Trigon by Red Hope

Chapter 2

Claire glanced for the umpteenth time at her friend, who was totally oblivious to Claire's constant glances. Or else K-Mart just didn't wish to make eye contact with Claire. She hadn't decided what was the case, but Claire leaned on the second idea. There was no doubt that K-Mart wasn't oblivious and self-absorbed after what they'd experienced for the past two years.

K-Mart shifted in the leather chair and continued studying the textbook in her lap. She was hunched forward with her right elbow on her knee. Her bottom lip puckered slightly against her hand cupping her chin. She was very focused, but she still caught Claire's stolen looks and didn't acknowledge them. K-Mart feared if she did that Claire would read through K-Mart and know what happened last night.

Claire hit the sixth disc in the CD changer in the dash and went to another CD that was loaded with mp3 songs from the eighties. However, she again looked at K-Mart then briefly noted what K-Mart was studying today. She shifted her bright green eyes back onto the road.

"What you studying?" Claire attempted.

K-Mart's mind derailed from her studying, and she inwardly groaned now that Claire had opened a conversation. She peered up from her textbook and shifted her composition notebook into the textbook. "History," she answered.

Claire softly grinned because she knew her friend disliked history yet persuade it anyway. She was very proud of the fact that K-Mart enjoyed studying and took it upon herself to be educated despite the extinction. Claire softly cleared her throat and teased, "I thought you'd be studying math." She knew that was K-Mart's favorite subject, so far.

K-Mart rubbed her eyes and replied, "I'm saving the best for last." She wasn't sure how much longer she could read anymore American History before she was ready to move onto math. She loved math and how simple it was, unlike the rest of the world.

Claire's soft chuckle floated under the eighties music. However, she noticed that K-Mart was rather focused on the front window. She silently agreed that the drive was beautiful on the quiet, two-way road, but she was use to K-Mart looking at her when they talked in the Hummer. Usually K-Mart could become rather animated with her hands too, but not today.

"So what's up?" Claire attempted after a long minute.

K-Mart rolled her shoulders in silent answer then took off her hat. She had hoped that her friend wouldn't tempt fate, but she'd crossed the line. She set her hat on the dash and started fixing her hair that'd been messed up by the window being cracked open. "I didn't sleep all that great," she finally confessed. She wasn't about to divulge anymore. What she didn't expect was that slight stiffness rising in Claire's body. Not many could read Claire's body language, but K-Mart had that rare special power. She quickly added, "Nightmares... ya know."

Claire's tension receded after K-Mart told her the last tidbit. She wouldn't press K-Mart to tell her about the dreams because she mostly knew what plagued the teen at night, like everybody else. She bit her bottom lip and struggled with what was on her mind.

K-Mart finished her hair and put her hat on again. She adjusted it into place then returned to her studying after she assumed the conversation was over. But Claire's renewed voice made K-Mart clutch her textbook harder.

"About last night..." Claire often had a rough time with sensitive chats. She'd trained herself to be strong and retained her emotions. She'd become so good at it that she no longer was sure how to carry on an adult conversation about emotions. "I didn't mean..."

K-Mart understood what her friend wanted to tell her. She gave Claire an assuring smile and nodded. "It's alright, Claire." She didn't expect much from Claire when it came to voicing their deeper friendship. K-Mart knew Claire's heart still beat under her armor, and she also knew that she was in Claire's heart. Nothing Claire did was meant to hurt K-Mart, and it greatly bothered Claire when K-Mart was upset.

Claire often accepted those types of faithful responses from K-Mart. But today she pushed herself slightly further than normal. She reached out and touched her friend's knee. She was grateful for a long stretch of straight road and looked over at K-Mart when she spoke again. "I'm sorry, Dahlia."

K-Mart's lips parted from shock at hearing her real name on her friend's lip. Claire had only called her that a dozen times in the beginning before K-Mart asked for her new name. She expected to feel scorched by her previous name, but she found herself comforted by it. K-Mart wasn't sure what to say and instead her left hand was drawn to Claire's hand like a magnet.

