As the World Ends Read Online Free PDF Page B

through his binoculars until he lost sight of him, and then waited another ten minutes, listening for any unusual noises. When he felt it was safe, he climbed down the tree and doubled backed a couple of times before he headed to their cave. The man didn’t seem to have any kind of tracking skills—a fact that lightened Rob’s mind.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    Rob walked into their cave and quietly called out, “Lauren.”
    “Rob,” she ran out of the shadows, startling him. She jumped on him as she wrapped her arms tightly around him, almost taking them both down.
    “Lauren, what’s the matter?” She was shaking in his arms, gulping for air.
    “I heard all these weird noises that sounded like footsteps. Afraid, I didn’t leave the cave all day. And I gotta tell you, I have to pee so bad, I can taste it. Can’t wait another damn minute. You need to come into the woods with me,” winded, she commanded him.
    “You didn’t leave the cave all day?” He held her tight.
    “No, I was more afraid of what was going on out there than being in the cave.”
    “Why?” He let go of her when she pushed on his chest then walked away from him.
    “I didn’t know who was out there.”
    Upset when he noticed her trembling bottom lip. The ghost like paleness of her face, he watched her gather the toilet paper and a sweater. He never realized leaving her alone would scare her so much.
    “I’m sorry, Lauren. I won’t leave you alone again.”
    “Not your fault. I have to grow up. Did you talk to the guy?”
    “Yeah.” He frowned.
    “What? Is something wrong with him?”
    “Yeah, he’s creepy.”
    “What did he say?”
    “He offered his cave and asked if I was alone. I got the feeling he knew I wasn’t.” His brows knitted together.
    “How would he know?”
    “I saw his tracks this morning. They stopped about twenty yards before our cave. He must have tried to follow us.”
    “He knows where we’re staying,” she shuttered.
    “No, I don’t think so. He tried tracking me after I left his cave.”
    “He didn’t see you?”
    “No, I was up a tree.” He smiled.
    “Clever you. What makes you think he knows?”
    “The way he kept asking. I think he might have seen both of our tracks last night. Maybe I didn’t wipe them as good as I thought I did. I also noticed this morning that his tracks and the mountain lion’s were on the same path. So from now on we’ll make sure not to use that path. I don’t understand why the guy stopped twenty yards away last night. Could be something in the woods spooked him”
    “We can only hope,” Lauren said.
    Rob nodded “After you’re done in the woods, I want to track some animals. Hunt them for practice. We don’t have to kill them now, because we have enough food. I just want to be ready for when we don’t.”
    “We have to kill what we eat.”
    “I’m afraid so.” He watched her process it and grinned. Knowing the thought had never occurred to her.
    “Yuck!”
    Laughing, he took her into his arms and kissed her hair. “I love you.”
    “I love you, but I’m still not going to kill anything.”
    “When you get hungry enough, you will,” he said seriously, rubbing her back to soothe her.

    Roan lit a candle when he got back. Putting cheese on two slices of bread he ate and washed it down with some wine. He contemplated his next move. After eating he cleaned up his mess sealing it in the plastic bags he had packed. The last thing he wanted was furry visitors in the middle of the night. It was late afternoon. Exhausted, he’d had enough exploring for one day. Carrying the candle, he went deeper into the cave. Laying out the second sleeping bag, he stretched out. Though tired, sleep eluded him. Excitement built in his loins with the knowledge that his video girl was close by. Keeping him up were thoughts of what he’d do with her, once she was his. The only problem, he’d need to kill her husband. A much bigger guy in person than he appeared on the video, but if he