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What Do You Fear? [randomname98766789 and Amaranthine]

“Thank you for trusting me, Alicia. I love you. You won’t regret this.” Before placing the gag in her mouth, Bryce kissed his girlfriend. After the kiss ended, the male placed the plastic, pink ball in between those full, plump lips. Most ball gags were large and created a deal of drooling. However, this particular gag was smaller than the average ball gag. One of the very few things Bryce disliked about bondage was drooling from gags. The best way to maneuver around this unattractive and unsettling aspect was using certain type of gags. Or, if he wanted an exotic gag like a ball gag, just find a smaller one. Plus, this likely would feel better in Alicia’s mouth.

After placing the gag between her teeth, Bryce ordered Alicia softly to raise her hair up. Then, the male latched the straps together at the base of her skull. The application of the gag was complete. If anything was obvious now, it was just how much Bryce enjoyed the gag. Without Alicia even touching him, it appeared his erection grew twice in size. A smile spread across his face and he leaned down to kiss Alicia again. However, it did not matter if there was a gag in her mouth.

It did not stop Bryce. “I don’t guess you know much about these. I know TV shows and movies like to make gags appear that they keep someone silent. That’s not what I want here. Even when I gag you, I want you to make all the noise you want. Kiss me. Try and talk to me. I really get turned on by the muffled sound, the muffled moans. God, I’ve wanted to hear yours for so long.” He whispered quietly, a look of love and desire in his eyes. He was on Cloud Nine. How could he not be? This was literally his deepest desire coming true. Straddling Alicia now and gently pushing her down onto her back, his hands cupped her breasts again, squeezing them firmly as his lips peppered kisses down the girl’s neck. Just as he told her, Bryce hoped to hear some of those sexy sounds early and often.

---------------------

True: Anna did not mention she was taking the pills now. Nick only assumed she was. Besides, it was truly a horrible idea for anyone to look for a high right now. This island could be dangerous. The self-control she had was surprising right now. Nick almost wanted to remark sarcastically about how he wished she had this level of control around Ronnie. No, that was bad. Nick and Anna decided to drop the past and leave each other alone. Well, that battle was already half-lost. Here they were again after they agreed to leave one another alone. That worked out well.

Nick also was not naïve. He knew there was nothing to keep her from taking these pills and stashing them somewhere. It was almost ignorant of him to expect that. It was even more ignorant for him to care about what happened to Anna. It almost sounded like she was offering him some of the pills. That smile brought him back to years past and as badly as Nick wanted to forget everything and move on. Yet, he could not move from that moment in time. His legs were almost stuck and could not function properly.

“Are you offering?” The male finally murmured, his hands already becoming shaky. “I know I shouldn’t, but…” Trailing off, Nick looked to the bottle and back to Anna. It was becoming more difficult to resist and Anna appeared to know it. If he got high, if he took those pills, there was no telling what might happen to him. That night could become rather strange – if it happened that night.
 
Alicia takes a moment to adjust, to run her tongue against the ball as well as test the grip it held on her jaw before she looked up at Bryce. Her pulse raced heavy in her neck, her wrists, her groin. She was finding herself more and more thrilled with every second that passed and she was happily surprised to find that she enjoyed the sensation of the ball gag in her mouth. One thing got her though - he wanted her to speak with this in? While she would try, she could only feel a slight embarrassment thinking about how that would sound. If he would enjoy it she would at least do her best though, and for all she knew once she got the hang of things that would be like nothing.

"I've wanted you too." She tried to speak as he climbed over her, pressed his lips to her beck and palmed her breasts in her hands. She hissed at the contact of wet warmth against sensitive flesh and arched her neck sideways to give him as much access as she could. The area was much more sensitive than she had thought it was and as much as she was aching for other touches she could have lost herself in the simple action.

----

Anna wasn't intending to get to him but she could see it in the gleam in his eyes, the way his fingers shook at the thought of getting something, anything in to his system. She had to force herself not to smirk in response lest it bring them back to the reality that they were ignoring - namely, the fact that if she didn't have that bottle in hand he would still be wandered far away, doing his best to hate her even though she knew him, knew them, well enough to know that could never be the case.

"In what world have I ever not shared with you babe?" The term of endearment slides off her lips just a moment too late for her to catch herself and for an instant her eyes go wide, fearful and wondering if he would even notice what she had just said. She ignored it as best as she could, which was less ignoring and more just hoping that he would either miss what she had called him or just ignore it. That was what made it apparent to her that she had let her get a little too comfortable - no matter how easy it was, the fact of the matter was that he didn't want her around. Okay, sure: he was the one who had come up to her this time, but there was an obvious motive.

"Of course, if you think it's too tempting I can take the offer back. I don't mind, more for me." She pockets the bottle, putting them out of sight, and then raises both her hands to him to show him that she has nothing in them. She's done with this bag now anyways and she used her hands to push her body up before standing straight with the bag she was loading up over her shoulder. "But if you find any smokes, gotta say I'm going to need in on some."
 
Listening to Alicia’s muffled sounds sent shiver down Bryce’s spine. It was everything he hoped for – and more. “You sound so fucking hot.” Bryce breathed out, letting Alicia know that she sounded exactly how he hoped. There was nothing weird about the noise – it was the single most arousing sound Bryce ever heard. While kissing Alicia’s neck, Bryce decided to help Alicia explore his body. Wrapping his hands gently around her wrists, Bryce pulled both hands towards his girth. “Touch me, Princess. I want you to explore. I will take things slow with you. I don’t want to overwhelm you.” Even though everything about this was kinky and dominant for Bryce, he expressed pure love and passion for the brunette.

Bryce did not do this for wanting sex alone. This was not all about him. Therefore, Bryce cared deeply about what Alicia thought and felt. If she disliked anything that happened, Bryce would stop even if this was his fantasy. Besides, it was important for Alicia to get to know his body anyways. What better way than this? Besides, Alicia could touch him while the gag was in her mouth to stimulate Bryce’s arousal. “When you’re ready, let me know. I will use the cuffs when you’re okay with it.” The male whispered softly, trailing his lips slowly up her neck again, still cupping her breasts firmly, digging into the flesh to fondle her tits a little rougher than before.

--------------------

The state of their relationship did not matter. Whether they were together in a romantic sense or not did not matter. Seeing the girl with drugs stimulated too many memories for him to not want a piece of the action. The illogical, radical part of Nick’s mind told him that he might actually repair the relationships between himself and Anna if they just went back to ground zero, back to when they met and got high together. With this extreme sense of heightened awareness, it was impossible for Nick to not notice when Anna used the common term of endearment she had told him many times before. Babe. Such a simple word, such a simple name. It was probably the most common name in a relationship, too. Yet, it always had a special effect on Nick.

When she called him that name, he looked at her. It was not an angry look. He was not upset. Instead, he felt a sense of nostalgia. It was almost saddening and painful because of it. He tried to ignore it as well, but it did not work. Instead, he just did not comment on it. It became eerily clear how easy it was to get close and relaxed with Anna. It bothered Nick, too. He wished it was not the case, that he could function around the girl without losing his control or mind.

“I wouldn’t remove the offer just yet.” Nick murmured, knowing full well she would keep everything for herself if he let her. Nick was trying to avoid the drugs but he knew that his willpower for that was so low. Instead, he just looked down at the ground and bit his lip gently. “I’ll try to find some smokes. I’m sure that I can.” He murmured, lightly kicking around some dirt. “Just point me where you haven’t look in this area yet. I’ll help.”
 
Alicia was eager but tentative as she moved her body with him, and she pulled her hands out of his hold just long enough to trace her fingers along his hip bones to where his erection stood taut, already virtually begging for her and seeming to get bigger and bigger with every moment that passed. She had to swallow before she could touch it, sitting up on the bed. She started slowly, almost clinically as this was her first time ever touching a cock and despite everything she had thought, his was even nicer than imagined. Long and think, slid beneath her fingers like velvet and it wasn't covered in huge veins - something she had seen through the internet on a few occasions that had basically turned her off from ever wanting to try watching porn.

