Wisteria (Wisteria Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

mother, and Andrew were parked on the Norton’s High Street at noon. A group of ten or so people ran past, causing Wisteria to sit up. The freedom runners. She counted the joggers and recorded their numbers.
    The island was holding a mini marathon from the gates of Smythe to Norton high street and back. A group of residents, called the freedom union, had pressed for this event for months. The soldiers finally agreed, to prevent an uprising.
    “How many runners, Wisteria?” Andrew asked.
    “I counted twelve,” she answered. “This was a dumb idea,” she muttered for the umpteenth time that day. “Why did the leadership council agree to a fun run on the mainland?”
    “It’s not too bad.” Andrew chuckled. “They’re only using routes where we’ve not seen any biters in a year. All the trackers are out here watching them. It’s going to be safe.”
    “But we saw an infected woman here three weeks ago,” Wisteria informed him.
    “Exactly, three weeks ago. The second biter in six months. We haven’t seen anything since then,” Andrew said.
    “So?” Wisteria wanted to know. “Why take the risk? We’re sitting here, watching these fun-runners and our lives are in danger too!”
    “Wisteria, calm down,” her mother scolded. “This is the job you begged for and deceived Coles into giving to you. You wanted to be a tracker and go out on patrol.This is what we do. So, you’ve got to deal with it. Watch the runners, if we see any biters, we get the runners into our vehicles and get out of here.” Her mother continued. “If the runners are infected, you can cure them.”
    Wisteria didn’t like the plan. It made no sense to her. If one of the runners was bitten and hid their bite while returning to the island, then everyone in Smythe could get infected.
    Three more runners came past.
    “That’s fifteen,” Wisteria stated.
    There were supposed to be nineteen. Andrew picked up the radio, as Steven and Hailey came around the corner.
    When the couple passed the SUV, Steven waved at Wisteria.
    “Focus, please,” her mother reminded her.
    “We’re two short.” Wisteria scanned her list.
    “Gulf-Bravo-four, this is Juliet-Charlie-three. We’re waiting on a couple of runners,” Andrew spoke into the radio mic. “Who’s missing?”
    “Amanda Weiss, number seventeen, and Melissa Abner, twelve,” Wisteria read.
    “Seventeen, Weiss,” Andrew told someone over the radio. “Twelve, Abner.”
    “Wait,” Rebecca responded, and then paused. “Hang on.”
    “Rebecca, what the hell?” Wisteria’s mother pounded the dashboard with her fist while yelling at the woman on the radio. “Just tell me if you’ve seen them.”
    “No, I mean, yes. They passed here fifteen minutes ago. She’s not in my area,” Rebecca babbled. “They got lost in your section. Gulf-Bravo-four—out.”
    “I hate that woman,” Wisteria’s mother grumbled.
    “So what do we do?” Wisteria asked.
    “The runners are heading back to the island and Rebecca will trail them home. We’ll drive up the side road and look for Melissa and what’s-her-face,” her mother decided. “I hope they haven’t done something stupid.” She then spoke into the radio to update the tracker station on the plan.
    Pulling out of their parking spot, Andrew cruised down the High Street.
    After about twenty minutes of circling the shops and finding nothing, Wisteria began imagining the worst.
    Cussing, Andrew slammed on the brakes right in front of the Cunningham’s store. “Check it out.” He pointed at the window.
    Through the filthy shop window, Wisteria spotted Melissa and Amanda picking out clothes.
    “I’m going to shoot them.” Her mother aimed her rifle in the girls’ direction.
    “No, Mum.” Wisteria opened the back seat of the SUV. “I’ll grab them.”
    “Wait, no Wisteria, don’t!” Her mother reached out to her.
    “Relax. This is my job, right?” Wisteria responded with a laugh. “Besides, I know you and Andrew have my