“We will need to leave the bulk of the people here to guard our possessions. If you want, me, Henry and Diana can go hunting and gathering. It is going to take a lot of food for eleven people, so we maybe gone for quite a few hours. If anyone shows up, you guys will need to defend what we have. You can’t let anyone have anything. Don’t tell them what you have, keep it hidden. Make sure no one goes near the food we buried, you won’t know if you’re being watched.”
“You think they will watch us?” Marla asked nervously, her dark eyes darting to every tree and bush beyond the camp, the hairs standing up on her arms.
“If I were them, I would. I’d watch and see if you were lax, see where I could sneak in. Marla, you’re going to have to be ruthless, make sure everyone follows suit or you’ll never make it. If you can’t, then me and the others will leave you and your crew to fend for yourselves. I can’t do everything. Okay?” he asked, and she nodded, swallowing hard.
The hot coffee helped stave off her hunger, she’d not eaten since yesterday lunch. Her eyes began to tear up and she began to breath faster, she was feeling a panic attack coming on and she hated being so weak in front of anyone. She clenched her teeth and her fists, fighting it.
“Breathe Marla, we’ll be okay, just breathe. Look, this place is loaded with food, if you know where to look and how to get it. We do and we’ll teach you. That isn’t our biggest problem. It’s Connor and the others. I don’t think we have much to worry about with Carol and Vana, they are pretty weak, but the rest of them will try to hit us. They’re lazy, I’ve seen them at work, they’ve only been half-assed trying to find food. Now their lives will depend on it. Chances are, they aren’t going to step up to the plate to pull their weight. They’ll try stealing it first. Again, if you and your crew can’t stand up to them with the others in our group, then we will disappear into the bush. We’ve already talked about it. Sorry.” He said, shrugging.
“What do you mean you’ve talked about it?” she barked angrily.
“Look, this is nothing personal, but the four of you are a drain for us. At this very point in time, you four literally have no survival skills, it will be up to us to support and take care of you. It will be a struggle to feed all of us, eleven is a large number. Last night, we talked while you guys slept in your tents. If you can’t or won’t hold up your end, we’ll leave you to it. We can’t carry you, we each have to put in 110%, especially Christian, we watched as he just pissed around last night while we all went through and inventoried what was left. He is a lazy bastard, so you better let him know, his time is short, he doesn’t pitch in all the way, we’ll kick him out. And the penalty is death. Sorry again.”
“You’re right, I know you are. It is just so hard to wrap my head around and I will talk to Christian, I agree, with you. What do you want us to do while you, Diana and Henry are gone?”
“Make weapons, I can’t stress that enough, you’ll need to be able to defend yourselves. I will show you more about that when we get back. Also, get more water, and firewood. You don’t want to get low, stack that firewood in your tents, if it gets wet, it will be useless. And just keep an eye out, if anyone shows up, tell them to get lost, the camp is closed to them, don’t buy any bullshit they send your way.” Leo said firmly. Marla nodded glumly and Leo got up when he saw Diana and Henry coming in from the woods.
He waved farewell and the three left. Marla watched them go, her heart heavy in her chest. She turned when Christian came out and her eyes narrowed dangerously.
“I heard that bullshit. I did work last night, I don’t know what he is talking about.”
“Shut the fuck up Christian, let me make it clear, you don’t pull your weight, you don’t step up and work your ass off, you are out of here. You hear me? I’m so fucking hungry I can’t even stand it, but that is the way things are now. So, don’t you give me any of your snide shit or so help me, I will kill you. Look in my eyes, do you see that I will kill you, cause I want to hear you say that you see it.” Marla snarled at him, leaning out of her chair, her eyes burning.
Christian jerked back as though stuck by a hot poker, his face lost all of its color as he looked into her eyes. She wasn’t kidding, this asshole was fucking with her life and by god, she wasn’t going to have an albatross around her neck. She smiled viciously when she saw fear in his eyes. Good, he believes me. He better, or I will kill you motherfucker I swear to baby Jesus, she thought. “I said say it.” She hissed low and dangerous.
“You’ll kill me if I don’t help and pull my weight.” He said, he could not meet her eyes and his face had lost all its color and then red creeped up his neck and into his cheeks. She looked over and saw Hudson and Tom looking out of the tent. They were grinning at her and giving her the thumbs up. She rolled her eyes
