Last time on, Lovin' in the Apocalypse!
Tom and Gregg raced off with a group of strangers to fight a threat.
Abandoned by Dave, E and Andy were caught off guard. As the strangers intended, the two wayward junkies were killed before they could say a word.
After a long, bloody chase, Dave found his own demise in a mob of infected humans. The final scapegoat for Kenneth's plan seemed to take care of itself.
Where do the survivors go from here? Find out now!
Chapter 17: Growing Ever Closer
The following morning came and like Cameron predicted, the Deterrent Team was chomping at the bit to leave camp. It took all his peacekeeping skills to convince the team to wait a little while. He reasoned with them, if Gregg had to bunker down, he could not move until first light. He urged them to wait until mid-morning before rushing off and they eventually acquiesced. The hard men were still hovering around the gate, watching the road and their clocks.
Cameron was finding it hard to be concerned. He wanted everyone home safe, but after the night with Rachel, Cameron did not see the harm in Tom being away. He was not quite at the point of wishing harm on the man, at least not yet. He knew if something happened to Tom, Rachel would be a mess for a while. Eventually though, she would move on. Then he could move gently and win her heart. Cameron thought it might even be possible without Tom "leaving." Rachel was so eager to be with him, there had to be something wrong with that marriage.
He stood on the wall now, remembering all the sounds Rachel made the night before. Her voice was like a siren's call, filling his mind like a fog. Her body movements captivated him and brought him pleasure he had not felt in years. He could still smell her on his skin, teasing his senses while she danced in his memory. She had taken him inside, with nothing between them, and he had filled her body with his seed. With that act, it felt like she was already his, at least in some sense. Right now, part of him was swimming around inside of her.
Cameron shook himself, trying to get his head right. Rachel was so thoroughly pressed into his thoughts, he could not seem to think about anything else. He wondered how much longer she would be sleeping in. He did not doubt that as soon as she's able, Rachel would come visit him up here. He was looking forward to seeing her mischievous eyes and coy smile. He might even be able to sneak a kiss or two. When he glanced back towards the cabins, he saw that she was actually headed this way. Her curly brown hair was unmistakable.
Before Cameron could start to feel excited about her visit, one of the other watchers cried out in excitement.
"There! Look! It's the truck!"
Cameron turned and saw the flat black, 4-wheel drive truck creeping up the road. With the binoculars, he confirmed that it was Gregg driving. Cameron's teeth clamped tightly closed when he saw Tom sitting in the passenger seat. His mood turned sour, he was unable to see this homecoming as anything other than an intrusion. Tom was coming back to steal Rachel's attention from someone who could appreciate it. Cameron did not think it was fair that the love he and Rachel made could be so easily set aside.
Cameron greeted the returnees with a fake smile that did not waver. He shook hands with Gregg and Tom, expressing gratitude for their safety. He noticed the visitors were down a man and offered them condolences.
"Thanks," Kenneth said, rubbing his exhausted eyes. "Stephen was a good man, he'll be missed back home. Look, if we're going to talk about this, I'd rather get the whole story out at once. I'm pretty beat, I don't think any of us slept last night."
"You got it," Cameron said. "Let's set up in the mess hall and we can go over it one good time."
Cameron, along with the other councilors, listened to the four men recount their experiences. So much of the story sounded like an action movie that the listeners got caught up in the excitement. A couple of gun fights, a car chase ending in a crash, and then the insane raid that nearly got them all killed. It was both exciting and terrifying at the same time. The men who told the story were hollow eyed and raw from the ordeal. They sat silently for a few seconds after describing the final moments of the man they never got a chance to speak to.
"Wow," Cameron said. "That was quite the journey. I'm surprised that you guys made it out."
"Thanks to this guy," Bruce said, throwing a thumb in Gregg's direction. "Your man is one smooth operator."
Cameron laughed and said, "Gregg is our best, that's for sure. He's squeezed through many situations that would have done me in."
"Awh, shucks," Gregg replied dryly. "If that's all, I'd like to go home and see my family."
"Of course!" Cameron answered. "Go ahead and take tomorrow off too. You deserve some time at home."
"Thanks chief," Gregg said and nodded towards Tom. "See you later, man."
"Yeah, we'll catch up soon," Tom agreed. To the others he said, "I think I'll go too. I'm sure the wife would like an explanation of why I didn't come home last night."
"Have a good one," Bruce said, giving Tom an odd look and a wink.
"If you two want to stay the night, we can set a place up for you," Cameron offered.
"That would be great, actually." Kenneth said.
It was the last thing Tom heard as the door to the meeting room closed behind him. He was not entirely comfortable with the idea of having them stay overnight in camp, but he was not in charge here. Later, when he and Gregg compare their own notes, they will decide on what to say to the council about the new people. Tom had a strong feeling that Gregg shared his suspensions. Something about these guys just did not sit right with him. They were too, prepared.
Tom dragged his tired body to his cabin and was a little disappointed to find it empty. He had not yet seen Rachel and thought she would be overjoyed at his return. She must have been out looking for him, not knowing that they went straight into the meeting. Tom knew she would be home soon so he laid down on their bed. His aching body sighed in relief as he sunk into the soft mattress. Before he realized what was happening, Tom fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
"Tom? Tom, wake up. Come on, are you going to sleep all night too?"
"Huh?" he asked, his voice raspy from the snoring. "What?"
