Rise & Walk (Book 2): Pathogen Read Online Free PDF

guess.  It’s just what he does.” Jack said shaking his head. “In matches or camping, whenever someone got hurt, he’d spring into action and patch ‘em up.  The man goes overboard on first-aid.”
    “Nothing wrong with that.  I am glad for it.” She said quietly.
    “Yeah, he carries a lot of gear actually.  I have to remind him to travel light in our matches but he never listens.”
    Jack sensed her distraction and paused his wrapping to look at her.
    “I’m just really scared,” she whispered.
    “Me too,” he whispered back.
    “What are we gonna do?” Veronica asked, her head shaking just a little.
    “We’re in bad shape; you’re injured and we’re all exhausted.” Jack said while making another pass around her midsection.
    “We need a safe place to sleep, ammunition, more guns” he continued. Veronica’s stomach tightened with apprehension.  Jack noticed as he passed the gauze from one hand to the other, almost hugging her. The near intimacy felt as if he were letting his guard down.  They were safe for the moment but things could change in an instant; he needed to keep that fact in mind.  He suddenly had a feeling of dread; as if a rotting ghoul could leap from the brush and attack at any moment.  Jack’s defensive instincts told him he was being careless by leaving his sword in the cab of the truck.  Mason knew that nothing was behind him but still felt an unreasoning sensation of fear, the same fear that made him leave a light on at night as a child.   He hurried to secure the ends of the bandages and free his hands.
    “You’re not thinking about the plant?” She asked.
    “Maybe; I don’t know. Whatever we decide we’re gonna need bullets.”
    “What about Nikki’s parents?”
    “Don’t know.  We got three rounds left in one shotgun and there could be a whole town of those things down there,” He countered.  She sat in silence, looking at Jack for a moment.
    “Are you worried about your mom?” She asked.
    The small flashlight was gentle, only enough to illuminate half of Veronica’s face.  Her features appeared darker in the crimson monochrome.  He could see the honesty in her gaze; the understanding and compassion in the pleasant contours of her face.  
    “Yeah.  My stepdad’s pretty cool though.  He takes good care of her.  I’m figuring they’re okay.” He said.
    She could hear the hesitation in his voice as he spoke.
    “Would you want to come to Berkeley with us?” He asked.
    “Berkeley?” she almost stuttered. The thought of a large city shook her agoraphobia.  “You heard what the radio said about San Francisco; Berkeley is awfully close.”
    “Give it some thought, our place is pretty secure.  Tony and I have guns and maybe a couple thousand rounds each.”
    Veronica frowned and shook her head.  Even outside, just the thought of returning to a large city began to provoke her anxiety.
    “And hundreds of thousands of dead cannibals.” She said.
     
    Nikki Howe stood at the rocky edge of the curved mountain road.  She leaned her knees against the scraped galvanized metal of a guardrail, grown rusty with years.  Tony, finally catching up with the young lady, took a seat on the metal rail with his back to the town.
    “You okay?” he asked, and instantly regretted speaking.
    Nikki gave no acknowledgement.
    “Sorry.  Dumb question” he added as he watched her lift the binoculars to her eyes.  They looked too large for her small face as she scanned the town from right to left.  She settled on an area in the south-west and spoke.
    “I can’t see my house from here.” Nikki almost pleaded.
    Tony stood, turned, and looked over the town.  It would be a nice view if the top floor of the tallest building in the vista wasn’t smoldering.  Tall was an overstatement at only five stories but aside from the rooftop crucifix of a nearby church, it dominated the skyline. 
    “Where’s your place?” He asked.
    Nikki pointed without looking