Page 13 of Her Shadow

“Is that a threat or a promise? Either way, I’m in.”

“You know what? You come across all sweet and polite, but really, you know exactly what you want,” Sam teased, brushing her fingers over Kara’s shoulder.

“I do know what I want. You. I can’t wait to show you our sleeping arrangements. When's the last time you slept in a room, in a proper bed with real bedding? Oh, and with a total hottie.” Kara bit her lip.

“I think I’m about ready to find out. Lead the way, will you?” Sam smirked as she held out her hand.

5

KARA

Kara stood at the entrance to her cabin and looked out onto the pulsing life of the community in the daylight. At least half a dozen people were putting together another makeshift gate for the east side of the perimeter fence. It seemed to be cobbled together from reclaimed wood and reinforced with scrap metal. Like the others, it would mark the threshold between the chaotic world outside and what Kara had come to think of as the fragile safety within.

Jeez, I missed this place. The hard work. The community. A real fucking bed.

Next to her, Sam shifted from one foot to another. Kara immediately recognized this as a sign of anxiousness. She hadn’t known Sam for long, but she could read her body language like a book. She turned her head and noted the blend of excitement and apprehension.

“Ready for the grand tour?” Kara asked, nudging Sam gently with her elbow.

“I think so. Sure. Let’s do it,” Sam replied, but Kara could hear the slight tremor in her voice.

As they walked across the central courtyard, Kara felt the familiar warmth of the fort envelop her. As a lifelong vegetarian, she didn’t want to admit that the scent of bacon simmering in the fort’s makeshift stone ovens smelled insanely delicious. The distant sound of laughter added to the homely atmosphere, but Kara knew that not everyone would embrace her return and the fact that she had brought Sam back rather than those she had left with. She had had to make a quick visit to the outdoor latrine in the middle of the night and had heard the whispers of a couple of teenage girls as she’d walked past them. Their wary glances told her everything she needed to know. She wasn’t trusted. Not by everyone. It felt like starting over.

“Okay, Sam. I say we start with the basics here. What do you reckon?” Kara said, beckoning for the hesitant Sam to come a little closer. “So, this is where we were last night. It kinda looks different in the daylight. We have different names for it. The yard, the courtyard, the common area… It’s basically where we all meet up to eat and share news. You don’t have to eat here. Everyone’s free to eat in their cabins, or not to eat…or whatever. But I like coming here. It builds connections.”

The entire area was bustling, filled with families and individuals chatting, trading stories, and sharing food. Kara spotted some of her friends and waved. Kara saw immediately that although their smiles were warm, there was something else in their expressions: their features appeared tinged with uncertainty as soon as they spotted Sam. A stranger in their place of safety.

“This place feels…like it’s got a real vibe,” Sam said as she took in the scene with wide eyes, her mouth gaping into anOshape. “It’s nothing like what I’m used to. In fact, I haven’t seen this many…live humans…since before the outbreak.”

Kara couldn’t contain a snicker. “I know, right? I guess it’s a whole lot more than just survival here. We try to actually live,you know? I think the idea originally was to make it feel as normal as possible.”

“I totally get it. It’s wonderful. It reminds me of…” but before Sam could continue her train of thought, Kara felt a firm hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Laeticia standing there with a hardened expression.

“Captain,” Kara said in greeting. Her tone remained the same even as she went to shake hands with the woman. Her gesture was refused with a brief shake of the head. She felt Sam tense up beside her, clearly picking up on Laeticia's demeanor.

“Hello. Nice to meet you, ma’am,” Sam mumbled softly with a polite nod and a timid smile.

Laeticia ignored Sam completely. Her sharp gaze never once left Kara. “You and I need to talk. And I’d rather see you alone, Kara.”

Kara shuffled a little, looking down at the floor, and gulped before turning her body to face Sam. “Don’t worry, okay? You wait right here. Or go grab a bite to eat, and I’ll come find you.”

Sam took a nervous step backward and shook her head slowly. Kara could see the unease in those deep almond-shaped eyes she found so enchanting.

Laeticia led Kara toward a secluded corner of the fort.

Oh, great. Where are her henchmen? Why is she taking me over here?

As soon as they were out of sight, Laeticia turned to face Kara. She crossed her arms across her chest moodily, and Kara noticed the fierce glint in her bright green eyes.

“What the hell were you thinking? Why the fuck would you bring her here? There’s a goddamned vetting process, you stupid idiot, or did you forget all about that?” Laeticia hissed, flicking her long black hair over her shoulder and thumping her palm with her other hand. The rage simmering beneath the surface of her questions was unmistakable.

“She brought me here, captain. She saved my life,” Kara felt her jaw tighten as she started to plead with Laeticia. “I wouldn’t have made it back without her.”

“And your entire team is dead? Is that right? We haven’t had that number of deaths since we set up here,” Laeticia snapped, her eyes narrowing. “You were their leader, Kara. They were counting on you to protect them. But no! Instead, you flounce back in here with some random woman none of us has ever before laid eyes on. How am I supposed to trust her? Or you, for that matter. You’re ridiculous, did you know that?”

Laeticia’s words struck Kara like a physical blow. Guilt gnawed at her insides—guilt she had been trying to bury since she returned to the fort. She had replayed the mission in her mind a hundred times, wondering what she could have done differently to save her team. But the truth was, she didn’t have an answer. They had been outnumbered, caught off-guard in a situation no one could have predicted. Overrun by the dead.

“You’re talking as if I actually wanted this to happen,” Kara said quietly, struggling to keep her emotions in check. “We were ambushed. They turned within seconds. It all happened so fast. I didn’t think I’d survive either, but Sam saw me and saved my fucking life.”

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