Claire was watching her driving, but she felt K-Mart's hand cover hers. She knew to withdraw and yet she kept her hand there for a long time. She wasn't sure how long it'd been until she needed her right hand back because of a tight, descending turn ahead of the Hummer. Claire had enjoyed K-Mart's soft hand against hers. She was slipping, lately. If Claire wasn't careful then she'd end up being screwed by Carlos soon enough. She shook off the disgusted notion and refocused on her driving. She noted K-Mart went back to her studying.

Although K-mart wasn't as focused as she'd like to been on her studies. It took her awhile to get back into her textbook and writing notes. She eventually made it to the end of chapter eleven and did the chapter review questions. Sometimes she would go over them with Claire but not today.

Claire glanced at the time on the clock and knew that they'd need to break for lunch soon. She retrieved the Garmin GPS over her head and checked their current location. She didn't want to stop anywhere near a former town where there'd probably be undead. Despite they were traveling desolate roads, they always went around the towns even if that meant driving through fields or other landscapes. Sometimes it caused problems when the bus or news van became stuck, but Claire had wenches on the Hummer for a reason. In worse cases, she had L.J. haul vehicles out with his tow truck.

K-Mart had shifted to her math textbook and found it easier to get into than the history. She switched to a different composition notebook that went with math. She was relearning geometry, which she hadn't appreciated in the tenth grade. But after growing up quickly, K-Mart had been excited to find a geometry textbook on one of their recent raids.

Claire softly smirked at the math book in her friend's lap. She shook her head once and commented, "You could have been a mathematician." She peered up at the GPS and saw they were passing a town ten miles to the east. She wanted to get by it before they stopped for a break.

"No... definitely not." K-Mart shook her head several times. "I'm so not doing the pocket protector."

Claire chuckled, shrugged, and argued, "Nerds are pretty sexy."

K-Mart dubiously looked at her friend and argued, "But pocket protectors are definitely not sexy."

Claire smirked and struggled not to meet the teen's stare. "Slide rulers were."

K-Mart had a lost look and whispered, "Slide rulers?"

Claire nearly wanted to smack her own forehead once she realized K-Mart was too young to know what a slide ruler was back in the day. "It was like... a calculator, but like a ruler."

K-Mart opened and closed her mouth a few times then finally replied, "You totally lost me." She brushed her hair back. "Is that like an abacus or somethin'?"

Claire groaned and decided that K-Mart wouldn't understand unless she could Wikipedia it. But, she had to admit that K-Mart wasn't that lost in technology like other teens had been at her age before the apocalypse. "A cousin to it," Claire gave in.

K-Mart had gone back to her studying, but she heard Claire. She didn't comment and continued reading about triangles. She was taking notes about the different types of triangles yet paused and looked out the front window.

Claire sensed something on her friend's mind. She canted her head some and waited for K-Mart first.

"You know the three triangles?"

Claire blew out a low breath and jogged her mind. She liked math, but she didn't love it like K-Mart. "Equilateral, right?"

"That's the easy one," K-Mart teased. But she ticked it off by poking out her left thumb. "Another is...?"

Claire drummed her fingers on the steering wheel. Thankfully another triangle popped into her mind. "Scalene," she triumphantly declared. She grinned and informed, "It has all unequal sides."

K-Mart chuckled and pointed out her left index finger. "Last one?"

Claire chewed on her bottom lip and this time her fingertips tapped on the steering wheel several times.

"Think... two equal sides," K-Mart suggested. She kept studying the cracked road ahead of them under the canopy of yellow and burnt orange leaves.

"Oh shit... I don't know," Claire gave up. She looked at K-Mart for help.

"Isosceles," K-Mart supplied.

Claire snapped her fingers once then grinned at her friend. "Isoso no lees."

K-Mart couldn't help laughing at the leader's joking mispronunciation.

Claire shrugged and argued, "Two out of three ain't bad."

K-Mart now flashed a smirk at the leader. "Yeah that's only a sixty-six percent when you do the math."

