Episode 11: Honor Among Thieves
I didn’t sleep much the night Mark and David showed up. You would think I would be comfortable in the presence of two people I’ve survived with for months, but I found myself even more on edge now they were here. Had I made a mistake? No. Having them here on our side was a safer option than turning them away and turning them against us. Still, I couldn’t help but feel unease. Especially for Audrey’s sake. I still don’t know how I had convinced her.“Drop it! Drop it now or die!” I heard a shrilled voice echoed throughout the room.
“Girl, point that at me again and you’re going regret it!”
“It’s not my fault. The girl lost her mind,” Mark said folding his arms.
“Me? You’re the one stealing and hiding things! I saw you! ” Audrey snarled standing on the table ready to pounce with her sword. “I should chop off one of your fingers. That would teach you a lesson!”
“You little….”
“Nobody cutting off anything!” I shouted feeling my patience wearing thin. “And nobody better be hiding or stealing anything because if I find out I’m going put a bullet in your ass myself!”
David huffed leaning against the wall, “I told you he steals. What you think happen to the little food we had out in the forest?”
“David…shut up!” I yelled eyeing him. “And you….don’t even start”, I said pointing at Mark with a stern look.
The room grew quiet. Mark scowled pulling two cans out of his jacket and placing them on the table. David shrugged sitting down. Audrey relaxed sitting down on top of the table. She swung her legs playfully but remained tense eyeing Mark.
The tension remained as we sat down together for a meal. Only a few words were exchanged between the four of us. Worlds apart from the light atmosphere just me and Audrey had created.
We finished eating and the two of us took it upon ourselves to wash the dishes. David came over with a sheepish grin.
“So….can I have some of this alcohol? We can share,” he asked Audrey holding a bottle of vintage wine up.
She looked over at him coldly as she finished drying off a dish. She clenched her fist looking away taking a moment to compose herself. “Drink up. I don’t care. Drink yourself to death for all I care,” she finally snapped. She stormed off towards the exit ladder and left the three of us alone.
“Well, she’s missing out,” David jeered popping the cork on the wine bottle.
“What? She’s missing out on you being a fucking idiot?” I muttered sarcastically.
The mood didn’t lighten up after Audrey’s departure. David got drunk drinking more than he should and Mark sat around picking his teeth cutting his eye at me every so often. Only when David nodded off did he speak.
“I need to talk to you,” he whispered to me. “Not here.”
“He’s sleeping. He anit hearing anything”
He waved me off. “Just in case. I want to be safe. I also wouldn’t mind some air.”
“I need to talk to you,” he whispered to me. “Not here.”
“He’s sleeping. He anit hearing anything”
He waved me off. “Just in case. I want to be safe. I also wouldn’t mind some air.”
I agreed since he insisted, but I remained cautious. When we got to the top we were met by Audrey and her sword. We startled her from the looks of it.
“What’s going on?” she exhaled lowering her weapon.
“Nothing. Just getting some air. You mind?” I said. I watched her shake her head no reluctantly. “David is passed out so he’s not going anywhere. Just stay alert. I’ll be right back.”
I watched her look back at me. Sadness and weariness in her eyes. If Mark wasn’t so eager to talk I probably would have turned back, but I continued to follow questioning what my companion was up to.
“What’s going on?” she exhaled lowering her weapon.
“Nothing. Just getting some air. You mind?” I said. I watched her shake her head no reluctantly. “David is passed out so he’s not going anywhere. Just stay alert. I’ll be right back.”
I watched her look back at me. Sadness and weariness in her eyes. If Mark wasn’t so eager to talk I probably would have turned back, but I continued to follow questioning what my companion was up to.
“That girl. You got a thing for her?” Mark started as he stopped in his tracks standing on the edge of the property with the shed in the distant.
“I told you. It ain’t like that.”
“Then you wouldn’t mind if take what we need and get the hell out of here?”
“Take? You mean steal?” I suggested.
“Don’t be like that man. This isn’t a matter of right or wrong. This is about surviving.” He shook his head and laughed, “You think this apocalypse shit is your chance to redeem yourself? Is this what this is about? Get real, man. You’re weaker than I thought.”
“Weak?! Fuck you I ain’t weak!” I roared grabbing him by his collar.
“Then you should know that right and wrong will be a thing of the past soon, Vince. You may care about this girl, but you should care about surviving more. You really think she’ll risk her life for a criminal like you or me?“
I couldn’t say no, but I couldn’t say yes either. He was right. Audrey was nothing more than a stranger. She didn’t know about my past, but how long would that last? How long before Mark or David would tell her? That was the real question.
“Besides, David told me that Roy dude is looking for her anyway. She’s the girl with the sword right? I say you cut your losses, clean her out, and come with us,” he said smiling.
“I told you. It ain’t like that.”
“Then you wouldn’t mind if take what we need and get the hell out of here?”
“Take? You mean steal?” I suggested.
“Don’t be like that man. This isn’t a matter of right or wrong. This is about surviving.” He shook his head and laughed, “You think this apocalypse shit is your chance to redeem yourself? Is this what this is about? Get real, man. You’re weaker than I thought.”
“Weak?! Fuck you I ain’t weak!” I roared grabbing him by his collar.
“Then you should know that right and wrong will be a thing of the past soon, Vince. You may care about this girl, but you should care about surviving more. You really think she’ll risk her life for a criminal like you or me?“
I couldn’t say no, but I couldn’t say yes either. He was right. Audrey was nothing more than a stranger. She didn’t know about my past, but how long would that last? How long before Mark or David would tell her? That was the real question.
“Besides, David told me that Roy dude is looking for her anyway. She’s the girl with the sword right? I say you cut your losses, clean her out, and come with us,” he said smiling.
“No. I’m not going steal from her and I’m not going let you steal from her. We can get by on our own. We lasted this long,” I said. “You can think what you want, but I’m not that guy. Not anymore and I don’t need the idea of redemption to do what’s right.”
“Well, that’s a shame…..” Mark mused pulling a knife out of his pocket.
“You threatening me?” I said eyeing him. “Has it really come to this?”
“No, not if you don’t want it to,” Mark said scowling. “I’m just saying we need to think about ourselves and our survival. If we don’t steal from that girl than someone else will.”
“And you think it’s going be that easy?” I scoffed.
“Vince?”I heard a voice whisper and I turned to see Audrey. Her face had the look of utter disappointment and sadness. She looked at me with tears welling up in her eyes and raised her sword pointing it towards me.
“Audrey. It’s not like that,” I stammered wondering what she had heard. In my panic, I barely notice the car lights or the horn. You can say it all happen in a flash. All I could get out was her name, “Audrey!”
As usual, it’s late. Blah. Oh well. Anyway, no poll for this chapter! You’ll have to wait for one tomorrow on chapter 12. Prepare for lots of action. :D
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