A/n I'm finished with this now, hope you enjoyed the ride, I wanted to get back into the swing of writing again, it seems to have done the trick, so thanks for being a willing audience.
Look out for a spin off "Resident Evil: Bob's adventures"
Au revoir!
*/*/*/
"Damn it let me go!" Claire pulled out of Alice's grasp and turned her back to get some semblance of control. She took several deep breaths before turning to face Isaac.
Jill was standing next to Alice ready to catch Claire if she got past Alice even if every bone in her body was screaming at her to shoot the man.
"What do you want?"
"I want that abomination gone. None of us are safe while she is here. She goes, now, and you get your sister back."
Claire looked at him and nodded. "Alright. But if you hurt her, all bets are off. Alice leaves now, I want Kmart back within one hour."
No one moved. Jill looked at Claire like she was mad, Alice didn't say a word.
"How do I know you will keep your word?" Isaac asked uncomfortably. "My son was acting on my instruction, how do I know he will be safe?"
"Well now you should have thought that through before you started your fucking games. You have my word Isaac, the whole convoy is listening even though most of them are pretending not to, so here's the deal Kmart is back here unharmed within one hour and you will never see Alice again and your son will not come to any harm from me or anyone here, good enough?" She yelled at him.
He nodded and scurried away. Jill came charging at Claire as Alice walked away. "What the fuck are you doing?" She grabbed Claire's arm roughly.
Claire snatched it back. "What I have to." She watched Isaac go back to his family. "I don't trust him, Kmart will be back within an hour, but Alice isn't safe around him."
"Fine, then I vote we shoot him." Jill shrugged as though this was the most reasonable course of action.
Had the situation not been so dire she would have laughed. "Jill I need you to sneak around back and start running, don't let anyone see you leave. Take a radio, set it to channel 6 and head towards town."
"That's it? That's your brilliant plan? Jesus H Christ, If I knew that Alice was so talented in bed that she could turn your brain to jelly I would have slept with her first."
Claire smirked at her. "In your dreams cupcake. Just go, don't be seen, but go now. I promise this will make sense."
Jill shook her head but moved around the vehicles out of site.
Next was Alice. She was standing by her bike putting her bags on the back and tying them down. Claire walked over, making sure she was out of earshot. Keeping her voice down, she put her hands in her pockets and slumped over, giving the impression of awkward for anyone watching.
Isaac kept his eyes on Claire, he watched with a smug satisfaction as the red head approached Alice. He watched Alice's body language remain tight. She was putting bags on her bike and getting ready to leave. He watched as she refused to talk to Claire. Claire moved away from Alice and approached Carlos. There was a loud roar as Alice sped away on the bike leaving a spray of sand behind her. Finally Claire walked back to him, he could read her body language, she had kept her word. That creature was gone. Hopefully with the loss he could persuade Carlos to take over the running of the convoy. Women had no business ordering people around and fighting, it wasn't the natural way of things. When God had seen fit to end the world as it was known, Isaac knew he had been spared for a reason and he was fairly certain that didn't involve taking orders from a woman.
"Where's Kmart?" It was Carlos that addressed him. Perhaps having him take over would be easier than he thought.
"She will be back soon."
"The deal was an hour." Claire snapped at him. "Now where is she?"
Isaac pointed out toward the rock pools that went further out to sea. "There are two small caves just out of sight. We found them yesterday. As soon as the tide goes out, they can be reached. Just a little more patience." He had the audacity to smile at her.
"Kmart can swim, give the order now."
He smiled again but before he could speak, Carlos was in his face. "Give the order."
Isaac swallowed and took a step back. He turned away and lifted the radio to his face, mumbling instructions into it. "They are heading back now. I'm sorry it came to this Miss Redfield, but it is for the best. Perhaps if you were not so blinded you would have seen that. You might consider your position here and whether some one else might be better suited to lead." He looked toward Carlos.
Claire nodded at Carlos and they walked away in separate directions. Carlos walked toward where the convoy was sitting around going about their day as the drama unfolded around them. He spoke to Betty, presumably to have her on stand by when Kmart came back. Claire walked back to the Hummer to wait.
She had been staring out toward the sea for about 10 minutes when she heard a rustling sound from the side of the vehicle. She jumped down and pulled a gun out, quickly holstering it when she saw the young girl standing there. What was her name? Joanne? Josephine? She had only heard Kmart refer to her as JoJo Bear, she was pretty certain that wasn't her actual name, though Kmart was hardly the norm.
"I'm sorry about Kmart Miss Redfield. I swear I didn't know what he was doing." She looked wide eyed at Claire. "Honest, I would have told you. Kmart is always so sweet to me. She's gonna be OK isn't she?"
