DEAD: Reclamation: Book 10 of the DEAD series Read Online Free PDF Page A

a momentary pang at her withdrawn countenance.
    “You smell icky,” Della scolded, not having any problems at all expressing what was on her mind.
    “That is because I have been working hard,” Juan said with a sly slowness. Without warning, he lunged at Della and the two rolled in the snow, Juan making a point of squeezing his daughter tight to his chest. The squeals of laughter were a welcome reward and the two engaged in some playful wrestling before Denita made a soft cough that signaled she had stood in the snow long enough and wished to return to the cabin.
    Juan stood, dusting off the snow—making sure to send a shower of it Della’s direction. Once he got most of it brushed away, he grasped each daughter by the hand and started back to the cabin.
    Today was the girls’ seventh birthday. As he crossed the gently rolling, snow-covered hills, he reflected on how good his life was compared to how it had been before the deaders.
    He had a wonderful wife that he loved with all his heart. He had a few good friends that he knew he could trust with his life; and had done so on more than one occasion the past several years. He had beautiful twin daughters. Sadly, he’d also had a son. That was why Denita almost never spoke. She had been four when she witnessed the death of her brother.
    “Yo, Juan!” a familiar voice called in greeting.
    “Hey, Keith,” Juan hollered back, giving a nod to one of the men he trusted not only with his own life, but that of his family as well.
    “We’ll be over shortly.” Keith gave a wave of his hand, indicating the heavily bundled woman holding an equally swaddled infant.
    “See you then.”
    Juan opened his gate and ushered the girls inside. Mackenzie was standing in the open doorway, hand on her hip in almost the exact same pose of disapproval that Della had struck only moments before. Lips pressed tight, somebody unfamiliar with the woman would think that she was absolutely furious. She was simply annoyed. Juan knew the furious Mackenzie and this was not even close.
    “Are you deliberately trying to avoid this, Mister Juan Hoya?” Mackenzie gave him a light backhand to the chest.
    “Maybe,” Juan replied honestly.
    “Well you don’t have much choice if you want to be anywhere near me.” The woman reached into her apron and produced a set of well sharpened scissors. “You can grow that nasty beard as much as you want when you are out hunting, but when you come home to me—”
    Mackenzie was giving the familiar speech. The last line was known well enough that Della was able to cut her off and finish it.
    “You will be the baby smooth hunk I fell in love with.” Della covered her mouth with her hands, stifling a giggle as her parents turned their attention her way, each with raised eyebrow and the hint of a smile.
    Juan had been out with the hunting party for almost five weeks. They had returned with enough meat to get a good start on stocking the larders for all the families of their little community. Moose, bear, salmon, and snowshoe hare were plentiful.
    They had even been able to stop in at the native village of the Kluti Kaah. It was always good to check in and see if there was any news. There had been. Fortunately, it was the same news they had been getting for the past three years.
    No deaders.
    “So, have you given my suggestion any thought?” Mackenzie asked as Juan slipped out of his clothes and stepped into the wash basin.
    “About striking out for Anchorage?” Juan gave the cord a tug and allowed the lukewarm water to pour over him.
    “If we are going to do it this year, it needs to be in the next few weeks, otherwise we risk being caught out there in the weather.”
    Juan sighed. He had wanted to punch that damn caravan driver in the face. All his talk about how the lights were on in Anchorage had gotten Mackenzie all worked up. She wasn’t the only one to get the itch in their little community, but she was the only one that mattered.
    “Why do you