Read Online Hell's Children: A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller by John L. Monk - Free Book Online Page A

the power went out.
    “Dang, Jack,” she said in awe. “It’s a treasure trove. You’re basically a millionaire now.”
    “What’s mine is yours.”
    For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, she hugged him and cried again. Jack wasn’t sure whether to put his arms around her or thump her on the back like they did on TV, so he just stood there awkwardly and felt guilty for liking it so much.
    “Uh, hey,” he said. “You okay?”
    She nodded and wiped her eyes. “Yeah. I’m just … I miss my mom and dad, you know?”
    He nodded, feeling his own eyes stinging now. No way was he going to cry in front of her, though.
    From the doorway, Greg said, “Hey, you two. Everyone’s asking about breakfast. And by everyone, I mean me .”
    “Who’s watching the road?” she said.
    “Tony and the new girl. What’s her name?”
    “Mandy,” Jack said.
    “We’ll be there in a minute,” Lisa said.
    The safe was nearly empty, but for a few cans of chili and some boxes of spaghetti. Lisa took out the chili, deposited Jack’s contribution, then locked it back up. She cooked the chili in a cast iron pot hanging over the fire pit out back. Ten minutes later they were sitting around a circular table enjoying their meager meals and chatting to fill the silence.
    At one point Pete, who’d been quiet the whole morning, said, “So now what? Just sit here like dummies?”
    Greg glared at him. “Why don’t you shut up and enjoy the food we just gave you for free?”
    Pete shook his head in disgust and wouldn’t look at anyone.
    “His delivery sucks,” Jack said, “but he has a point. There wasn’t a lot of food in that safe. And security’s an issue, especially after …” He looked around at the various worried faces. “I think we should, uh … Tony, was it?” The boy nodded. “You, Lisa, Greg, and Pete—we should maybe go have a meeting.”
    “What about me?” Mandy said.
    “You get to do the dishes,” he said and got up.
    Lisa led them to the rental office and shut the door. Though there were several chairs inside, nobody sat. Pete looked nervous, and Greg kept glancing at him with a frown on his face.
    “So, Greg,” Jack said, “what’s the plan to save us all?”
    Greg, who’d never volunteered for anything since they’d known each other, and who always deferred to either his sister or Jack, said, “Uh … how the heck should I know? You’re the Chosen One.”
    Jack almost smiled at that. Ever since he’d confided about his parents’ plan to fast track his childhood, Greg had ribbed him with the moniker at every opportunity.
    “If you don’t know how to save us,” Jack said, “why did you call out Pete in there?”
    Greg shrugged. “Didn’t like his attitude.”
    “I don’t see a lot of people signing on to help us,” Jack said. “We shouldn’t pick fights with each other. Now shake hands.”
    Greg’s face grew momentarily hard. Then he sighed and held out his hand. Pete looked at it like he’d never seen so strange a custom before as handshaking, then reached out and grimaced through the experience.
    Jack turned to Lisa. “What’s your plan?”
    Her lips twitched into a challenging smirk. “I’m waiting to see where you’re going with this.”
    “Me too,” he said. “Okay, Pete. You brought it up—got any big plans to keep us alive?”
    “Why are you asking me? I don’t have guns and stuff.”
    Jack looked at Tony. “How about you?”
    Tony’s smiled slyly. “We should make a crew of our own and take stuff, too. If we don’t, other people gonna take everything, and then what?”
    Lisa gasped and started to say something, but Jack held up his hand.
    “As bad as that sounds on the surface,” he said, “it’s hard to blame him. And though I’ll never steal food from people or force them to join us, I like what he said about forming our own group. We need people, but they have to be old enough to carry a gun.”
    “None of us are old enough to carry