"It's so nice," she tried to say as she stopped the tentative, almost teasing stroking against the head and grasped him in to her hand. She was in no rush to move forward and wanted to learn every inch of him, but at the same time each pump of his cock made her more and more desperate to discover what it would be like to take him inside of her. Her body jolted as he continued to kiss at his neck and from her angle she could do exactly the same to his had her mouth not been full. She groaned and her hand tightened just slightly, not enough to hurt him.

----

She didn't miss the way he looked at her, not anger nor sadness but rather a past fondness that quickly vanished in to a concern that she couldn't place. Either way, she knew she had been caught and based on his reaction nothing was going to be said about it. That wasn't anything new - there had been a lot of times little qualms had gone noticed but not brought up, but often times those little issues had ended up escalating, usually due to her own insecurities. In that moment, Anna just found herself hoping that this wouldn't be one of them. The last thing she needed was for a slip of the tongue to incite another argument between them.

"Well, I've kinda just started by the shore and been moving backwards, so everything in front of us has been checked and everything behind us needs some hands on it." She pointed as she spoke, first towards the water and then away. After that her hands curled up in to loose fists and hovered near her chest, tucked close to her body where they were safe and unused. Anna had a habit of speaking with her hands - if words were coming out of her mouth and she wasn't making some sort of hand gesture, there was probably something wrong. "Soo you take the right and I'll take the left?" This time she points more subtly, working with the positions that they were already in.
 
This was sensual and romantic. Despite kinky overtones, Bryce found it romantic, anyways. Moans were falling from the back of his throat when Alicia’s hand began moving up and down his length. After a minute of this, he gently wrapped his larger hand around Alicia’s wrists, smiling at her with the most charming smile possible. “I think we’re ready to get started. Lay down on your back and let me get you restrained.” The trust between them was phenomenal. Just knowing that Alicia loved him enough to try something so outlandish spoke volumes to their relationship. Sliding off the bed, Bryce grabbed the four leather cuffs and started by attaching one cuff from each of the four pairs to a post on each corner of the bed. Next, he began by cuffing both of her ankles first.

The cuffs would not cut off circulation nor should they hurt (the inner part was lined with some soft, furlike structure that was soft on the skin). However, she could not just kick her legs and wiggle a little to free herself. The chances of her escaping without Bryce’s help were astronomically low. That was the point, though. Bryce did not want to use toy handcuffs that she could escape with ease. He wanted something real – something like he would use if he were truly restraining her while keeping her safe and comfortable at the same time. Next, he attached the other cuffs to her wrists. It would spread out all her limbs but give her enough room to move her arms and legs. “Well, how does this feel?” Bryce asked since she was now restrained. It was obvious how Bryce felt about it – his erection had already grown significantly harder and nearly reached the peak of his arousal already.

----------------------

When Anna began speaking, Nick felt grateful. As long as there was conversation between them not about the slip of her tongue or an argument between them, Nick was satisfied. Taking a deep breath, he nodded towards her suggestion of taking the right side of the area surrounding them. Honestly, anything was perfect because he needed to put some distance between himself and Anna. “That sounds good. I’ll get started, I guess.” He murmured softly before looking at her one time and opening his mouth, but quickly closing it. The male wanted to say something else, but he stopped and turned away from Anna, heading towards the right side of the luggage. Immediately, Nick began looking through the bags, searching through all luggage stored and dropped in the crash. It took him a handful of bags before finding a miracle: a full pack of unused cigarettes with a lighter neatly tucked beside it. Perfect.

“It looks like we might have some luck on this plane after all.” Nick called out as he held up the cigarettes and lighter, flashing it around for the woman to see that he had successfully found something she wanted. They could trade – some smokes for some pills. That was likely the new monetary system anyways – bartering. Before he could say something else though, Nick heard a loud thumping and bumping sound from around the corner of the destroyed plane. He looked to Anna and his eyes raised. It was probably an infected from the crash. They had not seen any yet, but he knew that was going to change at some point. “Did you… bring a knife?” He asked quietly, hoping that she did because he sure as hell forgot his knife.
 
"Mhm" - Alicia murmured an affirmative through the gag as she leaned back, her hands only sliding away from his as her body fell to far to hold on. Her heart raced in her chest as he grabbed the cuffs and started by attaching them to the bed; she immediately began wondering how it was going to feel with her limbs pulled apart, baring her with no way to hide even if she wanted to. She hadn't noticed the soft, furry lining until the first cuff wrapped around her ankle. She had to remind herself to breath as the anticipation grew inside of her and before she knew it she was pulled in every direction, leaving her trapped in all the right ways.

Her reply was tentative, still adjusting: "So far, so good." Had she been able to she would have smiled at him but this time she let her eyes do the talking - there was a need and a wonder and so much curiosity but also so much love. She moved to reach out to him, still not quite used to the bindings, and when the cuff cut off her ability to reach out to him she let out a whimper.

----

There was just enough time for Anna to look over at Nick and smile before the thumping caught her attention as well and she dropped the bottle of triple antibiotic ointment she had just pulled out of a bag - not the best but if they had found nothing better then it was better than nothing when it came to antibiotics. She groaned, figured that wherever it was it was far enough away she would have the moment to be annoyed. This wasn't like when they were escaping the cells - there was no threat right on top of them and she had time to scramble for a moment before she found the pocket she was keeping a knife in. She flashed it at him and then began to walk towards the noise.

"I'll see what's going on, you staying back here?" For someone who was finding herself rather freaked out by the idea of having to take down one of the dead, Anna did a good job of sounding cool and collected like she wasn't even phased. She gave him a moment to decide what he wanted to do before she trekked towards the wreckage.
 
“It’s okay, Princess. I’m here.” Bryce whispered, reaching down to hold Alicia’s hands that were reaching for him. Damn, that was so fucking adorable. It made Bryce’s heart melt. His sweet, innocent Alicia was nude, bound, and gagged. Knowing this was fast for her, Bryce took his time. The male finally let go of her hands and kissed the girl’s neck, collarbone, and down to her chest. At her bust, Bryce kissed each nipple before trailing down her abdomen towards her clit. When he reached the sensitive mound of flesh, Bryce slowly manipulated the clitoral hood until he could easily access the sensitive nub.

His lips wrapped around her clit, sucking slowly with his mouth. His tongue massaged her flesh before his hands wrapped around her rear, squeezing her cheeks in a firm, tight grip. At this point, his erection was in full force. His eyes trailed upwards to look at Alicia’s face, hoping to see something positive or reaffirming. The last thing he wanted was to see unenjoyment. Though, he did not say anything. Instead, he continued kissing, licking, and sucking her clit, hoping that would draw some of those sexy moans he longed to hear from behind the gag. Bryce also hoped it would make her wetter and ready for his cock.

-------------------------

Stay back. It was an excellent choice. Nick was weaponless and clueless. Though he had run-in with the infected before, it was not exactly an easy task to handle. Chewing on his lower lip, Nick cursed to himself. At first, he agreed to stay put. However, when Anna reached about ten feet in front of him, something changed. Nick could not let Anna go put herself in harm’s way. Once she rounded that corner, she might not come back. Nick would never live with that. He liked being the protector even if she was rather resistant at times. In the past, it had been small things: being the guy that gave her the best weed or supply of pills. At other times, he wanted to be the hero that held her as she had cold seats and episodes from the drugs.

In essence, Nick could not stay back. The care was too deep for Anna. Quickly catching up before they reached the corner, he placed a hand on her shoulder for a mere second. “I’m not letting you go in alone I’ll be right behind you.” He commented, reaching down to grab a loose metal pipe that must have broken from the plane. It was better than nothing.
 
Alicia writhed and squirmed beneath him, and every soft touch of his lips and tongue seemed to drive her more and more wild. She was desperate to get ahold of him - to wrap her fingers in his hair, hold on to him as he licked and sucked and kept doing that thing that made her feel like she was about to explode merely from the contact. Her legs squeezed in as best they could around his head, which was a meager attempt at best and she whimpered and moaned. It was a silent beg for more, for him to slide in to her wetness and show her what it felt like to be touched like that - touched by someone she loved.

