High Pressure System: First Season Underground by K.D. Kinney Read Free Book Online Page B

of what my stomach told me it wanted. I struggled to meet anyone’s gaze though. That didn’t stop them from crowding around and following me to my destination.
    “So he let you out?” “You are alive!” “What did Brandon do to you?” The questions all came out at once and I didn’t know what I should say to any of them.
    Jim was my salvation. “Hey, guys. Let her have some room. I smelled her kitchen failures all the way down the hall. I’m sure she’s here to eat something and maybe then she might be willing to talk to you.” Everyone backed off as Jim escorted me the rest of the way to the stuff that wasn’t unintentionally black or undercooked.
    I plucked vegetables from the salad bar and stuffed as much in my mouth as I put on my plate.
    “Don’t let Amanda see you do that. She might banish you for a week.” Jim nudged my side.
    Amanda Worden did take her job as kitchen manager seriously as if she was getting paid out in the real world. I would have followed Jim’s advice if hunger wasn’t overriding common sense. I still felt guilty for lying to him about being sick. It was easier to let him worry about a measly cold than have him try to work me out of my mental frailty.
    “Brandon said everyone was starting to freak out over me. I guess it was true judging by that welcome,” I said once I swallowed at least half of what was in my mouth.
    “What are you talking about?” Jim asked in mock disbelief before winking at me. “I think there are a few who are trying to find anything to freak out about. But there has been concern about you and lots of rumors.”
    “Did they think Brandon put me away?” I finally filled my plate with all it could hold and we made our way to an uninhabited corner of the dining hall. I could feel eyes watching me, though. Whenever my name popped out of the constant murmuring, it seemed to echo off the walls.
    “There was a lot of speculation. I told them you were sick. But even I didn’t believe that.” He smiled and patted my arm. “I probably would have stayed in my apartment for a few days too if it had been me. However, you’ve been in hiding for over two weeks now.”
    “Well, it was easier to just stay there.” I tried to smile as if it was no big deal, but I couldn’t do it. “I was safe and didn’t cause anyone any trouble.”
    “You saw it, didn’t you?” Jim whispered. “You know why he locked the lobby down.”
    “You helped save me, you were there.” I frowned at him in disbelief.
    “I’ve heard it rattle the roof plenty of times. But I never saw it. The storms are getting more powerful and focused more around where we are. I don’t know what exactly is happening or what it looks like though.”
    I clamped my jaw down tight. I couldn’t believe with all the time he’d spent with Brandon helping him with security that he wouldn’t actually know what was out there. Even though I knew, I had been trying to convince myself it was one of my nightmares and not real.
    When Jim realized I wasn’t ready to share, he sat in silence, picking a muffin to pieces. “The food they’re offering is changing. More reconstituted stuff and canned products. There are more greens though, just like Brandon promised on the first day. They said egg production is increasing so there will be more of that soon.”
    I was close to finishing my food when Dobbers and Yodel sat at my feet, looking for handouts. I tossed them a couple of carrots when the two people I disliked most crossed the room, headed straight for me.
    Living underground for several months hadn’t changed the Harpers at all. T.J. Harper was decked out in a polo shirt and Dockers as if he was headed out for a day at the golf course. There wasn’t any of that here. His wife Britta wore designer whatever from her glitter painted toes poking out from her fancy stilettos to her poofy, fake blonde hairdo that was losing its fluff and showing some much darker roots. She was mortified when she learned