Surge (23 page)

Following Olivia’s instructions, we gather the entire group in the great room. Since there’s no longer any furniture, they’re all sitting on the rug like kindergarteners waiting for, well, for a story like Olivia’s planning to tell. How some fictional story is going to convince the group to move without a fight, has yet to be seen.

I would also like to know how the hell she got them all to stay quiet. The last time I called a meeting, they wouldn’t shut the fuck up. Maybe they’re more afraid of the miniature badass because of her run in with Kelly? Or maybe it’s the large amount of blood, which is still drenching her attire, that’s putting people off?

She didn’t even have to hog tie them like Red or the amputee raider. Our captives are still bound and gagged, but we dragged them into the kitchen so that we could keep an eye on them. As long as the girls don’t go in there, they won’t see the prisoners on the other side of the island and freak out. Once everyone has popped a squat in front of her, except for Cory, who’s standing by her side like her personal body guard, Olivia begins.

“I’m sure many of you are curious as to what exactly happened today, well, yesterday and earlier this morning; so, I wanted to gather you all together and explain.” Pausing to look over the group, she continues. “You took in a woman recently, her supposed name is Victoria, but it could just be an alias, I’m not sure. What I am sure of, is that she played a major part in what is called
‘The Screamer.’
The Screamer is a scam used by hostile raiders. A lone woman is placed near an area where there are known survivors. There, they stage an attack of wheezers, and have the woman scream to attract help.” Looking at me, she holds my eyes for a second before continuing.

“As Jared can attest to, he heard a scream, and responded. When he arrived, there was only one wheezer responsible for the hysterics, so, he dispatched it and approached the woman that you all know as Victoria.”

Multiple heads turn in my direction with questions in their eyes, as if to see if Olivia’s telling the truth. She is, though I have no fucking clue how; since I didn’t tell anyone about it, so I nod to confirm it and we all turn our focus back to Olivia. Me especially, because I want to see what else she recants.

“After saving her from the
‘monster,’
” Olivia spits out the word like a curse. “Victoria threw herself into Jared’s arms like he was her personal Hercules, begging for him to help her. She gave him some bull shit excuse as to why she was alone. Her group got overrun, supplies were gone, her cousin’s sister’s boyfriend’s brother kicked her out for being useless. Whatever the fuck it was, it made him pity her, and want to help out.”

Pausing for breath, Olivia continues. “Victoria worked her way into the safe house, targeting the leader,” again Olivia meets my eyes. “She focused her attention completely on him in hopes of winning his favor, and to gain his confidence. She pretended like she was really interested in learning how you’ve all survived, but really she was finding out all of your secrets. Defenses, what you have for supplies, and whatever else that she and the others could have taken during the raid.”

“Once Victoria learned what she needed, she faked being a lazy drain of resources. But really, the bitch was sneaking out of the condo-plex and passing on the information to her fellow raiders. Since this group is small, they didn’t wait for more than a week to try and take it over.” Clenching her tiny fists, Olivia proceeds. “If they succeeded, they would have taken the women.” Angrily swiping at her eye, her voice is hard. “And killed all the men, before stealing the supplies.” Turning away, she finishes with a statement. “So, we didn’t give them mercy, since they sure as hell wouldn’t have shown any to you.”

“How do you know what would have happened?” Chelsea asks with an awed expression, as if all she needs is a bowl of popcorn to watch the apocalypse’s version of reality TV. Olivia turns back to answer the question.

“Let’s just say that I’ve seen it a few times,” she answers with a sardonic grin as she absently rubs her leather-covered wrist.

“And you didn’t help out?” Kelly’s voice accuses.

Kelly looks like she’s relishing the fact that Olivia might have a flaw and wants to drag it into the light, maybe to gain supporters in favor of tossing Olivia out like a lynch mob. Too bad I won’t let that happen, never mind Cory who looks like he wants to strangle the blonde for daring to insult his woman. Before either of us can defend Olivia like she’s some hapless female, she takes up her own offense.

“I helped you didn’t I?” Olivia counters. Her entire body is stiff until Cory walks over and massages her shoulders, as he whispers something in her ear. Olivia nods to whatever it is, and exhales a breath.

“But we wouldn’t have needed help if it weren’t for Jared,” Kelly replies with a smirk pointed at me. I don’t say anything, as much as I want to, because it was my fault. But I’m shocked as hell when I hear someone other than Sarah, who I thought would have jumped all over the chance to rip into Kelly, come to my defense.

“It wasn’t his fault,” Olivia hisses through her teeth, and shrugs off Cory’s grip to step forward. “Those sick fucks appeal to human nature. They prey upon human emotions to get you to act in their favor. Any man worth his salt, would have intervened if they heard a woman in trouble.” Looking back at me, she adds. “His only fault is caring too much.” Olivia then turns back around to glare at Kelly. “Because if he didn’t care so damn much, the group would have had the great benefit of never having had to deal with you.”

“Fuck you,” Kelly snarls.

“No, fuck you,” Olivia retorts and points a furious finger at the outspoken blonde. “How dare you insult the man who saved your ass from being eaten alive?” Kelly looks away and crosses her arms. “That’s right, you should be ashamed of yourself. Now, get out my sight before I assign you to clean up after the bastards who would have done a hell of a lot worse than eat you, if we didn’t kill them.”

