Read Online Survival by T.W. Piperbrook - Free Book Online Page B

shifted his gaze to the window across the street, looking for Caddy, but she was gone. Had she heard the gunshot? He couldn’t imagine she hadn’t.
    As if in response, footsteps echoed in front of him and Caddy ran down the walkway.
    In her hands was a knife.
    “Are you OK?” she called.
    Noah glanced back at the house he’d just come from. He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn’t find the words. Isabelle had been Caddy’s neighbor. Even though his life had been at stake, even though he’d only been protecting himself, he still felt a wave of guilt. If only he could’ve done something differently…
    “What happened? I heard a gunshot.”
    Caddy looked him up and down, checking for wounds.
    “One of them got inside the house,” he said finally. “But I took care of it.”
    “I was worried about you.”
    “I’m OK.”
    “Did you find the keys?”
    Noah jangled the keychain in the air. The sight of it seemed to brighten Caddy’s face.
    “Is your mother all right?” he asked.
    “She’s fine. She heard the gunshot, but I was able to calm her down.”
    “That’s a relief.”
    Noah did a quick survey of the area, still wary of the noise. He could only hope there were no creatures close by, and if there were, that they were otherwise engaged. Hopefully, the fact that he’d fired inside had muffled the noise.
    “Sorry about that. I didn’t mean to make a commotion. You should get back inside,” he said to Caddy. “It’s not safe out here. I’m going to wait a few minutes, make sure no more of them show up, and then I’m going to head out.”
    “Are you sure?”
    “Yep. I’ll make it quick. If I don’t find anything, I’ll come back.”
    “OK. I’ll head back inside and keep watch.”
    In spite of her statement, she lingered. She gave him a long look, as if she were afraid she might not see him again.
    “Be careful, Noah,” she warned.
    “I will.”
    Without another word, she padded up the driveway and disappeared around the back of the house.
    Noah retreated back to the McDonalds’ garage, stuffing the encounter with the little girl back in his memory banks. His mind was cluttered as it was; there was no time to deal with it now.
    He had a mission to undertake.
    If he didn’t find provisions for himself and his companions, the three of them would starve. He forced the image of the little girl to dissolve as he walked back across the street and to the garage. When he reached the car, he retrieved the key from his pocket and used it on the driver’s side door.
    The interior lights popped on at the helm. Noah opened the door, taking in the smell of fresh leather. In a world where everything was falling apart, the car was a refreshing change. Noah got inside and shut the door.
    He placed the rifle on the seat next to him and started the engine. The car purred around him. The hybrid vehicle was nearly silent; it would provide good cover in the deserted streets. He’d never driven one before. In comparison to this, all his rides had been gas-guzzling antiques.
    This is as good as it gets , he thought.
    He forced a smile and put the car into reverse, then rolled out into the road. The sun shone at his back; warm rays bounced off the console. As he shifted the car into drive, he gave one last glance at Caddy’s house. Although he couldn’t be sure, he thought he noticed a dark shadow waving at him in the upstairs window.

13
    N oah placed the directions on his lap. According to Caddy, his truck was only a few miles up the road; it shouldn’t take him long to get to it. He just hoped he wouldn’t encounter anyone else on the way. His only thought was to get safely to his destination and back.
    Outside Caddy’s neighborhood, the area gave way to trees and forest. Noah flicked his attention from the road to the rearview mirror, expecting someone to fall in behind him and give chase. It’d been over a day since he’d been run off the road, and driving the streets still gave him a sense of