Roamers (Book 1) Read online

  Scarlett smiled at River and embraced her.

  “Thank you. I love you too, River.”

  “I’ve always loved a bit of girl-on-girl,” came Chino’s voice as he scurried over and dropped himself down next to the fire.

  River rolled her eyes and began carving the meat, piling it onto tin plates and handing one each to Scarlett and Chino.

  “I’ll see if the boys are awake yet,” Scarlett said, placing her plate onto the grass and heading to Riley’s tent.

  She poked her head in and observed her surrogate brother as he started to stir. Confident that he was rousing on his own, Scarlett left to wake Travis.

  As she crept into their tent, Travis was still dead to the world. Scarlett knew he probably needed it, but he needed to eat too. She crouched down beside the camping bed and placed a hand on his arm. She couldn’t believe quite how nervous she felt about speaking to him.

  “Travis,” she whispered, and he slowly opened his eyes, “River’s outside, over-cooking the meat.”

  To Scarlett’s surprise, her attempt at humour evoked a one-sided smirk as he looked at her through squinting eyes.

  “It’s a damn shame we ain’t got no gravy,” he joked, “I knew we’d forgotten something.”

  Scarlett smiled back at him and left him to wake up and dress while she could no longer resist her breakfast. On her way over to the campfire, Riley caught her arm. Scarlett turned to face him and a delayed relief washed over her. Riley took her in his arms and held her tightly.

  “I thought you weren't coming back.” Scarlett stated, biting back the urge to sob.

  “I always come back.” he whispered in her ear.

  She held his arm as they were drawn to the smell of fresh food.

  Travis and the others; Jack, Mouse, Henry and the children, eventually joined them, and all that could be heard were the appreciative moans of hungry survivors as they filled their stomachs.

  After breakfast, Riley approached Scarlett following a brief talk with Travis.

  “You up for an education today?” he asked. Scarlett furrowed her brow and said nothing, “Travis thinks you could do with some extra training, and so do I. So he’s going to take you out and teach you how to hunt.”

  “But... he’s been teaching me, sort of.”

  “Well, he’s going to teach you properly. We’ve got to think about the future. When we find a place to stay, we’ll be able to start passing on our skills to the younger members. I’m sure you’d be a more efficient teacher than Travis, and so is he, given your background.”

  Scarlett looked around her, searching for Travis as she gave Riley a confused “Sure”.

  As she gathered her weapons and a small bottle of water, Scarlett wondered what Travis’ real motive was behind the impromptu ‘school day’. Probably, she thought, that he wanted to apologise for last night; for scaring her like that, and for what he did on his return.

  Scarlett sighed and made her way outside to see Travis stood next to Jack’s motorcycle. She turned pale at the thought of having to go anywhere on it.

  “Are you serious?” she asked as she drew nearer to him.

  “Yeah, why not?” he challenged, “It’ll be fun.”

  Scarlett was unconvinced, but found herself climbing onto the vehicle anyway. As Travis mounted the front, Scarlett put her hands delicately on his shoulders. Travis chuckled.

  “Have you ever done this before?” Scarlett probed, concerned, “I guess I’d just assumed that I’d eventually be killed by a Biter, not you.”

  “You'll need to hold on tighter than that. Clearly you’ve never done this before,” he laughed.

  “Why would I?” Scarlett asked as Travis moved her hands down to his waist, “You never met my mother.”

  The motorcycle wound through the back roads and Scarlett felt herself start to relax a little. Travis eventually stopped aside a huge expanse of grassy field and assisted Scarlett as she dismounted.

  Travis glanced around the open space and, when convinced it was safe, he retrieved a length of rope from the bike’s saddlebag and Scarlett followed him into the wild grass.

  “Whoa, what’s that for?” Scarlett asked, pointing at the thick twine, “That’s very forward of you, Travis, but I’m not into that.”

  “Shut up,” he laughed, “It’s not for you. Just follow me.”

  “So, what now?” Scarlett enquired, thinking to herself that something to aim at would be preferable.

