Disguise

For a moment, she couldn't move. His words rang in her head. She was rendered speechless. Her throat became dry and she gulped. She knew she was exaggerating it but she had an unknown fear for those people, who were already looking for her, and Peter was asking her to go there herself? Of course he didn't know that she was Laura Alcott otherwise what would he do? Obviously he would hand her over and keep the safe house in return.

"Riley?" Peter waved his hand in front of her to snap her out of her thoughts. She looked at him in a dazed manner. "I know I am asking for a lot. But think of the alternative, if not today, them tomorrow we would have to leave the safe house, unless we do something about it. I know it's a long shot but we have to take it. What if they are not as powerful as they show themselves? What if we can fight back? I wouldn't let go of such a chance. Because if we don't, then there's hardly a way we can survive out there. With the amount of ammunition we have and the number of the zombies which keep multiplying along with the mutated ones, surviving would be very difficult. But even if there's a tiny chance for us to stay in this safehouse, I am going to take it. Riley, I won't force you for anything but I want you to consider it at least." Peter pleaded. Laura closed her eyes and took a deep breath in. She sat down again.

"And what if they are powerful? We would've to leave then?" Laura managed to speak without stuttering, even though her hands were sweaty with fear.

"Riley, if they are as heavily armed as they show themselves, what's stopping them from kicking us out of here. Why are they just giving us warnings?I don't think they are as much of a threat as we think of them. If we have to stay here we gotta fight, and we cannot just barge in there with whatever we got. We need to have an idea of how many of them are there or what they do. Still, I am not gonna force you if you don't want to."

"I need to think."

"There's no time Riley. You need to go before they notice that woman missing. Let me tell you I trued trespassing myself, but I got caught, they left me with a warning. I assure you even if you get caught, they don't take in outsiders. They will bring you back to us and then we'll deal with whatever the consequences will be together." Peter tried to comfort her but he didn't know the truth. If she gets caught, they will not bring her back to them, instead what they would do? Her imagination showed her clips from movies where creepy people wearing a doctor's coat do experiments on alive humans. The screams echoed in her head. She shook her head to free herself from such thoughts. It was upto her to decide who's safety she cared about more? Hers or those who helped her? No doubt she would have chosen herself over anyone, but then Ilsa's face formed in her head. Ilsa didn't care for herself and let her in with her. If she's alive, it's because Ilsa helped her. Laura wondered many times during spending time with her that in circumstances like this, why did Ilsa shared her limited provisions with her?

"Because I am a human." That was Ilsa's reply when she asked her the same question. Because that's what makes us a human. But Laura felt no sympathy for others, maybe because of the days she had to spent surviving on her own made her cruel. Does that mean she's loosing her humanity? If so then she is no better than a zombie who cares for none but his food. Laura had a good battle inside her head about what she should do, but a part of her knew what her decision is going to be. She took a deap breath in and nodded.

"Okay. I will go." Laura said, though there was a note of reluctancy in her voice but she was determined. Peter still looked unhappy.

"Riley, I'm sorry. I know this is a lot but-"

"It's okay, Peter. I have to do this." Riley said and stood up.

A while later, Laura had changed into the woman's clothing. Robert suggested her to tie her hair up in a tight bun to avoid attracting anyone to the difference in the length of hair. She wore the gas mask and Maxine nodded in approval. Melissa stood by her while Noah still hadn't left his room.

"Only someone who's looking for a difference will find it, other wise she looks fine." Robert said holding out the woman's weapons and badge towards her. The weapons included a high powered rifle and an axe. The badge was what surprised her. It was a magnetic stripe card with the woman's picture and her name. Laura memorised that keeping in mind her name is Clara. She closed her eyes and smiled at the thought, her name is Laura but for those in front of her is Riley and now she is going to be Clara for some other people. Fate.

"Uhh, did she just rise from the dead?" Heath asked looking bewildered as he just stepped in the lounge. Laura took off the gas mask and Heath immediately took a step back and gazed at her in disbelief. "What zombies weren't enough now we got shape shifters?"

"Shut up, it's Riley." Melissa informed him. Heath's eyes knitted in confusion.

"And why is she in that woman's disguise?" Heath eyes Peter suspiciously. Peter sighed and told him the story. Heath's frown deepened as he he heard Peter and he shook his head as Peter finished. "She's not going there."

"It's her decision." Peter said.

"Well, her decision is a stupid one, isn't it Rileyyy?" Heath snapped at Laura, while saying Riley through gritted teeths.

"I am going Heath." Laura said and Heath scowled at her.

"You know the dangers?" Heath hissed.

"I do."

"She's not in her right mind."

"Heath, aren't you exaggerating it? Don't you remember what they did when Peter trespassed their territory?" Maxine interfered.

"Yeah, they tortured him."

"It wasn't torture. They only hit me because I barked profanities at them." Peter's voice suddenly turned scary. Heath understood that Peter doesn't want him to say anything against their decision, but all that was in his mind was the others have no idea that she is Laura Alcott. He glanced at Laura, who nodded at him, silently telling him that she wants to go. Heath looked away and stomped off his room. Laura wore the gas mask back.

"I have one question though." Laura said. "The virus no more spreads through air, then why was this woman, Clara, wearing a gas mask? Like unless you are surrounded by hoards of them"

"They all wear it. That's what makes them so suspicious." Maxine replied. Laura stood awkwardly there for a minute before finally turning around to leave. "I wish you luck." Maxine added. Laura nodded and prepared herself to leave.

She kept walking in the direction Peter told her to. She had no idea what she was supposed to do. Will she even make it to the facility? What if someone recognizes her? What will she do then? She gripped the badge tightly. It was a proof that there would be some doors she would not be able to go through without it. She kept repeating the name Clara in her mind. Peter also told her that the woman's voice was a little high pitched and in case she has to talk she should just cough and say something short in a high pitched voice. Laura felt like a spy. But after a moment she heard someone calling out to her shouting the name Clara. Laura gulped and turned around to see a man coming towards her.

"Clara, where were you? The shifts changed, why didn't you return to your position?" The man was in the same gas mask as her but he spoke professionally, like he was someone in charge. Laura felt her mouth go dry. She coughed.

"Followed some trespassers. They fled." Laura tried her best, she couldn't see his expression to tell whether he bought it or not.

"What happened to your voice?" He asked and Laura thought her heart started beating eratically.

"Blisters in mouth." A sudden excuse formed in her head she blurted it out. The man nodded.

"Let's get to the base now. Get yourself treated there." The man said and started walking. Laura followed and smiled. The problem of finding their base was solved. But she had no idea where he was leading her to. If she did, she would've made a different decision.

End of chapter 5