Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 67694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 338(@200wpm)___ 271(@250wpm)___ 226(@300wpm)
“It’s been claimed,” I repeat in a dubious tone.
“That’s right. He’s claimed all of the resources in this area. You’d need to talk to him before we could allow you to take anything,” he says. “I’m sure you understand.”
“You’d be wrong about that.”
This is the moment when everything goes to hell. I take another step back and my foot hits the curb behind us. My balance gets shot to shit and I’m falling.
The creep reaches out and grabs hold of me, keeping me on my feet. But of course he doesn’t let me go. Instead, his hold on my arm tightens and he drags me closer for use as a human shield. Then he draws one of his pistols and points it at my head at point-blank range.
“Get your hands off her.” Naomi reaches for her gun and aims it at him.
So much mutually assured destruction. Given what they want and how they think, I am not sure this was ever going to go any other way.
“You’re not going to shoot me,” says the creep in a condescending tone. “Doubt you could even hit me without hurting your friend. Come for a drive south with us, ladies. You’re going to love your new home, I promise.”
No is obviously not an acceptable answer for him. There’s no way this is going to end well. Given that he doesn’t want to give us an option about joining their community, I can just imagine what our life there would be like. No rights. No say in what happens to us.
When the firearm lessons first started, I wasn’t sure if I could shoot someone. But I am not so worried about it anymore.
“Don’t make me have to shoot you. That’s what happened to those two over there.” The creep nods to a couple of the bodies in the parking lot. “They tried to steal from Porter too. I warned them, but they just wouldn’t listen. Neither of you have to die here today.”
Guess we shouldn’t have assumed they died of the virus. Seeing they’d been shot might have made us more cautious, at least. But if there’s one thing I hate, it’s a bully.
“I know you’re not pointing that gun at my wife,” says a deep, familiar voice from behind Naomi. Dean steps out into the sunlight with a gun in each hand. One pointed at the creep and the other at the man standing by the car. “Let her go. Now.”
Charlie walks out next, with his weapon moving between the two assholes. Like he can’t quite decide who to shoot first.
Creep couldn’t be any angrier. Two bright red spots stain his cheeks as his diabolical plan comes undone.
“You’re outnumbered,” says Dean in a calm voice. “Just in case you can’t count.”
“We’re leaving,” says the second man.
“What?” hisses Creep. “But Porter said—”
“Get in the car, Cody,” says the guy with the shotgun.
Creep does as told, backing up toward their vehicle, keeping me as a shield between him and danger. When he gets close enough to the car, he dives in the passenger side, shoving me to the ground in the process. The muscle car tears out of the parking lot a moment later and it’s over.
They’re gone, thank goodness. And I was neither shot nor run over, which seems like a damn miracle.
Dean fires a few shots at the retreating vehicle, shattering the rear window. But I don’t think he hit anyone. They don’t slow down or stop, at any rate.
My heart is pounding inside my chest. But still. “Wife?”
“We can talk about it later,” says Dean. “Are you hurt anywhere?”
“No.”
His hands brush over me, checking just the same.
“I’m okay. Really.”
His frown is the mightiest I’ve ever seen. “Let’s get the last load and get out of here.”
“They wanted to know where we were from.”
“He kept asking,” adds Naomi. “Was insistent about it. How many people we had and things like that. Of course we gave them nothing.”
Dean pauses. “We need to make sure we’re not followed.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
WEDNESDAY
Our route home takes us on just about every back road in the state. We stop regularly to check for any signs of a tail. I don’t breathe easy until we’re back with Sophie. There’s no firepit tonight and all of the curtains are drawn to hide the light. The vibe is officially off.
Everyone over eighteen gathers in our living room while the girls hang out in Sophie’s bedroom. They know we’re being extra careful now due to outsiders. It’s obvious, what with most everyone carrying a weapon. But there’s no need to scare the crap out of them by letting them hear this conversation.
“He wanted to take us south,” says Naomi.
“Dean heard about a group forming in that direction on the radio,” I add. “It could be them.”
He is, of course, standing over by the window so he can watch the street through a crack in the curtain again. The man loves to multitask. And he gives the forgotten bowl of food in my lap a meaningful look before speaking. “There’s not much I can add. But that Cody guy was pissed when he couldn’t take you two. He’s not going to give up easy. We have to assume they’re looking for us.”