I’ve Got You

CHAPTER 15

The civilian that had accompanied Sasha shuddered as he looked back the way they had came. He was a burly middle aged man, with kind, brown eyes and a balding head. His clothes had seen better days, but were clean. Which meant he had managed to avoid a great deal of the chaos that over took the facility. “How many were in your group to start with?” Eris croaked through the pain of her pounding head as she nudged the man with her foot. He smiled sadly, staring at his feet. “Five, How about you?”

“We’re all here” Grimm answered for her, handing her what appeared to be the last pills in that wonderful little blister pack that had been keeping her pain at bay. She took them greedily and without question. “We’re sorry about your group” Grimm continued.

The man nodded. “I’m Mark” Grimm nodded and introduced the others in the jeep by name, referring only to James as “The prisoner”. This infuriated James, but he was hardly in a position to protest.

“Wouldn’t happen to know where we were all meant to be heading would you?” Mark asked, rubbing the back of his neck. “Fallout shelter”. Sasha grumbled, keeping a keen watch out of the side of the Jeep and not bothering to turn to look at them as she spoke.

“It’s underground, unmanned, and on the other side of the city... Dangerous trip given the state of things”. Jared added on Sasha’s behalf as he put his hand reassuringly on the small of Sasha’s back. “Probably why none of us were sent there before now.” He mused “Trip like that would only be worth the risk as a last resort.”

Eris’s mouth pressed in to a thin line as she rubbed soothing circles on Dorian’s back. She didn’t like the sound of that. And she certainly didn’t like their chances with herself and James both needing assistance to walk more than a few steps.

Eris risked a look at James as he sat across from her. She looked away when his eyes met hers. “Eris-” Grimm smacked him again before James could finish his sentence. He scowled and glared at his feet. “I just want to hug my boy! Is that not allowed?”. Grimm looked at Eris, waiting for her answer and she nodded. James stumbled awkwardly to Eris’s side of the Jeep and plopped himself down next to her. Dorian wasted no time climbing over to James and resting his head on his shoulder. The moment Dorian was off of her, however, Eris dragged herself over to sit where James had been sitting a moment ago. As she sat down on the other side of Grimm she discreetly placed her hand over his. Shifting his weight slightly to hide their hands from view, Grimm intertwined his fingers with hers. Eris offered him a weak smile. One that he returned as he shuffled slightly closer to her and mouthed the words “I’ve got you” to her when he was sure James wasn’t paying attention. “I know” she mouthed back, squeezing his hand a little tighter. Feeling safer than she had ever felt, despite her dangerous situation.

Eris wasn’t quite sure when she had nodded off with her head on Grimm’s shoulder, but she was awakened by the deep rumble of his voice in her ear. “Eris, you need to get up”. Rubbing the exhaustion from her eyes she squinted up at him. “Are we there?” Grimm grimaced as he shook his head. “Better have a look. We seemed to have encountered a set back”. Eris frowned, sitting upright and glancing out the side of the Jeep, the sight that greeted her made her heart sink to her stomach. “Oh my god!” She gasped. They had made it on to the main highway, and no further. Abandoned cars blocked every lane, giving them no room for the jeep to pass through. Some cars were completely empty, some had bodies in them, barely visible through grimy windows, some hanging out of open doors, frozen in their last moments of life and badly decayed. Crows and magpies fought over what little of the bodies remained. The stench was overwhelming. Eris didn’t have to wonder long if the other survivors had made it this far, as she noticed one jeep just ahead of theirs and two to their left hand side. “Jeep 12” Riley called out as he killed the engine. “That’s the Lieutenant General’s Jeep!”

“We’re gonna have to continue on foot. With any luck we can catch up to the other survivors on our way. Strength and safety in numbers”. Jared murmured.

“Safety in numbers” Sasha echoed breathlessly, her caramel complexion had turned a sickly pale as sweat clung to her brow. “I don’t like this” she admitted. “I mean, we have a kid, and two cripples to drag halfway across the city... No offense”. She added, looking at Eris. Eris held both hands up “None taken”.

