The Breeders by Katie French

Author:Katie French
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
ISBN: 1300136812
Published: 2012-07-31T07:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

I run back to our classroom and slam the door. I stand against it, panting, wide-eyed. Clay and Ethan were sorting through a deck of cards they found in the kitchen. They stare up at me.

“What’s going on?” Clay asks, standing up.

Ethan stands, too, still holding a six of clubs in his hand.

“Footprints,” I pant. “Not ours. In the hall.”

Clay glances out the little window in our classroom door. “Maybe they’re old.”

I shake my head. “They’re fresh.”

Clay pulls out one of his revolvers. His eyes get that look they always do when that silver revolver is cupped in his palm. “I’ll check it out. You stay with Ethan.”

I don’t protest. Something about stalking through the quiet halls to meet some unknown predator doesn’t seem fun to me. As he’s opening the door, I put my hand on the door jam. “Be careful,” I say as I look into his blue eyes, the color of a summer sky.

He lets a little smile dance across his face. “Sounds like you’re getting used to having me around.”

And he ruined it. “Never mind,” I say, waving him out the door. “Go be as reckless as you want. We’re totally fine without you.”

“Liar,” he says, his smile growing. “You need me.”

I cross my arms over my chest and glare at him.

He chuckles and then disappears out the door.

I sit with Ethan against the far wall with a revolver in my hand. The minutes tick by slowly. I listen, but hear little else but a few birdcalls from the window and my heart beat in my ears. Footsteps sound, heavy and coming this way. I rise, the gun leveled. It’s Clay. He bursts back in our room.

“Anything?” I ask.

He shakes his head, holsters his gun and picks up the jug of water. He lifts it to his lips. I watch his Adam’s apple rise and fall as he swallows. Then he drops the jug, panting. “Ahh,” he sighs.

“What?” I say, impatient. “What did you find?”

He smiles wryly. “Thought you said you didn’t need me.” He takes another long pull from the jug. I cross my arms over my chest and tap my foot. He can be so infuriating.

One more devious smile and then he sets the jug down. “No sign of anyone except the footprints. Must’ve heard us come in, checked us out and took off. His trail leads out a lower window. Just curious ‘bout visitors.”

“Why didn’t he want to talk?” I ask, the hairs on my arms still standing up.

Clay shrugs and wipes his mouth with his sleeve. “Probably as scared of us as we are of him.”

I shake my head. “I wanna get out of here.”

Clay pulls the can opener out of his pocket and hands it to Ethan. “We have to get gas and that’s going to mean digging through this hell hole. We do that after we eat. We’re safer in here than out there if there’s something to fuss about.”

I say nothing, but can’t shake the feeling of dread.

We open the canned corn and eat until our bellies are stuffed.

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