It was another headache the next few days. Ash handed the map to Peter and informed him what Rhys said. He was not happy. Ever since Peter started distributing extra food, he had been gaining followers, so he took most of them and went over to confront Rhys but in the end returned empty handed. The days of his trial was running out in 4 days. He didn't know what Kyle and his group would do after that, but he had to make sure to get as much support and power before that happened. If need arises, he could then even throw the group out. Before that he had to come up with an idea for the food shortage or Kyle would not be the one, he had to worry about.
The next day after a lot of mulling, Peter decided to form a team. Anyone who had experience in killing Zombies before was asked to be part of the group. This naturally included Ash as well since he had gone out on a raid before. They were to leave the next day. Ash at once noticed that the entire group was made up of nervous newbies. They indeed had killed before but that was from a distance and from within the safety of the walls. Tom was also in the group. They looked at each other and sighed. This was going to be a disaster but if they wanted something to fill their bellies then they had no choice but to step out. Peter didn't forget to badmouth Rhys in front of the group letting them know that the reason they had to risk their lives outside was because Rhys was being a selfish jerk.
Having decided on the team and turning the people against Rhys, Peter was in a much more cheerful mood. He talked as if there was no doubt that the team would return with a big haul and that within a few days no less. He certainly was an optimist, but Ash knew that it was impossible. He had already taken a look at the map Rhys marked out for them and most of the nearby areas had already been swept through. The spots he marked as the best locations to still find some food was quite far away. It would take them almost a day to get there, and then finding the goods would take a bit of time as well. So, they could only hope to return in 3 or 4 days if nothing major went wrong.
Peter walked up to him with his usual wide grin and placed his hand on his shoulder. "Ash, how are you feeling about the trip tomorrow?"
"Not too good. None of us have the experience to carry it out without casualties." Peter nodded in understanding.
"But then that is life." He said as if Ash wasn't part of the people whom he was sending out to die. Ash frowned at his words but then he also knew that there wasn't much he could do against it. He did want to help with the food problem, so he was okay with trying their luck outside. After all, dying from a zombie bite is less painful than suffering from starvation and dying slowly. "How about we have a drink together tonight?" Peter asked. "To calm those nerves a bit and as a toast for a successful raid tomorrow?"
Ash wasn't too fond of drinking alcohol but since tomorrow's trip could spell his death, he decided to live a little. "alright." He answered. Peter patted his shoulder and left him to deal with the food distribution of the day.
As the time for their meet up approached, Ash started having an uneasy feeling. Peter and his group of 5 lackeys came over waving several glasses at him. At the sight of them, his instincts kept telling him not to drink tonight. As soon as he started pondering on the reason why, he got a throbbing headache. With the pain came fragmented pieces of memory but this time they were not things that had already happened before. The things he saw, he hadn't experienced it yet in this life.
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Ash was sitting on the floor in a circle with 6 other people including Peter. The other five were his loyal followers who tagged along with him wherever he went. Three of them were to go on the raid. Tom was also among them. After all he was another person who had to go out the next day. After the camp got divided Tom spend lot of effort in gaining Peter's favour. Obviously, he still held a grudge against the others for the incident before. Everyone now saw him as a loyal dog of Peter, but Ash could see that he was an opportunist. When power fell on Peters lap, he was quick to choose sides but there was no guarantee that he would stick around if the situation changes.
They were all laughing and drinking some Jack Daniels. Ash was very worried as he didn't really like drinking. But under the influence of the others he kept drowning glass after glass. The taste was horrible. It burned his throat as he swallowed and as time passed made his head hazy and drowsy.
Oblivious to his tipsy state, Peter pushed another glass towards him. it had no water or ice in it. Just dry JD. "Go on let those nerves relax. You deserve a rest." He shook the glass slightly making the liquid inside sway from one side to another.
"I really shouldn't." Ash responded slurring. "I am not good with alcohol."
