Dead South Rising (Book 2): Death Row Read Online Free PDF Page B

murmurs and whispers.
    When she didn’t respond, he said, “In other words, that was intense.”
    Her lips curled back on her teeth, making her mouth a mere scar on her face. Her red-rimmed eyes were glassy wet.
    Out of habit, he started stammering and apologizing.
    Jess waved him off, her words trembling out. “Wasn’t you.” She swiped at her eyes.
    “Right.” He sounded unconvinced, and she noticed him chewing at his beard, a nervous habit he’d developed years ago.
    Randy, not now. Please don’t make this about you.
    “Randy, I’m just really…” She ran her fingers through her short bobbed hair, then sighed. “Mitch’s death just really hit me and I’m worried about David… Then that .” Her hand dropped, slapping her own thigh.  
    “I get it. I’m sorry.”
    She shot him an uncommitted glare.
    “Right, sorry. I’ll quit apologizing.”
    “Thank you.”
    They stood there a few more moments, the last of the attendees slipping through the doorway. Several gave her disdainful looks, though she didn’t notice. Or care.
    Nodding, Randy said, “Sure.” He glanced around, then added, “Well, guess I’ll see if I can locate Lenny. Bring him up to speed.”
    He started away, but stopped when Jessica gently touched his wounded arm. He hissed through clenched teeth.
    “I’m sorry,” she said.
    “It’s okay. Just still a bit tender.” He pointed a finger at her. “And no more, ‘I’m sorries.’”
    “Right.” And she allowed a ghost of a smile to cross her lips. “Do you think…” She hesitated.
    “Do I think what?”  
    “Do you think—” Someone passed by, and she lowered her voice to a strong half-whisper. “Do you think we should stay here? I mean, Mitch’s place was like an island paradise compared to this. At least in our own group, there were fewer people to argue with.”
    Randy hooked his thickly bearded chin with his hand, mimicking the Janitor’s trademark pose, and thought for a moment. “Are you suggesting we go back to the trailer? Because I don’t think that would be a good idea. I mean, you never know when Sammy and Guillermo could show up again, and I don’t think it would be good for you, especially, because of… well… you know.”
    Yes, she knew. It wouldn’t be good for her because Mitch was murdered out there. Buried out there. But at least she could visit his grave. She wanted to do that, eventually. Maybe when things calmed down. She craved closure. Needed it.
    But for the sake of conversation, she shook her head. “No, you’re right, Randy. Wouldn’t be smart, and I wasn’t really implying or suggesting we go back there. But I don’t know how smart staying here’d be, either.” She was careful to keep her voice down, out of reach of prying ears. Leaning into him, she said, “These people ain’t right. The Janitor gets it. I think Lenny and Taneesha do, too. But it just seems like…”
    Two people walked by, and Jessica stopped talking for a moment, eluding the eavesdroppers. After the men were out of earshot, she said, “It just seems like the majority of people here are messed up in their thinking and beliefs, ya know?”
    “We had our doubts at first, remember?”
    “At first . But we came around. Quick. Like within days. These people still don’t get it after nearly a month. Seems like their grasp on reality is actually worse now than before, like they’ve gone backward in their thinking.”
    “Not good.”
    “Nope. Not good at all.”
    They hung out for another moment, then Jessica said, “Guess I’ll check on David, see how he’s coming along. Maybe give him an update if he feels up to it. Part of me doesn’t want to worry him with this Infirmary bullshit, but part of me thinks he needs to know.”
    “Go with your gut.”
    “Yeah, I’ll do that.”
    “Alright. See ya in…?”
    Jess shrugged. “Janitor didn’t really say when to come back. Just said to take five. I’m guessing more like fifteen or twenty.”
    “Cool.