A minute passed. Alice's sobs quieted against his chest, and she pulled back, a fresh wave of embarrassment hitting her. She quickly released him, wiping her face. "I'm... I'm okay. Sorry."
She told him her apartment was on the 7th floor, door 78.
Alex nodded, the brief moment of softness gone as he went back into "mission mode." He helped her up, looping her arm over his shoulder, and half-supporting her weight, they started for the stairs.
The stairwell was surprisingly silent. Each floor they passed was a grim tableau, with zombie corpses littering the landings, clear signs of fights that had already been lost... or won. There were still alive ones, too. When they heard a group, Alex would pull them into an open apartment, waiting for the dead to pass. When they encountered a lone one, he dealt with it silently with his pipe.
Finally, they reached the 7th floor. Door 78. Alex's eyes scanned it—the lock was intact, no scratches, no dents. A very good sign. He positioned Alice directly in front of the peephole.
"Okay. You do it," he whispered. "Keep your voice low."
Alice nodded, her heart hammering. She knocked gently on the door. "Mina?" she called out, her voice cracking. "Mina, it's me! It's Alice! I've come for you."
A frantic fumbling of locks came from the other side, and the door burst open. A girl of about 16—looking exactly like a younger, more fragile version of Alice—flew out and slammed into her sister, almost knocking them both over.
"Alice! You came!" Mina sobbed, clinging to her. "You finally came back! I was so scared! I didn't dare to even peep outside... I heard so much screaming... and... and rumbling from the street. I just locked the door and closed all the curtains... I just... I just hoped you'd come for me."
"Get inside, get inside," Alex urged, his eyes scanning the hallway. He ushered them both in and firmly locked the multiple deadbolts behind them.
Only then did Mina, her face still buried in her sister's shoulder, notice the man standing beside them. She looked him over—he was tall, physically fit, and his arm was still protectively half-hugging Alice to keep her standing. A spark of "childish" curiosity cut through her terror.
"Hey, big sis..." she sniffled, "when did you get me such a good-looking brother-in-law?"
Alice's ears turned a shade of crimson. "MINA! It's not like that!" she sputtered. "This is Alex. We... we go to the same university. He was kind enough to help me."
Alex massaged his temples, feeling the exhaustion of the last day. He changed the subject. "Alice, sit down. Mina, your sister twisted her ankle. Get me your first-aid box."
"You're hurt?!" Mina's panic returned. She quickly guided Alex to the living room, showing him a plush couch for Alice to sit on. She then ran into a closet and returned, struggling with a massive black medical trauma bag. She dropped it on the coffee table. It was packed with medicine, professional bandages, disinfection tools, and more. "Will... will this be enough?" she asked worriedly.
Alex stared at the bag, momentarily speechless. This was not a normal household kit. Seeing the girl's worried face, he just reached in and pulled out a compression bandage. "Your sister twisted her ankle, Mina. She isn't on her deathbed." He gently ruffled her hair. "This is perfect. Now, go get ice. Or a bag of frozen peas. Something cold."
As Mina ran to the kitchen, Alice chuckled lightly at their interaction. Alex knelt and began wrapping her ankle with practiced, efficient movements.
Mina returned with an ice pack wrapped in a tablecloth.
"Good job," Alex nodded, not looking up. "Now, press this on her ankle and hold it. Don't move it."
He stood up, his task complete. "Alice, I need the keys to this apartment. All of them. I'm going to check the rest of the building and look for an escape route. We can't use the front door anymore."
Alex gave a final nod. "Keep this door locked. Don't open it for anything but me. I'll have a specific knock." He demonstrated, a sharp, rhythmic tap-tap... tap-tap-tap.
The sisters nodded. The moment the heavy apartment door clicked shut and they heard the deadbolt turn, Mina's entire demeanor changed.
The terrified, clinging 16-year-old vanished. She stood up straight, her eyes sharp and analytical. She walked to the peephole, checked the hall, then turned to Alice, who was sitting on the couch with her ankle propped up.
"Okay," Mina said, her voice dropping, all childishness gone. "Tell me everything. And don't you dare lie to me or leave anything out, Alice. I've read enough post-apoc novels and seen enough movies to know exactly how this works. Guys like that," she jutted her chin toward the door, "don't play 'White Knight' for two pretty girls for free. How did you get him to help us?"
