Predictably, the group was slow-going as they made their way through the forest. The women had an easier time of things now that they weren't naked or chained together and were far and away more comfortable to be traveling than they had previously, but the condition of their feet made it impossible to go too far at a time without causing pain. Lexi suggested taking breaks every hour or so, just to give them some respite. Law agreed, but internally, he was impatient to drop them off somewhere and continue on with his own plans.
The forest must have been emptier than Law thought, because they had yet to come across any zombies that may have heard the noise of the ambush hours previously. Law had insisted they walk for several hours through the night before stopping to rest, just to put distance between them and the camp. Once he was satisfied no one would be out searching for them, he and his friends laid out their blankets and whatever comforts they could find for the women to rest. It would be an uncomfortable night for the men, but the women were exhausted, mentally and physically.
Shachi and Penguin volunteered to take first watch, leaving Law to hunker down beside a tree trunk and close his eyes. The rocks beneath the dirt made themselves known and dug into his thighs, but it would have to do. As was common in unfamiliar or dangerous situations, he wasn't really able to get much sleep. The leader found himself constantly shifting positions, and ultimately sighed in defeat. He resorted to keeping an extra watch on the women just in case, his eyes frequently straying to the brunette who was sleeping on the end. She looked to be out cold.
Law still intended to ask her to join them, but he hadn't found the right time to bring it up yet. There was still a part of him that was certain she'd refuse, especially after all of the trauma she'd just had to endure. Her outlook on life could have changed, or she could have now developed an aversion to men. It wouldn't be a surprise to him if she did, but it would certainly cause a kink in his plan.
He also wasn't sure what to do if she were as emotionally scarred as the other women. Law wasn't a therapist, but he knew of techniques that psychiatrists and psychologists used to use for patients. It was a mandatory course at his university, to better connect and understand patients in their times of need, though he was no expert on it. But if Lexi refused to talk about it to heal, there wasn't much he could do to help. Having that white elephant present without a means to address it could affect the way the group worked together. There were a lot of factors that could go into it, and Law realized he wouldn't know for sure until he actually extended the offer. It would have to wait until tomorrow at the very least.
The women didn't seem to have any problems getting sleep, no doubt too exhausted to remain awake any longer. Plus, the added comfort that none of the people present were a danger to them helped their adrenaline levels lower to a large degree. They slept through the night without issue while Law's group kept watch. Miraculously, none of the undead had wandered into camp in the middle of the night, and the watches were uneventful.
When morning came, Law was itching to get moving, but the women were still asleep. He recalled a similar feeling when they'd bumped into Lexi once, offering a place to stay the night. He'd been impatient for her to wake back then. This time, though, he'd quell his impatience enough to not go waking up the camp. There was no rush this time to get to any destination.
It felt like a few hours after sunup that the women began to stir. They sat in place and looked around in a panic, before realizing that they were no longer in danger. Law watched as the relief flooded their eyes and they relaxed.
The boys offered them food and water as they each awakened one by one, until they were all up and awake. The camp spent a little while jump getting used to being up again, before Law suggested they keep moving.
They travelled most of the day with little to no conversation. After everything that had happened the day previously, there wasn't much left to talk about. The women whispered quietly to themselves, but Law had noticed that they never included Lexi in the discussions. Either that, or Lexi had no interest in speaking to them. He filed that away for later, just in case.
They still took frequent stops and rests to ease the women's pain, but they were traveling a bit faster than last night. The socks and shoes they managed to scavenge from Damien's camp were a big help to their mobility, and they were slowly beginning to heal. Of course, Law wasn't sure if they'd reach the town by that evening or not at the pace they were going, but he hoped it would be sooner rather than later.
As it turned out, they must have been further East to start out with than Law had originally estimated, because they arrived abruptly upon the town in the late afternoon. They'd started seeing signs of a higher populated area nearby based on the slow trickle of zombies that began barring their way. These were easily dispatched with Law's sword or Shachi and Penguin's knives.
"I'll scout out ahead and see if I can find someplace safe." Shachi offered, and Penguin was quick to cut in.
"I'll go too."
Law nodded, happy that they would have each other's backs. With that, the two men tromped off towards the town while the rest of the group stayed inside the line of trees that marked the edge of the forest.
One of the women spoke up and turned to Law directly. "Are we going to build up another compound like Woodsfield?"
