Dear Readers: I hope you like the new type of story I'm starting. I plan to make it much longer. There isn't anything steamy in this chapter, but there will be soon. This isn't a quick read, so for those of you that take the time to read it. I do apologize if there are any typos or grammatical errors. As always, please comment and/or vote!!

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I numbly walked back to our table and sunk into my chair. This was really happening? Maybe I was hallucinating. I looked to Jessie and Jason but they had the same look on their faces that I knew was on mine. Abruptly I realized there was still a hand wrapped around mine. I followed the arm to its owner and saw Finn. Where had he come from? My addled brain wondered. His touch was very comforting and I almost didn't remember the leggy blonde. Almost.

I yanked my hand back and cradled it as if I'd been burned. "What are you doing here?" I asked haughtily. His face was set in grim lines.

"Well right now, I'm wondering the same thing as you: How did this happen and what are we going to do? But I guess you might mean what am I doing near you after that day in the café."

"And what are you doing over here?" I prodded. A quick glance at my companions showed that they were very interested in the conversation.

"That girl, Carina, I didn't want her to kiss me Logan. I was waiting for you."

He seemed sincere, but I rationalized that maybe he was just a good liar. Just thinking back to that scene made me feel sick. "Sure you were, some gorgeous blonde just happened to fall on your lips."

Wow, way to go Lo, shouldn't we have kept the cards a little closer to our chest, hm?

"No. Listen, my brother set me up on a date with her last semester because he doesn't think I get out enough. I had never met her before that and it was a disaster. She's nuts, and a stalker. I swear I can't get rid of her. Believe me, I've tried."

"Then why didn't you just push her away?"

The look on his face turned pleading. "I did, you weren't around long enough to see."

I thought about it. Did I believe him? I looked to Jess to see if she would say something, but she didn't. Instead it was Jason that spoke up.

"Actually Logan, it's probably true. My friend Eric went on a date with her once, and he told me she was crazy. She stalked him for a few weeks until she found a new target."

Okay, so he probably was telling the truth. How was I supposed to know the other day in the café? I'm not a mind reader. Did it even change anything? Well, even if THAT did change anything, the pending apocalypse certainly did. Would we really stay long enough to finish the semester? It wasn't like the college was all that secure. If zombies were coming, I didn't want to be here.

"Okay Finn. I'll take your word for now. But we need to figure out what to do." The wheels in my head started turning. "I'm going to call my dad. He used to kind of work with the government. He'll know what to do. But first I think we should head back to the dorm, and we should have a car ready nearby. Finn what do you drive?"

"I have a Jeep Grand Cherokee."

"Okay, well that's not bad. How about you Jason?" I asked. Jessie and I both had small sedans, not the best vehicle for fleeing zombies or driving through a flesh-eating mob.

"Actually, I have an H2," he said proudly. "It was a gift from my parents." Jess and I were dumbstruck.

"What's that?" we asked. Jason let out a sigh.

"It's a hummer ladies."

"Perfect! You and Finn go grab your cars, and meet us by the girls' dorm next to the library. Room 213"

"I'm grabbing my brother too, he's cool don't worry," Finn replied.

"Okay, see you in twenty."

Jessie and I walked cautiously back to the dorm's, looking over our shoulder the entire time. It seemed almost normal except for the few students rushing around with packed suitcases or speeding through campus. When we made it back to the dorm we shut the door quickly behind us and locked it. We curled up together on the bed, and I quickly dialed my dad on my phone. He picked up on the first ring.

"Daddy?" My voice came out scared and quiet, like when I was little and afraid of the monsters under my bed. With that thought, I prayed there weren't any hidden zombies beneath my bed right now.

"Logan? Baby are you okay??" There was a sense of urgency in his voice.

"I'm fine Daddy, but what's going on?"

"We aren't exactly sure, but pretty soon everyone's going to go crazy. I need you to listen to me. Do you remember Mr. Mackey?"

"You mean Professor Mackey? I haven't met him, but I've heard of him. He teaches government and history."

