Green Fields (Book 4): Extinction Read Online Free PDF Page A

have made much of a difference. I didn’t smell manure in the air, though, making me guess they had, at best, ten cows and maybe a few chickens.
    Almost done with the stew, I tipped the cup back and licked the last few drops I could reach out of it, using my knife to spear the last of the bread to gather up the rest. Nervous Guy was still watching me, but with the spectacle mostly over, his attention kept skipping to my teammates more and more, particularly the three chatting in fluent Serbian over by the Jeep. I still hadn’t weaseled out of Nate how many languages he actually spoke. I caught just enough of their talk to understand that they were making fun of field rations, but to the uninitiated that probably sounded as if they were plotting how to invade the settlement. I had absolutely no intention of alleviating Nervous Guy’s jumpiness.
    Catching me watching him, he made a point of not looking over there again, but the frown remained on his face.
    “Can I ask you a question?”
    I smiled as I replied, “I think you just did.” I hated when Nate did this. Why did I do it myself now? Because it was effective, and funny as hell to see annoyance seep into Nervous Guy’s tension.
    “How can you stand to be around them? Knowing what they really are. What they can turn into. Will, I mean. You do know, right?”
    A million scornful answers burned on my tongue—starting with pointing out that my PhD in virology left me knowing a lot better than he ever would—but I swallowed them in favor of a bland smile. “Do you have any idea how many zombies I’ve killed in the last year?”
    He gave me another once-over, mostly focused on the weapons strapped all over my body. “No idea. Ten?”
    That got the scoff it deserved. “I haven’t kept count. But you better add a few zeroes at the end of that estimate.” And because I’d earned those bragging rights… Stepping closer, I let the last hint of warmth drain from my smile. “The first one I killed was with a cake knife. And if he hadn’t guzzled down half a bottle of sugar syrup he would have been one of them. Trust me when I tell you that I’m not afraid of anything that’s out there.” Blatant lies—for the most part—but my conviction must have seemed real to him because he blanched to a sickly hue of green.
    “Seriously?”
    I shrugged. “Do you think that a group where half the people are no longer welcome in settlements like yours would accept me as their leader if I was just a wimp they kept around for a mascot? I earned that spot.” I was a little surprised that I managed to withhold the part about regularly jumping Nate’s bones, but Nervous Guy already eyed me with almost the same mistrust as them—no need to add unnecessary fuel to those flames.
    “You really are that crazy,” he murmured, shaking his head. I kept on smiling, because somehow that disgust crossing his features seemed more like a badge I’d earned than the scorn he likely thought it was. Screw them. They needed us more than we needed them.
    “Well, it was nice chatting with you,” I said, lying through my teeth, “but we should be going now. I wasn’t lying about the zombies. You kind of have a little infestation going on over there. If you’re the praying sort, hope they won’t come this way.” Turning away from him, I stuck two of my fingers between my lips and whistled, making heads all over snap in my direction. “Anyone still needing to take a leak, now’s your time. We’re just burning daylight here.”
    Groups broke up and people returned to their cars, while the good townfolk beat it to their gate. Nate was still quick enough that he managed to walk by me and grab my ass just in time for Nervous Guy to see it. I snarled at Nate, which just got me shut up when he leaned down and gave me a quick kiss. I might have nibbled on his bottom lip just a little bit. Nervous Guy was still staring at me as I jumped into the car and buckled myself in, making sure that my