Chapter Four: Mrs Hood

Chapter Four

Mrs Hood

▬ Third Person- No one’s P.O.V ▬

     Thea practically flew towards the store entrance, flinging open the white plastic door to slam into something hard. Looking up she met the caramel eyes of Mark whose brother was by his side. 

     “What the hell happened?” he barked down at the woman. With wide eyes and no response, Thea spun around on the sport and started to sprint for the other wooden door. 

     “Electra,” Aaron caught on straight away, catching up with her as she flung the other wooden door open to meet the gaze of a man holding a shotgun in the ready position.

     “Dad!” Mark shouted in alarm pushing Thea and Aaron with his hands in front of him in a form of protection and surrender. 

     Automatically the man lowered his shotgun, squinting to study the three of them as Thea and Aaron came into his eye line yet again. Mr Hartford had aged terribly since the last time Thea had seen him, not one blonde hair could be seen on his head which was now thick with grey hair and the seventy eight years olds eyes had sunken in a lot. 

     “Kids?” he exclaimed in surprise speeding down the stairs to throw his arms around his youngest son as they all let out a breath of relief. 

     “Yes dad, it’s u-” Aaron smiled before cutting himself off and backing out of the hug. “Dad, please tell me you didn’t just kill a five foot eight brunette who just happened to waltz in here,” he pleaded.

     “He didn’t just kill a five foot nine brunette who just happened to waltz in here,” a voice came from the corner causing them all to snap their heads to see Electra sitting down in the corner behind them. “Hey,”

     “Oh thank God!” Thea exclaimed letting out a huge breath of relief before throwing herself at the older women who returned the hug. 

     “What can I say?” Mister Hartford said regrettably. “I have a trigger finger,” Mr Hartford said in some sort of an apology. Electra decided not to make a comment about trigger fingers running in the family as she was slumped down against the wall staring at the man. “Though I’ve always had terrible aim,” he admitted.

     “I’m glad,” Electra breathed heavily. “Otherwise I would have probably gotten shot,” she stated.  “I nearly shot you too,”  Electra admitted looking Mr Hartford in the eye for the first time.

     “I’m so sorry,” Mr Hartford said apologetically. 

     “It’s fine,” Electra smiled. “I’m fine, however I can’t say the same about my jacket,” she raised her arm showing where the bullet had just passed by her, making a tear in her jacket. She glanced to where Thea and Mark who were staring at her arm for too long. “What?” she furrowed her eyebrows before taking a good look at it herself. “Oh,”

     “Let me take a look at that,” Aaron approached her and helped her to feet before taking her jacket off and taking hold of her arm. Electra rolled her eyes but didn’t say a word as he examined her arm. “It’s nothing just a graze,” Aaron stated.

     “Just dodged it,” Mr Hartford commented. “Lucky little thing,” 

     “Unlucky more luck,” she snorted involuntarily. “Who else gets the car there in totalled, dislocates their shoulder, gets attacked by roamers twice and shot at in a course of under seventy eight hours?” she cocked an eyebrow at Aaron before he released her arm.

     “I’m really sorry…….erm…..” Mr Hartford searched for a name.

     “Electra,” Electra said offering him her hand.

     “Electra,” he finished. “I’m David Hartman,” he gripped her hand firmly and shook it before turning back towards where Thea and Mark were standing. “Son,” he said and held his arms out to Mark who hugged him coolly. 

     “Thea,” David turned to Thea and wrapped his arms around her in a friendly hug. 

     “Hello David,” Thea said as she backed out of the hug. 

     “Come on up,”

     David led the four of them up the wooden staircase and into the large room that made up the whole second storey of the store. The room was full of chaos, boxes and furniture looked as if they had been dumped there rather than placed, papers and books scattered across the wooden floor aimlessly, a couch was placed facing the fireplace on the far wall and somebody was on it.

     “ If I knew we were going to have visitors I woulda cleaned up,” the corners of David’s aged face pulled up into a soft smile. 

     “David?” a females voice erupted from the couch causing David to rush over to the couch and sit down on it, looking sideways at the figure. 

     “Yes?”

     “Visitors?” she questioned. “Did you just say visitors?” the voice sounded aimless as Thea, Mark, Electra and Aaron approached the couch as David silently beckoned them. 

