“I switched over yesterday.” He reached over and smacked her arm. “In fact, I aligned my schedule to yours, so from now on, we’re working buddies.”
Lisa smiled as genuine warmth blossomed in her chest and the gloom of the day lifted from her shoulders. “That’s the best news I’ve had all day, and the only present I could ask for.”
“Present?” Trevor asked, a frown playing across his brow. “Is it possible that today’s your birthday, and you forgot to tell me?”
“Um…no, of course not, I just…”
“You’re a terrible liar, Lisa. It is your birthday, isn’t it?”
She glanced around and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Yeah, okay, fine, but don’t say anything to anyone, please.”
“If it’s that important to you, I won’t, but why so down in the dumps? It’s your birthday. You should be happy,” Trevor replied. Patiently awaiting her answer, he tucked into his own food, crunching on an apple.
Lisa sighed. “I’m not down. It’s just…the whole situation, you know? I miss Cat and Nadia, I have no idea what’s going on in the world outside, and I’m stuck in here as a hostage scrubbing bedpans every day. I mean, I don’t mind helping out, it keeps me busy, but how come blonde and blonder never get that unpleasant job?”
“Oh, you mean Cecelia and Tamara? I know what you mean. Those two are shoved so far up the Matron and Dr. Heinz’s butt holes they have brown rings around their necks,” Trevor quipped.
The joke landed just as Lisa took a sip of her coffee, and she choked, spraying Trevor across the face. He blinked, the sticky fluid dripping off his eyelashes and skin while Lisa gaped in horror. “Oh, crap! I’m so sorry, here let me clean that up.”
Trevor broke into a deep belly laugh, holding up both hands to fend off the frantic Lisa as she tried to wipe him down with a napkin. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m fine. Really.”
“Are you sure? I’m so sorry. Really,” she repeated.
After cleaning himself up, Trevor laughed once more. “I assure you, I’m fine. It takes more than just a little bit of coffee in the face to take me down.”
“Ugh. If this is the way my day starts, then I can’t imagine it getting any better,” Lisa muttered.
“Not true. Today is going to be awesome. I’m making it my personal mission,” Trevor said. “Now, finish your food before it gets cold. At least, you can’t complain about that.”
“True. I love flapjacks.”
“I’ve noticed. It’s hard not to when it gets stolen off my plate every week,” he said.
Lisa gasped in mock outrage. “I would never.”
“Sure. I’ve heard that one before. Now go ahead and grab my last flapjack before I change my mind.”
She grinned and speared it with her fork in one swift move. “Since you offered, don’t mind if I do.”
They finished their breakfast in companionable silence and were getting ready to leave when Dr. Heinz walked over with a sour expression on his face. He pinned Lisa to her chair with a grim look. “I’m glad I caught you, Lisa. The infirmary is full again today, and I’ll need you on bedpan duty again. When you’re done with that, you can change the sheets on the beds and help in the laundry.”
Lisa nodded, her former cheer changing to a hard lump in her stomach, but before she could agree, Trevor interrupted. “Actually, Dr. Heinz, she can’t help you today.”
Dr. Heinz frowned. “How so?”
“Neil has requested her presence. He’s holding a games day in the lounge to cheer up some of the patients and take their minds off…you know and needs her help. Also, I’ll need her assistance serving breakfast to the children’s ward. Florence is ill and can’t work today,” Trevor answered with a bland expression.
“I see. Neil asked for her specifically? Because I’m sure either Cecilia or Tamara could help him,” Dr. Heinz said.
“No, he wants her specifically. Why don’t you put Cecilia and Tamara on bed pan duty? I’m sure they won’t mind. We’re all happy to do our bit, after all.”
“Of course,” Dr. Heinz answered in curt tones before walking away with a stiff gait.
Lisa stared at Trevor in amazement. “I don’t know how to thank you. You’ve made my day, and I owe you big for this one.”
“Nonsense. Just enjoy your birthday. That’s all I ask.” Trevor stood up. “Ready to serve breakfast to the kids? I’ll even let you nick a jelly and custard while I’m not looking.”