"Please Bryce," she moaned as an agile flick of his tongue made her body jolt and attempt to contract in to itself. Her legs pulled at the bindings and though all she wanted was to be able to touch him she also couldn't fight - the only way she was getting her hands on him was with his permission and she couldn't see him handing that to her with how enthusiastic he had been to bind her in the first place. So instead of with touch, she let her moans grow louder, more involved. Verbal encouragement would have to do, and from the way he had been reacting that would be more than enough.

"Please," she begged again, words muffled by the ball in her mouth. She was ready, as ready as she would ever be.

----

Anna had been thoroughly prepared to venture forth on her own - she wasn't about to ask him to follow her when she had never asked for anyone's help in her life. A hand on her shoulder caught her by surprise and just as quickly as she could turn around and make eye contact with Nick the hand was gone and he had leaned down to grab some loose piping that could act like a weapon if they found themselves in a pickle. As much as she wished she didn't find comfort in having him close behind her, there was no denying that she did. She was silent as she moved forwards though, and all her response back to him was a simple nod. It was probably better off for her this way anyways - strength had never been her strong suit and one of these things could probably take her down quite easily if she wasn't prepared. After all, she was yet to face one head on and didn't know how this would go.

With the comfort of knowing eyes were on her, she turned the corner and found her way in to the wreckage to where the noise was coming from. It only took a moment for her to spot one of the dead and she adjusted her grip on her knife as she moved forwards. It wasn't the first time she'd had to use a knife but it was the first time it wasn't strictly self defense... Though she supposed this very well could still be considered self defense.

While there was only one it sight right now, and she took it down with relative ease (read: it almost toppled down on to her and she got a lucky strike in) she was blissfully unaware of what was coming.
 
All at once, the only thing existing within Bryce’s universe was Alicia: after the final, muffled plea with her boyfriend, Bryce made love to her. It was the most passionate, most beautiful thing anyone could have witnessed. While making love to Alicia, Bryce linked their hands and laced their fingers together even as her wrists were bound. Bryce continued kissing her over the gag, on the neck, and down her chest when possible. The pace was slow and gentle, ensuring that he did not force too much on Alicia at once. This also shot an ego boost to Bryce because he actually caused Alicia to orgasm first.

She must have really enjoyed it. Even with the gag in her mouth, Bryce thought the entire yacht might hear those moans. Minutes after she came, Bryce felt his own orgasm wracking his body. In an intimate pose, Bryce’s semen filled Alicia to the brim. Afterwards, he allowed both himself and Alicia to calm down from the orgasm, keeping her bound and gagged while they kissed. After about two minutes of this, he finally forced himself to get up and free her (though the gag was the last thing he removed since it was his favorite).

After Alicia was freed, Bryce ended the night holding her in his arms, giving her a nice back massage, and whispering sweet nothings into her ear until she fell asleep with her head on his chest. There might be marks on her ankles and wrists tomorrow but Bryce hoped she might wear them with pride. It seemed she quite heavily enjoyed their fun together – for that, Bryce was thankful. The next morning, he woke with Alicia still in his arms and within a couple hours, they were on the island together.

Bryce carried the rifle and let Alicia carry the handgun since she handled it better. They were rummaging through the plane together, out of sight from the others. Nothing pertinent had been found but their attention was both taken away at the sound of a distant gunshot. Looking over towards his girlfriend, Bryce shot up into a standing position. “That doesn’t sound good. Come on, we should find the others and see what’s happening.”

-------------

Thankfully, Anna handled the infected. Nick had been prepared to strike if needed, but she appeared to be fine. Just in case, he tapped her shoulder again afterwards. “Hey, you alright?” Nick could tell that she was ok, but the need to hear her verbally assure him that she was fine was something he could not help. After they made quick work of this area of the crash, Nick decided they should move forward. After another ten minutes of searching the young man finally found a stash of amoxicillin in a bag. At least they found something for Ofelia. Nick did feel somewhat bad that he focused on trying to find something to get high rather than something that would help the young woman.

It was around this time that Nick heard the gunshot, too. The first thing that popped into his mind was Alicia. Nick just realized he and Anna were separated from literally everyone else that joined them on the island. “Oh, shit. Anna, we need to get out of here. If someone’s shooting, that can’t be good.” Nick was stating the obvious but he was clearly in a hurry. Running out from the crash, he looked way across the desert-like conditions to spot Daniel.

Over one of the massive dunes, he could spot a horde of infected barreling closer. Oh, shit, This was not ideal. “We need to help him. I need to find my sister.” Anna did not owe Nick anything. She could just retreat back to the Zodiac if she wanted so Nick did not even bother asking for help, figuring she would just join him if she wanted to assist. Nonetheless, Nick started running, only stopping once to look down at a couple infected trapped in the bottom of a massive pit. However, Nick managed to stumble way too close, lose his footing, and fall all the way to the bottom where three infected wait for him.
 
Making love to Bryce had been all that Alicia had expected and more, leaving her body so sensitive every slight touch could have set her on fire. By the time morning came she was bright eyed as she layed curled up in their bed with him. There was a soreness between her thighs and that was the first reminder of what the night before had brought her - a softness that one wouldn't expect with limbs bound, a passion she had never even imagined possible until she took him for the first time. Alicia never wanted to leave that bed. More importantly, she never wanted to leave him.

The day brought progress though and it was her watchful eyes that had scoured the plane crash from the boat, and they were lucky enough to be able to take the zodiac to shore. While everyone should have been staying together, it seemed that no one seemed to care. Before long they discovered that Chris had run off. She had caught sight of Anna wandering off early on, not that she paid much mind to it - until she had seen her brother head in the same way. She wouldn't say it out loud, not to Nick at least, but having his ex around was just making her worried. While she had never really known the older girl, she had seen the onslaught of wreckage that had hit Nick that fateful night when he had returned home, and the damage it had caused him after. Alicia could never appreciate anything that brought her brother pain, even though at times he was the cause of her own.

She was grateful, though ever cautious, about being armed as they scoured through the wreckage and she wasn't able to find much that was useful. By the time gunshots called in the distance she had little more than some light sweaters.. Watches, makeup, shoes - there was a lot of stuff that once upon a time may have interested her but right now mascara and heels were the last thing on her mind. She did stop to grab an ipod that could hopefully provide some music later on, a few packages of batteries and a rather nice (though not very practical) lacy bra that just happened to be her size. She snagged that when Bryce wasn't looking, hoping that she would be able to show it off to him later. She also found some hygiene basics - unopened toothbrushes, probably enough for everyone to have one and then some extras on top of that. Tweezers, aloe, and a small pocket sewing kit were also in her bag. None of it was their top priority but it was stuff that would make day to day life a little more bearable.

They had to move though, she agreed and it wasn't long after that when they had caught sight of Chris. The blood on the boy had worried her until Chris calmed her down and let her know that it wasn't his, and that he had to put one of them down. There wasn't time to wait, though - if someone was shooting then they were all probably needed back at the boat.

----

Anna would be lying if she tried to say that the casual touches weren't driving her crazy, but she also had just gone and called him by a pet name so she really couldn't do much about it besides wish that she couldn't hear the hint of worry in his voice as his fingers brushed against the soft fabric over her shoulder. It seemed that they were both breaking the rules here and drawing attention to that may just end up causing them more problems. So she assured him, fought the urge to bring her hand up to his and luckily he pulled away quickly enough that wasn't a miracle. "I'm fine, Nick. Though I gotta say - corpse goo on the face really isn't my thing." She turned enough for him to see and grimaced - right on her cheek was something between rotting flesh and, as she had so aptly described it, "corpse goo". She pocketed her knife and pulled the sleeve of her shirt in to her palm so that she could wipe. Would that come off later? She was hoping so - this happened to be one of her favourite shirts.

