The Long Road Home

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Page shook her head worried. The behemoth was showing no signs of improvement and the rippers outside had the stone building surrounded. Connor's clever idea to hang the behemoth's old bloody bandages on the west side of the wall from the roof was probably the only reason they had not found their way in yet. There were no doors on the west side and few windows.

If the rippers did manage to find a way in, Page knew her group would be safe in the hallway for a while. Connor and Kidd had done a great job sealing off the hallway by barricading the two sets of fire doors. If the rippers got past those, the group would have no choice but to abandon the behemoth and hide in the back office.

The three strangers, who had joined them, had dug in on the second floor in a conference room. They had made only one other attempt at killing the behemoth. Kidd and Connor's barricades held them back however.

'Easy big guy.' Page soothed as the creature let out a deep grown and tried to sit up. He eased back down with a sigh. 'You have a lot more healing to do before you can get up and start terrorizing the rippers again. He snorted before closing his eyes.

'How's he doing?' Kidd whispered joining her. 'Is he going to be okay?'

'Wish I knew tiger.' Page sighed rubbing her temples. The pressure in her head from all the rippers had left her with a horrible headache. 'It would be a shame to lose him. Not just because they keep the rippers away, but they really do seem like sweethearts.' Kidd nodded his agreement.

'They are like really big halflings, that can't talk.' He said touching the behemoths arm. 'I bet he is super strong. His arm is hard like yours.' Page chuckled shaking her headw. Her ham shook and she turned it on.

'Gallagher.' She answered.

'It's Mouth.' Came the reply. I think I know what happened to your not so little friend. I received called from the two settlements near you. Up until two days ago, that whole area was a safe zone. A low flying plane flew over one settlement, and then crashed a mile from Sader. The next day the rippers started coming into the area. The locals call your buddy Romeo. Apparently he had quite a string of female behemoths roaming through his territory.' Page chucked shaking her head. It sucked that Romeo was hurt, but she was relieved the damage was not done by a new kind of monster out there. 'How is the big guy holding up?'

'He is still with us.' Page sighed 'I don't really see much improvement, but at least he isn't getting any worse. I really wish Sara or Theo were here. They would know what to do for him.'

'He is a live because of you three.' Mouth said 'Is Conner close?'

'Connor!' Page called. The man who'd been watching the door, looked up to her and she motioned him over. 'Here he is.' Page said once he joined them

'Connor, Page asked me to check the settlements where your sister was last seen.' Mouth said and Connor stiffened. 'I'm sorry, but there is no Abigail Ryan at ether of the settlements.' His face fell and it broke Page's heart to see him looking so devastated. 'However, there is one at the settlement near Sader which is about fifty miles from you. I gave them a call and your sister told me to tell you, you're a dumb ass to risk traveling the roads to find her and she is looking forward to seeing you.' Connor grinned before whooping out his glee.

'Shh!' Page scolded but could not keep from grinning for her friend. He blushed and grinned at her.

'Sorry.' He said shaking his head, 'I would say I can't believe she is alive, but my sister is kind of like you. Tough as hell and not to be messed with.'

'Thanks to the ham radio network,' Mouth started 'a lot of people are finding they have family members that didn't change and managed to survive the chaos that first year. The few scientist that were able to make it here are convinced there is something in the genetic makeup of those who were not changed that saved us. There are whole family's that did not change. There are others that only the mother or fathers side changed. It would be a huge help if we could figure out what the hell stared this in the first place.'