Free Resurrection (Apocalypse Chronicles Part II) by Laury Falter

the only fresh material I hadn’t covered and this was because we created our own. We practiced until we could hold nearly an entire conversation in silence. By the end of the week, we could enter, clear, and leave the house without making a sound.
    The beauty behind Harrison’s approach was that it provided a foundation for them on how to avoid a dangerous situation before teaching them what to do once in it. He amazed me every step of the way, having planned each lesson down to the finest detail.
    I caught myself staring at him, wondering why we couldn’t have met sooner, why we hadn’t fought through our shyness to casually walk up to the other and say “hello” before any of this started. If we had, we might have some memories that didn’t revolve around survival, nice ones filled with bowling, movies, quiet strolls…and less worries about being bitten and consumed. He felt the same way. I saw it in his face when I climbed through my bedroom window to sit with him on the roof each night. Even though there was hesitancy in him that never seemed to leave, confirming he still didn’t believe he was any good for me, there was also something else. A widening of his eyes, a lift at the corner of his lips, the way he hurried to make room for me next to him, the holding of his breath as I took a seat. I waited for him to kiss me, but he never did and, as much as I didn’t want to, I understood why. I was already a distraction sitting on the roof; a kiss would leave our team far more vulnerable if his senses were entirely focused on me. No, he took his job far too seriously to let his guard down. He considered it though, several times when his eyes fell to my lips and his breath caught in his throat. These were the times I waited, hoping, but inevitably he would raise his head to the sky, close his eyes in pain, and exhale. It mattered to me, but it didn’t lessen the time we spent on that roof. That time was beautiful.
    After several days of living at the Nielsens, he was ready to teach combat techniques and our temptations on the roof were taken to an entirely new level.
    “Kennedy?” he called out from the front yard.
    I was sitting with the others on the front steps, trying to ignore the way his muscles moved in the sunlight.
    “How about a little sparring?” he offered.
    I thought he was joking. “Really?”
    “Don’t worry, I’ll go easy on you.”
    I was immediately insulted, and it was exactly what he’d wanted. “No need to go easy on me, unless you want me to nod off during your demonstration…”
    Teasing howls came from the group but Harrison stood firm, fighting back a grin as I marched to him. His eyes bore into me for a few seconds, stirring me, and then he turned to the group.
    “What we’re about to show you is called hand-to-hand combat. It is effective in evading your attacker in close quarters. You will rehearse these moves daily. When, not if, but when the time comes to use them, your muscles will remember these techniques, making your response time more rapid, potentially saving your life.”
    His attention returned to me. “Are you ready?”
    “Will the Infected be asking me that same question?”
    He nodded thoughtfully. “Good point.”
    No sooner had he finished speaking did his body lunge forward. I had stopped a foot away, giving him an advantage with the narrow distance, but I was ready for him and shifted my weight to the outside as my forearms came up to push him aside. He trudged to a stop and spun around.
    “You’re quick.”
    I didn’t bother holding back my smirk. “You’re surprised?”
    He chuckled, leaned in, and charged me again. This time I met him head on using varying disciplines’ techniques in defense, and found myself on the ground with Harrison hovering over me.
    “You know Hapkido,” he mused, his breath brushing along my cheeks.
    I had to fight myself not to raise my lips to him. As diversion, I asked, “But the real question is, how do you know it?