The Price of Humanity

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty

I wake up the next day, wrapped in blankets, snuggled up in the makeshift bed's we've made behind the counter of the store. The blankets are surprisingly comfortable and warm.

I snuggle into them further, aching for more warmth and sleep. During the night, Mia has snuggled up to my front and is breathing steadily in her sleep.

Her back is lightly pressed against my front and she seems completely knocked out. I decide to leave her for as long as possible before waking her up.

I pull away from her, ready to get up and get the day over with. I manoeuvre backwards trying to move without waking her up when my back collides with someone else. I look over my shoulder and see Adam sleeping peacefully too.

I turn to face him, in a very graceless manner, and watch him for a few moments. I have to admit he's handsome, very handsome. His strong jawline is evident but hidden behind short stubble while his short hair still has incredible volume despite the lack of hair gel or wax.

And include his body this man could be a Greek God. Although, yes the apocalypse could give even fat Tony a six pack and a v-line.

Well, that's a horrific image.

His eyes flutter open slightly and a look of shock comes across his face when he sees me staring at him. I avert my eyes quickly, looking down, that doesn't prove much better though since he's only in jeans and now it looks like I'm staring at his shirtless torso.

He closes his eyes again but moves closer to me, lightly draping an arm around my waist. I shove him off, and retreat, backing into Mia slightly.

"Look but don't touch, hmm?" He mumbles sleepily, withdrawing his arm. He rests it against his side while the other tucks under his head, flexing his bicep.

His eyes are still closed but the smile on his face is unmissable. I get up, dressed only in my tank top and boy shorts, and head over to the counter where my camo trousers are laid on top, along with most of the other's clothes.

Gale, however, sits atop the counter fully dressed since he was the last one on watch. He smiles at me as I walk over and put on my camo trousers. Privacy isn't a luxury we have in the apocalypse.

"Here." He says, handing me a small package. It's square and wrapped using a piece of newspaper Gale must've found lying around.

"You know how I feel about this." I sigh, fully prepared to hand it back to him. He wraps my fingers around it and pulls me towards him into a tight hug.

"You're the one keeping track of all the days. You can't ignore the calendar one day a year and follow it for the rest." I sigh into his chest and I can feel him smiling as he rests his face on the top of my head, placing his lips lightly to my hair.

"Happy birthday Alex." He whispers lowly in my ear. When he pulls away I look down at the package in my hands and open it up, which is a pretty easy task since he's had nothing to secure the paper with.

I pull out a metal chain with a clasp on one end and start to realise what he's got me. When I pull out the rest of the necklace a small pendant is revealed on the end of it.

I see a tiny little clasp on one side of the pendant. A locket. It's not in the traditional heart or oval shape but is a small flat square with intricate silver floral details on it.

It's beautiful to say the least. Behind the silver details is a dark blue gemstone. My birthstone.

"Gale, this is amazing, how on earth did you get this?" I say, running the chain through my fingers and holding the locket closer so I can see the intricate details.

"It gets better." He replies, opening the latch of the locket, and pulling the two halves apart. Inside, scratched into the surface of the silver plating is three letters. 'G.A.Z'. Gale. Alex. Zane.

I pull my brother into a tight hug again and whisper a short thank you in his ear before putting the locket around my neck and tucking it into my tank top. It rests on my chest, right near my heart. Fitting.

"So, it is your birthday." I roll my eyes and turn around to Adam who's walking over to the counter. He brushes past me, inappropriately close, earring him a glare from both me and Gale. However my body just wants to jump into his arms and ride him like a mad woman.

He grabs his shirt from the other side of the counter, and pulls it on. Hiding the glorious muscles from my line of sight.

"If my calculations are right."

"I'm sure they are." He replies smoothly, coming over to stand next to me. "Happy birthday." He continues, sincerity in his voice.

"Thank you." A strange noise outside stops our conversation short and diverts his attention away from my now blushing face.

It diverts all our attentions in fact, to the window and the street outside.

I'm there first, sprinting through the pharmacy and stopping short at the window when I see what's happening.

Trucks, many of them are speeding down all of the streets that I can see. Not only are they military grade trucks, they've been upgraded.

Large spikes stick out from the sides as well as the front and back, one even has the front of a snow plough tied haphazardly onto its bumper.

To what? Catch the dead and take them home for tea? I highly doubt that's it.

The biggest, and frankly most terrifying truck, comes to park right I front of the pharmacy while the other surround it, blocking off any possible hope of us escaping in that direction.

Multiple men hop out of the back of each truck, standing around their vehicles with weapons in hands. That's one of the strange things I've noticed about this group – there's no women.

We've heard terrible stories about what they do to women but they never seem to be in the streets. Maybe as well as being the scum of the earth these guys are also sexist – making their women stay at home to cook and clean.

We have Gale to do that for us.