  “Now… nothing,” he answered, much to Scarlett’s bemusement, “Riley and me decided that you needed a break, so I thought a change of scene would go nicely with that. I knew you’d never agree to just doin’ nothin’.”

  Travis sat down and stretched his legs out in front of him and Scarlett followed suit, sitting as close to him as she could.

  “So, that’s what we’re actually going to do? Nothing?”

  Travis looked at her and smirked.

  “Not exactly... just wait,” he retorted.

  He dropped back and gently pulled Scarlett down with him. They lay there, staring at the sky as the sun’s heat warmed them, until Travis seemed to remember something. He reached a hand into his pocket and sat up suddenly. Scarlett looked at him, trying to see what he had.

  “I hope you don’t mind.” Travis began. “Your bag got tipped over in the tent this mornin’ and some stuff fell out.” He turned to look at her and she sat up. He held her mother’s locket up in front of her. “I noticed it was broken, so I fixed it.” Scarlett thought she might cry. “Had to remove one of the links, it was pretty badly bent. Here.”

  Travis shuffled behind her and Scarlett held her hair up so he could fasten the chain around her neck.

  “Thank you.” She whispered. “It was my mum’s. A birthday present a few years ago.”

  “It’s alright. It was obviously important to you.” He said, lying back on the grass again, followed by Scarlett. Travis turned himself ninety degrees and rested his head on her abdomen. The sun was blindingly bright.

  “I miss her so much.” Scarlett sighed, moving the locket between her fingers.

  “What was she like?”

  “She was… Beautiful. Resilient. She’d know that something was on my mind, sometimes before I did. She always had an answer for everything, whether I liked it or not. I’d argue with her and look back on it later, annoyed when I realised she was right. Every time. I always saw in the end, no matter how much I protested. Not that I ever told her that.”

  “So that’s where you get it from, huh?” Travis chortled.

  “My mother made me who I am. If none of this had happened; if the dead hadn’t started chewing on the living…” Scarlett trailed off and made a concerted effort to keep her gaze fixed on the ground. Anything but let someone see her cry. “I’m alive because of what she taught me. She didn’t show me how to fire a weapon, or how to make clean water… she taught me how to learn and adapt. And that’s why I’m alive. I learned from the best. Everything I am, I owe to my mother. I just wish I’d told her.”

  “I bet she already knew.”

  Finally, Scarlett looked at Travis and smiled, comforted on seeing that he was smiling back. She didn’t doubt it. She realised that talking about Grace didn’t make her feel guilty anymore. It felt good to talk about her.

  Travis closed his eyes. Scarlett took a deep breath as she looked at the cloudless sky, before she heard the completely alien sound of a horse. She sat herself up in disbelief and looked around for the source of the sputter.

  “Did you hear that?”

  Travis looked up at her and smiled.

  “Why do you think I brought you here?” he asked as he got to his feet.

  He held his hand out for Scarlett and helped her to stand. He kept hold of her, lacing their fingers, and led her to the beautiful, chocolate brown, muscular beast. Travis laid his hand on the animal’s neck and stroked it. Scarlett watched, smiling broadly as Travis pulled an old packet of mints from his pocket. He offered two to the
horse, who ate them appreciatively while Travis secured the rope around the animal’s head, creating a make-shift rein. Scarlett enjoyed observing as he continued to pet the stunning creature.

  “She’s gorgeous,” Scarlett said softly.

  “You wanna ride her?”

  “Ride her?” Scarlett repeated disbelievingly, “I’ve never --”

  “It’s okay,” Travis assured her, “I’ll help you.”

  Travis once again offered her his hand and helped her clumsily onto the horse before climbing on behind her. He held the reins in front of Scarlett, almost as if he thought she might fall otherwise. Fortunately, he was tall enough to see over her head.

  “I don’t think I’ve been this terrified since the dead started walking,” Scarlett stated, clinging tightly to Travis’ hands around her waist.