"Yes Baby, but you did meet him when you were little. I'm going to tell him where to find you okay? He's going to come to your dorm in about an hour. Before then, back one suitcase full of your things. Tell Jessie to do the same. No frilly clothes, pack jeans and sweaters, boots if you have them. And in another bag, pack all of the food you have in your room. Still there Lo?"

"Yes, I'm listening..."

"Okay, once you're packed up, he's going to drive with you to his house. He's got some things to pick up there, but it isn't far away. He lives in Brandon. After you stop there, you're going to be stopping at a store, maybe a department store or a shopping center. By then people will probably breaking in. If they are, be careful, and take what you need. Mr. Mackey will keep you safe. If the store hasn't been broken into, use your emergency credit card I gave you. Honey?"

It took me a moment to realize he was asking a question. "Yes?"

"You remember how to shoot a gun right? All those days we went to the range, you didn't forget everything did you?"

"No daddy, I remember how to use a gun."

"Good, Mr. Mackey will give you one to use. Keep it on you at all times unless he tells you different. Okay, after shopping, it's going to be a little longer of a drive, but you're going to drive to the ship port in Tampa. I'm already here. I'll be on the boat. If you try to call me again, and it doesn't work, just do what I told you. I'll be right here, okay?"

"Okay. But Dad? It's not just me and Jessie, there are a few other people coming with us. Will there be room?"

"Yes Baby, that's fine, but try to keep it as small as you can okay? I've already got Jessie's parents here, you can tell her that."

"Okay. Daddy?"

"Yes Logan?"

"I love you."

"I love you too Baby Girl, try to stay safe."

"You too."

He chuckled, "I'll be safe. Just listen to Mr. Mackey. See you soon."

The click signaled that the call was over. I looked to Jess.

"Did you hear all that?" I asked. She nodded. She was right next to me after all.

"I'm glad my parents are there. Do you think we'll be safe on a boat?" she asked. I nodded.

"My dad always knows what to do. And since we're going to a larger port, my guess is that it will be a big ship. Big ships sail out into deep water, and I doubt zombies can swim under miles and miles of water."

"Good point. Well, let's pack."

A few minutes after we started packing there was a knock on the door. Both of us girls jumped, wondering what was on the other side of the door.

"It's Jason, open up!"

With a breath of relief we did what he asked. He came in with a duffel and set it down to close the door.

"Did you see Finn?" I asked.

"No, but he'll probably be here soon. Everyone's going crazy. They're all leaving, even the professors. No sign of zombies yet, but a few guys even broke into the school convenience store. It's chaos. When are we leaving?"

"In less than an hour. I'll give you the run-down when Finn gets here so I don't have to repeat myself," I replied. Jess and I continued to pack as I worried about Finn. How far away did he live? Where was he? Was he okay? And then I felt stupid. I barely knew the guy, why did I care so much? I calmed down a few minutes later when I heard another knock and his voice through the door.

"It's Finn."

I rushed over and opened the door, only to have the breath knocked out of me. There he was alright, with another handsome guy, and that stupid blonde!!

"Logan, I'm sorry. She was hanging with the same people my brother was and she refused to leave. And of course this is my brother Tristan." So that explained the other Greek God. Finn looked like he swallowed an egg, but I really didn't care. I didn't want that bitch coming with us.

"We couldn't leave her alone when the world is about to be overrun with zombies," Tristan said helpfully. He sent an apologetic look to his brother. The blonde was shooting daggers my way with her eyes, but I shot them right back.

"Fine, come in."

Only Tristan and Finn had bags with them. Blondie didn't, and I got a small amount of pleasure out of the fact.

"Okay, so what is the plan?" Jason asked again. I took a deep breath.

"I called my dad," Blondie rolled her eyes, "he used to work for the government." I added for Tristan's benefit. "Do any of you know Professor Mackey?"

Finn nodded. "I had him last semester. He's a good prof, but he can be strict."

That sounded like someone that would be friends with my father. "Okay, well he'll be here soon. He and my dad are friends. When he gets here, we're going to leave. We have to stop at his house for a few things, then a store, and then we'll be heading to the port in Tampa. My dad has a boat waiting there. We're going to get on the boat, and probably get out into the ocean."