With that one down, moving forward jut made sense. However, it didn't take long for shit to hit the fan - a gunshot rang in the distance and before there was even time to reply back Nick was rushing off. While she wasn't the strongest, she had the speed and endurance to make up for it - years of walking Los Angeles had left her quite durable in that regard. While dunes of sand weren't the most ideal place to be running she had little problem keeping up with him. Leaving him behind to get to the Zodiac hadn't even been a thought that crossed her mind - and as she watched him tumble out of sight she was incredibly grateful she had made that call. She moved fast, quickly lowering herself to the ground until her chest rested against sand at the edge of the pit.

"Here!" She yelled and she reached down towards him, pocket knife in hand. She dropped it down to him - the first thing they needed to do was to eliminate the threat down there before they could try and get him out of there.
 
After finding Chris, Bryce led both the younger male and Alicia towards the fight. This was nerve-wracking for Bryce. Never before had any of them faced such a large amount of infected before. Back at the arena, it was a different story – they merely ran away from the military compound. They did not have to fight. Here, not only must they run away, but they must fight the infected as well. Right before they reached Daniel and a young woman that Bryce had never seen before, Bryce suddenly reached out to grab Alicia’s wrist.

Looking deep into her eyes, Bryce made sure she understood something. “Princess, you’re one hell of a shot with that gun. I’m trying not to worry but I can’t help it. Stay beside me. I want to be able to reach out and touch you at all times if I try. Don’t fire any bullets unless you need to. We’ll start off with the knives until we get overwhelmed. Be safe, Alicia. I’m going to be right there with you.” Sure, she killed that infected the other day back on Catrina Island but that was an entirely different situation as well. Even if she made an impressive shot, the infected was rather stagnant on top of Bryce – these creatures were moving and attacking as well.

It was not that Bryce did not feel confident in Alicia – he did. If anyone asked, Bryce would say that the most badass member of this little group was his girlfriend. However, he could not resist worrying. It just came with the nature of loving someone as Bryce was almost certain Alicia was worrying and toiling over him as well. Thankfully, they had each other and could watch one another’s backs during the fight. After ensuring that Alicia was prepared, Bryce ran towards Daniel and the stranger before unloading with his knife at first.

It was so damn messy but that was the least of his worries. Blood splattered all over his face, clothing, and arms. More than once, his knife nearly got stuck in the skull of an infected but he managed to pull it out and keep dropping backwards without getting bit or scratched. Of course, Bryce spent any free second looking to Alicia, making sure she was doing alright. He never backed too far away from her, always keeping her within an arm’s reach in case he needed to grab her and pull her out of the way from something. Bryce was more than willing to sacrifice his life for her if needed. It was not his first option, but if all other options were exhausted and he must choose between self-preservation or ensuring that Alicia Clark lived, he was taking the latter option every damn time.

--------------

This was it. It was over – Nick was certain. His forearm jabbed into the first infected’s throat as the young male crawled backwards away from the other two. Thankfully, those two infected were partially lodged into the sand itself – it must have just been a certain way the passengers landed during the crash. The only infected moving freely was the one on top of Nick. Unsure of how the fuck he got out of this mess, he felt surprised to hear a familiar voice. Anna? She had not left? The male was way too scared for any thought not about surviving that next minute from protruding his mind, though. Nick was merely thankful that Anna had stayed.

When she dropped the knife down, it landed just out of his reach. After a few more moments of struggling and crawling, Nick grabbed the knife. The infected attempted to grip a huge chunk of flesh from his neck but Nick strained just the right way to avoid the teeth. When he grabbed the knife, he jerked it forward as quickly as he could. It landed right into the throat of the infected and went deep into the flesh, aiming upwards until Nick reached the skull. Basically, his hand was practically inside of that original knife wound before he pulled it back.

Now, the location and depth of the wound allowed a disgusting outpour of blood to gush from the flesh and onto Nick’s face, arms, chest, hair, and even seeping down onto his pants. It was horrific. This was “corpse goo” times a million. After nearly vomiting, Nick quickly shoved the infected away and sat upright, breathing deep and spitting up some of the blood that landed in his mouth. Although this was unideal, Nick might have discovered something in that moment. Looking towards the other two, he noticed how they basically turned away from him and looked towards Anna on the hill.

Nick decided to test it out and walk towards the infected slowly. After a few minutes of experimenting, he realized that the blood must shield him. So, he quickly took out the remaining two infected with the knife and decided it was time to go back up the hill. However, he was not making the climb alone as he picked up the heavy, dead corpse and slung it over his back. They were located at an angle where they had to cross the horde to reach the Zodiac. Nick had the perfect plan to get there unnoticed.
 
Alicia and Bryce worked together flawlessly, always having each other's backs and never venturing too far from each other. They were always within arms reach of each other as they started their offense. Whenever she could spare a moment she moved just subtly enough to brush her knifeless hand against Bryce's forearm, a regular reminder that she was still there beside him. That she was still safe - that he was still safe. Alicia had no doubt that he would keep her safe, but she also had no doubts that if one of them had to go down he wouldn't give her a choice in the matter - it would be him. That only made her more desperate to keep him close.

Daniel was there - watching, defending himself as well as the stranger. Nick was nowhere to be seen though she realized as she spared another glace towards the shoreline. Surely he was okay as well, right? She didn't know how close he was though, that just on the other side of the hoard that her and her boyfriend were fighting through he was also figuring out how to come out on the other side.

There was no time to worry, though. A quick reflex was required right now and hers was top notch - until one of the dead came in from almost behind her. A loud groan pulled her attention and she swirled around, bringing her knife in to the skull in to one of the infected that had been coming at them from behind.

----

If Anna had thought that a little bit of gunk on her face was gross, watching Nick get poured on was puke worthy and she struggled to watch that happen without losing her stomach. The attention of the living turned to her and for that she was grateful - she was out of reach, but then he had to go and... wait? She couldn't stay up there unprotected forever, and the longer that moment went on the more apt she felt to make a dash for the boat. He got up though, got in their faces a bit. Fear and worry froze her on the spot.

"Hurry up, you asshole. You have my knife." she called just as he plunged the knife in to the skulls of the two remaining infected. She doesn't sound angry, but she does sound like she's trying to hide her own fear. She wasn't blind to hoard blocking them from the shore and the way several were breaking off in their direction. Sparing one last look towards the stragglers she decided that she had enough time and once he was in reach she grabbed at his forearms and pulled to help him up. Normally that would not have been a problem - she had pulled him off his ass time and time again, but the additional weight of the corpse made her struggle. Why the fuck was he bringing a corpse anyways?

And then it dawned on her - the infected had come to ignore him once he was coated in their blood, and they had to find their way through a mass of them without getting hurt. There was no way they were stabbing their way through with only one knife between them.
 
Honestly, Bryce and Alicia made quite the dynamic killing duo. They worked as flawlessly as the skilled and experienced Daniel. However, the group was vastly outnumbered and the horde was getting close. They were retreating towards the shoreline, knowing they had hardly any time to waste. It would take them a few moments to get the Zodiac started and to get everyone boarded (especially since they were missing two people). Always an optimist, Bryce tried to believe they were going to be fine. Honestly, it was looking dull. Their chances were faltering. It made things worse that Nick and Anna were missing.

Bryce raised his knife again and almost plunged it into the skull of another bloody corpse until he realized something: it was not a bloody corpse. It was Nick Clark covered in blood from head to toe. His clothing was soaked in blood, it looked like he had some face paint of blood, and it was absolutely repulsing. However, Bryce had enough knowledge in that moment to realize that somehow the infected were ignoring Nick and Anna because they were covered in blood and guts. It revealed much about how the infected work as if smell was a primary source of sensation they used to discover threats.

This was their chance. Nick and Anna could take down the infected and remain almost invisible. Therefore, Bryce grabbed Alicia by the hand again, pulling her towards the shoreline. “You are going to be the first one in the Zodiac. Come on.” He called out over the noise. Alex was close behind with Daniel bringing up the rear, ensuring that Nick was still handling himself.

--------------

“I know you’re not going to like my idea, but you need to hear me out.” Nick paused, grunting as he dropped the infected onto the ground before turning his gaze back to Anna. “You saw it yourself. I’m not delusional. Those two didn’t even look at me when I approached them. We have to get through that horde: and quickly. There’s no chance in hell we can fight our way through. This is our only chance. I don’t know how long this will work but we have to try something.” Nick sighed quietly before crouching down, waving his hand for Anna to join.

