Tomorrow Land by Mari Mancusi Read Free Book Online Page B

was her dad fighting to save, if everyone was already dead?
    “So what’s with the new name?” she asked, wanting to get her mind off her dismal thoughts. “You’re going by Chase now?” She had to admit, it sounded kind of hot. Dangerous.
    He gave a little snort. “Oh, that,” he said. “My friend Stephen was bored one day and came up with tribal names for all of us as a joke. And they kind of stuck, I guess. We call Trey Tank—’cause, well, he’s built like one, what with all the bench-pressing he does. And Stephen now goes by Rocky ‘cause stuff around him never goes smoothly. Spud’s our resident gardener…”
    “And they call you Chase because…?”
    “Cause there ain’t no zombie out there that can catch me,” he boasted, patting himself on the chest. She waited for him to laugh, to tell her it was a joke. But he seemed totally serious. He certainly was a lot cockier then he used to be… Guess surviving the apocalypse could do that to a guy.
    Another silence fell over them and Chase looked around the perimeter. “I can’t believe we’ve been standing here talking this whole time,” he said. “We’re like sitting ducks—zombie bait. Come on, I’ll take you home sweet home and you can meet the gang. Tank’ll be thrilled to see you.”
    She glanced at her wrist. It was a crazy habit, she knew, since time had lost its meaning long ago and she hadn’t worn a watch in years. “It sounds nice, but I’m actually in a hurry,” she replied. But even as she said the words, she felt herself hedging. She’d just found Chase again—against nearly impossible odds. And no matter how cold he was acting, it was still him. The boy she’d dreamed about every night since those titanium doors locked behind her. And now she was just going to up and leave him all over again?
    Still, she tried to remind herself, she had a long way to go and she didn’t know how much time she had left. She couldn’t afford to allow herself to be distracted by the past, even if it was living and breathing and standing in front of her—causing her heart to ache. The fate of the new world was in her hands—and she couldn’t let her own personal regrets get in the way of her mission.
    She looked up, catching a flicker of emotion in Chase’s eyes, darting out then retreating behind his otherwise expressionless mask. Had he just assumed he could talk her into sticking around? Did he want her to stick around? The idea made her heart involuntarily flutter.
    “Well, no offense, but you’re not going anywhere tonight. It’s almost dark,” Chase reminded her. “Trust me, you don’t want to be out alone in the dark these days. And you’ve got to be hungry, right? We’ve got plenty of food. And sanitizers for those… fingers.” He looked down at her razors and she wondered why he didn’t ask her about them. “We can outfit you with supplies for your trip, too. And give you a lay of the land—it may be a bit different than you remember.”
    He was right, she realized, feeling an overwhelming sense of relief wash over her. Though time was of the essence, of course, so were the basic necessities for a road trip. It would be smart to go with him. The right thing to do. And deep down she was glad she could justify it.
    “Okay,” she relented. “But I need to leave first thing in the morning.” She wanted to be clear.
    He held up his hands. “No problem. Trust me, it’s not as if we’re dying for another mouth to feed.”
    She blushed, feeling like an idiot. What had she expected? For him to beg her to stay? Once upon a time he might have. But that world was gone forever. “Great,” she managed to say, forcing the raw emotion from her voice. “As long as we’re clear.”
    “Crystal,” Chase replied curtly, and she again forced back a shiver at the ice in his tone. “Now wait here, okay? I’ve got to grab some… supplies. Then we’ll head over.”
    “Need some help?” she asked.
    “Nope. I can take care of