Angered Seasons: Volume Four (I Will Survive) Read Free Page A

Robby, and Jason.
    “Which way should we go?” I watched the trees go by
as we pulled out of the yard.
    “I think we’ll have our best luck right in town.”
    I shivered. “I was afraid you’d say that. If there’s
more than two, it’s a no go, got it?”
    He nodded.
    It had been so long since we’d been to town I was
scared of what we’d see. There had been a few decent sized fires a
month back; they’d been big enough we’d been able to see the smoke
from the farm.
    Lane kept going straight off the highway so he was
driving along fifteenth street.
    “We’ll go check around the Gateway Mall. If there’s
nothing there, we’ll head up second avenue.”
    “What happens if we find other people? I mean, we
can’t be the only survivors, right?” Jason never took his eyes off
the buildings we passed. “Hang on. Stop.”
    Lane did as instructed and we all looked to where
Jason was pointing.
    “Over there. By the Walmart.”
    I squinted. “In it?”
    “No. By the seasonal part. Where they keep the plants
in the summer.”
    I gazed to the other end of the store and saw what he
was seeing. My stomach dropped at the sight of a dirty and thin
little girl. Her long blond hair was matted to her head, her yellow
eyes sunk into her face. “No.” I reached over and put a hand on the
steering wheel as Lane started to pull into the parking lot. “Lane.
No.”
    His dark blue eyes met mine and I could see he wasn’t
very happy about what he was about to do. “We don’t have a choice,
Gabrielle.”
    “She can’t be more than six or seven! How the hell
does Terra justify this? There’s no way that kid had anything to do
with activists or anything like that!” I could feel the tears
welling in my eyes and I blinked them away angrily.
    Robby reached over the seat and put a hand on my
shoulder. “We need to bring her home with us, Gabs. Maybe Max can
fix her. Maybe he can get the sprite out of her.”
    “Fine.” My voice broke and I cleared my throat.
“Just… don’t hurt her.”
    Lane gave my leg a squeeze before putting the truck
back into gear and driving toward Walmart. The girl bared her teeth
and came at us. Before I knew what was happening, Riley was jumping
out of the box and racing past us.
    “No!” Lane slammed on the brakes and jumped out as
the border collie knocked her to the ground. The dog clamped his
jaws around the girl’s neck and she went still.
    “Riley, damn it! We need them alive!” Lane knelt
beside them and relaxed. “Jason, bring the rope!” He reached over
and gave Riley a pat on the head.
    “She’s okay?” I stood just behind him and watched as
the girl’s chest rose and fell with her breaths.
    “I think she’s fine, you know, considering she’s
possessed by an evil sprite.”
    Jason quickly tied her legs then her hands. Riley
pulled back gently and sat back, his head cocked to the side as he
gazed down at the girl who lay motionless, her eyes never leaving
his.
    I took a deep breath and had to bite my tongue not to
object while Robby taped her mouth shut.
    “Christ, she’s skin and bones. Don’t the sprites have
to eat?” Jason looked like he was about to be sick.
    “Let’s get her back right away.” I took a step back
as they stood her up. Lane cradled her in his arms, holding on
tightly to keep a grip on her now squirming form.
    “Man, is she ever strong for such a tiny thing.” He
grunted and handed her to Grant who was sitting in the back seat of
the truck.
    Riley gave a bark and ran off around the corner of
Walmart, heading for the back alley behind Subway and Booster
Juice.
    “Robby, wait up!” Lane ran off after Robby who had
taken off after Riley.
    I jumped as first one rifle went off and then
another. I got on the running board, my gun aimed over the top of
the cab.
    “Gabby?” Grant was struggling to hang on to the girl.
Jason was on the other side of the truck, his gun aimed at the
corner of the building.
    “Just stay in!” I glanced a Jason and