Read Online Tails of the Apocalypse by David Adams, Nick Cole, Michael Bunker, David Bruns, E. E. Giorgi, Deirdre Gould, Jennifer Ellis, Stefan Bolz, Harlow C. Fallon, Hank Garner, Todd Barselow, Chris Pourteau - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: David Adams, Nick Cole, Michael Bunker, David Bruns, E. E. Giorgi, Deirdre Gould, Jennifer Ellis, Stefan Bolz, Harlow C. Fallon, Hank Garner, Todd Barselow, Chris Pourteau
Ads: Link
was on the main road. There was nowhere to grow food. There was no lake or stream. Sooner or later, they’d have to move—if the other survivors didn’t come for them first.
“Okay,” she said. “Let’s go.”
Officer Morgan placed her hand on Raina’s shoulder, then walked around the hospital, assessing the animals. “Let’s take the big ones first. Then we’ll come back for the little guys and anything else you want to bring.”
She had a K-9 van parked on a side street down the block. Raina led Brick, Smiles, Tough, Teeth, and Eggplant to it. Officer Morgan helped them into the back. They returned to the hospital to load bags of food on the wagon and lock up. As they closed the door, Knife darted out to stand beside Raina.
“Can he come?” Raina said. “He goes everywhere with me.”
“Why not?”
They got in the van, Knife riding on Raina’s lap. Officer Morgan checked to make sure Raina was buckled in before driving away. As they headed north through the night, fear fluttered in Raina’s heart. She’d done fine on her own, hadn’t she? Why leave with the officer? But she thought of what was best for the dogs, and she calmed down.
Officer Morgan stayed off the highways, traveling down side streets and avoiding the bigger roads, many of which were clogged with cars. The towers were black bricks against the sky. The officer asked her lots of things about how she’d survived the last few months. What she’d seen. Whether anyone had tried to hurt her—and whether she’d had to hurt anyone back.
“I had to run and hide sometimes,” Raina said. “But that’s it.”
“You’re lucky.” Officer Morgan slowed to ease the van through a tangle of cars. “It’s bad out there.”
They drove for miles. Raina thought they were headed north, but she didn’t know the parts of the city they were traveling through. Bodies lay on sidewalks, bones beginning to show through what was left of their skin. Knife climbed behind her seat and curled up on a towel there.
In time, hills loomed before them. The van slowed. Ahead, another intersection was blocked with wrecked cars. Officer Morgan swore, glanced at Raina, and turned the van around, coming to a stop.
“Raina, there’s a map under your seat. Can you dig it out for me?”
Raina slipped her head under her shoulder strap and leaned forward. There were several maps under the seat. She got them out and turned to Officer Morgan.
The barrel of a gun stared back.
Officer Morgan’s jaw tightened. “Don’t look at me.”
“What are you doing?”
“I said, don’t look at me!”
“I don’t understand.” Raina angled her head to the side, trying to obey, but she couldn’t take her eyes from the gun. “What are you doing?”
“There’s nothing left out there. If you knew any better, you’d thank me.”
“Don’t hurt my dogs!”
The officer’s finger twitched on the trigger of the revolver. She bared her teeth and cursed. “Get out of the van.”
Officer Morgan lowered the gun. Raina stared, then scrabbled for the door handle. She tumbled into the street. Officer Morgan slammed the door shut behind her. As she drove off, Knife popped his head up in the passenger window and howled, black eyes gleaming.
The van rumbled away, tires screeching as it turned. Raina stood in the middle of the road, her head spinning. She was miles from home. Officer Morgan had her dogs. The woman knew where Raina lived, but Raina had no idea how to find her.
A cold voice spoke from the back of her head. She only had one choice that made sense. Find a car. Drive back to the hospital. And get the other dogs somewhere safe before Officer Morgan came for them, too.
But there was also a hot voice. And it told her to do something else. She ran down to the corner where the van had turned, then headed north, following its sound. She sprinted as hard as she could, but the engine’s hum diminished with each passing second. She gasped for breath. Her legs burned.
“Okay,” she said. “Let’s go.”
Officer Morgan placed her hand on Raina’s shoulder, then walked around the hospital, assessing the animals. “Let’s take the big ones first. Then we’ll come back for the little guys and anything else you want to bring.”
She had a K-9 van parked on a side street down the block. Raina led Brick, Smiles, Tough, Teeth, and Eggplant to it. Officer Morgan helped them into the back. They returned to the hospital to load bags of food on the wagon and lock up. As they closed the door, Knife darted out to stand beside Raina.
“Can he come?” Raina said. “He goes everywhere with me.”
“Why not?”
They got in the van, Knife riding on Raina’s lap. Officer Morgan checked to make sure Raina was buckled in before driving away. As they headed north through the night, fear fluttered in Raina’s heart. She’d done fine on her own, hadn’t she? Why leave with the officer? But she thought of what was best for the dogs, and she calmed down.
Officer Morgan stayed off the highways, traveling down side streets and avoiding the bigger roads, many of which were clogged with cars. The towers were black bricks against the sky. The officer asked her lots of things about how she’d survived the last few months. What she’d seen. Whether anyone had tried to hurt her—and whether she’d had to hurt anyone back.
“I had to run and hide sometimes,” Raina said. “But that’s it.”
“You’re lucky.” Officer Morgan slowed to ease the van through a tangle of cars. “It’s bad out there.”
They drove for miles. Raina thought they were headed north, but she didn’t know the parts of the city they were traveling through. Bodies lay on sidewalks, bones beginning to show through what was left of their skin. Knife climbed behind her seat and curled up on a towel there.
In time, hills loomed before them. The van slowed. Ahead, another intersection was blocked with wrecked cars. Officer Morgan swore, glanced at Raina, and turned the van around, coming to a stop.
“Raina, there’s a map under your seat. Can you dig it out for me?”
Raina slipped her head under her shoulder strap and leaned forward. There were several maps under the seat. She got them out and turned to Officer Morgan.
The barrel of a gun stared back.
Officer Morgan’s jaw tightened. “Don’t look at me.”
“What are you doing?”
“I said, don’t look at me!”
“I don’t understand.” Raina angled her head to the side, trying to obey, but she couldn’t take her eyes from the gun. “What are you doing?”
“There’s nothing left out there. If you knew any better, you’d thank me.”
“Don’t hurt my dogs!”
The officer’s finger twitched on the trigger of the revolver. She bared her teeth and cursed. “Get out of the van.”
Officer Morgan lowered the gun. Raina stared, then scrabbled for the door handle. She tumbled into the street. Officer Morgan slammed the door shut behind her. As she drove off, Knife popped his head up in the passenger window and howled, black eyes gleaming.
The van rumbled away, tires screeching as it turned. Raina stood in the middle of the road, her head spinning. She was miles from home. Officer Morgan had her dogs. The woman knew where Raina lived, but Raina had no idea how to find her.
A cold voice spoke from the back of her head. She only had one choice that made sense. Find a car. Drive back to the hospital. And get the other dogs somewhere safe before Officer Morgan came for them, too.
But there was also a hot voice. And it told her to do something else. She ran down to the corner where the van had turned, then headed north, following its sound. She sprinted as hard as she could, but the engine’s hum diminished with each passing second. She gasped for breath. Her legs burned.
Similar Books
