Breathless Bodies (9 page)

"You might want to take a swig out of that flask. The stitches don't feel too good."

I reached for the flask only to find it gone. It must have fallen out of my pocket during all the excitement.

"I don't have it. Just go ahead and start." I told him. He sighed and started to take off his belt. I frowned and looked at him.

"You're going to want something to bite." He said, handing me the belt. Nodding, I doubled the leather and took a good bite. He started to sew me up and felt like a gentle tugging. I looked at it and he was already done with the first stitch. I took the belt out of my mouth.

"Is it bad that I can't feel it?" I asked him. He didn't look up as he responded.

"That might be all the shock and adrenalin. I didn't think about that. Just try and stay still. You only need four or five." I looked towards where Sean and Samuel were burying the boy. The other teenagers had gone over to help dig the hole. Sean was looking over here with a small smile in his face. I returned his smile and he went back to work.

After about fifteen minutes, I looked back down at my arm. Malcolm was done and now just holding it while staring at the wound.

"I'm sorry I didn't check on it sooner. Sean's right, you could have died from infection and it would have been my fault. I'm so sorry." He got up to walk away but I caught his hand. He stopped but didn't turn around, after a moment I let go.

"I don't blame you for not checking the wound. I think guarding the door was more important. Thank you for everything that you've done for me. I truly appreciate you." He turned his head enough to give me the saddest look I had seen from him, then walked away. I sighed, wishing I knew what he was thinking. Geez, this man was emotional! While I repacked the first aid kit, Sean and the others finished burying the poor kid. I walked over to them to introduce myself.

"I can't do this. I don't want to end up like that." the one with blond hair was saying.

"Yes you can Scott. Come on, let's go skin some rabbits and get dinner started."

"I can't end up like that Daniel. I swear before everything I won't end up like that." He spoke calmly and quietly as they walked over to where they had a string of rabbits hung from a tree. Sean came to stand beside me.

"I'm worried about that one." He nodded towards Scott. "I hope he doesn't do something stupid." As if on cue, Scott grabbed the skinning knife and tried to slit his own throat. He and Daniel wrested for the knife as Sean and I rushed forward.

"Just let me do it, please!" Scott screamed. Sean grabbed him from behind while Daniel wrenched the knife out of his grasp. He and Sean fell backwards over a log, rolling in the dirt until he was on top. Scott tried to punch Sean but Kato had grabbed his arms and was restraining him. Steven came over with the rope they had used to haul me up the cliff and together, they tied him up. He sat there sobbing as Daniel tried to comfort him.

I walked over to the fire pit and sat down, reaching for the tinder and kindling. The motions of making a fire calmed my nerves and cleared my head. As I built the pit into a roaring fire, I thought about what we would do from here. Should we stay here or move camp? We needed running water and farming ground to be able to live. I looked up from the flames to see most everyone sitting near. The two teenagers, Liz, and Steven were missing. I got up and sat on a rock next to Sean, leaning against him and sighing.

"So what's for dinner?" Malcolm asked with a happy grin. I could tell he was trying to lighten the mood.

"I don't know. What are you making?" Sean responded. They both had a laugh and I smiled a bit. Samuel came back to the fire with five rabbits on sticks ready to be cooked.

"Did someone say dinner?" He said. "If one of you could get the rack set up, I'd appreciate it." Both Malcolm and Sean got up, working together to get it done quickly.

As Samuel placed the rabbits over the fire, Malcolm asked the questions I had been thinking.

"So do we stay here or move camp. I 'm not sure how many walkers heard our little commotion but we need running water for a more stable living spot." He sat down in the dirt with the back resting on a log. "And I don't know about you guys, but I think we should find a place we can raise some animals. Chickens and cows and such."

"I agree." Kato said. He had cups and a bottle of water which he passed out. "The canned food will be running out soon and the little ones can't eat rabbit all the time." I took the cup from Kato and thanked him.

"We're not that far from Colorado. We could find a place close to the mountains with open fields. There's plenty of fresh water to be had. There should be some livestock left on the ranches in the area. What do you think?" I looked at Sean. He held his cup and stared into the water.

