The Outbreak Chronicles Book One Survival Ties

Chapter 15

I didn't know how long we had been driving while we all recovered from the adrenaline that had run its course. The laughter had died down leaving silence. Sydney had come out and made sure everyone had eaten but she quickly returned back to Hannah's side.

"Sam, I hate to tell you this, but we're going to need gas." Tone said breaking the silence.

"Can we make it till it gets closer to dark so we can park near the station for the night?" Sam asked and Tone stayed quite while he thought.

"No, we have till about lunch then we'll have to stop." Tone answered.

"Ok." Sam said after a minute. "Next gas station you see we'll stop. By the time we eat we should be away from places people might hide to set up an ambush."

Tone nodded and kept watching the road. He tapped Sam when he saw one that looked clear. As we pulled up a man came out and waved to us. Sam looked like he'd rather keep driving but since Tone was driving, we stopped. Tone rolled down his window and the man came up to it.

"Hello there." The man greeted, he had red hair, "I'm Evan Smith welcome to my station."

"Your station?" Tone asked.

"Yes sir. Got myself all set up inside and been getting food as payment for filling people up." Evan answered and smiled making his blue eyes look playful.

"How are you keeping the Red Eyes away?" Sam asked and Evan looked a little sheepish, the smile leaving his eyes.

"Red Eyes? That's what you call them? I've been calling them shadows, but heard all sorts of names for them." Evan said, "I keep them out with a perimeter I set up. It's of cut up shadows. Keeps them immobilized, but the others seem to stay away since they don't smell me over them."

"Gruesome, but smart." Tone responded.

"Yeah I got them out of sight, don't want to scare people." Evan said.

"People will stop coming this way." Sam said, "Why don't you fill us up and come with us?"

"I'll be fine here, people won't stop coming." Evan said as he hooked up the pump to fill the bus up. Sam was watching him the whole time. "You are all set."

"Look I'm serious about people not coming this way. The Red Eyes are figuring out how to stop people." Sam was telling him, "You should just come with us, you have skills we could use and we have food and plenty of room."

"Where are you heading?" Evan asked, looking like he was thinking about the offer.

"Paradis Roulette, it's in a bio dome." Sam answered.

"Has the outbreak happened there?" Evan asked.

"No." Sam answered.

"What makes you so sure it won't happen?" Evan questioned.

"We're not, but our chances in there are better than our chances out here." Sam responded, "With what we've seen on the road we would be leaving you to die if we drive away without you."

"Why are you so sure people won't make it this way?" Evan asked.

"The Red Eyes are staying to the side of the road and charging cars. There's a bunch they've knocked over, we made it because we are in a heavy bus." Sam responded and Evan's eyes widened with the thought of Red Eyes thinking. It was scary that they were thinking enough to figure out how to get to people inside of cars.

"Well you have convinced me that going with you is my best chance for survival." Evan finally said after thinking. "Let me go get my stuff."

"Sam do you know what you're doing?" Tone asked once Evan was out of ear shot.