THE ALPHAS Box Set (5 page)

V.

They were still a quarter mile out but they could tell something was different. “Does the camp look bigger to you? And closer?”

Sean nodded. “I don’t remember a tent that shade of orange either.”

They picked up their pace and were met at the edge of the new camp by two armed men they didn’t know. “Hold on there, who are you?”

Ryan and Sean exchanged a look and Ryan said, “We were camped here, with Damian and Anne’s group, from Bismark.”

“Oh, the camp we stumbled upon. Yeah. Go on through, we’re just set up beside you. Hopefully the bigger group will mean safety.”

“Where are you from?”

“Cheyenne, Wyoming.”

“Wyoming? Are you people crazy? What are you doing heading north?”

“It’s not our choice, we just follow Sam and Dave. We were headed for Rapid City but by the time we got there the place was a war zone. It took us a while to skirt around it safely but we think something or someone followed us.”

His buddies elbowed him and he stopped talking.

Sean gave Ryan a nudge before he could ask any more questions. “Come on, Anne’s waiting on us.”

There wasn’t much difference between the camp extension and their own camp except for a sense of disorganization in the layout and a few quads parked out by the nicest of the tents.

“I bet those have Matt pissed right off.”

Ryan nodded in agreement.

They found Anne and Damian deep in conversation with two men whom Ryan assumed to be Dave and Sam. Anne’s face lit up when she saw them and she said, “Here they are now. What did you find?”

Sean flipped open the sketch for everyone to see. “We saw no movement but there’s no guarantee that all of those houses are empty. We saw a lot of sheds, some shops, garages, or barns. It could take a week to clear it, even with two groups taking their shares.”

Anne drew in a few more lines, expanding the sketch into a proper map. “Fifteen houses, that’s enough room for three dozen people, about three to a house. If we didn’t try to live in a traditional way and built a dorm of some sort for the orphans we could fit all six or seven dozen of us into this one mile by one and a half mile section.”

“It’s pretty spread out.” Ryan wasn’t sure if that was Sam or Dave but he was surly and big.

“But we are into the wooded area now, and that means decent hunting. If we’re right about where we are on the map there’s a small town just a two or three day hike north and Rapid City is only five or six days south. We can trade for supplies, maybe get some livestock of our own …”

“Rapid City is a war zone,” said the smaller man. “I doubt they’ll be open for trade anytime soon.”

“And you’ll be dealing with coyotes, and whatever the hell followed us north from Rapid City. There will be gangs, other groups of refugees, and possibly the people who own these houses coming back to claim them.”

“Then move on,” Damian said. “We’re setting up here and there’s space for you, if you want it. But we are claiming every house scouted and marked on this map.” Ryan and Sean could hear the underlying threat that there would be hell to pay if this new group went in and scavenged from these houses.

“We’ll ask around our camp,” the smaller man said. He seemed to be more reasonable than his surly counterpart. “We’ll watch the south end tonight.”

“And we’ll watch the north,” Damian said in agreement. “Take your time deciding. We aren’t going anywhere.”

When the men Ryan assumed to be Sam and Dave had left Ryan said, “So, we’re settling in?”

Anne nodded. “That’s the plan. Dividing goods, like beds, will be the hardest of course, and we’ll need defenses.”

“We can send out scavenging parties for what we need,” Damian said. “The wall won’t have to be pretty, and probably not even that strong, just enough to send the message that this place is occupied.”

“Is this public knowledge?” Sean asked.

“It will be in the morning, but it’s not a secret either. Rumours of something like this might ease a lot of tension. Look, I don’t know if you two had much family but everyone is mingling and swapping gossip. Anne and I will keep watch tonight.”

“Thanks,” Ryan said. “The men at the south end of the camp said something about being followed too. Is there something to this? Is there something out there?”

“Dave seems to think so, Sam won’t commit to anything.”

‘Well, that at least clears up their identities,’
Ryan thought.

“We haven’t seen anything bigger than a coyote but given the region and the time of year it’s only a matter of time before we get bears here.”