He shrugged. "If that's what you guys decide. My group will be leaving once we have you in a safe place."
That seemed to stop them short, and they all looked at him incredulously. "Wait, you're just leaving us here?" Another questioned sharply. "How are we supposed to protect ourselves? Or find food?"
"You can't just abandon us!"
A few of the women both spoke up at once in anger, but Lexi stood and held out her hands in a placating gesture. "Guys, we'll work out the rest once we find a secure place to stay. I'm sure the city will have-"
"I don't want to stay anywhere that you'll be." A long-haired blonde woman said with crossed arms. She looked guilty, but stuck to her guns anyway. "You brought those men straight to Woodsfield. Who knows what other dangers you'll bring with you?"
Law could tell that Lexi was affronted, but tried her best to hide it. "I didn't-"
"I agree. The rest of us wouldn't feel safe with you around." Another chimed in, openly glaring at the brunette with spite. "Everyone we knew is dead because of you."
The women all looked at her accusingly, and she stepped back a pace. The shame was evident on her face, but Law felt he'd heard enough. Stepping slightly in front of her, in a sort of protective fashion he had to admit, he crossed his arms. "Yes, my group is leaving once you are settled. That doesn't mean we won't give you supplies to survive awhile on your own." He gestured towards his bag. "Damien's group had a fair amount of provisions, and I was able to grab a few extra weapons at Woodsfield, so we'll split the haul and go our separate ways."
"How are we supposed to survive? I've been a gardener this whole time. I'm not a scavenger!" The blonde woman said petulantly.
"I was part of the scavenging team." One stepped forward with a determined look. "I can teach them what I know."
The blonde snarled. "We aren't experienced enough to handle something like this, Syndy. We'll all be killed."
The black-haired woman, who Law assumed was Syndy, gestured towards the forest angrily. Law supposed he should have spent more time learning other people's names while at the camp. Oh well. "Look around us! There's no big group we can count on for protection, Karen. It's just us, and that's all it'll be. This world is dangerous and unless we suck up to the fact that we have to rely on ourselves to stay alive, we'll all be dead!"
Law watched the two aggressive women with restrained impatience. They were growing rather loud, which could attract any number of undead from the city. He kept an eye on the tree line just in case, but he hoped they would settle their argument soon. Either way, he couldn't be convinced to stay and form a group with them. Syndy seemed to have grasped that concept.
Karen shook her head with a scoff after several seconds of facing the other woman down, and she threw up her hands in exasperation. "This is outrageous. You go through all of this trouble to rescue us, then just dump us off at the nearest town."
Law rolled his eyes but said nothing. Part of him wanted to point out that he'd only rescued them for Lexi's sake, but thought better of it. The last thing he wanted was an angry mob of women out to get him. Thankfully he was spared having to say anything more because the groaning of a zombie approaching them caught his attention. Unconcerned, he strode up to it and unsheathed his sword. With a lazy yet powerful flick of his finger, the zombie's head was sliced off from it's neck and it collapsed into the grass and dirt.
"If you wouldn't mind keeping it down?" He said nonchalantly, pulling out a rag to clean off the blade. "I don't want a horde converging on us here."
That seemed to shut them up nicely, though he could see Karen and Syndy whispering between themselves and the others. Law shook his head to himself and stepped a few paces away to sit on a tree trunk. Unsurprisingly, Lexi followed after him, taking up the one right beside him.
"Seems they don't like you very much." He commented bluntly. The brunette sighed heavily, slumping her shoulders.
"Yeah…I don't really blame them…" Came her disheartened reply. Law nudged her with an elbow, causing her to look up at him.
"Don't. There was nothing you could have done to prevent any of this, you know."
Lexi shot him an unconvinced half-smile, but shook her head silently. He nudged her again, this time a little harder.
"Really. Enough with that." He leaned back and smoothed over his hair with one hand. The long days of walking were beginning to wear him out. Lexi sighed and wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them closer to her.
"I don't really know where I'll go from here, to be honest. I knew they hated me this whole time but I didn't think it was that bad." She paused before looking up at the sky. The trees were far enough apart to be able to see the clouds this time. "I might have to bother you for a knife or two, and maybe some food. I'll be out of your way after that. See what I can scavenge in town before the others get to it."
