G

I wiped the sweat off my brow. The last desk was placed expertly in the parking lot. Well more thrown in a pile. I turned to the kid who had some great ideas but a lot of them weren't realistic due to not having materials on hand or actual construction work experience.

"Boss, are we heading back out anytime soon?" Pretty boy said as he glanced at a couple of young ladies pointing at him while laughing.

I patted his back, "yeah, shower and we will head out." Putting words into action, I saunter off.

****

"Ugh, those women are terrible. My wife has been on my ass all morning and it isn't even my fault." Pretty boy complained on the radio.

Wow, complaining about being handsome when the rest of us have to settle for everything else.

"Sounds like it is your fault. You encouraged those women to flirt with you when you don't set down a clear boundary." Megan said.

"But I don't even flirt back!" Pretty boy said in self defense.

"You watched them leave and come. Even take the initiative to talk to them if you pass by." Jacob added on.

"That's not flirting. I am just admiring the view." Pretty boy said in a defeated tone.

Korean kid shook his head, "isn't there something better to gossip about?"

I didn't respond to that as we passed the corpses from the fight yesterday. They looked as if they had been picked over.

"Damn, they didn't have a decent death." Pretty boy said in an almost silent voice.

The car up ahead still had a tree on top of it. You could barely make out the black wheels between the green leaves and branches.

We sped on by and hit the Walmart parking lot fairly quickly. I stood outside the car as the first box truck backed up. My eyes fell upon my new teammates who looked a little shaky. Definitely two male teens that were a bit scrawny. Even the other two females were bigger than them.

"Okay, we are going to do a sweep of the places before we start packing." I spoke loud enough for everybody to hear.

We marched in and did a sweep. Well, a few people flagged each other but they had weapons with safety on. They didn't take it off, which spoke loads about their survivability.

"Clear on my side." Jacob said.

We cleared the pharmacy which was the last place.

"Clear on the right. Let's start loading up." I switched from the radio to talking to my team. "Split up into a group of three. Focus on dry foods first. If the meat section isn't spoiled, grab those as well."

David and Megan followed me to grab a cart and empty a few boxes of some useless items. We walked back to the pharmacy and began loading up the boxes. We had to load up all the pills from a dispenser into bottles, plus write the names onto the bottles. It would be all kinds of awkward to grab a bottle thinking it was antibiotics and it being seizure pills.

"I think one of the groups is picking up personal effects. See some blankets, lamps, a lawn chair, and more stupid shit." Pretty boy said.

Sighing, I responded, "see who is doing it and have them sit in the car."

Megan started laughing, "you going to put them in timeout!" Then she snorted as she laughed harder.

I just shook my head and sped up on the pills sorting. We cleared one side of the pharmacy pretty slowly before moving out to unload and grabbed new boxes.

"Why do we have to sit in the car? It's just some stuff. It's not like there won't be room for food!" Some guy said.

I didn't even pay attention to him as Megan got into the back and started grabbing boxes we passed over.

"The boss said you need to sit in the car. If you don't comply, then get to walking." Pretty boy snapped.

I glanced over as I passed the last box over. The group of six were posturing like they were liable to start a fight. I rubbed my ear and walked on over. I didn't say a single thing, just stop right in front of them, and stared right into their eyes.

Each one bowed their heads as I looked from the led imbecile to the back pansy. You could tell the guys were close friends. In such a small community, they probably were on the same football team or something.

"Hand me your weapons." I simply said.

My disks were hovering beside their necks. The first to make a dumb move would be the example. I didn't have time to play these childish games.

The lead guy looked at me then his pals. Something went through his mind as he decided to raise his gun. That was the same second his head parted from his neck. I grabbed his gun and yanked it off his body. Which in hindsight, was a dumb move. Blood sprayed right out of his neck at me. These were my only clean pair of clothes!

The other four froze and then their brains kicked in. They handed over their guns without another breath. I didn't even have to instruct them to go sit down. They did it right away with the quickest haste.

I tossed the weapons into a cart and ignored the looks of the other guys coming up. They at least followed orders and focused on what we told them too. With the imbeciles out the way, the rest of the trip went smoothly. We pack out the first box truck and move onto the second. Ran out of food and move on to other items like blankets, batteries, and so on.

On the way back, we noticed some big ass birds circling the corpses.

"Is it just me or do those vultures look like airplanes?" Pretty boy asked.

"It's just you." I responded.

"What do you do when airplanes follow you?" Pretty boy asked.

"Is it burning, missing an engine, or looks angry?" David responded as he glanced upward.

"Um… all above?" Pretty boy said.

"Wait, are we allowed to joke on the radio?" Someone questioned.

"I'm not joking. Four airplane size birds are circling us as we head back." Pretty answered with seriousness.

"I'm joking. What are you going to do about it?" David laughed out.

"Is it me or is David on bird watch duty?" I said.

"It's definitely just you, boss." David replied quickly.

"Mm. I don't think it's just me. What do you think, Amala?" I tossed the baton away.

"I'm sorry I was bird watching. Did you say he has latrine duty?" She replied with an airy voice.

David threw me a pitiful look. I ignored him as I watched the birds watching us. We pulled into the parking lot and jumped out.

"Too high to shoot even with a sniper rifle." Jacob said as he guided the box truck back.

"I'm not worried about them attacking. I am worried about some smart walkers using them to find us." My words made everybody glanced around but there was empty greenery all around us.

"Okay, stop staring. Let's unload. Chop, chop!" I clapped at David who looked even more aggrieved.

Carts out, we formed a line and began loading them. Pushing the full cart in where four people offload it into a room. The same thing continued until we moved the first box truck and back up the second one.