"A boat? How are we supposed to live on a boat? What about food?" asked the blonde bimbo. I gave her a sharp look, reminding myself that it would probably look bad to Finn and his brother if I strangled her.

"Listen Blondie, it's probably more of a ship than a boat. My dad is an intelligent guy, he has a plan. But," I paused for emphasis, "you could just stay here. You don't have to come at all. So if you don't like the plan, leave."

"My name is Carina," she spat.

"Well then, Carina, are you staying or going?" I asked angrily. She didn't respond other than to cross her arms and stare me down, so I assumed she was staying.

Jess and I finished packing in a room that was now filled with awkward silence. Before too much longer the door opened to a face that took me a few minutes to recognize. I was sure Jess would recognize him too once she thought about it. My dad was right, I just always knew Mr. Mackey by his first name, and he wasn't really that old. Well, older than us, but not quite my dad's age. I think he was about 30.

"Ricky?" I asked.

"Logan?" he asked.

I probably looked different than I had the last time he saw me. Eight years ago I had been only 12, an innocent little girl with a crush on someone almost twice my age. He had been just as good looking then as he was now. During the summers that my dad took him under his wing I would follow him as often as I could, Jessie too. He would take us to the beach sometimes, or watch us if my dad was called out of town. He had let me snuggle up and watch movies with him. To me, I was excited to snuggle such a handsome boy, while he was probably just being nice to his mentor's little girl. Nothing more had ever happened, but he was my first crush.

Rick walked into the room and swept me into a big bear hug. Who would've thought that we would somehow end up at the same college? It felt good to have someone I trusted hold me close for a minute. He drew back a little but still kept me in the circle of his arms.

"It's good to see you kid. Though it's hard to recognize you without the pigtails," he said with a smile. I blushed a little and smiled back.

"Well, you're kinda old now, but I can still recognize you too," was my cheeky response. He chuckled before his eyes finally drifted to the other five people in the room. I followed his gaze and realized Finn was watching Rick like a hawk.

"Hello everyone, I'm Rick Mackey. Hey Jess," he said, smiling at my friend. Jess blushed under his gaze as I had.

"Rick, this is Jason, Finn, Tristan, and" and I paused unhappily, "Carina."

Rick looked at me during the pause, and I could tell he wanted to ask about Carina. I was sure he would, probably later.

"Are you all ready to go?" he asked. We nodded. "If you want to call your parents and have them meet us at the dock, you can try. Tell them to mention the name Roan Hartley when we get there."

"I brought my Hummer, and Finn has a Grand Cherokee," Jason added helpfully.

"Okay, we can take those. Jason, if you don't mind I'll drive the Hummer. You, Jess and Lo can ride with me. Finn, you can drive your SUV with Tristan and Carina. Let's go."

Finn didn't look happy with the riding assignments, but he didn't complain. Those of us that had bags grabbed them, and we headed back down to the cars. Jason had been right: it was chaos out here. There was running and screaming, but thankfully, no zombies. Yet.

We loaded the bags into the back of the vehicles, but before we piled in and drove off, Rick pulled Finn aside. "Here's the address to my house, this is where we're going next." He handed him a black walkie-talkie. "They're already set to the same channel. If you get lost or something happens, use it."

On that note, we got into the cars. Rick got in the driver's seat and me the passenger seat with Jason and Jess behind us. I heard Jason on the phone with his parents.

"My parents are going to make it there! My little sister too."

"That's nice Jason, hopefully we'll be there soon" Jessica said.

Rick took the back way out, but there were still a lot of cars. Eventually we ended up in a traffic jam. When it came to a standstill, Rick got on the walkie-talkie.

"Finn?" Click.

"I'm listening."Click.

The sound of his voice made my stomach flip over.

"We're going to take a different route. Just follow me, alright?"

"Sure thing Rick."

As soon as the car in front of us gave us enough room to move, Rick drove the hummer off the road into the field beside it. Finn's Jeep sat there a moment before he realized what was going on. Soon, however, he was right behind us again. We continued like that, riding beside the road until we turned off onto an empty road. The houses on it already looked deserted. I wondered where everyone else was going. Finally, we stopped in front of a white house. Rick turned to us.

