The Effacing (Book 1.5): Valley's End Read Free Page A

of the apartments and get a view of what’s up ahead and around us. Anyone else dare to join me?”
      “Yeah, I’m wit’ it.” Trivo stepped forward, not trying to be outshined by the opposite sex, knowing in reality he was frightened to death.
      “Great. Can I get two more volunteers while the men stand guard here?” Rebekah looked toward Ann and Maria.
      “ They’re leaving! ” Maria said of their adversaries. “I don’t think we should split up.” She looked to Ann for her recommendation.
      Ann didn’t flinch. 
      “Okay…” Rebekah said. “Then you can stay here with the group while I go through the projects with Trivo and Ann.” she simplified. “It’ll be nightfall soon. If we’re not back in twenty minutes, take off and find someplace near Maison, get off the streets and we’ll find you.” She looked at Trivo. “You ready big boy.”
      Trivo hardened, took a deep breath. “Now or never—”
    “Then why not wait twenty minutes with the group?” Maria argued.
    “Because there can be more survivors inside. Rally as many citizens, right?” Rebekah added, reminding Maria of what the original group missionized.
      Ann grasped her silver custom made .45 caliber handgun with laser sight and red leather grip from the holster, checked her ammo. “Locked and loaded,” she confirmed.
       “Okay… three rules. Everyone stay tight. Be as quiet as you possibly can. No gunfire unless were out of options.” Rebekah said, before she turned to Ann. “I didn’t think it was going to be that easy. I was expecting some type of rebuttal from you too.”
      “Yeah…” Ann retorted, “You like it rough, don’t you?”
      “Depends,” Rebekah answered.
      “On what?”
      “If it’s rough enough…”
       Trivo took a long drag of his cigarette and plucked it, slightly grinned to the girls bicker.
      Ann’s rolling eyes and enigmatic smile suggested she was either appalled at Rebekah’s answer or flattered; it was that hard to see a distinction between the two. Either way, Rebekah had her assumptions about Ann’s carnal desires since they were back at her house in Diamond Manor days ago. She played on them to bring what was in the dark to the light, and Ann knew it, even though she played along with Rebekah’s little inside joke.  
       Rebekah smiled in return. Maybe she was hiding the same dark incantations of pleasure, only she would have been pushing them away instead of accepting who she was, like she assumed of the cousins.

CHAPTER 3
     
     
      “I’m going with you too.” Baker said, appearing from behind the cab.
      Trivo looked down at Baker, laughed. “You sure, boss?”
      “I said it, didn’t I?”
      “Yeah… and you don’t have to say it twice, boss.” Trivo kept his teeth showing as he held out Itchy’s AK-47. “Hope you’re a good shot, partner.”
      Ann’s face wrinkled the wrong way. She grabbed at the rifle, stared feverishly into Trivo’s eyes, turned and advised Baker to stay and help out with the women and other kids. Trivo sniffed, his upper lip touched his nose and he kept it there, mad as hell, under the assumption Ann was taunting him, which she was.
      Rebekah’s right hand relaxed, she arched her wrist toward her XDM, kept a simple stare and hoped she didn’t have to bop him upside his temple in front of his boys just to burn down his energy, although she wanted to do just that – embarrass his ass in front of his subordinates.
      Then, Ann turned back to face Trivo. “I can’t let you give him a gun.”
      Baker snapped, but kept his voice low. “You ain’t my moms, yo! And the fuck you mean ‘other kids’? I ain’t no fuckin’ kid, shorty!” he said, upset and traumatically pained, relentlessly fighting to keep his frustration under control.
      Baker was only fourteen. He was big for his age but still had the baby booty face. He’d been through a lot in those past days, and it all started when two of