"Nonsense. This is how you get used to it." Peter forcefully pushed the glass into his hand and raised his own for a toast. Then without waiting for Ash he drained the entire thing in a few gulps. He then refilled it again and then noticed that Ash hadn't taken any moves to drink his. He narrowed his eyes and made him so uncomfortable that Ash was forced to comply. He watched him like a hawk until the last drop left the glass.
With his head spinning Ash noticed that his glass was yet again full and that the people around him were watching him with grinning faces. Ash started to feel dizzy. The alcohol was finally working its way up into his head and making him drunk. All his sense of direction and sense of self left him. After half a night of cursing and giggling like a fool with the others Ash passed out with a wide smile on his lips.
Ash woke up the next morning from a yank by his collar. A resident of the camp was glowering at him with burning eyes. Ash looked around him in confusion. There was no one there besides him.
"What's going on?" He asked confused.
"You still have the nerve to ask that. The food is gone." Ash looked around ones more and realised that some of the boxes he had kept count of were overturned and empty while others were completely missing. After shouting in his face for around a minute, the man dragged him out of the storage room. There was already a crowd gathered. Everyone had angry and murderous expressions.
"Where did you hide all the food?" Someone asked with a growl.
"It wasn't me." Ash shouted right back.
"Then who was it?" Another person asked yanking at his collar.
"I don't know." This time his voice was low with guilt.
"Weren't you the one in charge. How can anything happen without you knowing?"
Where did Peter and the rest go? Also, who was the traitor who stole food. With the state he was in yesterday there was no way of knowing who it was. Ash was starting to feel nauseous from all the pulling and pushing. The liquor from yesterday was making his stomach upset. Not to mention the terrible headache that has been bothering him since he woke up. This was a disaster.
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When Ash came to gasping for breath. He looked around him frantically and noticed that they were back in the storage room. He was already sitting in a circle on the floor. Peter sat next to him with a hand around his shoulder like usual. His heart was beating very hard and drops of sweat dripped down on his back. Ash looked down into his hands and noticed the empty whiskey glass similar to the one he remembered from before. His throat had a burning feeling and he knew at once that they had begun drinking for a while now.
"What are you spacing out for Ash?" Peter asked patting him hard on the back. The force send shock waves throughout his body. "Are you not enjoying our company?"
"N-no. Nothing like that." Ash responded wiping at the beads around his neck. The vision he just saw was so vivid that it seemed real. He was still fighting the urge to slam his head into a wall to know whether he is dreaming or not. He really thought that he had been dragged out to the crowd of residents to be accused and sworn upon. Just imagining being surrounded by angry and hate filled eyes made his stomach flip. The experience although not hadn't happened, was terrifying. He didn't want to be accused by everyone in the camp. For that all he can do is try to not drink into oblivion and keep an eye out for the thief if the vision was true. He found a lot of the things in the vision suspicious, such as the way the others kept forcing him to drink and also how none of them were present when he woke up. So, they were the first group of people he was suspicious of. Even if they didn't directly do it, there was no way that the thief would be able to steal that much without anyone knowing.
He glanced at Peter and saw that he had been watching him closely the entire time he was in a daze in. When he saw Ash look over, he just smirked and then went back to the conversation they were having. Ash thought he saw a glint in his eyes which made him go on his guard at once. Peter was not someone to be messed with. He was a very sly and power-hungry man. If you dared to blink in front of him then you should be prepared to lose something as well. One of the men gathered there stretched out an opened bottle in order to refill his glass and Ash frowned. 'I shouldn't get swept up in their pace.'
He pulled back his glass reflexively and saw the guy looking at him confused. Peter also noticed the atmosphere. He laughed and took the bottle from the man ready to personally fill up his glass.
"I would rather not drink anymore. I am already feeling tipsy." Ash said cupping the glass to his chest and away from reach.
"nonsense! you only had one glass." Peter rejected his claim and plucked the glass out of his grasp and refilled it to more than half before placing it back in his hands. Seeing that Ash just held on to it with a stiff face Peter went on. "I think the problem is with the mood. We should talk about something interesting so that it relaxes us and gives us a reason to drink."
