Chapter IX

"What did I do to deserve being stuck with these fuck ups?" Tori thought to herself as she ran from the howls and snares that sounded like they were only a few feet behind her make shift crew. She pulled out a Beretta 92, 9mm pistol from one of her holsters, turned the safety off and rushed towards a garage door, where her Humvee was parked. As she neared the door she heard sounds on the inside and pulled out her Ruger Blackhawk, and turned its safety off, "Just in case. Jake always said that if you have any doubt the gun you have is enough always have a back up." She knocks on the door three times before she moves out of the way, as a monstrous canine bursts through the door.

The dog was salivating from the mouth, as it turned around to face Tori, who had readied her Beretta and was aiming at the head of the monstrosity. As the beast started to bound its way towards her she let a bullet go, and saw it pass through its head and saw blood splatter on the street, letting her know it was, truly dead. Areol knelt down by the dog with her own Beretta, though this one was a P-018, 9mmP.

"This was a Siberian Husky, though I guess that doesn't matter." Areol started

, "Doesn't your boyfriend want a husky?" she asked Tori.

"He did, though I don't know how he's doing. Though I wish I knew." Tori replied sadly. As she started to enter the door, another canine jumped out at her, before it could reach her though, Areol unloaded her P-018 into the beast. As she classifies the breed, which was a Bloodhound, she gets on Tori for being too careless. Then the group quickly goes in and closes the door, as they hear the howls of more canines.

* *

"Well young ladies how do you suppose we get through this?" The ex-Marine asks Tori and Areol. "Well?" It was showing that he had very little patience for them even though they had just saved him from being dog food.

"That's easy, honestly, we are going to go to my mans safe house, and from there you will be taken to his 'friends' base." Tori promptly stated. At this statement the group of men and women started to look uneasy, for in these times a different faction normally meant death by those who came in unannounced. "How will we know if they will accept us without killing us on sight?" someone from the back asked.

"He's my man and they owe him a lot of favors." She replied. Then she tells Areol to go and prep her Humvee for they are leaving in a few minutes once they have all their weapons and ammo. Ten minutes later the garage door opens and Tori speeds out towards the open doors of the complex wall and go out into untame country. She started heading east hoping that Jake was still where she left him when they had to go their separate ways.

* *

"How did I ever get myself into situation like these" Jake thought to himself as the girl, whose name is Alaana Riz, showered in a bathroom to rooms down. He now had a companion but not with the person he wants. The more he started to think about Tori the more he remembered why he decided to stay at this god forsaken fortress of undead. All in hopes to hold his love again, that is of course if she is still his, or wants his love. Then he started to ponder how she was able to get past his defenses for he had video recorders on all of the major stair cases and main doors. Jake then decided that it was when he gave Mike and his sister Rachael over to his 'friends'. Jake is snapped out of his train of thought as Alaana comes into his room, in her naked glory, shivering and asking for a towel and some clothing to wear. "How did I ever get myself into situation like these" Jake thinks again "At this rate I won't be able to stay loyal to Tori. Great, just fucking great. Tori, please come save me from this insanity."

Over the next few days Jake did his best to avoid Alaana, but, alas, to no avail for she followed him like a shadow. She would ask him questions about anything and everything she could think of, stuff as mundane as his favorite colour, to things he wouldn't reveal like who his 'friends' where, and their location. It got to the point that he would wake up thirty minutes before his alarm went off just to escape her constant bombardment of questions. On the sixth day of this torture, he noticed a dirt cloud a few miles west, this started to disturbed him for he knew not if these people, if they were still people, were friend or foe.

Sighing to himself, he propelled himself up from his down position in his room, feeling fatigued as he heard Alaana coming down the hall. He hoped he could give her to these newcomers if they were still human, for his 'friends' haven't contacted him in a few days. And he hoped they could give him a lift so see how his 'friends' were doing. But he had learned not to hope for such things.

"You know, you can try to talk to me." Alaana stated breathily, as she moved closer to Jake, and started caressing his arm. "I don't bite, well not like the creatures outside that is."

Jake had his teeth clenched tight as she started to move her hands up and down his arm, igniting a fire that laid deep in him. A fire he has been trying to control since Alaana got into his base. "Woman, if you wish to live another day to make these stupid comments you'd best move away." Jake said to her, not even trying to hide his rage and bitterness. "You aren't the one I want to be with, and until I can contact my 'friends' you best leave me be. Plus your stay here is a temporary one." And with that Jake walked away from her to go get ready to 'greet' his guests that were only a few miles away now.

As Jake walked away Alaana watched him, thinking to herself, "I will make you mine, this I promise you. Especially since I want you, and I always get what I want." As she was walking out of his room, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. It looked like a picture on the bathroom mirror. As she moved closer to inspect it, she noticed it was a picture of Jake and an unknown woman, in the picture Jake had a military hair cut, and he looked beyond happy as his arms were around the woman. Alaana shrieked and went to go look for Jake to ask him about this mystery woman, and what she meant to him, especially when he now had her, he wouldn't need anyone else.