The Fall (Book 2): Dead Will Rise Read Online Free PDF Page A

their leader.”
    Kell scowled. “I'm not their leader. You and Kate are the ones teaching them, giving them orders. I don't want to be their leader. And I really don't want them seeing me that way. The whole point is for me to lie low, Jesus.”
    She didn't roll her eyes, but there was an obvious effort restraining the urge. “And you'll notice none of them even look at you twice. They would tell anyone who asked that Kate and I run the show, that you're just one of the gang. Because they aren't stupid, Kell. Stupid died out two years ago. They know how private you are, that you've got a secret. You don't trust them and you damn well should. Because they trust you.”
    He shook his head. “I don't understand.”
    Laura sighed. “They watched you go into that marauder camp, alone and basically unarmed. You told them we'd get those prisoners back. Against the odds, that happened. They saw you fight in the streets, risk your life for them. That's leadership. They trust you. They like you. And while they're as prepared as anyone can be for this trip, it still scares them.”
    Kell mulled that over for a second and surprised himself with a smile. He caught Dan's eye, motioning him over.
    “What's up?” Dan said as he approached.
    Kell tilted his head toward their group. “Have them come over here, all of them. I want to have a word.”
    Dan grinned. “Sure thing.”
    The group gathered quickly, nearly three dozen people huddled between vehicles. Kell pitched his voice higher than normal to be heard, but not loud enough for it to carry to the other groups.
    “I didn't know we were going to travel with other people,” Kell began. “I assumed since we're supposed to be the test run for this migration it would only be us.” He scanned the crowd, saw the determination on their faces parked right next to fear. “Even those of you with no combat training are better prepared than the best of their people. In fact, since we were planning on having people on the roofs as watchers anyway, I want those folks to be up there. When we get to Kentucky and get settled in, we'll catch you up with hand-to-hand fighting. For this trip, you're best suited to keeping an eye out for the rest of us. Make sure you've got your rifles loaded and ready.”
    The handful of students nodded at their new assignments. Kell flashed a brief smile at them.
    “The rest of you know your jobs. When we camp or if we have to stop, I know you'll get the work done without me or anyone telling you. I'm not thrilled we've got these other folks to worry over now, but unless they get violent, which I doubt, or do something so ridiculously stupid we can't help, we're going to watch out for them. If anything happens out there, you protect yourselves first. But help them if you can. Understood?”
    There was a general murmur of agreement. Some of them straightened at his words, fear turning into confidence. They knew it was true, after all. They were better than the rest. They'd chosen to brave the countryside and stayed there after zombie incursions, even after their people were taken by bandits. They'd worked hard to give themselves every possible advantage to survive. Couching it in terms of helping others, in using what they knew to protect, appealed to their sense of vanity.
    If it was a deception, it was only a small one.
    The group dispersed, standing near their vehicles. It was another thirty minutes before the commander of their escort finally called to move out, three short blasts of his car horn.
    Kell was in the passenger seat of the RV when the call came, Kate driving. Spear on the floor beside him, friends at his back, he blew out a breath.
    “Time to go,” he said.
     
    “This is a lot more boring than I expected,” Kell said.
    “Boring is good,” Kate replied. “Boring is safe and alive.”
    He grunted, too absorbed in the scenery to form long, cohesive thoughts. The same sense of being watched he'd felt at the house followed him now. Twenty