Law was silent for a moment, but right as he went to talk she spoke again, shaking her head ruefully. "My stupidity got me into this whole mess, so maybe I deserve the shunning."
He cocked his head, eyes still sweeping the area for any sign of zombies. "How did you end up with Damien's group anyway?"
She sighed again. "I got careless. Holed up in a house one night, but I got a bit too comfortable. Damien's men broke in in the middle of the night without me knowing. I never heard anything." She gestured in front of her dismissively. "One minute I'm out like a light, and the next I've got three men with their hands all over me.
"After that, they dragged me to the compound and put that damn collar on me." Law saw her visibly shudder. "I'm just glad I'm never going back there again."
"How many others were there?"
"Damien's group could've been as big as sixty guys maybe. As far as the women, maybe thirty or forty. It was hard to tell…so many of were killed or taken away with men that I couldn't keep track."
Law hesitated, wanting to ask what exactly had been done to them, but he wasn't sure if she were ready or willing to answer. Lexi looked over at him expectantly, seeing the conflicted emotions on his face and nodded slowly. It seemed she could read his mind.
"I'll spare you the question. They strip you naked when they find you to see if you're worth their time. Usually you're paired up with a man and they become your 'owner.'" Her eyes looked down at the ground, feeling slightly ashamed for some reason. "And yes, they raped the women they brought in. I was one of the few lucky ones though. All they did to me was touch me."
Law always didn't believe that, but he wasn't going to push the issue.
Both of them fell silent. Lexi couldn't help the images of her experience at Damien's camp flashing through her head. Law wondered what he could possibly say to the explanation. He'd had an idea of what went down when Lexi had first been brought into Woodsfield, but hearing it explained out loud like this was a bit more sobering. To think that she'd gone through all that for an indeterminate amount of time was awful.
He looked over and was surprised to see tears sliding down her cheeks. Well, he wasn't all that surprised, but he hadn't anticipated it was all.
"Come with us." He blurted out before really thinking, watching as she quickly looked at him.
"What?"
He shrugged, nodding towards the town where Shachi and Penguin were currently scouting. "I know you said you don't do well in groups, and maybe after all of this you might want to stay away from men for awhile. I'd understand either way. We'll give you some provisions and weapons to help you get back on your feet if that's what you'd like to do."
He flashed her a small grin. "But with all the times we keep meeting up over this past year, I figured we might as well stick together. Each of us consider you a friend. You'd be welcome with us."
Her eyes had gone wide when he'd explained it out. After a moment she turned to look towards the women who were still muttering between themselves. None of them appeared to even be looking in their direction. Law felt a little guilty for making her uncomfortable and rushed to remedy that.
"You don't have to give me an answer right now-"
"Yes, I'll go with you."
Her immediate answer stopped him short, and she chuckled.
"I'm honestly tired of being alone all the time. It's lonely, and as all of this has clearly pointed out, I can't always count on myself to watch my own back. It's safer this way, when I really think about it. Plus, you three are the ones I trust most out of everyone alive today."
Law nodded in understanding, relieved that she'd accepted. All of this work to save her hadn't been for nothing, though even if she refused, he supposed he'd still be happy knowing she was still alive. He sighed mockingly. "Good. Now I can stop hearing Shachi and Penguin worry about you all the time."
She smiled with a small laugh. "Aww, they worried about me? How sweet."
They laughed quietly between themselves for a moment, both satisfied with how things had turned out. Another few minutes went by in companionable silence, until they all heard the approach of Shachi and Penguin. They all stood to greet them, seeing that their clothes looked a little blood stained from the zombies they'd had to kill. It was a dark blackish color from decomposition.
Shachi pointed a thumb behind them. "We were able to clear out a few apartments on the edge of town. They should be relatively safe for the time being."
"We'll bring you guys there." Penguin gestured for them to follow, and everyone did so eagerly.
They were able to relocate the group of women without too much trouble. Zombies still blocked their path, but Law's group easily dispatched them. Just as Shachi had said, the apartments were on the edge of the town, making them easier to get to. The unarmed women hurried along as fast as they could, eager to get out of the dangerous streets and into their new safe haven.
The fire escape once again came in handy, and one by one the group scrambled up as fast as they could to the third floor, where Penguin was holding the window open for them. Law and Lexi, who'd been given a knife when she'd bemoaned not being able to help, were defending the alleyway below. This far away from the main town, there weren't too many of the undead to worry about but it was better to be safe than sorry.
