Apocalypsis 02 - Warpaint

she missed my head, where she was aiming, even though she snuck up behind me and was only three feet away. Want to know why she missed her target?”
    No one answered, but I could tell they were waiting to hear what I had to say.
    “Because she telegraphed her move. It’s pretty hard not to when you’re holding a weapon that big. Still, she should have been able to crush my skull three times over, or at the very least, knock me out. But she missed because I’m trained to read body language and I’m fast.”
    I looked at all of them in turn. “Someday, you might be attacked by a canner … a kid who wants to make you his next meal, like what happened to Celia. The question is, are you going to go down? Are you going to be seriously injured or killed? Or are you going to be the one taking people out?” I searched their faces, talking as earnestly as I could. “Just because you’re girls, doesn’t mean you have to be victims. Do you get what I’m saying here?”
    Heads were nodding, reluctantly. It was clear that I needed to get their leader over on my side, and by the way they kept stealing glances her way, I could tell it was pain-in-the-butt Coli I had to impress. Ugh. Why can’t life ever be easy for a change?
    I stood up and spoke to Peter quietly so the others wouldn’t hear. “Peter, do me a favor. Go back to our hut and find me a guy. Any guy will do.”
    “You don’t want to use me?”
    “No. You’re too much like a girl, it’s not going to work.”
    He sighed. “Do you have any idea how insulting that is?”
    “Yes, and I’m sorry. But I’m impatient and running out of time here. Every minute I don’t train these girls is another step towards one of them losing a fight like Celia did.”
    He rightly guessed that this was not the time to argue with me, and left without saying another word. While he was gone, I decided to attack the situation head-on and stop ignoring the elephant in the room.
    “How’s Celia doing?” I asked Coli.
    “Not good.”
    “So she’s still alive.”
    “Yes. But she’s not talking to anyone. And she’s sick.” Coli’s tone made her sound more vulnerable now.
    “Do you have antibiotics?”
    “Yeah. We have some. But she doesn’t want them.” Her voice got rough and she looked down at her hands in her lap. “She’s trying to die.”
    “I hope you’re ignoring her no’s.”
    “We are. But it isn’t pleasant, having to force her to accept the medicine.”
    “That sucks. Has she been able to tell anyone where she was being kept?”
    “I think so. Kowi talked to her. He’ll discuss it tonight.”
    “Good.”
    My next thought was interrupted by the sounds of Peter and Bodo crashing through the trees and brush. I could hear Peter talking.
    “I told you, she needs your help with something. I don’t know what it is.” The devious smile Peter was trying to hide behind a mask of innocence didn’t fool anyone in our group for a second, but I don’t think Bodo noticed. He was too busy staring at all the girls. Some of them were quite beautiful, and I suddenly felt really plain.
    “Hello, girlss,” said Bodo cheerfully. “I hear you needt some helping from a big strong guy. I guess dat’s me.” He rubbed his chest through his t-shirt and then looked at me. “Hello dare, Bryn. What do you want me to do? Show dem my moofs? Becausse dat’s definitely not a problem. I can do dat.” He did a couple karate chops that would have had my father shaking his head. Bodo had absolutely no finesse at all.
    “Uhhh, no. That won’t be necessary,” I said, standing. “Girls, please get up and move back a little so I can have some room here. I’m going to have Bodo demonstrate an attack so I can show you that move I mentioned earlier.”
    Peter self-consciously covered his crotch again. I motioned with my head for him to get the heck out of the way, trying to tell him silently with a frown not let Bodo see what he was doing.
    The girls stood back, watching attentively.
    “Okay, Bodo. I need to you attack me.”
    “What?” he said, laughing a little bit, a big smile on his face along with a look of confusion.
    “Attack me. Come at me. I need to demonstrate something to the girls.”
    “But I don’t want to hurt you, Bryn.”
    “It’s not a real attack, first of all; and second, you couldn’t hurt me if you tried. Now come on. Just play-attack me.”
    “I could hurt you if I really wanted to,” said Bodo, his smile disappearing to be replaced