"This is my house. I've got to go in and get a few things. Logan, you can come with me. We won't be long. Jason, can you get on the walkie-talkie and tell Finn and the others?"

Jason nodded and grabbed the walkie-talkie, but Rick and I were already off.

Once inside the house, I was tossed a large bag.

"What are we grabbing Rick?"

"Right now, follow me to the kitchen and grab food, and then we have to pack something else."

I followed him and did as I was told. I packed all of the non perishables and he grabbed a cooler for the colder food like the meat and the milk. Once it was packed he looked up.

"Let's carry these out so they can load them up, and then we'll come back in for the rest."

We dropped them outside the door and Rick ran over to the Jeep to have Finn pack them up in his car. Then he jogged back over.

"Okay Doll, follow me," he led me through the house and into the basement. The door had a keypad lock on it. Rick carefully punched in the code and the door opened to reveal a nice collection of weaponry. Most of it was composed of firearms, but there were some bows and swords as well. He grabbed two more bags and started putting the more conventional weapons in, like semi-automatic pistols, some rifles, a couple shotguns, and a few shorter swords and daggers.

"Logan? See that stack of bullet boxes over there? Grab them and fit as many as you can into that bag. If you can't fit it all, try to pack a variety."

"Okay Rick." I started setting the boxes into the bag, careful to grab different calibers. All but a few boxes fit. Rick was finished too. He looked so much more serious than the Ricky I knew as a little girl. I was definitely glad he had come to my rescue.

"Ricky?" I asked tentatively. The tone of my voice had him looking up slowly.

"Yes Logan?" he responded carefully.

"I'm glad you came, that you're here. I know my dad probably asked, but thank you." I walked over and hugged him really quick. He felt stiff for a moment, and I was about to pack off when he hugged me back.

"I still would have come for you Brat. Though I guess I can't still call you that, you've grown up a lot. I'm happy not to be alone too." He planted a soft kiss on the top of my head, and then slowly pulled away.

He tucked a .45 pistol into the back of his jeans and handed me a smaller Beretta. "Your dad said he taught you how to shoot, you know how to use this right?"

I felt the weight of the fun in my hand. Gripping it with my right, I slid the magazine out with my left. Full. I pulled the slide back a little to peek in the chamber, no round in there. Then I raised the gun in a modified Weaver, pointing it toward an empty concrete wall. It felt pretty good, and all of the lessons my dad gave me came flooding back. I flipped the safety on, and following Rick's example, wedged it into the back of my tighter jeans. He had a grin on his face.

"I'll take that as a yes. My guess is that Jessie doesn't know how to shoot a gun and I'm not giving anyone else one until I get to know them better."

I smiled back and agreed. I struggled to carry the heavy bag of ammunition, so Rick took it from me and he carried both. Back outside he quickly loaded those bags into our vehicle. He got behind the wheel once more and waiting for Finn to back out behind him. Now on our way he asked Jason for the walkie-talkie.

"Finn?"

"Yes."

"Time to do some shopping. We need to bring supplies with us. There's a large store about 2 miles ahead. We're going to go there, then I'm going to go in with you and Jason." He navigated easily while talking. "We need food, things that don't need to be refrigerated. We also need first aid supplies. Any useful tools, things like matches or lanterns, grab it. And if you see soil, dirt or seeds for fruits and vegetables, grab those too. Some clothing if it's there and we have the time."

Soon we were at the store. The windows were broken and people were running in and out, most carrying armfuls of merchandise. It appeared that the cashiers and management had fled. I was glad now for the pistol that Rick had, and for the one that he had given me. Finn hurried over to the Hummer to meet up with Finn and Jason. Rick handed me his walkie-talkie.

"Logan, take this one. I have another on me, and Finn's is in the other car. If something happens, you call for me, okay Doll?"

"I will. Be careful," I said, looking between him and Finn.

They went in, and I sat in the silence biting my nails. I looked back at Jess. "I can't believe this is happening."

"What that good ole Ricky came to rescue you? And that he still happens to be really handsome? And that he's looking at you like he never has before?" she asked with a smile.

