HOOD: A Post Apocalyptic Novel (American Rebirth Series Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

because of his story about the Kaiser,” Whiskey snapped. “Why am I even answerin' this crap?”
    “So are you like, self-loathing, since you're part Hispanic?”
    “I'm going to fuckin' kill you.” Whiskey grunted at him.
    Hood laughed, leaning his head against the back window.“Take everything more seriously, please. It's fantastic.”
    There was a momentary lull in the cabin. The suspension squeaked as the truck bobbed back and forth.
    “We should've killed him.” Whiskey's face remained stoic as he stared out the windshield, one hand on the steering wheel. Hood turned to look out the passenger-side window, the sunlit overgrown trees speeding by. He rubbed his bristly chin with his thumb and forefinger. He was glad they’d let the guy live, but he hated the fact that Whiskey was probably right.
    Hood was ready to be home. The place he called home now, anyway.
     
     
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 3 – Homecoming
     
     
    The quaint streets of Clearwater rested peacefully in late afternoon sun. Hood breathed in the familiar smell of honeysuckles and wild growth on the air. He could feel the muscles in his back relax. With the window down, he rested his hand on the passenger door, his fingers drumming on the metal of their own accord.
    Trader George stood out on his front porch, repairing the leg of a wooden chair. Probably something he'd soon be selling out of his garage-turned-trading post. He rose up from a kneeling position, nodding at Whiskey as they passed by. Whiskey held out his hand in acknowledgment.
    “It's good to be back,” Hood said.
    A young girl was chasing her teary-faced younger brother around on a black bicycle on their front lawn. Micah and Katie. Ted Anderson's kids.
    “Yeah.” Whiskey said, turning the corner to head down their street.
    Whiskey wore his typical stoic expression.
    Hood reached over and slapped him on the shoulder.
    “Hey. We're still alive, we took a nice haul from the Sheriff, and it's a beautiful day. Save your worrying for when there's a problem worth worrying about.”
    “I wouldn't mind gettin' a few steps ahead of our problems.”
    Hood shrugged, smiling. “Y'know, the seeds will never grow if you never empty the bucket.”
    Whiskey screwed up his face, looking over at Hood. “The hell is that supposed to mean?”
    “I don't know, I just made it up. Sounds profound though, right?” Hood leaned back in the seat of the truck, stretching his arms behind his head, holding his elbows.
    “You're a strange kid.” Whiskey pulled the truck into the driveway of their home.
    The gravel of the driveway crunched under Hood's feet as he stepped out of the truck and closed the door with a thud. Calling it home still felt a little strange, but in truth, after two years, it was home now. Hood had certainly never envisioned living in an old Victorian house out in the country. But he also hadn’t envisioned much of anything about the life he now lead.
    The faded white paint was chipping off the siding of the house onto the grass around it, and the roof sagged under its own weight, but it was a warm, comfortable place plenty big enough for Hood, Whiskey and Taylor to each have their own space.
    The heavy wood front door swung open and thunked against the mudroom closet as it always did. Hood pulled his rifle off his shoulder and propped it against the wall.
    “Hello!?” Taylor's voice echoed from upstairs.
    Whiskey placed his shotgun on a shelf in the mudroom.
    Hood smiled, shaking his head at him. Hood mouthed, “No respect.”
    Whiskey smiled, putting a finger over his mouth. The two of them stood at the bottom of the stairs that led to the second floor.
    “Hello??” Taylor repeated, walking to the top of the steps and looking down at the two of them. Her green eyes lit up, a wide smile forming familiar dimples on either side of her heart-shaped face.
    “Take your time, sis. It's only your family,” Hood said with a grin. She ran down the stairs, her