Code of Honor

The air was humid.

All the windows had fogged over concealing the outside world to us. Not that we were interested in the scenery. His lips were working their way gracefully up the skin on my neck. Occasionally nipping at the skin in places he knew got me going. We had only started fooling around this way but he knew exactly what I liked.

“Oliver,” I sighed.

His lips were suddenly on mine. Gentle but fierce at the same time. I kissed him back in a second feeling his tongue invade my mouth. His breath tasted blissful in my mouth. I pressed myself closer to him making a shaky breath escape through his nose.
We were laying in the back seat of his father’s old truck. The space was cramped but we didn’t care. We wanted to be as close as possible. With my protective parents and his Christian parents this was the best privacy we could have. No one was going to look for us out here, so we’d never be caught. I could only imagine how it would go down if our parents caught us doing this in one of our rooms.

He moved suddenly so I was on my back and he was hovering over me. His eyes scanned down to my barely clad chest. I was I nothing but my skinny Gray jeans and a bra. His chest was bare as well, his jeans remained on but the button was undone. This was usually the extent of what we did. Laid around half naked and made out. There had been times when I thought we’d go further but I decided I wasn’t ready and we went home. His strong hand moved from my hip and trailed up my stomach, causing all my muscle to tense beneath his touch. As usual he smirked. He looked hot when he did that. I felt him cup my left breast in his hand and slowly start to knead it in his hand.

“I love your boobs,” He whispered leaning down to kiss me again.

Of course he did he was male I thought. But still I took the compliment in stride and kissed him back. I couldn’t single out anything I loved about him. I loved everything about him. His dark hair, his eyes, the shape of his face, his muscled body sculpted from years of playing sport. As I said everything about him attracted me.

I couldn’t help but run my hands down his chest slowly as we kissed. His muscles clenched at my touch and I smirked. We had a similar effect on each other. I slipped my hands down further to cup his erection in my palm. He groaned into my mouth as I touched him. We had never gone all the way and had sex but we did fool around. Touching each other.

“Stop,” He said suddenly pulling away. It seemed to take a lot for him.

“What?” I asked quickly scared I’d done something wrong.

“I want to do you first.” I frowned. “You always do me first, I want to...you know. Shake things up a bit,” He smirked his hands traveling downwards.

I wasn’t one to complain especially when he started to finger the button on my jeans. My body ached for his touch. Slowly he pulled the zipper of my jeans down and came back to kiss me again. I took a deep breath and let his tongue instantly into my mouth. He pressed me against the window of the car as his hand slipped down the front of my jeans....

My eyes shot open.

Suddenly I was staring at a dirty roof, not the roof of my boyfriend’s car. My breathing was heavy and my body was aching. But not in a bad way. Aching to be touched.

“Are you alright?”

I jumped a foot in the air. My mind hadn’t separated my reality from confusion. Across the room Dimitri was slumped on the floor watching me with a weary look on his face. Babysitter I assumed. I sat up and rubbed my face with my hands furiously. I had to be dreaming. But it had felt so real. Probably because it was real at one point. It was a memory, not a fictional dream.

“Bad dream,” I muttered with a sigh.
He raised an eyebrow. “Bad hey, who’s Oliver?”

The look it shot him caused him to raise his hands in defense and back against the wall. If looks could kill.

“Just curious,” He said quickly and smirked. “You said his name a lot...actually you more...moaned his name.”

Unfortunately he had quick reflexes because the empty can I hurled, aiming for his head, missed. I would have hit him perfectly if he didn’t move. My imagination sufficed though.
“Go away,” I groaned clutching my head. A roaring headache had taken control.

“I’m sorry,” He replied with amusement laced in his voice. “But I thought I was the only one you dreamed about...”

“Oh my god if you don’t fuck off I swear I’ll...I don’t know but it will be painful.” I didn’t want to think up torture methods right now. My head hurt.

“Feisty,” He smirked.

