Lost in the Apocalypse by L.C. Mortimer Read Free Book Online Page A

patted her gently on the shoulder, then motioned for her to take a seat. She hadn’t slept well in days and the sofa in the center of the room looked very inviting.
    Emily shot him a worried glance, then sat down. She might be making a mistake choosing to fall asleep in the company of strangers, but she didn’t have much choice. She was tired and exhausted and dirty. She didn’t think Neil would hurt her, but then, she had never been the best judge of character.
     

Chapter 7
     
    Neil stared at Emily. The little waif looked like she hadn’t slept in weeks. Her eyes were hollow and sunken with dark, deep circles around them.
    “Who would have thought?” Robert said, coming up beside him. He grabbed a blanket from a pile and laid it over her frail figure, deep asleep on the couch. “The owner happens to be a hot piece of ass who isn’t a complete bitch.”
    “Don’t talk about her like that,” Neil said. Robert gave him a knowing grin, and Neil knew he had walked right into the man’s trap. Fucking spooks.
    “Storm’s gonna be on us anytime,” Robert said. “I’m gonna go look around.” He slapped Neil on the shoulder and left, heavy boots pounding as he made his way up the stairs.
    Cody came downstairs with a couple of flashlights and tossed one to Neil, then placed the others on a table in the corner. He made himself comfortable on a chair and pulled out a couple of small juggling balls. Then, to Neil’s surprise, Cody began juggling them.
    “You’re a clown now?” He asked. He had never seen Cody do anything besides moon over Kari.
    “Gotta do something,” Cody shrugged. “I’m bored, man.” He started with two balls and quickly added a third. He was sloppy and his technique was poor, but after a few minutes he started to get the hang of things. “I found them upstairs,” he said, catching the balls. He held them out to Neil. “Wanna try?”
    Neil took the weighted balls in his hand. The soft leather that covered them was stitched together. Colorful leather for colorful balls. Maybe the owner had been a clown, or at least had a child. He lifted the balls and carefully tossed one in the air, then the next. Soon he was juggling, just as Cody had.
    “Not bad, boss,” Cody said when Neil finally handed the balls back. He continued practicing in the dimly lit room. Neil figured they’d both be better when it was light outside.
    Butter and Robert stomped down the stairs then. Neil turned to look at Emily, but the kid didn’t even stir. How long had she been gone for? More importantly, where had she gone? The cabin had been well cared for, but had a thin layer of dust on it when they arrived. They’d been there only one night when she showed up. Had she simply been scavenging?
    Or had she been on some sort of mission?
    She looked well enough, Neil thought. No major scrapes or bruises, no bite marks, to be fair. She had kissed him like a hungry wildcat and he wanted more, but the truth was that she was a stranger. A wildcard. It probably wasn’t safe to let her stay with them and if Neil was smart, he’d put her down quietly. The rest of the group wouldn’t ask questions when he said she had left. They knew better than to pry when some things were best left alone.
    He couldn’t, though, and not just because she was gorgeous or had a smart mouth. The truth was that Neil wanted to be a hero. He wanted to be the guy who saved someone, even just one person. Robert, Butter, Cody, even Kari: they had saved Neil as much as themselves. What would he have done if they hadn’t found each other wandering around outside the base?
    What would any of them have done?
    “Doors are locked,” Robert commented, making himself comfortable against a wall in the middle of the room. He had a flashlight in hand, flicked it on, and waved it from one staircase to the next. Strange the house had two sets. It wasn’t a setup you often saw.
    “Put some furniture in front of ‘em, just in case.” Butter added. Neil