"That's not what I was talking about," I laughed, but I could feel the blood rushing to my cheeks. I thought back to Finn and groaned. Two gorgeous men that I had crushes on when the end of the world was coming, just my luck.

***

Finn followed the directions he'd been given. People were acting like crazy animals, though still no zombies. He tried to just put one foot in front of the other for now. Tristan had tried calling their mother and aunt in Miami, but hadn't managed to get an answer. They were starting to wonder something had happened to her. He had to keep a tight rein on himself or he would lose it.

Carina was being especially annoying. He was unhappily stuck with her for the remainder of the drive. She was whiney and clingy, and she just wouldn't shut up. On top of that, Professor Mackey seemed awfully close to Logan, and he didn't like the way he looked at her. Rick, ugh. When he'd referred to Logan as "Doll" Finn had the irrational urge to punch the guy. After all, he should be grateful. Thanks to Rick and Mr. Hartley, he was better off than most people right now. Their plan was a decent one. Zombies couldn't swim too well, and they sure as Hell wouldn't be able to swim in the ocean. Hell, what a good term. Life was turning into Hell on Earth.
Once the three had gathered all that they could, they carried their goods back to the cars. Finn was doubtful that it would all fit, but somehow it did. All packed. They got back on the road again. When traffic was too bad, they drove around it. Both the Jeep and the Hummer were good on rough terrain.

When we finally arrived at the port of Tampa, the sun was starting to set. There was a huge chain link fence surrounding the port we wanted to enter. Men with guns at their sides guarded the entrance. A call came over the radio. "Don't get out of the car unless I tell you to."

***

Rick looked at me then Jess and Jason. "That goes for you too. Stay here."

I watched closely as he left to speak with the guards. The conversation was short before he climbed back in. He put the Hummer back in drive and drove through. Slowly, Finn followed. When the cars finally stopped we were in front of what looked like a large cruise ship. There were more men loading boxes and bags into the cargo area. There were also what I would guess to be oil drums, a lot of them. I looked over to the ramp that led onto the passenger part of the ship and saw my father. Once he spotted the cars and headed towards them, I jumped out and ran to him.

"Daddy!" I yelled, throwing myself into his arms. Jessie's parents came out too, and she ran to them in a similar fashion. My dad spun me around and hugged me tight.

"Glad you made it kiddo." He looked up to Rick. "Thank you. I wouldn't have trusted anyone more to bring her here safe." Rick nodded. "So who are your friends Logan? Other than Jessie of course." He smiled at my friend.

As the other piled out of the cars I introduced them. "This is Jason, Tristan, Finn, and Carina."

"Nice to meet you," he responded as he let me go. He indicated a man to his right. "This is Marc, he'll take you to one of the dining areas. There are about 140 of us total so far, give or take twenty. Everyone should be in the dining room. Wait there until I come back in with Rick. You can take any personal belongings with you."

Those of us that had bags grabbed them and followed Marc, with the exception of Rick. My eyes went to his a moment for we walked up the ramp and onto the ship with Jessie's parents. Inside the lobby, we got into the elevator for a short trip, and after that it was just a short walk.

The room itself was gorgeous. The occasional chandelier hung from the ceiling, shining bright light. The walls were golden, and each table was covered with a spotless white tablecloth that hung nearly to the floor. Beautiful paintings adorned the walls and a mosaic covered the floor. I would be excited to be here if it were under just about any other circumstances.

In the dining room there was a low hum of conversation. Some people were crying, some people seemed angry, and some people just seemed numb. In that moment, I wondered why I wasn't having some sort of emotional reaction. Maybe it was because I was lucky enough to have every human being I had cared about for the past 10 years on the ship with me. My mom had passed away when I was a girl, so my dad was the only family I had left. And Jess was here, along with her family. Rick and Finn were also here, yet I didn't want myself to dwell on that thought at the moment.

We chose an empty table on the outskirts of the crowd and sat down together. Jessie looked happy to be with her parents and sat between them. Mr. and Mrs. Swain looked like they couldn't be happier than to have their only daughter back. Finn sat beside me, Carina on his other side next to Tristan. Finn had a worried look on his face. While that was exactly out of the blue considering our situation, I still felt compelled to ask.

"What's wrong Finn?"

