Apocalypsis 04 - Haven

it’s your job to guide the teams who will be building your traps.”
    “My traps?” His fingers stilled, making them easy prey for the kitten. She reached out and grabbed one with her claws, bringing it to her mouth for a bite. Fohi didn’t even feel it, he was so focused on my response.
    “Yes. Peter’s going to sit with you and discuss them today. Or tomorrow. He’s sending over paper so you can sketch out your designs.”
    Fohi chewed on his lower lip for a few seconds. “You serious?”
    “Yes. As a heart attack.” Or as serious as a cut in the gut, like you have, dope. I pushed the kitty to the side a little and put my hand on his shoulder like my dad used to do to me when he was talking heart-to-heart serious. “So handle that for me while I’m gone, would ya?”
    “Yeah, no problem, Bryn. You can count on me, you know that. Like for whatever. Demolitions, traps, managing the armory.”
    “Armory?” I asked, my hand sliding from his shoulder.
    “Yeah. You know, where all the guns and bullets are kept?”
    “Yeaaah, okay …”
    Rob was standing behind Fohi, waving like mad and making a cutting motion across his own neck.
    Fohi turned around when he noticed I wasn’t focused on him anymore and caught Rob in the act. He twisted around to punch him, swinging and missing. “Shut up, dicksack! I’m in charge of the armory, you heard her!” He was out of breath from the effort of trying to get to Rob, but gamely stayed on his feet.
    I couldn’t help but laugh. “Yeah, Rob. You dicksack. Fohi’s in charge of the armory.”
    Rob had danced out of his friend’s way and was still bouncing on his toes a little. “Whatever you say, boss. It’s all on you though when he blows the whole place to the moon.”
    I looked at Fohi through new eyes. “You’re not going to do anything stupid, are you?”
    He frowned at me like I was crazy. “Whaaat? You can’t be talking to me. I never do anything crazy. I’m totally serious. You can count on me, I already told you.”
    I didn’t bother reminding him about the pit of sharpened sticks we’d both almost died in - the pit that had given me a permanent scar down my leg. He would have wondered how that applied in this situation, being that he was Fohi and mostly clueless.
    “Just be careful, would ya? I don’t want you overdoing it with your injuries. Just rest and help Peter do your stuff, okay?”
    “Yeah, okay sure. I’ll do that and manage the armory, no sweat. I’m on it. You can count on me. Like I said.”
    Winky came walking up. “You ready to go?” She had a big backpack over her shoulder and was wrestling with it to get it on the rest of the way.
    I helped lift it up onto her other arm. “Yeah, I’m ready. What about the others?”
    “Just waiting for you.”
    I stepped out of the alcove and saw them all by the gate. Bodo and Paci were as far away from each other as they could be without looking painfully obvious about hating each other. Rob hurried past Winky and me to join Paci, throwing his backpack on as he ran out the door.
    “You seriously ready to do this?” I asked her as we walked over to join our group.
    “Hell yeah, I’m ready. I can’t wait to get my loom and have it set up in there. Peter has a weaving room all planned for us.”
    I laughed. “I’m glad you’re happy about weaving.” It was funny to me to think about my berserker fighter friend at the very passive loom, just passing the thread back and forth all day.
    “You should try it sometime. It’s very calming. I’m going to do some crochet too this summer.”
    “Crochet?” It was like a foreign concept to me, from another planet, even. “Isn’t that what old grannies do?”
    “No. It’s a hobby good for all ages. And what’s better than a fuzzy, crocheted blanket to warm your toes in winter?”
    “Uh … an electric blanket?”
    She smacked me lightly on the arm. “No. Don’t even go there.”
    We got to the gate and waited as Peter unlocked it for us. Everyone passed through, wheeling bikes by their sides, leaving me to go last. Ronald wheeled my bike for me and passed it to me at the gate. “Go with God, Bryn,” he said.
    “I’ll go with anyone or anything that will help me. Thank you.” I accepted his hug and watched as he walked back to the lobby, joining his brother, Gretchen, and Bianca at the window. They all waved, worried looks on their faces. I hadn’t let them come, even though they’d volunteered. None of them were trained