“Trevor, you’re the best,” Lisa said as she followed him with a light tread. Maybe, her birthday wouldn’t be so bad, after all.
Chapter 3 - Cat
After Jay left, it took a long time for Cat to stop crying. Her tears were for multiple reasons, not least among them herself. Not only had she promised herself to that brute, but Nadia was dead, killed by his savage hands. Plus, she was alone. No one was coming to save her…or the Queenstown community. She had no way to contact her friends back in St. Francis and escape was out of the question. Jay was far too careful to allow something like that to happen. He might not be sophisticated, but he was as cunning as a fox.
Cat swallowed hard on the knot in her throat. It was hard to believe that the stubborn, gutsy, hard-as-nails Nadia could truly be dead, yet she doubted Jay would lie about something like that. He’d looked too satisfied, like the cat that got the cream. No, Nadia was gone, and the sooner she came to terms with it, the better.
Now Cat was faced with a lifetime spent by the side of the man she hated and feared more than death itself. A puppet on a string. Helpless. The very thought was enough to make her want to throw herself out of the window in the hopes the fall would break her neck. I can’t believe I agreed to his terms, that I gave myself to him.
What choice did she have though? People’s lives depended on her, and if she killed herself, he’d take it out on them. I’m not that selfish. I still have my mother and Lisa. I have to protect them, no matter what.
Cat crawled onto the bed and curled into a little ball, allowing her tears to seep into the cushion beneath her cheek. Time passed as she thought about her options, or rather, lack of them. Jay had her exactly where he wanted her, and he knew it. “And dinner? He expects me to have dinner with him?”
A knock on the door pulled her out of her pity-party, and she sat upright, brushing away the wetness on her cheeks. “Come in.”
The lady who normally cleaned her room entered, carrying a stack of fresh towels and a vanity bag. “I’m here to help you get ready for dinner.”
“What?” Cat asked, her jaw hitting the floor.
The woman lowered her eyes and stared at the floor. “The Master ordered me to help you prepare for tonight’s dinner.”
“That’s crazy. So, not only do I have to eat with the prick but I have to look pretty doing it?” Cat asked, indignation burning through her core. “Well, he can suck it. I’m going as I am.”
“Mistress, please.”
“No, forget it. You can run back to your precious Master and tell him I refuse to play the Barbie Doll. I am who I am, and he’d better get used to it.”
The woman shook her head, a wobble in her voice when she spoke again. “Please, Mistress. He commanded me. If I don’t do as he says, he…I…I will be punished. Don’t make this any harder for me than it already is.”
Cat stared at her, aghast. Not once these past days had the woman spoken to her. Stuck in her isolation, Cat had begun to resent her and see her as the bad guy, just like the guard. Now, however, things became clear. She’s just a slave. A captive, like me. Frightened for her life. She’s not my enemy.
Cat sighed, her shoulders slumping when she realized there was no way out for her. If she didn’t do as Jay said, he’d hurt her mother or Lisa, or this poor woman, or any of a number of other hostages that he held in the palm of his hand. “Fine. I’ll do it. For you.”
“Thank you, Mistress,” the woman said, her face crumpling with relief.
“The least you can do is tell me your name, though,” Cat said.
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“Joan. My name is Joan.”
“Nice to meet you, Joan. Now tell me, what exactly does the bastard want?” Cat replied.
Joan sucked in a breath. “Please, be careful. If he hears you…”
“Yeah, I know, but I can’t help it.” Cat flopped down on the bed. “I’m just so angry at him. At the world, really. He killed my best friend, and now…he wants me to act like…like his whore. Does he honestly think he can command affection? Loyalty?”
“I don’t know, Mistress.” Joan ducked her head and moved to the bathroom where she opened the taps, running a hot bath. She looked through the bath soaps, smelling each with a hint of nostalgia on her face.
Cat got up and followed her. “Please, don’t call me Mistress. My name is Cat.”
“I know, but as a slave, I am commanded to call you Mistress,” Joan replied. “And he is my Master. I have no wish to be punished so…” she hesitated. “So, I’ll stick to my orders, if you please.”
Cat gave in, defeated. She moved closer and picked up one of the soaps. It was a delicate pink color and smelled like roses. “I’ve always loved roses.”
“So have I. Shall we try that one then, Mistress?”
Cat sighed. “Sure. That one’s fine.”
When the bath was ready, Cat took off her clothes and sank into the hot water with a groan of pleasure. She couldn’t help it, and even felt guilty for it when so many others were suffering.
What does it help to fight, though? she thought as she lay back, her muscles melting with delight, the water caressing her skin and soothing away the knots and cramps placed there by worry and grief. Enjoy the small things. There will be few enough of them as it is.
Joan proceeded to shampoo her hair, massaging the thick lather into her scalp with deft fingers before rinsing it out. Cat couldn’t help but smile. “You’re very good at this.”
“I used to be a beautician, back in the day. Before all this,” Joan said. “I gave massages for a living.”
“That figures. Your fingers are magic.”
Joan choked back a laugh. “My daughter used to beg me to wash her hair. I could never say no, even when I was dog tired after a long day at the salon.”
“Used to?”
“She was visiting a friend when the outbreak hit. She never made it home, and when I went looking for her, she was gone. The house was empty.”
“I’m sorry.”
“People say the worst thing is not knowing, but I prefer it like that,” Joan continued. “I’d rather imagine her alive somewhere, than seeing her as a corpse or one of those things.”
“I don’t know what to say,” Cat admitted. “I hope you’re right, and she’s still alive.”
“She is, and she’s all grown up by now. Strong. A fighter. Just like you, and that’s why I want to tell you something, Cat.”
“What?”
Joan moved to the side so she could look Cat in the eyes, her expression somber. “You have no idea what Jay has done since he’s taken over.”
“Well…no. I’ve been stuck in here.”
“It’s hell. He’s changing everything. Older, weaker, childless people like me are viewed as worthless. We’ve been relegated to slave status, living in bare quarters on the minimum rations of food needed to keep us alive. We are here to serve, nothing more.”
For the first time, Cat noticed how thin Joan’s wrists were, the hungry, drawn look in her face. Guilt filled her, realizing she’d been so preoccupied with her own problems, she’d failed to see what was right in front of her.
“Any women with children to raise have been confined to their houses, and their little ones will be taught in a school run by Ravagers. In time, they’ll become Ravagers themselves,” Joan said. “He’s even building a fighting ring!”
“A ring?”
“Neil, our former leader, is being held hostage inside the infirmary along with people like your friend Lisa and your mother. This is designed to keep the rest of us under control for now. We fear what will happen to them, so we obey,” Joan continued.
“It’s working,” Cat said. “He might be a brute, but Jay isn’t stupid.”
“No, and this is where you come in.”
“Me?” Cat asked, startled.
“Yes, you. For some reason, he’s put you on a pedestal. He views you as his perfect mate, his queen,” Joan said.
“I know, and I hate it,” Cat cried, hot tears forming in her eyes. “How can he expect me to give myself to him after he murdered my best friend? It’s not fair.”
“Of course, it isn’t fair. Life isn’t fair. But you have power over him, Cat. Don’t you see? You can use his feelings for you to influence his decisions, to make him treat the people of this community better,” Joan said, wringing her hands together. “You can change things, you can help us.”
“How? He’s not going to listen to me,” Cat said.
“He would if he thought you were loyal to him, that you’ve given yourself to him completely,” Joan said.
“How can I do that?” Cat said, shaking her head. “It’s impossible. It was hard enough to agree to obey him in return for my family’s lives. More than that, I can’t do. Besides, he’d see right through me.”
“The man’s ego is as big as a mountain, Cat. If you pretend to come around to his way of thinking, he’ll believe it.” Joan shook her head in disgust. “Tonight, he’ll try to seduce you, show you that his way is better. Let him.”
“No, I can’t do that. You’re asking too much,” Cat said, shaking her head miserably.
“Am I? What about your mother, your friend Lisa, and all the other people in this community who are suffering. You can make it better for them all,” Joan insisted. “If not for yourself, do it for them.”
Cat said nothing, her mind winging to a future spent pretending to love Jay, to be awed by him, cajoling him into being a better leader. A softer one. A future spent at his side, and in his bed, forever bound to a man she hated. I might even have to bear his children.
Joan leaned forward and gripped Cat’s hand. “I know its awful, but think about it. You’d be doing a great good, helping to shield this community from the worst of his excesses. I’m not asking for me. I’m just an old woman. But there are children here. Innocent people.”
“Why me?” Cat asked with a shudder.
“Because so far, the only thing he really seems to care about is you, and there’s nobody coming to our rescue. Either yours, or ours.” Joan sat back and stared at Cat, her expression pinched. “It’s either this, or death.”
Cat sighed. “I…I’ll think about it.”
Joan nodded. “Thank you.”
The rest of the afternoon passed in silence. There was nothing more to say, after all. Cat finished her bath, dried off, and moisturized her skin until it glowed. They spent an hour going through the available dresses before settling on one Cat was happy with. A simple black silk sheath, it clung to her body while a single long slit ran up the front to mid-thigh, giving it a hint of spice without being slutty.
Cat nervously plucked at the thin straps that crisscrossed her bare shoulders while Joan did her hair and makeup. The woman knew what she was doing, keeping it simple and striking with a smoky eye and loose curls. Pearl drops in her ears and a pair of heels finished off the look, and she was ready to go.
“You look gorgeous,” Joan said. “Jay won’t be able to resist you.”
“I don’t know if I can do this,” Cat confessed while she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her stomach churned, and her palms grew sweaty as the thought of the night ahead weighed heavily upon her. “This is crazy. I can’t pretend to be someone I’m not, to love someone I hate. He’ll see, and he’ll make me pay for it.”
“You can do it, Cat. You’re strong. You’re a survivor,” Joan said.
“Am I? Fighting zombies is so much easier than this.”
Joan gazed at her with a stern expression, the lines around her mouth deepening. “You don’t have
a choice. It’s either that, or death to you and yours. Remember that and you’ll be fine.”
Cat swallowed hard on the knot in her throat. “I’ll try. For you, for everybody.”
Joan’s face softened. “Oh, my dear. I’m so sorry. It’s a heavy burden you bear.”
“There’s no one else, I guess.”
Joan reached out a hand and squeezed Cat’s fingers. “If it helps, don’t think about what he is, or what he’s done. Try to find the good in him and focus on that. Try to nurture it, to bring it out in him.”
Cat nodded, trying her best not to cry.
A knock on the door interrupted them, and the guard showed himself in. “Are you ready, Miss? The boss is waiting for you.”
Cat forced out a small laugh and said, “Beauty and the Beast. What irony.”
Chapter 4 - Nadia
After wiping away her tears, Nadia turned her attention to her wounds. Exhaustion dragged at her limbs, and she longed to curl up on the dusty bed and sleep away her hurt, but it would never do. If infection set in, she might not have the strength to get back up again. “I’ve got to get this cleaned up first.”
She lifted her head and surveyed the room, cataloging its contents. Besides the fireplace with its grill and kettle, there was only a single bed with a footlocker, a kitchen counter with a set of drawers and cupboards, and a tiny table with a single chair. Just enough for one person. For a moment, she wondered what happened to the previous owner, and if he was the wandering zombie she’d killed earlier.
With a shudder, Nadia pushed the unpleasant thought aside. She had work to do. While the water in the kettle came to the boil, she rummaged through the single cupboard that served as a kitchen and found a cup, spoon, coffee, sugar, and creamer.
She prepared a strong cup of coffee with lots of sugar for the shock that she was sure would set in once she’d treated her wound along with a glass of water. She’d lost a lot of blood, and her body needed plenty of fluids. This she placed next to the bed.
Food-wise, there wasn’t much. A tin of biscuits, a few cans of sardines, peas, beans, and peaches, and a few packets of soup and instant noodles. Apparently, the owner was running low on supplies when he left…or died.
Dangerous Nights (Book 3): Edge of Night Page 2