Read Online Winter Apocalypse: Zombie Crusade V by J.W. Vohs, Sandra Vohs - Free Book Online
Authors: J.W. Vohs, Sandra Vohs
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is still strong. Maybe you guys could wake up David—if, I mean when, Luke comes around again they can say what they need to say to each other.”
It took an unusual amount of effort for Jack to stand; every part of his body ached heavily. “Come on, Carter, the cold air might help clear my head.”
“Do ya really need help wakin’ up yer brother?”
“No, but I think Gracie would like a few minutes alone with Luke.”
Gracie looked relieved, and a slight color rose in her cheeks. “Just a few minutes; they’re some things I’d like to say in private.”
Jack put his arm around her shoulders. “I know I should have been helping you with Luke tonight,” he admitted. “I just didn’t have the energy to—“
“Don’t say another word,” she cut in. “I need to take care of him; I need to keep busy. He’s my husband, and this may be the only time I’ll get to feel like his wife.”
Jack nodded. “We’ll be back in ten or fifteen minutes if that works for you, and we’ll bring David.”
“That’s perfect,” she said. “Thanks for understanding.”
As soon as they stepped outside, Carter made a beeline for David’s tent. Jack called after him, “Hey, what’s your hurry?”
Carter stopped and turned toward Jack. “It’s damn cold out here, in case ya haven’t noticed.”
Jack took the few steps needed to catch up to his friend, “Yeah, I’ve noticed, but I want to talk about something before we wake up David.”
“Alrighty,” Carter responded, surprised that Jack was in the mood for talking. “Ya wanna walk and talk to keep the blood flowin’?”
“Sure,” Jack replied, but he stopped in his tracks. “Luke said something, he asked me to do something, and I just can’t do it. He might not have been thinking right, maybe he didn’t really know what he was saying . . .”
“Yer beatin’ around the bush, Jack. What’d Luke ask ya to do?”
“He asked me not to shoot him when he turns. He said I should take him someplace far away from people—“
Carter was dumbfounded. “He musta been hallucinatin’ cuz no way in hell would he ask ya that if he was in his right mind.”
“I know, I know,” Jack agreed, “that’s what I think. I just needed you to reassure me that I was seeing things clearly.”
They started walking again, and Carter was quiet for a minute. Then he asked, “So, did it seem like he was outta it? Did he know where he was and who ya were?”
Jack sighed. “Yeah, he knew me. He knew where he was and what was happening. He seemed completely lucid, but that doesn’t make any sense.”
“In yer heart, do ya think it was the fever talkin’?”
“No, it sure didn’t seem like it.”
“Do ya think he’s afraid of dyin’? I mean, it’s one thing to go out as a soldier, not knowin’ what might happen to ya. It’s different when ya gotta watch it slowly creep up on ya.”
Jack shook his head. “If it was anybody but Luke, I’d consider that a possibility. But we’re talking about Luke. So no, that’s not it.”
They’d made a slow lap around the cabin and found themselves back in front of David’s tent. Jack stopped again. “You’re second guessing your initial reaction, just like me. But Jesus, Carter, we both know what I have to do. I can’t let him become one of them.”
“Ya don’t have to be the one to do it, ya know. I will, if that makes any difference. I gotta admit there’s a chance he knows somethin’ we don’t—he’s been purty right-on about a lot of stuff we didn’t have a clue about. But we can’t afford to trust one of his feelins’ fer this. Not fer us, and not fer him.”
The sound of unzipping interrupted the conversation, and David poked his head out in the cold. “Why are you two out here? Is it Luke? Is he—”
“Gracie wants a few minutes alone with him,” Jack explained as he pushed past his brother and made himself at home in the tent. “Then she said to bring you in to say your
It took an unusual amount of effort for Jack to stand; every part of his body ached heavily. “Come on, Carter, the cold air might help clear my head.”
“Do ya really need help wakin’ up yer brother?”
“No, but I think Gracie would like a few minutes alone with Luke.”
Gracie looked relieved, and a slight color rose in her cheeks. “Just a few minutes; they’re some things I’d like to say in private.”
Jack put his arm around her shoulders. “I know I should have been helping you with Luke tonight,” he admitted. “I just didn’t have the energy to—“
“Don’t say another word,” she cut in. “I need to take care of him; I need to keep busy. He’s my husband, and this may be the only time I’ll get to feel like his wife.”
Jack nodded. “We’ll be back in ten or fifteen minutes if that works for you, and we’ll bring David.”
“That’s perfect,” she said. “Thanks for understanding.”
As soon as they stepped outside, Carter made a beeline for David’s tent. Jack called after him, “Hey, what’s your hurry?”
Carter stopped and turned toward Jack. “It’s damn cold out here, in case ya haven’t noticed.”
Jack took the few steps needed to catch up to his friend, “Yeah, I’ve noticed, but I want to talk about something before we wake up David.”
“Alrighty,” Carter responded, surprised that Jack was in the mood for talking. “Ya wanna walk and talk to keep the blood flowin’?”
“Sure,” Jack replied, but he stopped in his tracks. “Luke said something, he asked me to do something, and I just can’t do it. He might not have been thinking right, maybe he didn’t really know what he was saying . . .”
“Yer beatin’ around the bush, Jack. What’d Luke ask ya to do?”
“He asked me not to shoot him when he turns. He said I should take him someplace far away from people—“
Carter was dumbfounded. “He musta been hallucinatin’ cuz no way in hell would he ask ya that if he was in his right mind.”
“I know, I know,” Jack agreed, “that’s what I think. I just needed you to reassure me that I was seeing things clearly.”
They started walking again, and Carter was quiet for a minute. Then he asked, “So, did it seem like he was outta it? Did he know where he was and who ya were?”
Jack sighed. “Yeah, he knew me. He knew where he was and what was happening. He seemed completely lucid, but that doesn’t make any sense.”
“In yer heart, do ya think it was the fever talkin’?”
“No, it sure didn’t seem like it.”
“Do ya think he’s afraid of dyin’? I mean, it’s one thing to go out as a soldier, not knowin’ what might happen to ya. It’s different when ya gotta watch it slowly creep up on ya.”
Jack shook his head. “If it was anybody but Luke, I’d consider that a possibility. But we’re talking about Luke. So no, that’s not it.”
They’d made a slow lap around the cabin and found themselves back in front of David’s tent. Jack stopped again. “You’re second guessing your initial reaction, just like me. But Jesus, Carter, we both know what I have to do. I can’t let him become one of them.”
“Ya don’t have to be the one to do it, ya know. I will, if that makes any difference. I gotta admit there’s a chance he knows somethin’ we don’t—he’s been purty right-on about a lot of stuff we didn’t have a clue about. But we can’t afford to trust one of his feelins’ fer this. Not fer us, and not fer him.”
The sound of unzipping interrupted the conversation, and David poked his head out in the cold. “Why are you two out here? Is it Luke? Is he—”
“Gracie wants a few minutes alone with him,” Jack explained as he pushed past his brother and made himself at home in the tent. “Then she said to bring you in to say your
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