Alyssa sat there in her chair and slowly took a sip of the whiskey that Max had poured for her only moments ago. This was a question that she was going to have to walk like a high wire, hoping not to fall into the abyss of her own lies. It was a fine line to begin with, not only trying to protect her secrets but also those she agreed to keep for Frank and the werewolves. She was pretty sure that towns would be less likely to trade with the city if they realized they were all monsters as well. She took a deep breath and thought long and hard about what she was going to tell the mayor.
"Well," Max called out, sensing her hesitation. "Who is this person?"
"He's a close friend," Alyssa finally said "Gabriel saved my life. He's the only reason I'm still here and gathering supplies for you."
"So that week we thought you were dead?" Max asked.
"I was at his place," she told him, "He saved me from the undead that had attacked our group, and then took me to his home where I recovered from my injuries. I had hit my head and blacked out."
"So this Gabriel is still helping you?" Max asked, "Is this the reason why you wanted to work alone?"
"Yes," Alyssa confirmed for him, "But what do you care? He doesn't live here and he helps us get stuff we wouldn't have without his help."
"I hate to sound so cynical," Max continued, "but what's in it for him?"
"He gets my gratitude." Alyssa answered.
"That's it?" Max scoffed back, "What makes that worth the risk?"
"I think he's got a thing for me." Alyssa lied, "He enjoys my company and to be honest, I've been enjoying his."
"Oh, I see." Max said, as the idea never dawned on him. He was well aware of what men were capable of when they liked someone, so why would that be any different in the zombie apocalypse?
"He's the best scavenger I've ever seen." Alyssa said, spinning more lies. "He even does some work for the cities out there and has made a lot of money. We used some of that money to buy your supplies in St. Louis. That's where I bumped into Frank and his son and why they remember me."
"So those few days after you took my list," Max said, trying to piece things together, "You were with this guy in St. Louis?"
"Yes," Alyssa confirmed, "We were in St. Louis most of that time. It's a nice place, and they had most of what was on your list."
"I have to be honest as well," Max started, "I was worried that you had stolen those supplies from someone. I actually feel better knowing that they were obtained legally and won't cause any conflict for our town."
Alyssa sat there, thinking about all the things that Max had no clue about. Then again, if she even tried to explain to the mayor that the people he just struck a deal with were supernatural creatures that turned into wolves once a month, would he even believe her? She had no idea, so for the time being it was best that she kept those details to herself until absolutely necessary. If she didn't have to explain the existence of werewolves to the mayor, she could also avoid having a conversation about vampires as well. That was a talk she didn't want to have with anyone, not anytime soon.
"I have this feeling you're not telling me everything," Max accurately assessed.
"You're right, I'm not." Alyssa said, putting her empty glass down. "Right now this is all I can tell you. There is a lot you really don't want to know about. I'd recommend living in blissful ignorance as long as you can, because once you know what I know you can't go back to not knowing it."
"It's that fucked up out there?" Max asked.
"Trust me," Alyssa replied, "You don't want to know how fucked up things really are out there."
"And this is why I don't want to know how the sausage is made?" Max continued, catching her drift.
"Precisely." She confirmed.
"Well damn," Max said, polishing off his one glass. "Want another?"
"No thanks," Alyssa said, standing up. "I've got to go get Diane from school. My friend and I will be meeting again."
"How soon are we talking here?" Max inquired.
"Later tonight," Alyssa answered, "He drops in to check up on me. Like I said, he's got a real crushing. He likes to make sure I'm doing alright."
"I don't have a list," Max said, reaching over to a drawer in his desk, "But if these cities are as functional as you say they are, see if there's any way you can get this refilled for me."
Without warning, Max tossed a small pill bottle one would get from a drug store. The words were faded but she could still read what was on it.
"What is this exactly?" Alyssa asked.
"Heart medication," Max replied.
"You're having heart issues?" Alyssa asked, as she was more surprised than concerned.
"Not for me," Max corrected her, "We have some older residents that would benefit from having this drug back in circulation. I would especially love to get some for Bertha who works in our gardens. She's got the best green thumb in the town, and we could use more of her around here. This might help with that."
"I'll see what I can do," Alyssa said, clutching the pill bottle. "I can't make any promises, but I'll ask Gabriel when he drops in."
"Is he taking you back to St. Louis?" he asked her.
"I'm not sure," Alyssa confessed, "I usually just follow his lead."
"Are there more cities out there?" Max inquired, as his curiosity was getting the best of him at this point.
"Yes there are," Alyssa replied, "Show a little trust, and I'll see what I can do about letting you see his map."
"I do trust you," Max told her, "Frank said you were loyal, was he right?"
"I'm loyal to my home," Alyssa corrected him, "I always will be."
"Thanks for putting up with my nosiness." Max said, "Tell Diane I said hello."
"I will, thank you." Alyssa said before she saw herself out of that office and far away from that very awkward conversation.
As Alyssa was walking to meet Diane outside her school, she couldn't help but reflect on what had just happened. She had to tell Max a little bit about Gabriel but managed to spin a good yarn that was enough to satisfy his curiosity. She would have to inform Gabriel about it at a later time to make sure he stuck to the story if necessary. She was also sure he was going to have a good laugh about it, especially about the part where she bumped into the wolves who were trading with their town. Yet he would go along with it, especially if it kept the town and the wolves from interfering with their deal. He needed her blood enough to make any deception work, that was one she that Alyssa would never doubt. She was also sure that if she asked him to, Gabriel would relocate herself and Diane anywhere they wanted to go if living town was no longer a viable option. Gabriel has already asked her if she wanted to stay in Nashville with him, so she was sure the offer would stand if it meant securing his supply of fresh product. But when Diane came out from her school, Alyssa greeted her sister with a warm smile, but needed to keep her in the loop. She told her about the incident with the people from St. Louis, but managed to avoid the crucial details like what kind of creature they really were. She also has to bring something up with Diane.
"I had to tell the mayor about Gabriel," Alyssa told her, "But I managed to do it without bringing up the blood. That part he knows nothing about. We have to keep hat between us, okay?"
"I promise," Diane said, holding her sister's hand. "They won't hear it from me."
It was pretty quiet walking back to the building where their apartment was. Supper was simple but enough to fill them up. When it was time for bed, Diane didn't put up a fuss and cleaned up before hopping into her bed. She looked up at Alyssa as she tucked her in.
"Is he coming over tonight?" Diane asked.
"He is," Alyssa said, as she kept tucking her in. "Are you okay with that?"
"I am," Diane said, smiling. "He's been helping us and I appreciate it. "Does Gabriel need my blood too? I'd be willing to help if he needs it."
"That's nice of you to offer," Alyssa said, touched by her sincerity. "But Gabriel has a specific blood type, and yours probably doesn't match him. But I am sure he will be pleased to hear you offered."
"Good night," Diane said, "Tell him I said hello..."
"Will do little one," Alyssa said, kissing her sister's brow. "Sleep tight."
Once Diane was asleep, Alyssa went to the roof and patiently sat in a folding chair she had brought up with her. It didn't take very long before Gabriel swooped in out of the darkness and came to a skidding halt on the asphalt of the roof. As he came to a stop, he looked down at Alyssa in her chair.
"I didn't keep you waiting, did I?" he asked.
"No, I was just relaxing." Alyssa replied, "Enjoying the scenery and the silence."
"That's good," Gabriel said, looking around from the roof. "The town does seem rather quiet."
"We have a curfew." Alyssa informed him, "We keep quiet so we don't attract too many undead to our walls."
"That makes sense," Gabriel said, as he continued to look around. "Did your mayor give you a list?"
"No, he didn't." Alyssa replied, standing up. She walked over and handed him the empty pill bottle. "He'd like us to try to find this."
"I see," Gabriel said, reading it. "Someone here needs this medication to regulate blood pressure."
"How do you know that?" Alyssa asked.
"I went to med school," Gabriel answered, "You'd be surprised how many schools I attended to pass the time."
"Alright," Alyssa said, somewhat surprised by the revelation. "Where can we go to get a good supply of this stuff?"
"We can get it from one of the human cities," Gabriel replied, "I know someone who owes me a few favors. I can make this work. This is all we need?"
"Well it's all I was asked for," Alyssa said, "We can do a little shopping and grab the reminder from the previous list if you want."
"Fair enough," Gabriel said.
"Do you need to feed?" she asked.
"I will for this trip," he replied, "It's a bit further than the last city we visited."
"Alright, I'll be right back." Alyssa said as she left the roof to head back to her apartment to grab a fresh bag for him.
As Gabriel stood there waiting for her, he looked over the roof again and saw someone standing in front of Alyssa's small building. The man was standing there, looking at him. Gabriel could tell by the man's posture that he was a man of authority, which led him to conclude it was that mayor she had been talking about.
"Good evening, Mr. Mayor." He called down from the roof.
"Evening," he called back up. "Gabriel I assume?"
"Yes Sir," he replied, "Pleasure to meet you."
"I hate to sound ungrateful," the mayor called back up, "but I need to know: how did you managed to get by the walls?"
"That's easy," Gabriel called down, "I can fly."
"Seriously," Max replied, not in the mood for jokes. "I need to know if there are any structural weaknesses that have to be addressed."
"You're good," Gabriel replied, "As a matter of fact, it's one of the better walls I've seen outside the big cities. You should be quite proud."
"Thank you," The mayor responded, "Glad to hear that."
Gabriel held up the empty pill bottle, and waved it slightly. "We've got this covered. I know someone who will get you a few months worth. It will take a few days, so get someone nice to watch her sister for us."
"Done," Max said, giving a deep sigh. "Much appreciated."
"Take care," Gabriel replied, watching as the mayor walked away from the building and back from whence he came. Moments later Alyssa came to the roof with the fresh bag of blood for him.
"Who was that?" she asked him.
"Your mayor," Gabriel said, graciously accepting the bag from her with a smile. "He was checking up on us. Forget to update me about something?"