The Survivor Chronicles: The Risen Read Online Free PDF Page A

nose wrinkled as she turned
away from him. "Lucky me," she murmured. Xander wrapped his arm
around Riley's waist and pulled her against his side.
    "There's no reason for all of us to go in,"
Carl said. "We'll keep the vehicles running and someone should stay
behind the wheels in case we have to make a quick retreat."
    Mary Ellen nodded her agreement and pulled
the keys for the Cadillac from her pocket. She went to turn back to
the car when Donald took hold of her hand and slipped the keys from
her. "I'll sit in the car; you can be with your daughter."
    Mary Ellen gave him a grateful smile; she
released the keys to him. "Stay with the truck," Carl said to
John.
    John started to protest but he glanced at
Rochelle and closed his mouth. Mary Ellen lifted an eyebrow at the
bottle of water in Rochelle's hand with a Twizzler sticking out the
top of it. She suspected John had something to do with the candy
water bottle, and the fact that Rochelle was actually looking up
and around again, instead of staring at her feet. If John had been
any closer, she may have kissed the kid, but he had moved toward
the stairs of the building with Carl.
    Draping her arm around Rochelle's shoulders,
she pulled her daughter against her side. "How's the drink?"
    "Good," Rochelle said and actually gave her
a little smile. Relief filled her, she ruffled Rochelle's hair and
kissed the top of her head. Rochelle didn't protest the gesture,
but she did straighten her hair before taking another sip from her
drink.
    John turned away from Carl and hurried over
to the truck. Mary Ellen watched as Riley, Xander, and Carl
cautiously approached the door of the building. She was well aware
of the shaggy brunette head missing from the back of the pack, one
that had always been with Xander and Riley. The tears that had been
brimming in her eyes spilled free. She brushed them away and was
about to move Rochelle toward the truck when Josh trotted past her
and jogged up the steps of the police station to join the others.
He'd been so hesitant and frightened ever since they'd left
Xander's grandmother's house, it was good to see him coming out of
his shell now. Good to see him trying to help out more.
    Riley and Xander turned to look at Josh but
they didn't speak as Carl twisted the handle and shoved the door
open. Mary Ellen said a silent prayer for their safety when they
cautiously entered the building. It wasn't until they had all gone
inside that Mary Ellen realized there were no police cars in front
of the station. She glanced around the parking lot, but she hadn't
missed the emergency vehicles, they simply weren't there.
    Rochelle squeezed her hand before pulling
away and walking over to the open passenger side door of the truck.
Mary Ellen's attention was taken from Rochelle when the car in
front started up again. Al climbed out of the car and walked over
to join her.
    "Think they'll find anything?" she
asked.
    Al shrugged and pushed his glasses up on his
nose. His blue eyes were even larger behind the frames of the
glasses; his gray hair had been brushed to the side, away from his
lined face. There were dark shadows under his eyes but he was still
alert as he pinned her with his gaze. "Let's hope so," he said.
"Rochelle seems to be coming around."
    Mary Ellen glanced at Rochelle. Her daughter
stepped away from the truck and stretched her back. "She does."
    "Kids are much more resilient than we adults
give them credit for."
    "Yeah," she muttered and glanced toward the
building. "She's not the only kid here though."
    "True," Al agreed.
    "Where are the police cars?"
    Al shook his head; he stared at the empty
parking spots around them. "They probably took them to answer calls
when everything started. Judging by the size of this building, I
think it's only an outlet for the state police on the highway. The
main barracks is probably located somewhere else. I doubt they even
have extra vehicles here."
    "Makes sense," Mary Ellen said.
    Movement behind one of the windows