“I’m going to cut him open. We’ll put as much blood as we can on our clothing and skin. I’ll cover your back with it and you can cover mine.” Deciding that it was not going to smell any better if he waited, Nick just took the first slice of flesh, sinking the knife into the chest and dragging the knife down through the sternum and towards the intercostals so he could keep the core of the body pried open. The smell was even more repulsive than before, but there was so much blood.

Nick quickly covered his face and clothing until he could no longer reach his back. Then, he waited for Anna to follow his lead. If she had any idea of refusing it, well, Nick would apply it to her himself until she was covered. After they were both ready, he led the way through the horde with eerie confidence until they reached Alicia and the others. From there, Nick started to pick off some of the infected with a second knife in the pocket of the other infected from earlier. Now both he and Anna had weapons as they were giving the others some time to get the Zodiac up and running.
 
Alicia couldn't lie - she was beginning to feel like they were more just holding the dead off rather than making any progress. Each one that they took down seemed to be replaced by two more and it was like they weren't even making a dent in them. That is, until she caught sight of their missing persons covered head to toe in blood. It looked like a scene from Carrie but she had no time to dwell on that fact - instead she was about to lunge forwards and grab Nick to pull him out of the way. That is, until she noticed that the dead around him appeared to be completely unphased while the two walked among them.

Her and Bryce shared a look, both knowing that those two seemed to be about as safe as one could be nowadays - for now. They also both knew that gave them the chance to make a break for it, and allow for some time to get everything going. Hand in hand they dashed down towards the shore, though when they reached the boat she couldn't help but stop to watch and see if her brother was following behind them.

"They're just up on the hill!" Alicia told Daniel as he worked to get the Zodiac running. "They'll be here." Her words were firm - no one was getting left behind today and as soon as the engine roared to life she climbed on the boat, followed by Bryce and then Chris. There was no time to question who is other person was. She kept her eyes on the top of the hill where her brother still pushed through the horde, mentally willing this plan of his to work out and for him to get his ass back down to the boat right them.

----

Just being as close to the corpses as she was made Anna want to vomit - and she had to just keep fighting it as that urge got stronger and stronger. She never said she wouldn't go along with his plan, but that didn't keep a disgusted frown off of her face as she watched him dive hands first in to an open chest.

"I hate that I know you're right." She looked him dead in the eyes as she spoke before she shook her head. Before she dared to reach in herself she pulled her one top off, leaving her in an earthy green toned tank top, and she cut the sleeve off with her knife. She may have been about to cover herself in blood and guts, but she would be damned if she was getting it in her mouth and nose - the sleeve quickly got tied tight around the lower part of her face to keep her airways clear and help deal with the smell... kind of. Not really. By the time she took the plunge and and rubbed the blood against her cheeks and over the cloth, the smell was overwhelming.

She pushed on, though - and caught sight of Alicia and Bryce making their way back towards the boat. A quick moment of eye contact between Bryce and her after the man nearly attacked Nick said all it needed to - "we're fine, get back down there". The younger of the men hadn't questioned it - he had his own girl to keep safe. Encroaching on the infected was much easier when they weren't snarling in your face, desperate to eat you. While a bit of noise caught their attention here and there, the lack of a living scent kept them from trying to investigate. There was no way they were getting them all, but they had the chance to at least clear some out and give everyone else time.

She could hear the rumble of the Zodiac's engine and after glancing towards the water she saw that everyone seemed to be good. She grabbed Nick by the arm, hard enough to stop him from lunging towards another of the dead but not so hard it would hurt him - and hopefully his instinct wouldn't be to put that knife through her skull instead. "Come on, let's go."
 
Thankfully, Alicia was safe. If only one person made it off this beach, it was her. Once Alicia had been settled into the Zodiac, Bryce intended on turning back to assist Daniel. Without being given the chance, Alicia practically pulled him down on top of her. He was not about to say anything else. Chris piled in as well and Bryce thought about the heightened number of bodies that needed to fit. It made him think of pulling Alicia into his lap, sitting her back against his chest, his arms tightly wrapping around her abdomen. Two people took up enough space for just one thanks to this position (plus, Bryce felt better – he had a massive grip on Alicia – just not enough to hurt her, obviously).

Seconds later, Daniel joined with the girl that Bryce had never seen. It left enough space for maybe two more people. Daniel had his hand over the throttle and ready to power away once Nick and Nick’s ex-girlfriend joined. Bryce found it difficult to determine them from the infected on the beach, but it became clear soon enough. Just before they were both overrun, the dysfunctional pair made it onto the Zodiac. One of the infected swiped at Nick but Bryce was prepared, quickly grabbing the handgun to fire a shot, giving Nick a chance to make it safely.

After they made it safely into the water, Bryce closed his eyes for a moment and just inhaled Alicia’s scent. It might have been unideal since they were all sweaty and bloody, but he could still define her scent from anything else. Plus, feeling her body against his own made him feel much more relaxed. “Are you ok, Princess?” Bryce asked in a whisper since everyone else was silent, almost in disbelief at the things that had just happened.

------------------

Nick continued looking down the shore. It bothered the male because he had two objectives and both were on different ends of the coast. He wanted his sister to be safe, of course, but he also needed Anna to be safe as well. Thankfully, Bryce had Alicia covered as Nick knew he would. It alleviated some worry as he kept taking out the infected while catching Anna in his vision field now and again. They fought off the undead for as long as possible until the other five had joined in the Zodiac. Nick had been so caught up in killing these infected that he jumped when Anna grabbed his arm.

Yes, he was about to shove the knife into her skull but he stopped just a few inches short. Her eyes were wide and full of live, unlike the dead. In a fraction of a second, Nick realized it was only Anna. She was right. They needed to get moving. Nick killed one more, pushing the corpse away so they could start heading down towards the Zodiac. Walking behind the dark-haired woman, they reached the Zodiac and Nick did not even offer a chance for Anna to argue with him.

“Get in the Zodiac. Now.” After telling her to get into the Zodiac, Nick was also physically forcing her to sit down just in case she was feeling argumentative. He would not give her that chance. Around this time, the closest infected nearly grabbed him but a gunshot fired. It whizzed right by his head and it made him almost shout out in surprise. Within seconds, he realized that Bryce just saved his ass. For that, he was thankful. The Zodiac was starting to drive away now so he quickly jumped into the small boat, pulling himself inside.

With the limited space, he was uncomfortably close with Anna. If not for Bryce having situated Alicia into his lap, Nick probably would have been sitting with Anna in his – not by choice. “Oh, shit. Is everyone alright?” Nick finally breathed out, a couple minutes after they were away from the beach and once Bryce had a chance to talk with Alicia like he wanted.
 
Alicia didn't even have to mention that she wanted to stick close to Bryce - words weren't even needed for him to pull her on to her lap, at which point she settled in to his hold and watched with bated breath as she prayed to a god she wasn't sure she believed in that her brother would make it back to the boat quick enough, and without him getting injured. Luckily everyone managed to pile in to the Zodiac (almost quite literally - any more people and Bryce and her wouldn't have been the only people on each others' lap) and there was a silence between everyone until Bryce broke it with soft whispers.

"I'm fine, I promise." She grasped at his arms as they clung tight around her waist. She was desperate to feel as close to him as she could and she buried herself back in to his chest as the small boat headed towards the Abigail. She kissed him on the cheek and nuzzled in to him as she let out a soft sigh. Her thumb idly stroked against Bryce's forearm and she watched the shore get farther and farther in to the distance. Each yard between them and that place made her feel a little bit better. "What about you? Are you okay?" She spoke just as softly as he did, lips so close to him that her breathe would be hot on his cheek. She knew that he hadn't been injured but she just really needed a verbal confirmation that he had gotten out safe and unscathed.

----

Nick may have pushed her in to the Zodiac, but Anna didn't go down without pulling him in to the boat with her. It wasn't the first time they'd moved each other around and she didn't fight it. She had her hand around his wrist as a bullet whizzing over her head made her duck down and as soon as she realized what had just happened she was glad she hadn't accidentally jolted Nick right in to the path of it. That was it, though - they were free. They had come out the other side with everyone alive, plus an extra. In her books, that was all that was needed to make this okay.

Once they were on the move Anna pulled the cloth from her face and tossed it over the edge, hoping to get a deep, fresh breath. That would have to wait until they got back on board, though, as the stench of the infected just made trying to breathe a miserable experience. She would also desperately need a shower once she got back on board. With the shore behind them everyone seemed to need a moment to calm down and now they were recollecting. "Been better, I gotta say," was her response.

"Oh, by the way. I'm taking the shower first when we get back on the yacht." She didn't need to lean far to bump her shoulder against Nick's, their bodies were already basically touching in the cramped boat. Maybe she was still fueled by the adrenaline but she was feeling pretty cocky, and frankly not paying attention to their company, as she spoke again. "Unless you want to join me?" She spoke quieter but probably not quiet enough and shrugged, eyebrows raised as she looked at him. She wasn't expecting anything - figured if anything it would bug him a bit and she'd get to hear about it later. She only held eye contact for a moment, not even long enough for a response, before she chuckled and gave him a look that apologized for what she had just said.
 
Even during this stressful situation, feeling Alicia’s breathe on his cheek and hearing her voice made Bryce relax. “Yes, I’m fine, Princess.” He whispered with the intention of calming her down even more with the use of the affectionate, loving nickname that she always enjoyed. They spent a couple minutes in the water, closing in on the yacht, before the strange woman spoke up. Her name was Alex and she mentioned needing to stop somewhere before they returned. Daniel was in control here and he was suspicious at first, but after she explained to him that she needed to find this raft and a boy in the boat, Daniel could not decline the option to help. He steered the zodiac a few minutes away to the yellow raft and watched Alex get inside. The boy looked in terrible shape but he was barely breathing. When they reached the yacht, Madison and the others greeted them immediately.

Bryce ensured that Alicia was the first person into the yacht. Madison pulled her daughter into a hug and then followed it up with pulling her son into a hug. Bryce stayed in the Zodiac the longest with Daniel to help everyone up and unload the few bags they managed to find. “Strand is taking us to Mexico: there’s an estate with food, water, and power.” Madison informed the part of her family that returned so they knew where they were heading. Perhaps a different country might be a little bit different. Maybe it was better. Soon enough, Bryce joined Alicia on board and quickly pulled her into a hug as well. It did not matter if she had been in his lap the entire time. This was needed. “I love you.”

-----------------------------

Nick was spending time in the Zodiac recovering from their stressful events on the island. Anna caught him off guard when she continued speaking about showering first. The showers were limited on the yacht so they must take turns. The comment she created about sharing the shower made Nick’s eyes wide. Was she serious? There was no way. Nick would not have taken the opportunity anyways. Why would he let himself be led astray by Anna after all this time? He needed to get his mind off this topic so he did not even answer. Even if she had waited for one, he just looked away from her. Then, he watched the scene in front of him unfold with speaking to Alex, finding the raft, and safely traveling back to the Abigail. Once everyone was off the Zodiac and onto the yacht, he watched his mother and Strand argue.

The male did not want Alex and Jake to come aboard. Thankfully, Travis worked out a compromise where they could at least tow the raft to the border. Strand reluctantly agreed, leaving Madison to bring blankets and water to the two people in the raft. Inside the living area, Nick waited until the shower was open before he spent some time there. He used it as a time to reflect and gather himself again. He found out that covering himself in blood distracted the infected and masked him from their detection.

After showering, Nick dressed and spent time back out on the deck. Night was falling over the waters and he had been trying harder than usual to avoid Anna. After their awkward conversation and her questionable comment, the last thing he wanted was to be around her. Suddenly, Strand walked out of the wheelhouse to cut the raft from the yacht with a knife, setting the raft loose and adrift out in the water. Madison objected but it was too late as Strand returned back to the captain’s quarters. Unable to do anything, Nick just sat back down and relaxed as much as he could on the deck until it was time to sleep.
 
Daniel wasn't Strand and for that Alicia was grateful - after the Geary boy she couldn't stand to see another saveable person left behind. The boy they found looked terrible but he came with a raft, anf one that Alex hopped in to at that. Alicia couldn't imagine that Strand would have a problem wkth them if they didn't even come aboard. He found a way, though, as night set in and overtook them. All it had taken was one slice.

Despite the danger earlier in the day had brought Alicia had managed to stay rather chipper - she kept close to Bryce as she helped go through what everyone had found a little while later. Had Anna not been on top of her stash, trouble could have called quite easily. There were only a few things for herself but she was grateful that she had found anything at all.

Eventually she settled down inside with Bryce, and the pair had been idly talking while cuddled on a couch when unfamiliar voices caught Alicia's attention. After telling Bryce she would just be a second she got up and opened the door, only to see Madison walking a pregnant woman in her direction. "Mom? What's going on?" She hadn't even left the door yet and alarm was already raised.

----

He'd had to think about saying no and even then couldn't even actually say no to her out loud - Anna didn't miss that but she also figured that was the limit she had just pushed. The little touches would stop and he would go back to ignoring her - which was exactly what he did. In a way that sucked, in that short period of time she had remembered what it had felt like to be close to him. This wasn't the past, though. She had no claim on him, no right to be comfortable around him - especially not at the expense lf his own comfort.

So, minus a few quick moments here and there over the night she let him be again. She stashed that little bottle of pills she had found under the back corner of her matress, and after she hopped out of the shower she happened to be walking by his door covered in nothing but a towel. Trying to respect limits like she had said she would before, she held off on remarking. The lack of confidence she felt helped with that. From there she mostly stayed under the main deck, keeping track of what was going on through muffled voices.

She had palmed one of the pills and was walking towards Nick's room with an apology present when unfamiliar voices rang upstairs and she froze in front of the door as she tried to place why one of them did sound familiar.
 
Unlike Alicia, Bryce did not hear the voices at first. He had been dozing into sleep from the comfort of cuddling with Alicia. It was not until he heard the crash of Madison’s head being thrown into the mirror when he shot up and sprinted upstairs. By this time, Bryce spotted three people that were unknown: a pregnant woman and two other males. They were working through tying everyone’s hands with zip ties. From the corner of his eye, Bryce spotted the man known as Jack, tying Alicia’s hands together behind her back. He seemed preoccupied, staring towards Anna but Bryce used that to his advantage.

Violently, he tackled Jack onto the ground, crashing himself and Jack through a glass table. With rage, he sent a violent punch to Jack’s face but Reed quickly dashed over and slammed the butt of a rifle into Bryce’s head. It dazed Bryce for a moment, knocking him onto the ground but it was incredible what a man could do when the girl he loved was in trouble. Bryce pushed himself up and charged after Reed this time, but Jack had recovered and pulled Bryce away long enough for the pregnant woman, Vida, to walk up and hit Bryce hard across the skull with the grip of her handgun.

This sent some blood flying from Bryce’s nose as Reed returned with a hard punch to Bryce’s face. Yes, Bryce was tall and strong, but he was no match against 3 people with weapons when he had nothing. After one final punch, Bryce toppled onto the ground, in front of the couch where Alicia was sat by Jack.

--------------

In the middle of the night, Nick had jumped ship, running an errand for Strand. It was a needed distraction: get off the same boat as Anna. He arrived at an abandoned refugee camp where Nick killed an infected and covered himself in blood again. Meanwhile, Jack, Connor, and Vida had boarded the Abigail. Thanks to Anna, Jack had been able to locate and pinpoint this yacht. They watched as one of the men, Strand, jumped overboard on the raft but they did not care. Jack was busy looking at Anna when one of the other young men in the group charged at him.

Thankfully, everyone else had already been tied up so the only person able to do any harm was Bryce since Anna had not quite arrived yet. Within a couple minutes, despite the valiant effort, the three pummeled Bryce into the ground. He looked like he was out cold now but not before he drew blood from each of the two men and a great deal of pain. After this, Jack turned towards Anna as Reed wiped the blood from his face. Neither of them knew to expect what Alicia was going to do next and their backs were turned to her.

