Read Online The Fall (Book 4): Genesis Game by Joshua Guess - Free Book Online

five-point restraint had such lofty origins. Wherever it had come from, Kell was pretty sure the designers hadn't meant for the thing to be anchored to the bare metal wall with fat, sloppy welds.
    Pretty much the entire van was that way. It was (thankfully) one of those odd passenger vehicles with an abnormally high ceiling. The sort group homes and moderately sized medical centers might use as shuttles. Which meant Kell could actually stand up, though not without hunching slightly.
    The upside of having most of the seats removed was a nice bit of space between the six people in the van. Emily lay curled up on another bench to Kell's right, jacket rolled into a makeshift pillow. Lee stood in the stairwell next to the driver, relaxed posture belying the constant scan of the surroundings Kell knew he was performing. Mason sat across from Kell, as did Kincaid, both men checking weapons and making sure the containers of supplies filling the middle of the van were secure. Kell wasn't sure what the driver's name was. He thought Mason had called him Marco. Maybe Marcus? He was one of the men Mason brought with him to the compound.
    The van itself was a testament to what a team of obsessive workers could do with a deadline and a lax concern for workplace safety. Painted on the outside to blend in with whatever thicket of woods they camped in, the thing was armored more heavily than Kell would have thought possible.
    “Won't be that hard on the engine,” Mason had explained. “This thing was meant to transport twelve adults for hundreds of miles. We gutted it as much as possible, so the added weight won't make that much of a difference.”
    The extra fuel tank hastily welded near the back would ensure they had gas to spare. Kell's worry wasn't so much they'd ruin the engine or run out of fuel, but that the modified vehicle would make too sweet a target. Because whatever the reports said, he didn't really believe this trip could be without the sorts of risk he knew to be out there. Deserted, clear routes like the one they traveled were obvious targets for groups of marauders or even just mundane thieves. Zombies could and did change migration patterns at the slightest scent of new prey.
    Snapping fingers brought Kell out of his reverie. Mason leaned forward, slowly drawing his hand back.
    “You okay?” Mason asked. “Had a look on your face like someone drowned your puppy.”
    “I'm fine,” Kell replied. “Just thinking about how this can go sideways.”
    Mason chuckled. “Yeah, I get that. But I wouldn't stress over it too much. Couple of my people are riding ahead of us. Making sure everything's Kosher. I'm with you, because I've been caught by surprise enough to know to expect it.” He waved a hand at the scars crisscrossing his face. “Things might go pear-shaped, but we'll know about it ahead of time.”
    The matter-of-fact tone managed to calm Kell a little, something his brooding hadn't been able to accomplish.
    Indeed, when keening of a stressed motorcycle engine grew from faint background noise to unavoidable loudness; it didn't bring with it the expected sense of dread.
    The van rolled to a stop within a minute, everyone but Kell absently checking weapons and preparing for whatever bad news was about to hit.
    Mason opened the door to a knock, pistol carefully angled for a clear shot through should it turn out to be an enemy. Not likely, in Kell's opinion, given the difficulty any attacker would have had prying the location of the van from Mason's people in such a short time.
    The scout stood with the visor of his motorcycle helmet raised, exposing dark eyes and deeply tanned skin. Kell saw Mason visibly relax, clearly recognizing the man.
    “Rob,” Mason said. “What's up?”
    Rob nodded in their direction of travel. “Got a big swarm coming down from the north,” he said. “Looks like they're sticking to the main road, and you're a couple miles west of them. Probably best you stay here while we make sure