Book 1: At the Edge of Misery
Cristine Daya Gerrard, a young residency doctor in the apocalypse must mend the pieces with her broken and estranged family, while fighting for her place in a community that doesn't accept her. One man in particular doe...
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From the porch of the big house, Troy casually leaned against the wooden railing, his forearms resting on the support as his hands were busy peeling the orange. Blue irises locked on Jake and Cristine farming in the cabbage field down below.
After the insightful meeting with Cristine, Troy, his father and Jake discussed the next logical steps for the Ranch. His father introduced stricter policies for who they could take in or not. New people were to be processed first; answer questions about where they came from, who with, why and where they went to. It was up to the Otto's who became a member of their thriving community and for whom it was better to seek help elsewhere.
Troy was responsible for the safety inside and out and under Jeremiah's orders the one to collect the willing volunteers. He was glad his father saw the need and necessity to expand their militia, but he was less happy that big Otto didn't want to use the footage handed to them on a silver platter. What more motivation did people need? His militia had grown, but it wasn't enough for Troy. They needed more people to defend this large piece of land and then some.
If people were able to see what happened to their loved ones, bitten or not, they'd understand. Some more than others, but his father didn't think it important because he felt they had to move on from this. They knew the what and the how and that was enough. His father and Jake would speak to their people during the emergency assembly.
Troy's eyes shifted to the woman in question, the so all-knowing scientist, and couldn't help but smirk. She played all her cards now, after four weeks or so. It wasn't noticeable to him until now, but she had a cunning streak. All this information just in the palms of her hand and the crevices of her mind, and it was just now that she shared it?
Now, the Otto's and the Survivalists would be too busy rebuilding and strengthening everything from their fences to their pantry and security. Too busy to be bothered by her presence on the Ranch anymore. Too busy, to keep an eye out for what else she had under her sleeve.
Troy scratched the faint hairs on his chin and felt oddly pleased that Cristine had come up with this so quickly after she healed, after their altercations, after her drunk father and after her treatment here. Heck, even Jake was working together with her now, as if she had been with them from the very start. And it wasn't just Jake, according to gossip, the sheep were slowly starting to accept Cristine Gerrard.
Troy underestimated her quick thinking and he wondered if she truly finished her game with this final chess piece.
His gaze narrowed when he saw Jake and Cristine briefly smile at each other.
"I'm nowhere near done playing."
If Cristine just came to him first, showed him the footage first, and discussed this with him first... Troy wouldn't feel this irritated. She threw their deal right through the window. Went behind his back to Jake and pulled this stunt. And now she thought she could leave to an outpost and enjoy the benefits of the Ranch its resources?
