One Ocean

"What?" Marcus tilted his head in confusion. "That's your group?"

"I knew it. I knew we should have never allowed her on board!" The third unnamed member of the crew drew his revolved from behind his back at pointed it at Alex.

Elyza stepped forward in front of him, eyes hard. "Put it down."

"She's going to wreck everything for us." He stood still, the barrel still pointed at Alex.

"Eric...I said put it down." Elyza gave him another hard look, this time he withdrew his weapon and stepped back of the blond haired girl.

"Why don't you tell us what happened to separate you?" Marcus asked once he made sure the commotion on his boat had settled, brown eyes meeting hers.

"Some guy named Strand. He cut the rope from the raft to the boat. Me and Jake floated for a few days and then you found me." She answered, raising her chin, daring him to question her authenticity. 

"Why?" Marcus' eyes narrowed. "Why'd he cut the rope?"

Alex remained silent, her face giving away nothing.

"You tell me, or I throw you back into that water" Marcus warned.

"Marcus-" Elyza cut in stopping once she saw him raise his hand in her direction signaling that she should stop talking.

"I don't know." Alex returned cold.

"Well what do you know?" the one called Eric broke again into the conversation. 

"Why? So you can kill me?" Alex looked between Eric, Jack, Elyza and Marcus, "No. I don't think so. You want that information you've got to give me something first."

"Or we could just shoot you now and throw you over." Eric offered.

"You could," Alex glanced over Marcus' shoulder to glare at the hothead before continuing, "But something tells me you won't."

"Betting your life on that?" Marcus whispered into her ear.

"We're all dead anyway. Don't see that I have much to lose." She whispered back hotly.

With a slow smile, Marcus nodded his head and addressed the rest of the crew. "She stays." Walking away he ventured towards the steps that lead down to below the deck of the ship. "At least until we get that boat."

"Yacht." She called out after him. "t's a yacht".

"Yacht" Marcus repeated then disappeared below deck.

Eric waited until Marcus left then directed his order to Elyza. "You wanted to keep her so bad," he gestured with his hand in Alex's direction. "Now you've got her. First watch is yours. And Elyza, don;t let me catch her wandering alone on this boat." The threat clear. 

Elyza nodded. It wasn't as if she didn't understand the risk they took by allowing Alex on the boat, but she knew they faced an even bigger risk throwing her over. If she did manage to wash up on sea, or get picked up by another crew then their security was compromised. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, that was the saying she'd heard before the world went to hell and it seemed to prove true now. If they could convince Alex, to trust them, then that was one more active body that could help their cause. They'd saved her, in the middle of the ocean. It wasn't as if she had many options. As the deck cleared of Marcus and Eric she watched as the brunette took a deep stammering breathe. A slight smile crossed her face. She's braver, than she looks, Elyza thought. With the gamble she just made, the young girl had better hope that Marcus still found her useful after they took over the boat. She feared that if Alex stepped the wrong way, Marcus would throw her to Eric. She'd seen the way Eric had fun. A slight shiver ran down her back as she walked over to their guest.

"You've got balls." She commented abstractedly.

"Something like that." Alex agreed.

"Marcus, he likes people that can hold their own in this group."

"Don't know if I'm welcome to stay anymore."

"There's a way to fix that" the blue eyes flickered over her quickly, her intent clear.

"So I tell you and then what? Marcus lets his friend put a bullet in my brain?" Alex shook her head "I don't like those options very much."

"Well, that'd be a waste of a bullet." Elyza brushed past her to go and stand against the rails of the book overlooking the ocean.

Alex joined her, leaning on the rails. "You're not much for killing, are you?"

"Depends on what we're talking about. The dead, or the living."

"You've had to kill a few of them haven't you?"

"I assume we're talking about the infected. I don't know. Can you kill what's already dead?"

"I try not to think of it. It's them or me."

"See?" Elyza chuckled. "You're not so different from us." 

"I've had to kill." Alex started, feeling Elyza's eyes on her. "The living." A longer stare from her companion so Alex finished her statement. "I was S.W.A.T, before all of this."

"See I told you. Ballsy girl." Elyza smiled in admiration.

"The urge to live is the strongest desire mankind has. You don't have to have balls for that."

"I guess." Elyza views the oncoming sunset. "C'mon let's head downstairs. It'll be getting cold up here."

Alex awoke in her room, Elyza sleep in the chair next to her. She took in the girl's posture for a minute, remembering her training to help her analyze the situation. Elyza's head was tilted with one side resting on her chest/shoulder area. Her legs were crossed at the knee. The gun held in her loosely in her hands. Her eyes fluttered rapidly, her breathing slow. Although they'd somewhat grown more familiar with each other from the last night Elyza still didn't trust Alex. The slow breathing and fluttering eyes told her that Elyza was intentionally trying to sleep light. Her leg, crossed at the knee gave her ample time to use her foot in a defensive manner, most likely a strong kick to her opponent pushing them away from her. Thus she could use the gun to jam it's barrel further in their direction with a threatening "click" noise, allowing her attacker to know the gun was loaded. What was she? Before all of this? Softly she called as to awaken the girl without startling her. 

"Elyza. Elyza"

Elyza didn't move. Alex swung her legs to the opposite side of the bed, making sure to make noise when she stepped down. This time Elyza awoke, whirling the shot gun in the direction of the bed. Alex put her hands up.

