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

started with him. Having him draw maps of what he’d seen, Caitlin kept him talking while Booker took notes. People never knew what was useful until they said it aloud to another person.

Nicole began making lists of supplies they’d need, where they’d need to look for things, possible hiding places for extra weapons in case things went south.

The most needed item at the top of the list was people.

Anyone willing to try to break into the Iowa Ark camp, to help them find a way around the herd—hell, even people willing to scout for supplies or ammo.

Booker’s call to arms speech improved each time he had to say it.

The new world shouldn’t belong to tyrants. It shouldn’t belong to people willing to slaughter innocent lives just to keep the risk of infection to a minimum. And the people being kept inside those camps deserved a choice—to stay or leave and be with their families.

Civilization as they knew it was gone. It was time to rebuild, and this time, brutality would not be the force that swung the pendulum.

Most of the Rejects weren’t knowledgeable like Booker, but they were excellent fighters. They had to be to survive that long on the move. And it didn’t take them long to realize this might be their one shot at seeing their loved ones again, at getting them back.

Nearly half of the people they talked to pledged to help.

Twenty people willing to put their lives on the line for a chance.

As Max finished drawing the last map of everything he could remember seeing, Caitlin looked to Booker, a smile spreading across her face.

They were doing this.

And they were going to succeed.

Chapter Fourteen

“Morning,” Max said with a wave as he passed. “You guys get breakfast yet?”

Caitlin lifted her arms over her head, stretching out the kinks in her back.

“Not yet,” she said through a yawn. “We’ll meet you over there.”

Whistling for Fancy to follow, Max continued on to the circle of chairs near the fire.

Emerging from the tent, Booker shook out the wrinkles from his plaid shirt and pulled it on.

“What time is it?” He asked, rubbing the corners of his eyes.

“Eight. Maybe eight-thirty.” She looked over her shoulder at him. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you sleep that deeply. Or that much.”

“Guess I’m goin’ soft,” he said.

Pursing her lips, she poked him in the side. “Maybe just a little over easy.”

Booker chuckled. “Stop that,” he said, lightly swatting her hand.

“Speaking of,” Caitlin said, tilting her head. “Let’s eat.”

“Three days of wakin’ up to eggs ‘n’ toast. Talk about bein’ spoiled rotten.”

Caitlin spotted Nicole’s red braid as they approached, tapping her gently on the shoulder in greeting.

“Hey, I saved you some coffee,” she said.

After months without, even the instant stuff tasted like a Starbucks cappuccino.

One of the older teens, Vanessa, was stirring the contents of the cast iron skillet over the fire, scowling and muttering under her breath.

“Breakfast misbehavin’ this mornin’?” Booker asked, squatting nearby.

Sighing, Vanessa pushed a stray lock of brown hair off her forehead.

“I’m not a very good cook,” she said.

As Booker was about to serve himself a portion of scrambled eggs, she held up her hand.

“I wouldn’t,” she said. “No one likes my eggs. I always get shells in them.”

He smiled and continued emptying the spoon onto his plate.

“If ya ask me, there are worse things t’find in eggs.”

Caitlin grinned. “And is that burnt bacon? I love burnt bacon.”

Relief spread across Vanessa’s face.

Sometimes it was the little things that helped.

And her shell-y eggs and extra crispy bacon weren’t nearly as bad as she thought they were.

From behind them, a man cleared his throat.

“Uh, hey,” Nathaniel said. “Trish and Luna would like to talk to us.”

Looking up at him, Caitlin furrowed her brow. “Us?”

“Yeah, all of us,” he said, nodding to Nicole and Booker.

Scraping what was left on their plates quickly into their mouths, the three got up and followed Nathaniel to the larger tent they’d come to be familiar with as the meeting place for the group.

“Good morning,” Luna greeted, smiling as they entered. “Sorry to take you away from breakfast.”

“If Vanessa was cooking, it might’ve been a blessing,” Trish murmured.

Gesturing for them to have a seat, Luna took her place across from them as she had the first day.

“We know you’re still working to gather what you need for this mission,” she said. “But we’re coming up on our time limit for how long we can stay in one place.”

Trish smoothed her hand over the back of her short greying hair. “If we stay here much longer, scavengers might see evidence of us and coming looking. Or worse, a goon squad.”

A knot tightened in Caitlin’s chest. They couldn’t leave, not yet…

Booker nodded solemnly. “I understand your concern,” he said. “We just need a few more days for recon. Max and I are still searching for the best way around the herd to get over the Iowa boarder.”

“We know.” Luna said. “But… It’s too dangerous to sit and wait.”

Caitlin leaned forward. “What if… What if we split up?”

Everyone turned towards her, anxiety and fear etching into their faces.

“Not for good,” she added. “The people who have agreed to help us could stay, and everyone else could go with you. We’d find you after.”

“If you succeed,” Trish said, voice a little too icy for Caitlin’s liking.

She narrowed her gaze on the woman. “We will.”

Luna shook her head. “I’m not sure how comfortable I am separating our group. The chances of finding each other again are…”

“I found Caitlin again,” Nicole said. “I was in Atlanta and after a month, we found each other in Mississippi. Those are one in a billion odds,