Chapter 26 – Apes Together Strong

Having just dropped off the food and water they had scavenged on Floor 8, Arthur told the others they had cleared the floor and that it was safe to pick clean for the remaining supplies that remained. Lots of people praised Arthur as he stood tall in the hallway, smiling as he held the old people’s hands and basked in the adoration of the female attention.

Only some were willing to brave the stairwell. Many of them had the idea that if Jake, Glenn, etc, could fight and live, then it meant they could do it as well. Four of them were the tall and mean-looking individuals Edwin had ‘hired’. The others were also stronger looking than average.

I guess height and muscle makes people confident. What’s the saying: everyone is brave until they face a monster’s blade. It was something like that anyway…

The man with the broken hand glared at Jake as they passed to see what they could get from the 8th.

Though Jake didn’t say anything outwardly, his eyes did all the speaking for him.

Try anything again and it won’t just be a broken wrist.

The beating must have worked the charm because the man that towered over Jake shifted his gaze away, suddenly finding the floor very interesting.

“I want to come!”

Somewhere in the chaos, Hanna had found her voice. Jake wished she hadn’t.

He looked down at her. Pom hung limp in her arms, back to being a stuffed bear. “No.”

She went up on her toes. “Pom is stronger now. He can lift me. We could help—”

“No.”

“I won’t get in the way. I promise. I’ll stay at the back and—”

“Hanna.” He looked at her properly. She went quiet. “No.”

Her lip pushed out. She stared at the floor for a moment, then back up at him. “If something happens to me it won’t be your fault. I’m not asking you to look after me.”

Jake opened his mouth.

“Absolutely not.” Sloane stepped between them, took Hanna by the shoulders, and steered her firmly toward Claire. “Don’t even think about it.”

“But—”

“No.” Sloane looked at Jake over the girl’s head. “And you were about to say yes.”

“I wasn’t.”

“You had the face.”

“I don’t have a face.”

“You have a face.” She pointed at him. “That one. The one where you’ve stopped arguing because you’ve decided it’s not your problem.”

Jake said nothing.

Hanna was watching him with those eyes. He looked away first.

“Stay with Claire,” he said. “Keep Pom close.”

She opened her mouth.

“That’s not a negotiation.”

“It’s okay,” Claire said. “I’ll look after her.” She steered the child away, back down the hallway as the little girl’s protests echoed against the walls.

Edwin finished polishing an arrow, removing a morsel of flesh from one of the sharp tips. He finally raised his head. “Everyone set?”

Jake nodded.

“Then let’s go.”

Jake didn’t know what to expect on the 9th floor, and it was a sentiment that everyone else shared, especially Arthur as he remained at the back of the group. Jake had voiced his opinion on Arthur; a shield that couldn’t defend did more harm than good.

Edwin disagreed, and so that was that.

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The situation was growing increasingly strained, and Jake gathered that the only reason they were still together was the necessity of it. Jake dreamed of one day going on his own, but with every fight, that dream seemed to grow increasingly distant.

Edwin gave the group a nod before he creaked the door open, revealing a corridor that was far bigger than the ones they were used to. Wall to wall, the hall was at least a football field wide. A shaky bridge made of wood and metal planks stretched down the hall. Above, at least six other bridges clung to the walls like a maze.

Below was nothing but a black abyss which formed an unsettling pit in Jake’s stomach. He quickly averted his gaze. He wasn’t scared of heights. He promised.

Though Edwin was confused, he was the first to take a step. He now had a smaller shield which he was already holding. His free hand grabbed the wire of the bridge for balance. The wood creaked underfoot. The bridge wobbled and shook.

Susan’s entire posture had already transformed the moment the door opened. What was once a reserved, melancholic lady, turned vicious. She leaned forwards, her grasp so tight around the handle of her cleaver, her knuckles turned white.

Her breath turned heavy.

No one dared say anything about her. Not when she was in this state.