with his chewing and realized how young he still was. Jared was just a kid and Danni was terrified. Could I really send them out on the road alone? I didn’t want to be responsible for the bad things that might happen to them, but could I really forsake my own plans to ensure that they arrived safely in South Dakota.
No, I couldn’t do it. I needed to see Kara and Lisa again. I didn’t care that they left me. I was going to be with my family again and that was all there was to it. I would make sure that Jared and Danni were prepared, but that was where my responsibility ended.
“Your mom needs a few more days to recover,” I said as I fished a peach-half out of the can and popped it into my mouth.
“I’m feeling better,” Danni said. “You don’t have to worry about us, Lucas. I know that you have your own family to worry about. You’ve done more than enough for Jared and me. Whenever you need to go, just let us know.”
“You’re still not coming with us?” Jared asked.
“I can’t,” I said.
“You mean you won’t,” Jared said. His face was pouty and only added to making him look his actual age.
“No, Jared,” Danni cut in. “Lucas can’t. He has to find his family. We have no right to try and stop him from doing that. You would do the same thing.”
“I guess so.” Jared stared into the amber depths of the canned fruit.
I opened my mouth to say something, what I wasn’t really sure, but I felt like I should say something to Jared. The rumble of an engine sounded outside. I could hear the muffled roar in the street. It was something big. It sounded like a diesel engine.
“Stay here,” I said and grabbed my mask and shotgun.
Creeping up the stairs, I edged around the side of the kitchen and towards the front of the house. I started towards the windows in the front of the house, but stopped myself. I didn’t know who was out there and the last thing I wanted was to let them know that we were in here.
Skipping steps, I made my way upstairs and into my old bedroom. I knelt down by one of the windows and peered around the curtain.
A large flatbed truck idled in the middle of the street. Husks stumbled around the sides of houses and limped into the streets. People began firing on the husks with an array of weapons. The shots were sloppy, hitting the husks in the chest and limbs, but they fired enough to eventually clear the streets. I counted fifteen people, all armed.
I wanted to believe that this was some sort of rescue effort. It wasn’t. Every one of the people outside my house covered their faces with the same masks that Rich and his men wore. They were looking for the missing part of their group.
Groups of twos and threes split off and began walking towards the houses on the other side of the street. They were searching the yards and homes. Soon, they would turn their attention on my house and find the Hummer in the backyard and then the bodies next door. I had seen enough.
I slipped out of my bedroom and made my way back to the basement. Jared and Danni could tell from the look on my face that the news wasn’t good.
“What is it?” Danni asked.
“It’s more of those guys, isn’t?” Jared added.
“Yes,” I said. “I counted fifteen of them. They’re all armed and it looks like they are searching for the men I killed. It won’t be long before they find the Hummer behind the house.”
“What are we going to do?” Danni asked.
“We’re going to stay down here until they leave,” I said.
“But what if they find out that we’re down here?” Jared protested. “The other guys did and I heard them threaten to burn the house down. These guys will do the same thing.”
I grunted. Jared was right. These guys were going to find the bodies and the Hummer and it wouldn’t be long before they found the bunker.
“Alright,” I said. “I’m going out there.”
“Then we’re coming with you,” Danni said. She moved towards the gun rack. Jared still had his
No, I couldn’t do it. I needed to see Kara and Lisa again. I didn’t care that they left me. I was going to be with my family again and that was all there was to it. I would make sure that Jared and Danni were prepared, but that was where my responsibility ended.
“Your mom needs a few more days to recover,” I said as I fished a peach-half out of the can and popped it into my mouth.
“I’m feeling better,” Danni said. “You don’t have to worry about us, Lucas. I know that you have your own family to worry about. You’ve done more than enough for Jared and me. Whenever you need to go, just let us know.”
“You’re still not coming with us?” Jared asked.
“I can’t,” I said.
“You mean you won’t,” Jared said. His face was pouty and only added to making him look his actual age.
“No, Jared,” Danni cut in. “Lucas can’t. He has to find his family. We have no right to try and stop him from doing that. You would do the same thing.”
“I guess so.” Jared stared into the amber depths of the canned fruit.
I opened my mouth to say something, what I wasn’t really sure, but I felt like I should say something to Jared. The rumble of an engine sounded outside. I could hear the muffled roar in the street. It was something big. It sounded like a diesel engine.
“Stay here,” I said and grabbed my mask and shotgun.
Creeping up the stairs, I edged around the side of the kitchen and towards the front of the house. I started towards the windows in the front of the house, but stopped myself. I didn’t know who was out there and the last thing I wanted was to let them know that we were in here.
Skipping steps, I made my way upstairs and into my old bedroom. I knelt down by one of the windows and peered around the curtain.
A large flatbed truck idled in the middle of the street. Husks stumbled around the sides of houses and limped into the streets. People began firing on the husks with an array of weapons. The shots were sloppy, hitting the husks in the chest and limbs, but they fired enough to eventually clear the streets. I counted fifteen people, all armed.
I wanted to believe that this was some sort of rescue effort. It wasn’t. Every one of the people outside my house covered their faces with the same masks that Rich and his men wore. They were looking for the missing part of their group.
Groups of twos and threes split off and began walking towards the houses on the other side of the street. They were searching the yards and homes. Soon, they would turn their attention on my house and find the Hummer in the backyard and then the bodies next door. I had seen enough.
I slipped out of my bedroom and made my way back to the basement. Jared and Danni could tell from the look on my face that the news wasn’t good.
“What is it?” Danni asked.
“It’s more of those guys, isn’t?” Jared added.
“Yes,” I said. “I counted fifteen of them. They’re all armed and it looks like they are searching for the men I killed. It won’t be long before they find the Hummer behind the house.”
“What are we going to do?” Danni asked.
“We’re going to stay down here until they leave,” I said.
“But what if they find out that we’re down here?” Jared protested. “The other guys did and I heard them threaten to burn the house down. These guys will do the same thing.”
I grunted. Jared was right. These guys were going to find the bodies and the Hummer and it wouldn’t be long before they found the bunker.
“Alright,” I said. “I’m going out there.”
“Then we’re coming with you,” Danni said. She moved towards the gun rack. Jared still had his
Similar Books
