Breach (The Blood Bargain) Read Free Page A

sweep when the sun went down so the number of ghouls that actually shambled past our markers these days were few and far between.  That is, aside from the small massive influx we went through when a stream of the things followed Cole back from the city.  An onslaught that could be blamed on an incredibly stupid me. One hundred percent. Most days however the job was observing and waiting.
    We had placed lookout towers every few miles along the wall, from these lofty positions someone was stationed, through wind rain and snow, to keep watch when the sun was up. Markers placed on the other side of our barrier gave us call out points.  Nothing was important till they crossed the first marker.  After that we had plenty of time to ensure they were dead and dormant before they made it to the second.
    I’d like to think it was a science we had perfected.  Still to this day, nothing has made it to the wall.  The dead can have the wilds, here inside Junction safety was ensured.
    Closing in on the watch tower, I saw the thin silhouette of a young man, his arms raised and moving.
    For a moment I saw Adam King, smiling down at me and waving hello.  As he had thousands of times before over the years.  That boyish friendly face and lanky frame that was almost breakable.  Had been breakable.
    Blackened teeth pulling back, revealing dark red muscle and bits of white bone underneath. There was blood everywhere.  Someone was screaming.  I was screaming. “I’m done....just leave me.”
    “Adam no!”
    Shielding my eyes from the sun glare, it was not Adam, nor was he happy to see me.
    “Hey why are you out here? No civilians are allowed!”  A guy much younger than his predecessor was yelling at me frantically from the watch tower, waving his arms about like a baby bird.  With a roll of my eyes, I kept walking despite how much he complained.
    “Shove it, I brought Cole lunch.”  I raised the little pail so he could see it.  The metal gleamed in the sun throwing rays all over the lookout tower.
    “Lady you need to get back to the colony, don’t make me bring this to the council.”  He lectured me.  I bit my tongue from telling him I was on the council, further I was probably more qualified to be out here than he was.
    “Just radio him already jackass.  Tell him Liv is here.”
    “Wait...what...you’re Liv?  The Liv Younger?”  I wanted to correct him and tell him I was the very annoyed Liv Younger.  The way he said it made me sound like a thing rather than a person.  Maybe that’s what being locally famous feels like, objectified.
    “Last time I checked.”  Through gritted teeth I managing a growl.  Eyes wide, he picked up the radio off his belt then spoke fast.  Was a good fifteen minutes from when Cole peeked over a hill to the east till he was by the guard tower, during that time I was subjected to a million apologies and questions from the scrawny kid who I learned was named Liam (think I knew that already) oldest of three who had just turned sixteen.  Watching his approach, I debated running across the field to him all dramatic and theatrical, but my recently healed leg was not a fan of that kind of activity.
    My heart kicked up a beat or two as he came closer, the broad smile on his all American face having an effect on me that was refreshing and foreign all at the same time.
    “Hey girlie.” He picked me up like I was nothing and gave me a little spin.  This was why I had come out here, screw the wall and whatever nonsense my mind was trying to reason out.  I was here to see him.
    “Don’t call me girlie.”  I responded playfully.
    “Well with all that hair and civilian clothes...”  I punched him in the arm.  He was partially right though, out here in a jacket and sneakers I was not my usual self.  With no knives at my hip and my back barren I did look really out of place next to a man that was armed to the teeth. I knew from experience that in addition to the two katana on his back