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

motor turned everyone’s gaze towards the sky.

“Oh shit,” Max gasped. “We have to go. Now.”

“How many of those they send out?” Booker asked, turning back for the Jeep.

“I’ve only seen one at a time. But come on, we can’t wait anymore.”

Utterly calm, Booker opened up the back and took out his rifle. “Nah, I got it.”

Swinging the gun over his shoulder, he climbed up onto the roll cage.

“Cae, cover me, will ya?”

Eyeing Max once more, she positioned herself to have a clear sight on both sides of the road.

Nicole looked over at him and nodded to his dog. “You might want to cover Fancy’s ears for this.”

As the drone approached, Booker lined up his scope and followed the machine for a breath.

The shot took out one of the propellers and the drone spun midair.

Ejecting the spent cartridge, he watched as it went careening for the ground.

In a puff of dirt and smoke, it landed to the right of them in the same field Fancy had emerged from.

Satisfied, Booker climbed down off the top of the Jeep and strapped his rifle to his back.

“Guess I better go grab the damn thing,” he said. “See what kinda Skynet situation we’re dealin’ with here.”

“Oh, um, actually,” Max started, stepping forward. “Can Fancy retrieve it? She’s really good at finding things.”

Booker glanced from Max to the dog and then to Caitlin, arching an eyebrow.

“A’ight, let her fetch.”

“Go find it, Fancy,” Max said to the shepherd. “Find it.”

The dog darted off, disappearing in the tall grass.

“Thanks,” Max said to him. “She loves this game.”

Maybe they had been on the road too long. Caitlin couldn’t wrap her head around someone this open, this pleasant. Had his group kept him sheltered from the horrifying realities of their new world?

She stared at his hands—relatively clean and unscarred. She wondered if they’d ever been coated in blood and brain matter. If they’d ever pulled the trigger on someone to keep himself alive.

“Where’s your weapon?” She asked.

Max blinked in confusion. “I have my knife in my jacket pocket,” he said. “But, like I told you, sneaking is my strong suit. I avoid most of the rotters I see.”

“So, what were you doing out here?”

“Foraging mostly,” he said. “Fancy is getting really good at finding bird nests and edible mushrooms.”

A bark sounded in the distance and Max whistled between his fingers, calling Fancy back.

As she trotted through the grass and up the road, Booker chuckled at the drone hanging from her mouth.

“Well, I’ll be,” he said. “She found it.”

“I told you she’s good.” Max bent to take the warped hunk of metal and plastic from her. “Here, I believe this is your kill,” he said with a grin as he handed it to Booker.

Holding it up, he grunted as he inspected it.

“Should we take it with us?” Nicole asked, curiously peeking over Booker’s shoulder.

“Nah, it’s probably got a GPS in it.” Flipping it over, he pulled at the body until the frame cracked. “I don’t see a black box. Guess they get the footage wirelessly.”

“Is it still transmitting?”

“I dunno,” he muttered, squinting at the inner workings of the drone. “It looks pretty dead t’me but can’t be too careful. We’ll bury it off course and let ‘em go search for it.”

“So, whoever set up that radio tower also controls these things,” Nicole said. “And they’ve got working internet and cell service.” She sighed. “Lucky bastards.”

“Technically we all do,” Max said. “The satellites won’t stop being operational for a while. It’s just finding a place with electricity, a router and modem, and functioning fiberoptic cables that’s the problem.”

Booker stared at him. “Good t’know I guess.”

Caitlin couldn’t stand it anymore. They didn’t need this newcomer’s generosity to survive—they’d been doing more than fine on their own. She couldn’t explain why, but he irked her, and the only thing she wanted from him was answers.

“Look, we appreciate you offering your group’s hospitality,” she started. “But we’re looking for a specific Ark camp—”

“Oh, those won’t take any new people.”

“We know,” Booker and Nicole said in unison.

“We’re looking for it because her husband might be inside,” she said. “And the only lead we have on anyone who might know something is this group that calls themselves the Rejects. So, thank you for offering to take us in, but we have to keep going.”

Max’s eyes widened, and then a slow smile spread across his face.

“You said you’re looking for the Rejects?”

Caitlin frowned. “Yeah, why?”

Scratching Fancy behind the ears, Max’s smile only grew until it threatened to crack his face in two.

“That offer you just said no to? You’re going to want to reconsider.”

* * * * * * *

Caitlin’s boots squelched in the thick mud.

“How much further did you say?” She asked, keeping her head on a swivel.

Max glanced over his shoulder. “Not far. I know this isn’t the easiest path but it’s the fastest.”

They’d found an abandoned barn to stow the Jeep in, taking only their packs and enough provisions for a day or two, and set out on foot with Max guiding them.

It had gone without saying between the trio, but the second one of them felt something was off, they’d run and not look back.

Booker positioned himself between Max and the others, just in case the welcome was less than friendly. Caitlin took up the rear, listening for anyone following them through the thin line of trees and muck.

She hadn’t heard anyone trailing them, but after twenty minutes of walking, she’d begun to hear what she thought was people—Voices, footsteps, the occasional clatter of metal dishware.

Whistling three times, Max slowed his pace just before the trees became a clearing.

The voices grew louder.

“Friend or foe?” A