“Everybody out.” Riley ordered “Best not wait around to get eaten”. Grimm waited for everyone else to exit the tray of the Jeep before turning to Eris, attempting to scoop her up. She put her hands on his chest to stop him. “I almost got you killed back there.” Grimm went to protest but she shook her head. “Shut up. Before you even try saying anything, shut up. Don’t say I didn’t because you and I both know You could have died trying to carry my sorry ass out of there.”. Grimm sighed

“What am I meant to do? Make you crawl?”. Eris laughed. “I’ll manage. I’m in excruciating pain, sure. But I ran back there, I fought, I almost held my own despite the pain. I can do it again. What I can’t do is let you go down for trying to keep me safe. Grimm closed his hand around Eris’s as she continued to press it flush with his chest, searching for the beating of his heart. “You say that like you care about me”.

Eris laughed “Of course I do, you big i***t”

“Well, I mean... I am pretty amazing” Eris murmured her agreement, pressing tighter against him, momentarily forgetting who was standing mere feet away until James reminded her of his presence by thumping the side of the Jeep with his fist.

“She’s still my wife!, Hands off!”. Riley snorted

“If you’d kept your hands off she’d be down here with you.”

“Not in front of the boy” Sasha hissed, backhanding Riley’s chest as she put the pieces of Eris’s family dynamic in to place in her head. Grimm’s eyes hadn’t left Eris’s face “are you sure you can walk all that way?” Eris nodded stiffly, gently pushing him to the side and getting out of the Jeep. She walked alongside Dorian, with James on the other side of her, struggling to keep up while hobbling on his injured leg. Grimm walked behind the three, Carrying Eris’s bag and trailing the group as Sasha, Jared, Riley and Mark

walked in a triangular formation ahead of them. Picking and weaving their way through the wreckage between them and their salvation.

***

As the day drew to a close and the sky grew dark, the groups feet had begun to drag along the rough, littered road. Eris’s knees shook and she breathed heavily, her head felt heavy and she staggered on clumsy feet.

“I can’t-” She whimpered, seconds before her legs gave up on her and she tripped.

“Mum!” Dorian yelled, letting go of James’s hand and hunkering down beside Eris. Her hair was damp with sweat and her body quivered. The group drew to a reluctant halt.

“It’s okay, baby boy. I’m just tired”. Dorian sniffed rubbing his ankles “Me too”. Riley looked around them uneasily. “There should be a siding not to far up from here. If there isn’t we are sure to find a servo to hold up in for the night. But we can’t stop here-” As if to prove his point, a distant screech drifted to them on the breeze. “Get up” James growled at her. Eris looked up, expecting to see Grimm reaching out to slap him again, instead she saw Sasha marching towards her, standing between her and James. “Mouth shut, wife-beater” she warned so quietly through clenched teeth that Eris couldn’t even be sure he heard it. Even if he didn’t, the twisted scorn on Sasha’s pretty face was a warning in and of itself. James’s hands balled in to fists at his side, and for a moment Eris was worried he might swing at Sasha.

Sasha must have thought the same thing, because she calmly, but pointedly rested her hand on her freshly reloaded service gun that gleamed in it’s holster. When James relented, Sasha turned to Eris, kneeling beside her and Dorian. “Up you get, chick” She said, helping her to her shaky feet and patting Dorian awkwardly on the shoulder. “You had my back at the facility, I’ve got yours now.”

Riley had only been half right about the siding. There had been one further up the road. But it was over an hour before they reached it. By which time the distant screeches and growls had drawn closer and become louder. Though they had yet to actually see any infected hosts since they left the facility. The siding was made up of a dirt and gravel clearing nestled into the bush land. And there stood a solitary rest stop building that contained three mens toilet stalls, three womens stalls, and a line of three shower cubicles. “Gross” Jared muttered, shining a flashlight over the dirt and grime. “It’ll do for the night.” Riley said with a cringe “Two people per shower cubicle and two on watch at all times. Everyone takes a turn except the boy-”

“Dorian” Dorian corrected him.

“Everyone takes a turn except Dorian. Sorry kid”.

Eris thanked Riley, secretly hoping that she would get a watch with Grimm. She would never say it aloud, but she had been dying to get him alone since their escape. James would have left her to die in that situation. Given the chance, he would have taken Dorian and left her to be host food. But not only did Grimm do his best to keep her safe, he also did his best to make sure Dorian was safe and in her sights the entire time. Even when it put his own life at risk. And she wanted more than anything to be able to thank him for it away from the prying eyes of James.

