Dead.

Chapter Nineteen

It was days before they were back to any sort of shadow of what they had been before the haven had fallen. The snow seemed to have noticed their need for rest and had been light and manageable. Each of them had gotten to know the newest group. Cass spent most of her days with Doc, helping him count supplies and store them properly as well as label what he had. As it turned out he had a few things, mostly from first-aid boxes and the likes but also some pill boxes and bottles he had snatched from a pharmacy in the city before it had gotten bad. He even had a stethoscope, which Cass was impressed by. He said he had taken it from a corpse, must have been a doctor or surgeon from the hospital in the city. The other men hunted and checked trapped regularly and Jeff joined them.

It wasn't awkward between them, although Cass often felt his lingering gaze when she was helping with cooking or counting pills. It was the same most nights. They slept together, they woke together and then went about their required jobs. It was odd, she figured. It was an unspoken sentiment between the two and neither were sure how to go forward. There was a silent agreement to keep it quiet for now, things were chaotic as it was and they didn't need to cause anymore drama.

"Alright, grubs up." Grace called out and Cass left her spot where she was fixing up a blanket to go and grab a mug of the usual broth. It wasn't terrible, Grace was a fair cook and with Evelyn's help the two did a wonderful job in making sure everyone was fed.

Everyone chattered amongst themselves and Cass found a spot by the fire to take a moment.

"Ryan go keep watch, will you?" It was common for the men to take different watches but it was unremarkable here. It was quiet. It was almost normal. The odd corpse trailed by and was dealt with fairly easily and swiftly. There was joking and laughing amongst most and Cass glanced up to see Jeff and Francis talking about their days before the outbreak.

"You look tired, Doc been working you to the bone?" Evelyn said, when her son had left to take up the watch out front. Cass laughed some and shook her head,

"No, no. I suppose it's the weather. Cold takes it out of me." Cass explained and Evelyn just nodded.

"I remember, when I was a teenager, we went on this cruise. All the way to the Bahamas. Oh, it was lovely. Just blue oceans and blue skies." Evelyn reminisced to Cass. She doubted anything like that would ever come to be again, cruised and vacations were long since abandoned and a luxury no one could afford. Cass often wondered if the outbreak was worldwide, or if it was isolated and other countries were still doing okay. Then again, if other countries were untouched, surely they would have come to the aid of those endangered.

"I never managed a cruise, always wanted to." Cass responded to Evelyn, it was a nice thought and she would have loved to travel more. Now, she was just grateful for a place to stop. Strange how things changed so easily. None of them were given a choice and she looked towards the door. It just had to be close to Christmas, she supposed no one would ever really celebrate it again. They could barely keep track of the seasons let alone the dates now. Birthdays, holidays and anniversaries would be long forgotten about. She supposed in the grand scheme of it, it had never really mattered.

A gunshot rang out, cracking the air worse than any bolt of lightning could and Evelyn was first to her feet, practically breaking down the door in her rush. Cass and the others poured out after her and luckily, Ryan still stood looking terrified. Cass immediately recognised the van and drew back. David, Francis and the other men were shoulder to shoulder with their guns pointed. Limited ammunition or not, they would blow away anyone who attempted.

"Lovely to see you all again." Arman's voice rang out and Cass felt her blood run col at the sight of him. He stood, back to the van and a shotgun in his hands. There were four others with him, dressed in thick leathers and furs with guns loaded and pointed. Her heart thumped out of her chest and Cass almost took a step back as she stared at the scene before her. She couldn't believe he had survived, was there no end to it all? It was a stark reminder that there was little justice in the world and despite the heinous things Arman had done.