     The voices belonged to a woman about ten years older than David with eyes the same shades as Marks hidden behind her think pure white hair. 

     “Hello Mom,” Mark cracked into a smile and crouched down and wrapped his arms around the frail women as she did the same. 

     “Mark?” she said before another pair of arms wrapped around her at the same time. “Aaron?” she asked before they knelt down in front of her.  

     “Yes,” said the boys before Mark dropped a kiss on the woman’s forehead and Thea dropped a kiss on her two cheeks and knelt down in the middle of the boys.

     “Thea?” 

     “Yes,” Thea replied with a smile. 

     “Awe, I’m so glad you’re all okay,” the woman said looking at the gap between Thea and Mark which was next to where Electra was standing. Electra narrowed her eyes in confusion before she made the realisation- Mrs Hartman was blind. Electra fidgeted with the end of her jacket feeling like the odd one out in this touching family scene before letting out a little sneeze.

     “Bless you dear,” Mrs Hartman said.

     “Thank you,” Electra smiled gratefully despite the fact that she knew Mrs Hartman would be unable to see it. 

     “Oh yeah,” Aaron got on his feet and wandered towards Electra. “Mom, this is Electra,” he smiled gently pushing Electra forward causing Electra’s eyebrows to shoot skyward in confusion. 

     “H-Hi?”

     “Come closer dear, let me get a look at you,” Mrs Hartman said causing Electra to shuffle forwards awkwardly before dropping to her knees in front of the woman. Mrs Hartman’s hand reached out for her face and began to trace it lightly with her fingertips. “Pretty,” Mrs Hartman commented causing a faint blush to rise to her cheeks. “Soft hair, what colour/” Mrs Hartman enquired as her hands ran through Electra’s hair.

     “Brown,” Electra answered closing her eyes before Mrs Hartman’s thumbs traced my eyelids. 

     “And your eyes?” she asked.

     “One brown, one lilac,” Electra replied. 

     “Ahh….my little brother Scotty had eyes like that, but his were least eye catching I expect, one was turquoise and one baby blue,” Mrs Hartman reminisced causing Electra to smile. “It’s nice to meet you Electra,” she smiled.    

     “It’s nice to meet you too Mrs Hartman,” Electra said pleasantly.

     “Ingrid,”

     “Ingrid,” she corrected herself. 

     “So you’re Mark’s girl, eh?” Ingrid asked causing both Electra’s and Mark’s eyes to widen as Electra struggled not to snort. 

     “No,” Electra answered immediately. “I only just met your two sons and Thea,” Electra explained getting up off of her knees.

     “You’re British,” 

     “No mam,” Electra said, her southern accent overpowering her slightly English sounding accent. “Born and raised in old Georgia,” she said before her eyes drifted off in another direction. “Erm….”  She trailed off. “I’m sorry, do you mind if I-?” she jerked her thumb in the direction of the computer. 

     “Go ahead,” David said causing her to rush over and take a seat in front of the desktop. “It hasn’t been used in ages,” David stated as Electra blew the dust of off the keyboard and sneezed. 

     “Yeah, I noticed,” Electra stated leaning over to press the on button. Much to her surprise it loaded almost instantly, her eyes automatically going to the bottom right hand corner widening in shock before she immediately hovered the curser over chrome and double clicked. 

     “There’s internet connection?” Mark’s eyebrows raised in shock, not attempting to hide the happiness in his voice as he squatted down beside where she was sitting.    

     “Signal’s weak but, it’s a signal,” Electra grinned down at him as everyone else cheered and Aaron and Thea hugged in celebration. “Finally we’ll get to see what on earth is happening else-” Suddenly it went completely dark. 

     “Oh COME ON!!” growled Mark as he slammed his hand right into the desktop. 

     “-where,” Electra finished in the darkness. “God-dammit,” she spat calmly getting on her feet. 

     “I guess the powers been cut,” David said calmly. A few footsteps afterwards a bright light flashed in Electra’s face causing her to squint and curse. “Here,” he threw the flashlight to her. “We’ve got three, so we have to partner up,” he stated throwing one to Thea and keeping one for himself.

     “How much battery life do these things have?” Thea enquired as she flashed the flashlight she had been thrown on at the same time as David did his.

     “An hour…. maybe two if we’re lucky?” David guessed. 

     “Well we better get going then,” Electra stated twirling her flashlight before strolling towards the door casually. 

