Read Online Bone And Cinder: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller (Zapheads Book 1) by Scott Nicholson, Joshua Simcox - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Scott Nicholson, Joshua Simcox
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can’t take Allie, and I don’t think you’re willing to leave her behind or kill her.”
“I’m not,” Mackie said. “Not yet.”
“You really believe that bullshit he tried to sell you about how she might get better? That some doctor or scientist might show up one day with a cure?”
Mackie leaned forward against the bookshelf at Kara’s back. He propped his forearm against a stack of books and rested his head against it. All that knowledge pressed between the covers meant nothing now.
“I understand what he wants to do here,” Mackie said. “The few people that are left, they’re scared and they’ll follow along. He has guns to protect them, drugs to keep them pliable, and he’ll also control the food supply. His guns will give them a false sense of security. But what he said about the possibility of other survivors joining up, about finding someone that may have answers—”
“It gives you hope,” Kara said. “For her.”
“It shouldn’t. But yeah, it does. I just...I can’t help but think it’s possible, maybe, that when word gets out that we have a sanctuary, someone will find us that can help her. And beyond that, at some point we have to start over. Together, as a human race.”
When Kara spoke again, the stale air inside the library seemed to dampen the volume of her words. “I think you’re a fool, Mackie. You’ll play along with this and do whatever that bastard tells you. She’s not getting better on her own, and if you think someone’s gonna show up here one day with a magic pill that will fix her, you’re as delusional as Krider.”
“You think there’s a better option right now?”
“We kill him,” she said.
“That man with Krider. His name is Herrera. I’ve seen what he can do. Before he joined with Krider, he did things with a Mexican cartel that would keep you up for weeks if you knew about them. He’s the worst possible human being that could’ve survived the storms and made it here with Krider. I’ve never seen a predator like that man before, and Krider exposed me to plenty of bad people. Trust me, if Herrera stays close to Krider, then there’s no chance either of us could get close to him.”
“So we take our time,” Kara said. We plan. “We wait for the best moment. I think we could get through to those three National Guard soldiers. Maybe convince them to side with us. I don’t think they have any real loyalty to Krider. Then that would just leave the three goonies: Krider, this Herrera, and the other man with them.”
“McRae,” Mackie said. “I don’t know him. Have no idea what he’s capable of. But Krider doesn’t surround himself with weak links. I was considered the weakest of that group, and believe me, I killed plenty of people. What you’re talking about here is something that will only get you killed.”
“You can do what you want,” Kara said. “But now that Krider’s here, I’m going to find a way to kill him.”
Mackie sat down beside Kara. “I get that you’re angry and looking to have your hero moment here. But you’re not enough to stop these people. I’m not enough.”
Kara lowered her head, stared at the floor. “If someone did come along that could help her, how do you know he’d even let them? As long as she’s sick, he can play you, string you along. Or he can just threaten to kill her if you don’t play ball.”
“I don’t think you’re wrong, Kara. I just don’t know what else to do.”
She lifted her head and met his eyes for the first time that day. “We do whatever we need to do to take out Krider and his men. We can stay here with the other survivors. We can have a community. And if you want to take care of Allie, you can do that. But it can’t happen with Krider here.”
Mackie remembered that Kara’s wrists were bound behind her with a zip tie. “Lean forward,” he said. Kara did so, and
“I’m not,” Mackie said. “Not yet.”
“You really believe that bullshit he tried to sell you about how she might get better? That some doctor or scientist might show up one day with a cure?”
Mackie leaned forward against the bookshelf at Kara’s back. He propped his forearm against a stack of books and rested his head against it. All that knowledge pressed between the covers meant nothing now.
“I understand what he wants to do here,” Mackie said. “The few people that are left, they’re scared and they’ll follow along. He has guns to protect them, drugs to keep them pliable, and he’ll also control the food supply. His guns will give them a false sense of security. But what he said about the possibility of other survivors joining up, about finding someone that may have answers—”
“It gives you hope,” Kara said. “For her.”
“It shouldn’t. But yeah, it does. I just...I can’t help but think it’s possible, maybe, that when word gets out that we have a sanctuary, someone will find us that can help her. And beyond that, at some point we have to start over. Together, as a human race.”
When Kara spoke again, the stale air inside the library seemed to dampen the volume of her words. “I think you’re a fool, Mackie. You’ll play along with this and do whatever that bastard tells you. She’s not getting better on her own, and if you think someone’s gonna show up here one day with a magic pill that will fix her, you’re as delusional as Krider.”
“You think there’s a better option right now?”
“We kill him,” she said.
“That man with Krider. His name is Herrera. I’ve seen what he can do. Before he joined with Krider, he did things with a Mexican cartel that would keep you up for weeks if you knew about them. He’s the worst possible human being that could’ve survived the storms and made it here with Krider. I’ve never seen a predator like that man before, and Krider exposed me to plenty of bad people. Trust me, if Herrera stays close to Krider, then there’s no chance either of us could get close to him.”
“So we take our time,” Kara said. We plan. “We wait for the best moment. I think we could get through to those three National Guard soldiers. Maybe convince them to side with us. I don’t think they have any real loyalty to Krider. Then that would just leave the three goonies: Krider, this Herrera, and the other man with them.”
“McRae,” Mackie said. “I don’t know him. Have no idea what he’s capable of. But Krider doesn’t surround himself with weak links. I was considered the weakest of that group, and believe me, I killed plenty of people. What you’re talking about here is something that will only get you killed.”
“You can do what you want,” Kara said. “But now that Krider’s here, I’m going to find a way to kill him.”
Mackie sat down beside Kara. “I get that you’re angry and looking to have your hero moment here. But you’re not enough to stop these people. I’m not enough.”
Kara lowered her head, stared at the floor. “If someone did come along that could help her, how do you know he’d even let them? As long as she’s sick, he can play you, string you along. Or he can just threaten to kill her if you don’t play ball.”
“I don’t think you’re wrong, Kara. I just don’t know what else to do.”
She lifted her head and met his eyes for the first time that day. “We do whatever we need to do to take out Krider and his men. We can stay here with the other survivors. We can have a community. And if you want to take care of Allie, you can do that. But it can’t happen with Krider here.”
Mackie remembered that Kara’s wrists were bound behind her with a zip tie. “Lean forward,” he said. Kara did so, and
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