The man’s face grew very serious, and his eyes met Gabriel ’s. He sat in silence for a long moment, choosing his next words with great care. “Would it make a difference to you if I told you this wasn’t a safe place to stay?”“Why is this not a safe place to stay?”“I can’t tell you that.”The man’s gaze did not waver. His eyes, cold and dark, proved unyielding and uncompromising. “We’ve been up and down these dark corridors for a good hour now, and we haven’t found any sign of any life, death, or even undeath aside from you. Is there something there we aren’t seeing?”“I can’t tell you that.”Gabriel sighed and stood up straight. “Well then, I can’t bGabriel even Gabriel you. I have something like thirty tired, hungry people I have to look out for, and they just need some food to eat and a place to sleep. The food we have, the place you have. Maybe you’re right, maybe we don’t want to stay here, but we can discuss that in a civilized manner tomorrow, after a good night’s rest. What d
“Maybe this is one of those places conspiracy theorists are always talking about: a safe bunker where politicians are supposed to go to wait out the end of the world.”“I thought those were supposed to be buried under miles and miles of rock.”“How the Hell would I know?”“And I can’t envision a politician being able to accept a mattress like this,” Jay added, lying back on his cot. “And another thing: what’s this ‘pathology lab’ nonsense? There’s something I don’t trust about Paul’s explanation.” His voice trailed off, but Gabriel did not respond. “What do you think?” he prompted, but Gabriel was silent. “Gabriel ?” Jay sat up just as a snore ripped through the air, grinding like a poorly oiled chainsaw. “Great,” he muttered, and fell back down onto the bed.When Gabriel woke he wasn’t sure at first that any time had passed at all. The room looked subtly different, but he was not familiar enough with it already to place what miniscule details had changed. The remaining bunks were
“Christ, what kind of people do you think we are?” He looked around the room, glancing from face to face. Each person’s face unquestionably betrayed exhaustion and weariness, but they also smiled warmly as conversations carried on, and the occasional peal of laughter ripped through the room. The air was alive with the buzz of humanity. “Are you really saying you don’t think anyone in here is capable of caring for other people, of working to help other people, without being forced to do so? Is that all we are, just survival instincts on legs?”“When things are going well, like they are now, sure, we’re all happy to help out and do our part, but when times get rough, when food and water are scarce and we’re struggling just to find a safe place to sleep at night, rule number one in each and every single person’s book becomes the survival of the self.”Jay shrugged his shoulders and shook his head sadly. “I don’t like it any more than you do. But I’ve already seen it. You’re fresh to this
“And I will not let that happen to me. I’m alive, and I’m staying alive. My family and friends… they would have wanted me to stay alive. Your families and your friends would have wanted you to stay alive. I don’t care if we repopulate the world or just slowly die off to the last man, but I will put a bullet in my own head before I let those things win. So help or don’t help, I don’t care. Just don’t you ever say there’s no point.”With that she fell silent, and suddenly seemed to become aware of what she had just done. It was as if someone else had temporarily taken control of her body, and now that she had it back she was extremely ashamed of the things it had done in her place. “I mean, that is…” she stammered, but seemed unable to complete the thought.Robert reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. “It’s okay. You’re right.” He gave her a reassuring hug. Jake looked away and did her best to not feel like a third wheel.“Well then,” Robert said, “let’s take a look at that li
The next day went much the same as the previous one had, but without any big fights in the dining hall. The garden really began to develop over the course of the day, and a finalized list was developed detailing exactly what supplies were available. The work continued much the same as the next few days passed, and slowly tensions in the group began to ease as one by one they grew comfortable with the fact that, for once, an attack might actually not have been coming.Yet as most of the group became more relaxed, Robert could feel a concern growing like a cancer inside his stomach. He knew more intimately than the rest the actual state of their supplies, and knew that before long they were going to have to go into a town and gather more for themselves. He discussed with Paul about the location of the nearest town, and fortunately he was able to provide a map Robert could study to help prepare them for the trip. He figured they could last a few weeks without a supply run, maybe even ove
“Well he’s just a big muscular jerk, anyway. He’s got power going to his head. He’s used to having his pick of things, of getting whatever he wants whenever he wants. And if you keep going back to him, he’s going to keep being that way. You shouldn’t let him get away with that. He doesn’t deserve you. There’s people on this site that actually care how you feel.”She swung from side to side a little on one foot, her head lowered. She turned her head in his direction and looked up at him, and for a moment Gabriel could have sworn those blue eyes went on forever. It felt like his heart stopped in his chest, like the entire world froze around them and all that remained was the endless depths of those glacial blue eyes locked upon him. Her voice, when it came out, was not so much spoken as it was purred, like the distant rumbling of thunder, or an earthquake that threatened to shake his very foundations. “People… like you?” she suggested. She moved closer to him, not so much stepping as g
Gabriel glanced around before responding, and his eyes fell on Jake, who was watching them from some distance away. He held his cheek where she had punched him, wincing as his fingers fell across the bruise, and thought about her words from the night before. Suddenly he felt drained and tired. Taking a deep breath, he turned and looked back at Robert . “I’ll go. Just let me grab my gear.” A growl rose up from his stomach, as if it was arguing with his sudden determination. “And maybe some food,” he added.Robert raised his arm, revealing that he had actually been holding Gabriel ’s backpack, complete with two bats, the entire time. Gabriel blinked, surprised, and slowly accepted the bag. “Lisa said you might need it,” Robert explained with surprisingly little judgment or curiosity in his tone, “And I had a feeling you’d agree to go. There’s some food in it, but you can grab some more from the kitchen if you want.”Gabriel considered for a moment, and then slung the bag over his sho
Matthew nodded solemnly and they hurried around the corner, weapons drawn and held low but ready. The door was set flush with the wall. It was a large metal door with some very heavy duty looking locks on it. “I think we’ll have more luck with the front windows,” Matthew commented. Gabriel frowned as he considered this. He spun around one of his bats and shoved it back into his backpack, then rounded to the far side of the door. He reached out a hand and wrapped it around the door handle. He glanced at Matthew, who had a confused look on his face for a moment. A light came on behind the other man’s eyes and he nodded, mostly to himself. He took a few steps back and raised his gun at the door, ready to fire. The two men exchanged a curt nod and then Gabriel pulled on the door.As he had hoped, it was unlocked, and given easily. It swung wide, exposing an inky black interior. The two companions each held their breath and waited, but no signs of movement came. Gabriel came around the