"Easy. Easy."

"Sorry." Elyza apologizes as the haze brought on by sleep fades.

"All good." Alex smiled reassuringly at her.

"What time is it?"

"Don't know. Sun's up so I'd say mid-morning, early afternoon?"

"Shit!" She jumps up out of the chair. "I was supposed to be on deck."

"After you." Alex shot her eyes to the door.

It was obviously uncomfortable when the two women walked upstairs. Marcus sat with his coffee refusing to look at either of them, staring at the ocean ahead of him. Eric and Jack were looking over a map on the deck snickering. The remains of that morning's meal, two cans of beans, sat off to the side. Elyza huffed and walked over grabbing the cans and the can opener. After she opened hers, she tossed the can along with the can opener to Alex. They ate in silence with Alex giving Elyza questioning looks and Elyza ignoring them. 

"Thanks for the food."

"Welcome." Elyza responded gruffly.

"Okay," Alex moved in closer to the sitting Elyza lowering her voice. "What's your problem."

"Drop it." Elyza cautioned. 

"I don't get everybody's deal."

"It's not you." Elyza looked over at the boys pretending to look over their map. "It's me."

"What do you mean?"

"Look, everyone has responsibilities. We work to earn our keep. We don't sleep in, not on a hunt."

"That's what this is about? You sleeping in?"

"Elyza?" Marcus had finally found the time to tear himself away from his coffee. 

"Marcus?"

"Tell Jake to see if he can get that girl on the radio again. Supplies are running low, we didn't plan to be at sea this long. We keep this up, we'll end up turning back before we get that boat. Boss wants his boat. 

"You mean Alicia?" Alex spoke out thinking now would be the time to "earn her keep"

"How do you know her name?" Marcus asked turning in her seat. 

"Heard her mom say her name. While she was trying to help us."

"You and the boy," Marcus frowned, trying to remember his name.

"Me and Jake."

"So you've been on the boat?" Elyza asked.

"Strand wouldn't let me on the boat but I've seen the people on there."

"I'm listening." Marcus smirked.

"There are three women. Alicia, her mom and another darker haired woman. It's about five guys. The younger boys are Nick and Chris. Strand's the one who cut me lose from the boat. And there's Travis. He tried to convince Strand to drag us to shore."

"Tell us about the weapons." Eric, who'd clearly been listening finally spoke. "Doesn't matter how many of them are on board if they aren't armed."

"The old man had a pistol." She offered, realizing she hadn't seen how armored or not they were. 

"That's it? An old man with a pistol?" Eric snapped finding her story unbelievable.

"That's all I saw." 

"And how do we know you're not lying?" Eric rolled his eyes.

"We don't." Marcus answered standing up and walking down the steps to look at Alex. "But if you are, I'll have your new friend Elyza blow your fucking brains out the back side of your head."

"And if I'm not lying?"

"What do you want?"

"I want to get to shore. You can drop me off wherever you please. But I want a chance to make it. A real chance this time."

"Tell you what Alex." Marcus rubbed his chest thoughtfully. "You're telling the truth and you can come back to base with us. We've got people there. We look out for each other. You don't stand a week alone out there. Come back with us. Give it a shot and if you still want to go, you're free to leave." He turned to Eric, Jack and Elyza. You three, get your gear and head after that boat. When you've secured it. Radio me and I'll come in to get you."

Alex watched as they packed their gear, each one of them had a pistol and Elyza kept her shot gun strapped to her back. Eric and Jack pulled the raft off their boat setting it on the water and yelling to Elyza to get in. Elyza placed the rope in Alex's hands, before calling out to Marcus telling him take the boat out slow. Elyza jumped in the raft with her comrades and watched the ropes slip through Alex's hands. When they were far enough out Elyza grabbed the knot on the raft, worked it out and threw the limp material back towards Alex. Alex, for her part slowly, pulled the rope back on board and watched as they rowed off. 

Alex stood on the edge waiting for the three crew members to return. As much for her safety as for theirs. She'd grown to like Elyza most of all in the two days she'd been with the group. It wouldn't hurt her if Eric didn't make it back though. When Marcus got the radio call Alex could see the relief wash over his face and so she let out the breathe she didn't know she'd been holding in. She ran onto the deck and held on to the rails as Marcus swung the boat in their direction to pick up the others. As their boat neared Alex could hear their calls and jumped down to gather the rope for them. 

She noticed two new bodies on the raft but failed to see Eric. She figured he must have stayed back to secure the boat because there was no way Marcus wouldn't have blamed her for his death. These new bodies intrigued her though. Hands tied and bags over their heads she quickly figured they were hostages. It took a little coaxing but Alex found it in herself to bite back the part of her that was in outrage over the hostages. That's not me anymore. Her S.W.A.T. team members were probably dead by now and if they weren't, would they stick their necks out for these people during a zombie outbreak? As Elyza grabbed the rope she placed the hooded figures' hands on the rope as well and waved to Alex to pull them aboard. Once they had all made it safely on Jack turned to grab the raft out of the water as Elyza pulled the hoods off.

"Marcus meet Alicia and Travis."

When Alicia and Travis were able to see they looked around the boat only to spot a familiar face.

"Alex?" Alicia questioned.