The Thrust Read Online Free PDF Page B

him.
    Why?
    Because there’s something about him. Something . . . good.
    “What do I do?” she asked.
    “You know, whatever you want,” Jenna laughed. “Don’t overthink it. You like him, he likes you, you’re both young and healthy and single . . . no reason to deny yourselves. I mean, really. Why deny yourself pleasure, after all the shit you’ve lived through? You could be happy with him.”
    It was something to think about.
    “Do you really think he’d let me take control in bed?” Clarissa whispered, glancing again at Trent’s back, his muscular shoulders straining the seams of his threadbare shirt.
    “At first, hell yeah,” Jenna said. “He’ll just be so happy to be getting laid. But something tells me Trent’s more of your traditional, ‘me Tarzan, you Jane,’ type. You’ll have to give it a go and feel him out.” Jenna grinned. “And then, you know . . . let me know how it goes.”
    Clarissa laughed. God, it felt good to laugh again. The world was too serious, too scary. But everything about Letliv made her feel free again.
    “You girls done talking about us?” Barker called, and Jenna gave him a teasing middle finger.
    “I love that man,” she sighed, and they walked over to where the guys stood.
    “Barker was saying that we need to figure out a way to get the citizens at Grand Central on our side before we get there,” Trent said, filling them in.
    “But we also need to train everyone to fight,” Clarissa said. “Because Colonel Lanche isn’t going to just let us waltz in and take everyone with us. His men will shoot us.”
    “I agree,” Barker said. “We’ll need to set up a way for the people of Letliv who are joining us to work together, to communicate in the field, and to know how to cover each other’s back when the shooting starts.”
    “Fuck,” Jenna whispered. “I don’t want to lead people into a battle. I don’t want any more blood on our hands.”
    Trent looked at her. “No one will go unless they choose to. They’ll know the risks going in. And we won’t make our move until we’re all working like a . . . like a machine. Like a real militia.”
    “We need to save all our ammo for the actual . . . event,” Clarissa mused out loud. “How will people train? We can’t waste bullets on target practice.”
    “We can do dry runs,” Jenna suggested. “Shoot empty guns, just to practice moving with them, aiming, that sort of thing. I’ve done it before, and it’s surprisingly effective if you really visualize what’s going to happen.”
    “When did you practice shooting without bullets?” Barker asked, looking surprised.
    “The first time I stole your rifle,” Jenna said. “When I thought I was going to have to shoot you. I didn’t want to mess it up, so I practiced.”
    “Jesus Christ,” Barker said, paling.
    “Well, good thing you grew on her,” Clarissa joked, hoping to lighten the suddenly somber mood.
    “We’ll need to practice taking cover, and maybe even draw out some maps of the main terminal and the Tracks,” Trent said. “I want to know exactly where Annie is the moment we get in the building.”
    “That’s assuming we even get in the building.” Barker frowned. “Grand Central is locked up tighter than a prison. The best way in will be with inside help.”
    “We’ve got Annie and Evan on the inside,” Clarissa reminded him.
    Barker shook his head. She knew what he was thinking. A girl with a broken leg, and a boy.
    “It’s better than nothing,” Trent said grimly.
    “We need to recruit more people on the inside,” Jenna said. “But how?”
    The four of them stood there silently.
    This was going to be even harder than they’d thought.
----
    At the church, Clarissa watched as Trent stood to address the people who’d joined them to discuss freeing the camp at Grand Central.
    “Thank you for coming,” he said. “I’m going to say, right off the bat, that you don’t have to be here. If you change your