Read Online The Thrust by Shoshanna Evers - Free Book Online Page A

weird between them. He was so attracted to her. Liked everything about her. But as wonderful as it was to come home to her, she wasn’t Karen. She wasn’t his wife. No one would ever take Karen’s place.
    Not that Clarissa was acting like she wanted to. No—Clarissa was alternately hot and cold. Sometimes she’d sit with him for hours, talking. And sometimes they wouldn’t get much talking done at all . . .
    But other times—like last night—she’d seem to shut down. To reject his advances, to let her fish sit uneaten on her plate while she stared at the fire, as if she were remembering things she didn’t want to remember.
    And he knew she was worried about Annie, and Evan, especially. She’d told Trent that she felt like it was her fault that he’d been kidnapped by Colonel Lanche, since she’d been the one to insist Evan join them.
    So Trent didn’t know what to do. How to act, how to behave around her. He was scared to death of making her feel uncomfortable in his home. Although God knew she made him wild with desire.
    In the field, Clarissa smiled at him and handed him one of the UN psyop pamphlets. Her fingers were stained with ink she’d made herself using blueberries, a bit of vinegar, and a pinch of salt. On the back of the paper she’d carefully written out a message to the people at Grand Central.
    You are being starved and abused under Colonel Lanche’s leadership.
    There is another way. Fight for freedom and liberty.
    You will be safe and will be able to feed and shelter yourselves.
    Live and Letliv.
    “What do you think?” she asked. “It’s short, but I figured we should get to the point. Did I cover the main things the right way, you think?”
    “It’s really good,” Trent said, looking at it. “You should show it to Barker and Jenna. See if they would have believed it, if they’d gotten it while they were still at Grand Central.”
    “I like doing this,” she said. “If we could find a way to make our own paper, our own printing press—”
    “There’s no time for that,” he interrupted.
    “Oh,” she said, shaking her head. “I know. I meant . . . after. We could make a newspaper for Letliv, you know, something more than just a bulletin board on Main Street.”
    Trent smiled, glad to see her excited about something. “It’s definitely something to think about for the future. But right now . . .”
    We need to save Annie.
    Clarissa nodded and walked off to find Jenna, since Barker was still training the . . . army. If one could call a few dozen fishermen an army.
    Barker came up to Trent about a half hour later.
    “Do you think we should ask them not to shoot us?” Barker asked. “On the pamphlet.”
    Trent laughed, but then he realized Barker was serious. “Would that work?”
    “I don’t know. I just really don’t want to get shot. Maybe if we tell the soldiers specifically that they could stand down and join us, they won’t fight.”
    “Would that work? You knew those guys.”
    Barker shrugged. “Some were awful. On power trips. But I have to believe that there were more like me, men who didn’t want to be soldiers. Who were there because they had no other options. If we give them one, maybe they’ll take it.”
    “Well, get Clarissa to write it down.”
    Barker nodded and went to the little table where Clarissa sat with the drinking water. Trent watched Clarissa as she nodded, her long red hair tied up in a braid, out of her face.
    She came back up to him with the revision.
    “Check this out,” she said.
    Now, the pamphlet added the words:
    Soldiers: you can join us. Take off your uniform shirt and Don’t Shoot. Help us save lives, including your own.
    “Oh shit,” Trent said. “That’s good. Hardcore.”
    Clarissa grinned. “Barker’s idea. And if they take off their uniforms we’ll know who we’re fighting, and who’s fighting with us. Hopefully it will give them something to think about when we show up. But how will we make all