"Hey, is it just me or do you feel more breeze now than usual?" Pretty boy asked as he got out the back of the truck and slammed the gate down.

"It's not just you. It feels like winter is coming. The clouds are even coming down from the mountains lately. Couple more days and it might reach us." Jacob said as he looked to the mountain range.

"We are just at the beginning of summer, right? I don't see winter coming for several more months." Some guy said as he tried to fit in with the weird dynamic.

"Feels like winter is coming to me. Shit, winter is even staring at me from the doorway." Pretty boy joked.

Megan bumped pretty boy as she walked past, "I wondered how she will feel knowing you are calling her bitter and cold?"

"Probably about the same as your guy when I mentioned you flirting with me?" Pretty boy shot back.

"Woah, don't do that. That guy already had it tough with her wearing the pants. You really want him to start crying in a corner?" Jacob said with a straight face that lasted for two seconds.

Even I had to suppress the laughter at seeing Megan stop and glare at Jacob.

Clapping my hands attracted their attention before Megan started slinging roasts.

"Okay, good work guys. Let's take a break. We will do another run tonight but I'll take a few of us just to be safe. If you want to go, let me know now. The rest will be running laps and hitting the gym. Some of you looked exhausted and we didn't even put in work." My words brought groans to the newbies.

Pretty boy hand shot up, "pick me! Pick me!"

"You don't want to stay with your lovely wife?" I teased.

"Bro, the end of the world is good for some people, like yourself for example. You get to sleep with all the girls that I don't want but for handsome figures like myself. Its terrible. Diane comes back and complains about how all the other women talk about getting into my pants. Then takes it out on me by denying the one activity that helps pass time and relieve stress. Its hard being this handsome." Pretty boy lamented.

"Maybe, it has to do with you encouraging them rather than them talking about it. After all, Kaden here is also at the top of the list according to my wife. Yet, he doesn't have eyes for anyone but his girl. No complaints from him. Difference." David lectured.

I coughed, "I'm in the dog house. Apparently my helpful teaching moment turned against me."

"Bro, you deserve it. My wife complained about how predatory you were all night. Saying this is why men can only be considered dogs." Pretty boy changed the subject real quick.

"I agree. It was uncalled for." Amala joined our little huddle at the bridge entry way.

"Come on. If I didn't say anything, they might have thought shit was a vacation with a little dirt added." I said defensively.

"Mm, I neither agree or disagree." Jacob said wisely while crossing his arms.

"Telling us that we are only valued as your dick sheath crossed the line. Definitely when we make up the majority." Viola voiced sounded from the doorway.

I raised my eyebrow, "if we were back in a semi-civilized environment where the only predators where the occasional drunks and the rich. Then sure, I would have crossed the line but let's be honest. So many of you had five days of peace inside of a place with abundance of supplies. Other than gorging your face, playing spades and bones. None of you took the effort to maximize your survival. What are you worth to someone who desires to survive if not a cock-sheath?"

All the guys looked up into the sky and twirl the front of their boots into the ground.

Viola walked over with those thick thighs and strong arms. "There were also guys who didn't even consider that as well. Like your right hand, Jacob and Tyler here. So how is it that we, women, are demoted to cock-sheaths?"

"Actually, I helped pick the cars and searched the corpses for car keys." Pretty boy said with a smile.

Jacob elbowed him and the pretty boy eyed shot back to the sky.

"The difference between you and them is that they have the ability to pick up a weapon and defend themselves and their loved ones. I remembered watching you run out, elbow an old lady aside." I spread my hands out. "I'm not judging you for what you can't do or don't think of. I am just laying out facts. Your performance up to this point lead me to believe that in the overall situation, you are a walking corpse if you don't utilize your best asset."

Amala tilted her head, "what about me then?"

"You were playing hero to a group of baggage. Like you said when we met, you were a walking corpse." I shrugged.

Amala's lips spread into a smile. "But does that mean my only asset is my body? That I have to rely on a big boy like yourself to survive?"

"There are some people who can really call their bodies assets but sadly, you are lacking in that department. But it's a wonderful thing that you are a capable warrior." I responded in the same calm tone.

"I'm sorry to interfere but does that mean, I should be grateful that I slept with you. Or else I would be a walking corpse as well?" Riley's voice made my anus pucker.

I think I walked into a trap. A well executed trap, damn these women.

Riley reached my side and put her hand on her hip as she cooked out a half bent leg. I reached over and brushed a dirt smudge away.

"Do you want the truth or for me to lie and flatter you?" I asked with courage that made men pick up swords and go off to die.

Riley smirked, "give me the truth."

"Well, considering that you and Chris almost became corpses while hiding in a car says everything. After I instructed my ex on how to save you, led you to safety time and time again. It also says a lot. Whether you want to admit it or not, you leaned heavily on me. Whether you call it using your sex appeal or not, you used it." I tossed a glance at the sky as I sought words to make facts less hard to bear. "I'm not saying you wouldn't have been able to survive after a certain point. Like now, we have guns to spare. You wouldn't need me like Amala wouldn't need me."

"This is why you are in the doghouse." She patted my cheek. "Bad boy." She placed heavy emphasis on boys.

I sighed and shrugged, "it's fine. Being in dislike in order to save you is worth it in the end."

Riley rolled her eyes, "mhmm. We will see if it's worth it in three weeks."

"Ouch!" Pretty boy winced as he sent me sympathetic eyes.

Amala laughed, "let's go inside. Our glorious leader needs to repent at the altar."

Jacob patted my back, "I'll save you a bottle of lotion."

My lips twitched, "well at least I have company." I shot a pretty boy with a glare.

He laughter off mad quick, "bro, not cool."

Shaking my head as I placed an arm around Riley. "I need a nap."