Bab 8: Exploration
Half a day had passed since the fight between Mel and Owen. The group now sat in a dusty room, silently eating the rations Elliot had "found." Of course, he knew there was nothing random about those rations, but he had strategically distributed them, making sure they seemed like a welcome miracle amidst their misery.
In front of him, a plate of canned chicken and rice sat on a makeshift box as a table. It was cold, like everything they had eaten in months, but it had flavor, and that was already a luxury. Elliot took a spoonful to his mouth, feeling a strange mix of satisfaction and nostalgia. Not bad, he thought as he watched the others eat with the same restrained enthusiasm. It's the most decent food I've had in months.
"Good," Abby said, breaking the silence as she set her plate aside. Her tone was firm, authoritative, and it immediately caught everyone's attention. "If we're going to stay here for a couple of days, we need to get supplies. We can't keep going like this," she added, gesturing around the room as if to underline the precariousness of their situation.
Everyone stared at her in silence, their expressions ranging from apathy to wary attention. Abby reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a large piece of paper, folded in several parts. "While we were exploring, we found a map of the town," she said, carefully unfolding it. The paper was wrinkled and dirty, but still legible. "We marked the important points that might be useful."
She opened the map fully and placed it on a makeshift table, calling for the others to come closer. Elliot stood, carrying his plate with him as he looked at the map curiously.
"Good," Abby continued, pointing out several points marked on the paper with a red pen. "We have a medical center here. It's probably already been looted, but there might be something useful left if we search hard enough. Here's the police station. Maybe we'll find some weapons or ammo, though it won't be easy to get into without risking ourselves."
He moved his finger to another point further away. "These houses are on the outskirts of town. They might have been overlooked by looters if we're lucky." Then he pointed to two nearby spots. "And here are two supermarkets. One is in the center, making it riskier, and the other is almost at the edge of town. Less accessible, but perhaps less looted."
The room fell silent as everyone studied the map. It was clear that while most of these places were tempting, they also posed considerable risks. No one wanted to be the first to speak.
Elliot leaned a little closer over the map, his gaze scanning the marked spots as he continued to eat slowly. It's a solid plan, but everyone is waiting for someone else to take the lead.
"We need to organize ourselves into groups," Abby finally said, breaking the tension. "Two or three people per group. We can't afford any more fights or distractions." Her gaze briefly rested on Owen and Mel before she continued, her tone firmer. "If we follow instructions, we'll come back with something useful. If not, we'll be in an even worse situation."
Elliot swallowed a final spoonful of cold rice and set his plate aside. This could be interesting.
"Since Owen and I are already out, it's the others' turn this time," Abby said, her tone determined as her gaze swept the group. Her words caused a few tense exchanges of glances, but no one dared question her out loud.
"You'll split into three groups," she continued, her voice firm as if she was already giving out orders. "Manny and Nora will be the first group. The second will consist of Jordan, Nick, and Leah. The third group will be Elliot and Mel."
Abby emphasized this last group with a direct look at Elliot, one that didn't go unnoticed by him. Her eyes looked calculating, almost like she was enjoying the moment. Sure, she wants to get rid of everyone else so she can be alone with Owen, Elliot thought with an internal smirk. A fucking bitch who would do anything to fuck him.
"This will be interesting," Elliot finally muttered, his tone light as he shot a glance at Mel.
She had a slight frown on her face, her expression betraying a hint of displeasure, but when her eyes met Elliot's, something in his countenance changed. His face softened, and a slight hint of calm crossed his gaze. Elliot couldn't help but let his smile widen. You know you like this, Mel.
"The first group will go to one of the supermarkets in town," Abby continued, pointing at the map with her steady finger. "The second group will head to the police station, here," she added, moving her finger to another spot. "And the third group will go to the houses on the outskirts. They're likely to be untouched due to their remoteness."
"Does it matter if we take more than a day?" Elliot asked in a disinterested tone, as if he were talking about the weather.
Abby looked at him with a mix of impatience and disdain. "You do what you want," she snapped, her tone cutting as her eyes sharpened as she looked at him.
Elliot let out a short, mocking laugh, leaning forward slightly. "How nice," he replied, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
The tension in the room was palpable, but no one said anything. Manny raised an eyebrow, but remained focused on the map, while the others avoided any direct eye contact.
Elliot enjoyed the air laden with awkwardness. Let Abby play the perfect leader. This will only make her downfall more entertaining.
As he stood up to approach the map and check the points more closely, he cast one last glance at Mel, who was now absorbed in her own thoughts. Come on, gorgeous. It'll just be you and me. Let's see how far we can take this.
It wasn't long before the groups were silently saying goodbye, moving on their separate ways in the morning gloom. Each step was careful, calculated, to avoid drawing the attention of the infected that might lurk around every corner.
