Fire Birds by Shane Gregory Read Free Book Online Page A

they come with him?”
    “He didn’t tell them he was leaving.”
    She didn’t come out and say it, but I knew she wanted to go back for them. She wanted me to be the one to bring it up.
    I sighed, “They’ll be fine.”
    She stood, “What if they need to get away quickly? How will they do it?”
    “They’re right on the lake,” I said. “Aren’t there any boats nearby? We’re probably in worse shape than they are.”
    “But–“
    “We can’t leave, Sara. Our exit is blocked thanks to your boy down there.”
    “I thought we might be able to cross the pasture in the back and cut through the woods to that other farm. Maybe we could find a car over there.”
    I shook my head, “The infected have come through that way before. I have the fence fixed back there, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t in the woods right now trying to find a way across. I’m sorry, but Julio and Christine will have to fend for themselves, at least for a day or two.”
    “Christine should get her period tomorrow or the next day for sure.”
    I looked down at the floor then back at Sara.
    “I’ll probably get mine about the same time,” she said.
    “Shit.”
    “We need to go now while we can,” she said. “Or…I need to go. Julio and Christine don’t have enough supplies for a long stay inside that cabin. We stored a lot of our supplies in the van, and Grant didn’t unload it before he left. There haven’t been any infected out there that we’ve seen, but they might start showing up when Christine gets her period. If I stay here, it’ll get bad here. You know that.”
    “We’re not in any danger here,” I said. “Not now. I’ve fortified the property. I have plenty of supplies spread all over in every building. We’re okay here for a couple of weeks at least so long as we don’t run out of water.”
    “What about Christine and Julio?”
    “They know about the menstrual thing, right? They’ll know to go someplace safe for a while. They’ll probably get out on the lake–a houseboat or something.”
    “Grant said he was willing to go with me.”
    “Grant’s an idiot,” I said. “That’s not jealousy talking. He really is an idiot. I don’t see how he’s made it this long. I don’t want you going anywhere with him.”
    “You don’t know him well enough to call him that,” she said. “He made some bad decisions this morning, but that’s because he was emotional. Cut him some slack. I remember you making some bad moves when you got too emotional over Jen.”
    She had me there. I smirked and shook my head, “Well, I can see how you might make a man do crazy things. You’ve had almost every man in Clayfield stirred up for months.”
    “We have to go,” she said solemnly. “We have to go get them and bring them back here.”
    “Fine,” I said reluctantly. “I have bug out bags packed. There’s one in every room. Grab one and let’s go.”
    She came over and hugged me. “Do you regret that I came back?”
    “Not yet.”

CHAPTER 8
     
    Grant carried an axe and the bug out bag, which was a large backpack containing food, water, first aid, and other survival supplies. Sara carried a shotgun, her little pink job, and a hunting rifle with scope slung on her back. I carried a splitting maul and smaller backpack with a gallon of water and extra shotgun shells. We all had holstered side arms as well.
    We went out the back door, and when we crossed the fence into the back horse pasture, I turned to face them.
    “We are going due north. I’ve been in those woods a couple of times looking for wild food and–“
    “Like squirrels?” Grant said.
    “No,” I said. “Not like squirrels. We’ll travel a few hundred feet, then there will be a creek. It’s about ten feet deep and about twenty across. Then a few hundred feet more and we’ll be in an old soybean field. The weeds are probably pretty tall by now, but just keep your eyes on the silo. That will lead you to the barns and house. If we get