Read Online The Break Free Trilogy (Book 3): Through The Frozen Dawn by E.M. Fitch - Free Book Online
Authors: E.M. Fitch
Tags: Zombies
Ads: Link
the shifting light from the busted ceiling had moved a few feet along the ridged, metal walls. Emma could tell with the tightening of his muscles, his awareness of his pain coming back into focus.
"You okay?" she asked softly, her lips close to his ear. He pulled his head up slowly, resting it back against the wall.
"I fell asleep," he said, not a question, but there was a hint of an apology in his tone. She nodded and shrugged. His hands left her legs and flit over his chest, pressing gently against his side.
"You're not bleeding," she said. "And there's been no fever, I checked."
He nodded. "Thanks."
"You're really not healed, you know," she shot out, suddenly annoyed. "You really shouldn't have let her paw at you like that!"
Even in the low light, she saw his eyebrows rise. "I think it has more to do with running from the biters."
She grit her teeth, shame flooding through her. It was irrational. She shouldn't care what Kaylee and Jack got up to. It didn't matter anyway. Not now, not with Kaylee gone. Sudden fear lashed her inside and she choked it back. Quick prayers flashed through her mind.
Please, please let me see my sister again .
Jack seemed to sense the turbulence in her mind. He pulled her to him and she went hesitantly.
"I held your sister like this," he said after a while, not letting her go even as she tensed. "In the basement, just after you were bit. We didn't know if we'd make it out. It was freezing then, too. That's when I realized, you know."
"Realized what?" Emma asked, the words muffled in the collar of his jacket.
"That I wasn't leaving her."
"You love her," Emma said softly. He nodded.
"I do. I love you, too," he continued.
Emma laughed lightly, becoming accustomed to his hold on her. She rest her cheek on his shoulder and his arms came easily around her. It was easier like this, talking, defining their roles. He loved Kaylee, declared himself to her in actions and maybe in words. In a way, in the most traditional way, that did make them family. And it was better, perched on the beams, exhausted and in pain as they were, to cling and balance together.
Emma felt her cheeks redden. Her stomach plunged at the thought of what Andrew was enduring at the moment. And the feeling of uselessness swamped her again. There was nothing they could do though, stuck in the metal tube and surrounded by the infected.
"How are we going to find them?" she whispered.
"I don't know," Jack answered.
They waited until dark to make their way out of the silo. The ground was littered with the fallen bodies of the infected. Some lingered on the stairs, collapsed on the railings and splayed up the steps. They walked carefully around them.
Emma would have loved to be able to see where they were from the top of the silo, they were so high up, she could have seen for miles. But in the darkness, it was impossible. There was no way for them to find their way, no direction either felt strongly about and, in the end, they had to guess.
It was at least a mile before they found a working car. But though it started, in the glare of the headlights, all Jack and Emma could see were twitching bodies littered over the road. Jack sighed as he cut the lights, extinguishing the rising moans as darkness swept back over them.
They got out of the car without speaking, both realizing they would not be driving out of there. The hours passed slowly in the dark silence. They took breaks frequently, rooting through homes and scavenging for food so they could save what they had. They took turns carrying the backpack. It wasn't heavy, loaded only with some canned food and basic tools, but neither was at their best and the little break from carrying the bag was helpful.
It was dark still, the edge of dawn not yet breaking over the horizon, when Jack suggested they stop for the day. The wooded suburban area they had stumbled into didn't offer much in the way of shelter. Neither Jack nor Emma wanted to risk barricading in a house, not
"You okay?" she asked softly, her lips close to his ear. He pulled his head up slowly, resting it back against the wall.
"I fell asleep," he said, not a question, but there was a hint of an apology in his tone. She nodded and shrugged. His hands left her legs and flit over his chest, pressing gently against his side.
"You're not bleeding," she said. "And there's been no fever, I checked."
He nodded. "Thanks."
"You're really not healed, you know," she shot out, suddenly annoyed. "You really shouldn't have let her paw at you like that!"
Even in the low light, she saw his eyebrows rise. "I think it has more to do with running from the biters."
She grit her teeth, shame flooding through her. It was irrational. She shouldn't care what Kaylee and Jack got up to. It didn't matter anyway. Not now, not with Kaylee gone. Sudden fear lashed her inside and she choked it back. Quick prayers flashed through her mind.
Please, please let me see my sister again .
Jack seemed to sense the turbulence in her mind. He pulled her to him and she went hesitantly.
"I held your sister like this," he said after a while, not letting her go even as she tensed. "In the basement, just after you were bit. We didn't know if we'd make it out. It was freezing then, too. That's when I realized, you know."
"Realized what?" Emma asked, the words muffled in the collar of his jacket.
"That I wasn't leaving her."
"You love her," Emma said softly. He nodded.
"I do. I love you, too," he continued.
Emma laughed lightly, becoming accustomed to his hold on her. She rest her cheek on his shoulder and his arms came easily around her. It was easier like this, talking, defining their roles. He loved Kaylee, declared himself to her in actions and maybe in words. In a way, in the most traditional way, that did make them family. And it was better, perched on the beams, exhausted and in pain as they were, to cling and balance together.
Emma felt her cheeks redden. Her stomach plunged at the thought of what Andrew was enduring at the moment. And the feeling of uselessness swamped her again. There was nothing they could do though, stuck in the metal tube and surrounded by the infected.
"How are we going to find them?" she whispered.
"I don't know," Jack answered.
They waited until dark to make their way out of the silo. The ground was littered with the fallen bodies of the infected. Some lingered on the stairs, collapsed on the railings and splayed up the steps. They walked carefully around them.
Emma would have loved to be able to see where they were from the top of the silo, they were so high up, she could have seen for miles. But in the darkness, it was impossible. There was no way for them to find their way, no direction either felt strongly about and, in the end, they had to guess.
It was at least a mile before they found a working car. But though it started, in the glare of the headlights, all Jack and Emma could see were twitching bodies littered over the road. Jack sighed as he cut the lights, extinguishing the rising moans as darkness swept back over them.
They got out of the car without speaking, both realizing they would not be driving out of there. The hours passed slowly in the dark silence. They took breaks frequently, rooting through homes and scavenging for food so they could save what they had. They took turns carrying the backpack. It wasn't heavy, loaded only with some canned food and basic tools, but neither was at their best and the little break from carrying the bag was helpful.
It was dark still, the edge of dawn not yet breaking over the horizon, when Jack suggested they stop for the day. The wooded suburban area they had stumbled into didn't offer much in the way of shelter. Neither Jack nor Emma wanted to risk barricading in a house, not
Similar Books
