Tomorrow 7 - The Other Side Of Dawn Read Online Free PDF Page B

very suspicious of the food adults gave them in Stratton. Seemed like maybe the soldiers had put poisoned stuff out for them.
    Casey hid behind me when she first met Ryan, and when we set off again stayed as close to me as I’d let her. Natalie shadowed Fi in the same kind of way. Jack was a real dickhead for a while, showing off and being stupid, prancing around trying to be smart. We shut him up fast. We couldn’t afford any noise.
    I was embarrassed about the kids being so rude to Ryan, and disappointed in them. He seemed decent enough, and I think he really did feel bad about not being allowed to come with us when we went after the patrol. He certainly tried to make up for it in every way possible, helping with packs, and tying straps and encouraging everyone to take food.
    When we got down the track a good way he even showed a bit of a sense of humour. Well, too try-hard at times, but basically decent, and you couldn’t help laughing at some of the things he said.
    We belted along at a hell of a pace, as fast as we could go without the kids falling over. I led, heading for our back paddocks. At least with the food inside us we could push it a bit. The first couple of hours were really fast, then we had to slow down. But by then we had covered a lot of ground, and felt safer. We were out of the mountains now and into the flatter country, where you could see for miles. Our danger in this area was more likely to come from the air, so we kept turning 360s, and scanning the hazy horizon. There was no time for relaxation. If we were no longer safe in Hell, we weren’t safe anywhere.
    When the ferals couldn’t keep going any longer we stopped, in a dreary little patch of bush near the creek in one of our paddocks, Nellie’s. At that point Ryan got very serious again. I’d hardly swallowed my last mouthful of Pepsi when he asked us to get rid of the kids. Homer and Kevin took them to a clearing a bit further along the bank, so we could still see them. In my pack I always had paper and pens, so I gave them those and told them to write a story or draw a picture.
    ‘Or go to sleep,’ Homer said optimistically.
    They seemed almost relieved to have something normal to do. They’d been so pleased to see us when we came trotting into the campsite in Hell – I’d been moved by how pleased they were. Fi had got them to hide in the undergrowth, but I think they were all sure they were going to be killed. When we arrived and they realised it was safe they threw themselves at me like I was a gum tree and they were koalas.
    Led by Homer and Kevin they trudged off along the creek with their pens and paper. As soon as they were out of range Ryan said: ‘Well, they’re a real complication.’
    ‘Tell us something we didn’t know,’ I said. I guess I sounded a bit unfriendly, but I didn’t mean to be. I was still so off-balance after the terrible encounters with two patrols in as many days, plus I was nervous at what Ryan might want.
    Anyway it was no news to us that the kids were a complication. They’d been a complication ever since we first had anything to do with them.
    Ryan continued: ‘We’ll have a chat about them later and see what’s to be done.’
    I just shrugged and started picking up Kit-Kat wrappers. We didn’t talk again until the boys were back.
    ‘OK, let’s get on with it,’ Homer said, as we sat down for the big conference. ‘Why are you here?’
    By then we were busting with impatience.
    ‘OK,’ Ryan began. ‘You want to know why I’m here? Basically, it’s because Colonel Finley believes you can help us in the next phase of the war. Before I start though, I have to say that everything I tell you is absolutely top-secret. I can’t emphasise that strongly enough. If any of this reaches the wrong ears ...’
    I sighed, closed my eyes, and leaned my head against a tree trunk. Seemed like I’d been here before. I didn’t blame Ryan though. Some stuff you just have to say, you feel you can’t go