Read Tonight The World Dies for Free Online Page B

excited are you?”
    “Nooooooooo,” She said, laughing.
    Early the next morning, I perched myself atop the RV, watching the little eddies of dust blowing past on the road, relishing the silence. I still didn’t know if it would be safe for us, but at least I hadn’t seen anything to raise any warning flags.
    From my position, I noticed movement in the trees- the slow-moving amble of what seemed like three figures, one shorter than the other two. Moving to a sprawled sniper position, I braced the barrel of my rifle against the short railing, and tracked the figures.
    They stayed mostly out of line from my scope, but they seemed human, which was of little comfort, really. Some time had passed when Sully and Billie climbed up to join me. I gave them a small wave, and resumed my watch.
    “What are you doing?” Billie asked quietly, sitting down next to me.
    “Tracking,” I said.
    She ducked down a little, and said “Do we need to be worried?”
    “Not yet,”
    “Care to give us something more than that?” Sully asked, sitting on Billie’s other side.
    “I think it’s some of those people from the farm.”
    “And you’re pointing a gun at them?” Sully said.
    “I want to know what they’re doing,”
    “How about, picking fruit?”
    I rolled my eyes.
    “Do you still think they’re a threat?” Billie asked.
    “Everyone’s a threat,” I said.
    The group finally came near enough to the road for me to see them properly. They spotted Billie and Sully, and possibly me, and waved. Billie and Sully waved back. I stayed still.
    “Give it up,” Billie said. “You already agreed to go there today,”
    The group across the road resumed picking, and scanning the area, guns held ready in the men’s hands.
    “Alright, alright,” I mumbled.
    Handing Sully my rifle, I climbed down and started for the strangers, brushing my fingers against the pistol tucked in the back of my waistband as I pretended to adjust my shirt.
    “Nice day, we’re having,” The woman said when I crossed the ditch.
    “Sure is,” I said, faking a smile. “Is that offer still up?”
    “To come and get some food? It sure is,” She said.
    The men stayed silent.
    With another fake smile, I said “Great! Let me just get my friends,” and hustled back to the RV.
     
     
     
    Chapter nine
     
    Dean nosed the RV into the driveway, “Do you want a ride back to your house with us?” He called out the open window.
    “That’s so kind of you.” The woman said, ushering her male companions ahead of her to the side door.
    I nervously fingered the shotgun lying next to me as the strangers climbed inside. They may be acting nice, but that could have been a cover. This could turn into a weird Deliverance thing. Thank god there were no banjos playing.
    The house was grand, a two story plantation style building with a wraparound porch and happy looking people sitting outside, sunbathing or cleaning blankets and rugs. A few men sat on the porch, laughing and drinking beers. Everyone stared at us as we pulled in. The strangers got out first.
    “Hey Brennan, those nice kids I told you about could use a place to stay for the night.” One of the men said.
    “That’s just fine with me.” Brennan said. “Why don’t your new friends come on out and introduce themselves?”
    We filed out, gaping at the sight of so many live people in one place. My surveillance hadn’t done it justice, and there were fifteen in all, including kids.
    The women doing the laundry shaded their eyes from the bright sun to look at us better. They looked related, all having short black hair and skinny frames; each wore old t-shirts and shorts, their long tanned legs ending in bare feet.
    Children frolicked through the grass, edging closer to the adults as we surveyed them. The men on the porch gazed down at us, sporting jeans and t-shirts, some in cowboy boots, others in work boots. Only two of them seemed to be related, Brennan and a teenaged boy with short dark hair and a