On a base level, Lydia could understand how hotel security would see it as there job to keep people safe, but the ones who took advantage of their position, considering themselves ‘better’ than people like Lydia, who was more qualified, and Brandon, who had more training, and all such other people who were higher up than hotel security, made more sense to have more influence over what needed to be done.
Reminded of the knot on the back of her head, where one of the guards had hit her the day before, Lydia had no regrets about getting revenge. “Easy enough to make a tumble over the side of a roof look like an accident.” Was she really considering it? Maybe. For one guard in particular, definitely. “Or a supply trip gone wrong.”
Shaking her head, she said, “Mm, neither do I. Seems like they get the least breaks out of all of us. Someone always needs something looked at.” She’d heard a rumor about a guy in the Air Force volunteering for medic duty. It made Lydia wonder if she knew him or if he had a familiarity with a guy she knew back home. Little reminders of the life they couldn’t yet get back to.
Did anyone on security match that description. Squinting, she went through the faces that popped into her head, trying to match it with a name. “Heard the name a couple times, but don’t know if I’ve seen the face.” Doubt remained as to whether the man would actually be of any help.
“I get it, too. Your side. If I’d had say in the matter, my family wouldn’t be here.” As long as she didn’t have to make her own way surviving in the wilderness, she was confident it wouldn’t be that hard to keep her ass out of trouble. “So I guess we’ve both got it good and bad.”
Lydia actually chuckled at the answer. “You’re right; I never would’ve guessed that.” Which earned Bea more insta-respect points than if she’d been a model. “At least you’re not the type who still thinks it’s important to paint your face up every day. As long as it’s not zombie-shade, nobody fucking cares how you look.”
With a weak smile, she said, “If we do any other traveling for a while after this, that’d probably be as far as any of us’ll go. Unless we hear news that Mickey’s gone undead.”
It had been mentioned that Brandon had already met the woman, so the vague familiarity didn’t catch her off guard. Neither did Bea’s comment. Lydia rolled her eyes, weighing her response. “My brother’s a very opinionated man. Like all of us are, really. He just so happens to be surrounded by a bunch of sisters and nieces and a daughter, so he feels like he needs to be the man of the house. Bit misogynistic, if you ask me. Doesn’t seem to realize, or really care, that his sisters are capable and can take care of themselves. We’re happy he’s with us, don’t get me wrong. He’s got training and skills that none of the rest of us have, but he’s not this family’s sole protector.”