Will's P.O.V.

Evelyn woke me up at a ridiculously early hour. An hour I hadn't been up at in a very long time. She had let me pick the first room on the second floor. It was a big hassle because Rebecca was yelling about us sharing a room, but I just wanted my own space, a space that didn't have her all over me demanding for children or to tell her how pretty she was or something. Evelyn had settled it with a very long and loud shout of: "Shut up!" and then that was me, with my own room.

She let all of us settle in and put things up on the wall. For the first time I wasn't just in a temporary hiding place, I was in a home. I hadn't been in a home in years, it was weird to see how much I had missed it. I hadn't thought I had.

Still, like an overbearing mum, Evelyn had come barreling into my room at four in the morning, already dressed and asking why I wasn't. She had a whole day's worth of meals packed by the time I got downstairs, including a tool kit but I noticed she didn't carry any weapons. I had my knives regardless.

Godrick, the blonde from yesterday was already there and waiting for us, smoking a cigarette while he did.

Evelyn looked far from pleased. "Seriously? You're smoking cancer on a stick?"

"Yeah what of it?" He asked, fixing his jacket in that pretentious way bikers who thought they were too cool for everything did.

"I don't like it, and it's bad for you. Put it out," she ordered.

The way she reprimanded him made me feel like she knew him more than she was letting on, like she was his mother or something. Or maybe she was just an overbearing mothering person. Evelyn barely looked older than me and I was twenty eight so she couldn't have been his mother for real. But since Evelyn was so antisocial it had never occurred to me that she would be the mothering or nurturing sort, I had sort of assumed that she just hated people. Maybe she had been alone for too long.

Still, Godrick did as he was told and we got to pile into the van he had brought. As soon as Evelyn was in the passenger seat she said: "We need to go to the Zoo first."

I found that a strange request to make and quite frankly I was a bit nervous. Everyone knew that the Zoo belonged to the Beast. Anyone travelling through a ten mile radius of the place was taking a major risk, especially in a car. The Zoo, however, was supposed to be where it had its den. It made sense, it was an animal, we all sort of assumed that it was a creature that used to live in the Zoo that turned into a super zombie by devouring everything in there. So, I was understandably apprehensive. When Godrick wouldn't say anything I felt like I had no other choice but to speak up.

"Is that really a good idea?" I asked her.

Evelyn shot a glance over her shoulder, as if she had forgotten I was there, before saying: "I need to pick something up. We'll be in and out before the wee beasty even knows I'm there."

The fact that she was so calm about it should have reassured me, but it didn't in the least. I didn't want to go anywhere near that place, but it looked like I had no choice in the matter. Godrick was driving after all and he didn't look too concerned about the plan so I decided that maybe I should try to be calm about it as well.

So I sat in the back quietly, getting my knives ready in case we had to flee the car, which I was assuming would be what would happen. It didn't take us very long to show up and I could feel myself holding my breath despite the fact that I was trying to appear braver then I was about this whole situation. Evelyn was out of the car the second the engine was cut, maybe even before.

She didn't even bother to give us a: "I'll be right back." She just left us there in the quiet car and disappeared into the silent Zoo.

I cleared my throat trying to get Godrick's attention, who was busy playing with his lighter. It was one of those flicking ones that clicked when you flicked it open, they were unpractical now as finding lighter fluid for them was hard. I was sort of hoping that if I played my cards right I could maybe get Godrick to talk to the Drifter's leader about getting me a position. Not that I didn't love Keith and Melissa but I was at my wits end with Rebecca. Here I was with all this room in this new house and Rebecca was pitching a fit about me having my own room.

A guy has to have his own room.

I mentioned before I was lucky that Evelyn was so annoyed with her whining that she just gave me her own room and threatened to throw Rebecca to her zombies if she didn't shut up. I liked the solution but Rebecca had been sulking ever since the decision. She got so bad that I had to stay with her last night and I wasn't happy about it. I knew Rebecca wasn't going to let me go so I would have to find a way to escape her. Impressing Godrick was my only way to do that.

I refused to get out of the van so I climbed into the passenger seat, not exactly showing off my bravery to Godrick and I turned to him what I hoped was as intimidating of a stare as the one on Godrick's face.

Before I could ask a question he turned to me. "What's going on between you and the Red-head?"

I was stunned by this, I wasn't expecting him to talk to me first, let alone ask me about the bane of my existence. "Rebecca? Oh... uh... she and I... well she thinks that..."

He laughed warmly. "I could sense some tension between you two." He put his feet up on the dash and continued playing with his lighter watching the flame dance before flicking the lid closed. "Let me guess, she wants you all tied down and you want to sow your wild oats?"

"Uh... yeah, yeah... that's exactly it," I said with a bright smile.

"You gotta ditch the girl. Sell her or something. I know a guy—Flemming—buys girls, good price, I could give you his card," he said, his hand going to his pocket.

Already I was shaking my head. I didn't want to be that kind of person, and it wasn't like Melissa would let me... even though Evelyn might. Hell Evelyn might even help me. "No, no, it's alright," I said quickly. "I'll think of something."

We lapsed into silence and I struggled to think of something else to say to him to keep the conversation going and closer to getting me a spot with his band of Drifters.

"So, what exactly does she have to do in the Zoo?" I asked, hoping I was settling on a neutral topic.

Godrick's face remained unchanged, he glared at me, his ice cold blue eyes sizing me up. For a brief moment I didn't think I'd pass the test but he surprised me—and honestly I surprised myself—when he responded.

"Steve's place is on the other side of the zoo. This is just a quicker and safer short cut," he said with a shrug.

"Safer?" I echoed. "With the Beast running around?"

Godrick shrugged his shoulders. "She hasn't come across him yet," he said.

We lapsed into silence and I looked around at my surroundings. The place was silent, eerily so. There was never anything around this place. No survivors, no zombies, nothing, everything was afraid to cross into the Beast's territory, everyone knew not to go anywhere near this place.

"How long have you known Evelyn?" I asked him and that earned me another glare.

"A while," he replied illusively and then turned to look back out the windshield.

"Do you like being a Drifter? You know... good benefits or whatever?"

"Do you ever shut up?" Godrick snapped and I fell silent.

We sat there for a while longer before I couldn't hold it in anymore. "Well how long as she known Steve then? What exactly does he do for her? Other then take care of her sometimes of course."

Godrick turned to look at me, the unimpressed glare boring holes into me. "Okay, listen and listen good. Steve has been a part of Evelyn's life for forever. He doesn't just take care of her, he protects her to the point of obsession. Everyone's scared of Steve because he's a natural born killer, not even my bosses will mess with him. So you better be careful what you do to Evelyn, because if you hurt her or get rid of her for her house Steve won't stop until every single one of you are dead. And I'll be right there helping him."

He turned back to the windshield watching the empty street and I joined him trying very hard not to hyperventilate. Honestly it had been a discussion last night—when to get rid of Evelyn or how long it would take to gain her trust and trick her into giving us all her pass codes— and while I knew it was pretty obvious that we were just using her when Evelyn hadn't deduced it I didn't think anyone else would. Now I was a little worried about her visit to Steve, what if she sent him back to the house to evict my friends? Well maybe he'd accidentally kill Rebecca during the process that sure would solve my problem.

The door beside me swung open and I couldn't contain my yelp of surprise. Godrick scoffed while Evelyn just stared at me cooly. "Get out of my seat," she ordered.

I'd like to say that I just slid out of her seat and walked around like a normal person, but I was still too scared to get out of the car. So instead I clamoured into the back ignoring the confused stares of the two other people. Blushing furiously I watched Evelyn slide into the seat and then she turned a nod to Godrick.

"Take me to the van please."