Claire crinkled her nose and concluded, "A 'D' huh?" She traded a grin with K-Mart. "I totally fail your class."

"How about some extra credit?" K-Mart didn't wait for a response and posed, "What angle are all three sides of an equilateral triangle?"

"Oh my god," Claire moaned. She touched her forehead and prayed a headache didn't strike. "Come on, K."

K-Mart wagged her finger at her friend. "Tisk, tisk." She lowered her hand to the textbook and offered, "Think about a circle, which is how many degrees?"

Claire knew that one right away. "Three hundred sixty."

"And any regular polygon, like the equilateral triangle, has angles that are half that of the circle," K-Mart defined.

"So that makes all three angles of the equilateral sum up to one hundred eighty," Claire deduced.

K-Mart started smiling and instead of being so serious. "Exactly."

"Divide that by three and each angle is sixty degrees," Claire concluded in triumph.

K-Mart lightly patted her friend's thigh and commended, "Good job." She smirked. "I still consider you smart enough to follow through the undead landscape."

Claire laughed and shot a weak glare at the teen. "Gee thanks, K." She formed a grin on her ruby red lips and asked, "How many points I get for extra credit?"

K-Mart pursed her lips and considered the number. "How about three brownie points?"

"Brownie points?" Claire was obviously pleased by this news. "I didn't know I was shooting for brownie points."

K-Mart chuckled and had only just thought of the idea. She waved it off and went back to her textbook but muttered, "Who's keep track of those old things anyway?" She knew she had seventy-three brownie points from Claire after two years.

Claire smirked to herself and decided not to tease any further. She hoped to one day to call in her meager stash of brownie points. She recalled when she'd first started the brownie point game with K-Mart about three months after taking her from the abandoned store. Claire had to explain the brownie point currency and how it all worked. Rarely K-Mart cashed in her brownie points, but it was known to happen once a blue moon.

Returning to her earlier task, Claire determined that they were far enough away from any towns that it should be fairly safe. She retrieved the radio off the dash and hit the talk button, "Carlos, how are we looking for a lunch break?"

"Well," Carlos replied, "I think we passed the McDonalds."

Claire smirked, but she couldn't reply yet because Otto chimed in next.

"I prefer Burger King myself."

Claire shook her head and hit the talk button. "I'm afraid it'll be a picnic lunch."

"That sounds truly romantic, Claire," Carlos commented.

Claire rolled her eyes, thoroughly.

K-Mart had seen it after her head snapped up from Carlos's remark. She too rolled her eyes but went back to her geometry book.

"And I'm sure you won't mind a few guests, Carlos." Claire released the talk button but quickly hit it again. She was all business again. "I'm gonna slow down and search for a good spot. Give a shout if any of you see something." Claire listened to several agreements, but she put the radio down.

K-Mart was taking notes, but she came to a stopping point and closed up everything. "Carlos doesn't quit, does he?"

Claire shrugged and answered, "He's a guy."

"And you're the hottest woman in the convoy," K-Mart stated. She evilly smiled at Claire's quick glance at her.

"Who's definitely not available," Claire sharply reminded.

K-Mart folded her arms after putting her books away in her satchel. "Yeah... yeah... it's like a supervisor sleeping with their lower downs." She waved off her friend. She'd heard it plenty times before from Claire after K-Mart brought up the topic a few times. "You're like totally Captain Janeway in this convoy." She huffed and muttered, "Even got the red hair to prove it."

"Captain Janeway?" Claire was lost but shook her head because she needed to focus on finding a safe place.

"Star Trek." K-Mart looked wide-eye at her friend. "That was so in your century, Claire."

Claire definitely knew Star Trek, but she didn't know a Captain Janeway from the series. She let it go and asked, "See a good spot?"

"I'm lookin', captain."

"K-Mart," Claire warned her friend.

K-Mart smirked but continued scanning out the side window. She knew exactly what to look for after Claire educated her plenty. She had to admit her stomach was grumbling for food. "There's a sign for a rest stop ahead."

