The Calm Before the Cat Fight
Sera waited outside for her cab. She picked pieces of bone and small chunks of flesh out of her hair and threw them into the street. Her favorite dress was a complete disaster. The bottom hem was ripped in four places and she was pretty sure the blood stains were starting to dry and set into the fabric. The sweater Marcus had given her was still intact, although the collar ribbing had been broken and now it hung off one shoulder like she had just stepped out of Flashdance. But it didn’t matter.
Even if he did eat crumpets and honey in the morning, he could kick ass like there was no tomorrow. And she loved that. Hopefully he was even better in bed, especially if his Zombie killing abilities were any indication. She liked how that could turn out. Damn it! Where was that cab.
She saw a Capitol Hill Taxi driving from a block away and started waving her hands. She didn’t want him to confuse her for a zombie and run her over. The driver pulled up along the curb and opened the passenger window. “Are you 1566 Magenta Drive?”
“Must’ve been one hell of a party” he said as she sat down on the plastic coated seats. “where to?”
“Over to Nordstroms square, just north of pike street.” She pulled off her blood encrusted shoes and sank her toes into the plush carpet. The driver sped off from the corner with a nod. Dodging burning cars and running over dead bodies.
“Yep” Sera heard the doors unlock.
“Huge Zombie infestation around here?” he asked.
“We cleared a big nest this morning” she said “But I hear Figi’s Zombie free right now. You happen to know a good pilot?”
He laughed “Actually, my cousin just got his license.” He handed her a business card through the lilttle glass window. It read “Jamil Preston, I’ll fly you out of this shit hole for cash”
Sera put the card into her purse and leaned her head against the cool glass. The freeways were blessedly clear of bodies and the taxi driver floored it. Traffic cops were pretty scarce at this point since most of them died while raiding Zombie nests. She didn’t care how fast he drove as long as she got home in one piece.
She closed her eyes for a moment. “Hey, which building is it?” He tapped on the glass “Are you awake back there?”
“Yeah, sorry. Its 431 on Washington.” She slipped her shoes back on and pulled $40 out of her purse.
“32 bucks” the cab stopped in front of a four story building. She lived in one of the apartments above the bar just like her brother. But other than the commute to work, she hated the place. Sera handed him both twentys and said “Sorry about the mess.”
“Thanks very much. Tell my cousin you spoke with me. He’ll give you a discount.” Sera nodded at him and he sped off again.
She walked up to the building entrace and tried to shake off any extra dried gore. Everything was pretty much stuck on now, so she gave up, passed through the main entrance and headed straight for the elevators. She hit the button for the 6th floor and hoped her brother wasn’t home waiting for her. She hated living across from him, but it was the easiest way to make sure they had enough protection if Zombies attacked and most people couldn’t afford the two top floor apartments anyway. They were pretty plush.
She slid the key into her door and opened it quickly. The anti-zombie security system threw a monkey hologram into the center of the room, clanking loudly. She ignored it and punched her code into the keypad on the back of the door. The monkey disappeared. She punched a second code into the keypad and saw the mace sprayheads slide back into their dormant position. She didn’t trust people or Zombies with her shit.
She locked the door and walked into the bathroom. First order of business was a shower.
She was just toweling her head dry when she heard a knock at the door. She had expected her brother to come looking for her by now but it wasn’t his usual knock. She threw on a red tank top and jeans, twirled her wet hair up into a tight bun, and grabbed the berretta she kept by the door. She tapped the video feed button and saw her ditched blind date standing with his arms crossed.
She sighed. Couldn’t the guy take a hint. “Yes?”
“It’s me Sera. Open the door” She typed in the deactivate codes again and opened the door. she kept the doorway blocked with her body. “Aren’t you going to ask me in?”
“What do you want?” she said flatly
“I came by so you could apologize.” he stepped close and reached out to pull her head toward his “and pick up the kiss you owe me”
“Woah cowboy.” Sera lifted her hands in front of her chest. “I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye, but I definitely don’t own you anything but an apology.”
“Come on. You make a huge scene with an ex-boyfriend and leave me holding your damn umbrella.”