"You are still new to this place and I know that you are not having the best experiences ever since you came here." Peter gave him a sympathetic look as he talked. "if you are having any problems in the camp you should tell me."
"Problems?" Ash asked. He had always had problems but until now no one had really cared. Everyone for themselves that was the motto. Now that Peter was saying this was obviously with some ulterior motives.
"Yes, for example if Rhys is giving you trouble. I saw that he has been keeping Luke as a watch dog after you. He is with you every day. You must be threatened or something." Ash noticed that all the attention in the room was on him.
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"No nothing like that. He is just instructing me on some basic martial arts." He responded.
"Ah is that right. It seems like you are still very close with them." Tom was the one who said this. He swirled the glass he was holding and took a swing with a dark look on his face.
"Well with some of them." Ash responded.
"What about Rhys?" Peter asked with a very curious look on his face. "he gave us the map and everything because you guys are close right?" Ash felt like he detected something like a hiss in his voice as he asked about him, but his face didn't show any hint of the dislike.
Ash remembered what had happened a few days ago and his mood fell. "no, we are not." Ash felt miserable and drowned his glass with one swing. The liquor went down his throat leaving a scorching feeling behind. He noticed that Peter's face brightened at once and he refilled the empty glass.
"Do you not like him?"
Ash was silent for a long moment. He didn't dislike the man but neither did he like him. it was like the feelings you have towards a stranger. But something was strange whenever he was with Rhys. He would feel complicated without even knowing the reason and he would have outrageous thoughts. He would act on his emotions as if he had no control over his body. These were feeling that he did not enjoy. But the sensations he felt while they were in the storage room was certainly not of dislike. In fact, if the circumstances were different, he would have enjoyed it. Rhys was someone who made him scared. The fear was engraved in his very soul but.... 'uh I don't know' Ash wanted to grab his hair and pull it out, but he refrained from that and answered, "No I don't." he looked down at his glass and saw that it was empty again. When did he drink that? He should really stop. His mind was already getting foggy and Ash didn't want to pass out no matter what.
"What about the rest of them?" Peter continued to ask. Ash found it a bit suspicious that he wanted to know his attitude towards the guys, but he answered anyway.
"The others are fine in my opinion."
"I noticed that you have a good relationship with them." Peter nodded in agreement. "But do you think they would leave you behind if you got into trouble?"
Ash looked at him with narrowed eyes. He was certainly going somewhere with these questions, but he couldn't figure out where. "I don't think they would." He answered based on their reactions when some of their comrades were in trouble. but there was no way he could be sure since he had tried to kill one of their own. Peter seemed satisfied with his answers and left him in peace after that.
Ash blanked out as the conversation continued between the others. He vaguely remembered that they were mostly badmouthing Kyle and his entire group. He was drunk. Even though he tried hard to keep his eyes open, they refused to cooperate with him. They fluttered close and soon he fell into deep asleep.
Peter watched as the boy fell asleep and his smile turned into a grim. He had been tired pretending to be in a good mood for so long. Ever since he overheard a recent conversation between Rhys and Kyle he had been in a terrible mood. They had been talking about moving. And not even moving with everyone but their small group breaking apart from the rest. It would have been a good situation if one of his men hadn't informed him about the Zombies that are appearing in the vicinity again. It wasn't a small number either. So, they needed the numbers and the other groups fighting experience.
Ever since he heard their conversation, he had been thinking up ways to keep them here. If he followed them then he would certainly loose the power that he had now. Back in the days he had been a normal overworked office worker. He had hated his job, his boss and his nagging wife. There wasn't a day where he cursed his boss and imagined ways to make his life miserable if he had the power. But then the world went into chaos and that while he was at work no less. He didn't hesitate to sacrifice his boss for his safety.
