Infected (Book 2): The Flight by Caleb Cleek Read Free Book Online

pushed the switch down like you taught me. Mom told me to rest it on the hood of the truck and wait for the guys to come out.  When they walked out of the store, I shot them both.  When I shot the first guy, he fell into the grocery cart the other one was pushing.  It was just like when I shot that fat infected lady that was trying to eat me yesterday.”
    Connor cringed as Toby paused for a breath.  This was exactly what Connor had been trying to protect him from.  Nobody should have to take another person’s life, especially a boy Toby’s age.  At the same time, he felt pride that his son was able to do what needed to be done to protect himself and the others from what would have occurred had he not taken the two lives.  He would much prefer Toby to live with the guilt rather than have him and Luke brutally murdered and Katie and Eve endure the horrors awaiting them at the hands of Curtis and his crew.
    Matt jumped in to finish the story.  “Frank was driving us toward the station when we heard a gun popping away further up the road.  Instead of turning toward the station, Frank kept going to check out what was happening and see if somebody needed help.  We couldn’t have been more surprised when we saw Eve and Katie running up the road toward us.  Toby was blasting away at infected with the rifle he picked up, while Luke was lighting them up with a flashlight he took from the truck.  They made a pretty good team.  We uncuffed the girls and came to meet you.  When we got here, we saw the Hummer in front and left the girls and kids in the car, fearing the worst.  I’ve got to tell you, it looked pretty bad when we walked into the hall.  I thought they got you.”
    “You know me better than that,” Connor said, trying to put up a nonchalant edifice as he thought back to how close he came to losing his fight with Curtis.
    Toby was hovering over Connor, still not convinced he wasn’t going to die.  “I’m going to be okay, Buddy.  I’m a little banged up, but I’m going to make it,” Connor said, trying to give a reassuring grin.  His lips were still oozing blood, which coated his teeth.  His attempt at a reassuring grin unsettled Toby even further. Connor pulled Toby to himself, hugging him.  Even though it sent a searing pain through his broken rib, Connor squeezed him tighter. “I’m really going to be okay, Son.  How are you doing?”
    “I want it to go back to how it used to be,” Toby said.  “I want those things to go away.  I want people to stop trying to hurt us.”  He squeezed Connor’s neck tighter as his soft voice grew more and more emotional.  His words turned to sobs as his defenses collapsed, leaving the raw emotions of a vulnerable eight year old boy exposed for all to see.  His short life had not equipped him with the tools needed to process and cope with the multitude of hopes, fears and pains that had threatened to overwhelm him throughout the last day and a half.  No amount of experience could prepare a person for what Toby had gone through.
    “Son, I don’t know if things will ever go back to the way they used to be.  I don’t know if the infected will ever go away, either.  Whatever happens, our family is going to take care of each other.  As long as we have each other, we’re going to be okay.”
    “Toby,” Matt said, kneeling down beside him and Connor. “We are going to make it even if life is different than it used to be.”  Matt stood up and reached down to Connor.  As Connor took his hand, Matt pulled him to his feet.  “We need to get out of here and get you cleaned up.”
    “Mom and Dad have an extra room at their place and somebody can use Jeb’s room,” Frank said.  “We have the bunk house, too.  There’s room for everybody out there.”
    An hour later, Connor was toweling water off his battered body after a hot shower.  He cautiously lowered himself into bed beside Katie and, without saying a word, instantly drifted off to