Free Humanity Gone (Book 3): Rebirth by Derek Deremer

didn’t have women, and they seemed to be almost half women. I carefully peered through the window until I heard a pair of voices. I quickly hid in the shadows along the wall.
    “Those two seem really close to finding a cure,” a woman's voice said. I couldn’t make out much of her face in the darkness.
    What I was more concerned with was what she had just said.
    “They’re probably the best hope the whole country has,” a male voice returned.
    I didn’t know who these people were, but if they were working on a cure, I was not going to stray far from them. I may be a loner, but word still spread quickly about how the virus came back.
    Another scream emitted from the captive in the greenhouse.
    “Ryan’s being brutal this time,” she said.
    “It's getting scary,” he answered. The two passed by and disappeared around the building.
    I stayed beneath the window, hidden by a pile of scrap wood. I listened carefully to the voices on the inside. Soon the Ryan from the greenhouse ran into the room and exclaimed that more intruders were coming. This had me worried. Apparently, the guy they captured was the bad guy.
    I listened to his plan, and although I didn’t agree with it, there was little I could do to change it. They probably were not in a “making friends” mood. Then, I had an idea.
    Just as half of them went off into the fields, I went in the opposite direction of the farm. I was careful of my surroundings and made my way far from the building. My feet eventually found a road, and I picked up my pace for another hundred yards or so.
    Once I felt that I went far enough, I stopped and regained some of my breath. It seemed like a good plan.
    I withdrew my revolver and pointed it into the sky. With a pull of the trigger, I fired all six shots with different timing between each.
    I thought that with any luck, the sounds would pull the intruders away from the farm. Also, no one would get hurt. After firing, I made my way back to the farm by going completely around the opposite side in a large circle.
    When I reached the farmhouse, the others who went into the field had already returned and there was no sign of anyone else. Maybe it was me, maybe it wasn’t, but they were safe. Everything was okay again. Afraid to startle them, I kept my distance on the outside, spending the night against the wall so I could feel some of the warmth from within. In the morning, several more arrived in a sedan. There seemed to be a brief moment of panic, but everything turned out to be okay. I continued to watch the group and study them without getting too close. