Afterworld: Into the Arms of Darkness Ch.30
Title: Afterworld: Into the Arms of Darkness
By: Pink Rabbit Productions
Chapter: 30
Date: 10 October, 2010
Rating: R (for sex and violence)
Disclaimer: Hmmm, characters, not mine, situation, mine, though with the proviso that certain scenarios owe a major debt of gratitude to George Romero. Sex? Likely. Genders involved? Likely all female (at least anything on camera). Also there are likely to be very bad things in this story. I'm not one for prodigious amounts of gore, but this is horror and there is likely to be ickiness and things that might disturb some folks. Seriously. If it's gonna bother you, move along.
Summary: When the dead rise, civilization falls.
Author's Notes: Awhile back, just for fun, I did a faux movie poster that set Otalia in a horror setting and used some elements from an idea I've had running around for ages (what can I say---it was the Halloween season). See the poster here: http://altfic.com/artgallery/otalia/glafterworld01b.htm . Sooo, at some point, it seemed like fun to take a gander at writing them in that universe. I've quite deliberately tried to break away from my usual style and make it a bit faster moving, with frequent chapter breaks, deliberate cliffhangers, shorter scenes and more directed pov. We'll see if I can keep to one pov per chapter (well, they are short chapters...lol).
Dedicated to: My mom. Seriously. All of my growing up years, she would constantly throw me these what-if scenarios and press me to figure out logical ways to survive/get out of various emergency situations. Now, she never mentioned the zombie apocalypse, but I'm sure that was just an oversight or a desire not to scare a little kid (because, really, I grew up as the daughter of a top secret type during the cold war...I already had enough fear issues), but really, that odd little game was the genesis of...well...not just this story, but a lot of my love of writing. So, thanks mom.
Previous Chapters: | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15 | Chapter 16 | Chapter 17 | Chapter 18 | Chapter 19 | Chapter 20 | Chapter 21 | Chapter 22 | Chapter 23 | Chapter 24 | Chapter 25 | Chapter 26 | Chapter 27 | Chapter 28 | Chapter 29 |
Afterworld:
Into the Arms of Darkness
Chapter 30
Standing protectively in front of Natalia, Olivia managed a grim smile as she peered at Jeffrey. He had a nice gash on his forehead and was clutching his balls as though his life depended on it.
Apparently she wasn't quite as emotionally dead as she'd thought because Jeffrey with his dick in a sling was enough to get a giggle out of her and she felt a definite rush of respect and even affection for Natalia for doing it to him. She flicked a quick look over her shoulder, taking in wide, frightened eyes, a bruised cheekbone and split lip.
Any humor she'd been feeling slipped away in an instant as her rage fired. "I see you still have your way with the ladies," Olivia snarled, her voice sounding low and guttural, as though her tongue was swollen and her lips dosed with novocaine. Her finger twitched on the trigger. This time it wasn't the demons doing their thing. It was all her. Jeffrey O'Neill deserved to die a dozen times over. She would be more than happy to do the job.
Jeffrey's fingers flexed as he started to reach for the handgun holstered on his thigh.
"Not unless you want it blown off instead of smashed flat," Olivia threatened as she took careful aim at his groin.
He froze, then his mouth twisted in a grim mockery of a stiff smile. "I don't think so," he muttered between wheezes. "If you were going to shoot, you already would have...no...you know my boys'll hear and come running...and you're outnumbered."
"Not as badly as you think," Olivia drawled. "Your boys upstairs? Dead. Same for the lug in my SUV."
"There are others..." A muscle pulsed in Jeffrey's jaw, but his eyes touched on a point behind Olivia's shoulder, and his head tipped to one side ever so slightly. He was thinking and that was never good. "And you don't want to risk the lady getting hurt," he observed with a hint of frown.
Fuck! He always had been able to see people's weaknesses. Probably why the bastard was still alive. She needed Natalia clear before the party started and he knew it. "Natalia," she instructed coolly, pointedly ignoring him and his smirk. "Go upstairs...the bedroom in the back, there's a fire ladder. Get the hell out and back to your house while I take care of this." She didn't mention that she didn't expect to survive the experience. She needed to get the other woman out of there before Jeffrey found a way to pull something or the dead thugs outside were up and moving.
Once Natalia was home safe, the dead men would become inhuman guard dogs of a sort, making it impossible for anyone to move easily around the house.
"Olivia," Natalia whispered, her voice soft and scared, but determined. "I can help."
Even knowing she should send the younger woman packing, Olivia was oddly warmed by the offer of aid when she was the walking dead, or at least the walking dying. Just when she thought her emotions were as lifeless as the rest of the world, there they were again. She didn't know if it was comforting or a pain in the ass. "Go," she hissed impatiently, trying desperately to ignore the cool hand that rested lightly at her shoulder in a tactile bit of support. "It's more important you get back and more important I stay here."
Jeffrey's eyes narrowed faintly as he watched them, seeing too much and looking for his chance, just like he always did.
Yet another emotional response, Olivia realized, because he scared her to death. Evil bastard was too good at avoiding the axe.
Not this time.
She was really looking forward to putting a bullet between his eyes. She felt Natalia hesitate, felt the brush of a gentle hand on her upper back. It was distracting, the tiny touches and the milky, sweet smell of her. It made her muscles quiver and her mouth water.
She needed Natalia gone, needed her safe and temptation out of the way so she could focus on what came next. "Go!" Olivia hurled the order back over her shoulder, her voice harder and angrier than she meant for it to be.
Maybe the other woman understood because her hand abruptly broke contact and she backed up a step. "I'll take care of her," she promised almost inaudibly, then turned to move away.
She didn't make it more than two steps before the muffled sound of a door opening and men's voices reached their ears. They were chatting amiably, even laughing, so they either hadn't heard Jeffrey's screech or more likely, had assumed the high-pitched cry belonged to Natalia.
Bastards.
It was just the tiniest bit of a distraction, but it was enough.
Jeffrey dove for cover, his voice strong as he shouted, "TROUBLE!!"
Olivia fired when he was in mid leap. His whole body jerked as if he'd been punched in the chest, but momentum carried him out of sight behind a couch before she could see how bad the damage was. She could just see the toes of his boots. No movement, but god only knew if he was actually dead.
She wanted to go after him and tear him limb from limb to make absolutely certain he was as dead as it was possible to be.
And she wanted it more than almost anything she'd ever wanted in her life.
But Natalia wasn't clear yet, and she was Emma's lifeline.
Which is more important, Sam demanded in her ear, Emma or revenge?
It was easier when the two coincided, but when they didn't, it wasn't even a contest. Cursing, Olivia spun just as two men crashed through the swinging door from the kitchen. She fired twice, driving the newcomers back enough to clear the route to the stairs, then dove after Natalia, hurrying the younger woman with a snarled, "Move."
In their wake, she heard Jeffrey shout an order.
Apparently not dead yet.
Fuck, she'd really hoped the bastard was down for the count.
The thugs fired Olivia's direction, but the shots were quick and inaccurate. Definitely not pros.
Good.
Rushing the stairs, she fired behind herself twice to discourage any pursuit, then took a last shot as she hit the narrow landing where the staircase made a sharp right angle turn. Another few steps into the upstairs hallway and she suddenly realized Natalia was nowhere in sight.
Shit.
Where the fuck was she?
Running a half dozen steps, she glanced into the first couple of rooms. Empty. More than a little disappointed, she realized the younger woman must have left her behind.
She'd thought...
It didn't matter. She was dying, just as well the she'd-
And suddenly she was grabbed and hauled sideways into a narrow space. Behind her, the clumping of combat boots on the stairs warned their pursuers were only seconds away.
Her instinct was to struggle, but a hand flattened across her mouth. "Trust me," Natalia hissed and pushed an impossibly narrow door shut again, throwing the tiny cubicle into near-total darkness.
Olivia blinked, instinctively trying to see, but greeted only by more darkness. She swallowed hard, suddenly intensely aware of the lack of space. A room, hidden, barely enough room for both of them, the space so cramped she was aware of every dip and thrust of the body molded up against her own. Full breasts, seal-curve hips, sleekly muscled thighs.
So are you thinking about eating her, a Josh-demon inquired hopefully, eating her...or a little of each?
Bastard. She bit back on the urge to scream at him. She never thought she'd miss Reva's voice in her head, but Josh's personal porn kink really wasn't helping her situation at all. He'd always had a thing for two women. Sometimes she'd thought he secretly hoped she and Reva would make peace just so he could be the filling in that sandwich.
And wasn't that a stomach-turning notion?
Aw, come on, Liv, you can't blame a guy for hoping. He pouted. As for this little cutie, I mean, if you're gonna eat her anyway, why not have some fun while you're at it?
"Where the hell are we?" Olivia exhaled almost inaudibly to distract herself, her breath vibrating the soft fingers pressed against her lips.
"Converted linen closet," Natalia breathed. "Turned into an emergency hiding place."
Loud, pounding bootsteps echoed in the hallway outside their hiding spot. They never would have made it down the ladder before company showed up and started shooting.
"Good plan," she praised using the barest of whispers.
She suddenly became aware that Natalia was trembling violently. Adrenaline rush or maybe standing up to Jeffrey and his thugs hadn't been as easy as she'd made it seem. She could feel the tremors moving through every rise and hollow of the lush curves pressed against her body.
Lush and oh-so tantalizing, Josh taunted, his mouth twisted up in a wicked smile. Imagine all the ways you could make her quake. Much more appealing than the scumbags out there. Her ex-husband winked.
And she was, the smell that swirled around her in direct contrast to the men, soft, clean, fresh...
Coppery.
She flinched as the scent of blood hit her senses like the rush of a good merlot. It was on Natalia lips, the location strangely easy for Olivia to pinpoint even in the dark. Josh was there, rooting for her to just lean down and taste. It would be so easy.
Plus I'll get to watch, he pointed out cheerfully, and you owe me after all the petty revenge crap you've pulled over the years? Not like it'd be torture. She'll taste good, smell good, feel good. Hell, she'll be the best thing you've had in months.
Teeth gritted, Olivia forced the hunger down, refusing to let it rule her just like she refused to let Josh's suggestive remarks get inside her head.
Well, other than the fact that they actually were inside her head.
Which was scarier than she cared to consider.
"How are you...here?" Natalia breathed, sounding like she didn't quite trust her own senses. "You were just..."
A hand, cool and gentle, settled on Olivia's chest, right over her breastbone. An attempt to soothe the savage beast or just checking to see if she still had a pulse? Either way, it helped settle her, offering a tiny bit of human contact to bring her back from the edge.
"Three quarters dead?" Olivia finished when Natalia didn't immediately continue. "Yeah...still am, I think...but Em, she saw Jeffrey and his friends...woke me up." She shook herself, pushing off the unwanted thoughts. "I knew what they'd do...to both of you if they got the chance." She felt the way Natalia tensed.
"He threatened to..." Natalia began, then paused. A tremor worked its way through her muscles and her voice shook ever so slightly. "...to hurt Emma..."
Olivia didn't have to ask. She already knew. "Yeah, that's Jeffrey," she exhaled. "Did they hurt you?" she asked, needing to distract herself from the hate and the horror and the swirl of voices playing with her brain making all kinds of comments and suggestions.
Outside their hiding spot, boots thudded heavily from room to room and she thought maybe she heard Jeffrey somewhere in the distance, but for the moment, they were in a tiny world apart.
"Not much," Natalia whispered. Olivia felt the tiny cringe that slid through the other woman before she straightened and managed a wry note of humor. "You hit harder."
Olivia didn't buy it, but she could admire the bravado. Good girl. She was going to need it. She was still debating what to say next when Natalia whispered.
"Those other men...did you really-"
"Kill their sorry asses? Yes," Olivia bit out and felt a shudder work its way through the other woman. "They would have killed you," she insisted, her tone defensive.
"I know," Natalia allowed. "I just-"
"We don't have much time," Olivia interrupted, unwilling to get into a discussion of the morality of killing people who desperately needed it. She tensed, still tracking the movements of their pursuers around the house as they hunted for some sign of their prey. Hopefully, they'd soon decide she'd slipped the net and give up.
She'd have the element of surprise on her side.
"When they're go back downstairs, I'm going after them..." Olivia explained quietly. She heard Natalia draw a sharp breath and felt the expansion of her chest on the intake of air. Screwing her eyes shut, she tried not to think about the firm flesh molded against her body or the tantalizing scent of copper and iron on the lips a short distance from hers. "They have to be stopped," she muttered as much to herself as the other woman.
"You're right," Natalia whispered, the admission surprisingly gratifying. "We'll-"
"No...just me," Olivia bit out and laid her fingers over soft lips, intensely aware of the congealing silk that coated the very tips as they made contact. She barely resisted the temptation to lick them clean, to taste that elemental part of the other woman. A tremor of unbridled hunger slid through her and it took her a second to put her shattered thoughts back together. "Your job is to get back to your house...to Emma-"
"But-"
"And you need to do it fast," Olivia added, her voice as sharp as she could make it while whispering almost inaudibly. "It's gonna be hard because you have to go past your friend...but there's not much time. There are three bodies outside this house..." She took a breath, taking a certain satisfaction from still being able to. "...and they're going to be waking up soon. If I can't get Jeffrey and all of his bully boys down, they'll be your guard dogs." She could almost feel Natalia's horrified stare like a palpable force.
"Olivia-"
"They'll buy you time...slow down anyone who tries to get near the house..." Olivia explained, almost painfully aware of the tremor that shook the hand resting so lightly on her chest, the tantalizingly rich feel of the blood on her fingers, and the tempting smell of it on soft lips. "There's a sniper rifle in the SUV...you get it...you use it-"
"I'm no good with guns-" Natalia admitted breathlessly.
The muffled stomp of boots started moving back down the hallway.
"Emma is," Olivia bit out, hating the idea, but practical enough to know she'd given her child the skills to survive. "I taught her." Another breath, and the tightness this time had nothing to do with sensation of death moving through her veins. "She can do what she has to." Her eyes slid closed for a brief second. "Just...when it's my turn...don't let her..." She didn't finish, couldn't. She flinched back as she felt a gentle finger on her cheek, stroking away the line of tears.
"Olivia, you don't know-"
"I know they have to be stopped," Olivia whispered, not allowing herself the luxury of any hope beyond destroying the men who threatened her child...and the woman in front of her. She rubbed her fingers together, feeling the silky coating of Natalia's blood spread over her skin even as she tried not to imagine the sensation of it on her tongue. "And I know that I can't let them hurt you," she added, not fully understanding the intensity of the knowledge, only knowing it was true.
Josh had a few ideas and he wasn't above whispering them in her ear. Which was so fucking unhelpful it was almost like they were still married.
The rhythm of clumping boots hit the top of the stairs and started moving down. Not much longer.
She felt Natalia draw breath and knew she meant to go on arguing. She didn't want to hear it, didn't want these last moments locked in logic or combat. Was one moment of peace too much to ask?
It wasn't planned. Her first thought was it would stop the argument, her second that it would be one last moment of peace and comfort before she let go. And then she wasn't thinking at all, just tasting cool lips and the remaining metallic tang of blood. For a second, she was terrified it would spur the hunger, but the murderous urges just wisped away like the last bit of smoke from a dying fire. Better than fine wine, the taste of Natalia, inside and out, exploded in her mouth and filled her senses. Sweet and salty and whipping-cream rich, it washed through her and wrapped around her until the smell of blood faded out of existence and the demons were silent.
For a moment, she was lost in something other than the hell of death and misery. An oasis in the middle of a vast desert.
She could have stayed there forever and been happy.
Then boots thudded to the bottom of the stairs.
But there was no more time.
Soft lips momentarily pursued Olivia's mouth as she pulled away, then suddenly jerked back with a sharp gasp. "What are you-"
Olivia didn't let herself pause to think, just cut Natalia off, her voice surprisingly gentle. "Whatever happens, you get to Emma...take care of her." She ran her thumb along the bottom edge of a full lip. "I wish..." She didn't finish. Couldn't. Not and do what she had to.
Before Natalia could respond Olivia pushed the door open and was moving...
* * * * * *
TBC