Best Defense

Carol Peletier understood what it was like to face a bad man. She’d faced her husband Ed, a man who’d been both a coward and a bully, for years. She’d faced men plenty worse than Ed had ever dreamed of being since his death. None of those men, however, had threatened her with rape.

Now she stood facing a man who eyed her over with lust. He looked to be about sixty and was in good shape. He was too strong for her to take in a fight. She didn’t have the skills. She also didn’t have her gun.

“All that’s left in the world nowadays are girls,” he was saying, eying her with interest and practically drooling. “They’re just little girls. It’s good to see a real woman. Especially one in good shape and pretty to look at, like you are.”

He took another step closer. Carol backed up. She could see he had an erection and it was fairly impressive. Where the hell was Rick? Should she call out or would that give Rick away? Would it draw walkers onto them? Being torn apart by walkers seemed a better fate than being violated by this greasy, smelly, brute with a mouthful of yellowed teeth.

“You got some real good titties on you, too. I’m gonna stick my dick between them titties. I’m gonna have me a real good time with you, bitch.”

“No, you’re not.”

The man spun toward the entrance of the room, surprised by the arrival of a man. Carol sagged in relief. Rick had his gun out already and he didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger, putting a bullet between the man’s eyes. He collapsed, dead, but the gunshot had attracted three walkers on the street outside.

“We can make it to the car without another shot fired if we hurry,” said Rick. “I’m right outside the door.”

Carol grabbed her bag and ran past the dead man without sparing him another thought.

…

Rick caught up to Carol as she walked toward the administration building. They’d added a few masons to their community, as well as a few scientists and some folks with engineering backgrounds. In the past few months they’d added solar power to the prison and were working to build a wall around the perimeter to replace the constantly failing fences. The community was booming. Security had never been better.

“I’ve got water girl duty,” Carol said. “It’s a hundred degrees out today. God knows they can use it.”

“How are you doing?”

“I’m good. Why?”

Rick put a hand on her arm, halting her. “We’re close, right?”

“That’s an understatement,” she said with a smile, thinking of the night they’d had together the year before. She continued on to where the men were working and put the bucket of cold water down. Now that they had freezers they had ice. “There’s ice in it, guys!”

They thanked her and took a break to hydrate. Carol started back toward the prison with Rick.

“You’ve never been threatened with rape, have you?” he asked, once they were away from anyone who could overhear.

“No.”

“Tell me how you’re doing.”

“I’m pissed off. I didn’t have my gun since we’re so low on ammo and I don’t know much about self-defense. If you hadn’t come along God only knows what he’d have done.”

“Then it’s time you learned a few moves. Meet me in the main yard at sunset. We’ll start practice there.

…

The yard didn’t have a lot of room for maneuvers but it sufficed. Every evening at sunset Carol met up with Rick among the tall cornstalks that would need harvesting soon. The corn was for feed, not human consumption. It was brown and dry looking, and high. It offered privacy, which Carol was grateful for, since Rick kept landing her on her ass.

She learned to throw punches as well as take them. She also learned how to inflict pain in close quarters and how to put enough space between herself and an attacker for her to get to her knife or gun, or to run away.

“I think you got the hang of it,” Rick said, holding his side and bending over.

Carol flinched. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to elbow you that hard.”

“It’s okay. At least you have some idea what to do in close quarters.”

“Yes, I do. Thanks, Rick.”

“That’s what friends are for.”

Carol tiptoed to give him a light peck on the cheek but he deliberately turned into it so that their lips met instead. He rested his hands on her hips and backed her between two rows of cornstalks where no one from the prison could see them.

“Rick…” she said breathlessly, knowing what was on his mind.

He pulled her into another kiss. It was deep and slow and arousing. He wasn’t a sloppy kisser who pressed into her lips as though trying to control her, as Ed had been. Even though they’d slept together a year ago, she’d been there to comfort him in his loneliness, and hadn’t actually kissed Rick in this way.

Soon Carol was kissing Rick with enthusiasm. Soon she was allowing him to lay her down in the soil. Soon she was half naked and sharing her body with him, moaning, panting, and sighing his name as she found release. Soon she was pulling on her clothes and looking up at his handsome, bearded face.

Rick was their fearless leader once again, not just a farmer, but he was always alone, as was she.

“Is this gonna become a habit?” she asked.

Rick cocked a smile and kissed her again, this time lovingly on the forehead, before starting toward the prison.

“I hope so.”