He was silent for a minute before he finally answered. "Tris and I have been trying to get a hold of our mother, but she hasn't answered." What he left unsaid was that they feared the zombies had claimed her. Not knowing what to say, I grabbed his hand under the tablecloth. Carina, however, wasn't willing to be left out.

"Oh Finn, I'm so sorry baby," she said sympathetically, laying her head on his shoulder. He gave her a disdainful look before shrugging her off and glaring at his brother. I had a hard time ignoring the urge to smack her.

We heard the door creak open and a few more people filtered into the room. Jason saw his family come in and went over to them. It was about an hour later that my father and Rick finally came in with a few other men. They all went to the front of the room and asked for everyone's attention. My dad was the first to speak.

"Ladies and Gentleman, welcome aboard the Voyager. My name is Roan Hartley. This," he indicated Rick, "is Rick Mackey, Joe Schaefer, Will Covington, Brian Cowan and Marc Cuevas," he introduced the rest. "We will be in charge of this ship for the duration of our time aboard. Not because we seek power, but because we have experience in dire situations. And this," he paused, "is indeed such a situation. We will make decisions together, and listen to any opinions you have. We will try to be fair and make this and enjoyable as possible considering. However, we will do what needs to be done to keep everyone safe. If you feel uncomfortable after hearing that, leave now."

He gave the opportunity for anyone to leave if they wanted to. No one did. "If any of you change your mind, you may disembark when we next dock, whenever that may be, there will be no repercussions. This is indeed a cruise ship, as I'm sure you've noticed. Mr. Schaefer," a man who looked to be in his 40s or early 50s stepped forward, "will be the captain of this ship. He used to be a captain in the Navy before he began working on the cruise ships. Mr. Cowan," a man in his 30s with blonde hair stepped forward, "will be his second in command. He has captained cruise ships before and has enough experience. I will be a general coordinator for this ship. My job will be to make sure things go smoothly. If you have complaints, come to me. I will also be in charge of discipline if the need should arise. Rick used to be SWAT. He will be in charge of security. Will Covington will be in charge of supplies. Mr. Cuevas had some engineering experience and used to do ship maintenance for government ships. He will do his best to keep the integrity of the boat intact to ensure safe sailing. If one of these men tells you to do something, do it. We also convinced some of the crew working for the company to stay on and help us run the ship. They agreed that it would be one of the safer places to stay.

We have loaded a lot of extra barrels of fuel onto the ship. They should last a while, but eventually we will need to dock for food and more fuel. When that time comes we will need a security force to go out into port and look for it. There will probably be creatures to fight there, so training should start immediately. Anyone interested, please contact Rick.

Now, we have room keys to the uppermost deck containing passenger rooms. You can select a room from the list and get the card now from Mr. Cowan, or you can roam around the ship and find a room that you might like and come get the key from us. If you're hungry, we should have food ready in an hour or so. If not, I still expect to see everyone back here at 10:00am sharp tomorrow morning. We leave port in one hour."

Some people started forming a line near the table the captain sat at, and some began wandering through the ship. I went back up where my dad and Rick stood, while my friends seemed content to stay at the table a little longer.

"Hey Honey," my dad greeted me. "I already have a good room picked out for you. It's a suite, and down the hall from my room. Not far from Rick's either. You can either share the room with Jess or she can have her own. I'll be in room 1314." He handed me two plastic key cards and a map of the ship. Deck 10, Room 1298.

"Thank you Dad," I hugged him again.

"You're welcome Sweetie. Do me a favor and come back for the dinner later, okay?"

"Okay, I will. I'm just going to put my stuff in my room really quick."

"Atta girl," he smiled. With that he was off to talk to the other men in charge. Rick, however, stayed near.

"I'll be in room 1308. If you want, I can show you and Jess to the room."

"Sure, I'll be right back, let me go get her."

I went back over to Jessie and our friends. My bag was still sitting by my empty chair. "Hey Jess, did you want to share a room?" I asked.

"Of course," she said with a big smile. I looked to her parents.

"We'll be in room 1298 if you want to find a room close to ours." As I said it my eyes also darted over to Finn. Would he want a room close to ours?