Now that he finally had a taste of power, all the oppression from before was slightly lifted and he was getting addicted on the feeling. He didn't want to lose it. after mulling over it he remembered the conversation shifting to a certain someone. Peter's eyes flicked to the sleeping boy and a wide evil grin stretched on his face. He had actually thought that Rhys hated the boy and would be glad to leave him behind. But when Kyle asked him about him, Rhys actually agreed that they should bring him along. Peter had already known that Ash held a favourable impression in a lot of Kyle's team's minds. Even Mrs Nolan looked after him like he was her own grandson. It was understandable as the boy looked innocent and harmless. People instinctively wanted to protect him even if he wasn't the youngest nor the most helpless one in the group. With Rhys character if he had actually hated the boy, he would have thrown the boy out the gates the very day he pushed him.
Right now, Peter had control over the boy since he didn't know that the others were planning to leave. But when he finds out then he would without a doubt join them and leave as well. He had to do anything in order to keep him here so that Kyle's group would also stick around for a while. When he came to that conclusion, he started observing Ash thoroughly and understood something about the boy's character. He was someone who took responsibility for his mistakes. If he made trouble, he would try to fix it without being swayed by others. Peter was planning to take advantage of this trait of his.
He and his boys had planned to hide away all the food in the storage room and have Ash take responsibility. This was Tom's idea as he asked for a solution for that problem. Tom was an observer. He knew how to suck up to people and with his keen silent observation he knew most of the people's personality. Ever since he lost favour as soon as he arrived, he has been keeping a low profile and staying in everyone's good books. With that character of his, he would be guilt bound and try to fix it while on the raid. But Peter himself knew that there was no way that they would find that amount of food with just one raid. He would be forced to keep staying here until the store is full again and with the way the others cared about him there is no way they would leave him behind and go. If Ash had been loyal to him, there would not have been the need to deceive him like this, but Peter could tell that he was only on his side due to his fear of Rhys and the possibility that he would throw him out.
Peter saw that the others were also starting to get drunk. Few of them were also passed out in the circle. But the three who agreed to help out were still up and waiting for his signal. Deciding that they shouldn't waste any more time, he nodded at them and everyone started moving. Boxes after boxes were lifted and moved around. They made sure that everyone was sleeping and took the boxes outside the camp to a nearby building and hid it well. They went back and forth a few times and when most of the boxes were moved, Peter instructed them to grab the passed-out men and then walked out of the storage room leaving the sleeping boy behind.
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A heavy pull forced him off the ground and shook Ash. His mind was cloudy, and he was confused as the pull on his collar intensified. "you are still sleeping?" someone shouted angrily. The loud voice resonated in his head and caused it to throb. He pulled open his heavy eyelids with great difficulty and looked for the disturber.
"W-what is going on?" Ash asked groggily. He rubbed a hand over his eyes and tried to focus on the man. He was one of the residents in the camp. The situation was awfully familiar. As soon as his face registered in his mind, Ash was wide awake. He looked around hastily and saw the upturned and empty boxes of food. 'oh no!' his eyes widened in horror. What he saw in his vision was real and he wasn't able to prevent it. 'What is the use of giving me a warning if there is hardly any time to prevent the problem?' It was like fate was mocking him. If the vision had arrived even a few hours earlier then he wouldn't have been in this situation right now,
"stop playing ignorant. Where is the food. Its already noon." The man shouted in his face. Ash's headache intensified. He tried to struggle out of the man's grasp, but he was quite strong. Instead of letting him go, he pulled him along outside. Ash was devastated. He wasn't able to stay awake nor was he able to find out who was behind the disappearance of the food. If nothing was done, then he would be accused and cast out as in the vision that he had.
Ash was soon standing in front of a crowd of angry residents. They were already annoyed with Ash ever since the food supply went down to one meal a day and today even after waiting for their only meal, it wasn't coming. When someone went in to look, they saw that the place had been mostly cleared out. This sparked their rage. They were hungry and angry which was not the best combination.
