Years After Series | Book 2 | Five Years After by Clary LeRoy

Author:Clary, LeRoy [Clary, LeRoy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Post-Apocalyptic | Dystopian
Published: 2021-04-11T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

Danny said, “What are you thinking?”

“Really? Do you want to know what I’m thinking at a time like this?”

He turned to me; his face serious. “Yes.”

I allowed a long breath to escape. “I’m thinking the hard part is what comes next. And after that. I’m thinking the odds of both of us seeing the sunrise is smaller than I like.”

“What else?” he sighed.

“Honestly, I’m thinking that if there is trouble, I can outrun you, so the militia will chase you instead of me and I’ll probably get away if either of us does. How is that?”

A smile almost formed, but a tremble prevented it from fully forming as he realized I was not joking.

I said, “You can always go back to the barn, you know. I can do this alone.”

“Not a chance,” he said. “Do you want to go in the water first, or me?”

That was a loaded question. I wanted to lead, of course. That was my way. However, Danny was growing daily. Not physically. Mentally. He deserved some credit if not all that Gerry did. Neither was the meek boys I’d known in the sanctuary. “Listen, why don’t you go first, and I’ll follow right behind. If there is trouble, use your bow if you can. Keep it silent. One gunshot will bring every militiaman in the city searching for us.”

He gave me a curt nod. “Where do we go after crossing?”

“We travel in the woods to an old part of town south of Lewis Street. Find their kitchen. The barracks will be close to that. Grace and Jake are probably near those, watching and listening.”

Danny kept to the edge of the shrubbery at our side of the river. Out of sight. Quiet. He took us a few hundred yards further downriver where we couldn’t be seen from the bridge or guards posted below the bridge and we waited.

We watched, listened, sniffed, and remained still. After that, he moved in a crouch down the rocky bank to the sandbar, quickly and quietly. At the edge of the water, he didn’t slow, despite the cold temperature.

I followed a few steps behind. When my ankle hit the water, I sucked in a breath. Cold didn’t begin to describe it. The water had probably been ice or snow a day ago. My other foot landed deeper. Then the next step carried me deeper and my feet went numb. The water only went part of the way up my calf. I sucked another mouthful of air, anticipating what came soon.

By the time the water was thigh-deep, the current was swift and threatened to carry me downstream. My jaws clenched from the cold tight enough to crack teeth, and a shiver went through me as I watched Danny dive ahead and take powerful strokes into the darkness.

If he could do it, so could I. A deep breath and I followed. The water that had numbed my feet did the same to my hands instantly. I gasped, despite trying to be quiet.

Only one way to get out and get warm, I mentally repeated to myself over and over.

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