Read Online Judgment Day -03 by Arthur Bradley - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Arthur Bradley
Ads: Link
grade-A sniper material in the making.”
She managed a little smile, but tears pooled at the corners of her eyes.
“I don’t want to shoot anyone else.”
He put his arm around her.
“I don’t want for you to either. But what we want to do, and what we have to do, are often two different things. Understand?”
She nodded.
“The next time I’m being pulled asunder, I expect to hear your rifle.”
“Asunder?” She grinned, wiping at the tears. “New word?”
He smiled and pulled her close.
“I try.”
They held one another for a long time. When Samantha finally sat up, she seemed better.
“What now?” she asked.
“Now we assess and survive. Just like every other day.”
“Okay,” she said, looking around at the forest. “Where do we start?”
“We start with what we have.”
“All I’ve got is this.” She held up her rifle. “And it only has one bullet left.”
“I don’t suppose you have any spare rounds in your pocket?”
“Nope,” she said, patting her pants. “Too bad you lost your shotgun.”
“I’ve got something better,” he said, pulling out a folding knife, equipped with a three-inch blade and titanium frame.
She looked at it with skepticism.
“That’s better than a shotgun?”
“When you’re stuck in the wilderness, it is.”
“I don’t see how.”
“Tell me something. What can you do with a gun?”
“Kill things, of course.”
“Anything else?”
She thought for a moment.
“No, I don’t guess so.”
“Exactly.” He flipped open the blade, and it made a metallic click . “A knife, on the other hand, can save your life in all kinds of ways.”
“Like how?”
“You’ll see. I bet I’ll use it half a dozen times before the sun comes up.”
She took a moment to study the knife, trying to decide whether it was indeed the miracle tool he professed it to be.
“Even so, we don’t have any food or water. Or even blankets to stay warm.”
“Nope,” he said with a big smile. “It’s all gone.”
“And you’re happy about that?”
“Of course not. But half an hour ago, vicious road warriors were trying to make me look like Stretch Armstrong. Sitting in the woods with a knife in my hand is a step in the right direction, wouldn’t you say?”
“Well, yeah,” she said. “You know, you’re right. It’s not so bad.” She glanced back the way they had come. “I don’t suppose we can just go back and get our stuff?”
He shook his head. “Too risky. Besides, they probably took everything we had of value.”
She turned her attention back to the forest. It seemed to go on forever.
“Which way should we go?”
“The interstate is back to our west,” he said, pointing. “If we travel north and parallel it, I’m sure we’ll find a small town before long. Once we do, we can get a car and some supplies. Then we’re back in business and on our way to Salamanca.”
“And how will we know we’re walking north?”
He pointed up at the sun, which was already past its midpoint.
“Leave it to the sun and the stars to get you moving in the right general direction.”
“Do you think we’ll find a town or at least a house before dark?”
“Sure,” he said with a confident voice. “How far can it be?”
Tanner and Samantha wandered north for nearly three hours, trudging up and down hills covered with trees, briars, and kudzu. To their dismay, they found no signs of civilization. As the sun slowly started its descent behind the tree line, they finally came across a small campsite. It consisted of a fire pit, ringed in heavy stones, and a flat grassy area where tents had once been pitched. The campsite didn’t appear to have been used in many months, and the only traces of man’s footprint were a handful of empty beer cans and a ring of large stumps positioned around the fire pit.
“Looks like we’re camping here for the night,” he said, picking up the beer cans and examining them.
She turned slowly in a full
She managed a little smile, but tears pooled at the corners of her eyes.
“I don’t want to shoot anyone else.”
He put his arm around her.
“I don’t want for you to either. But what we want to do, and what we have to do, are often two different things. Understand?”
She nodded.
“The next time I’m being pulled asunder, I expect to hear your rifle.”
“Asunder?” She grinned, wiping at the tears. “New word?”
He smiled and pulled her close.
“I try.”
They held one another for a long time. When Samantha finally sat up, she seemed better.
“What now?” she asked.
“Now we assess and survive. Just like every other day.”
“Okay,” she said, looking around at the forest. “Where do we start?”
“We start with what we have.”
“All I’ve got is this.” She held up her rifle. “And it only has one bullet left.”
“I don’t suppose you have any spare rounds in your pocket?”
“Nope,” she said, patting her pants. “Too bad you lost your shotgun.”
“I’ve got something better,” he said, pulling out a folding knife, equipped with a three-inch blade and titanium frame.
She looked at it with skepticism.
“That’s better than a shotgun?”
“When you’re stuck in the wilderness, it is.”
“I don’t see how.”
“Tell me something. What can you do with a gun?”
“Kill things, of course.”
“Anything else?”
She thought for a moment.
“No, I don’t guess so.”
“Exactly.” He flipped open the blade, and it made a metallic click . “A knife, on the other hand, can save your life in all kinds of ways.”
“Like how?”
“You’ll see. I bet I’ll use it half a dozen times before the sun comes up.”
She took a moment to study the knife, trying to decide whether it was indeed the miracle tool he professed it to be.
“Even so, we don’t have any food or water. Or even blankets to stay warm.”
“Nope,” he said with a big smile. “It’s all gone.”
“And you’re happy about that?”
“Of course not. But half an hour ago, vicious road warriors were trying to make me look like Stretch Armstrong. Sitting in the woods with a knife in my hand is a step in the right direction, wouldn’t you say?”
“Well, yeah,” she said. “You know, you’re right. It’s not so bad.” She glanced back the way they had come. “I don’t suppose we can just go back and get our stuff?”
He shook his head. “Too risky. Besides, they probably took everything we had of value.”
She turned her attention back to the forest. It seemed to go on forever.
“Which way should we go?”
“The interstate is back to our west,” he said, pointing. “If we travel north and parallel it, I’m sure we’ll find a small town before long. Once we do, we can get a car and some supplies. Then we’re back in business and on our way to Salamanca.”
“And how will we know we’re walking north?”
He pointed up at the sun, which was already past its midpoint.
“Leave it to the sun and the stars to get you moving in the right general direction.”
“Do you think we’ll find a town or at least a house before dark?”
“Sure,” he said with a confident voice. “How far can it be?”
Tanner and Samantha wandered north for nearly three hours, trudging up and down hills covered with trees, briars, and kudzu. To their dismay, they found no signs of civilization. As the sun slowly started its descent behind the tree line, they finally came across a small campsite. It consisted of a fire pit, ringed in heavy stones, and a flat grassy area where tents had once been pitched. The campsite didn’t appear to have been used in many months, and the only traces of man’s footprint were a handful of empty beer cans and a ring of large stumps positioned around the fire pit.
“Looks like we’re camping here for the night,” he said, picking up the beer cans and examining them.
She turned slowly in a full
Similar Books
