The weapon was meant for Collins.
She pushed the thought out of her mind and continued to chat with Collins. He had trouble speaking loudly, so she sat on the edge of his cot. Garcia moved off, leaving the two to talk in private. They talked of their lives as children, schools, and families. Tammy could tell that Collins was sad. His discomfort got really bad at one point, and the young man curled up in pain.
Tammy looked on in concern. Collins winced; his eyes tightly shut. When he opened them again, Tammy could see tears shimmering.
“I’m afraid, Tammy...”
Tammy nodded and placed her hand on his. He looked up at her with a fragile expression.
“Hey, I’m sorry about earlier.” He quickly continued when he saw her questioning look. “Garcia is right. I got terrible pick-up lines.”
Tammy smiled. “I’m sure they have worked like a charm for you.”
Collins chortled at that. “Ah I wish. Truth is, I” –his eyes met Tammy’s– “I’ve never even kissed a girl...” He whispered the last.
Tammy could see the desperation in the young man’s eyes. Spontaneously, she bent her face over his. She looked deep into his eyes, as she bent closer. Her lips just inches away from his. Her hair cascaded down, creating a wreath around his face. Tammy leaned in closer yet and brushed her lips against his. His mouth opened, his hands had found her back and drew her in with urgent need. She kissed him. As hard and as passionately as she had kissed anybody in her life. She felt his tongue probing into her mouth and welcomed it with soft touches of her own. They kissed for several long moments; the world forgotten around them.
Reluctantly, the kiss ended. Tammy laid her head on the young man’s chest, as he quietly wept.
Slowly, regretfully, Tammy broke contact. She sat up and looked at Collins with a warm smile.
“I hope that was ok.”
Collins smiled back. He hesitated for a moment then blurted it out. “Wow. What have I been missing!” He laughed softly, then grew more earnest. “Thank you, Tammy.”
She merely smiled back at him.
She said her goodbye a couple of minutes later and stood up. She was somewhat surprised that there was nobody else in the tent. She walked out of the door into the evening.
Brown and Garcia were both standing outside. Brown nodded to Tammy, as Garcia gave her a small smile and a wave. Both men were obviously grateful for what she had done for their friend.
She hesitated at her own tent entrance. Tammy turned and looked back at the two soldiers.
“What’s his name?”
“Rob. Robert.” Garcia smiled. “I’m Esteban. And this is Benjamin.” Tammy digested that, then with a nod entered her own tent.
She stood inside the doorway after zipping it shut and sighed in the darkness. After a few seconds, her eyes adjusted enough so she could make out the inside of the tent. She looked over and saw Breanne and Steve in their cots. They had been kind enough to set up her cot as well.
She suddenly realized just how tired she was.
Chapter Thirty-seven
The Ren
October 31
The sun rose above the eastern horizon bright and crisp that next morning. The clouds that had gathered overnight quickly burned away to leave a single-toned light blue sky overhead. The temperature was still cool with the chill of the night. It made the sun’s rays all the more inviting. This would have been a nice morning to sit out in a sunroom or on a deck, with a good cup of coffee. The silence hanging in the air inviting peaceful contemplation and reflection.
These things went largely unnoticed by the people staying at the Ren. The shuttered windows blocked a lot of the view and added to the general feeling of confinement that most were experiencing. People put energy into their tasks to get over the oppressive feeling.
Most of the group had taken advantage of the showers and running water. Freshly showered individuals made their way out of the basement throughout the morning, and impromptu clothes lines were strung in the main gym as people washed the few clothes they had.
The solution found for drying clothes was ingenious. Nancy had suggested that they put up the badminton posts and string rope between them. It worked well, especially when the high windows were opened, allowing for some air to move through the place. Patrick and Ethan grabbed a badminton rackets and a birdy and had a quick game, to the amusement of a few folks.
Some people took it upon themselves to keep lookouts. Although maybe it was more a case of folks wanting to spend time away from the rest of the group. Lookouts spent equal time watching the world outside as they did in introspection. Claire hung out with Maria at one of the lookout spots. They didn’t speak much but seemed to find comfort in each others’ company.
John continued to run classes on weapons basics. Just about everybody attended the classes. John started his morning class with a bemused look at his audience, which had doubled from the day before. “Interesting, how everybody suddenly wants to learn how to use a gun!” He was met with a few embarrassed smiles. “I guess the zombie apocalypse bodes well for the N.R.A. eh?”
Keith also held another training session on hand-to-hand combat. His second lesson focused on diverting an attacker’s energy and using it against them. Keith demonstrated this by taking down both Joe and Patrick. He let Joe grab his shirt, then with two quick movements had the large man on the ground. Patrick was a lot more careful but didn’t even get to lay a hand on Keith, as the oriental man grabbed the other’s wrist and with a quick side-step had the rich man face-down on the mat. Keith’s movement was so smooth that he seemed to float across the floor. He would glide
