When I finished telling the story of my marriage and told them the person their friend really was, I tossed the folder on the table and told them to have a look. I turned my back because I didn't want to see the pictures, that was part of my past and I didn't want to see them and relive the moment.
I heard Jace suck in a breath and when I turned around, Kai's face was sheet white.
"I didn't know he was like that." Kai said softly.
"Most monsters hide their true nature. They hide themselves behind the face they want people to see. They usually unleash their monsters behind closed doors because they don't want their friends to see how they really are." I told him.
"If I would've known he did this, I wouldn't have agreed to look for you." Jace said.
"How did you find me?" I asked.
"Jake thought we should check around your family, see if you were with them or close to them. That lead us here." Kai told me.
"Let me ask you something." I said to them. "Did you know that Jake is at the Colorado border? He is guarding the gate, preventing anyone from getting in or out."
"He's what?!" Jace said as he jumped up.
"Pull it up Ben." I told him.
I heard Ben start to type some things on the computer when he pulled up surveillance that he had from right before the outbreak til now.
"See. This is the three days before the outbreak." I told them. "And these are from then until now."
"He's still there?" Kai asked.
"Yes." Ben said.
"He might let us out." Kai said as he turned to his brother.
"No, he probably won't." Jace said, "not unless we give him the information he wants and that's not something I am willing to do Kai."
"Okay, fine." Kai said. "But we need to figure a way out of here, we can't stay here forever. We will eventually run out of food, water and other supplies."
"No we won't." I said. "I took precautions. The storage room is filled from wall to wall, floor to ceiling with supplies. Everything from food to water, medical is stocked as well. If anything starts to happen and we run low on supplies, we can go out to the stores and to the houses to get more. If you want to take your chances on having Jake get you out of here, be my guest but my children and I are staying here."
"How are you prepared for this?" Jace asked.
"Because I warned her." Ben said as he turned around in his computer chair to face us. "I worked for the CDC and seen how they planned on releasing a neuroagent or virus on the state of Wyoming, not sure why they chose Wyoming but they did. I warned Laurell, who already had a bunker built; doomsday prepper. When I warned her, she started getting the things we needed for inside here. Everything from food to weapons to beds."
"Why didn't you tell others?" Kai asked.
"Because we didn't want to send everyone in a panic and the CDC change their minds about releasing the neuroagent. We are trying to make up for that mistake by rescuing all the survivors that we can." I told them.
"What about the guys in town?" Jace said.
"Oh, you mean Billy and the gang?" I said. "No, they don't deserve saving. They deserve what is coming to them."
"I still think we should go talk to Jake, Jace." Kai said. "He might help us."
"No he won't." I said. "If you want to take your chances, I will get you close to the border and drop you off, you can try but I know how he is. He doesn't care about anyone other than himself."
I walked out of the room and headed for the gym. I usually worked out or went to the shooting range when I was upset or pissed off. It helped me blow off steam.
I made it down to the gym when I heard someone coming up from behind me.
"Don't mind Kai." Jace said. "He just wants to get home to his family. His wife is due to have their second child any day now, he just wants to get home to them."
"Understandable but he is putting his faith in the wrong person." I told Jace as I made my way over to the punching bag.
Jace stood on the other side of the bag holding it as I began kicking and punching it.
"I know." Jace said. "I believe that but Kai will do anything to get home to his wife."
"Would Skype work for him?" I asked as I kept hitting the bag, "just until we figure out how to get him out of here."
"Possibly." Jace said. "I will talk to him."
I kicked the bag one last time before heading over to the shooting range. I put a clip in the Smith and Wesson M&P45c and pushed the button for the target to drop down. Before I put the ear muffs on, I heard Jace let out a laugh. It momentarily stunned me, it made my knees weak. I wasn't sure why he had that effect on me but when I regained the feeling in my knees I aimed at my target and pulled the trigger; hitting it in the head every time. After about ten rounds, I put the safety on the gun and put it down then took the clip out. When I took my ear muffs off and turned around, Jace was staring at me.
"Everything okay?" I said.
"Um." He stuttered . "Yes."
"What are you staring at?" I asked nicely.
"You." was his answer.
"Why are you staring at me?" I asked him.
"Because you are amazing." He told me as he walked closer to me.
"Thank you." I said quietly and decided to make small talk. "So where are you from?"
