Dakota's Suite

The Argument

Mirabelle cocked an eyebrow and cut her eyes toward me. "You?"

I stared straight back at her. A flicker of doubt had played on her face, but it quickly went back to unreadable expression. I only opted to be a part of this to help fortify the area, and if we were going to stay with Baez and Mirabelle, I needed to be useful. For Hannah's sake. I also didn't really see how Baez was unreasonable here. Since there's four of us joining them, that's more food being distributed, which will only mean that it can run out twice as fast.

"And just how old are you again?" Mirabelle questioned without flinching. Her sunken eyes still held a firm and narrow gaze. Her mouth was formed in a straight line as her hands were folded diplomatically on her side of the table.

"Old enough." I answered. I couldn't just be a smart-ass with this old woman, especially if I wanted to convince her to trust me enough. If Baez knows which places that remain untouched by the military and the infected, this would be less dangerous. "If it's any extra reassurance, I know how to fire a gun, and I happen to be a good fighter."

"I don't necessarily like the idea either." Tazara added while she set her fork down on a clean plate. "But it's not going to get any safer out there. It's good that we have food for this week, but who's to say that we won't run into any more people in need in the forest? Or if one of us gets sick and we don't have what we need long before we're rescued?"

"Rescued?" Bryant retorted. His face was rested in the palm of his hand, disinterested in this entire conversation until now. "I'm pretty sure help is not coming."

"Bryant!" Hannah seethed angrily, her tone of voice sounding like a low hiss. Her eyebrows furrowed. "Shut. Up."

Bryant chortled. "Or what? What will you do? Get your big brother to come kick my ass again?"

"He doesn't have to, I'll do it myself." Hannah growled.

"Fighting isn't really getting us anywhere." Harper chided in. She glanced over at me for a split second, as if she was waiting for me to say something. "But I do agree with doing a check with the city anyway. Baez can have strength in numbers and better with people who know how to wield a gun."

Mirabelle rested her arms over each other, her head lowered. "I'd feel better if I knew where you were going to be exact. And for Baez to not be left alone again."

"I'm sorry for that again, Mirabelle." Wayne apologized. "This time, I won't let him out of my sight. He won't be put in another compromising position again, I promise."

Mirabelle took one long look at Wayne. She wasn't cold, but she was firm and stood her ground. She wanted to see if she could trust Wayne, presumably after hearing about Baez getting attacked the last time.

Baez coughed. "Mira, honey, that time they got the jump on me was right at the time all hell had broke loose...I hate to sound like a cynic, but if they're still in the city, they're likely one of those things now."

Mirabelle sighed. "Alright. Fine. And take my damn gun instead of that sad excuse of a shovel. I heard that they double in the cities." She commanded in the end, pointing her index finger at him. "You will come back in one piece, and if you don't, I'm going out there to kill you myself. Undead or not."

Mirabelle was an interesting woman. That point was made loud and clear. Where and when the hell did she ever get a gun?

"I get it, woman! Jesus!" Baez exclaimed while wiping at his forehead with a napkin.

"So it's decided?" Harper questioned. "Who's going aside from Baez and Wayne?"

"I'm pretty sure I said I was going too." I mentioned while cracking my knuckles with my thumb. Harper sighed and rolled her eyes while she glanced over at Bryant. What the hell was her problem? Sure, we didn't meet in the best circumstances, but that isn't necessarily enough for her to harbor this much animosity towards me.