End of the Line (Book 2): Stuck in the Middle Read Free Page B

pulled out, Dave, who was on look out, waved and tossed a ladder down. Dave barely tolerated me because even as the town slut I never gave him a pity fuck. I never liked him. He called people names behind their back.
    Tanya doesn’t think anyone knows but everyone does, that she sometimes shares her bed with him and visa-versa. I know because Olive, Dave’s dog, barks when he’s not with her.
                  Mike began grabbing bags and tossed them to him, while I kept the boat steady. When he was finished, I tied up the dinghy and climbed aboard.
                  It was a little warmer on the boat but still bitterly cold. Dave seemed surprised when we both came on board since one of us had to shore to get the others.
                  “What’s going on?” he asked with concern in his voice.
                  “Everyone’s okay. We need to talk to Tanya.” Dave didn’t reply. I shivered while walking across the deck passed dirty lounge chairs and storage lockers. I opened the sliding doors that lead down to the salon. I felt relief at the warmness, even if it was only slightly warmer than outside.
                  Tanya sat at the table reading an Idiot’s Guide to Boating and Sailing she got from the Montauk Public Library. No fines anymore. Tanya had dark brown skin and short nearly shaved black hair. Grace and I were the only women that kept our hair long but I kept it shoulder length. Grace loved her long blond hair that reached to the middle of her back, despite that it being something a zombie could grab on to.
    Tanya acted older but she was young. She never mentioned her age but I knew it was the early 20’s, maybe even as young as 20. Not the best thing to have all this responsibility, but she lived a harsh life and grew up fast. Grace was Tanya’s age as well. And I knew she was only 20.
                  She seemed reluctant to be leader having inherited it from Rachel who had committed suicide. Rachel took over from Abe who also offed himself. I thought Tanya was less worried about leadership and more that she might follow in their footsteps. I didn’t think so. She had a strong personality, one much more suited than Abe who couldn’t let go of the past and Rachel who couldn’t deal with being a carrier of the zombie virus.
                  Lately Tanya’s been playing it safe. She didn’t want to risk finding a house to keep warm for the winter or trying to sail down south. Tanya, who used to hate cabin fever, and was perfectly happy to leave for a hunt, had become a school marm. I think she wanted Mike or Jim to take over. Jim shied away and while Mike wouldn’t leave us to the zombies, his priority went first to Hannah, his daughter Dena and the two kids that they have pretty much adopted. He never lets them go on any trips. Dena argued about that all the time. That and sleeping arrangements. I often found her asleep on the deck, in the storage room and once in the bathtub. She needed freedom. I knew Mike was being overprotective. He didn’t want to lose his family like he lost his son. Jim told me, Mike never mentioned him. I didn’t even know his name.
                  “What’s going on?” Tanya asked when she saw us. “Where’s Jim and Grace?”
                  “They’re fine. We found a kid—a teenager,” I explained.
                  “He okay?”
                  “He’s a little weird,” Mike explained. “He might be crazy or just in shock.”
                  “He doesn’t seem violent, just terrified.” The more I thought about it, the more I didn’t want to leave Keith alone, even at a secure house. “We thought you might come back with us and meet him.”
    Tanya looked startled which was unusual for her. Ever since Rachel’s death she’s become almost a different person. Before this she would have never shown any