     “Erm…” Thea started taking a step after her. “Where exactly do you think you’re going?” she questioned taking another step after her. 

     “Well someone needs to see whether anywhere else in this God-forsaken place has any power and round up some supplies from that store Aaron was talking about earlier,” Electra said as she stood on the spot looking at them over her shoulder. 

     “You’re not going alone,” Aaron stated taking a step forwards. 

     “Wasn’t intending too,” Electra smirked tucking a strand of hair away from her face before chucking him her torch. “Don’t worry Thea, Mark, Mr and Mrs Hartman it’s a quiet place as you said before. I’ll bring him back to you in good condition,” she said to Thea with a serious nod. “Come on partner,” she said to Aaron cocking her head towards the door before skipping out of the room and running down the stairs. 

     “I’ll be back in no time,” Aaron promised Thea as she cupped his cheek in her hand. “I promise,” he said leaning down and planting a kiss on the tip of her nose before running down the stairs herself. 

     “Bye….” Thea said aimlessly to where he had been standing. 

     “He’ll be fine,”

     ////

     “I don’t know how you do it,” Aaron stated illuminating the way to the sweet store door for himself and Electra who was in front of him. 

     “Do what?” Electra asked without a turn of her head. 

     “You seems so…laid-back….relaxed,” Aaron observed. “I could never be like that in the real world, never mind this one,” he admitted.

     “Well that makes two of us,” Electra  said causing confusion to cross Mark’s face. “I don’t know what is making me act like this, maybe it’s the adrenaline, drugs or the fact that I’m still secretly hoping this is all some messed up dream that I’m having on the plane,” she glanced down at the floor.

     “Trust me when I say this- We all are hoping it’s a dream,” Aaron told her causing her to raise her eye line to him and smile before her eye line trailed off to something behind him.

     “Are those Reese’s?” she asked as disbelief and hunger passed through her eyes as he squinted his and chuckled as he turned around. “Sorry, it’s just nothing can compare to Reese’s and they don’t have them in England so I haven’t seen one since I was twenty,” she ran a hand through her hair laughing at her reaction.

     “Here,” Aaron said holding out a bar to her. “Have it,” he smiled. “On the house,” 

     “Naw,” she shook her head. “I’ll have it when we get back,” she smirked causing him to throw it back into the cardboard box.  “Speaking of, we better get a move on,” 

     “Does this mean, we still have to go with her to Kings County?” Mark asked as he paced up and down the room using the unusually big red rug as his guide line. 

     “Kings County?” Ingrid asked absent mindedly from the couch as her eyebrows shot skyward.

     “Yes of course it does!” Thea snapped at Mark. “I honestly can’t believe you. I knew you were an ass hole but I never thought you were an ungrateful one!” Mark didn’t look surprised by the brunettes outburst but the same couldn’t be said for David nor Ingrid. “She saved you and your brother’s life!” she ignored the looks that David was giving her. 

     “You done?” Mark asked with a raised eyebrow. 

     “Yes,” Thea said crossing her arms over her chest. 

     “Just because she saved mine and my brother’s life doesn’t make her an angel. It doesn’t even mean I have to like her. It’s not the actions that do it for me sweetheart it’s the meaning and reasons behind them,” Mark responded level-headedly. “No one would do what this ‘Electra’ did unless they wanted something in return. Aka. A way to get her brother. God knows you aren’t exactly the kind of person who could get her back if she was attacked. She needed to save me and Mark so she could get her ass to Kings County,” Mark stated. “I am trying to protect Mark and you, believe it or not!” he hissed.

     “She hasn’t done anything to make you suspect that!” 

     “Well I for  one don’t trust her and have no intention too,” Mark sneered. “So excuse me whilst I join them both to make sure my brother comes back unscathed, if you had any brains at all you would come with me too,” Mark said harshly before slamming the door.

     ////

     “Nope, no luck,” Aaron said as he flicked the switch off and on several times before giving up and returning to where Electra was searching through a box blindly. 

     “Thanks,” Electra stated as Aaron shined his light over the box of gun holsters. “God, I can’t believe they are no holsters in this store,” she puffed red-faced by the time she had searched the whole store looking at Aaron. 

     “Well, that’s not necessarily true is it sweetheart?” a voice come from behind Electra but the words seemed to turn into one as she spun around on the spot and dug the top of her gun into a forehead. 