Maybe it was just me but he seemed more annoying than usual.
I looked around for something else to throw and came up short. So I settled for the best death glare I could manage but since my eyes were twitching with my aching head. It must have looked stupid. The smirk on his face confirmed it.

“Okay, I’m sorry. You look like you need to go back to sleep.”

I slumped back down and closed my eyes. It was nice to have a bed again.

“Dream about Oliver maybe,” he added in a mocking tone.

That was it for me. My head was pounding, my body was sore and my patience was running thin. Very thin. Ignoring the pain in my head I got up quickly. The world spun and I hesitated for a moment ruining my element of surprise. Realizing he’d pushed the point and knowing better Dimitri jumped up and made a dash for the door.

Knowing I couldn’t catch him feeling this way I grabbed the first projectile I could find. A plastic bottle filled with water someone had left behind for me. I threw it at his retreating form and it him perfectly in the back of the head as he stumble out the doorway. Causing him to stagger even more. I snorted, the groaned and went back to my dirty bed. Where I curled into a tight ball and slung my arm over my eyes. Laughter echoed from the next room. I could hear everyone out there perfectly since the door was still open.

“What did you do to cause that?” I heard Oscar laughed loudly.

“Nothing I don’t usually do,” Dimitri groaned. I could picture him rubbing his head. Hopefully his perfect blond hair was streaked with blood.

“I don’t doubt the poor girl has a raging headache,” Jamison added. He to sounded amused. “You’d best to keep your distance Dimitri.”

“I recommend you all do,” Dad said. He sounded closer than all of them.

He knew how badly I handled headaches. I usually lashed out and cause everyone to have one. His heavy footsteps came closer, then the side of the bed dipped. I knew he had sat beside me. His hand came up and rubbed my side gently. It was silent for a long time.
“I brought your water back,” he said. “In case you run out of projectiles.”

I cracked a smile in spite of the headache. I heard his small breath as he smiled.

“That’s what I like to see,” he said poking my lip. “Are you feeling any better?”

“My head hurts,” I complained.

“I don’t doubt it. Jamison’s trying to find something to help with that but with the move we’ve...misplaced a lot,” he said slowly.

“It’s okay dad,” I sighed. “I’ll live...But I can’ say the same for Dimitri if he comes back in here.”

Dad chuckled. “I don’t think his coming back anytime soon. You clobbered him good.”

“Good.”

“Well you’ll be glad to hear that Dimitri now has a headache rivaling our own Grace,” Jamison said as he came into the room.

“Good,” I repeated.

“Bad news,” he continued. “I come brandishing a needle.”

I groaned, then shuddered. But if it numbed this headache I’d deal with it. I kept one of my arms firmly over my eyes as Jamison pierced my skin with his needle. Dad squeezed my hand gently until it was over.

“By the way Grace,” Jamison said as he pulled the needle from my arm. “Don’t take Dimitri to seriously, his missed having you around.”

“What to annoy?” I groaned and dad chucked.

“Maybe but he was lost without you. Give him a break.”

“I’ll give him a break alright. A broken arm or leg maybe.”

Dad sighed and Jamison shook his head. I closed my eyes again and tried to drift back into sleep. My dad’s voice beside me almost put me back to sleep.

“We need to make a food run,” He was saying to Jamison. His hand still resting on my side. “We left to much behind.”

“Think it’s safe to go back?”

“Probably not. They’ll be watching the place. I was thinking we split the groups up a bit. One of us can take one for food and another for water. We’re running low.”

Jamison hesitated. “You don’t...want to send Dimitri and Grace out for water as usual. They’ve always been able....”

“No.”

“Cameron,” Jamison started hesitantly and softly. “You can’t keep her locked up in here for the rest of her life.”

“I won’t risk her getting hurt again,” Dad replied firmly. Anger lacing his voice.

“You know as well as I do she won’t take it Cameron. It was....”

“And are you her father,” Dad snapped. I decided it was about time I intervened. Dad was getting snappy. Something that rarely happened and never ended well.