Kelly leaves the great room and slams a door down the hall. Rubbing her temples, Olivia turns away from the group and walks out of the room in the opposite direction as Kelly, with Cory in tow. I have the great urge to tag along, and make a move to do so in order to see if she’s alright, when I feel a hand grab my arm to stop my forward progress. Following the hand, I find John, who shakes his head at me.

“What?” I ask. “I just want to check on her.”

“She’s fine,” he replies and jerks his chin at the door Olivia left the room from. “She has Cory.”

Don’t I know it? Shaking off his grip, I force my feet away from the carnage in the hallway where Olivia headed. I guess she would rather keep the company of the dead, then stay in here a minute longer. Dragging my feet the whole way, I enter my parent’s old bedroom; and avoid looking at anything in the room that belonged to them, as I make my way to the balcony. Sliding the door open, I step outside and grab a bucket.

Filling the bucket to the rim, I leave the balcony and walk through the bedroom to the master bath to start filling the tub. Because of the storm yesterday, the humidity is gone, leaving the rain barrels filled with the coldest water that we have had in days since the delayed heat wave began. I don’t mind the cold water after over a year of having no plumbing; especially on days like these, where every muscle in my body aches.

After the tub’s filled, I lock the door, strip and sink into the deep soaker. Letting my mind wander, I think back to when I first encountered Victoria. I never told Olivia about it, only that I heard a scream and ran to help, but she was spot on. I heard a scream, ran in to save her from the one wheezer within five blocks of her. Saved her, and then the bitch dove at me, begging for my help. She even used the having,
‘lost her group to a pack of monsters,’
as an excuse, just like Olivia assumed.

Every single thing that Olivia recanted in her story was based on truth. So, how much more was? Did Olivia really sit by and let other groups be slaughtered, without at least warning them? I don’t think that’s the case, because the Olivia that I know, would have run in and kicked ass. Just like she did with John and I back in the sporting goods store, or out front with her whistle. She would not have sat back and watched if she could have helped. So, that begs the question; was she a victim of a raid who escaped, or something more?

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Finished with my bath, I pull the plug and watch the swirly brownish-red tinted liquid drain from the tub. Quickly pulling a towel over my hips, I exit the bathroom. I’m rubbing a hand towel through my hair when I hear a squeak, and have to use cat like reflexes to catch my towel before I’m bare assed.

“Holy shit!” I exclaim and turn to find the source of the sound with my heart pounding a mile a minute. Seeing Olivia standing by the bed, and looking anywhere but at me, I kinda wish that I
was
bare assed to see if she would blush or not.

“Sorry,” she mumbles. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” Moving quickly, she starts for the door. “This was a horrible idea, I thought you would be dressed and we could talk, I don’t know what I was thinking...” She’s rambling all the way, and it’s adorable. Walking over to intercept her, I hold my arm out three feet in front of her; that way, there’s no physical contact.

“Don’t leave, I’ll get dressed.”

I’m proud that my voice doesn’t sound the least bit husky, even with my dick rapidly inflating, because he’s currently thinking it’s party time on account of half the work being done already. All it would take would be a quick strip down of my Tomb Raider, and we’d be good for business. Too bad Olivia’s not on board with my penis’s genius plan, since she’s shaking her head as she goes to move around my arm, but I just move with her.

“Please, I’d like to hear what you had to say.” And try to convince you to abandon Cory and get naked with me.

Thinking it over, she glances at me quickly and starts shaking like a Chihuahua, literally. I don’t know if that’s a good or bad thing, but I’d say bad; when I see the vacant look in her eyes. There goes my boner. Stepping back from her as quickly as possible, I hold up my free hand, to show her that I’m not going to stop her from leaving.

“I’ll meet you in the great room to talk,” I revise. “And you can bring Cory if you want.” That seems to calm her a little. Her grey eyes look a little clearer, and more lifelike than they were a few seconds ago. I’ll deal with the friggin fiancé if I must, to get her to say whatever it was she came here for.

“A-alright,” her voice still trembles a bit when she answers. “I’ll m-meet you in a f-few minutes.” She runs like the hounds of hell are nipping at her heels, only to stop at the master bedroom door and scramble with the knob. She begins pulling on it and rattling it almost off the hinges. “Fucking door! Open!”

“I guess you fell to the great and powerful opponent called a doorknob,” I quip and see her movements relax a little. “Next time, remember your can.”

“It’s the first time I forgot it,” she mutters and rubs her wrist.

Just like she did in the parlor earlier. I open my mouth to ask her if she sprained it or something, when she finally defeats the door knob, and slips out. I hear her talking to Cory outside, he’s asking if she’s alright, and why she was screaming. I don’t hear her reply, but I assume that she satisfied his questions, because he didn’t barge in here looking to kill me.

I exit the master and go down to the next door, which is mine, to get dressed. After pulling on some sweats, I close up my room and head toward the great room. I glance around the bare room, finding Olivia sitting with Cory on the window’s bench seat. Spotting me, she pats Cory’s hand and whispers something to him, which he agrees to.

Gently holding the back of her head, Cory pulls her head toward him. I really don’t want to watch their PDA; since it’s stirring unidentifiable emotions in me, but I force myself to pay attention in hopes that witnessing their love for each other will cure me of my DIC; allowing me to take the moral high road. I watch as Olivia closes her eyes and Cory leans, but instead of kissing her full lips like I expected him to; since that’s what I would have done, he plants a firm kiss on her forehead.