Read The Remaining: Fractured for Free Online

Angie.”
    “I know.”
    He looked back at her. “Been asking where Lee’s at.”
    Angela’s hand went to her face again. Her voice was barely a whisper. “I don’t know, Keith. There was talk about someone that had been sent to kill him—I don’t know all the details—but I think it was Eddie, that new guy.”
    Keith raised an eyebrow. “Vicky Ramirez’s husband?”
    Angela shook her head. “He’s not her husband, Keith. It was all just an act to get inside the damn gates. Vicky didn’t know what it was about, but I think Eddie killed…” She swallowed hard. “Lee and him left together just a few hours before all of this went down and then we couldn’t get Lee on the radio.” She hung her head, her dirty, bedraggled hair obscuring her face. “What happened, Keith? What the hell happened?”
    Keith sighed heavily. “Best I can tell, Jerry’s been in cahoots with that little weasel fuck from Fuquay-Varina, Professor White. It looks like Jerry killed the radio antenna on the top of the Camp Ryder building, and his boys come hauling in here, opened up the gates for Professor White and his idiots, and they all got rifles.”
    The old man shook his head. “Most of the people that would have stood up to some shit like that are gone with Harper and LaRouche now. There are a few good people left, but not enough to make a stand, and everybody else supports Jerry.”
    Angela raised her head. “You said Jerry took down the radio antenna?”
    Keith nodded. “Unplugged it, I think. Not sure if he’s plugged it in again or not.”
    Angela considered this. “Maybe that’s why we couldn’t get a signal out when we tried to reach Lee.”
    “That would make sense.” Keith rubbed his thumbs together. “Bad timing, though.”
    “So, what’s happened since I’ve been gone?”
    “Marie’s been pretty scarce.” Keith looked at the ceiling of his shack. “Jerry has his boys distribute rations instead of having her cook community meals. Vicky disappeared—guess now I know why. Couple other families took off right when things went down. Jerry hasn’t come out and said so much, but I think he’s forcing out the families that just got here. The ones that haven’t been able to contribute much.”
    “Oh my God.” Angela’s eyes widened. “He can’t do that!”
    Keith shrugged. “My opinion? He already has. You know how he’s been about newcomers. Wants us to cloister ourselves off. Nobody leaves, nobody comes. He thinks we can just isolate ourselves and hoard our supplies and everything will pass in the end.”
    “What about the other settlements?”
    “Haven’t heard from any of them except Smithfield. I think he’s keeping them in the loop because he wants to keep the hospital. From what I can gather through the grapevine, he’s kept OP Benson staffed to keep the roads between here and Smithfield open, but everyone else is in the wind. Lillington, Broadway, Newton Grove…haven’t heard from any of them. Pretty sure he’s cut them off.”
    She leaned in. “We have to do something.”
    Keith looked at her sternly and spoke very slowly, as though each word was of paramount importance. “You best be very careful who you say that to. Not everybody thinks like you and me.”
    “Who can we trust?”
    “Right now? Nobody.” Keith rubbed his weathered face. “Hon, you want everybody to be asking ‘Hey, whatever happened to that Angela girl and her daughter?’ you just keep asking questions like that. Get you and your girl thrown out of here in a heartbeat.”
    Angela’s fist balled against her leg. “Keith...”
    He looked at her. “What?”
    “I’m gonna tell you something, but you can’t tell anyone else about it. You can’t tell them that I told you a secret. Nothing can get back to Jerry that I said a damn word. Understand?”
    “Well, maybe you just shouldn’t say anything at all.”
    She shook her head vehemently. “No. I can’t let this lie, Keith. Not this.”
    Keith avoided her