     “Jesus Christ Mark1” Electra shouted at the man. “I could have blown your freakin’ brains out,” she growled at him as she put her gun down to her side. 

     “Well hello to you to Electra,” Mark mocked her rolling her eyes. 

     “Mark!” Aaron exclaimed fury in her eyes. “I thought I told you to stay at the sweet store!” he growled at his older brother.

     “I don’t ever recall ever agreeing to that,” Mark said calmly.

     “As if it’s bad enough that you’re down here by yourself you-” Aaron began before a figure emerged from behind Mark into plain sight. “You brought Thea along with you,” Aaron sighed putting both hands on his hips shaking his head as Thea looked guilty. 

     “I didn’t bring Thea along with me, she brought herself,” Mark rolled her eyes. 

     “Who’s next?” he asked Mark. “Dad?! Mom?! Are you there too?!”he shouted out into the empty camping store looking behind Mark and Thea. 

     “Aaron!” Thea hissed. “For God’s sake keep your voice down!”  she pleaded.

     “Well, I thought you could use help hauling these boxes,” Mark shrugged. “They look hella heavy and Electra here don’t look too strong,” Mark smirked as he circled Electra studying her. 

     “Oh yeah?” Electra cocked an eyebrow at him. “Well I’m sure strong enough to-” Electra’s voice raised before Thea shushed her. 

     “Look. We thought you two might have needed some help, okay? That obviously was  mistake on our part, but we’re here now so we may as well make ourselves useful,” Thea said reasonably. 

     “Thea,” Mark cracked a smile. “My sweet little innocent Thea…” he said causing Mark to roll his eyes. “Since when did you become so strong,” he brought his lips to hers briefly. “Of course you two can help,”

▬ First Person- Mark’s P.O.V ▬

     “Here,” Electra caught the holster at the last instant before looking up at me through her dark eyelashes throwing me a look of disgust. 

     “An upper thigh holster?” she sneered taking a break from packing her box as Thea was sorting through her own beside her. 

     “Yeah, you were moaning about how there were no holsters in this shop when we came in,” I shot back at her causing her to roll her eyes.

     “Thanks, this will come in handy when I cosplay as Lara Croft,” she mocked throwing it into Thea’s box. 

     “You even know how to use that, Miss Hood?” I questioned nodding to her shoulders, looped through her left shoulder was a beautifully hand crafted wooden bow and looped through her right shoulder was a quiver full of arrows. 

     “No, of course not. I just thought ‘Hey, it’s a zombie apocalypse this will be a good time to take up archery,’” she stated, as glared at her. “Hunter for a dad remember?” she asked fumbling through her box. “What did you even do in the real world? An army guy or summin?” I laughed at her.  

     “Naw, office job,” I said simply.

     “How interesting!” she exclaimed unenthusiastically. 

     “Well, not everyone can be a zoologist like you,” Thea shrugged looking up from her box to meet Electra’s eyes. “I was the new English teacher at the local high school,” 

     “The doctor and the English teacher,” Electra breathed with a grin. 

     “What a pair,” 

     “How did you and him meet?” Electra jerked her head in Aarons direction.

     “Not the slightest bit romantically, I’ll tell you that much,” Thea laughed. 

     “She drove straight into my nice new shiny red two thousand and nine Dodge Challenger,” Aaron shouted from his spot causing Thea to look embarrassed. 

      “It was an accident,” Thea insisted looking sideways at Electra who was laughing. 

     “Mmmhmm,” Aaron smirked. “I reckon she was too distracted by my ‘oh-so-dashing’ good looks,” Aaron teased his little fiancé. 

     “Oh shush you!” Thea stuck her tongue out at him. “My box is done,” she stated pushing down the cardboard flaps on top of the box. 

    “Mine too,” Electra drummed her fingers on her plastic box. 

     “About time,” I muttered under my breath before stepping forward with my arms out. “Give them here,” but as I was going to take them Electra picked up her box and stepped back. 

     “Nu-uh-uh,” she stopped. “I’m perfectly capable of doing it myself actually Mark,” she stated. 

     “Fine then,” I turned to Thea. “Come on then,” I went to grab her box but then she lifted it up too. “You have got to be kidding me,” I rolled my eyes. 