Claire gulped her words back, she smiled at the girl. "I'm sure she is, it wasn't your fault."
JoJo moved closer now she knew she wasn't in trouble. Claire nodded over toward Isaac. "He your father?" She was starkly aware that she didn't know as much about the people she led as she should be. Time to change that soon enough. Perhaps having Carlos take over a little more wasn't a bad thing.
The little girl shook her head. "He was our pastor when I was little."
Claire smiled at the three foot high child. "When you were little eh?"
JoJo nodded seriously again. "My daddy died and my momma took me and my brother with the pastor and his family and some of the other church people."
Claire looked at the small group with Isaac. "That your momma?"
"She died, with my brother."
"I'm sorry."
"It's OK, I'm not alone. I have everyone here, they're all nice. Specially Sergei, he gave me a bear." And the girl beamed at her.
Claire forced a smile as the girl ran off. "Shit." This was going to put a crimp in her plans.
*/*/*/
She finally saw a blonde head of hair in the water after what felt like forever. Betty was standing on the shore with Julie waiting for them armed with several blankets and her medical bag.
Claire stubbed out the last of what was about 8 cigarettes she had smoked back to back and she paced on the shoreline.
Kmart stood up and waded the rest of the way in and Claire had to fight the urge to wade out to her. When Kmart finally came out, she noticed the bruise on the side of her face. Claire saw red.
Kmart rushed over as Betty tried to cover her in blankets. "I'm alright. It's OK." She said grabbing Claire's hands before she could do anything hasty. "He didn't hurt me."
Claire touched the side of her face near the bruise and raised her eyebrow.
"Well, he hit me, but I hit him back, he didn't do it again." She smiled proudly.
"Atta girl K." Claire pulled her into a hug and squeezed her until Kmart couldn't breath.
"Where's Alice?"
"C'mon, we can talk later, lets make sure you are alright." Claire looked over to where Isaac was smiling at his son, clapping him on the shoulder with pride. It made her ill.
"What? Why? He did it didn't he? He made her leave. Nathan said that his father was going to get rid of Alice. Did he hurt her?"
"No, he didn't hurt her, but he made it clear he didn't want her around. C'mon K, lets get out of here."
Kmart spun around toward Isaac and shoved him hard, he fell backward into the water with a splash. "You're a fucking asswipe." She yelled at him.
"Whoa, calm down slugger." Claire led the fuming girl away from a sputtering Isaac and left him to his family. "And what's with the language? Asswipe?"
"Jill taught me that. Where is she anyway?" Kmart looked around.
Claire sighed. "Of course she did. Let's get you dry and I'll tell you what you missed."
They walked away with Betty and Julie following behind.
She picked up the radio, turned it to channel 6 and spoke. "Jill, you read me?"
"Go ahead Claire."
"Kmart's back, she's safe, she with me know."
"Roger that. Five minutes, Jill out."
"Julie stay with Kmart in the hummer for a few minutes please."
Julie nodded and started leading Kmart away. "Claire?"
"Get some dry clothes on. I wont be a minute." She walked over toward Isaac, catching Carlos eye she nodded at him.
Carlos started hoarding everyone up toward the buses. It was almost comical watching people load back onto the greyhounds like they were just finished with a day at the beach. As she reached Isaac she stopped and titled her head listening.
"Miss Redfield. What's going on, I thought we were staying another night?"
There was a roar in the background and a second sound of a diesel vehicle alongside it. After a few seconds. Alice pulled up next to the Hummer, parked the bike and got off just as a small blonde came flying out of the hummer into her arms. Julie smiled and moved over toward the bus to take her place inside.
Isaac rounded on Claire. "You gave your word Miss Redfield. Perhaps Carlos will be more understanding."
Alice came over quietly and stood behind Claire. "Firstly, I run this convoy, me. Secondly, I kept my word." She pointed at the minibus that Jill had just stepped out of. "There's food, water and weapons in there, enough to keep you until you find more. I gave you my word that you wouldn't have to see Alice again. My word is kept, after today, you wont. It's my responsibility to keep these people safe, including you and your son. I can no longer guarantee your safety."
She looked at him without feeling. Her eyes caught a small face looking at her. She smiled at JoJo and nodded. The little girl moved away from the group toward the greyhound bus. Isaac went to grab her back when he heard the sound of at least 8 different guns being cocked. He looked up and found himself looking down the barrel of a pistol held by a very angry Russian. "Do not." Sergei took the girls hand and led her to the truck that he shared driving duties with Carlos.
The numerous vehicles started their engines and Claire turned her back to him. "Goodbye Isaac."
She led Kmart back to the Hummer leaving Carlos and Alice behind.
