Blood Moon by Gwendolyn Harper (books for students to read .TXT) 📕

Caitlin glanced up at Booker. “When did you first come across one of those goon squad Humvees?”

He shrugged. “I dunno… three weeks before I found you?”

“That still leaves a week—maybe a week and a half—window.”

“Window for what, exactly?” Booker asked.

“For people to think they could outrun this.” She gestured to the map. “If the Ark camp was set up in the state, they’d panic at the thought of getting swarmed with Geeks. If the area was getting blocked off, they’d move the people they’d managed to save before shutting everything else down. Especially if they’re rich and powerful.”

“Something New York is known for,” Nicole commented.

Booker scowled. “You think they made the call t’start exterminating people after they shipped the silver spoons out to a bigger Ark?”

“But Caitlin, we saw what happened in Atlanta,” Nicole said. “That wasn’t a ‘wait and see’ situation. They massacred buses filled with people, they shot your plane down.”

“That’s because Atlanta was ground zero for the outbreak. That’s where the lab was, the patients who escaped—”

“Yeah, we remember,” Booker muttered, pacing a short distance away.

He did a good job of hiding it, but Caitlin could see the pain lingering in his eyes at the memories.

“What I’m saying is, the rest of the country had a little more time to plan. To strategize an evacuation.”

The unknown variables were clouding the optimistic light in Nicole, and frustrating Booker as he dragged the toe of his boot through the dirt.

“Look, I know I was a buzzkill a few days ago,” Caitlin started, glancing between them. “But the truth is, I was just scared to start hoping again. I was scared of being disappointed and heartbroken.”

Booker turned, a soft, proud expression spreading across his face.

She continued. “I don’t know about you guys, but I’m starting to think we don’t have much to lose in trying. ‘Cause I’m not ready to roll over yet.”

Stepping back towards the hood and the map, Booker said, “You do realize this means sweeping the states looking for signs of an Ark camp that may or may not have her husband inside.” He jerked his chin at Nicole. “And then, once we maybe find it, we’d have t’figure out how to get him out. Not like the government’s just gonna let us ring the doorbell and ask nicely.”

Caitlin nodded. “We can cross that very dangerous bridge when we get to it. But first we look for signs of an Ark, or maybe people who know something.”

Expectant quiet bubbled around them, each looking to the other, waiting for someone to argue.

Booker’s sigh broke the silence.

“’M glad y’got your spirits back,” he said. “But this is gonna be a helluva trip.”

Caitlin grinned. “What, you got work on Monday morning or something?”

He chuckled as he began folding up the map. “Y’think you’re cute.”

“I have it on good authority I’m very cute.”

Rolling her eyes, Nicole started for the back door of the Jeep and muttered, “God, I wish I had booze…”

Chapter Six

Arkansas

Two weeks later

“Anything?”

Caitlin lowered the binoculars and looked down through the branches. “Not yet.”

Booker strode closer, keeping a watchful eye on her perch. “How’s about you come on down then?”

Smirking, she swung a leg over the tree limb she’d been straddling and reached above, grabbing another to pull herself up higher.

“Meadows…”

“I just need a better vantage point,” she called, already halfway up to the next branch. “That herd was too big to just disappear.”

“We’re still downwind from ‘em,” he said, pacing around the trunk to follow her. “They were headin’ north, up the highway.”

Steadying herself in the crook of the tree, she lifted the binoculars once more. “And what if we have to double back? We’ll run into them eventually, and I’d rather be prepared.”

Indecipherable muttering below only made her smile.

He knew she was as safe as anywhere up in the trees, but Booker hated her going too high.

Hated the fact that he was clumsy as hell climbing trees even more.

Scanning the horizon, she watched the edges of the fields for movement.

After discovering several blocked roadways and townships crawling with Geeks, they decided they needed to move further into the Arkansas Delta to avoid getting surrounded.

And then a herd of at least fifty undead came shuffling down the two-lane, causing them to deviate course again.

This time Caitlin wasn’t going to let those things get the jump on them.

Twisting around as best she could, she stared through the thin patch of trees, waiting for anything to catch her attention.

“Cae, c’mon now,” Booker called, knuckles rapping on the bark.

She was just about to agree when an unusual cloud shifted into her sight.

Not a cloud. Smoke.

“Booker…” She gestured west, where the thin line of grey was wafting up. “Someone’s got a fire going.”

Hanging the binoculars over her neck, she swung off her perch and began a quick descent.

“Y’see their camp?” He asked when she was halfway down.

“No, but they can’t be far.” Caitlin leapt from the second to last branch, landing safely. “Maybe a mile or two?”

With a steadying hand on her back, Booker nodded. “Hopefully they’re the friendly type.”

“Should we scout closer?”

Together, they headed back towards the Jeep.

“Not too close. Gotta find a sweet spot away from that herd and not quite on our new neighbors’ doorstep.”

“Guys,” Nicole called, looking up from the map she’d recovered out of an old truck three towns back. “If this thing is still accurate, that way has a small town. A church, a couple farms…”

“They could be hunkered down in any of those,” Booker said.

Shielding the afternoon sun from her eyes, Caitlin stared down the road once more. It had been over an hour since they’d come across the herd. If