Once everyone was up the ladder, Law and Lexi followed after. They all piled into the room and examined the surroundings. It was pretty small with all of them inside, but for only four women it shouldn't be too much of a problem.
"There's another cleared out apartment next door. If you want, you can split the rooms between yourselves." Penguin explained, placing his bag on the bed. Opening it revealed cans of food and bottles of water inside. The sight put the women a little more at ease after that, seeing that they wouldn't be abandoned with nothing to their name.
Law opened his bag and pulled out a few of the guns that had come from the armory in Woodsfield. He gave them to Syndy, who looked the least likely to turn on them suddenly and rob them for their half of the supplies. She nodded in appreciation, inspecting the weapons critically for damage or wear.
Shachi and Penguin divided up the supplies evenly. It was easy, considering both groups had four members each. Any odd numbers went to the women, as Law felt they'd be in need of it more.
In the meantime, Karen looked through the drawers of the bedroom they were in, relieved to see it contained women's clothing. "We can change into something a bit more comfortable now." She'd said to the others, ushering them over to see if anything would fit.
Law spotted Lexi move to join them but stopped after the first step. He raised a brow, wondering why she didn't want to find more appropriate clothing for her size. She looked away and crossed her arms, waiting for the boys to finish sorting the supplies.
Finished dividing up the weapons between the groups, Law checked in the other bedroom of the apartment, happy to find that it too had belonged to a woman. He rummaged through the drawers, only feeling slightly creepy at doing so, and found a few things that might fit the brunette a bit better. He didn't know her exact size, but surely one of these had to fit better than the mangy and baggy shirt and pants she currently sported.
Returning to the group, he saw that Shachi and Penguin were zipping up their bags and slinging them over their shoulders. Looks like it was time to go. Syndy approached him, holding a pair or clothes in her arms. She still had that stern gaze she'd had before.
"Hey, Law. I wanted to thank you. I know you probably didn't go out of your way just to rescue us, right?" She whispered, then raised a brow at his surprised expression. "I mean, I've seen the way you and the girl interact. I take it she's part of your group?"
Law looked towards the brunette in question, who was staring out the window into the town. He nodded. "Yeah, she is."
"I figured. And I know it's not her fault that everything happened." Syndy looked away for a moment in shame or guilt. "I did feel that way before, but I've had some time to think. Just wanted to say I appreciate the fact that you still tracked that bastard down and killed him. I'm alive because of it. To me, it means something."
Law shrugged, unsure of how to respond. Syndy smiled then, gesturing with her head behind her. "Get on out of here. I'll make sure the ladies survive. You can count on me."
For hardly knowing her, he was willing to believe the promise. Besides, he was itching to leave already. Giving her a last nod in thanks, he stepped past Syndy and approached the two mechanics. "Ready?" He asked them, and they nodded in response. Catching Lexi's eye, she nodded as well, a smile forming on her lips. "Then let's go."
"It's awesome that you decided to join us, Lexi." Shachi said as he walked beside her on the empty highway. They still had a few hours left of daylight and the map indicated a small town further up the road. Law wanted to put distance between himself and the female group, not trusting them to not come after them to take the rest of the supplies.
Penguin nodded in agreement. "You sort of owed us for saving your life anyway."
Lexi raised a brow, giving him a perplexed look. "I thought Law said you weren't keeping count, and that you did it out of the goodness of your hearts for a friend?"
"Pssh, whatever. Law can say all he wants." The redhead waved his hand dismissively. "Penguin and I don't ever forget a debt."
Grinning despite herself, Lexi glanced between the both of them. She caught Penguin's wink and laughed. "Really?"
"Nope!" Penguin replied with confidence. "For example, I still hate this kid named Patrick in my sixth grade class because he-"
"Does she really need to hear this story?" Law interrupted impatiently from ahead of them. The leader didn't even bother turning back to chastise them. "Honestly, I've heard this hundreds of times."
"Yeah, but she hasn't." Penguin justified.
This time he did look back at them, his face stricken. "Is that entirely a bad thing, though?"
Lexi laughed and shifted the bag on her shoulder. This feeling of acceptance was refreshing. And the camaraderie present between the three friends was something she'd missed while traveling. Perhaps this was the best decision she could have made. "Well, now I'm curious. Let's hear it."
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