With a quiet word to Sasha, Eris was able to swap places with her for the third watch with Grimm. It was late by this time and between them they had only slept a few hours. This was evidenced by the deep set frown on Grimm’s scarred face and the slumping of his shoulders as they paced slowly and quietly around the rest stop building. Watching the bushes, then the roads. A slight rustling from the bushes caught their attention, Grimm threw his arm protectively in front of Eris as her hand gripped the hunting knife in the band of her jeans. They stood frozen for seconds that felt like an eternity until a flying fox went hurtling out of the bush, squeaking as it flapped its large wings over their heads, taking flight in the night sky. Grimm relaxed with a quiet chuckle as he glanced back at Eris. “Now I feel silly”

“you look it” she chuckled back, though she felt a little silly her self. She let out a sigh as they sat down in the dirt, hidden by the shadow of the rest stop. “My nerves are shot” she admitted. Grimm nodded in agreement. She looked up at him. “Thank you... For saving my ass so many times. And thank you for looking out for Dorian.” Grimm shrugged “My pleasure, he’s a good kid”. Eris smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder. “He is... And you’re a good man”. Grimm smiled, not looking down at her. “I’m really not... I have eyes for a married woman, after all”. Eris looked around them, scrunching up her nose.

“Where is she? I’ll fight her”. Grim smiled ruefully, picking up her left hand, and showing Eris her own wedding ring. She pulled her hand back and sat on it. “James stopped being my husband the night he almost beat me to death and our son had to deal with the aftermath.” She answered, a bitter tone in her voice. After a brief, uncomfortable silence, Eris turned to Grimm. She figured if there was ever a time to shoot her shot, it was then. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what you said last night... About me using you for validation”. She started.

“Oh?” Grimm said, quirking an eyebrow at her.

“I like the validation” Grimm nodded,

“I’d rather talk about this some other time” he grumbled, moving to stand, but Eris grasped the bottom of his shirt, pulling him back down. “But I also like you”. She forced the words out quickly, before she had a chance to chicken out. Grimm stared at her. “More than I like the validation. More than I like the attention. More than I like the feeling of being kissed. More than I like myself... I like you”. Grimm didn’t respond. “And don’t tell me it’s because I’m feeling vulnerable, because I’ve never felt more secure than I feel when I’m around you”.

Grimm licked his lips nervously. Eris slid her hands over his broad shoulders. They considered one another for a moment before Eris continued. “Kiss me again, Grimm. That’s an order” She murmured.

“Yes ma’am” he drawled. His muddled southern accent scattering her thoughts as her eyes fluttered shut.

His lips grazed hers. Tentative at first, a slow and gentle kiss, as his hands cradled her injured and aching face. Sighing into the kiss Eris brought herself to her knees. Placing one knee on either side of him as she straddled his lap, the sudden movement, kicking up dust around them. Grimm’s hands left her face as his tongue danced with hers, he gripped her inner thighs, giving them a firm squeeze. Eris groaned. A low purring sound that resonated from her chest. Grimm smiled into the kiss. Laying back and pulling Eris down with him his hands moved under her shirt. His fingers toying at the straps of her bra as Eris tugged on his hair. Her kisses becoming fervent and desperate. “I’m going to hurt you” Grimm warned as he pulled back from the kiss, breathing hard. “I’m trying really hard to be gentle here, but you’re making me feral.” Eris looked down at him through lust hooded eyes and flashed him a bratty grin “So be feral, then” she encouraged, tugging on his hair slightly harder and running her tongue along the base of Grimm’s neck. “For one second can you stop treating me like I’m made of glass? I’m not that breakable”.

“Eris-” Grimm stopped short as Eris bit his collarbone, throwing his head back as he allowed himself a low moan. He returned in kind, grabbing her face and kissing her with as much force as he dared to use. Holding her to him as his hips ground against her. He trailed hard kisses down her neck as she gasped out his name.

But Grimm didn’t have time to revel in the ecstasy of hearing his name on her lips in the throws of passion. Because no sooner had she said it, there was an ear-splitting screech. This one closer than the ones they’d heard earlier. The pair broke apart, scrambling to their feet and standing back to back. Eris scanning the road and Grimm squinting in to the bushes. His hand squeezed hers reassuringly as they stood there panting in the dark. With five pairs of wild, hungry eyes, watching them from every direction. They were surrounded.

The hosts were stalking their prey.