“Do you still have my umbrella?” Sera loved that thing
“Yeah, I still got it. It’s in the car. Come have lunch with me and you can have it back.”
Sera weighed her options. She got that umbrella at last years Bumbershoot festival so replacing it was going to be pretty impossible, but the thought of having to watch this guy eat again make her stomach turn.
“Naa” she said “You keep it as a token of my appreciation for understanding.”
“Fuck that” he tried to pull her hands to the side and kiss her again.
Sera hadn’t pegged him for an abusive guy, just a regular asshole. But she quickly grabbed the two thin steel spikes she used to hold up her bun. Her hair barely had time to unravel before she shoved one inches from his chin and the other just barely above his belly button.
Ted froze. “I think I made a mistake” he began backing up trying to reduce the spike pressure on his jugular. Sera followed him until he came to the elevator. “I’m just going to go” he fumbled behind his back for the elevator button and stepped quickly inside. Sera stayed in the hallway. “Uh, thanks for the umbrella” he said as the doors closed.
“Prick” Sera mumbled as she walked back inside and closed her apartment door.
Sera decided that with the Zombie attack this morning and Ted the dickhead’s behavior that she’d better add the double calf knife to her usual bar tending ensemble. She also put on a black shrug and a pair of cowboy boots to cover the calf knife. Sera got her hair back into a bun before it got too dry and decided to wear the rose Marcus gave her. He was going to come by later, and she wanted a few more brownie points in his book. She smiled at herself in the mirror for a moment, trying to forget that her brother was probably seething downstairs since she was already an hour late for staging and restocking the bar. Hopefully he’d feel guilty for setting her up with a total jerk and they’d call it even.
She locked everything up and headed down in the elevator. Her thoughts kept running back and forth between the tea and crumpets Marcus vs the Zombie ass-kicking Marcus. It was hard to belive it was the same guy. But she was happy he’d stepped up. She loved a good gunfight after sex. “giddyup” she mummered to herself as the elevator doors opened, and saw Marie smiling unpleasantly up at her.
“Hi” Marie said “We didn’t get a chance to meet. You’re Sera, right? I’m Marie. I think we need to talk.” Marie stepped to the side to let Sera out of the elevator. Sera kept her hands ready in front of her.
“I’m late” Sera started to walk toward the entryway doors “I don’t really have time to… Talk”
“Okay then just listen.” marie continued to smile following Sera out the double doors in front of the building. “Marcus is having a tough time right now. He’s got too much work on his plate and he’s trying to distance himself from his friends even though he really needs our help. He has a tendency to pick up random woman when he’s overwhelmed like this and I’d hate to see you get hurt. So, it’d be best if you stopped seeing him and just let us deal with the situation. Okay?” Marie touched Sera’s arm. Sera felt an odd electricity tickle her forearms but she didn’t try to shake off the touch.
Sera looked down at Marie’s hand and stopped walking just outside the Tooth and Nail. She was glad for the extra weight of the calf knife along her legs. Her hazel eyes developed small golden flecks as she smiled back at Marie with all the piss and vinegar in her veins.
“Tell you what. Why don’t you shove your shoddy explanation up your ass since I’m pretty sure Marcus can make his own decisions. Okay?”
“You Bitch!” Marie stepped back as if Sera had slapped her.
“Look, Marie is it? You can step up or fuck off because I don’t have time for this bullshit. I appreciate that you’re upset because you lost your fuck buddy but that’s not really my problem. You see the sign there? It says “We have the right to refuse to serve your sorry butt” So either get off my property or I’ll enforce my right to kick your tiny little ass off it.”
“Fucking ignorant Brute.” Marie was starting to shake with rage and goosebumps raised up along her arms. But she backed up step by step and finally unlocked a black Mercedes parked along the curb. “We’re not done.” Marie said “You have no idea what you’re getting into.”
“I’ll be waiting to see you again then” Sera waved “me and my Beretta” She watched Marie drive off. She almost wished she had a few more Zombies to kill right now, because all this adrenaline was making her jumpy. For the first time in 6 months, Sera gratefully walked into the Tooth and Nail, ready to work.
Her brother looked up, “Where the fuck have you been?” And just like that, her joy was gone.