"There's good ground out there. There's a place I know about by the mountains that has river fed lake so there'd be fish. Plus, plenty of flat ground for farming. I think it's a good idea. We would need to build a shelter and lookout post quickly though so I suggest we hit town to get building supplies before we move out." We all nodded our agreement. "I don't know you guys as well as Alex but-" Before he could finish a set of headlights appeared on the road leading to camp. We had just enough time to grab our weapons before a truck came blazing into the site. It fishtailed to a stop by Sean's truck, metal music blaring. We stood there as the engine turned off, waiting to see who would step out. The door opened and a long leg followed by long black hair appeared. It was Niobe. From the driver's side came Ragnar. I started crying as I ran to him.

"I thought you were dead you damn Viking!" I jumped and hugged him with all the strength I had. He hugged me back while I shed even more tears. "How Did you make it out alive?" I asked him, my face buried in his shoulder.

"Let's sit down and I'll tell you." He unwrapped me and set me back on my feet. As he greeted the others by the fire, the teenagers, Liz, and Steven had come out of the trailers. I introduced Scott and Daniel to my brother and they went off to get a few more rabbits to put on the rack.

"Okay Ragnar, how in the world did you guys survive?" He grabbed a rabbit leg and cleaned the bone in one go before answering me.

"Well when Niobe was trapped in the stockroom, I left through a side window. There was a smaller window in the stockroom and she managed to wiggle through. When we were behind the trees, I shot the pumps. We started walking towards Albuquerque when a bunch of rednecks in trucks and jeeps came up behind us. Said they were looking for a guy named Samson. Told them we hadn't seen him. They didn't like that. The leader said I looked like I was good for work and Niobe was good for breeding so they trussed us up like hogs for roasting. You got any whiskey?" Sean pulled a bottle out of his pocket and handed it to him. Ragnar took a long pull and handed it back.

"Thanks man. So there we are, in the back of these trucks. I hear them say that it's their duty to rule the world now because they were the strongest and anyone who didn't join them would die. You know me sis, if anyone is going to take over the world, it's me." We both gave a small chuckle.

"So because they wanted to rule the world, you killed them?" Samuel asked. I looked at him and noticed he had gone white as a sheet.

"Nah, we didn't kill them. We didn't get a chance. When we made camp for the night, they tied us to a tree together. Big mistake. They didn't check Niobe's hair for weapons and she carries a thin blade in it. We cut the ropes and stole one of the trucks. We had just stopped in town for gas when we heard that big gun going off." He pointed to the truck. "When I looked at the mountain, I saw a tiny blurb falling so I figured we would come find you. So, here we are." He took the rest of the rabbit and started devouring it.

"This leader, did he have a scar on his face? Went from his temple to his jaw?" Samuel asked Ragnar. Ragnar stopped mid chew and looked up.

"Yeah, he did." We all turned to Samuel. He wasn't looking at us. I followed his gaze where it went over the city. There, coming towards the mountain, were three sets of headlights. I turned back to him.

"You had better start talking. Now." Malcolm had come up behind him, blocking his exit.

"We need to get out of here, now. If they catch us then we're all dead, even the kids." He tried to plead with us.

"You lied to us from the beginning. You're one of them aren't you?" Malcolm was slowly stepping closer to him. "Why don't we just give you to them? They'll leave us alone after that I bet."

"I didn't lie, you never asked. And no they won't let you go. Ragnar stole from him. He never lets that go. He slit my wife's throat because she dropped a cup on his toe, what do you think he'll do to you guys?" His eyes had teared up and he was breathing heavy. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this, I really am. But please believe me when I say you have to run." Ragnar clasped him on the shoulder.

"I'm the one that stole the truck little man. We are both at fault." He looked over to see the headlights starting up the mountain road. "We've spent too much time talking. We should stay and fight, but we need to come up with a plan."