Elliot and Mel chose the routes less traveled, zigzagging through narrow alleys and avoiding the main streets. Their breathing remained low, their movements synchronized, but there wasn't much to say... until Mel broke the silence.
"So, how are you?" she asked finally, her voice soft but cheerful, accompanied by a smile that brightened the moment.
Elliot glanced at her from the corner of his eye as he loaded his bolt-action rifle, his expression turning playful. "Here, walking with the most beautiful girl in the group," he replied with a wink, letting his words hang in the air.
Mel rolled her eyes, but her smile remained. "Not that, silly. I mean..." she paused, the slight blush on her cheeks betraying her. "About last night."
Elliot let out a laugh, the sound low and carefree as he continued walking. "You want to know the truth? I've wanted to do it with you for months," he said, without a shred of shame. His words were direct, raw. "Fuck, Mel, I've wanted you for so long. Last night was the best fucking fuck of my life."
Mel stopped abruptly, her eyes widening as heat rose to her face. Before she could respond, Elliot seized the moment, turning to her and catching her by the waist. He caught her off guard, his hands firm but careful as he pulled her to him, closing the distance between their bodies until there was practically no space.
"Elliot?" she whispered, her voice shaky, though there was no reproach in her tone.
"What's wrong, precious?" he murmured against her ear, letting his warm breath brush her skin. His hands moved firmly, one staying on her waist while the other traced a slow line up her hip, caressing her with a mix of tenderness and possession.
Mel felt her body respond instantly, a shiver running through her as heat began to build between her legs. Damn, Elliot... she thought as her lips parted in a futile attempt to find words.
"You don't know how fucking sexy you are when you do that," Elliot continued, his voice husky, laden with palpable desire. "That look in your eyes, that way you bit your lip just now. Mel, you're like a fucking magnet for my cock. Do you know what you do to me?"
Mel closed her eyes for a second, trying to regain her composure, but it was no use. Elliot's closeness, the tone of his voice, and the way his fingers traced slow, hot circles on her hip were driving her crazy. She could feel the moisture pooling in her underwear, his body betraying her without any shame.
"Please, Elliot," she finally whispered, her voice cracking, barely a gasp. "We're on the street..."
"So what?" he replied with a sly smile, bringing his lips closer to hers without actually touching them. "That just makes it more fucking exciting, don't you think? Knowing that we could be found out, that someone could see how slutty you are for me with just one touch."
Mel moaned softly, pressing her hands against Elliot's chest as if trying to stop him, but all she succeeded in doing was causing him to press his hips even harder against hers. "God, Elliot…" she gasped, unable to deny how much she wanted him right then.
Elliot let out a low chuckle, one that vibrated between them both. "Easy, gorgeous," he murmured as his hand dipped dangerously close to her ass. "This is just a warm-up. I want you completely wet by the time we finish this mission. And trust me, I'm going to know."
Mel looked up at him, her eyes clouded with desire as she tried to process his words. He always knew how to take my breath away, she thought, biting her lip again as her hips, almost instinctively, moved slightly against him.
Elliot took a step back, letting the tension between them hang in the air. "Come on, gorgeous," he said with a crooked smile, picking up the rifle. "We've got houses to loot and a night to end."
Mel followed, her legs shaking and her heart racing.
[Mel's affection and fondness for you have increased to 60%, so the points earned are multiplied x6.]
The system window suddenly appeared, floating in his field of vision with that blue glow that was beginning to look so familiar. Elliot let out a low laugh, satisfied by the obvious progress. 60%. Damn, this is going better than he expected.
The next thought hit him, though: the points wouldn't just come from Mel's improved affection. He'd have to fuck her again to claim them. That simple fact made him smirk, a self-satisfied smile. More reasons to have her again. It's not like that was hard.
Part of his success, he knew, came from the new attraction skill. Though it was only at level 1, the effect was already noticeable. Mel responded to him in ways he wouldn't have imagined possible before. She likes the way I am with her. The blatant flirting, the confidence... even the sarcasm melts her.
Elliot couldn't deny that there was something surreal about the situation. Weeks ago, Mel was Owen's untouchable girlfriend, an unattainable figure who barely spoke to him. Now, she was trapped in his orbit, reacting to every word and gesture as if she couldn't help it. It seems we've become more than just bandmates. A damn couple, almost.
As he continued to walk behind Mel, his gaze lingered on the natural sway of her hips, the hypnotic movement that made him harden just by watching her. She turned her head to look at him over her shoulder, her coy smile making something in him turn on even more.
"Fuck, system," he muttered to himself as he let the window disappear. This is almost too good to be true. But he knew he couldn't get too complacent. The points would only come if he managed to sleep with Mel again, and while she seemed more than willing, he couldn't let anything get in the way.
Elliot let out a low sigh, but his smile didn't fade. For now, it's clear that Mel is mine. And when we do it again, those points are going to be mine too. There's no way Owen can even imagine what's going on here.
End Of Chapter 8.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone