Glory (Book 5) by Michael McManamon Page A

Without searching?
    From the look on all of their faces, he realized that her husband's death had affected all of them. None of them had wanted to look for supplies.
    "Okay," he said, "But you think it's safe?"
    Marianne answered the question for Alice. "I don't think any place is safe. Only it's better than nothing."
    "You're right." Adam took a moment to formulate a plan. "I'll go there after I look for Jane. Just tell me where it is."
    "No," Marianne said.
    Adam couldn’t hide his surprise. "You won't tell me where it is?"
    "No, it's not that. What I mean is that you won't go there after you look for Jane. I'll go now."
    "You?"
    "And me," Claire added.
    "Me too," Julie said.
    Shelly glanced around at everyone before turning back to Adam. "I'm going to go with them as well," she said.
    "Like hell you are!" Adam replied. He hadn't meant to sound so forceful, but the idea of her out there without him bothered him. More accurately , it scared the hell out of hi m . He wanted to keep her safe. And if he wasn't around to protect her, he had to make sure that she was in the best place possible. "You're staying here!"
    "Why?" Shelly asked. She sounded angry. Somewhat like a child.
    Adam had to tell himsel f she somewhat still wa s .
    "Because you need to help Alice and me with the children," Charles answered for him. "We won't be able to do it on our own."
    Shelly looked at the old man. The disappointment was clear on her face. She looked about ready to stomp her foot on the floor. Her hands had balled into fists. But when Robert moved beside her and grabbed at one of those fists, her anger started to dissolve.
    "You can push us on the swings," Robert said. "I promised Emily that you would."
    "You did?"
    Robert nodded. Emily smiled.
    Shelly smiled back. "Okay," she said. "I'll stay and take you to the playground."
    Now that that had been decided, everyone turned back to Adam. He wasn't sure what to say. He was glad that Shelly wasn't going to be out searching for food, but he wasn't all too happy that Claire would be. His eyes caught hold of hers.
    "I don't want you to go, either," he said.
    "Why not?" Claire asked.
    "Because it's not safe."
    "Like Marianne said, nowhere is safe."
    "What if you get hurt?"
    "And what i f yo u do?"
    "I…" Adam couldn't respond without sounding like a brute. He couldn't force Claire to stay at the school. And he knew that she was capable of taking care of herself. Marianne and Julie were too. His gaze shifted to Scooter. "Why don’t you go with them?" he asked.
    "Because I was thinking that I could come with you," Scooter replied.
    "With me?"
    "Yeah, it'll give us some time to get to know each other. You shouldn't be out there on your own, anyway."
    Adam thought about it. He didn't actually mind Scooter coming with him. It would be nice to talk to him, find out more about the newcomers. But that was one less person to take care of Claire.
    Claire could see what he was thinking. "We'll be fine," she said. "We'll make sure that we're careful."
    Adam knew that he wasn't going to win. "You'll take one of the guns," he said. It seemed like a simple enough request.
    "We'll take one each."
    Adam couldn't help but chuckle at that. Claire was definitely a force to be reckoned with.
    "Good," he said. "One each. And what about you?" He had turned back to Scooter.
    "I'm fine with this," the young man said, patting his axe.
    "Then that's what we'll do today: you three look for food, and Scooter and I will search for Jane."
    "And Shelly will push Emily and me on the swings," Robert added.
    Adam chuckled again. "Yes, Shelly will push you on the swings."

Chapter 3
    After breakfast, Adam walked to the back of the school with Scooter. They stopped at the top of the ditch and looked down at the dead bodies there.
    "What happened?" Scooter asked.
    "They were in the school."
    "All of them?"
    "Yeah."
    "It's weird to see them piled up down there."
    "It is," Adam agreed . Like garbage.
    "Most of them are children.”
    "I