Chapter 13

W
hen the raiders
pulled into camp, only a few of us sat around the fire. The stolen truck was tucked away on an access road, on the other side of the camp. I sat directly across from the raiders approach, so I was the first face they saw. My mother sat to my left, Liz then Steven on my right. The teenagers were fiddling with the rabbits on the fire, trying to act casual. I took a drink of my water and stood up to go greet them.

A man stepped out of the lead vehicle. He was tall and had a trench coat that went to his ankles. the headlights blocked out everything else.

"Hello there. You guys lost?" I shouted. The man was walking closer and I could see more silhouettes behind him.

"No, we saw your fire in town so we decided to see who was up here." The man said. He was close enough to the fire that I could see his face now. There was a long scar that traced the side of his face giving him an evil look. He held out his hand to for a shake.

"My names Darius. These are my men. Looks like you got yourself a nice little setup here. Mind if we spend the night? It's been a long drive and my men are tired and hungry." He spoke in a tone that was both charming and threatening, his voice like warm whiskey. I hoped he wasn't expecting us to feed them all.

"Yea, that's no problem. There's plenty of room by the fire." He gave me a slow grin.

"That's mighty fine of you." He turned and spoke to his men. "You heard her boys, we make camp here for the night! John, bring some meat out. Get Jose to help you. Lauren, bring a few bottles for our new friend here. You like whiskey?" He asked me.

"I like whiskey just fine." I replied, walking back over to the fire. I motioned to the piece of log next to me for him to sit down. Time to play the gracious hostess. He gave another smile and sat next to me. He was a handsome man with a rugged aura, like a lumberjack meets Hollywood.

"So where are you all coming from? Looks like you've been through a bit of a tussle." He pointed to my arm. Think fast Alex, come up with something.

"Yeah, there was a member of our group that didn't agree with my decisions. She tried to kill me because instead of fighting, I walked away." I told him about the walkers but left Samuel and the other men out of it.

"When we got to Grants, she tried to kill me in my sleep. So we threw her out of the RV. She's probably dead by now." I reached for a rabbit, pulling off a leg and handing it to him. In return, he handed me a bottle of whiskey from which I took a long pull.

"Well that's a shame. There are so few of us left that it's a pity to waste uninfected people." I handed him back the bottle and he set it down next to him.

"Where are you guys headed?" I asked. I could feel the whiskey working to warm me up.

"We're just touring the country, looking for survivors to add to our little community. Eventually we'll find a place to make home but we need to find a safe place. You probably know all that though." He looked at me intensely. "You are a very pretty woman. Do you know that?" I tried to say thank you but my tongue had gone numb. That's odd, I hadn't drunk enough to be that affected yet. I blinked up at him owlishly.

"Yes, I put a tranquilizer in the whiskey. You won't be able to move, but you'll be conscious." He caught me as I slid off the log. I heard Liz scream and had just enough energy to look her way. The other men had grabbed everyone else and were tying their hands. Darius caressed my face as he spoke to me.

"Don't worry, they won't be hurt as long as you cooperate." His hand moved to my neck and he gave it a slight squeeze. I felt the strength that could crush my throat in one try. He slid his hand under my back and lifted me onto his lap. Burying a hand in my hair, he ground his lips against mine in a painful kiss. There was blood on his lips as he pulled away, but I couldn't tell if it was mine of his.

"Did that hurt, little Alex?" He asked in a husky tone, licking the blood from his lips as I screamed at him in my head. "Don't worry, there's plenty of things I could do that are more painful." He grabbed my chest roughly, squeezing until it felt like it would rip right off. How I wished I could claw his eyes out and geld him. "I know what you're thinking. Don't worry, when the drug wears off, you'll have your chance. I like a little pain as foreplay so it'll be all the sweeter for me." He nuzzled my neck, nibbling his way to my ear. Then out of the darkness came the sound of a baby crying. My heart sank as he froze then slowly lifted his head.

"You have a child." He didn't ask. "Lauren, find the child." He propped me up on the log facing the RV. "You'll want to see your baby, won't you?" Samuel was right, this man was twisted. Lauren came out of the RV.