“Do you think someone from Rapid City followed them?” Sean asked.

“They’ve been on the road five or six days since getting around Rapid City. If someone had followed them with ill intent they would have struck sooner than this.” Damian sounded one hundred percent certain and Ryan wondered what this man had seen overseas. He knew better than to ask. Anne was the only one who could talk to him about his military career without getting their head bitten off.

Ryan nodded. “We’ll keep our eyes and ears open for any hints but you’re probably right. Thanks again for the night off.”

VI.

They wandered off through the camps, noting that Sue and her young helper, Violet, were keeping the kids tightly wrangled towards the northern end of their camp. Sean nodded his approval. “They’re smart. Kids can be a burden, but they’ll be a commodity to the wrong people. Best keep them close and safe.”

“You sound like a father.”

Sean shook his head. “No, don’t want any of my own, but I don’t like to see them suffer, either.”

She walked by with a jug of water and Ryan could only stare after her. She was dark, maybe Latino, maybe partly African American, with that black, black hair. Her clothes didn't do her body justice, her ample breasts almost hidden beneath a shapeless shirt, but nothing could hid the curve of her firm big ass or the soft fullness of her thick thighs.

Beside him Sean whistled. “Did you see her?”

Ryan nodded. “Didn’t think I’d ever find a girl like her out here.”

How she’d kept a figure like that was an honest mystery. All the butter-ball office ‘boys’ that had left Bismark with them had already dropped a lot of pounds. They’d stopped complaining about the walking after the first ten pounds and were now breathing easier than they had in years. And then Ryan stopped thinking about Pauline’s full figure and zeroed on in Sean’s open appreciation of it.

“You too?”

Sean nodded.

“I’d hate to lose a friend over a woman, even one as fine as that.”

Sean nodded again. “I agree. You know we could just go talk to her. She might be married.”

“Wouldn’t that just be my luck.”

“Come on then.”

“What? Now?”

“They might be leaving in the morning so why wait? Let’s go meet this buxom beauty.”

They weaved their way between the haphazard maze of tents until they reached the spot where she had disappeared from sight to find no trace of her. And how to ask for directions when they didn’t know her name? Ryan was ready to turn back when Sean elbowed him. “There, I think I just saw her. Come on.”

They stumbled into her through pure luck. She was sitting on a folded blanket on the ground in front of a ratty tent eating a bowl of dry cereal. She smiled at them. “Hey there, I ain’t see you two before.”

“We’re from the other camp,” Ryan said.

“No kidding.”

Ryan felt his cheeks heat up.

Sean jumped in. “We were just taking a walk around. I didn’t see a lot of kids in your group.”

“Looking for one you misplaced? Dave and Sam didn’t bring a lot of kids along, said they’d be a burden.”

“Didn’t see a central fire either.”

She laughed now, a rich, throaty sound that relaxed something tight in Ryan’s chest. “No. No central fire, no central water supply, no central food supply. We all carry our own goods and if we need more we have to work for it. ‘We can’t let capitalism die’,” she said, that last in a passable imitation of a male voice.

“Here,” Sean said, pulling a pack of jerky out of a pocket of his cargo pants.

She eyed the package and made no move to grab it. Finally she said, “What’ll it cost me?”

Sean shrugged. “I wasn’t thinking of cost, I was thinking of being nice. It tastes better than dry cereal.”

She took the bag. “Thanks.”

They settled on the ground in front of her. “I’m Sean, and this is Ryan.”

“I’m Pauline. God, this tastes amazing. I haven’t had meat in five, no six, days now, not since we left Rapid City.”

Ryan frowned but bit his lip.

She winked at him. “Oh, I can usually trade favours for food, but most of the folks in my age bracket have started pairing off and free is always better. Don’t get me wrong,” she said. “I’m not a whore. I worked in a fancy high-rise, had a nice apartment and the occasional boyfriend …” She sighed and forced a smiled. “I’m no fool either. I can’t fire a gun, I can’t lift, and I hate kids. What work can I do? Out here I only have one currency. I didn’t want to do it but I refuse to feel ashamed because of it.”