Ash started looking for Peter and the others who were with him yesterday. He spotted them standing several meters away looking at him with the same expression as the people surrounding him as if he was the culprit behind it all. Form their attitude, Ash could tell that they weren't going to help him out. He was furious.
'Do they think just because they stand away, I won't speak anything?' Ash glared in their direction. If he had to take the blame, he wasn't going to be the only one accused. In his vision he had been very flustered and an introverted person. This time, Ash had a feeling that the vision would come true, so he was more prepared.
People were standing around him, scolding and cursing him. everyone was in a bad mood. "Explain yourself." Someone cried and yanked at him hard causing a sharp pain to run through his arm.
"I don't know were the food is." Ash exclaimed. Which caused another round of harsh shoving and cursing. "Peter and some others came over yesterday and we had some drinks. I admit that we had a bit too much. That's my fault but maybe the others saw who took the food. I am sure they can hold more liquor than tiny me." Ash showed them a pitiful look as he shouted above the ruckus to gain everyone's attention. "Has anyone asked them?" If the him in the vision was a coward and useless person, then the him right now was someone who knew how to make use of his innocent appearance to sway public opinion.
Everyone looked over in the direction were Peter stood. Ash thought he saw a flash of anger on his face before it was replaced with an innocent smile. A small smile spread across Ash's face. It seems like his guess was correct. They certainly had a hand in this. Whether it was themselves or if they had just turned a blind eye to someone else stealing the food was unknown.
"We left right after you fell asleep Ash." Peter responded with a kind tone. "A lot of the people so us come back to sleep. So, it can't be us."
"Why are you defending yourself?" Ash asked with a wider smile. "I didn't say that you stole it. I only asked whether you saw anything."
There was a short silence as it seemed like a red tint crept up Peter's cheeks. "We didn't see anything. Like I said we left right after you fell asleep." Since Peter had said so, the people turned back their attention on Ash.
He chuckled slightly and then directed his question at Peter again. "Don't you think it was irresponsible of you to leave someone who had been forced into drinking for the first time and got wasted alone, especially when that person has been constantly accused and attacked for more rations?" he paused for a moment and emphasised "I mean since you are in charge, I thought you would have the foresight to not do that." Ash saw Jule among the crowd. He looked like he was holding back a laugh. Next to him stood Kyle and Rhys. They also had amused expressions on their faces.
All eyes fell back on Peter and Ash saw him grit his teeth in annoyance. The others were also starting to throw accusing looks at them. His flustered state didn't last long. He soon recovered and stated, "It is true that I shouldn't have done that. It both of our negligence that led to this situation. What do you suggest we do?"
"Well, obviously a search." Ash responded. All that food cannot be finished in a single night. See who hid it, it should be still somewhere around the camp. If it is not found, then the next step would be to question the guards from last night."
"Yes. Of course." Peter smiled. Ash could see that it was strained though. Soon people were sent out to search the entire place, but nothing showed up. When the guards were questioned, one had apparently left for the toilet and the other had been taking some drugs for the fear and insomnia, so he had been high. In the end the entire process didn't do much help. Nothing was found and people were still hungry. Having no one to blame, they could only turn their anger on Ash who had been in charge of the food distribution. Ash was already feeling guilty as it is. He agreed with them that he was to blame partially as he shouldn't have been so careless with that job. He had no choice but to distribute the few packages that was left and then promise them that he would bring back more food on the raid that they were about to go on.
He knew that it was an impossible mission. Even if they were extremely lucky, the chances of them finding such a big haul on a single raid was just wishful thinking. He would have to go back and forth a few times to fulfil his promise. But he was determined to correct his mistake. That is if he didn't die on this raid. Ash sighed as he stood at the gate with the others on the team. The still unsettled crowd was behind them to see them off. Ash turned towards them and said "look through the buildings nearby. Since the food was not inside the camp then it can only be in one of those." With that he took out his gun and they entered the car that was waiting to drive off.