"There's no one there. The back window is popped out." Relief flooded through me. Someone had gotten the children to safety. I would have cried, had I been able too. Darius turned to me with anger in his eyes, picking me up by the front of my blood stained shirt.

"You lied to me, little Alex. It's not nice to lie." He let go of my shirt and punched me in the jaw, knocking me unconscious before I hit the ground.

The bright sunlight is what woke me. I opened my eyes and squinted against the brightness. My head was pounding but at least I could move. I tried to sit up but couldn't. Instead, I rolled onto my stomach and rose to my hands and knees. I heard a crunch of boots and looked over to see one flying at me, striking me in the ribs. I flew backwards into the log and crumpled to the ground. The boot struck again at my stomach. I laid there, gasping for air, when I was kicked in the chest. The boot was coming at me a fourth time when another set appeared and knocked the other down. The man that fell was short and hispanic looking.

"I never gave you permission to beat her Jose." Darius drew a gun and shot him in the shoulder. He came over and helped me to my feet while Jose laid there screaming. I clutched my ribs from the pain, trying hard to take shallow breaths. Darius moved my hand and felt my side with a soft touch.

"They're fractured, going to hurt like hell for a while." He tilted my face up to his, brushing the dirt and blood away. "You're even more beautiful in the daylight. Let's get you cleaned up." He held my hand gently as he led me over to a bench under a tree. His gentleness scared me more than anything else. A woman came over carrying a bucket of water and a wash rag. She had a black eye and swollen jaw. It took me a moment to realize who it was.

"Liz." My mouth hung open and she wouldn't look at me.

"She was a stubborn one. Wouldn't listen to a thing I said. The others caught on after they saw what I did to her." She placed the bucket in front of me and handed him the rag. "Thank you Lizzy, you may go" She turned and limped away.

"You bastard. Why did you do that?" He dipped the rag into the bucket and started to clean my face. He was so gentle, his touch light.

"Because you lied to me little Alex. I told you, it's not nice to lie. Now tell me, who else was here with you?" I looked at him with scorn and turned my face away. "Don't be like that. Remember, I have your mom and brother too. Now, who else was here with you?"

"No one. We are the only ones here." I continued to look away until he grabbed my face roughly, forcing me to look into his amber eyes

"I heard that baby crying, you can't tell me I didn't. Who are you hiding?" A man came running up to the tree.

"Darius, we found some tire tracks leading to a back road. I sent John and Hank to check it out." Another man came running up.

"It's the truck those two runaways stole." Darius nodded and they left. He turned back to me with satisfaction.

"Now, let's try this again." He touched the ribs that had been kicked. "Where are they?" I flinched but didn't speak. His fingers found a spot between two ribs and started toying with it. "Come on now little Alex, I don't want to hurt you but I will if I have to. Come on, talk to me." I glared and spit on his face. He smiled and pulled me off the bench, pinning me on the ground with my arms above my head, then sat on top of me digging his fingers between my ribs to make me cry out.

"Come on now girl, you can do better than that. Scream for me. Make those green eyes all teary." He shoved his thumb next to his index finger and was slowly separating them, moving my ribs. I couldn't help it, I let out a wail as he moved the fractured bones. Why hadn't my group come to save me? The plan was simple, wait until then are all asleep then slash their tires and escape. What had happened?

"Where are they?" He asked, his voice rising above my groaning.

"I don't know." I gasped out.

"Where are they, little Alex?" He opened his fingers wider.

"I don't know!" I hopped they were watching, seeing what was happening while they bid their time.

"Stop lying to me girl and tell me where they are." I felt my rib shift and still he pushed. I screamed, unable to speak any more. He turned and he removed his fingers.

"Bring me some wraps so I can fix her up." He yelled at someone close by. He leaned down on his elbow so his face was right above mine. "I want you Alex. I want those eyes looking up at me in terror. I know your people are watching. I know they can see us. They are going to watch everything me and my men are about to do to you and your family. And when we are done, I'm going to tie you to the roof of my truck as a symbol of what happens when someone defies me." The man returned with some cloth. "Bring the others out so they can be next." Darius said to him. He took one of the strips of cloth and bound my hands to the bench. I tried to lift my hips to buck him off but only managed to raise up about an inch before he slapped me. My vision swam as he toyed with my shirt.

