Lovin' in the Apocalypse Ch. 02

Last time in, Lovin' in the Apocalypse!

Married couple, Tom and Rachel seek shelter after a long day of avoiding a mob of infected humans. A simple mistake nearly led to disaster and forced the couple to bunker down in an abandoned fire truck. After a steamy night in a tight spot, strangers reached out to them with an offer of safety.

Was the offer legit? Will Tom and Rachel finally find a place to live? What about these mysterious survivors in suspiciously good shape? Find out now!

Chapter 2: A Fresh Start

"We're from North Carolina, originally. My family lived in a small, rural town and when things went bad, we stayed with them. For a while it was good. Not a lot of infected ones and plenty of open space. But even those places fall eventually. The first thing that ran out was the food, the same problem everywhere has. We had to go out and loot for supplies and that led to us being discovered by bandits. Most of our family did not make it out and those of us who did were not in good shape. One by one until it was just us..." Tom's eyes grew distant as he tried to remember the faces of his loved ones.

"We found a settlement not long after that." Rachel picked up the thread of the story. "A place in Tennessee that was previously a military base. They did really well for a while but once it began to sink in for people that this would not end, panic and fear took over. The soldiers tried to keep everything under control but a young man shot a woman in self defense and the whole place turned into a madhouse. We managed to get out right as a huge mob of infected broke through the walls. We kept moving west."

Cameron looked at them through the rear view mirror. "Damn. It sounds like we've been lucky. Our place is the only one we've been in. There's been a few close calls with the infected and raiders but we've handled it." The truck slowed as Cameron navigated the vehicle over a washed out part of the asphalt. "Maybe it's the elevation? It's hard to walk over mountains."

"It's a miracle that we made it here." Tom reached over and squeezed Rachel's knee. "It helps not being alone.

The man crammed into the back of the truck and sitting next to Rachel spoke. He was part of Cameron and Kelsey's scouting team and had been posted on a nearby roof. He was watching through a sniper scope when Tom and Rachel emerged from the station. Gregg is an average looking man with buzzed hair who held himself with military formality. He seemed like a brooding type. "Closer to the beginning, there were problems with the infected getting in or someone hiding a bite or exposure mark. Then there were raiders that would attack our scouts and a few groups tried to attack us and take the place down. We've had a lot of recent issues with suicides."

"So there's no gladiator pit or systematic oppression happening here?" Rachel's tone was flat and not at all ironic.

Kelsey snorted. She was lounging in the front seat of the truck with her black boots up on the dash. "Good god, no. That would be wild as fuck." She noticed how serious their faces were. "Oh, you're serious?"

"In Georgia, a group was using a football stadium as a base. It was one of the places the government directed people to in the beginning. They've gone completely Mad Max in that place. Demolition derbies, animal fighting, so many insane events that leave people maimed or worse." Rachel shuddered at the bloody memories.

Tom leaned back in his seat. "A place in Kansas became cult-like, they were sacrificing people and giving women pregnancy quotas. In Alabama, a politician had set themselves up like a king and an actual revolution rose up against him. His head ended up on a pike, no shit. We have heard a lot of crazy shit and seen a little bit of it ourselves. I believe most of the stories."

"I guess our point is, we've seen the worst places you can imagine and we still agreed to come with you. That's how bad it is surviving out in the open. No matter what skeletons you are hiding, we're here for it." Rachel made sure to keep eye contact with Cameron until he broke it.

"That's, enlightening. We've heard some stories and have seen some pretty disturbing situations. But if it's that bad in some camps, I can't imagine how humanity will overcome this." Tom and Rachel sat quietly for a few moments while the people in the truck collected their thoughts. Cameron broke it after a bit. "We don't have any skeletons that would be all that bad but we've all made sacrifices. We've all done things. If you guys can pull your weight and contribute to the needs of the camp, you'll be free to stay."

"That'll be up to the council to decide, dad. You can't make that call."

"I guess we'll see." Cameron winked at Rachel through the rear view mirror and her stomach fluttered a bit. It was just a quick thing, easily dismissed. She leaned over and laid her head on Tom's shoulder and relaxed as everyone swapped stories.

