Read Online Never Never by Susan Kiernan-Lewis - Free Book Online

what he’d always known.
    They wanted to be led.
    The sloppiness of the work of the Garda in the last five years was gone. It was gone as fast as it took for the mortal screams of Hurley’s commanding officer to fade and everyone else who held a rank above corporal.
    Hurley had quickly organized the men into three legions and renamed the Garda the Imperial Irish Army, noting of course that there was no emperor or nonmilitary leader of any kind in Ireland. It didn’t matter. If the outside world ever came calling again—whether to offer aid or ask for it—they could deal with Padraig Hurley, Centurion Commander.
    He surveyed the malodorous amphitheater. His men had created barriers from the stage to prevent the animals—or their victims—from escaping. The lions paced the filthy stage now, their paws clogged with feces and blood.
    They would need to find more lion food soon.
    The Centurion, James Brady, appeared by his side. Hurley estimated that the young man was still in his teens but he was keen and had difficulty seeing gray areas.
    The perfect soldier.
    â€œWhy don’t I have tigers, Brady?” Hurley asked without turning his gaze from the lion pit.
    â€œI’m told the lions stayed together so they were easily caught but the tigers are loners and so they escaped.”
    Hurley glanced at the boy. “Who told you this?”
    Brady didn’t even blink. “Centurion Murphy, Commander.”
    â€œAnd was Murphy one of the ones who went out to capture them?”
    â€œYes, Commander.”
    Hurley nodded. “Gather the men. They’ll want to see what happens when a centurion doesn’t properly obey orders.”
    â€œYes, Commander.”

10
    A fter stomping around for a few minutes and trying not to put his fist through a tree, Mike was astonished to see Sarah come running back to the campfire with a grin on her face.
    He thought for a moment he was bloody hallucinating.
    Behind Sarah was a crowd of people led by a dilapidated pony cart painted with big yellow flowers and driven by none other than Jaz and Regan.
    Mike had to admit, their timing was spot on.
    The pair parked the cart in the middle of the road and descended on everyone with laughter and squeals of delight. Mike even saw Jaz give her ex-love Tommy a fairly X-rated kiss on the mouth before running over to the women who were next in line to be returned to their homes.
    They could not have shown up at a better time.
    Even Fiona was smiling from where she sat with Declan. The two girls brought a rush of enthusiasm and sunshine with them that they all badly needed. They also brought a small group of gypsies they’d met on the road.
    Sarah quickly organized food for everyone and Mike broke out the whiskey. It wasn’t often they got newcomers and it was always a big deal.
    Newcomers meant news.
    â€œCor, I’m that sorry about poor Declan,” Regan said as she tore into leftovers of roasted rabbit. “Mind you, it’s dangerous out there, so it is.” She and Jaz exchanged a look that made Mike frown. Obviously the two had had a close call somewhere along the line. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know the details.
    â€œDid Meggie’s mum cry when she saw her?” One of the women asked.
    â€œDid she ever,” Jaz said with a laugh. “I felt like Lazarus, so I did.”
    â€œNay,” Regan said. “Lazarus is the one who got raised from the dead. Ye felt like Christ, in fact. He did the raising.”
    â€œIsn’t that blasphemy?” Sophia said.
    â€œNot when these two do it,” Mike said with a grin. He turned to the three gypsy men. They were not long out of their teens and their memory of life before the first EMP would be hazy at best. “What news?” he asked.
    The skinny young man known as Digger took a long draught of Mike’s whiskey and wiped his mouth with the back of a dirty hand.
    â€œTalk is it weren’t an