“Hello, Anna.” Jack commented while looking towards the room. His eyes locked onto Anna as it was easy to figure out which girl was Anna and which was not. He wondered if she realized who he was but he hoped she was not too upset. He knew that he could keep her safe.
 
While Alicia's almost thankful that Bryce has dozed off at first, that quickly change as the strangers motive turned from needing help to trying to take the ship. She wasn't able to put up much of a fight, not when she was out numbered and pretty quickly she was on the ground next to everyone else. Bryce arrived just a moment too late to stop the ties from getting secured and she screamed as a fight ensued in front of her. While she was sure that Bryce could handle himself competently, this wasn't a one on one - Reed had joined in and helped take him down, and it was the butt of the pregnant woman's gun that really brought him down. As Bryce fell to the ground in front of her, Alicia moved to the ground beside him.

Jack was distracted and so was she, but Alicia still had enough time to look over and glare at the cause of this mess for a moment before she attempted to rouse Bryce back to the land of the living without being able to run her hands through his hair or touch him like she normally would. With her hands behind her back all she could do was look up at the cieling with tears clouding her eyes and hope that they were going to get out of this alive.

"You're such an idiot," she whispered to him. She knew that he had just been worried for her safety, he had risen to her being restrained and everyone else already tied up, after all. As much as she appreciated him coming to her defense, she also hated seeing him like this.

---

Obviously Anna couldn't continue what she was doing below deck - she pocketed the pill she was holding and walked up stairs, following the voices in to the main room where she walked in on... Was that Bryce going through a table? She had already taken one of the pills herself and for a moment she stood at the entrance with her head tilted to the side and her eyes blinking rapidly.

"What the fuck?" She really couldn't muster much more as she kept trying to make sense of things - but it's just moments later that she clues in just whose voice that is. They haven't spoken in a couple days now, not since her and Nick had agreed to stop acting rude towards each other. The last thing he had said was that he would see her soon... Jack. In that moment all she wanted to do was shake her head and walk out, return to her room down stairs and pretend that this had never happened. She had the feeling that wasn't an option though, and she had just watched Bryce get beat. While Nick wasn't in the room (where was he anyways?), she still kind of owed it to him to keep these people safe now that this had happened....

"Jack." She sounded less than thrilled as she spoke and pulled her arms up against her chest. It wouldn't be obvious that she's on something, she'd started with a pretty low dose because it had been a while since she had touched these, but to her the subtle but just starting high just added to the unreality of everything that was going on in front of her. "What do you want?"
 
Bryce’s mental state was hazy. There was a severe headache ringing in between his ears and it was difficult to keep his eyes open. The young man could barely move right now. While Jack was speaking with Anna, Reed approached the deck and fired a few rounds into the raft that Strand attempted to escape on. Once that was finished, he returned to the area where the hostages were held. Crouching down, Reed picked up Bryce and tossed him onto the couch beside Alicia. A moron could not even miss the connection between these two kids. Reed looked to Bryce and waved the handgun in front of the younger male’s face. “You better not have an outburst like that again. I’ll fucking shoot you if you do.”

Bryce could not really respond right now. The male rubbed his face with a hand and tried to wipe some of the blood. It did not appear that any bones were broken nor was there a significant injury other than a possible concussion from this. Bryce would be fine, but he was clearly incapacitated for a while. “Maybe before I kill you, though, I might have some fun with this girl of yours. I have to say – she is pretty hot you know? Maybe I could show her what being with a real man if like.”

At this point, Reed looked towards Alicia and winked at her seductively. This clearly hit a sore spot with Bryce, weakly kicking at Reed and spitting some blood from his mouth into Reed’s face. This only made Reed chuckle as he placed the barrel of the gun against Bryce’s head, cocking the gun as well. “Are you still trying to test me, kid?”

-----------------

“I told you that I would see you soon. Here I am.” Jack answered, almost eyeing Anna with a twisted, strange romantic gaze. While Jack was dealing with Anna, Vida was busy harassing Travis and Ofelia, asking for the keys. However, Travis revealed that Strand had the keys to the yacht and he was now in the water. Travis did realize that the situation was dire so he offered to start the yacht by hotwiring it. It was something Vida needed to discuss with Reed, though. The other male was too busy with Bryce and Alicia at the moment so everyone just grew tense watching either Jack and Anna or Bryce and Reed.

After Reed pressed the gun to Bryce’s head, he simultaneously turned his head away from Bryce and Alicia to look at Jack. “Jack, take your girl and find that radio you were talking on. We need to make contact with Connor.” Agreeing, Jack turned to Anna and held up a set of the zip ties. “I am sorry, but this is necessary.” Jack added as Vida held the gun on Anna so Jack could quickly pull her arms behind her back and attach the zip ties (but he tried to not make them lock on too tightly. He truly did not want to harm her as ironic as that was).

“Please don’t be mad, Anna. I didn’t have a choice. But Connor… he listens to me and I can make sure that you stay safe.” Jack knew the things that Connor had done in the past but he remained confident that Connor would not harm Anna. Besides, she would provide something to the ground. Thanks to her, they were led here. “He wants people that contribute and you helped us find the yacht. This is all thanks to you. Connor will be grateful. Now, can you please show me where that radio is?”
 
Alicia's demeanor turned aggressive as Reed dared to threaten an already injured Bryce.

"How weak do you have to be to beat up someone who's already hurt?" Alicia half growled, half yelled as Reed put the gun to Bryce's head and the look Reed gave her was incredulous - these people really didn't know how to behave. As Reed turned address Jack, Alicia saw an opening and she moved so fast she didn't even think about what she was doing. Her leg kicked out in to the back of Reed's calf with enough force that the man's knee buckled over. The gun fell from his hand as he hit the ground and she kicked again, this time hitting him on the back of his pelvis.

"You fucker!" Reed moved quick from there. He grabbed Alicia hard on the ankle and almost pulled her straight off the couch. Instead he gave her a glare. It doesn't take him long to pull another zip tie out of his pocket and he secures her ankles together. She was effectively immobilized - she could move, sure, but she wasn't going to be getting nearly as much force behind those kicks as she had. He spoke as he walked over to pick his gun back up, which luckily hadn't gotten in to anyone else's reach.

"Feisty, aren't you? Hot. You're not going to be so uppity for much longer, though." He grabbed a cloth and wrapped it around her mouth, prying her lips open to gag her just right. Like the ties that bound her it was just a little too tight - Reed didn't care if he mussed her up a bit. Alicia, however, had fear flash through her eyes. While it was one thing to be secured like this with Bryce, someone who she trusted with her life, being stuck now left her anxious. Unable to properly reply she leaned in to Bryce, as that was almost all she could do at the moment. Being close to Bryce was just a tiny bit of comfort among the crazy.

----

Anna didn't go easily - she pulled her hands away as he tried to bind them and she made a real struggle out of it. Unfortunately, Jack had more strength to him and she scowled at him as the ties caught her wrists together. It wasn't the first time she'd been tied up like this but this had to take the cake - there was nothing fun about having some random she'd been using to keep occupied say that this was her fault. It was though, really. She had basically invited them to find the Abigail, she'd used the words "I would kill to get off this boat" at one point even.

"Why should I show you anything? You shot Strand." This is all a little too crazy her but is this really the worst position she had ever been? No - no it wasn't. She didn't care about her own safety though. She'd actually started feeling like there was the slightest hint of progress between her and Nick and now Jack was here and that would tear it all to shreds. She could leave - he wanted to take her, it seemed. She could leave and beg Jack to keep everyone here safe and that was the least that she could give Nick, wasn't it? She had said she would go when that became a viable option, after all.

She can't stress right now and maybe that was a good thing but she wouldn't know until that became relevant. They walked off before she spoke, luckily making it so Jack would miss the scene that was forming in the main room. "If I show you where it is, you guarantee everyone else here is safe. Connor listens to you," she quoted his own words as she spoke. "You get what you want if they're safe."
 