     “These are the light boxes, I could probably take both of them,” Thea stated with a determined look in her eyes. “We’re just taking our boxes to the freight-liner sweetheart!” she shouted so Aaron could hear from the office. 

     “Okay!” Aaron shouted back. 

     “Don’t have too much fun without us,” Electra threw me a wink before pushing the doors open.

►►►

   

▬ First Person- Electra’s P.O.V ▬

     “I know you think I’m useless,” 

     “Excuse me?” I raised any eyebrow at her. I didn’t think she was useless, she pretty much saved my life, why would she think I thought she was useless?

     “It’s okay, Mark and Aaron do too,” she assured me with a small smile. 

     “You’re not useless,” I said dismissively. 

     “It’s alright, I know I am,” she said looking away from my face. 

     “You’re not useless Thea,” I stated stepping in front of her boring my eyes into hers. “No-one thinks you’re useless but you,” 

     “But I am! Because let’s face it, we all know if anyone’s going to die in a roamer attack- it’s me,” her voice wobbled slightly. I opened my mouth to talk but she cut me off. “You, Mark, Aaron. You know how to protect yourself. Me? I don’t have the slightest clue. I’m the weak link,” 

     “No you’re not,” I snapped at her. “There is no weak link Thea, there’s us and them. You think all the other survivors know how to defend themselves? Protect themselves?” I asked her. “None, and you know what I think?” I asked her again. “I think that we are extremely lucky to have the people we have, you are a fantastic getaway driver have I told you that? You don’t even need to know how to defend yourself, you’re tiny and quick you could probably dive in between a roamers legs and get unscathed so don’t you ever say something like that to me again, all right?” 

     “Thanks Electra,” she said causing me to get out of her way and walk beside her. 

     “Anytime,” I tightened my grip on my box. 

     “So-” Thea started. My head snapped to the right as I heard it. That awful monotone moan which could only come from one thing- a roamer. 

     “Is that a-” Thea began to ask. 

     “Roamer?” I finished for her. “Yeah, Mr Hartman’s gunshot must have drawn its attention,” I said as calmly as I can manage. “We should probably get a move on, it’s only one but God knows how many that could be hiding here,” I advised beginning to walk as quickly as I could. 

     Bang. 

     “Oh God,” 

     “Why the hell would they risk a gunshot for one roamer?” Thea asked urgently as I stopped. 

     “They wouldn’t,” I stated simply dropping the box by my feet at the same time as Thea before reaching for my gun as Thea gripped my other hand.  

     “Be careful,” she said opening the freight-liner to put her box in. Before I turned away and began to loosen my grip on her hand I felt myself being pulled into the freight-liner before hearing the metallic bang of the door being pulled shut and locked from the outside. I had fallen on my hands and knees and was frozen, Thea beside me had fallen was she was lying down on her side. 

     Creak

     With a growl I sprang to my feet and turned in one swift motion before pouncing on my kidnapper forcing us both to the floor with me straddling him giving him the most threatening look I could give him as I gripped the collar of his shirt with both of hands. 

     “Let us go!” I shouted down at him. 

     Thea was screaming, banging her hands against the freightliner door. “AARON! AROOOOON!” Thea yelled between her sobs. “LET ME OUT!” she shouted over the gun fire outside. “LET ME OUT! LET ME OUT! AROOOOOOON!!!!” Then I heard the door to the drivers compartment slam shut before the freight-liner jolted forward. 

     “Let. Us. Out.” I demanded reaching for my gun and pressing it into his forehead startling him and causing him to whimper. 

     “I can’t, okay?” 

     “What do you mean you can’t?!” I growled at him. 

     “You heard the moans! That city belongs to the dead now!” 

     “Please,” I whispered after closing my eyes and taking a deep breath in. “We were two men, if there’s a chance that they’re still alive, you need to let us go,” I pleaded him softly my eyes boring into his.

     “AAROOOOON!” 

     “Two blond men, kinda look related?” a deeper voice came from the drivers compartment causing my head to snap up and Thea to stop banging on the door. 

     “YES!” she shouted pushing her body up against the wall of metal between her and the drivers compartment. “ONE’S MY FIANCÉ, AARON-”

     “I-I’m so sorry,” the voice said. 

     “What do you mean you’re sorry?” I asked.

     “I….I saw them go down,”