The Divide: Origins Read Online Free PDF Page B

safe in prison. Didn’t he
owe him this much?
    His
decision had been made. Max was going into what would be the most dangerous
situation he had ever been a part of without a weapon or much chance at
survival. It was going to be a life changing experience that would leave quite
a few people dead in the process. That was the day when Max truly understood
what it would take to survive in the new world.

 
    Chapter 4
    The Storm

 
    Max
snuck around to the back of the house. He could enter through the back door,
but odds were that someone would hear him. It might be safer to try the
upstairs. There was a balcony just above him. He jumped up and grabbed it. Then
he pulled himself up and checked the door. It was unlocked.
    Once
he was inside and his eyes had adjusted to the darkened room, Max saw that he
was in a bedroom. The girl from the night before lay dead on the bed. The scene
told the story of what happened to her. She was naked, and a pillow was
covering her face. The thought of what happened there made him shudder. She was
just a girl. Rape and murder were always wrong, but when the victim was a
child, it was worse to Max. For a moment, he considered leaving Jerome to
whatever fate he had coming. Didn’t he deserve it? This was the destruction
that Max had to look forward to if he saved him. Jerome was obviously sick.
What if he went after Zoe? Would Max be able to stop him? Jerome was younger
and much larger.
    “You
are going to regret this when I get
loose!” he heard Jerome yell from downstairs, rousing him from his thoughts.
    Whether
it was what he should have done or not, his body reacted on instinct. He snuck
downstairs and made his way to the living room. He could see Jerome tied to a
chair in the kitchen. A man was standing guard over him, but Max knew he
couldn’t be alone. Someone would be gathering supplies while he was watching
Jerome. Where was this other guy, though? The answer to that came when he heard
a door shut in a bedroom down the hall. Max stealthily moved toward the hallway
and listened for any sign of his enemy. He heard a man going through drawers in
the next room. It was now or never. He had the element of surprise, and he
couldn’t afford to waste it. Max stepped out from behind the wall and quietly
walked to the next room. The man never even saw him. He was too busy looking
for anything that could help them survive. Just as Max stepped behind him, the
man heard him. It was too late, though. Max wrapped his arm around his neck and
took him to the floor. It made plenty of noise.
    “Are
you okay in there?” his partner yelled.
    Max
didn’t give him a chance to answer. In a quick motion, he turned his neck
sideways, snapping it in the process. Then he examined his enemy. He had a gun
on his side. Max grabbed it and started walking toward the kitchen. As soon as
the last thief was in view, Max shot without even thinking. The bullet struck
him in the chest, and he hit the floor. He gasped for air, but it didn’t take long
for him to die.
    “Where
have you been?” Jerome asked in frustration.
    “We
ran into some problems at Zoe’s. Her parents are dead, and she’s staying with
us.”
    “Are
you crazy? A little girl is not coming with us. We don’t have time to babysit her. It’s getting hotter, and if
we don’t find an air conditioner, we’re going to die.”
    “Don’t
be dramatic. Zoe gave us a generator, some gas, and an air conditioner. They were
at her house, and we brought them back here, so she stays. Besides, based on
what I saw upstairs, it seems like you like little girls a lot . . . maybe a
little too much,” Max said in disgust.
    “ Please ! You’re not judging me right now. We had all been in prison for a long
time. We had to kill those people anyway. What was so wrong with having a
little fun after she was dead? The same rules don’t apply anymore. This isn’t
the society we once knew, Max.”
    “You’re
right about that. It’s not the same. We don’t