“Good for you,” Sean said without pause. “You survived.”

“And what now?”

“That’s the question isn’t it?” Ryan said. “Now what? What do we do? Walk on? Fight our way into one of those villages?”

“Neither sounds all that appealing to me, thanks.”

“Us neither. We’re setting up a more permanent camp here.”

“Good for you.”

Ryan huffed and ran his fingers through his hair, something he’d never been able to do before but a few weeks with no trip to the barber changed things.

“Something bothering you?”

“Yeah. If I had met you a month ago I’d know exactly what to say to you. Now, I mean, what is there to talk about? No sports, no weather forecasts, no TV, no viral videos, nowhere to grab a coffee …”

“God, I would kill for a decent espresso right now,” she said, chewing on her lower lip in a way that had Ryan shifting where he sat, hoping the bulge in his pants wasn’t too noticeable. She looked right at him. “So what would you say to me?”

“I’d start with small talk, the weather, your favourite team, something flirty, a compliment or two, and then I’d ask you out for drinks.”

She turned to Sean. “What about you?”

“Hey, I think he’s got the right idea. Now, maybe this is too honest, especially after what you just told us, but you’re the first woman I’ve seen since Bismark went hot that has given me a hard on.”

She stared at him, then levelled her piercing gaze at Ryan. He said nothing but he felt hot under the collar and he was sure his face was going red again.

Sean went on. “Honestly, we just came to talk because we thought you were hot. You can send us on our merry way and we won’t bother you again.”

“Are you always so blunt?”

Sean shrugged. “I worked with cars so I didn’t really have a need for pretty words. I have a very large vocabulary when it comes to swear words though.”

“You didn’t come here to buy me?”

“Honestly, none of the women in our group are selling themselves so it never occurred to us.”

“I’m curious; did you two know each other before the war?”

Ryan shook his head. “Not even in passing. Bismark was a big, crowded place. But we’ve sort of buddied up over the past few weeks. You need someone to talk to out here or you’ll go insane.”

“And what was the plan you two cooked up regarding me?”

Sean looked at Ryan who raised both hands. “Hey, this was your idea. Did you have a plan?”

“No. We thought you were sexy and came to talk to you, that’s as far as planning ever went.”

She laughed. “If I wasn’t in four day old clothes, sitting on a filthy blanket, out in the middle of ass-end nowhere, this would be just like going to the bar.”

“All we need is some music,” Sean said. “They’re already dimming the lights.”

It was starting to get dark and Ryan sighed. “We should find our way back before we’re left stumbling around in full dark.”

“You don’t have to go.” She sounded soft and vulnerable.

Sean stood and she turned to look at him.

“You don’t have to go either. I wasn’t … I mean …” Now she huffed. “I’m sorry. I’ve been bought for as little as a carton of nearly sour milk or a couple of eggs by men who just wanted to use me. You two made me feel like a person again.”

“You deserve so much more than being used,” Ryan said.

She laughed but there were strong undertones of darker emotions in the sound. “And don’t I know it.” A slow, sneaky smile spread over her face. “Hey, are you two straight?”

Sean nodded.

“Completely,” Ryan said.

“So does that mean you two wouldn’t be interested in a threesome?”

Ryan and Sean looked at each other and she laughed again.

“I’m going to bed. Maybe I’ll see you again. Soon.”

The tent wasn’t soundproof but it offered the illusion of privacy. Sean was grinning like a fool. “Hot damn. That was an invitation to crawl in there with her.”

“So what? Rock paper scissors?”

Sean looked startled. “You’ve never wanted a threesome?”

“Hey, I’ve watched some kinky stuff online but we’re friends. A threesome means seeing each other naked.”

“Look, I don’t care how hot you are under those jeans; I have no interest in touching your cock, or doing anything else to it either. Seeing it isn’t going to change my mind. Can you say the same?”

“Hell yes.”

“So let’s get in there and tell her she can do whatever she wants to us.

Ryan didn’t need another push. Pauline was too damn hot to pass up. He took a few deep breaths and followed Sean into the tent.

