Free Alaskan Undead Apocalypse (Book 3): Mitigation Book 3) by Sean Schubert Page B

protection? More responsibility? Despite any misgivings or hesitation, he knew that it was the right thing to do. They would simply figure a way to make it all work. And by they , Neil always assumed it meant he would figure a way.
    Figuring was just what he’d been forced to do these past several weeks and it didn’t appear to be slackening any. Dr. Caldwell had been right. Neil needed to accept his role, regardless of how uncomfortable it made him feel. He knew this to be true and yet he found himself, on occasion, trekking further and further from that reality.
    The biggest challenge to Neil accepting his role as a leader was that he had always gone the direction of the Beta male; rarely first but never last in sports, academics, and with girls. He was usually good at most things but he was never the best at anything. He never considered himself leader material. Bureaucrat, middle manager, crew leader at the fry station, but never head manager and certainly never leader. It wasn’t hard to understand Neil’s present reluctance.
    And yet, he’d just successfully rationalized himself into leading a larger tribe. Sometimes he was his own worst enemy.
    Jerry spotted the approaching group and immediately recognized Neil at its head. He was relieved to see that both Emma and Neil were still armed and smiling. Without taking his eye from his hunting scope, Jerry said, “They’re baaacckkkk! And they’ve got friends with ‘em.”
    Meghan leapt up and ran for her own rifle, fearing that Neil’s friends may not be friendly. “Does everything look...? Is he...?”
    Jerry nodded and said with a smile, “Relax. It’s okay. Couple adults. Couple of kids. And a dog. Danny, it’s a Golden. D’ya think your dog followed you up here? What was his name again?”
    Danny answered from somewhere out of Jerry’s limited vision, “Roman. Romie. Do they really have a dog with them?” Danny’s reaction to that piece of news was especially excited. There was just something uplifting to him to have a dog around.
    Standing next to Jerry, Meghan could see all of them now without the aid of a scope. Claire was there too. She could see the emotion starting to color Meghan’s cheeks. She touched Meghan’s shoulder and rubbed it gently.
    There was no point trying to deny her feelings. Meghan was always so excited when he returned from his excursions, of which there were entirely too many. Truth be told, she was always relieved and pleased to see everyone return from any jaunt whether long or short. But with Neil it was something different...something special.
    She knew that she loved him but was surprised at her increasing dependence on him. She had loved Brian, her former fiancé, but was far more independent and self-reliant. Of course, to be fair, times were significantly different then. She had a job and an apartment then. She slept inside then and wasn’t a potential nightly special on the menu back then. She wondered how Brian would have done in Neil’s position. Would he have ever found himself in Neil’s position?
    The thinking and remembering and wondering touched off a tinge, a lone peppercorn of guilt, that revealed itself unexpectedly in her misting eyes. She hadn’t gone looking, but the tears found her anyway. There were neither sobs nor sniffles. The tears were quiet and few. They filled the corners of her eyes and left semi-clean streaks on her cheeks as they went south.
    Jerry looked at her and, thinking they were tears of relief, said out of the corner of his mouth, “Jeez. He wasn’t gone that long.”
    To which Claire nudged him with her elbow. “Shut the hell up. Lady’s entitled.”
    Meghan merely smiled and nodded, preferring the simple assumption over the complicated truth.
    Just moments later and with much fanfare, the travelers were back within the warmth of their camp. Introductions and handshakes were shared, as were a few scraps of food. There were smiles all around when Jules looked up in disbelief