Claire had spotted it too on the worn sign that was nearly covered by foliage. "Good call." She couldn't read how far and checked, "Did you see the mileage?"

"It's ten to nineteen miles." K-Mart shook her head and looked at the leader. "I couldn't see the second number."

Claire accepted the rough idea and took the radio. She told the convoy that they'd be stopping in ten to fifteen minutes at a rest stop location. She didn't need to remind the recon team about their duties once they were there.

Shortly the convoy rolled to a stop just before the entrance to the rest area. Claire ordered the recon team to disembark and do the normal checks before the rest of the convoy would take refuge. This time Claire decided to join the team and had K-Mart take the driver's seat. She didn't comment on K-Mart's displeased look and instead reminded her to lock the doors once she was out.

K-Mart kept the Hummer running but in park while the recon team approached the rest stop. She always kept her hand on the shift knob between the seats. She was taught to put it in gear, floor it, and never look back if it so happened an attack rained down on them. But K-Mart was sure she'd only floor it to Claire's location, grab her, and only then peel off down the road.

After long, tense minutes, K-Mart was given the signal from Carlos to enter the rest area. She shifted into drive and led the convoy vehicles into the rest area. She took a parking spot directly in front of Claire, who stood with well loaded semi-automatic carbine that was usually tucked in the Hummer's rear seat.

Carlos was speaking over the earpiece to the convoy managers. He wanted food setup quickly and toilet paper handed out to those ready to go. He just didn't recommend anybody using the rest stop's overgrown facilities.

Claire slung the carbine across her back and didn't plan to put it away until they were on the road again. She waited until K-Mart shut off the Hummer then started barking out orders. Once everybody was settled, she went to a lone picnic table away from many of the survivors. She fished out a state map that she'd retrieved from the rest area's small lobby. She opened up the Pennsylvania map and pinpointed their current location.

K-Mart was tempted to spend time with Mikey, but she opted for Claire after she realized Claire didn't have anything to eat. She scrounged up dried fruit and leftover rice from Otto then went to Claire's table.

Claire peered up at her friend, who sat down next to her. "What's up?"

"Sup," K-Mart teased. She held out the small bag of fruit. She knew Claire loved banana chips and wouldn't resist them.

Claire relented and took a handful of them. "Thanks, K." She went back to the map.

"So, where to?" K-Mart was looking over the map.

"Well..." Claire canted her head and decided, "I want to be in lower West Virginia by your birthday."

"That should be easy." K-Mart shifted her gaze to Claire.

"The damn convoy moves slow," Claire complained.

K-Mart chuckled and teased, "You're just use to doing a hundred on your bike."

Claire took more banana chips. "I miss that iron horse."

K-Mart grinned and imagined Claire riding the motorcycle with her red hair flowing behind like a scarf. But, she knew that Claire probably wore a helmet in reality. "I've never been on a bike."

Claire sharply turned to the teen. "Really?" After K-Mart's nod, she filed that away for later and returned to her duty.

"We're here, right?" K-Mart pointed to the location slightly east of Brookville.

"Yeah." Claire ate a last handful of banana chips.

"Maybe we'll make it near Yellow Creek State Park," K-Mart suggested.

Claire agreed and softly guessed, "It'd be good to forge the creek there."

K-Mart fully agreed with the leader's thoughts. "We might be able to catch some deer too."

"Mmmm." Claire brightened at the prospect of meat tonight. If it was one thing she was thankful for, it was that the T-virus didn't affect any animals. She actually imagined that wildlife was flourishing now that humans weren't ruining their habitats anymore. And deer at night was often the reason why Claire didn't like to travel long after sunset. But in the fall time, it was a problem because daylight was short and getting shorter.

"You want some?" K-Mart indicated the white rice leftover from the other night. She held out a tarnished spoon in silent offer.

