The Survivors Book III: Winter by V. L. Dreyer Read Free Book Online Page A

lap.  Suddenly, he looked up and waved at me, then I faintly heard the sound of his bike revving up.
    A few seconds later, he turned the bike around and tore across the overgrown fields that separated the barn from the road.  As he drew closer, I realised that I could see his M-16 resting across his lap, ready for action at a moment's notice – and there was something else, something that I couldn't quite make out.
    He came on hard and fast, at an angle that kept him out of the direct line of sight of the things inside the barn.  At the very last moment, he took a hard turn to the left and came to a halt directly below me.  Shrieks of what sounded like either hunger or rage filled the air.  Michael didn't even hesitate.  He threw the thing he'd been holding into the dark recess of the barn, and then lifted his gun and opened fire.
    The sound of bullets filled the air with their terrible tattoo, and I smelt the stink of gunpowder on the air.  Then, I realised that I could smell something else, something familiar.  It took a second for me to realise that it was gasoline.  Just as that realisation struck me, an explosion ripped through the back end of the barn below me, and the smell of gasoline was replaced by one of burning.
    Michael shoved his gun back on its shoulder strap, and looked right at me.  "Jump!"
    " But--" I started to protest, but the rapidly spreading fire drowned out my words.
    " Just do it!" he shouted over the noise.  "You trust me, don't you?"
    A second explosion shook the barn, and very nearly made me lose my seating on the edge of the hayloft.  There was no choice.  I had to do it.  I had to trust him.  I took a deep breath to steady myself, then shoved myself off the ledge.  For a second, I felt the sickening sensation of falling, but it barely lasted long enough for me to start panicking.  A moment later, I felt strong arms catch me and suddenly I was enveloped in warmth.
    " You're okay, I've got you," Michael whispered in my ear as he sat me down on the seat in front of him.  I started to say something, but a third explosion left my head ringing and my mind unable to focus; whatever I had been intending to say vanished like water through a sieve.
    It didn't matter, though.  Michael had me.  He helped me get comfortable on the seat in front of him, and reached around me to grab the handlebars.  I heard the bike rev up, and then we were off at high speed, heading for home.  The motion made my stomach reel in protest, but I couldn't bring myself to care.  Relief was a tangible force inside me, so overwhelming that all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around Michael's waist and bury my face in his chest.
    So, I did.  There comes a time in every person's life when they need someone else's help to survive.  This moment was mine.
    That's what having a family is for, isn't it?  The bike was too loud for me to bounce my thoughts off Michael, so I didn't even try to speak.  It had taken some time for me to acknowledge it, but they were there for me in my darkest moments, to help, protect, save, and love me.  How had I survived for so long without that safety net of social acceptance?
    Hard questions.  Shut up and rest, brain, I scolded myself, then I closed my eyes and let myself relax.
     

Chapter Four
    At some point during the trip back home, I fainted.  Even if I'd been aware of it happening, I probably wouldn't have been able to do anything about it.  As far as my body was concerned, enough was enough; it was time to rest.
    When I started to come to again, I could no longer hear the sound of the bike, just someone moving around nearby.  I opened my eyes slowly, then immediately regretted it.  The world around me spun like an out-of-control roller coaster.  Someone must have heard my groan, because I felt a hand alight softly on my shoulder.
    " Don't try to sit up," Doctor Cross said quietly.  Curiosity overwhelmed my urge to avoid the dizzying sensation, so I opened my eyes