Watching helplessly, Bryce only hoped that Alicia was not getting hurt. Thankfully, the only thing Reed did was tie her ankles together and gag her. If it had been a situation where they were in the bedroom together, safe, then Bryce would have been turned on right now. The gag plus the zip ties were sexy. Of course, this was not a safe situation so he was not even thinking about that right now. Instead, when she fell into his body, Bryce wrapped both arms around her shoulders. He started feeling more secure in his mental state now. His head still hurt but the bleeding stopped and he could handle himself now. Leaning down, he pressed a kiss onto Alicia’s cheeks, just over the gag. “It’s going to be ok, Princess. We’re going to be alright.” He whispered softly, nuzzling his nose against her cheek.

Thankfully, Reed left the couple alone after this. He collected Travis and ordered him to get this yacht moving. When they were primarily alone, Bryce turned full attention to Alicia. It appeared that restraining Alicia took all the zipties they had left. They knew Bryce was not in a position to do anything. Plus, there was the threat of his girlfriend being hurt or himself being killed if he did not listen. That was not a chance Bryce wanted to take. Instead, he wrapped his hands around of Alicia’s holding her tied hands with his as their fingers laced together. Bryce hoped it would give her some semblance of safety.

Travis was taken to the wheelhouse under the supervision of Reed. The older male was ordered to hotwire the yacht like he said he could do. Everyone hoped this was not a bluff. If it was, there was no telling what might happen. Madison was trying to distract Vida while Daniel worked on getting free from his bonds. If there was a chance to do anything of substance, they needed to attack while the captors were all in different areas of the boat.

-------------------

“Why are you being so resistant? I thought you wanted to get off the yacht. You told me that.” Jack reminded her with a frown. He looked truly and genuinely upset that she was acting this way. “I didn’t shoot him, by the way. That was Reed. He’s… a little different than me. He doesn’t mean anything by it.” The male added, hoping she would not allow what Reed did to influence the decisions she made. Jack was not Reed and vice versa. Finally, she started walking and Jack released a sigh of relief. He did not know what Reed would have done to Anna if she did not comply. It was not something Jack wanted to see.

Another unexpected turn of events involved Anna bargaining on behalf of the other people on board here. Again, that went against everything she had told him on the radio. She was here with her ex-boyfriend and his family. It sounded like she did not enjoy the entire situation. Here Jack was, though, willing to give her an out. It frustrated Jack and he hoped that he was not losing her already. Did he wait too long? Maybe she was just scared. He wanted to assure her that everyone was safe, that she could have what she wanted, but could he?

“I-I can try. Please, show me the radio Anna. I can’t guarantee what Reed will do if you don’t. This is important. But why are you acting like this? I’m going to give you a chance to get off the boat? I didn’t think you cared about these people. Just don’t do anything crazy, okay? I can’t promise that you’ll be safe if you don’t. Connor listens to me, like I said, I’m sure I can convince him to keep everyone safe.” Jack hoped that was enough – it was all he had.
 
Alicia whimpered as she let herself fall in to Bryce's firm but caring hold. All she wanted to do was reach out and touch him, to run her hand across his skin, wipe the blood from his head. With that being impossible she really didn't know what to do. So instead she kept herself nice and close, tucked against this body secure enough that some of the worry in her system managed to clear up. Desperate for even more closeness, she pulled her knees to her chest and then rested her feet in Bryce's lap, which left her sitting almost sideways in his hold.

Their captors had split though, which left only the woman watching over everyone who was tied up. Madison was asking her about the baby or maybe just trying to distract her - Alicia couldn't tell from where she was that Daniel was attempting to free himself. All she knew was that she was tied up with no where safe to be but tight in Bryce's arms. Her gagged lips found his neck and while at first the touch was merely comforting, it didn't take long for her to kiss at the soft flesh over his jugular. She pulled her feet, bare given that the pair had been settled in, back closer to her body which ran the soles across Bryce's upper thigh. Curling up tight felt comforting to Alicia, but so did having the love of her life so close to her.

It was a small thing compared to what was going on, but just knowing he was there made her feel just a touch better.

----

"Nah man, you're all responsible for everything that happens on this boat now. You might want to try to distance yourself but fact of the matter is that you're just as responsible as Reed is for him getting shot, and any other injuries that may happen." Jack could hold himself to whatever standard he wanted but Anna didn't put up with peoples' shit. Had he really thought that taking everyone hostage would appeal to her? Had he really somehow thought any of this would appeal to her? Hell, she had never even actually wanted to meet him, she had just really needed to get some sort of distraction and that happened to be it.

"Yeah, I know, ex's family. Strange as it might sound though they're not the ones who walked out on me, I don't hate them." Okay... She didn't hate Nick either, but she had a loose tongue at the moment and that came out sounding worse than she had planned. "Besides, some of these people are just stragglers like me who got pulled along because it was the only option to survive. You're not getting what you want unless they're okay, full stop. Do that, and you get the radio and I'll go with you. Remember: I don't care which person gives the order, you're the one who's on this boat."

Anna didn't give him anything to work with, just a dead stare and blank expression. There was no negotiating here, she wasn't leaving room for any ifs or buts or maybes that Jack might have wanted to swing her way. She raised an eyebrow as she made eye contact, silently waiting for an okay. Normally a questioning hand gesture would have accompanied that look but oh yeah - the fucker that tied her up and somehow thought she would be impressed.

She wasn't walking away without knowing they were safe - she owed Nick that much.
 
Well, this was an unideal situation for a boner. Bryce could not even play it off as a random boner, either. The second that Alicia’s feet touched his lap – it was like someone flipped a switch. An erection formed against his jeans which pressed perfectly against the soles of her feet. Bondage was a kink that Bryce already revealed. His second favorite thing in sexual interaction was foot play. Now, this was seen even more strange than bondage by some. Bondage was taboo and kinky but most people found feet disgusting. Bryce knew that and always kept it to himself.

In fact, he was more worried about Alicia finding out about his foot fetish than he was with introducing bondage the other night. It was out of the bag now. He was sure Alicia felt it and knew what caused it. The erection was only strengthened because her feet were bound. Though he enjoyed a foot fetish even without bondage, seeing Alicia’s ankles that were tied together in his lap checked off every major aspect of the list of things that could turn him on.

It was not a major fetish: he just liked things involving the female’s feet. He did not wish for Alicia to do anything with his. All he wanted was to massage her feet, kiss them, and feel her feet stimulate him or give a foot job. It was rather simple and not complex at all. Trying to stay focused, he rolled his hips slightly trying to play it off but it only made the erection worse. He just leaned down to kiss her again, now sliding a hand through her long hair. It must have made him look insane because he grew hard at a time like this, but what could Bryce say? It was not like he could control it.

--------------------

This was incredulous. Jack could barely believe what she was telling him. What was that old saying? It is better to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission? Jack felt that quote was prominent right now. If he promised Anna that everyone would be safe, he might have to ask for forgiveness from Connor later. If he asked permission to tell Anna that everyone was going to be safe, he knew what the answer was. The good thing here? Jack was serious about Connor generally listening to him. Hopefully he would take mercy if these people behaved. Seeing that was his only option, Jack grumbled to himself quietly and looked towards the woman.

“Fine. Fine, okay? I promise that everyone here on the boat will be safe. You have my word on this. I won’t let anything happen to them.” Clearly, he was not just saying this so she would comply. The look in his eyes showed that he truly wanted to make this work. He had every intention of doing so. Jack meant to keep his word for Anna. He also hoped that it would help repair the way she felt. Jack thought this might be like some weird fairy tale where he could sweep her off her feet and take her to the shipyard with him.

Connor and Reed have been giving him a difficult time about it. They thought he wa sin love with the girl and he never met her yet. Plus, he was using her and he lied about losing his girlfriend and other similar things he said to get close with Anna. She would understand, right? He coudl not have found her without those lies? Did that really matter that much? Hoping she was satisfied, Jack waited for an answer.

Meanwhile, Nick finally reached the gated community Strand had directed him, now moving inside still without being detected by the infected.
 
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