Crashing Down - A Post-Apocalyptic Novel (The Ravaged Land Series Book 3) by Kellee L. Greene

looked me up and down as if examining me to make sure I was in the same condition he had left me in. The men jumped into the back and tapped on the roof. That was how they signaled Dominick that they were ready. And with that we were off again.
    We made a few more barely successful stops. It was almost not even worth it for the size of the camp. The guys came out to the truck with less and less each time. They seemed nervous and maybe a little worried too. Maybe Dominick would blame the small hauls on them not doing their job rather than the fact that supplies were just diminishing.
    I could tell almost instantly when Dominick entered a different part of the town that he either didn’t know it well, or he didn’t know it at all. He sat up taller and I could see the change on his face. He pressed his lips together to form a tight line and his eyes lit up like he had just drank six cups of coffee. He barely even bothered to blink.
    Dominick parked in front of an old restaurant and tapped aggressively on the back window. The two men jumped down and came up to his window.
    “Yes boss?” one of them asked.
    “Be ready, been a while since I brought anyone around here,” Dominick said, and then waved them away. After I had heard that, I didn’t want Dean to go with, but they waited for him. They seemed anxious to get going. Dominick turned towards him, “Well? Off you go.”
    Dean paused for a second but then left the truck. I watched him walk away and after two steps, I knew he had an uneasy feeling. He pulled out his gun keeping it down by his thigh.
    “I hope you know what you are doing,” I mumbled under my breath as if it was my warning to him. If he screwed up and Dean got hurt I’d make him pay. I’d probably end up dead but I would take Dominick with me.
    But he just chuckled and stared out the window. I could sense his usual confidence wasn’t there. Before I could warn him that I’d kill him myself if anything happened to Dean, I spotted the two men off in the distance. And they appeared to notice us at the exact same time.
    “Oh shit,” Dominick said as he gripped his gun but kept it off to the side so the men outside couldn’t see it. He glanced to see if his men were coming out of the building. But of course they obviously wouldn’t be since they had only just gone inside a few minutes ago. I couldn’t tell for certain but I didn’t think the men were armed. Of course they could have had their weapons concealed, but they weren’t carrying anything openly as they approached us. Dominick shot a glance at his gun, “Follow my lead.”
    “What?” I asked, trying to control my breathing so I didn’t have a panic attack.
    He got out of the car and left the door open behind him. I scooted out after him with my gun in hand. Dominick didn’t bother to hide the fact that he had a gun. In fact, it almost seemed as if he was showing it off. So I did the same.
    “Stop right there,” Dominick ordered, but the men didn’t stop their advance. “I said stop.”
    “OK, OK!” one of them said holding up his hands, but the other kept his down near his pockets. I couldn’t get a read on either of them. But I was nervous nonetheless.
    “Who are you?” Dominick asked not beating around the bush. He probably just assumed they were HOME. But maybe he didn’t feel very confident two-on-two with me on his team. I wouldn’t have either so I couldn’t blame him. Dominick turned his head to the side and spat on the ground like it was the wild west.
    “I’m Jake and this here is Shawn,” the taller and older looking of the two said. Also spitting off to the side. I wondered if it was some kind of code or if they were both just trying to look tough.
    “But who are you?” Dominick said as if he half expected them to confess to being from HOME. But if they were from HOME it most certainly wouldn’t be the first thing they’d tell us.
    “Just two men trying to survive in what’s left… just like the two of