot out of nowhere and smacked her across the room, resulting in the head injury. When she had collected herself he had her pinned and was just about to question her when we had spoken through the earpiece. Apparently he had been trying to get her to answer so he could have come and either captured us by surprise or killed us all when I had tackled him.
"Oh Ashley!" I exclaimed, hugging her.
"It's okay. We all take risks when we go out, and now I can use my fear to get better and train harder so I wont be put in that position again." She stated pushing me away.
"I suppose that's one way to look at it."
"Well, Let's just hope I never have to return the favour." She grinned.
After that, we went about making dinner which was just a simple vegetable soup and bread roll. Afterwards, Ashley went to bed for a rest as she was still recovering, and I washed the pots out using the rain. After that was done, I threw on a coat, waterproof boots and I grabbed one of the Rifles Aisha had brought up, slotting in a 30-round magazine in. I also picked up a belt, putting it on round my waist and attaching my machete and a dagger to it.
Time to check the borders.