It was Nat. She wore a tank top and boxer shorts. Jack didn’t know what to do, so he remained silent and watched her. He scanned her body, studying her muscular legs. He could see the shape of her where the boxer shorts hugged her. There was a sliver of skin showing above her boxers and below her shirt. Jack looked at her smooth skin as it shone in the soft starlight. He caught the slight bud of one of the nipples pressing against the fabric of her shirt. His eyes traveled up to her slender neck and finally to her face. She continued to gaze out of the window. Starlight added a soft element to her profile. From this angle, she was strikingly pretty.
Almost as if on cue, Nat turned and looked at Jack. He froze. They looked at each other for a long, tense moment, until Nat smiled.
Oh my, she’s beautiful!
Jack felt his heart quicken. Nat’s smile lingered, then slowly faded. Her eyes still smiled, though, if such a thing were possible.
He swallowed. He smiled back at Nat, his eyes never leaving hers. He wanted nothing more at that moment than for her to come and lie in his sleeping bag with him.
She mouthed words at him.
Good night.
At least he thought that was what she said. She turned away and traveled back through the slumbering forms to her own sleeping bag. Jack watched her the whole way. He swore that she had looked back at him, before lying down and disappearing from his view.
Oddly, sleep came to him shortly after that.
Chapter 43
The Ren
November 9, 6:30 A.M.
The morning dawned gray. Clouds covered the city at a rapid pace as a consistent wind propelled them. This same wind hit the Ren, rattling its lowered storm shutters. Shelley lay in her cot, listening to the gusts of wind. The sound was strangely soothing, and she nearly drifted back off into sleep. The sound of Claire stirring pulled her back into consciousness. She lifted herself up onto her elbows and looked over at her roommates.
“Good morning,” Claire said softly. Rosa was just waking up as well and mumbled something akin to, “Morning.”
“Morning,” Shelley replied with a small smile.
“I was just thinking... The sound of the wind? I kind of like it,” Claire said, then shrugged.
“Yeah. I get it.” Shelley swung herself into a sitting position. She noticed that her back was starting to ache from using the cot and had a moment of longing for her own bed. She looked up at the clock on the wall. “Hmm. It’s not even seven. I’ve noticed that I wake up earlier.”
Claire nodded in agreement, reaching for her clothes. “Anyway, since we’re up, shall we go upstairs and make some breakfast?”
Ten minutes later, the three women were busy preparing breakfast. The tasks were not difficult, as the only things to prepare were reconstituted eggs, the last few strips of bacon, and fruit cups for after. The only true blessing was the coffee. They had enough ground beans to last for several more months.
The smell of the dark liquid brewing roused several other people, who drifted into the cafeteria singly or in pairs. A surprise guest was Ben, under guard of Ern.
“The boy needs some coffee,” Ern said as people looked up. Then he laughed. “That’s a lie. I need some coffee!” He sat with his charge at the far table.
Emily arrived a few minutes later. She noticed Ben and walked over to sit with their supposed prisoner and his guard. Ben seemed to be in better spirits this morning and smiled as Emily walked up.
“Morning, Hill.”
“Hiya, Brown. How are you?”
“Good,” Ben responded with a subdued smile and a nod. “Better,” he added after Shelley had brought over coffee. She decided to sit at the same table, since her kitchen duties were done.
They sat and sipped their coffee without speaking. Shelley watched Ben across the table. His expression was calm, almost as if he had made a decision about something. She noticed that he kept looking around, like he was counting people. He caught her looking at him suspiciously.
“I want to say something to everybody here. Can you tell me if everybody is here now?” Ben asked.
Q, Romy, and Breanne walked in as Shelley was counting. “Yeah, I think that’s everybody.”
Ben took a deep breath and stood up. He must have talked to Ern about this, as the old man did not react other than to look at the young man expectantly.
“Excuse me...”
Ben did not speak loudly, but instantly had everyone’s attention. Shelley watched the faces staring at the man behind her. Sarah’s eyes were wide open, and her body language betrayed her stress. Several others, including Rachel, showed suspicion and distrust. However, most of the group was simply curious.
“I know that my being here is upsetting. I want to apologize for that.” Ben glanced uncertainly at Ern.
“Go ahead, son. You’ve got something to say, so say it.” The old man nodded encouragingly, although he was just as curious.
Ben continued, “I don’t want to distress you any further.” He looked at Sarah. “Sarah, I am so sorry for your loss. From what I heard; Craig did a lot to keep this group unified. That’s probably why Captain Shaw wanted him removed.” Sarah grimaced, and Ben’s face turned somber.
“But that doesn’t help you deal with the loss. I don’t think anything will. All I can promise now is that if you want it, I will lay down my life for you.” Again, he looked around the room. “You’ve all lost people. I want you to know that I do feel responsible for your pain. So, my offer to Sarah goes for all of you. If you want revenge, then I am willing to take the punishment.” The sad expression had turned to one of
