Life After The Undead (Book 1) (89 page)

My
stomach
knotted.
I
turned
to
follow
the
Jeep
down
the
road.
Liet
grabbed
me by
the
arm
and
jerked
me
backward.
I
turned
to
punch
him
in
the
face,
but
he
blocked it
and
backhanded
me
across
the
cheek.
The
pain
burned
through
my
eye
socket,
but
I
wasn
’t
going
to
give
up.
I
pulled
and
struggled against
Liet.
I
even
kicked
him
in
the
shins
a
couple
times,
but
he
dug
his
nails
into
my
arm.

“No!”
  I
screamed.
“Quinn!”

Liet
got
his
free
arm
around
my
neck
and
applied
pressure.
I
clawed
and
scratched
his
arm,
but
the
oxygen
was
slowly
being
cut
off
to
my
brain.
My
knees
buckled.
I
grabbed
at
the
air,
hoping
to
magically
pull
Quinn
back.
I
was
sure
Liet
was
going
to kill
me.

CHAPTER
23

I
regained
consciousness
a
while
later.
My
head
pounded
and
my
throat
was
sore. I
sat
up
and
noticed
I
was
in
a
cot
in
the
women
’s
house.
I
swung
my
feet
off
the
side
of
the
bed
and
a
chain
clunked
onto
the
floor.
I
lifted
my
right
foot
and
examined
the
Master
padlock
that
connected
the
two
ends
of
the
chain.
I angrily
jerked
on
it
.
I glanced up
and
noticed
Pam
sitting
across
me.
She
smiled
feebly.

“You
feeling
all
right?”

What
the
hell
kind
of
question
was
that?
Of
course
I
wasn
’t
all
right.
“I’d
be
doing
a
lot
better
if
I
wasn
’t
chained
up.”

Pam
nodded.
“I
know.
I
wish
I could
do
something
for
you,
but
I
can’t.”

I stared
at
her
for a
moment. “You
could
let
me
go.”

Pam
shook
her
head.
“Liet has
the
only
key.
He’s
wearing
it
around his neck
.”

“You
could
try
to
contact
Quinn.
He’ll
know
what
to
do.”

She
shook
her
head
again.
“Liet’s
monitoring
the
air
waves.
Anyone
who
uses
the
radio
without
authorization
will
be shot
on
sight.”

I
balled
my
hands
into
fists.
Why
did
she
even
bring
it
up?
If she
wasn
’t
going
to
do
anything,
she
shou
ld’v
e
kept
her
mouth
shut.
I
guess
she
was
trying
to
look
good.

“If
you
’r
e
not
going
to
help
me,
what
are
you
doing
here?”

Pam’s
eyes
widened
in
surprise.
“I
want
to
help
you,
Krista,
but
what
you
’r
e
asking
me
to
do
is
impossible.
Besides,
where
would
you
go
if
I
set
you
free?
To
Quinn?
How
are
you
going
to
get
there
without
a
vehicle?”

My
eyes
narrowed
to
slits.
“I can
get
a
vehicle.
Don’t
you
worry
about
that.”

“You
wouldn
’t
make
it
past
the
gate.
You
know
what
sharp
shooters
we
have
in
the
tower.”

“Being
dead
might
be
better
than
being
a
prisoner.”

“Don
’t
say
that.
You
know
that’s
not
true.”

I
held
up
my
hand
to
silence
Pam.
“You
don
’t
know.
You
’r
e
not
the
one
chained
up.”

Pam’s
face
turned
red.
“You
got
yourself
into this
mess.
I’m
trying
to
make
things
a
little
easier
on
you.”

Anger
boiled
in
my
chest. “How
did I
get
myself
into
this
mess?
Because
I
followed
your
advice? You
’r
e
the
one
who
told
me
I
deserved
to
be
happy!”

“Then
you
should
have
stayed
in
the
West!
Why
did
you
come
back?”

I stared
at
her.
I
wanted
to
tell
her
it
was
because
we
planned
a
war,
but
I
couldn
’t.
If
Pam
wouldn
’t
help
me
escape
now,
I
was
sure
she
’d
take
the
information
directly
to Liet.
That
was
probably
the
only
reason
she
talked
to
me.
She
was
trying
to
get
information.

The
door
to
the
house
flew
open,
and
Liet
stepped
into
the
room.
He
stood
at
the
end
of
my
bed,
his
hands
on
his
hips. He
stared
at
me
for a
moment,
then
swung
his
gaze
to
Pam.

“I
need
you
to
get
four
soldiers.
Preferably
ones
who
know
how
to
drive
a
semi
and
don’t
scare
easily.”

Pam
saluted
before
heading
out
the
door.
Liet
sat
in her
place.

“You
know,”
I
said
softly,
“there’s
a
lot
more
to
gathering
supplies
than
just
knowing
where
they
are.”

“You
mean
like
dating
your
guide?”

I
clenched
my
jaw.
“What
does
it
matter
to
you?”

“It matters
a lot
to
me!
I
wanted
to
be
the
one
to
provide
for
you.
I
wanted
to
make
sure
you
were
safe.
I’m
your
family,
not
him.”
He
took
a
deep
breath.
“I
told
you
before,
Krista,
I
don
’t
like
to
be
abandoned. Especially
for
another
guy.”

I
clicked
my
tongue
on
the
roof
of
my
mouth.
“I
don’t
know
why
I’m
the
only
person
in
this
entire
camp
you
care
about.
What
about
the
workers?
What
about
that
girl,
Megan?
Why
do
you
have
to
focus all
your
attention
on
me?”

“Because
you
can’t
take
care
of
yourself.”

The
heat
rose
into
my
face.
“Can
’t
take
care
of
myself?”
The
question
came
out
as
a
whisper.
“I’v
e
been
taking
care
of
myself
for
almost
three
years
now.
I
don
’t
need
you.”