Isaac looked at her with disgust. "You."
Alice sneered at him. "Claire could never hurt your son. She isn't that kind of person. She's a good person, despite what you think, and she will do anything for these people." She got in his face making him stumble backwards. "But I'm not like that. I'm the monster you think I am, only far, far worse. I ever see you again, I will not only shoot your son, I will shoot your whole family and I will sleep like a baby afterward. We're heading north. I suggest you don't."
She handed the bike keys to Carlos. "Take this for a while. I'm gonna drive the hummer tonight, I don't think Claire is going to let go of Kmart long enough to drive."
Carlos nodded and they walked away.
*/*/*/
As Alice had suspected, Kmart stayed curled up on Claire with her feet on Alice's lap as she drove, the pair of them sleeping soundly, wrapped in a blanket with the occasional snore that made Alice chuckle.
She made her way up the darkened roads toward their target area. "Jill you read me." She spoke quietly.
"I read you, we ready to pull over?"
"Yep, keep people inside for a while, I'm gonna walk around make sure it's safe."
"Will do. Jill out."
Alice pulled over and turned the engine off. "Hey sleepy." She ran her hands through Claire's hair and waited for her to wake up.
"Mmm hi." Claire smiled at her. "We here?" She looked around but couldn't see anything in the dark. After a few seconds, the other vehicles pulled up nearby flooding the area with light.
"I'm gonna wander around make sure it's all clear. Give me 10 minutes, then you can start getting people settled OK?"
Claire nodded at her and smiled. Alice leaned over and pressed her lips against the sleepy redhead.
"Ewww, gross. I'm just a child you know." Kmart interrupted them.
"You're old enough to call someone an asswipe, you can deal with it." Claire pinched the young blonde making her giggle.
Alice got out and started her patrol, locking the doors behind her.
"So are you and Alice like a poster lesbian couple now? Is she moving in with us? We should totally have got a u-haul."
"Ha ha ha, very funny." Claire rolled her eyes. "You OK with that?"
"Are you kidding. Alice is so cool." She looked in the back of the hummer. "Not really room for all of us in there. Do you need me to move into the bus?" Kmart looked at her with wide fearful eyes and she remembered the comment about the lack of bathing.
"You are such a blonde. We'll figure something out. We're moving toward warmer areas. Maybe we can get a tent like some of the others. You however are staying in the hummer." Claire mock glared at her.
"Damn right, I don't wanna hear you drooling all over Alice at night."
"Watch it K, I haven't ruled the bus out yet."
Kmart shuddered.
Alice opened up the door. "All clear. Nothing around for miles. "You'll be safe here tonight, tomorrow we can see what's around and whether we need to move on."
Claire started giving commands over the radio and the camp setup several hours later than they would normally.
No one complained.
*/*/*/
A week later and the convoy was camped outside of a town near Oklahoma. Carlos and Sergei had been out hunting and everyone had sat down for dinner around the main fire handing out compliments to Otto and his team. As they all started to settle in for the night, Jill and Alice were off to the side of the woods going over the last minute plans for their trip tomorrow.
Claire and Kmart walked over as they were finishing up.
"You have everything you need?" She asked.
Jill nodded. "I promise I will bring her back safe and sound in about 10 days. We have the rendezvous spot marked, Alice and I will take her bike, we were gonna pick up a truck but Alice thinks it might be easier to stay fast and easy to disappear again."
"Alice is right." Claire smiled at her lover. "Alright, if you are finished, I'm gonna get Kmart settled for the night. Alice you want to patrol one last time?"
Alice smirked at her. Jill and Kmart flat out laughed. "Alice you are such a keeper. You have a nice comfy tent outside the Hummer and you insist on dragging your girlfriend out into the woods to fool around."
Claire blushed to the roots of her hair and Alice mumbled something about leaving Jill in Colorado.
"C'mon K." Jill dragged the teen off toward the hummer. "I'll get K settled, you guys go 'patrol' and I'll see you in the morning." She and Kmart made the air quotes and laughed.
Claire and Alice walked off into the woods. When they reached a distance away from the camp fires Claire started talking first. "Promise me Alice. I want you and Jill back in ten days or I swear I will come looking for you." She pushed Alice up against a nearby tree.
Alice moved her arms around the redhead and pulled her into her body. "Ten days. No longer." She kissed her, driving her tongue past Claire's lips making it clear that they were done talking.
Claire leaned back and took a lungful of air. "You better. Now, you know the drill."
Alice pulled back and looked at her in question.
Claire grabbed a handful of fabric and pulled her back, whispering into her ear. "Fuck me like you mean it."
Far off into the distance, a sound like that of a pneumatic drill could be heard in the woods.
Fin