“His right dad,” I said sitting up. He jumped. I think he forgot I was in the room. “I’m going to help out whether you like it or not.”

He gave me that look. I knew that look well. It was the same look I always got when I used to talk back, question him or even when I got caught sneaking out with Oliver. I used to get this look a lot, but it had been a long time since he’d given it to me. And as always it spiked that stubborn teenage side in me.

“As I said,” he said firmly. “You will not be put in situations like that ever again.”

“So what?” I questioned. “I’m meant to sit around here all day until I die.”

“I will keep you safe!” He snapped at me standing up. “I will not let those fucking uniforms take you away from me again.”

“It was one incident!” I exclaimed. “And mostly my own fault.” I hadn’t have got myself locked in that room I would have never been caught.

“It’s one incident we’re never going to risk happening again!”

“So you’re just going to lock me up all the time,” I snapped. “Times are different dad you can’t just ground me anymore.”

“Exactly,” he murmured angrily. “Times are different....”

At the this point Jamison, realizing this was going nowhere, walked over and put his arm over dad’s shoulders. Dad stiffened but let Jamison walk him away. I heard him talking softly as they walked towards the door.

“Let it go. We’ll talk about it later. But right now, you’re stressed, she’s stressed and it’s not going to go anywhere.” He said. “Let her have some more rest and....”

Dad stalked off leaving us behind. I sighed and slumped against the wall.

“Thanks for trying,” I muttered and he sighed.

“Give him some time. His been a wreck since you went missing. He’ll see sense eventually but just let him have his moment,” He said as he walked over.

I sighed and closed my eyes. I felt Jamison started pulling my hair back and looking for the tender area. He took his time gently pulling my hair apart eventually stopping in one place. His finger grazed over an area that felt bruise and I flinched. He pulled away slowly but kept my hair pulled back.

“Bad?” I asked.

“Not really,” He replied. “Just a couple of bruises but here there’s a small gash. We just need to keep it clean to avoid infection.”

“Figured,” I sighed.

“Get some sleep,” Jamison said gently.

I watched him leave the room and sighed, laying down on the bed. A bed was a definite luxury these days. We usually made do with make shift beds. I guess hiding out on an old apartment building. I shuddered involuntary. This had once been someone’s home, someone’s bed. Someone who was more than likely dead. Suddenly I felt like I was violating their memory.

I didn’t even know them I shouldn’t be sleeping in their bed. I sat up slowly, my head throbbed. I glanced around. All signs that someone had once lived here were gone. I wondered if they’d packed up and ran. Or maybe it had been looted and cleaned out before we got here. I didn’t know what it was but suddenly I didn’t want to be in here anymore. Ignoring my aching head I stood up and walked gingerly over to the doorway. I didn’t see what I expected.

I could see where the hall way had been. But walls were missing. Leaving a space the size of a few rooms hollowed out outside the door I was standing in. There were still a few rooms with doors coming off this area and I assumed that’s were everyone was sleeping now. Rubble took up a lot of floor space but it looked as though a lot had been cleaned up to create a space for us. A few of the men were in the process of this now. I glanced around, there was to exits. One on either side of where the hallway should have been. One had been barricaded off completely with rubble. There was no way anyone could get through it.

It didn’t look like a natural fall of rubble either, they must have built it that way. The door to my left was barricaded also but I could see a way out. To the right side of the room all our supplies were stacked neatly. Food, ammunition and medical. Jamison was working over them. Then voices caught my attention. Dad was on the other side of the room talking with Matt and one of this groupies.

Matt? There was something about him I remembered suddenly. Something I had to tell my dad. I rummaged through my mind for something. Then it hit me, Riley had told me in the hospital. Without thinking I walked over to my dad quickly and stumbled on my unsteady feet. I felt like I was going to fall but something caught my arm and kept me up. I looked up to see my father holding my arm.

“Grace, you need to be laying down,” He scolded and I shook my head.

“I have to talk to you,” I said quickly glancing at Matt.

