Drinking Life (Keeper of the Water Book 1) Read Free Page A

hockey sticks instead of escaping. Do you think they were coming after you specifically? Is that why you didn’t run?”
    “I don’t know why I stayed to fight, just instinct I guess. Plus I was pissed that they interrupted our game,” I say, finally telling the truth.
    “Then you have no idea who the target was?”
    I shake my head and glance over at Cassie, who stands on the edge of the field talking to a reporter. Her eyes still look glazed in shock but she becomes more animated when she talks. I suddenly feel angrier at the reporter than I’d been at the soldiers. I can’t believe the press would take advantage of a scared kid just to get a few quotes. I tell the officer I need to check on Cassie to make sure she’s okay.
    “Is she your sister?”
    Before I know it, I’m nodding my head. I don’t know if I can get in trouble for lying to the police but I would’ve said anything to get away from him. He hands me his card and tells me to contact him if I remember anything else. That’s not going to happen. The officer escorts me toward Cassie, who’s gotten over the shock enough to transform into her normally dramatic self.
    “And they were huge and coming right toward me. I was never so scared in my life,” Cassie says breathlessly. The reporter hurries to scribble every word she says.
    Though we’ve lived in many different parts of the country—the Pacific Northwest, areas of the Midwest, near the Grand Canyon—none of our stops has ever included the Deep South. But as Cassie blabbers on and on about what happened—somehow placing herself in the midst of the worst danger despite being fifty feet away from the action at all times—she sounds like a Southern Belle, a damsel in distress.
    God she annoys me sometimes!
    The officer shoos away the reporter before heading onto the hockey field, where a dozen cops take pictures and collect broken, bloody bits of shattered hockey sticks. It seems like a waste of time to me; they won’t find anything on them but my fingerprints. A second team of police head into the woods with police dogs.
    Can you tell my town isn’t the most exciting place? Though the attack could’ve been a lot worse, nobody was seriously hurt. But the police see a couple of crying teenagers and suddenly treat this like the crime of the century.
    “Oh, Nia, I can’t believe that just happened. I was so frightened that I couldn’t even move,” Cassie says.
    “I noticed.”
    Without warning, she throws her arms around me. I’m glad hat I protected both of us but consolation isn’t exactly my strong suit. I want to tell her to chill out but I remain quiet and let her hold onto me. It’s not often I see Cassie so vulnerable. I’m sure she wouldn’t be hugging me if any of her friends were around. Either way, I’m glad to see a familiar face crossing the parking lot and heading in our direction, though I’m confused how he could be here.
    “Dad?!” I call out and wave to him.
    His worried expression eases when he spots us. Knowing how concerned my father must’ve been makes me smile but not because I wanted him to suffer. It’s sweet knowing how much he cares about me. His presence calms the fire that built inside of me. Apparently I’m not the only one happy to see him.
    “Mr. Ammo!” Cassie calls out and lets go of me. Not only is the sound of fear still in her voice but tears begin to stream down her face. Somebody give this girl an Academy Award!
    Before my father reaches us, Cassie rushes in front of me and throws her arms around him. She cries even harder, her body shaking like a little lost doe. I can’t help but roll my eyes.
    “Oh, Mr. Ammo, it was just awful !” she cries.
    “What happened?” my father asks.
    “I don’t even want to… I… I can’t,” she whimpers.
    As Cassie continues to sob into his chest, Dad looks at me and raises an eyebrow; he’s trying not to laugh at her, too.
    “Don’t worry, Cassie, your mother will be here soon,” he says.