  “Shut up, she’s fine. Just do what I say.” He instructed, “Make sure your legs are touchin’ her, but don’t put any pressure on. Sit up completely straight and always look in the direction you’re goin’, not at the horse, or you’ll lose your balance; if you want her to turn, look the way you want her to go, I’ll handle the reins – don’t want you confusin’ her. Your head accounts for twenty-five per cent of your body weight, so she’ll know. You ready?”

  “Can you repeat--”

  “Let’s go, girl,” he said, gently tapping the horse with his foot. The beast began to trot slowly and Travis felt Scarlett grip his hands tightly, “Will you trust me please? Let go.”

  Hesitantly, Scarlett did as requested, guided by Travis as he laid her hands on her thighs, confident that he wouldn’t let her fall, “See?”

  “It’s a little, uh... uncomfortable, if you know what I mean… in the feminine area.”

  “That’s ‘cause you’re so damn ridged. Let your body move with her. When she goes slow again, allow your hips to roll.”

  “What do you mean? She is going sl--”

  Before Scarlett could even finish her sentence, Travis incited the horse to gallop. Scarlett once again grasped for Travis’ hands, doing her best to follow his instructions. Her heart was pounding and she felt an involuntary grin creep across her face. She began to laugh uncontrollably as the animal flew from one end of the field to the other in seconds. She felt Travis expertly controlling the beast, turning his body and pulling gently on the reins to turn her, before heading back the way they came. Exhilarating.

  Travis led the horse to a water trough before he and Scarlett walked back toward Jack’s bike. He replaced the rope and turned to face her.

  “You wanna drive?” he asked.

  “Uh, no. That’s Jack’s motorcycle. He went bat-shit crazy at Mouse the other day for trying to clean it. I do not want to be responsible for crashing it.”

  “Come on, it’s not like he uses the damn thing. If he says anythin’, just shoot out his other leg, that’ll shut him up,” he chuckled, “I won’t tell him.”

  Scarlett considered for a moment.

  “Okay. I guess I should always try new things. I could die tomorrow, right?”

  The pair came to a shaky stop on Travis’ instruction after he’d noticed a blackberry bush running for about ten metres along the side of the road. They dismounted and began picking the fruit, occasionally shoving some into their mouths. ‘Quality control’ as Travis pointed out with a chuckle.

  Scarlett stopped her foraging and stood to the side of Travis, staring at him, desperate to ask him the burning questions that had filled her mind since the night before. A few times she took a breath, about to let the words pour out of her mouth, but stopped herself. She was afraid of what he might say. Stop being such a pussy! She thought. She cleared her throat and finally spoke.

  “What is this, Travis?” granted, she could have been a little more direct, especially given that Travis responded with a low grunt. “What’s going on here, with us?”

  Travis halted. He swallowed the blackberries in his mouth and turned his head to look at her sideways, running his hand across his chin to remove the juice which was dripping down from his lips. He struggled to hold eye contact with her as he spoke, suddenly shy and withdrawn again.

  “I dunno…” he shrugged, “It is what it is.”

  Scarlett’s brow knitted in confusion. It is what it is? But what is it? She thought. She decided not to push matters. They’d had a good day and the last thing she wanted was a fight.

  Although…

  “It’s just… Well, last night… I thought you were dead. And it affected me in a way I never thought it would.” Travis continued to pick at the fruit, pretending not to hear what she was saying.

  “I’ve always had dreams, Travis. First they were about my mum, how she died. Then they became almost completely unintelligible, just blood and screaming and death. And then, suddenly, there you are. I don’t know why. But, last night I dreamt about you. And I woke up more terrified than I have ever felt before. After that…” Travis looked away and silently continued to pick the fruit. “Say something, please.”

  “I don’t know what you want me to say, Scarlett.” he rumbled, turning to face her completely, “I can’t tell you what I feel, ‘cause even I don’t know. There’s somethin’… I just don’t understand it yet, is all. I ain’t ever been this close to anyone before. I’m sorry for what I did last night.”

