Chapter 1
Jack stretched his limbs as he walked out. He had gone to bed last night, well in the morning after his shift, but that was normal.
“Good afternoon Jack, lunch?” A woman asked him.
He looked down at her and nodded his head as he sighed inwardly.
As he made his way to the tables, he was greeted by everyone who passed him. Jack was a hero in this apocalyptic world and saved many of the people living in the town. They barricaded and grew with a man called Sylvester Common which they now refer to him as the mayor or leader of this place.
Sitting down at the tables, he waited for his plate of food. They were well off if you would put it that way, but getting the animals to not die was tormenting in a way. At least that wasn’t his job. He just heard about it.
“Here’s your lunch, and the boss wants to see you,” she said.
“Thank you, Balinda.”
He was given a full plate of food, of course. Eggs, sausage, vegetables and fruit.
It’s been seven years since the world rushed into chaos and three years of the town being established.
*
He knocked on Sylvester’s office door, then listened closely. This man had a woman inside with him and they were, well, you could guess it.
A few minutes later, the door swung open and Sylvester was shirtless and sweaty.
Jack looked at him unamused and asked, “You called for me?”
“Want to come inside?” He asked.
Jack reluctantly walked in and tried his best not to cover his nose from the smell.
“I called you here to discuss something,” he said as he walked back to his bedroom and hurried the girl out.
As she ran out past him, Jack frowned inwardly. He turned back to his friend and asked, “How old is this one?”
“Does it matter with the state we are in? She wanted to say thank you for saving her,” he said as he sat down and lit a cigar.
Jack sat opposite him on the couch, saying, “I was under the impression that Michael saved her.”
Sylvester raised a brow at his friend and sighed. “We’re running out of supplies and, as you know, the surrounding houses and stores are empty. I need you and the others to travel out of town to search for food for us, but I understand if you aren’t up to the task.”
Jack had figured a while back that being the mayor of the town had gone to his head. As you saw before, he was even sleeping with children the same age as his daughter.
“Is there enough gas?” Jack asked.
Sylvester nodded his head with a smile. “Yes, enough for you to travel through the country and back.”
Jack nodded. “Where am I going?”
“North. And take Ashton with you for backup,” he said.
Jack scoffed. Standing up, he said, “I don’t need a trainee as backup. Send him with someone else.”
Sylvester tilted his head to the side and asked, “Why?”
“Peace of mind? And don’t you need more hands protecting the town? We’re attracting too much attention from the dead.” Jack asked.
Sylvester nodded as he thought about it. He suggested Ashton went with because he was dating his daughter and he wanted him dead, especially after he caught them fucking.
“I’ll send him with someone else. When do you think you’ll be leaving?” He asked.
“Tomorrow afternoon, at the latest,” he answered, putting his hands in his pocket.
Sylvester stood up. He patted Jack on the shoulder, saying, “You should lighten up. We don’t know when we are going to die.”
Forcing a smile, Jack said, “Let me get my things. Can you ask the boys to prepare my jeep and some ammunition?”
He nodded his head.
Jack went on his rounds and let the others know he was leaving. A woman walked up to his home in the evening and knocked on the door.
He opened it and looked at her surprised, “Jeanette?”
She smiled as she walked in. “I heard you are leaving. Why aren’t you taking anyone with you? It’s dangerous out there with the undead walking around.”
Jack chuckled as he led her to the living room, where everything was laid out. He got onto his knees and started folding his clothes for the week that he was going to be away, saying, “Your worry is bruising my ego. I hope you haven’t forgotten that I took care of all the undead after you.”
She smiled, embarrassed, and sat down on the couch. She watched him as he got everything ready and asked, “Do you need help?”
He shook his head. “Everything is almost done. Speaking of which, did you want something from me?”
Jeanette had a crush on her saviour. But him? Even after asking all around, she couldn’t understand why he wasn’t acting like men did. Bedding women they saved left and right, even the mayor did that and he never left.
He looked up at her and saw that she was nervous. He raised a brow and sat down beside her. Taking her hand in his, he asked, “Is someone harassing you?”
She chuckled and shook her head, “No, but I do wish you were.”
He pulled his hand from hers and looked at her confused, “What do you mean?”
Jeanette placed her hand on his thigh and rubbed it.
Jack looked down at her hand and knew what she meant. He moved her hand away and stood up. “Jeanette.”
“I know, but you’re a man. Don’t you at least feel the need to release the tension stored in your body?” She asked.
He looked at her and said, “I know and I do, but have you seen what is happening around us? I can’t relax. It’s also hard to sleep at night.”
She stood up, saying, “You’re safe inside, don’t you know that?”
He sighed and said as he placed his hand on her shoulder, “I know we are safe and that’s because I make sure that nothing happens to anyone.”
“Thank you for thinking of me, but I have to finish here,” he said.
Jeanette left, feeling disheartened. She had hoped that if she told him he’d accept her, but now she was suspecting what others did, he might just be interested in the same sex.
But that was not true.
Jack knew they thought he was gay and let it be. Clearing up the rumours would mean that he’d actually have to sleep with someone, but how could he when he couldn’t get hard?
