13 Melancholy Hill

The smell of food smacked against their faces as they entered through the doors of the restaurant they'd picked. Dana and Rebecca both felt their mouths water and Desmond was rubbing his belly while clicking his tongue. They all looked around the little place while picking a seat close to the window. It was small, but very neat and Rebecca wondered how it wasn't stocked with people every day of the week. The smell emitting from the kitchen was marvelous, and she could picture the dishes of steak, veggies and potato when she closed her eyes. She had a feeling this was going to be awesome.

Barely a minute after they had taken their seats, a lady in her eighties emerged from the kitchen with an apron strapped around her waist and a small notebook in her hand. She trodded over to their table and flashed them a smile that could make any heart melt. Though she had a teeth missing here and there, the kindness in her smile was undeniable. Rebecca immediately took a liking to her.

"Good morning to you dears, what can I get you all? Anything that's on your mind, we can put onto a plate" she announced, getting excited looks from three out of five visitors and a cocked eyebrow from the fourth. Lucy was quick to order a chicken salad, Desmond picked a burger with extra cheese, fish n chips for Shaun, a club sandwich for Dana and of course, a steak with wedge potatoes and extra creamy sauce for Rebecca.

The lady scribbled down their orders and promised to have them done in forty minutes. Shaun and Lucy seemed to doubt this, judging by their expressions, but the lady was confident. She trodded back into the kitchen and they could soon hear the quiet frizzle of food in a frying pan.

"So, what do you think?" Desmond asked when they'd been silent for a minute. He looked at them all expectantly and Rebecca saw the glimmer in those chocolate brown eyes. "Will she have it done in forty, or do you bet it'll be thirty?"

Shaun snorted. "More like fifty if she's doing all the work by herself"

"Oh c'mon Shaun, lighten up a little" Rebecca pushed, nudging his leg with her foot under the table. "You don't think a girl with forty years more experience than you can't make a swift job?"

"I don't think anyone can make five dishes in less than an hour"

"Now you're being negative, but I know that's just you, Shaun, so I'll let it slide" Rebecca said with her arms crossed over her chest. With a quick glance at Dana, she added; "This time"

Before Shaun could come up with one of his comebacks, the door leading to the kitchen opened and a man around the same age as the lady that took their orders stepped out. He walked up to their table an cleared his throat. In his hand was a notebook similar to the lady's. "I believe you forgot to order any drinks" he said with a smile and looked at each of them in order.

"Water, please"

"A big glass of coke would be so awesome right now"

"Same for me"

"Me too"

"I don't suppose I can get a cup of coffee right at this moment?"

The man looked at Shaun for about a second. He seemed confused at first, then nodded. "Right this way, sir" he said, pointing with his hand toward the counter. The Brit shot Rebecca a look that told her he was impressed before getting up from his seat and following to get his long awaited coffee. Rebecca assumed he was also ordering a drink to have with the food, since it took a moment for him to get back to the table.

"Got any peek into the kitchen to see how she was doing?" she joked and raised her eyebrows. He snorted, but didn't respond, which she took as a win for this time. He sipped his coffee as Dana and Rebecca got into a talk about the thrill of coding and Desmond silently watched. Lucy and Shaun eventually got into a discussion about what secret hideout they thought were the best so far, Desmond sometimes chiming in with his own opinion about the place.

- - - - - LINE BREAK - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

As promised, forty minutes later the lady emerged with the first two dishes in their order. A burger with extra cheese and a big glass of coke for Desmond, and a chicken salad with a glass of water for Lucy. The old man came out soon after with Dana's and Rebecca's food, and lastly Shaun got his fish and chips with a club soda served by the lady. They both wished them a good meal before leaving for the kitchen again.

They all ate while giving off little noises to compliment the food then and now. Dana and Rebecca even fed each other a few pieces of their own meal, giggling while swallowing down what they'd been given. Rebecca noticed Desmond looking at her with wide eyes as she chewed a piece of sandwich, almost spitting it all out as she fell into a fit of giggles. Dana offered her a sip of coke, which she gladly accepted. The giggles turned to laughter when her mouth was free again, and though the other ravenhead wasn't sure what she was laughing about, she gladly chimed in. Shaun just slowly shook his head at them.

"Who snores the loudest?" Dana suddenly whispered, putting Becca aloof once more. They leaned in close to each other so their foreheads almost connected. "Shaun or Desmond?"

"Shaun, totally. Desmond sleeps like a baby". A fit of giggles once more and Rebecca could feel three pair of eyes judging her silently. If it was because she was having a fit with Dana, she'd just tell them to shut up. The girl was trustworthy, not to mention super nice. If it was because she was having fun at all, she would ignore them. They might be four assassins on the run and one wanted hacker girl, but that was all the more reason to let loose whenever they were able to. How would they ever survive if they were constantly on their toes and always looking over their shoulders? Rebecca knew life was better than that. Life was short, and they had to treasure it.

"How are your meals? Did everything sit well?" the old lady asked as she came up to their table. Everyone agreed in delight. Even Shaun was impressed by her skill. Rebecca discreetly winked at him, getting a roll of his eyes for a response. Dana cleared her throat after swallowing what she'd previously been chewing.

"You don't happen to have any dessert for later, do you?". The old lady shone up at this.

"Well of course dear. What might be on your mind?"

Dana thought about it for a bit. "Brownies?"

The lady nodded. "Of course. Can I get you anything else?" she asked and gestured in their general direction with her hand.

"I'll have one too please" Rebecca said. She looked at Lucy, Shaun and Desmond in turn, then furrowed her eyebrows. Did he look a little pale? He wasn't his usual self, that's for sure.