Dad looked from my desperate face to Matt waiting impatiently three feet away.

“Can it wait?”

I shook my head. “It’s important...please dad.”

He sighed. I knew I’d have him pulling the dad card. He looked over at Matt.

“Five minutes?”

“Fine,” Matt sighed and turned to his friend.

Dad walked me over to the other side of the room. Out of everyone’s earshot. He glanced over me once, concern filling his features. I must have looked as bad as I felt.

“What’s wrong?” Dad asked eventually.

“Matt...and his friends..shoot...they killed someone and....”

“Stop rambling,” He said forcefully. I looked up at him. “Calm down and try again.”

“Matt, and his friends...killed someone,” I said and Dad frowned.

“What, how do you know this?”

I hesitated. “I was told by a reliable source. Someone who was there. He explained them perfectly to me, even down to the bands on the left wrist and one of them had your gun.”

His frown deepened. “You’re sure about this Grace. This is a big accusation to make.”

I hesitated but I nodded. Could I trust Riley? He’d proved himself trustworthy and he did seem upset over it. Dad glanced over at Matt, then his friends one by one.

“Okay Grace, you told you this. I can’t do something unless I know this is the truth. I can’t cause more trouble with them.”

I jumped into my story quickly. Telling dad about the hospital and Riley. Quickly convincing him Riley was okay when his face turned. I told him what Riley had told me and how he seemed to be telling the truth.
He was worked up like anyone would be at the loss of a friend. When I finished I watched my father facial expressions and movements. Watching him put everything I’d told him together. He caught Jamison’s eyes from across the room making him walked over with a confused look on his face.

They moved off slowly mumbling to each other quickly. I glanced over at Matt to see him watching them with a curious expression. Then looking at me, his face twisting. I knew he didn’t like me. Why I had no idea. He just held something against me. I wandered slowly over to where the food was stored. My stomach was grumbling and I needed to let Dad and Jamison talk. I grabbed the closest edible thing and sat down to eat it. Not paying attention to what I was actually eating.

“How’s your head,” Dimitri grumbled sitting next to me.

“Sore,” I muttered.

“Mine to,” He replied lowly and I snorted a laugh. Then cringed.

He laughed and me, then cringed as well. So I poked my tongue out at him. Thankfully it didn’t hurt.

“So what’s going on?” He asked looking over to where Oscar had joined Dad and Jamison.
I told him what I’d told dad. He frowned and glared at Matt and his group standing in the corner together.

“Sounds like them doesn’t it.”

I nodded. Slowly the three men walked over to the group. They watched wearily as they advanced. Dimitri tensed beside me. Dad talked first, to Matt. He was staying calm but I could see the accusation in his eyes. Matt’s face hardened and his eyes flickered at me. I lowered my head quickly. Then another one of his friends butted in and spoke to dad. His eyes condescending. Dad’s shoulder tensed. Suddenly he didn’t look so calm. Jamison butted in and the other guy smirked and said something else that made Jamison cringe. Dad lost it.

“Why would you do that!?” Dad asked his voice rising. Enough for us to hear and make a few people turn.

“They got what they deserved!” The man said back loudly. I could never remember his name but he always gave me creepy vibes.

“They didn’t do anything wrong by you,” Dad retaliated. “He didn’t deserve to die!”

“He got in my way!”

“Enough!” Matt interrupted before Dad could retaliate. “What does this have to do with you anyway?” he snarled at dad.

“A lot,” Dad snapped. “This makes us look bad. This is not what we stand for.”

“Like it mattes anymore,” Another snapped at him.

“If you want to go around randomly shooting people go join the fucking army,” Oscar said firmly. “That’s not what we do. If it happens again...it will be dealt with more severely. For now let it go. End of.”

Oscar always had a knack for avoiding trouble. He turned everyone away and followed a fuming dad. The other’s stood in the corner whispering and glaring at their backs. I had a feeling this wasn’t going to blow over so easily.