The leader almost declined until she saw the concern in K-Mart's eyes. She'd been had, definitely. Most likely K-Mart asked Otto this morning if she'd eaten anything recently. She caved in and took the spoon. "Thanks, K." She and K-Mart shared the container of rice, which was heavy on their lean stomachs.

K-Mart had the last spoonful and put the dirty container on the table. She was about to say something until Carlos's interrupting voice disrupted her.

"Claire, we should probably be moving soon." Carlos took a seat on the opposite side of the picnic table from K-Mart and Claire.

Claire brushed him off because she wasn't given orders, rarely. "Let everybody rest a little longer." She was glad to stretch her legs. She found it important to move around instead of letting everybody be cramped up in boxes all day.

Carlos had a slight frown that quickly faded away. He looked at K-Mart and asked, "How's the studying?"

"Good." K-Mart leaned her arms against the table. She noticed that Claire had her face nearly glued to the map, most likely to ignore Carlos. She bit back a smirk and looked at Carlos. "How's the fuel levels in the tankers?"

Carlos raised an eyebrow at the teen's question that normal would come from Claire. He debated how to handle it and even looked at Claire.

The leader peered up from the map after deciding her friend posed a viable question. "How is it?" Her stern tone poked Carlos the wrong way.

"Fine." Carlos jogged his mind and reported, "We probably have four to four and half thousand gallons of gas and just over five thousand in diesel."

Claire was pleased because that meant they were only about a quarter empty in the tanker. "We'll refuel the vehicles in the morning."

Carlos nodded then glanced down at the upside down map. "We're making good progress."

"So far," Claire muttered. She didn't discuss it further.

Carlos patted the table once then started getting up. "See ya shortly." He adjusted his bullet proof vest after standing and offered a smile to K-Mart.

K-Mart scratched her nose and stared at Claire's serious profile. "Would you go out on a date with him if the world wasn't fucked up?"

Claire lifted her head then stared, curiously at K-Mart. She wasn't sure what the point of the question was and wondered if she'd figure it out. She hesitated to reply until distant leaves rustling drew her attention away from K-Mart. She stared across the overgrown picnic area towards the surrounding woods where the disturbance originated.

K-Mart leaned forward and looked in the same direction, but she only saw the trees' leaves being brushed by the wind. She shook her head and softly explained, "It's just the wind."

But Claire wasn't so convinced and started folding up the map. Her skin tingled the wrong way. "K..."

K-Mart started shaking her head at hearing that particular tone in Claire's voice. "Claire, it's nothing." Yet she wasn't so sure anymore as the rustling increased despite the trees leaves above started to still. They hadn't been attacked in weeks.

"Go to the Hummer," Claire whispered. She wanted her friend to have a headstart before mass chaos started in the rest area. "Please, K." She shoved the map into her rear pocket for later.

K-Mart knew not to argue any further once Claire picked up on something. She squeezed her friend's taut shoulder and pleaded, "Be careful."

"Go... now."

K-Mart didn't have to see the fire in Claire's emerald eyes to know it was there. She quickly moved away and made a fast walk to the Hummer. But on her way, she passed Carlos and ordered, "Claire needs you right away."

Carlos didn't question it and instead hurried over to Claire, who was standing in front of the picnic table. "What's going on?"

Claire pointed at the movements in the woods that unnerved her. "We need to move out."

"Alright."

"Keep everybody quiet," Claire reminded him.

Carlos knew and was already on the move.

Claire remained poised in her spot and kept a steady eye on the spot in the woods. She still didn't see anything, and prayed it was just wildlife going by. She hated the damn deer that she often called beady eyed bastards at night after nearly hitting a few.

A sharp cry made Claire jump, and she spun around at the second dramatic, ear cutting scream that made her stomach revolt in fear. She was dumbstruck to see three undead had captured a woman that'd gone too far from the rest area. "Shit," Claire growled and took off at a sprint. Behind her, she didn't see the six undead in the woods launch into an impressive run for the humans, who boarded the vehicles.