Maybe an hour passed before the signs of civilization began to become obvious. Cameron wove the truck through a series of obstacles that were set to slow down any approaching vehicles. Old cars and concrete blocks scattered about without an obvious way through. Here and there Tom and Rachel spotted traps and deterrents that were used to stop and push back the infected. The area looked like a war camp with trenches and barriers. Men and women with compound bows and crossbows could be seen patrolling the trenches. Some of them were positioned in makeshift sniper towers, holding long rifles with sound suppressors. Behind this line of defense stood walls made out of wooden power poles that were laid together like an old fashioned log cabin. The walls looked to be 15 feet tall and more sturdy than anything Tom and Rachel had seen before.

"Woah. That is impressive." Tom said.

"Took a lot of hard work." Gregg replied. "A lot of blood too. You better be ready to earn these walls."

Rachel looked him in the eyes. "We'll do what we have to."

The warmish water fell out of the shower head in an endless spray. Rachel watched the drain and found it satisfying to see all the grime being cleaned from her skin. She wiggled her bent and calloused toes and tried to remember what it had been like to be soft with dainty feet. After 2 years of constant running, she doubted they would ever look gentle again. Rachel lifted her chin and let the water hit her face and she nearly sobbed in relief. The act of showering was restoring her humanity.

Tom's arms wrapped around Rachel and pulled her close. His rough hands ran along the soft, naked flesh on her stomach and she shivered in delight. His hard cock pressed against her back but he did not act urgently. Tom lathered shampoo into her scalp and Rachel closed her eyes. His fingers expertly loosened her hair and cleaned it from the top down. She was half asleep when he turned her body to rinse the soap out.

Rachel watched Tom as he rinsed her hair. His eyes were focused on the task as if cleaning her was the most important thing in his life. She felt warmed by the service. Tom was not great at expressing his feelings verbally but he found things like this that made her feel good about their love. She was also good at making him feel good. Rachel slowly reached down to the stiff appendage that was trying to lodge into her ribs. She wrapped her slender fingers around him and began to gently stroke. Tom moaned but did not neglect to get the rest of the soap out.

Tom leaned down and kissed Rachel full on the lips. She returned the kiss, pressing her face firmly against his. He moaned into her mouth as she began to pick up speed on his cock. The water and the passion of the moment was making them breathless. Rachel broke the kiss and whispered, "Hey baby? It's been a while and I'm all clean..."

Tom smiled devilishly at her. "I have been pretty hungry lately." He leaned down and nibbled her earlobe before moving down to her neck. He traced a fiery trail of kisses down her body until he was on his knees in front of her. Rachel lifted her right leg and draped it over Tom's shoulder and pulled him in. His face pressed into her bushy pussy and he used his nose to separate her lips as if he was rooting for her clit. She heard him take a deep breath, knowing he was taking in her scent and she eagerly pushed her pussy forward.

Tom's tongue began to slowly explore the folds of her pussy, moving as if he was trying to commit each part to memory. Rachel loved it, at first, feeling the slow build of anticipation. After a few minutes the building slowed and became teasing. She was feeling the need to press her frustrated pussy against a hard corner. She was close to grabbing his face so her pussy could use him as a scratching post but he seemed to sense her need. Tom pulled her clit into his mouth, using suction to apply pressure as his tongue battered it relentlessly. Rachel stopped squirming and became rigid. She was afraid that if she moved, the orgasm would allude her.

Tom's tongue was a knot of pain. Reaching, licking and sucking put a lot of work on his mouth. It had been so long since he ate pussy, he forgot how much of a workout it could be for a tongue. Still, Rachel was close and her pussy was delicious so he kept moving through the burning cramps. Suddenly, Rachel's body grew heavier as the muscles in her legs weakened. Tom grabbed her ass to hold her up even as he pushed to break through to her orgasm. Her body weight on his nose was suffocating but Tom did not move away.

Rachel finally came, feeling all the tension drain out of her body in a flood. The pressure in her stomach got too big, Tom's tongue was slowing down and only just managed to push her over the edge. Even still, the slow build and teasing rise made the orgasm seem stronger than normal. Her stomach dropped as if she was on a roller-coaster and her mind went delightfully blank. An orgasm like this, one that almost needed to be forced out was powerful and rare. When she came, she felt herself pee a little and just managed to stop her body from spraying him in the face. Luckily, Tom did not stick any fingers inside her. She held still while the waves washed over her and Tom lazily licked her until she started to feel over stimulated.

