Page 5 of Demon Shock

“You have a choice to make here,” Will said. “You can tell us about your base and receive a week’s worth of rations, or you can say nothing, and we’ll find your base on our own, and you get nothing.”

The man’s fear-filled gaze flicked to me again. Then to Bram and Zach, who joined us.

“Wha-wha-what is he?” the man stuttered.

Zach grinned at me. This part of meeting new people amused him. He said it was better to be the one scaring people than to be the one scared.

“He’s our friend,” Will said. “And we’re interested in making more friends, not enemies. You understand me?”

The man nodded.

“After pulling guns on me when I was clearly unarmed, we’re not off to a good start.”

“Wh-what do you want to know?” the man asked, his gaze shifting between me, Will, and Bram and Zach. “I’ll tell you anything.”

“How many of you are back at your camp or base, or whatever you call it? Are there any women or children? Are they being mistreated or kept against their will?”

How many times had I heard Will ask these questions now? Six? Seven times? The ache in my chest returned, but I didn’t rub it now. I focused on the frightened male watching me.

“Everyone you see here and three more back at the homestead,” he said. “Adree’s grandma is still with us. She’s not doing well, but she’s not mistreated. It’s why we need the supplies.”

Grandma was a term humans used to address aged females like Mary. I liked Mary. She was kind and washed my clothes for me and liked to pat my thigh. It saddened me that another grandma like Mary wasn’t doing well.

“What’s wrong with her?” Will asked.

“Age. She was forgetting things before this all started. She’s been getting weaker, too. Doesn’t like to get out of bed. Adree takes care of her.”

“What does she need?” Will asked.

“Just more food. She doesn’t eat much, even when Adree mashes it up for her.”

“Any chance you’re lying to us?”

The male’s gaze flicked to me again. “I’d be stupid to do that at this point, don’t you think?”

Will untied the man’s hands and stepped back so Bram could hand him a box of spare rations. “If it gets too hard out here or if you just need help, head south toward Warrensburg. It’s a place East of Kansas City. Avoid the city. The bombs hit it hard, but infected still wander around in there.”

The man nodded, and we left him to wake his people while we followed their tracks back to their place in our vehicles.

I climbed a tree and watched the house for a while. Two people moved around, just as the man had said. I didn’t see or hear any sign of women or children.

Will was waiting for me at the base of the tree when I jumped down.

“What do you think?” he asked.

“I think he was telling the truth. I didn’t see any signs of women or children, and the house has been secured against infected.”

“Okay. Then we’ll mark the map. Any idea where you want to head next?”

I looked around at the trees and found my gaze drifting to the north.

“We should continue north.”

He nodded, and Bram took a map of the state from the truck and spread it out on the hood.

“This is where we are. Where’s your gut telling us we should go next?” Bram asked.

Over the last few weeks, we’d worked our way steadily from Tolerance just listening to my instincts, which they trusted. Although mine weren’t as good as Molev’s, our leader, they’d kept us from serious trouble so far. And because of them, we’d found several groups of people along the way. But no females. I was starting to doubt myself even as my gaze was drawn to another area on the map.

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