Amanda Carter in the L.A.Z., life after zombies by Jo Lee Auburne Read Free Book Online Page B

ball cap back upon her head. Sweat streamed down her body, and she knew that she would be in need of more water soon, as would the dogs.
    “Are you two coming or staying?” Amanda asked of the dogs while gathering up her things.
    She began walking back to the truck, hoping for the sake of her conscious that she would have two new companions. The time that it had taken her to do all that was costing daylight and leaving the truck exposed to the possibility of theft.
    This time, she didn’t look back but knew that they were following because their panting had become pronounced.
    She made it back to the truck quicker than she had expected, probably propelled faster by the thought of nightfall approaching. In the dark, it would be impossible to see a horde of creepers descending upon her until they were lit up by her headlights; then it might be too late.
    Amanda was relieved to see that the truck had remained undisturbed by raiders. The desert was vast out here, and no one besides the horde had come across it, and the horde had had little interest in it, leaving it untouched as they passed, save for some greasy handprints here and there.
    First things first, she thought. She needed water, the dogs needed water, and the truck needed water. The water was warm, almost hot, but it did the trick as she gulped some down and then poured a little atop her head. Next, she dug around the supplies in the extra cab, finding a pan, and put water in it for the dogs. She set the pan underneath the truck and both dogs crawled under for a drink and then set themselves down using the truck for shade.
    Hopefully this will work , she thought as she popped the hood and twisted off the cap to the radiator. She poured a gallon of water and part of another into the truck and then partially filled the dry reservoir.
    Red whined from underneath the truck, and for some reason, it sounded like a warning. Amanda grabbed the binoculars, raising them to the direction that the dog was looking. Red issued another whine, followed by a low growl.
    The dog was right. In the distance behind them, Amanda could see a dust plume that was being thrown up by a vehicle, a truck it looked like, but it was still too far away to be sure.
    “Good job, Red,” Amanda said, feeling her pulse quicken. Soon, they would not be alone. In the LAZ, coming across strangers was rarely a good thing.
    Amanda dropped the binoculars and jumped into the driver’s seat, holding her breath as she cranked the key. The truck started and stalled. She tried again, and this time, the truck stayed running, warm air busting out from the air conditioning because it had not had time to cool yet. She shut the air off.
    Jumping out, she looked under the truck to see if the water she had just put in was pouring out anywhere. All she could identify were some leaks dripping from the radiator but nothing to be too alarmed about. She slammed the hood of the truck down.
    “Get in,” she said to the dogs, indicating with a sweep of her arm that she wanted them to jump into the cab. “Let’s go, guys,” Amanda said again, and Red was the first to leap in, followed by his little companion.
    With quick, efficient movements, she picked up the pan of water that they had finished, tossing it in the bed of the truck. Next, she went to the back of the truck, standing on the rear bumper to gather up a cargo net. This she dropped behind the truck, careful to unravel it and spread it out evenly. She had found this method to be the best for disguising her tire tracks.
    Fortunately, the dogs had remained in the truck, and she jumped back in, moving the vehicle into drive. The vehicle behind them was most likely filled with raiders. At this point, it was still probably fifteen minutes in their wake but gaining. The road was rutted with potholes and occasional gullies, making travel at high speeds inadvisable.
    It was hot inside the truck, even though she had left the windows halfway down when she had had to