Rachel stepped back and looked down at Tom. His beard was a mess with her vaginal fluids so she leaned over to kiss him. His slow tongue swirled around hers and left her own flavor in her mouth. Though she had not previously explored anything with it, the apocalyptic situation being the largest recent obstacle, Rachel liked the taste of pussy. She loves tasting herself on Tom's cock or on his lips and secretly wished to try someone else's at least once. Did all of them taste the same? That seemed unlikely but she wanted to know. It's a fantasy she never voiced to Tom or anyone.

"It's your turn." Rachel held out her hand to help Tom off the shower floor.

He stood up and his long cock stuck out, almost comically. Rachel smiled up at him while gently running her fingers over his stiff flesh. "What do you want?"

"I want you."

"Obviously." Rachel squeezed his cock. "Where do you want to put this?"

Tom thought about it for a few seconds. "On your tongue."

"Yes sir." Rachel smiled devilishly as she slowly lowered down to her knees. She stuck her tongue out and placed the swollen purple head of his cock on her tongue. Then she asked, "Ike hith?"

Tom chuckled, "Yeah, or..." Tom slowly gathered her hair into a single collection as if he was going to put her hair up. His hand was the hair band, pulling it almost painfully. Then, he grabbed the base of his cock and used his hold on the two objects to push them together. Tom's cock filled Rachel's mouth until he hit her throat. "Like this is good too."

Rachel began to move her tongue along the base of the cock in her mouth as tears stung her eyes. Her tongue was all she could control as Tom used her hair to steer her head where he wanted it. She took it, gagging periodically when he went too deep. Hot drool ran down her chin and she used a free hand to rub it on Tom's balls. He was slow at first, enjoying being back in her mouth after avoiding oral for so long. But his urgency grew and the work her tongue was doing to him was incredible. Tom bucked his hips in an uneven rhythm, carefully going as deep as he could into her throat without sending her into a coughing fit.

Tom reached down and grabbed Rachel's chin and felt energized by the slick saliva coating her neck. Rachel always gave the best sloppy head and in the shower she really liked to let go. Tom held her face firmly as his orgasm built. He used her mouth to tease it out of himself in the most pleasurable way, holding it back for as long as he possibly could. When it finally happened, Tom's head fell back and a groan of pleasure came out as his cock began to spasm. Rachel coughed as the first powerful shot of cum hit her throat. She moved her face to recover but kept her hands moving on his cock. She felt a few more warm splashes hit her breasts and run down her stomach.

"Holy shit, babe." Tom leaned against the shower wall as Rachel first squeezed then licked that last stubborn drop out of him. "I always forget how great that feels."

The water was getting cold during the blowjob and now was icy against Rachel's back. She quickly turned the spout off. "And I always forget how much work it is." Rachel moved her jaw around, trying to loosen the cramping feeling.

Later that night, they were getting situated in a small shanty hut that looked like a hundred others that had been crudely constructed inside the walled off section. Cameron gave them a tour of the encampment shortly after their shower and showed them where to find rations and other toiletries. The safe zone was built around an old camp ground rec building that they used as a mess hall and community center. Several other buildings that were more sturdy than the living huts were used for storage and medicine. No place seemed to be off limits or stand out as suspicious. The tour ended with Cameron showing them their own living area and giving them a pack of supplies. Their hut was a good distance from the central hub of the encampment but a bathhouse was pretty close by. It was prime real-estate according to their guide.

"We've been in worse places." Tom opened the pack of stuff Cameron left. He pulled a scratchy survival blanket out and spread it out on their full sized bunk.

Rachel adjusted the knob on the oil lantern and made the flame a little brighter. "A recent fire station comes to mind."

Tom chuckled. "I thought the fire station was nice." He playfully slapped Rachel's ass.

Rachel rolled her eyes. "I bet you did. You didn't wake up with someone glued to your insides."

"Well, no but it was still nice."

Rachel was quiet for a few moments as she busied herself with the merger supplies. Finally, she asked in a small voice, "how long?"

Tom spent a few seconds of his own thinking about it. "Cameron did say they've been here since the beginning. Maybe they got something figured out."

"Tom. How long?"

