Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 106092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106092 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 530(@200wpm)___ 424(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
I load the food and water that could have gotten us all the way to Ransom, Kansas, but is now a peace offering for the group we stole from. It makes my gut twist painfully. Each day, my decision-making abilities get worse and more desperate. Pretty soon, I’ll be no better than those people who have tried to harm us at every point from the moment we stepped foot off the boat back in California.
Mom would be so proud.
Thoughts of my mother during this moment have my hunger turning to gut-churning nausea. Bile creeps up my throat and I have to swallow hard to keep the acid in my stomach where it belongs.
Once I’ve completely cleared the table, I turn to look at Nate. “Now what?”
He studies me for an uncomfortably long time and then says, “What did you do before this?”
“Does it matter?”
“It does to me.”
“I ran an acquisition company in San Francisco. Was at the top of the building when the tsunami hit.”
His eyebrows lift. “You were a fancy suit in the city?”
“Yup.”
Nate lowers his gun and a smirk tugs at his lips. “I sold insurance. Owned my own firm. Look at us now.”
Two corporate men turned feral group leaders hell-bent on survival.
“The world’s gone to hell,” I admit. “I just want to find someplace to hunker down and try to survive this shit.”
Nate nods. Then he tucks his gun in his holster. I watch him as he removes several noodle cups, nut packets, and a whole pack of bottled water. “Consider this an undeserved kindness from a kindred spirit.”
I gape in surprise at the small pile of priceless treasure left on the table. “Uh, thank you, man.”
Nate shrugs. “We’re going to leave you people alone. Next time you get desperate, you might not run into other good people like us. The next time might get your men tortured and your women raped. You dodged a literal bullet this time. Don’t let that go to waste.”
Without another word, Nate leaves.
When his group is gone, the sounds of their thundering truck vehicle engines signaling their exit, Tyler rushes into the break room. Upon seeing me alive and in one piece, standing beside some supplies that were left behind, he lets out a relieved breath.
I don’t deserve the fierce hug he gives me, but like the stuff Nate left behind, I gratefully take it anyway.
Tyler
Another full day of traveling by foot and everyone is at their wits’ end. No one speaks or jokes. We do, though, keep eyeballing our dwindling supplies. At least the sun is out today and somewhat warm as we cross over the Colorado/Kansas border some seven hours later.
The town of Kanorado—some brilliant smart-ass came up with that name—is small and doesn’t boast much aside from a boarded up gas station, an old cemetery, a park, and a dinky diner.
“Me, Jesse, and Wayne will take point this time,” Aaron says. “The rest of you can sit and take a breather. Let’s pray this diner has something to offer.”
Kellen grinds his teeth together but doesn’t argue. Ever since our last supply run that led to us being followed and robbed at gunpoint, Kellen has stepped back as our bona fide leader and Aaron has moved in his space. Though Kellen has taken us through a lot and made quick decisions that have saved us many times, I’m thankful my brother is giving him a break. Something is eating Kellen up inside and it’s clouding his every move.
In a normal world, without all this chaos, if the guy I was in a relationship with was troubled, we could sit down on the couch and talk through it. This apocalyptic world doesn’t allow for such luxuries. We have to suck up whatever we’re mentally dealing with or else we might be distracted, ultimately getting ourselves literally sucked up into the earth. Wouldn’t be the first time we’ve lost people that way.
I hope whatever’s truly bothering him fades. Everyone has made decisions—whether good or bad—in hopes of bettering our survival. Agonizing over the “what could have beens” is a slippery slope.
“Are we there yet?” Hailey asks pitifully.
Pretzel yowls his woes too, making both me and Hope crack smiles. Dan and Kellen continue to brood.
“Don’t worry, Dorothy and Toto, we’re in Kansas now,” Hope says, wincing only slightly as she adjusts her makeshift splint on her injured arm—a crude one made of a random stick we found and part of her shirt.
“Dorothy?” I ask at the same time Hailey asks, “Toto?”
This finally breaks Dan’s and Kellen’s dour moods, both of them gaping incredulously at us.
“What?” I grumble. “The woman speaks in riddles.”
Hope shakes her head in disappointment. “What do you kids learn these days anyway?”
“I still don’t get it,” Hailey says with a huff.
“The Wizard of Oz,” Dan replies with raised brows. “Ringing any bells?”