The Last Outbreak (Book 3): Desperation by Jeff Olah Read Free Book Online Page B

his legs and cut his eyes to the right. Cora sat in the passenger seat staring back as their view of the outside world had begun to fade.
    “We getting out?” Cora asked.
    Frank kept his voice low and leaned in. “No, just me.”
    “What?”
    Motioning toward the rear of the vehicle, he handed Cora the keys. “They need you here, do not leave them. If we don’t make it back, you drive away… got it?”
    Frank reached for the door handle and stepped out. He moved quickly around the rear of the vehicle and stopped near the right front wheel. The asphalt beyond was rapidly dissolving into a mostly white jigsaw puzzle as three backlit individuals stepped out of the blue SUV fifty yards away.
    They appeared to solely focus on the trees where his friends had left the sidewalk and had yet to notice as he dropped to one knee and shouldered the rifle. Partially hidden behind the passenger side front fender, he took in a deep breath, closed his left eye and brought his right in behind the scope.
    Peering into the scope, he cursed as he tried to bring the three individuals into view. The night sky, combined with the falling snow, was playing havoc with his senses. He was able to catch quick glimpses of two of the silhouettes, but only for a moment at a time. They were moving toward the side of the road and each carried a weapon.
    Unable to track the third individual, and with the glare from the mystery SUV’s headlights casting phantom shadows, he attempted to calm his breathing. That wasn’t going to work, he didn’t have enough time. And adjusting the scope was also useless; the three silhouettes had become a blur behind the driving snow.
    Turning away from the blinding light originating from the opposite end of the street, Frank once again attempted to bring the scene into focus. He took in another slow deep breath, closed his eyes for a beat, and upon returning to the scope, the world beyond instantly sharpened.
     
     
    Ethan had run off without any explanation. His mother had begged him not to go. She nearly hyperventilated as he and Griffin trotted off toward the unknown, ignoring the pointed questions about his father. She’d followed Shannon into the SUV ahead of the others, but even as he moved out of sight, her uncontrollable sobbing continued. He still had to walk away, even if she was unable to understand why.
    He’d deal with the colossal burden of sharing the details of his father’s murder once he and his friends were safe. Only after he and Griffin ended what was left of Josie and her men. If that’s the way it actually played out.
    Partially blinded by the headlights of the mystery SUV, Ethan crouched near the base of a thick pine with Griffin less than ten feet to his right. Both men armed and ready, they waited as the three slamming doors turned into distant footfalls that grew closer with each passing second.
    “I can’t see a damn thing… you?”
    Standing with his back to a second sizeable tree and craning his neck toward the street, Griffin shook his head. He stared back at Ethan, held his hands out and shrugged his shoulders. They’d run off without much more than their anger and three handguns. They hadn’t accounted for this turn in events. They weren’t ready and as the footsteps stopped four feet from the treeline, and a familiar voice broke through the night.
    “If you drop your weapons and come out now, I’ll only kill two of your people. That will even the score for Maddox and Vince. But if you make us come in there after you, I’ll kill all of them. I’d prefer not to, but I’ll let you decide. Ten seconds… and then I have my boys come in and bring you out.”
    Ethan leaned into the tree, turned back to Griffin, and spoke just loud enough for his friend to hear. “We aren’t doing this; you know she not going to let anyone live.”
    Griffin nodded. “How you wanna play this?”
    Ethan turned and peered into the darkness, to where the trees faded and the sporadic flakes of