"Sounds good girls. We'll go request our room right now, and then we'll go get settled in too. Will you be back for food later?" Mrs. Swain, Kathy, questioned.

"Yeah, we'll be back."

"Okay, see you soon."

I watched Jess hug her parents goodbye and my stare fell back on Finn. I wanted to say something, but I wasn't sure what to say to him. So I waved and picked up my bag. Jess did the same and we walked back to Rick. He offered to carry our bags, and hesitantly I let him. What a nice guy.

"Follow me ladies."

He led us back to the lobby and the elevators, taking us from Deck 15 to Deck 10. We took a left around the corner and our suite was less than a minute away. I gave Jess a key card and used mine to open the door. We went inside to look around.

As far as size went, it was somewhat small by normal standards, but slightly larger than the dorm room we had shared. The bonus was that it had a kitchenette, a shower, and a desk/study area. Two large beds shared the largest portion of the room. The room was mostly blue, white and yellow, with wood accents. A patio door led the way onto a balcony, not far from the life boats. Overall, it was a very nice suite.

Rick set our bags down and Jess rifled in her bag for something.

"I hope you don't mind," she looked between us, "but I really want to shower."

"Go ahead Jess, I'll be here when you get out," I told her. She swept into the bathroom, leaving Rick and I in the silence.

"Hey kiddo, how are you holding up?"

"I'm okay. I feel like I should be more upset, but I just keep thinking about how lucky I am. Everyone that's important to me is on this boat. Not everyone is so lucky." I answered. "What about you?"

"I'm doing pretty good too, despite everything. I've never really had a family. You're dad is my closest friend, and he's here. So are you," he added.

That thought made my heart beat faster, but I did my best to ignore the sensation. "It's hard to believe that there are really creatures like that, zombies, really living out there. Well, not living, but you know what I mean."

"I know, I haven't seen one yet, but all of our government contacts confirmed it. The president was taken to a secure shelter hours ago. I never thought I would say this, but zombies are real. You don't have to worry though Logan. We have a good plan, and we'll keep you safe."

I got one last hug before he went back to the door. "I'll see you later?"

"Yes," I said softly. And then he was gone. I wondered what Finn was doing right then.

***

Watching Logan go with Rick was hard. Finn thought he was a nice guy and all, but he really wanted to be the one keeping Logan safe. He felt the urge to protect her, keep her safe. Maybe there were some other urges, but he knew when to think with his brain. Right now his brain was thinking of a way to get rid of Carina. Jessie's parents had left the table, and now it was just the three of them. He looked over to his brother.

"Tris, I'll be right back. I want to see if they heard anything about Miami." Cari looked like she wanted to follow, but he told her to stay with his brother. Before he made his way up to talk to Mr. Hartley, he waited until Carina wasn't looking and snuck over to see Mr. Cowan.

"Do you have any rooms near room 1298?" he inquired. The man gave him a strange look, but took out his map for inspection.

"1278 is open. Will you be the only one in the room?" He looked up.

"No, my brother is with me."

Cowan asked for their names and added them to the list before handing him two room keys. Finn quickly hid them in his pocket. Next stop: Mr. Hartley. He was chatting idly with his companions.

"Excuse me, Sir?"

He turned to me. "You're one of Logan's friends aren't you?"

"Yes Sir, Finnegan Kendrick. Most people call me Finn." His hand reached out toward Finn and they shook.

"Nice to meet you Finn, you can call me Roan. What is it that you need?"

"I was wondering if you'd heard about Miami. My mother and my aunt live there," he ventured. Finn held his breath, hoping against the odds.

"I'm sorry son, but from what I heard, the zombies hit there already. They'll probably be here any minute, which is why we're leaving." The older man patted him on the back, unsure what to say. Finn walked back to his brother.

Tristan looked up and could tell from the grim set to his brother's face that it wasn't good news. "What did he say?"

"The zombies hit Miami already." Hesitantly, Finn took out his Smartphone and went to YouTube. He typed the words "zombies" and "Miami". Up came a myriad of movies. He didn't have to open them to know they weren't good. He didn't really want to open them. He put his head in his hands and took deep breaths. Carina tried to talk and touch him, but he pushed her back. She must have been somewhat intelligent because this time she actually backed off.