"I am from Denver Colorado." He said as he continued to walk closer to me. "You are a beautiful woman, Laurell."
"Th-thank you." I stuttered.
When he was standing right in front of me, he bent down and kissed me. His lips were as soft as I thought they'd be. I pulled back from him and stepped back a little bit.
"I'm sorry." He said, "I just had to know what it would be like, I've wanted to kiss you since I rescued you from those guys."
"You don't have to apologize, it was nice." I said.
"But?" He added.
"But, I don't know you. Don't get me wrong, I've wanted to kiss you since you helped me but I would like to know more about you first." I told him.
"We aren't guaranteed tomorrow, we can only live in today and try to make the most of it." He began to tell me. "I understand though, I would like to spend more time with you."
In that second, my girls ran into the room.
"Mommy." Kylie said. "Look what I drew."
"Oh wow." I said. "It's pretty. Did you draw it for nana?"
"Yes." she said.
"She's going to love it." I told her.
"Who is he?" Sofia asked.
"Sofia Marie, manners." I told her.
"Sorry mom." She told me and turned to Jace. "Hello, I am Sofia Marie Mathison."
"Hello Sofia. I am Jace." He replied.
"Nice to meet you Mr. Jace." Sofia says extending her right hand. Jace takes her little hand and shakes it like a gentleman.
"Nice to meet you as well Sofia." Jace says with a smile.
"Let's head up and see Nana." I told Sofia.
"Okay mom." Sofia says. "See you later Mr. Jace."
"See you later Sofia." Jace says and winks at me.
~
"So what was that about?" Ben asks when I walk into Security.
"What was what about, exactly?" I asked, not completely understanding.
"Did you forget we have cameras in the gym and in the shooting range?" Ben said as he turned around with a smile on his face.
"It was nothing." I said fast, blushing a little bit.
"It didn't look like nothing." Ben said.
"Okay, it was a kiss." I said. "So what. That's all it was and all it will be."
"Why Lo?" Ben asked. "He seems like a good guy."
"How would you know exactly Ben?" I asked. "He's only been here for about three hours."
"I did a background check, remember?" Ben said. "He seems clean."
"You would've said the same thing about Jake, had we checked his background. He seemed like a good guy at the beginning." I told him, sitting down on the couch facing him.
"You can't compare all guys to Jake, Lo. That's not fair." Ben said.
"Yes, I know Ben but life isn't fair. I have children to think about, I have people depending on me. I can't just go out on a limb and assume he's a good guy, no matter how handsome he is. The last thing I need is for him to mess with my head, I can't protect anyone or be on top of my game if I am worried about Jace and his feelings, as well as mine." I told Ben.
"You have people here backing you up Lo. Jace knows that, he knows that if he messes with you, he's screwed. You have three brothers here, hopefully four when you find Gabe. You have all of us in your corner, if he does something that hurts you, we can always throw him out with the Rotters and let him fend for himself. It's not Jace you have to worry about." Ben told me.
"What do you mean?" I ask.
"Billy and the boys have been to the Colorado border, meeting with Jake." Ben told me.
"What have they been talking about?" I ask.
"Honestly, I am not sure. I don't have my birds that close but the next time they go, I will get closer. You need to be careful out there. In here, you don't have to worry about people stabbing you in the back Lo. Take a chance, you don't know when the world could end. Yes, we are living in a zombie ridden town right now but it could get worse. You'll never know if you don't try." Ben tells me.
"I can't just jump into something Ben, you of all people should know that. I have to know everything, every small detail that makes him, him. I can't just go off of a background check." I tell him.
"Okay, well take that chance. Sit down and talk to him. Have him open up to you, you'll never know unless you ask." Ben said. "You are looking at him and thinking of Jake. You are looking at beauty and thinking of the beast."
"That's very Disney of you Ben. Next you'll be comparing us to Enough, even though that seems about right." I told him. "I will give him a chance Ben but if it bites me in the ass, it'll be your fault okay?"
"That's fine. I will take full fault if he turns out like Jake and I'll personally put a bullet in between his eyes." Ben told me.
Seven am comes fast for those who don't sleep well. I've been tossing and turning all night, thinking about Ben's advice and thinking about why Billy would meet with Jake. I've decided that there is no reason for them to meet up because Jake doesn't know where I am and he doesn't know Billy and the boys.
