The Extinction Series , Ellis, Tara [famous ebook reader .txt] 📗

military experience, but also the sort of training and instincts it took to navigate the sort of dangerous waters they kept finding themselves in. But Eddy? As far as she knew, he was nothing more than a neurologist, and the fact that he didn’t have any fear didn’t automatically make him the next-best candidate for Jason’s backup. Since they were the two holding the rifles at the moment, Peta ducked behind a palm tree and accepted her current role as a liability. However, at some point soon, she’d have a conversation with Jason about it. She’d never be okay with only being seen as a damsel-in-distress who needed saving.

A noisy, rattling old truck rolled into view, moving slowly across the narrow, paved road full of cracks and pot holes. There was a lone man behind the driver’s wheel and…a cow in the back. Peta blinked, not fully trusting her eyes. The thin, bony cow let out a mournful bellow as Jason stepped into the middle of the road and forced the truck to stop.

Peta relaxed and stepped out for a better view, as the terrified farmer stared wide-eyed between Jason and Eddy. So far as she could see, they were the only ones acting like looters.

Devon was already jogging toward them as the old man began pleading with them in Spanish, and Jason looked over his shoulder for help. “I understood ‘please’, and probably something about not killing his cow,” he said to Devon. “Just reassure him, and ask him for a ride to the nearest town.”

“It might help if you put the guns away,” Peta suggested, as Marty began to bark excitedly and run circles around the truck.

“Marty!” Tyler chased after him, and eventually caught the dog by the collar. Meanwhile, Devon was heavily engaged in a flamboyant discussion with the farmer, that involved a bunch of hand-waving.

“The truck,” Eddy said flatly, as Devon stepped back and the man gunned the engine back to life. “We’ll need the truck.”

Devon shook his head and looked sheepishly at Jason. “He’s totally freaked out. Says almost everyone is dead and he’s on his way to his daughter’s house. I tried to tell him about the ferry, but he won’t listen. Says there’s a village less than five miles up the road, though.”

As the truck began to roll forward with a sputter, Eddy raised his rifle. “Then we take it.”

Before Peta had a chance to even think about reacting, Jason’s hand flew out and slapped at Eddy’s weapon, forcing the muzzle down to point at his own feet. “I don’t know why we need to keep having this same dialog,” Jason growled, stepping in close to the other man, his hand still on the rifle. “Our primary objective here is to save what’s left of the human race, not kill the survivors.”

Looking non-plussed, Eddy made no attempt to pull away. Instead, he released the rifle, allowing it to hang from its strap, and put his hands out to his sides, fingers splayed. “I wasn’t suggesting we kill anyone, Jason. And the use of that truck could ultimately result in achieving our objective. Your lack of understanding and refusal to accept that truth is somewhat puzzling.”

“Uh, that um...that truck was a piece of junk, anyway,” Tyler said nervously as he edged closer to the two men. “And the bed was full of cow crap. We can walk a few more miles, right?”

Marty broke loose of Tyler’s grip on his collar and bounded up to Jason. Bumping into his legs, he caused Jason to step back, dissipating the growing tension. Turning away from Eddy, he glanced at Peta as he ran a hand over his sweaty face. She could tell he was rattled, and that concerned her more than anything else that had just happened.

“Then let’s start walking.” Devon already had his pack settled onto his back and was pointing down the road, the direction the truck had come from. “He called it a village, so I doubt it’d be on the map. Pretty sure he was telling the truth.”

“Only one way to find out,” Jason said, falling in beside Devon. Squinting up at the sun, he wiped at his face again. “We’re almost out of water, so I hope they at least have a working well.”

As Tyler ran ahead with Marty, Peta hung back so she could walk alongside Eddy. When he paused and looked at her questioningly, she smiled at him. “Why don’t I carry the rifle for a while? Pretty sure it’s my turn.”

Unslinging the weapon from his shoulder, Eddy cocked his head at her in the irritating, inquisitive manner he had. “Your attempt to control my behavior is misguided.”

“Perhaps,” Peta said, not bothering to try and deny it. “But I can live with that.”

About an hour later, they saw the first signs of the upcoming town. A burned-out car was off to the side of the road, and even to Peta’s untrained eye, she could see that it was riddled with bullet holes. Another truck that looked military was a couple hundred feet away. All of its tires were flat, and the driver’s side door was open. What looked like bloated arms were hanging out.

Then, the smell hit them.

“Oh, man!” Devon gasped, covering his face with his shirt.

“What do you think happened here?” Peta asked, looking to Jason. He was already approaching the truck cautiously, and disappeared on the other side without answering her.

Tyler came to stand beside her, and they looked at each other silently. They were at a point where it wasn’t necessary anymore to try and think of something appropriate to say to each other. Too many aspects of their experiences were beyond rational explanation.

“Definitely local military,” Jason confirmed, as he reemerged around the back of the truck. “It’s hard to guess, same as with the ferry terminal, but they probably met local resistance