Read Online Beyond Death (Book 2): Apocalypse by Silas Cooper - Free Book Online

motley crew. Each looked a bit worse for the wear. Maybe not as bad as the scenery, but a close second.
    “I’m worried he won’t come,” Jayda seemed she’d just spoken her thought out loud.
    “He’ll come,” Chase sighed, not even believing himself.
    He looked down to where Lucas and Sherri held hands. They all had no other hope but to wait for this man named Frank to meet them here. Food, ammo, gas, it all remained in short supply at this moment. The store behind him didn’t even look worth the risk to rummage through.
    “So, when you spoke with him again, he said to meet him in this parking lot?” Jayda asked.
    “Yes,” Chase sighed.
    “You are sure you got the right address?” she asked again.
    “Yes. I had the right address last time. Obviously something happened to Daniel.  Truthfully, I’m not one hundred percent sure this guy will show either. But I know I have the right spot, and I know at this point we have no better options than to wait it out. This is the absolute best I can do for all of you at the moment.”
    Silence fell over the van. It made Chase uneasy, but as much as he wanted to break it, he didn’t want to be questioned anymore either. He ticked off the conversations he’d had with Frank in his head. Trying to find a shred of hope to cling to, he went through the conversations again and again to the point they were just comforting endless chatter in his brain.
    His thoughts were interrupted by Dax, beside him, taping on the front window. Chase followed where Dax’s finger pointed down the road. Seeing a vehicle, he sat up straight.
    “It’s a Humvee. That’s a good sign,” Chase said.
    He didn’t turn to look at the rest of them. He just kept his eyes glued to the road. Soon he could see another car right behind the military vehicle. Unmarked, he wondered why it seemed to follow so close behind a vehicle that could practically run it over if it wanted to.
    Soon enough, the Humvee pulled into the parking lot. At least three rows of parking stripes away, it did a one-eighty to face the car that screeched its tires coming to a stop. The doors on both opened and suddenly shots were fired.
    “Duck,” Chase yelled to them all, even as he ducked himself but checked to see that everyone had followed his command.
    Peering over the dashboard, he watched the man from the Humvee shoot the two men who’d gotten out of the car. The survivor of the shootout turned then to walk toward the van.
    “Damn, I hope this is Frank,” he said as he jumped out of the van, his hand on his own gun despite the fact the guy walking his way had holstered his own.
    “I’m Frank,” the guy said right away.
    “Good, cause I’m Chase. Where’s Daniel? Who were the guys in the car that you blew away?”
    “They were the enemy,” Frank said with a shrug. “Daniel died. Everyone at the base died except for me. I was the lucky one I guess. The base wasn’t safe once the virus spread through it.  But Daniel said a lot of good things about you. I promised him that I would find you.”
    Chase just nodded, then changed to shaking his head. Over his shoulder he saw all sets of eyes on them.
    “You guys made it this far without protection?” Frank asked, then continued without skipping a beat, “I’m impressed.”
    “I need to know how Daniel died. We toured together. We were the best of friends. I just need the closure,” Chase stated.
    Frank leaned in and promised to tell him later.
    “I know of a safe place we can go. It’s off the beaten path a ways, but we will be safe there for now,” Frank commanded and then turned on his heel to go back to the Humvee.
    Chase felt a great sense of relief in letting this guy take the lead from him.

Chapter Eighteen
    “It’s a two day journey to the military base,” Frank said to the group.
    They all sat around in an old motel room, top floor, that Frank had brought them to. The place smelled and looked like something out of a good horror movie set, but it