Where We Go | Book Three

14. Maniacs In Helicopters

My head turned as I stood. The smoke had settled now, being pulled away by the wind that blew our hair. 

I looked at the woman who stood in front of us, immediately trying to read her. She wore a long, dark coat and heavy black boots. A pair of black leather gloves covered her hands as she shifted her gun to the holster against her thigh. Clearly, we weren't a threat to her. 

Though still, no flicker of recognition tugged in my mind. She wasn't from Carnelian and hadn't come from EDIN either.

Stepping forward, she wrapped her arms around Ben's neck. Chris and I looked at each other. His face was still pale as we exchanged suspicious glances. The moment between the pair was brief as Ben pulled away, holding her at arm's length.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, furrowing his brows as his body shifted. There was recognition in his voice but something about his nervous demeanour that almost wished he didn't.

"I could ask you the same question," she replied. "It's good to see you're still alive... just about."

Chris cleared his throat loudly. "Ben?"

"Oh!" he flustered as his eyes widened. "Guys, this is Lucy. Luce, this is Em, Chris, and Pilot."

"You two know each other?" Chris asked, gesturing between them.

"Yeah..." he nodded. "It's been a long time..." he added, scratching the back of his neck where his hair was starting to get longer.

"We dated a couple of years ago," Lucy clarified. "Back in school."

"She's your ex?" Chris pressed, looking to Ben for confirmation.

"Yeah."

Chris choked on a breath and looked at me as he coughed.

"Huh," I raised my brows. "Small world."

"It was school. I barely remember it..." She smiled as if it were nearly as uncomfortable for her as it was for the rest of us. "Is this your whole group?"

"There's two more of us in the house," Pilot joined in. "We were here looking for supplies."

The first of many lies.

Her gaze wandered the houses. "Find anything?"

"If a herd counts then yes," Ben said.

Lucy laughed. "You're welcome for saving you. Where are you based?"

"Nowhere anymore," Chris replied. "Our camp got blown to pieces by some maniacs in helicopters."

She scowled, cocking her head. "You mean GUN?" The three of us exchanged looks. She had spoken the words so casually like it wasn't the first time that name had come from her lips. "Was your camp overrun with Infected?" she continued. "That's the only reason they'd do something like that."

Pilot stepped forward, holstering his blade. "You know who they are?" he questioned. "Have you spoken to them?"

Lucy nodded, shrugging her shoulders. "They stop by sometimes when they're planning on dropping smoke to give us the heads up."

"Smoke?" I scowled.

"Yeah..." she seemed caught off guard by the attention suddenly on her. "They drop smoke on certain areas to clear out the Infected... It kills them but doesn't affect us."

"They dropped real bombs on the place," Chris said simply. "Not smoke."

She lifted her shoulders again. "Like I said, if your camp was overrun with Infected, they've been known to do that. It's the easiest way of clearing them out."