The Renegades 2 Aftermath (A Post Apocalyptic Zombie Thriller) Read Online Free PDF

happened too quickly.”
    He nodded and glanced at one of the other men who was standing by the door.
    “Why haven’t you blocked off the roads?” I asked. “You know, to prevent Z’s from showing up on your doorstep?”
    “The Lord watches over us.”
    It was then I noticed that each of them wore a gold ring. Like the kind given out to those who had made it through police academy or a group that was part of a secret society.
    “You always lived here?” I asked.
    “No. Some of us came in from out of town looking for supplies. I was from the city but when things got bad, we decided to find somewhere we could start again.”
    “And you settled on Wells?”
    He took another sip of his drink as two women wheeled a trolley out that had cooked meat, potatoes, and vegetables on it.
    “Wells is small. Simple. Exactly what we need.”
    I looked over at Ralphie. His eyes were down, occasionally he would glance up.
    “How do you know Ralphie?” Dax asked.
    “We are brothers.”
    “Brothers? But he said his brother died.”
    “Oh, not by blood. Brothers in the Lord. Which by the way, I must thank you for bringing him back to us. We were very concerned for him. We had no idea where he’d gone.”
    I nodded slowly. “Not a problem, but I don’t think he plans on staying.”
    “He’ll stay,” Isaac said it with full confidence.
    They began dishing up food. My stomach was grumbling. There were about thirty of us in the hall. A few men stood by the doors, occasionally glancing out as if they were expecting trouble. Isaac sat directly to my right. Another man to the side of me leaned in and asked, “Tell me. Are the three females virgins?”
    I nearly spat my orange juice out. “What?” I stammered.
    “Pure.”
    I frowned. “What the hell does that have to do with anything?”
    The volume of discussion around the table was loud enough that only Isaac and I heard.
    “Joseph,” Isaac gave him a look of death. “Excuse our brother for being so forthright. In this age it’s rare to find those who are pure. He’s just curious.”
    I wasn’t sure how to reply to that. His comment wasn’t just unusual, it was downright creepy. I looked over at Jess, relieved she hadn’t heard, otherwise the guy might have found himself chewing on a bullet.
    Two young children came by and handed us each a plate of food. I stared down at it as steam spiraled up. The smell made my stomach rumble.
    “Looks good.”
    “It’s been a while since we’ve had a hot meal,” Dax said.
    I was about to tuck into it when Isaac coughed. I glanced at him with my fork just about to enter my mouth. The others around the table glared. I placed my fork down.
    “Sister Rachael, perhaps you would like to give thanks.”
    She gave a nod before closing her eyes and bowing. It was your typical prayer. Now I can’t begin to say how uncomfortable this made me feel. I had grown up in a household where no one ever prayed over their food. We had a stretch or starve mentality. About the only thing my father was thankful for was the fridge stocked with beer.
    When the woman was done we began to eat. The cutlery clattered as discussion continued.
    “Tell me, Johnny, are you a believer?” Isaac asked.
    I took a bite of a potato.
    “I never really had a need.”
    “Everyone has a need.”
    I began to feel a little warm around the collar. I knew wars had been started over what people believed. We were guests, our weapons were in a box by the door. I certainly didn’t want to offend the man. They had been kind enough to invite us for a meal. Even though they were a little strange, it made a change to meet someone who wasn’t out to slit our throats. I thought back to the small group we had met at the motel.
    “Not eating, brother?” Isaac asked.
    Specs chuckled to himself. I had a rough feeling what he was snickering about. He’d always found the mention of brotherhood, funny. He had once thrown a bunch of firecrackers into the local parish church just so