"Tristan, I need to talk to you for a moment."

The brothers stepped away for a moment, leaving Cari pouting by herself. Quickly Finn slipped his brother the room key.

"Here, this is the key to our room. I think it's a suite. I didn't want psychopathic blonde getting a room by me. It's already bad enough you let her tag along."

"Sorry Bro, but I couldn't let some girl get eaten by zombies just because she's really clingy and annoying. She didn't have anywhere to go. Her parents are on the other side of the country and by the time we got news all planes were grounded. Deep down, she probably feels almost the same as we do right now. "

Finn wanted to feel some sympathy, and he almost did. But he had too much on his mind right now and he didn't want to deal with her.

"Fine, I'm going back to the room, see you later."

***

Jess was finally out of the shower and primping for dinner, though I wasn't sure why. There was much more on all of our minds, but maybe it made her feel better. I was looking out the window as the ship finally started leaving port. The tall buildings were drifting farther and farther away. Some buildings in the distance were on fire. It looked like we were leaving right on time.

I put on a fresh set of clothes real quick. Fresh jeans and a comfortable black top were my simple outfit, followed my some black moccasins. Nothing fancy.

"Jessie, you ready?"

"Yeah, let's go."

It was a quick trip back to the dining room. We scanned the crowd for familiar faces. We found the Swains by my dad. No sign of Finn, but I did see his brother and The Bimbo at a table with some other people. Jason was sitting with his sister and parents. We headed in the direction of our own parents. Together we sat at a table. Bowls were set out. A woman came around with a cart and a pot of what I guessed to be soup. Gradually we were all served.

"So how's everything going so far Dad?" I asked.

"Well we barely made it out on time, but the ship's running well, and we have a decent amount of supplies. It should be a while before we dock, and by then hopefully by then the docks will be fairly deserted. Our goal right now is to get into the ocean. Then we'll probably drift until we come up with a better destination."

"Have you considered one of the private islands owned by the cruise companies?" Kathy Swain asked. My dad nodded.

"We've been debating it. It may be a safe place, the zombies couldn't reach an island, but if there were people there, and one had accidentally been turned before they arrived, who knows. We'll figure something out." He smiled. Rick appeared behind him.

"Hello everyone, mind if I join you?" No one did, so he sat. He looked handsome in a tight shirt and tight jeans, hair wet from a shower. I thought about the other handsome man that I'd been around today and again wondered where he was.

The soup was good, really good actually. Somebody on the ship really knew how to cook. The conversation was dull and I spent more time playing with my food than eating it. I was glad when dinner was over. Since all of our rooms were in the same area, everyone left at the same time in a group. Once on Deck 10, we split, Rick walking us ladies to the door.

"Can I talk to Lo for a minute Jess?"

"Sure, you have your key right Logan?"

"Yeah, I'll be in shortly."

After I heard the door close I turned to Rick.

"You hardly touched your dinner. Something wrong?" He brushed a finger over my cheek, not liking the worry that marred my features.

"Just worrying about my friend. He didn't eat dinner. He was worried about his mother, I'm wondering if he got bad news."

"Finn?" he asked. My answer was a nod.

"I'm sorry about your friend Logan. Do you still have a walkie-talkie?"

"Yes, it's in my bag."

"Keep it, I have the other two. If you need anything, just turn it on and ask for me. Okay?"

"Okay. Thanks Ricky."

His lips curved upward at the nickname I'd used for him during childhood.

"Anytime Logan. Any time."

"Goodnight," I whispered.

"Goodnight."

I slipped into the room, and then into the bed. The day finally caught up with me, and I drifted right off to sleep. Not even dreams plagued me. I probably drooled everywhere in my deep sleep.

I awoke to loud knocking in the middle of the night. I looked over to Jessie and I was surprised she wasn't awake. I shouldn't have been surprised; she always slept like the dead. Hah, the dead. Bad joke. But someone was still knocking. I got out of bed in my rumpled clothing and looked through the peephole.

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The next chapter will come soon. Thank you for reading. Again, please comment and vote!