"I can't bind your ribs with this on you. It'll have to come off." He grabbed the neck of my shirt and ripped it to the bottom. "Much better." He then started to bind my ribs, brushing my chest as he did so. I looked at him and he was staring hungrily at me, like he hadn't seen a woman in years.

When he was done with the binding, he sat back and just stared at me. I could see what he was going to do before he even did it. I tried to wiggle out from under him, desperate to escape what has happening. He slapped me again and this time my ears rang.

"You're not going to escape this. Not unless those friends of yours come out of hiding." He looked around the mountain surrounding the campsite. I knew he was looking for them. He looked back at me and moved so he was sitting on my shins.

"If you do this then there is no where you can hide that I won't find you." I knew it wouldn't stop him, but I was trying to buy time. Where are you guys, I screamed in my head.

"Nothing you can say or do will stop this. Only the two that stole my truck will end it." He undid the button at the top of my pants. As he pulled the zipper down, Ragnar's voice boomed around the campsite.

"Stop and we'll come down." Darius froze, a wolf like smile creeping across his face. He got off of me and looked around.

"Where are you Ragnar? Do you have the woman as well?"

"We are both here. We'll come out as soon as you let her go." I looked for his voice but the echo made it impossible to pin down. Darius looked down at me. He knelt to untie the binds, whispering in my ear as he did so.

"Your friend is going to die and when he's dead, I'll come for you and finish this." He stood, pulling me up with him.

"Alright, she's unbound but I won't let her go until I see you both." He leaned over the one of the men standing next to him. "Tell the snipers to shoot as soon as they see him." Hearing this, I shouted as loud as I could.

"Snipers!" Darius turned and backhanded me, sending me spinning to the ground but Ragnar had heard.

"Don't worry little sis, we have our own snipers. Darius, if you touch her again you'll go through life with no way to take a piss." Darius looked at his pants and we all noticed the little red dot. He franticly looked along the mountainside for any sign of people.

"I don't believe you!" He shouted. Then, from somewhere along the hill, came the sound of a gunshot. The ground in front of Darius exploded in a shower of dirt. He fell backwards in surprise, cupping his manhood to be sure it was still there. I used the distraction to try and jump up and escape. I was running to the access road when one of the raiders threw a fishing net around my legs. Sobbing as I hit the dirt, I sat up and tried to untangle my feet.

"I told you to behave little Alex." Said Darius as he strutted over to me. "Come out Ragnar, let's settle this." Kneeling down to untangle my legs, I kicked him with all my rage and knocked him out. I struggled to rise, but the net just drew tighter. One of the older raiders came forward with a knife and whispered to me.

"Please stop running. I'm going to help you but we need to let your friends come down. If you leave now, your family is dead." He looked at me with kind eyes. Should I trust him, I thought? Do I have a choice? I nodded and he helped me stand up. Darius was waking up and he did not look happy.

"You bitch." He spat out some blood and stood up, glaring at me.

"Here." shouted Ragnar. He was standing on a large boulder about fifteen feet away. Holding his arms up, he walked down to where we were.

"Let her and her family go and Niobe will come down." I turned to back to Darius and saw movement by the RV. My knees went weak with relief and I almost collapsed. Sean had snuck into the camper. The older man caught me and let me lean on him. Then there was a commotion on the hill to our left.

"Let me go damn it." It was Beatrice. I looked over and a raider had her by the hair. Two others came into view, both holding one of my children. I gasped and Darius looked back to me.

"So these are your children? Cute little things." As soon as the kids saw me, they tried to get out of their captor's grasp. "It's ok, let them go." Darius told them. They put the children down and both came running over. I knelt and scooped them up.

"What do you want? You have your truck back, you have Ragnar and Niobe will come out as soon as we're gone. Why won't you just let us go?" I tried to figure it out but couldn't.