He sighed. "I don't know. It's crazy to even be here at all. But Rachel, we can't just expect it won't work out. What's the point of living if we're not looking for somewhere to be safe?"

The items in Rachel's hands fell to the ground as she sobbed. Her hands shook as she turned to face her husband. "Tom. I can't keep doing it. If we stay here, we'll learn their names. And when they all die, we'll be alone again and I can't! I just can't!" Rachel felt the emotion boil in her like a volcano. It burst out suddenly in a wrenching cry that hurt her chest. Even as her body and mind surrendered to panic attack, Rachel tried to stay standing. "I can't!" The words had to be forced through a tightening throat.

Tom hurried over to Rachel and took her weight in his arms. She kept sobbing in hitches as he gently moved her to the soft bunk and helped sit her down. He crouched in front of her and took her shaking hands. "Rachel. We're safe. The walls are strong and we're going to be okay."

"How can you keep saying that? We're not safe Tom. We haven't been this whole time." It took her a while to get her thoughts into intelligible words. "You've said it so many times!"

"Yeah and through it all, we're still here. You and me, we keep going. You're strong enough to survive this world and we'll be okay for at least one more night. Don't you think so? If we can make it through this one, the next one will be right there."

"That's not it. We can survive and we have to keep all these people in our hearts. Tom. I can see them. Their faces and their eyes. And they all died and I can see that too. How can that be okay?"

Tom could not answer her. He tried to cover his own tears by gathering her in his arms. He checked his own memories of the people they met and was met with a sea of red. He slammed the door on those thoughts and tried not to let the past add more weight to his heart. It was hard losing people but that was a part of this life now. Tom could compartmentalize the loss and let numbness replace the pain.

Rachel and Tom spent the rest of the night cuddled together on their bunk. Neither of them slept deeply, being on edge and in a new place. They each spent the time in their memories or avoiding them and tried not to let the dispare close too harshly around their hearts.

Cameron sat down on his bunk and rolled his neck in an attempt to relax. He just got off from a watch shift and the compound bow always left him feeling stiff. He had to shake off a quick mental flash of his arrow flying into the face of something that used to be human. No matter how necessary it was to kill the infected, he still hated to do it. He could hear the humanity left in their pleas for food and it hurt him inside to think that they might be cured. Cameron knew that was not practical. Of course they did try to cure the virus but with so much distrust and fake information, too many people refused the vaccine. In the end, it did not matter. The vaccine just meant that for the first couple of months of this extreme variant, you were more likely to be a pile of bones than a walking corpse.

"Pretty quick council meeting."

Cameron closed his eyes for a moment, digging deep for some patience. He turned to the door and saw Kelsey leaning against the frame and looking stormy. "Yeah, there wasn't much to discuss."

"Right. Letting strangers eat our food and use our resources. No big deal."

"Kelsey. You know we need people for this to work. How do you think we got that food? You can't just go find it now. We need people to grow it and hunt it and farm it. Can you do all that?" Despite himself, Cameron was getting angry. This was an old argument between the two of them.

"Obviously we need that! But we grew that food for us! I remember the winter, dad. We barely survived! Now we have more people to feed."

"And more hands to help produce! Damn Kelsey. I don't know what you want. Are we supposed to just turn people away and never have children? We all just grow old and that's it for humanity?"

"We can build from the inside. We don't have to let strangers in to do that." Kelsey could not understand why he was so trusting. Maybe Tom and Rachel were alright but what if they wanted to hurt people? Or steal from them. "All I'm saying is, we just met them and they're already sleeping in our camp. It seems a little too fast."

"If we thought they were dangerous, we would take more precautions. As it turns out, we've got eyes on them. Kelsey, you should be more open to people. We can't do this alone."

Kelsey knew he would not budge. They have run this circuit before and have given all the ground they wish to give. "Okay." She turned away from his room. "Good night."

"Good night, Kel." Cameron sighed and laid back on his bed. Did she really think he was being so careless with their safety? They had a protocol for bringing in people, Tom and Rachel were not the first. This sudden aggressive stance against refugees felt very wrong to him but that's the thing about young women. When they get something in their head, it's like fighting fire with oil to talk them out of it. Especially his daughter who was so much like his own stubborn mother that it was eerie.