Alice was stunned. "Mina? What are you...?"
"What did it cost?" Mina pressed, crossing her arms. "He has no supplies. We have... this." She gested around the luxury apartment. "He doesn't need our 'stuff.' So, what was the deal?"
Taken aback by this cold, pragmatic version of her sister, Alice recounted the whole, raw story. She told her about the men in the dorm, how Alex had killed them with a chilling lack of hesitation. She told her how he'd given her his last protein bar and the soda. And then, her voice dropping in shame, she told her about the shower.
"You... you what?" Mina's eyes went wide, not with judgment, but with surprise.
"I had to! For you!" Alice's face burned. "I... I thought it was the only... the only currency I had left! And... and he... he got furious. He called me an animal. He looked at me like I was disgusting... He rejected me. Said he was going to leave."
She quickly explained the awkward apology, his own story about Mark and Jenna, and the eventual, reluctant agreement to detour to their apartment.
Mina listened to the entire, messy, embarrassing story, her expression unreadable. When Alice finished, she just nodded slowly, a calculating look on her face. "Okay... Okay, I get it."
A slow, mischievous smile spread across her face. "I approve."
"You... approve?" Alice asked, bewildered.
"Mhm. He's perfect. I can officially accept Alex as my brother-in-law."
"MINA!" Alice grabbed a plush couch cushion and, wincing at the pain in her ankle, managed to smack her on the head with it. "This is not the time! He's just helping us! He's probably going to leave us at his flat!"
"Don't be stupid, Alice," Mina said, her voice serious again as she easily dodged a second pillow-smack. "Don't tell me you don't get it. Look at him. Now look at us. He doesn't need us. We are a burden. We're just two more mouths to feed, and you can't even walk. He has his own friends, his own plans."
"He said he'd help..."
"He'll help us get to his flat, and then what? We'll be the two useless refugees living off his supplies. How long until he sees us as a drain? Unless..."
Alice knew exactly where this was going. "Unless...?"
"Unless we're not 'refugees,'" Mina said pointedly. "We're family. His family. Your family. That, a guy like him will feel a responsibility to protect."
Alice's face was beet red. She looked away, her voice a low, mortified mumble. "I... I already tried that, remember?"
"What?" Mina leaned in, "I can't hear you."
"I TRIED IT ALREADY!" Alice burst out, her voice a high, embarrassed squeak. "I offered! And he said no!"
Mina just blinked. Then she grinned, wide and impressed. "Wow. How bold of you, big sis. Okay, that's... that's even better."
"Better?! He rejected me! He was angry!"
"Exactly!" Mina tapped her temple, her eyes sparkling with a scheme. "He's not one of those guys. He's a dependable, 'good guy' type. He won't take you as a transaction. Plan A failed. We go to Plan B."
"Plan B...?" Alice asked, almost afraid to know.
"We just have to make him fall for you. Genuinely. He's already protective. We just have to... nudge it. Make him see what a catch you are with your natural beauty, your great personality, and your sharp mind."
Alice just stared, completely, utterly speechless.
Meanwhile, Alex moved through the building like a ghost. He'd used the apartment keys to lock the stairwell door on the 7th floor behind him, securing their "safe" zone.
He moved down, floor by floor. He could hear noises—a TV still on, a baby crying, hushed arguments—from behind several locked doors. Survivors. He ignored them all. They weren't his mission.
The roaming zombies were. He cleared the central stairwell first, dispatching five of them, his pipe a silent, heavy tool. He learned the building's layout, noting the service elevators and trash chutes.
His best find was on the ground floor, at the rear of the building, past the laundry room. A heavy, steel fire door. He eased it open. It led to a narrow, high-walled back alley. It was empty. And better, it let out onto the next street over—a street that was one block closer to his own flat. This was their new route.
He checked his watch. The weak afternoon light was already starting to fade. Escorting an injured person and a teenager through the city at night was suicide.
They would stay here tonight. They had food, water, and a secure, high-ground position. They would leave at first light.
His plan set, he started to head back up the stairs, his mind already calculating the next day's supplies and risks.
Alex used the quiet, rhythmic knock: tap-tap... tap-tap-tap.