"Do you have some painkillers? I'm having a bit of a headache". Rebecca was almost certain that at least a part of that sentence was a lie. Desmond still wasn't well, and the walk here hadn't exactly been easy. The area around here was calm compared to other parts of the city, but they still had to be careful. Militia were patrolling a few of the streets, and a lonely infected occasionally limped past. They were dealt with swiftly enough, but that didn't mean it didn't cause chaos. The people were scared of what was happening, and honestly, so was Rebecca.

"Here you are dear" the lady said while putting a small container and a glass of water in front of him. He didn't hesitate for longer than a second before swallowing down two pills and emptying the glass. Desmond thanked her with a tired smile and she patted his shoulder gently. The old man came out of the kitchen just then and decided to join them.

"We don't get a lot of customers these days" he muttered and sat down on a chair across of them. Rebecca could see why. All the people was probably hiding out in their homes or moving to what would be considered as the safer parts of the island. "Where are you all from? I doubt that the handsome blonde with the British accent was born and raised in Manhattan, was he?"

Everyone around the table seemingly froze for a moment. During their still sleepdazed morning, none of them had thought about the fact that they were more or less fugitives. To have went to a restaurant like this without doing proper research first was foolish, if anything. How would they know if there weren't any secret microphones installed in the walls? Could they be sure that there wouldn't come an army of black-whatever-they-are and put bags over their heads? They couldn't, and without information, they were now in the dark. Rebecca had to fight a gulp.

"I was born in a small village in South Dakota. I got tired of my father's teachings and ran away from home when I was sixteen. After a bit of travels I ended up here in New York. I also met all of these guys on the way"

Well, that certainly wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either. To think that Desmond would be the one to make up such a half-truth to get them out of a complicated situation. Shaun yet again almost looked impressed. Clearly, he hadn't thought high enough of Desmond to believe in him. Dana was the next person to break the silence.

"I was born to a drunken mother, and my father left us before I was born" she said, drumming with her nails on her half-empty glass. Rebecca felt sorry for her friend. She'd told her some details about her upbringing, and it had clearly left a trace. Rebecca had had a family when she was young, Dana hadn't. She didn't know of the joys when your mother brought home presents or when there was said to be a surprise if she ate all of her vegetables.

"We all have our story" she said out loud, gently rubbing Dana over the back. The old couple seemed to be taken by what they just heard, the lady having a hand over her heart.

"Dear child" she mumbled. "And you didn't have any siblings to take care of you?"

Dana shone up and smiled at the couple. "Alex took care of me" she said, almost proudly. Rebecca could see now that she truly cared for her brother. It was understandable that after taking care of each other for their entire lives, they'd be close. She'd be worried about her brother too if she had one. Dana continued; "He's in the city, but he hasn't been home for a while. Have you seen him? He usually wears a leather jacket with tribal markings on the back and two white bands around the upper arms. He also has a hoodie, gray jeans and always had his hood up for some reason. His eyes are blue like mine also"

The old man scratched his beard in thought while the lady pushed up her glasses on her nose. He eventually blinked as something came to his mind. "Hmm, yea, I might've seen him. Tall, scrawny lad, is he?"

Dana nodded. "He is pretty slender, now that I think about it" she admitted while scratching her neck. Rebecca had to agree. When she thought back about him, she remembered his slim form and those frosty eyes. He was most certainly not fat, that's for sure. The image of an Alex with a bubblebelly passed through her head, and she had to bite her lip not to fall into another fit of laughter.

"Yea, we saw him here just yesterday" the lady agreed and pointed out the window. The man gave an assenting grunt and gestured toward the outside as well. Dana lit up at this and threw a look Rebecca's way.

"He was limping around here together with some other kids. Just on the other side of the street. If he's trying to get the top role in that zambi' movie they all seem to be joining, he's got it, I tell ya. He's got a talent, that's for sure"

The restaurant fell silent. Rebecca didn't even know what to say. She didn't know how to feel. Her brain still processed what the old man had said when Dana got up from her chair and left for the door, claiming she needed some fresh air. Wait a minute, Alex was-..? No, no, no, no - no way! To think that Alex-... He couldn't be. No!

Rebecca was suddenly in a great need to follow Dana. She got up from her chair and rounded the table to exit the building. The old couple was utterly confused while the three assassins remaining at the table looked between each other. Rebecca ignored them, intent on catching up with her black-haired friend.

She found her just outside the doors, pacing back and forth with her arms wrapped around herself. She still didn't know what to say, but a terrible wrench in her stomach made a tight ball form in her throat. She could only imagine what Dana must've felt. The only true family she'd ever had, ripped from her.

"Dana..." Rebecca said softly, getting her attention. She didn't say anything more, but didn't need to. The ravenhead stopped her pacing and looked at her. Her lower lip quivered slightly.

"He's gone..." she croaked. "He's gone and it's my fault"

Rebecca knew there was nothing she could either say or do that would make Dana feel any better. All she could do was to accept the hug she was pulled into and let her friend let out her grief. She wanted to cry as well, but found herself unable. The ball remained in her throat, making it impossible to talk, but no tears came. It was Dana's place to cry, and rightly so. She'd just found out in the most terrible way that her brother had died. Or ... worse.

She looked up to see dark clouds covering the sky, threatening to pour their heavy contents upon them. While a shower could possibly be good for the both of them, she didn't exactly feel like getting soaked right now. "We should go back... Back to the hideout" she suggested. Dana just nodded for a response.