The New Night Novels (Book 1): Rippers: A New Night Novel by Ashlei D. Hawley Read Free Book Online Page B

companions out there.
         “You’re right,” Jameson agreed as he reached out his hand for a shake. Leland shook his and the vampire nodded. “We have to trust each other. Now, we have to leave. Grab what you can. We need to try to find some other people.”
    Chapter Eight – Crash – Phoebe
         Rain began to lash the windshield of the van Phoebe drove through the quickening darkness. She mentally raged against it, but kept outwardly silent. It wouldn’t do the kids any good to hear her cursing and shouting at the rain. They’d already seen her run out of a house chased by the rabid, blood-drenched parents of one of the car’s occupants.
         If Phoebe thought taking Carmen home was the best option to help her, she now found she had been sadly mistaken. Carmen had withdrawn even further into herself. She didn’t acknowledge any physical contact or words from the others in the car. She seemed robotic; doll-like with her unfocused eyes and shallow breathing. Phoebe didn’t know what to do for the girl, and that terrified her as much as anything else had as she drove into the fast-approaching night.
         They’d seen more evidence of chaos the farther they’d moved into the city. Some buildings burned. Others had jagged teeth of glass in the frame where solid windows used to be. Bodies were on the street. Few at first, but more as they drove down the roads empty of vehicles.
         The first body Phoebe had seen had been a teenage boy a little older than her. He’d been wearing a green hoodie with what looked to be their school logo on it. Her insides churned when she recognized his remarkably untouched face among the wreckage of his neck and upper body. Dark skin had been torn to bloody ribbons around his throat and blood pooled in the hood of his sweater. He wouldn’t be playing football for the school anymore.
         A woman lying motionless by an overturned stroller clutched a previously pink blanket to her equally red-drenched chest. Phoebe turned away from the scene of the slaughtered mother holding the last bloody remnants of her child. She just couldn’t look at that.
         Walkers who approached the vehicle were avoided and driven away from at high speeds. Most of them had blood on them. Many of them were injured in ways that should have driven them to the hospital but instead drove them to roam the roads, seeking victims to likewise wound.
         “Phoebe,” Eli whispered from the backseat. “Where going?”
         Phoebe’s hands jerked on the steering wheel. The involuntary response sent them lurching for a curb before Phoebe could right the wheel. After a few deep breaths, she responded to Eli in what she hoped was a calm voice.
         “A farm, buddy. My uncle has a farm. There are horses there, and chickens. He grows his own food and has firewood stacked ten times taller than you. We’re going to stay there for a while and wait for your parents.”
         She didn’t mention that she had no way to tell his parents where they would be. Mostly, she hoped whatever had happened to the city would be seen to by military forces or scientists or some version of the good guys. Then, she could send the kids with someone who would get them home. Maybe Carmen had other family she could go with. She certainly couldn’t go back to her mom and dad.
         Or, Phoebe thought, maybe her mom and dad were just sick and whoever came to help could make them better. Then, Carmen could go back to them and Phoebe could stop feeling sick over the fact that she’d run away from them with their daughter.
         After a long while, Eli agreed in a thoughtful tone, “Okay, Phoebe.”
         The rain poured down harder, accompanied by the occasional flash of lightning and a wail of wind. Phoebe was surprised at the amount of pull the stormy breeze had on the large vehicle. Though she was able to right the van the first few times it swerved, she was no match for the