Feeding Frenzy

Chapter 7

Ford leaned against the truck as he watched Evey in the grass with Josie and Joey. He wondered if she was trying to replace the void of the little girl that was infected at her house. He was curious if it was her daughter, but he did not want to ask. He was afraid that the kids would slow them down, but he did not have the heart to kill an Immune child.

"You've been staring for five minutes," Johnson said, bringing Ford back to reality. "It's starting to get creepy."

"I'm thinking about those kids," Ford said.

"Sure you are."

Johnson leaned beside Ford. He brought the water bottle up to his lips as he watched Evey and the kids. Josie and Joey were spinning and would stop and then stagger. Evey had a wide smile on her lips and clapped.

"She's cute, you know?" Johnson said.

Ford cocked his head to the side as he watched Evey. Ever since he saw her during the Cleansing, he prayed that she would be Immune. Her dark green eyes and splatter of freckles across her skin immediately caught Ford's attention. He found the gap in her front teeth endearing and was amazed that during an apocalypse her biggest worry was two children she did not know.

"We killed her entire family," Ford said. "Are you forgetting that?"

"One day that will be a distant memory," Johnson said.

Ford rolled his eyes as he pushed himself off of the truck.

"She's probably a good fuck," he said. He looked over at the other soldiers wanting to change the topic. "Gomez and Harrington, get over here."

They stepped away from the civilians they were talking to and came over to Ford's truck. Johnson cleared his throat before standing straight.

"I have a plan to get us by for now," he said. "I am not getting any answer on the radio."

"Do you think we're the only ones alive?" Gomez asked.

"There are other crews of Immune," he said. "We just have to find them. This is a safety in numbers kind of situation."

"We should go North," Harrington said. "Avoid the cities. They couldn't have been cleansed in time."

"I say each of us takes a truck," he said. "You're responsible for each person in your crew. We'll try to stick together, but there is the chance that we'll get separated."

They all nodded and agreed.

"I'm not taking the kids," Harrington said.

"Neither am I," Gomez said.

"I've got it," Ford said.

Johnson snickered and put his hand on Ford's shoulder. Ford shrugged him off. He stepped away from the group and grabbed more water bottles.

--

Evey was playing with Josie and Joey when Johnson called out to them.

"Everett," he shouted. "We have to go."

Evey stood and brushed the grass off her legs. She grabbed the kids' hands and they walked toward the truck. Evey helped them crawl into the backseat. She fastened their seatbelts. Josie had Chester clutched to her chest. She closed the door and got into the passenger's seat.

The driver's side door opened and Ford climbed in. He passed two water bottles to Josie and Joey. He had already twisted the caps loose for the kids. He sighed as he turned around.

"Where are we going?" Evey asked.

"North," Ford said.

"Where North?"