  “I’m not.” Scarlett interrupted.

  “You should be. There’s no place for it while the world’s like this. It shouldn’t’ve happened, but it did, and we both let off some steam.”

  “‘Let off some steam’? Is that all it was to you - a quick fuck to ease the tension so you could get to sleep?” Scarlett challenged, deeply hurt by what she thought he was saying.

  “No, that’s not what I mean. What you’re talkin’ about… well, that’s the closest I’d ever been to a woman before. But last night… that wasn’t… It was different – you’re different. I just need some time.”

  Scarlett inhaled deeply and moved closer to Travis. She studied his face, unable to read him while he looked at the ground. Slowly, she closed the space between them, swept the unkempt hair out of his face and planted a soft, slow kiss on his lips. As she pulled back, she noticed his eyes were shut for a few seconds before he finally met her gaze.

  “I hear you,” he said.

  Chapter Twelve:

  Scarlett leant against a tree, fighting to catch her breath, lungs on fire as Number Six continued to hurriedly sniff at the ground, trying to pick up the track. One thing Scarlett couldn’t do for shit was track. She quickly fumbled with her pistol to check how many rounds she had left. Two. Well that was just great. On her back hung Travis’ crossbow, with two bolts in the quiver. Not that she could use it; she’d pull a muscle just trying to cock the damn thing.

  She and Six were alone in the woods with limited ammo and Roamers everywhere. It didn’t get any better than that.

  Perhaps she shouldn’t have ditched the others. She had her axes with her, set securely on her hips as always. Those babies had got her out of a scrape on more than one occasion and she was sure that they would do so again, especially as she had no intention of going back to the safety of camp. Not yet.

  Travis was out there somewhere, with only his hunting knife for protection, and Scarlett wasn’t going to rest until she found him, dead or alive. How she prayed that he was alive.

  A lump formed in her throat and her eyes misted at the thought of the alternative. She didn’t know if prayers did any good anymore, or if they ever had done. But when it came to Travis, she wasn’t going to take any chances.

  She cursed under her breath and scanned the area around her to see if any Biters had followed her. Nothing. Now she just had to circle back, find her vexing companion, beat his ass for scaring her like that again, and then get them both to safety.

  And she would find him.

  She tried not to allow herself to think any other way.

  Travis was strong and more than capable of fending for himself. He was okay. He had
to be.

  “Come on, Six,” Scarlett whispered, grabbing the animal’s collar and pointing him in the right direction.

  Scarlett took a deep breath before moving back the way she came. He would kill her for not going back to camp straight away, but she knew that had it been her left behind when the Roamers invaded, he wouldn’t just leave her either. He never left anyone behind.

  She grumbled as she tried to move silently through the trees. The sounds of leaves and sticks underfoot, along with Six’s panting appeared deafening and only seemed to grow louder the more she tried to step carefully. Heel-toe, she told herself.

  Everything had been going so well. They had made it to a mall without incident and found a good amount of supplies. Only one or two corpses had been shuffling around and they were pretty easy to take down quietly.

  Scarlett’s lower lip stiffened.

  She had been keeping close to their exit, a large metal shutter which they’d held open using a stack of boxes. She had heard something coming from one of the aisles and made her way to investigate. As she’d swung her hold-all over her shoulder, it knocked the boxes away, sending the heavy metal crashing down to the ground. The noise was deafening and seemed to last for minutes. It was clumsy; not like her at all. She was distracted by her thoughts. Idiot.

  The Roamers appeared from nowhere, so fast and in such numbers that they had completely overwhelmed her and her small scouting group, consisting of Riley, Travis and Jack, who was finally healthy enough to start contributing again.

  It was her fault that Travis had been cut off from the rest of them and surrounded by Shufflers. He had been trying to save her life when she fell and three landed on top of her, pinning her arms so she couldn’t fight them off. She’d thought she was about to die. And Travis, dropping his weapon to the ground, had pulled them all off her as Riley dragged her away.