He heard the frantic scrape of the deadbolt, and the door swung open. Two pairs of eyes, one blue, one hazel, locked onto him, visibly relieved. He offered a small, tired smile as he stepped inside, locking the door firmly behind him.
"It's... as good as it can be," he reported, dropping the bloody metal pipe by the door. "I checked the building. Heard some other people, definitely still alive, locked in their rooms." He rubbed the back of his neck. "I... put to rest... some of the infected in the stairwells. Bad news is, I didn't find any food stashes. But," he gave a small nod, "I figured out our escape route. There's a rear fire exit on the ground floor. It's a straight shot to the next street over, gets us closer to my flat."
Not wanting to be the one holding them back, Alice immediately winced, pushing herself up from the couch. "Okay. Mina, go get your things. Just a backpack. Only what you can carry without too much..."
"Whoa," Alex moved forward, putting a hand on her shoulder and gently pushing her back down. "Sit. We don't need to rush. It's already late." He gestured to the window, where the sun was already touching the horizon, painting the city in shades of orange and blood. "I am not fond of the idea of traveling at night. Especially not with that ankle. We're staying here. Hopefully, it'll feel better by tomorrow. We leave at first light."
The relief that washed over both girls was palpable. Mina, especially, perked up.
"He's right, sis! You need to rest!" She then turned to Alex with a bright, innocent smile. "You should rest too, Alex. You and Alice can watch a film on the TV or something. I'll make us some food!"
Alex looked surprised but grateful. "Thanks, Mina. That... yeah, that sounds good." He then added, "And hey, don't try to save too much. Anything in the fridge that can go bad—meat, milk, whatever—just use it. If nothing goes wrong, we'll be at my flat by midday tomorrow. There are... enough supplies for all of us there."
With that, he dropped down onto the other end of the long couch, putting a considerable, non-threatening distance between himself and Alice. The tense, always-alert aura around him finally eased. He looked, for the first time, simply like a 20-year-old guy who was profoundly exhausted.
He found the remote and turned on the TV, his brow furrowed in concentration. He was hunting for information. He found a local news broadcast, miraculously still running on a loop. A stressed-looking anchor was reading a government statement:
"...outbreak is confirmed as widespread... military is forming quarantine zones... rescue squads are overwhelmed... civilians are urged to lock their doors, shelter in place... hold on... help is coming..."
Alex watched this, his expression grim, for about ten minutes. He'd learned everything he needed to know: they were completely on their own.
He clicked the remote and handed it over to Alice. "Learned everything I wanted. You can decide what to watch."
Alice, her mind still occupied by the "Plan B" Mina had planted in her head, took the remote and switched channels absent-mindedly. Click... click... click. Her fingers finally stopped on a movie channel, already in progress. On the screen, a massive horde of zombies was swarming a helicopter.
World War Z.
"Oh," Alice said, her voice small. "How... fitting."
They sat in silence for close to an hour, the cinematic apocalypse playing out in front of their real one. Finally, Mina came out of the kitchen, oven mitts on, carrying a large, steaming pot of what smelled like beef stew. "Dinner is ready!"
She set the table, and they began to eat. The food was rich, hot, and unbelievably delicious.
"Mina," Alex said, his eyes wide after the first bite. "This is... this is really good."
Mina smiled, her chest puffing with pride, but she quickly waved her hand in a dismissing motion. "Oh, this is nothing. It doesn't even come close to what my big sis can do. She was the one who usually made us food when Mom and Dad weren't home."
Just as she said it, the fragile, domestic mood shattered. The mention of their parents hung in the air. Both Alice and Mina got the same look, their eyes downcast, their spoons frozen over their bowls.
Alex saw it immediately. He put his spoon down, trying to lift the spirit.
"Hey," he said, his voice practical, not pandering. "Your mother... she's a diplomat, right? People like that are high-priority assets. She's probably in a secure embassy or a government bunker right now. She's protected."
He looked from Mina to Alice. "And your father. Ex-military, runs a private security company. You said he was on a job when this started? That means he was with a team. A trained, armed team. With a... considerable amount of firearms."
He nodded, a look of grim certainty on his face. "They're probably both okay. They're survivors. Like you two."