Two Alive, стр. 43

“I know guys. I know. But Carver isn’t making this easy. You’d be surprised how much it took to convince him to let me give you guys your water.” Ben put his hands in the pockets of his shorts.

Lesly didn’t take long to return with two beach towels and a can of air freshener. She started spraying as soon as she entered the room and sprayed with the intention of emptying the can. Ben waited for the boys to wrap themselves in the towels and walked them out of the office and out to the security room, where a disagreeable mood took over the space. The vibe seemed to be coming from the major who was standing near Nadine, talking privately with Captain Baker. Baker had his assault rifle slung over his shoulder and was covered in dirt with leaves stuck to the bottom of his boots. He must’ve just came back in from searching the woods. Not much could be made out between the two of them but words like, “couldn’t find anyone” and “keep looking” could be heard.

“I see that hive still out there.” Antonio said, and was loud enough to get the major’s attention. “Y’all still waiting for them to leave?” The teen made his way over to the table to look at the monitors, not intimidated by Carver’s looming presence.

The major stopped him when he put his hand on the boy’s naked chest and pushed him back. “They’ve started to thin out, so our options are still open.” Carver glared down at the teenager and his nose wrinkled when he noticed the brothers were both only wearing towels.

Antonio scoffed at him. “They ain’t thinnin’ out! We can still hear hella them out there.”

“It sound like it’s more out there.” Miles looked towards the doorway to the dock room, clutching his towel around his waist.

“It looks like more out there.” Nadine whispered and quickly regretted doing so when the major’s cold stare found her. She went back to moving the camera around.

“Regardless, the situation is still under control.” Carver watched Burrows make his way through the doorway to the inner store, carrying a bag. “Oh good. Finally cleaning up the dogs. You were starting to stink so bad we could smell it in here.” Carver grinned and the spraying in the office could still be heard.

Antonio took a deep breath, inhaling through his nose, “This ain’t nothin’. We once went like a month without takin’ a bath and had lurker guts all over us and shit. We stanked hella bad.”

Nadine snorted with laughter but quickly stifled her amusement.

The major scoffed and went back to viewing the displays. “Well we don’t want to have to smell you, stankin’ hella bad. Captain Baker, take them to the hose in the docks.”

“Wait, wait,” Ben cut in, “Hose? What are you saying, Carver? You want them to get cleaned up with a water hose?”

“Yes.” Carver glanced up at Ben and registered his frustration but the major just went back to the monitors.

“You can’t be serious! They’re not animals!” Ben shouted.

“We can’t parade them through the store to the staff room for a bubble bath Ben. They can either use the hose or…” Carver looked up again but this time the boys were already heading out the doorway to the dock with Baker walking behind them. It took a minute for Ben to stop in the middle of his rant to notice them.

Ben watched them leave and decided to head the other way back into the store, but before heading out he flashed Carver a sneer of disapproval. The major just shook his head. In the dock, Antonio, Miles and Captain Baker made their way to the hose waiting against the back wall. The boys ignored the continued banging at the steel door to their left and paid little mind to the five soldiers watching the door on the right. Miles saw the long-legged Castle and remembered him from when he helped Burrows move the dead infected body that Manson was hovering over.

“Y’all been watchin’ the door every day?” Antonio picked up the water hose when he reached the long green coil then took off his towel and threw it on the ground.

Baker didn’t respond. He just sighed and crossed his arms like he always did when one of the brother’s tried talking to him.

“Y’all don’t need these many people back here. It ain’t like if them strikers bust the door in y’all gon stop ‘em.” Antonio went to the nozzle on the wall and turned it on full blast. The spray coming from the hose came out in a burst that nearly caught Baker, who moved when he saw Antonio didn’t have control over it.

Antonio laughed and blasted Miles in the face with the rushing water. Miles demanded that he stop and the two teens began wrestling for control of the water line. Antonio laughed before finally giving his younger, smaller sibling, the hose. Miles threw his towel aside and sprayed the water all over himself. The boys weren’t modest at all. The captain tossed the boys a bar of soap, still in the box.

“Fa sho!” Antonio took the hose back from Miles and began rinsing himself.

Miles was blown away to see the soap and took the bar from his brother to lather his body.

“You ain’t gay is you?” Antonio asked Baker.

“What?” Baker’s face screwed up in confusion. “No!”

“Aite, cuz Miles only thirteen. And I see how you lookin’ at him but he under age. And just cuz I’m nineteen don’t mean nothin’. I like women.”

“Shut up!” Baker barked.

Antonio laughed and took the soap from Miles.

“If they do get in. You can’t fight ‘em.” Miles said, now holding the water hose in hand and rinsing the soap from his body. “If you fight ‘em in here