Trying to Survive (Part 3) by C.J. Crowley Read Free Book Online Page A

names?”
       “Allen.”
       “Veronica.”
       “Veronica, since you’re on my side, check all the windows for anyone else who might be trapped. Walt, by the way.”
       Veronica gladly did as Walt said, but Allen continued to stare directly at me, only breaking away periodically to glance down at the gun in my hand. To try and ease the tension, I introduced myself.
       “You have no idea how relieved we are to know other people survived. We were starting to think no one else was left.” Veronica said as she continued to search the windows for the young man she claimed to have seen.
       Allen thinned his eyes and said “What happened to you people? Why are you pointing a gun at my face?”
       “We can talk later, Allen. For now, we need to concentrate on seeing if anyone else here is alive. You just have to trust us, but we can’t trust you yet. That’s just the way it is. Take it or leave it... But I promise you, we mean well.”
       I pointed the gun slightly lower so it wasn’t aimed directly at his face. “Please, help her check the windows. I can’t look away.”
       Without warning, Walt slammed on the brakes and sent me falling back into the dash. I heard a loud thud come from my right, and turned just in time to see a young man bouncing off the side of the car and fumbling for the door handle.
       Walt took a deep breath and said with a raised voice “Fuck, he just came out of the bushes!”
       Veronica moved over and he frantically climbed inside. When I saw that he was holding a shotgun, I trained the 9mm on him and said “Put it on the floor, now.”
       He just froze and looked at me. “Now! Or I’ll have to shoot you.”
       His eyes grew even wilder as he turned to Allen and Veronica. I said “Please, slowly put it by your feet. Just for now. We don’t know you.”
       I could see that he was now focusing on the scars and the bandage over my eye. I suppose it made me come across as untrustworthy – even menacing.
       He took a deep breath and slowly dropped the shotgun by his feet. I said “Thank you… We’ve just had some bad experiences with other survivors.”
       As he softly said “I’ve only got one shell left” he appeared to be regretting his decision to get in the car. I knew this wasn’t the best way to get people to join us, and that it was probably confusing to them because they haven’t been through what we have, but there was no other choice.
       I looked him over and noticed small amounts of blood on his jeans. When I moved to his hands, I could see blood around and underneath his fingernails. I tensed my trigger finger and asked “Where did that blood come from?”
       He suddenly seemed agitated when he replied “Where the hell do you think it came from?”
       “You tell me.”
       “It’s from those things.”
       That’s not enough. He could be lying, just like Naya. “Give me details.”
       He looked over at Allen and Victoria again. She said “They won’t say what, but something really fucked up happened to them... That’s why they’re acting like this.”
       Walt glanced back and said “Before we met up with the other people in our group, some men killed two of their friends and tried to steal everything they have… Just about a week ago, we ran into a gang of psychos that kidnapped one of our people, threatened us and killed another. There’s even more to it than that… So trust me, we have our reasons. Answer him.”
       The young man relaxed the muscles in his face and leaned back in his seat. “So, we don’t just have to worry about those things? We have to worry about other people too?”
       “You need to worry about people even more.” I quickly replied.
       Veronica introduced herself and he replied “Lee… Castellanos.”
       Allen reached over and shook his hand “Allen Thrace. I’m her brother.”
       I interrupted them. “Lee, tell me why you have blood on your