Chaos broke out all around the convoy when the attack erupted from several sides. Claire couldn't fire her carbine fast enough to kill the undead. Carlos protected her back while L.J., Chase, and Otto hastened to get survivors in the vehicles. Mikey climbed up onto the bus and feverishly fired on the undead. His plan worked well until two undead scaled the opposite side of the bus from behind him.

"Mikey!" K-Mart screamed through the open window. She started to get out of the Hummer until the door locks were set off. She immediately knew that Claire had done it to protect her. She jumped back from the passenger window when a hand tried passing through the slim opening in the gate. But the undead was tossed aside by Claire.

"Put the goddamn window up!" Claire sharply reminded her friend for the hundredth time. She turned and fired on the nearly standing undead.

K-Mart heeded and slammed the window's up button after she twisted the key in the ignition. She started the engine next and feverishly waited for Claire to get in too. She stole a hasty glance back at Mikey, who had fended of the undead.

"There's too many, Carlos!" Claire hollered across the rest area.

"Get in the car!" Carlos called back. He meant it to everybody, including Claire. They needed to escape the undead.

"Claire, watch out!" K-Mart yelled. But her yell went deaf against the glass. She watched in horror as an undead came up behind Claire.

Claire sensed it too late and was grabbed from behind then tossed overhead of the creature. She gave a shocked scream then slammed into the cracked concrete walkway. She swallowed down as much air as possible after it'd been stolen from her. She hadn't expected such strength and thought from the undead, but she fired at him despite his efforts. She hopped onto her feet but discovered three of them in front of her.

K-Mart grew frightened for her friend and hastily climbed over to the driver's seat.

Claire shot them before they could attack her. She kept backing up because more came at her, and she didn't mind if it drew them away from the convoy. She kept unloading the bullets on them and tried not thinking about the undead's newfound skills like running and jumping.

But after a minute, Claire found too many undead around her. She clenched her teeth and prayed that K-Mart would do what she'd taught her to do. Get the Hell away from the fuckers.

K-Mart was screaming at the two creatures that wanted to get into the locked Hummer. She stared at the wave of undead, but she couldn't find Claire. She feared that if she barreled into the crowd of undead that she'd accidently hit her friend. She yelled for Claire despite she wouldn't be heard. Her right foot continued barely holding down the brake.

Claire was convinced now that she wouldn't make it. She gritted her teeth and swore to take out all the undead possible that was starting to circle her. A distant growl tickled her ear and grew louder each heartbeat until the sound became so familiar to Claire. For an instant, it took her back to her days on the motorcycle and the beautiful rides in the countryside away from Raccoon City. Just as she lowered her empty carbine, she was filled by the motorcycle's comforting roar and gave her peace before her death.

An undead jumped for his pure meat until suddenly a large, hot metal object creamed into him and several other undead. He became pinned by the running motorcycle for a moment before suddenly being blown to Hell after a shotgun shell pierced the motorcycle's fuel tank.

Claire was shielded by another body from the eruption. She was held close then suddenly the protective body left her. She hastily straightened up and stared wide eye at the well armed woman that'd saved her. She openly gawked when the stranger drew out long, curved blades and set out to cut down the remaining undead.

Claire broke from her rooted position and ripped out her Glocks that had full magazines. She took care of any undead near her or her savior's sides. She only counted six left, and they were decapitated in short order. Claire scanned about but didn't find anymore threats so she focused on the stranger. She had to admit that another woman with blond hair was okay in Claire's book.

The stranger kept her bloody kukris out and faced the younger woman that stood in mild shock. She came over and asked, "Are you alright?"

Claire cleared her throat and put away a Glock. "I'm... great, now." She held out her hand. "I'm Claire... Claire Redfield."

"I figured." The stranger took Claire's hand and shook, briskly. "I heard your transmissions on the radio."

Claire slightly lifted an eyebrow but nodded. "And you're...?" She didn't expect the crooked smile being given to her.

"Alice," she supplied after sheathing her kukris.

Claire stared hard at the stranger, Alice, and in ten seconds Claire couldn't procure who or what was Alice. She didn't like that, at all.

Continued.