Read Online The Ashes of Pompeii (Purge of Babylon, Book 5) by Sam Sisavath - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Sam Sisavath
Tags: thriller, post apocalypse
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since they last drove past a business advertising seafood and “Good Eats.” There hadn’t been anything else since, which made stopping here ideal.
With the truck’s engine turned off, they would be able to hear another vehicle coming for miles. More than enough warning to get back in and flee. It still nagged at her that the soldiers hadn’t pursued them from Route 13. They had chased after them on foot for a while, but those large trucks that had tried to block their path, the same ones Will had barreled into with the Tacoma, or the ones that had cut off their retreat, hadn’t pursued.
They have a plan. Whoever’s leading them, has a plan.
Is that you out there calling the shots, Josh? Is that you doing Kate’s bidding?
She looked down at her watch: 10:16 A.M.
It felt like evening already. The temperature had lessened noticeably when they stepped out of the farmhouse this morning. It was hovering around seventy degrees at the moment, pleasant enough that she almost didn’t realize for the first time in a long time that she wasn’t sweating profusely under her clothes while standing out in the open.
According to the map they carried with them, they were already halfway to Lake Charles. It would take another hour of driving at a decent rate of speed to get there. From there, the town of Salvani wasn’t far off. Once they made it past that, it was south toward Song Island. Smooth sailing.
Because everything up to this point has been smooth sailing so far, right?
Danny leaned against the driver side door and looked across the hood at her. “How’re you holding up, kid?”
“I’m still standing,” she said. “You?”
“Got me a busted face, with a busted nose, and a busted leg. Other than that, I feel super duper awesome.”
“Glad to hear it.”
Danny was looking past her at the girls. Annie had walked over to join Milly behind the sedan, while Claire was standing watch with that shotgun of hers and looking back down the highway, as if she, too, expected someone to appear in pursuit of them at any moment.
“Where are they, Danny?” Gaby asked. “They had trucks. Maybe more, stashed behind those buildings. But they just let us go. Why?”
“I don’t know,” Danny said. “Maybe because they got what they wanted.”
“Will.”
“Yeah.”
“That would make sense, if she’s the one pulling the strings like you thought.”
“Oh, it’s her, all right,” Danny said with absolute certainty. “I told him never to pick up the psychos. They have separation issues. Plus, he shot her. That tends to sour a relationship, which is why I always try to avoid shooting my girlfriends.”
Gaby smiled. It came out easily that time, and Danny looked pleased with himself as a result.
I guess we both needed that.
“Come on,” Danny said, “let’s keep truckin’. Mother always said not to look a gift horse in the mouth. If we can get to Song Island by three or four, I’ll be a happy little boy with bells on his feet.”
“Should we radio ahead? Tell them we’re coming?”
Danny shook his head. “Not yet.”
“We should tell them we’re coming.”
“We will, when we’re closer, but…not yet.”
“Why—”
“I don’t know what to tell her,” he said, and climbed back into the Titan without another word.
Lara. Danny was talking about Lara. As much as they both believed that Will would be fine, that as long as he was breathing he would find them (Maybe even beat us to Song Island) , a part of Danny had doubts.
But she didn’t.
Did she?
“Girls!” Gaby called. “Let’s go!”
Milly and Annie headed back, clinging to one another and looking like mother and daughter. Claire stayed behind until the two had passed her, then she turned and jogged over.
“Next stop, Song Island?” Milly asked, looking brighter than she had all day. Or maybe that was just the sun shining in her face.
“Next stop, Song Island,” Gaby nodded.
“Sweet,” Claire said. “I’m going to
With the truck’s engine turned off, they would be able to hear another vehicle coming for miles. More than enough warning to get back in and flee. It still nagged at her that the soldiers hadn’t pursued them from Route 13. They had chased after them on foot for a while, but those large trucks that had tried to block their path, the same ones Will had barreled into with the Tacoma, or the ones that had cut off their retreat, hadn’t pursued.
They have a plan. Whoever’s leading them, has a plan.
Is that you out there calling the shots, Josh? Is that you doing Kate’s bidding?
She looked down at her watch: 10:16 A.M.
It felt like evening already. The temperature had lessened noticeably when they stepped out of the farmhouse this morning. It was hovering around seventy degrees at the moment, pleasant enough that she almost didn’t realize for the first time in a long time that she wasn’t sweating profusely under her clothes while standing out in the open.
According to the map they carried with them, they were already halfway to Lake Charles. It would take another hour of driving at a decent rate of speed to get there. From there, the town of Salvani wasn’t far off. Once they made it past that, it was south toward Song Island. Smooth sailing.
Because everything up to this point has been smooth sailing so far, right?
Danny leaned against the driver side door and looked across the hood at her. “How’re you holding up, kid?”
“I’m still standing,” she said. “You?”
“Got me a busted face, with a busted nose, and a busted leg. Other than that, I feel super duper awesome.”
“Glad to hear it.”
Danny was looking past her at the girls. Annie had walked over to join Milly behind the sedan, while Claire was standing watch with that shotgun of hers and looking back down the highway, as if she, too, expected someone to appear in pursuit of them at any moment.
“Where are they, Danny?” Gaby asked. “They had trucks. Maybe more, stashed behind those buildings. But they just let us go. Why?”
“I don’t know,” Danny said. “Maybe because they got what they wanted.”
“Will.”
“Yeah.”
“That would make sense, if she’s the one pulling the strings like you thought.”
“Oh, it’s her, all right,” Danny said with absolute certainty. “I told him never to pick up the psychos. They have separation issues. Plus, he shot her. That tends to sour a relationship, which is why I always try to avoid shooting my girlfriends.”
Gaby smiled. It came out easily that time, and Danny looked pleased with himself as a result.
I guess we both needed that.
“Come on,” Danny said, “let’s keep truckin’. Mother always said not to look a gift horse in the mouth. If we can get to Song Island by three or four, I’ll be a happy little boy with bells on his feet.”
“Should we radio ahead? Tell them we’re coming?”
Danny shook his head. “Not yet.”
“We should tell them we’re coming.”
“We will, when we’re closer, but…not yet.”
“Why—”
“I don’t know what to tell her,” he said, and climbed back into the Titan without another word.
Lara. Danny was talking about Lara. As much as they both believed that Will would be fine, that as long as he was breathing he would find them (Maybe even beat us to Song Island) , a part of Danny had doubts.
But she didn’t.
Did she?
“Girls!” Gaby called. “Let’s go!”
Milly and Annie headed back, clinging to one another and looking like mother and daughter. Claire stayed behind until the two had passed her, then she turned and jogged over.
“Next stop, Song Island?” Milly asked, looking brighter than she had all day. Or maybe that was just the sun shining in her face.
“Next stop, Song Island,” Gaby nodded.
“Sweet,” Claire said. “I’m going to
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