Marie groaned and stepped down from the truck. Logan mimicked her move on the other side of the cab, rubbing his eyes little groggily. He had been sleeping while Marie drove, and sudden switch from the relatively silence of the caravan to the marketplace of the settlement threw him a bit off-stride.
“Okay. I’ll go and book us rooms. Why don’t you go and get something to eat…” Logan started, pointing at the Inn he had spotted.
“Nope. I’m not hungry. I just want to go to sleep…” Marie muttered and slouched after him. He still had that skill to part the crowd in front of him by just walking through. It was easier to trail after him than try to push through by herself.
“Thank God I’m not on duty tonight…” She groaned leaning heavily against Logan’s side while he was paying for the owner of the Inn. Crew took turns in setting up the cage. She had been working on it in the last place they had stopped by, side by side with Logan and few other members of the crew. It had been hard work, and she had gotten to bed only after every detail was ready. Sun had been rising when she had staggered with Logan to the room they had shared. They had slept the whole day, waking when Scott had knocked on the door and informed that fight would start within an hour.
“Here.” She stared dumbly at the key Logan handed to her.
“You’re not coming?” She asked puzzled. Logan jiggled a key of his own.
“Got two rooms.”
“Can we afford it?” Marie asked, instantly calculating how much an extra room would cost.
“Yeah. We can. Go to sleep. I’ll go and see if they need any help at the cage. Might take a while so I thought it would be a good idea to get you your own room. Won’t wake you up when I come back,” Logan said. He could see disappointment on Marie’s face.
“Okay… I’ll see you in the morning…” She said, turning and taking the stairs with her head bowed. Every move reluctant and sluggish.
“Marie?” She turned to look at him.
“Good night. Wake me up to the breakfast, okay?” She nodded.
Technically it wasn’t his turn, but the crew didn’t object when he strolled to where they had parked the trucks. Parts of the cage had already been unloaded, but the hardest task was still waiting, getting heavy poles and walls up to a sturdy enough structure. It wouldn’t do to have the cage collapse in the middle of a fight. He pushed all the restless energy that had been coiling slowly inside of him to the work, holding up the walls, pounding the support beams deep in to the ground and welding seams. He was going to drive all his frustrations and fears to the metal structure of the cage.
When morning came, and last part of the cage, the massive gate slid in place, the whole crew sighed from relief. Logan’s angry relentless pace had forced everybody else to bust their backs, too. Logan just shrugged and lighted a cigar, staggering back to the settlement. It would be a small miracle if Marie managed to get him awake enough to eat after he settled to the bed.
He rose the stairs slowly. He could practically feel the soft bed under his back already. Seats in the truck were okay if you tilted them backwards, but right now his muscles and joints were screaming for the release only a good long rest in a real bed could offer. He stopped briefly in front of Marie’s room. He could hear her steady breathing through the door. Still fast asleep. Good. With any luck she would be out couple of hours more.
Room was small, but it held all the necessities, and he even had his own bathroom. Quick shower to wash off the desert dust and grease that coated his skin. By the time he had toweled himself dry and sat on the edge of the bed his back was singing hallelujah, and seven dwarves had put up a mine inside of his skull. He was asleep before his head hit the pillow.
He woke up to a strange feeling. He was warm and relaxed, and something or somebody was stroking his hair.
“What the fuck…” He sprung to action and had the intruder pinned under him against the mattress before he realized whom it was.
“Marie?”
“I… Uh, I came to get you to breakfast. You didn’t answer when I knocked, so I came to see if you were back…” She was stuttering, eyes darting between his chest and the sheet that only partially covered him from the waist down.
“I locked the door. I’m sure I locked it.”
“My key fit in. Sorry… I just wanted to see if you were back already and if you were hungry… Could you let me go?” Marie’s question snapped Logan out of the partial haze and he released the grip he had from her. She stumbled off from the bed instantly. Yet he couldn’t detect fear in her scent. Just surprise.
“Sorry about that. I’m not used to waking up like that,” he said, sitting on the side of the bed, checking that the sheet provided adequate shelter from her gaze. She turned to leave.
“Wait. I’ll get dressed. Might as well go and get something to eat since I’m awake…” Logan grunted, grabbing his clothes and retreating to bathroom to get dressed.
He wasn’t shy, and they had both seen each other naked on several occasions. Hell, they had fucked with each other. Somehow it still didn’t feel right to flash in front of her naked.
Rest of the crew had already occupied the small tavern downstairs, and waitresses were scurrying around, carrying ale, bread and porridge. They found a tiny table from under a window, probably meant for one person only. It had to do. Logan wasn’t going to stand around and wait for something bigger. He wanted to get something to eat. Sooner he got over the breakfast, the sooner he could crawl back to bed. Waitress came and plunked two bowls on the table, filled with steaming pile of thick looking porridge. He wasn’t a porridge-man per say, but right now he was tired and hungry enough to eat anything even remotely edible. A basket filled with bread was shoved between their bowls. They both looked at the waitress expectantly. Woman’s eyes were darting between the bowls and the basket, trying to find two more empty spots. Finding none she sighed.
“You want something to drink?” She asked, offering them two pints of ale from the tray she was carrying. They took the pints. There really was no room for them on the table. Eating was little awkward juggling between the pints, porridge and bread, but finally they both could just lean back, task finished.
“So… What were you planning to do?” Logan asked, lighting a cigar. Marie’s gaze wandered over the sea of customers, not really looking for anything, yet taking in every detail from her surroundings.
“I don’t know. Maybe do some shopping. I need some new clothes, and better shoes. Do you think they have a bookstore in here?” She asked.
“Too small place for something like that. But I saw a general store earlier. They might sell books. Getting bored?” Logan asked, not really caring about the possible answer. Food had been surprisingly tasty, cigar was good, and there was a warm and a soft bed with his name on it waiting upstairs. All in all, life was good.
“Not really bored… Or maybe a little. I don’t know. I’m not sure about anything anymore. And I miss Sam.”
“Don’t worry about him. He’s in good hands…” Logan said.
“What do you mean? I thought you left him…”
“You thought I would left my son alone, without money or friends, without anything or anybody to lean on? Give me some credit, Marie… I’m an asshole, but not a fucking asshole…”
“But I thought you took him to the settlement so that he could get recruited to the Army…”
“No. Hooked him up with a caravan. Fifteen trucks, transporting spices, canvases, flour… Stuff like that. They were short of one transporter.”
“And he settled for that?” Marie asked. Logan nodded.
“We had time to talk during the ride to the settlement. Told him about my life. I think halfway through my speech he actually started to listen. After the part when I mentioned you. He looked a bit green around the gills when I left him, but I don’t think he dreams of being a soldier anymore.”
“Oh…”
“Yeah. Well, have a nice day. I have an appointment with mister Sandman…”
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