When the numbers on my alarm clock switched from seven twenty eight to seven twenty nine, I got up out of my bed and got dressed in my usual gear. Black. Black pants, black shirt, black boots, black belt, black holsters and sheaths. I grabbed my ear piece off my dresser and headed out. First I went to check on my girls; like I do every morning then I headed to the Mess Hall for a cup of coffee. Like every morning, my mom is sitting at the counter drinking her own cup of coffee.
"Mornin' mom." I said and kissed her cheek.
"Good morning, Lo." She said.
"Sleep okay?" I asked.
"Well enough considering we are still in the bunker." She replied.
"Okay." I said and fixed myself a cup of coffee.
"Good morning Laurell." I heard Jace say from behind me.
"Good morning Jace." I said without turning around. "Why are you up so early?"
"This is the same time I always get up, unless I was called in at work." He said as he made his way to the coffee pot.
"Mom, could you make the girls breakfast when they get up?" I asked as I turned around.
"Yes, I will." My mom replied. "Ben told me about Billy and the boys."
"I figured he would." I said. "Don't try to talk me out of going to find Gabe because it's not going to happen, I am going to make the announcement."
"I wasn't going to try to talk you out of it, I was just going to tell you to be careful." She said when she stood up. "I am going to your apartment and wait for the girls to get up. Bring Gabe home Laurell. I love you, be careful."
"Always am. Love you mom." I said and kissed her cheek as I headed out of the Mess Hall.
"What's going on with Billy and the gang?" Jace asked walking next to me with his thermos of coffee.
"He's been to the Colorado border, he's been meeting with Jake." I say as I push the button to call the elevator.
"Why?" Jace asked.
"Honestly, I am not sure. I'm not sure how he even knows who Billy is and visa versa." I say, stepping into the elevator. "The only thing I can think of is, someone told Jake that the girls and I are here in Wyoming and not Nebraska."
Jace stepped in beside me and said, "There is something I need to tell you."
"Oh no, it's never good when those eight little words come from a man." I joked as I stepped out of the elevator and walked into Security.
"Mornin' Lo." Noah said from beside Ben.
"Mornin' boys." I say with a smile, "you been to sleep yet Ben?"
"Of course Lo." Ben said as he turned around.
As soon as the clock ticked eight Noah looked at me and said, "Time for morning announcements."
I walked over to the intercom and pushed the button, "Good morning everyone. It is now eight am, the doors have been unlocked and you are allowed to go out for the day but remember if you go out, be back before night. Those who are going on runs with me today, get your gear together, have your breakfast and meet me in Security. Everyone has a job to do, for those who don't have a job yet please report to Security so you can be assigned a job. For those who are religious, please say a prayer for the runners going out today and those who aren't religious; please wish them well. Starting today, the children will have school and will continue to have school. They need to be on level five by nine am and they will be finished at one thirty. If there is anything you need from out in town, compose a list and turn it in to security. Hope everyone has a fantastic day."
"Lo, you need to be careful when you go out." Ben said as soon as I released the intercom button. "I don't like the fact that Billy has been meeting up with Jake, something isn't right."
"I am always am." I said as I unlocked the armory doors and walked in to get my weapons. As usual I had two handguns with silencers that go into the holsters on my side, a small berretta that went in the holster that was on the inside of my jacket under my arm, I put the katana in the sheath that went down my back and was hidden by my pony tail, the machete sheath that was strapped to the side of my left leg, the hunting knife that was sheathed on my left hip, another hunting knife sheathed on inside my jacket under my right arm and one on the inside of my boot. You can never have too many weapons and you never know when someone will try to take the weapons that are visible.
"Promise me something Ben and Noah." I said after I walked out of the armory all geared up.
"Anything." They said in unison.
"If I don't make it back, take care of the girls." I said to them.
"I promise Lo." Noah said.
"Lo." Ben said.
"Promise me Ben." I demanded. "Promise me you will take care of them."
"On all the runs that you have been on, you've never made me promise this before." Ben said.
"This is different and you know it." I told him. "Please."
"I promise Laurell." Ben said softly.
After Ben made me that promise, Jace stepped out of the armory; geared up.
"You're going out?" I asked Jace.
"Yes." was all he said.
"We don't like people walking around with weapons, since you are geared up please stay on this level or head to the garage." I told him and turned back to Ben.