Page 41 of Resurrection (Devil Dogs of the Apocalypse #3)
Hawk
I bend my knees and cross my arms tighter across my chest. It’s summer, but there’s an unseasonably early morning chill soaking into my bones as the sky continues turning from black to a gorgeous hue of pinks and oranges.
The thought of tearing open my pack and getting a sweatshirt went in and out of my mind as quickly as it came.
The brisk air, while irritating, is just one more thing that helps keep me awake and alert.
It was quiet as I held watch over everyone, protecting all those I love in here from all the nightmares out there.
Almost peaceful. The urge to sleep was already pulling at me.
The comfort of a sweatshirt would have pushed me there.
And I’m not willing to risk the lives of those I love for something as trivial as comfort .
“Anything?”
His voice is gravelly, the sound heavy with sleep and achy exhaustion. The walk alone was tiring enough, but add in the town and all the mixed feelings that went with it? We’re all both physically and mentally drained.
“Nothin’,” I reply around a yawn, rubbing my face as Cole steps up beside me, taking a seat to my right. My fingers readjust on my rifle, the motion reviving the stiff joints as we shuffle closer in the cool dawn air, sharing each other’s body heat.
I relieved Jax at about three this morning, two hours past what was supposed to be our scheduled changeover.
The stubborn ass didn’t want to surrender his post but had no choice when he realized he was falling asleep at the helm.
Reluctantly, he stumbled over and nudged me with his boot, indicating with a wordless grunt that it was my turn, not knowing I had already been silently watching him for twenty minutes at that point.
If he wasn’t going to relieve himself voluntarily, I was going to make him do so. A sentry is no good if they’re asleep. I, on the other hand, have no problem sitting post, more than able to keep myself and my brain occupied as I mentally replay my favorite movies for hours and hours.
As quietly as I was able, I shimmied out of my sleeping bag, grabbed my rifle, and headed over to the partially open door, which is where I’ve been for the past four hours .
“Good,” Cole responds. “Last thing we need to deal with are any surprises.” He looks back at Aly and Jax still huddled together under the sleeping bags.
While Jax has been steadily snoring—rather loudly I must say—for hours, Aly has been sleeping in fits, rousing herself every so often with trembling hands and stuttered breaths. “She’s not doing too well....”
Last year, after she was taken by Earl and his gang of assholes, Aly regularly suffered from nightmares and anxiety attacks.
With Cole’s help, she was getting better.
Even after the encounters with the hordes almost two weeks ago, she was showing signs of being mentally stronger, pushing herself to confront her trauma and look the beast right in its eyes.
But then that town happened and, while I hate to say it, I think she might be dealing with a bit of PTSD from her abduction.
“Yeah... I noticed that, too.” I pluck a piece of hay from the bale, stick it in my mouth, and think about everything for a minute, letting the silence lead me to the right decision.
“Maybe we should just let them sleep. It’s obvious she didn’t get enough last night to continue walking for an entire day again.
Not after yesterday. Not to mention... I mean.
.. Jax is fucking out. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this exhausted before. ”
“I think you might be right. Not only that, but maybe if we stay here for another day and night, it’ll prove to Aly that she’s safe. That no one’s following us.”
“It’ll help settle Jax as well. I, for one, have been on edge ever since that town. I don’t know about you. ”
“Oh, I’m definitely keeping one eye open. If it wasn’t for Jax taking watch last night, I wouldn’t have hesitated to do so. Which, by the way, is what I’m relieving you of.”
“Fucking magnificent.” I push myself to stand, my legs slow to do so as my back cracks in all the wrong places.
With a groan, I grab the E-tool from the survival kit, jutting my chin to the smaller door leading out to the side of the barn, and mumble, “I’ll be right back.
” He nods once, readjusting his shoulders as he lifts his rifle, readying himself to be on guard.
Rough, tall grass brushes my calves and thighs as I stomp through it, ambling to the backside of the barn—out of view from the road—to relieve myself.
The muffled moans and groans of the infected sound off in the distance, far enough away that I don’t have to take care of them, but close enough for me to still look over my shoulder every few seconds.
My bathroom break is quick, but I did manage to obtain some very useful information as I was doing so.
“There’s a creek or some sort of river out back, and from the way it sounds, it doesn’t seem that far away,” I tell Cole as I reenter the building and walk back up to the barn doors, his head, slightly poking out of the opening to look left and right, his weapon following suit.
“The water seemed to be flowing pretty well, might be a good place to get some water.”
“Sure. Good timing too. I don’t think we have much water left.” He looks back towards our sleeping beauty and the beast spooning on the ground, pulling my gaze to them as well. “We can start breakfast when you get back.”
“Sounds good. Back in a jiff.”
The creek, not a river, is hidden amongst the tree line, which is about two hundred yards away from the barn. I can still see it from the waterbed, but I can almost guarantee they can’t see me from there. If I got into any trouble out here, I’d be fucked. They’d have no clue.
Gotta make this quick.
I unscrew the first canteen, dipping the spout into the cool, fast flowing water before repeating the motion with the others.
It’s quiet, but then I hear multiple branches crack and snap in the distance, causing me to drop the canteen I’m working on and instantly raise my pistol, pointing it in the direction the noise came from.
I sweep the tree line, willing the culprit to come out from its hiding spot.
A minute passes. Two. I pass a glance across the space again, surveying the forest for any threats.
Nothing. I let another moment pass, never letting my gaze faulter, and then, in the distance, I spot the cause as a squirrel darts across the brush.
And then another. And another. There’s at least a dozen of those little tree rats chasing one another through the trees.
I shake my head at them and take a calming breath.
“I gotta fucking get out of here. Losing my damn mind.” I lift the final canteen and finish what I started.
Once they’re all loaded up with fresh water, I turn and start the trek back to the barn.
The side door is relatively silent as I reopen and close it when I return, but Cole senses my arrival almost as soon as I cross the threshold .
“All good?” Cole asks.
“All good,” I respond, unstrapping the canteens from my shoulders and setting them down on the ground along with the bundle of sticks I picked up on the way back, choosing not to embarrass myself and mention the fucking squirrels.
“Gonna set up a fire on the concrete back here. You know, away from all the flammable shit.”
Without turning around, he gives me a single nod of confirmation before asking, “What’re you thinking for breakfast?”
I shrug, even though I know he doesn’t see it. “No fucking clue, but I’ll figure something out.”
“I’m sure you will. Think I could get a cup of coffee if we have any?”
“Yeah, I’ll check the packs. I’m pretty sure we have some instant mix left over. Don’t think we have any cream or sugar to make it how you like it, though.”
“At this point, I’m not gonna complain. Caffeine is caffeine,” Cole grumbles out, wiping a hand across his face.
“Roger, roger, Doc. Spicy bean juice, coming up.”
It's funny. After that night in the farmhouse, I thought for sure shit was going to change with us.
I fucking kissed him for fuck’s sake!
And he kissed me back !
You don’t come back from that without some sort of awkwardness. Or... at least I didn’t think you would. But somehow, nothing’s changed. It’s just like it was before, only now...
I can taste him.
Is it wrong that I want to do that again? Would Aly be upset if I asked for more? Would Cole?
He seemed to be just as into it as I was. And, after our talk on limits and histories last winter, I don’t think he was opposed to the possibility, even back then.
Fuck... I need to talk to him. Clear the air. That’s what I should do. That’s what a responsible adult would do, and I am a responsible adult. So, I’ll talk to him.
Once we get to Tryon.
We don’t need my sexual hang-ups mucking up this place, it’s already filthy enough in here. Besides, it’s not the time for my bullshit; It’s time for breakfast.