‘This is crazy, I’m crazy,’
Pauline thought as she stripped down.
‘I’ve only just met these guys and I’m going to fuck them both for a pack of jerky and some warm fuzzies? Not the best deal I’ve ever cut.’

It was the absolute honesty in Ryan’s face when he said
‘You deserve so much more than being used,’
that nudged her past the doubts. She’d had sex these last few weeks, more sex than she usually had in a month, but none of it had been fulfilling, physically or emotionally. She wasn’t a prude but she believed sex was an equal exchange of people, not just of favours and goods.

‘They might not even take me up on the offer,’
she thought as she grabbed the covers. If they didn’t hurry she’d be dressing again. It wasn’t winter, wasn’t even fall yet, but she didn’t have enough covers to make sleeping outside, naked and alone, comfortable.

She heard the zipper and two shadow figures crawled into the tent making the enclosed space feel very cramped. She watched them for a moment and then said, “You’re wearing too much.” She was surprised to hear her own voice was heavy with desire.

It was dark in the tent and she could barely see them, couldn’t even really tell which was which since they were so similar in build. When they were naked the one on her left said, “It’s kind of chilly in here,” and she recognized Sean’s voice.

“Come under the covers with me, both of you.”

The shuffled around and piles of clothes were tossed towards the door. Finally they were snuggled in on either side of her.

“We’re all yours,” Sean said. “Do whatever you want to us. Please.”

That was an offer she hadn’t had in months. It had been too long since she’d had the chance to play and enjoy herself. She reached out and took their cocks, one in each hand. As she tugged and stroked they came in closer to her and started kissing her and touching her.

Sean’s hands were rougher and more confident, his kisses sometimes turning to nibbles. Ryan was sweeter, his soft hands more questioning than demanding and his lips seemed barely to brush her skin.

“You’re both so hard,” she whispered.

“What do you want us to do?” Sean said.

“I … I’ve never done this before, actually. I want … I just want to feel good again.”

Ryan nuzzled her nose and whispered, “How can we make you feel good? What do you like?”

“Just keep touching me.”

That was easy. Sean grabbed her ample breast, kneading it in his hand before taking the nipple in his mouth. Ryan’s hand grazed down her side and dipped between her legs. He caressed the inside of her thigh until she moaned and shifted so her legs spread. He kissed her, softly but passionately, and let his fingers stroke the soft folds of skin between her legs.

Foreplay; she’d been missing the foreplay these last few weeks and hadn’t even realized it. She missed this touch, this time of exploration and shivery sensations. She liked the way they made her body tremble and pulled gasps of pleasure from her. She loved the way their cocks felt in her hands and the pressing of their bodies on either side of her.

She forced herself to pull away from Ryan’s kiss. “Someone has to go first,” she said. “And soon.”

“Because you’re all hot and wet?” Ryan murmured, his breath hot against her ear.

She nodded and Sean chuckled. “Rock paper scissors, Ryan?”

“Or something so no feelings get hurt.”

“If I don’t get fucked, and soon, my feelings will be hurt,” Pauline said.

“You can go first so long as I don’t have to give up these gorgeous tits,” Sean said.

Ryan nuzzled her ear again. “Roll over, darling, let Sean play with you.”

She nodded and rolled over and Sean cupped both breasts; they overflowed his hands. He dove into them, licking, sucking, and touching. She arched her back, pressing her breasts against his face.

Ryan reached around her and continued fingering her, the back of his hand brushing Sean’s stomach. It was strange to have another man so close, and completely naked, but like Sean had said, he felt no attraction to him.

He positioned himself behind her and slipped his cock between her thighs so he could tease her slit with it. She was so wet she was dripping sweet juices all over his cock, making him slick.

“Stop teasing, oh please, stop teasing me.”

Ryan kissed her neck as Sean continued to play with her breasts. Gently and slowly Ryan pressed his cock into her, wanting to give her every opportunity to change her mind if she wanted to. Instead she pressed her ass back against him. He gripped her hips tightly and began moving inside her.