"I hate everyone."
"Except me, right?"
"No, especially you."
⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻⎻
It's funny, isn't it? That when the whole world decides to become infected with a brutal and fatal virus, the real monsters are the ones still alive? Blake Finnegan lost most of...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
▬▬ι═══════ﺤ
"YOU NEED TO EXPLAIN EVERYTHING YOU KNOW ABOUT THEM." ARE BLAKE'S FIRST WORDS TO ME THE NEXT MORNING. I know Blake has a personal issue with them, but I also know that everyone here hates EVA. You'd be weird not to.
"I don't think they have a name...but I know they're in cahoots with EVA." I scratch my palms.
"Cahoots?" Mars repeats.
"There's some sort of arrangement going on. I think EVA promised them resources in return for their security. Other than ACE, the bikers are the only stable group out in Colorado - maybe even America." I explain as best I can.
"So...rebels." Blake shrugs.
"Rebels." I nod.
"Do you know where their camp is? Where we need to avoid?" He asks.
"Far from ACE." I confirm, "When we get there we won't have to worry about them."
"Is their leader an asshole? I feel like he's an asshole." Mars mutters, kicking a pebble underneath her foot.
"He is." I confirm.
"Wow, who saw that coming." She mutters.
"They had a lot of guns...should we not be concerned about that?" Nari picks up his bag (or now also known as makeshift pillow given our rocky sleep. No pun intended).
"They've always had guns Nari," I sigh, "It's never been a problem for us back at camp unless we run into them on our errands outside of ACE. We'll continue doing what we've been doing, because it's lasted a year now."
I don't know if that's true. In fact, I'm more concerned than ever about EVA's bikers. Clearly, they're strong. Clearly, their leader has loyal authority of the rest of them, and clearly, they are armed.
Someone like that having so much loyalty? It's more dangerous than someone having numbers. Loyalty, in this world, is power.
"How many days are we away from ACE?" Blake asks now, changing the topic.
"We've probably been sent back a few paces given the whole forest sitch...so maybe like, four days?" I predict.
"I'll take it." Mars mutters, "Better than two weeks."
"Also my mother will want to see you three immediately," I warn, "She'll need to interview you or whatever - see if you're safe. We're pretty selective."
"Oh, well then Blake is screwed." Mars huffs out a laugh.
"I don't know," I muse, "He's equally as helpful as he is untrustworthy."
Blake crosses his arms and just looks at me - expression like it always is, naturally grumpy. But then, surprisingly, he uncrosses them and starts walking, "Thanks."
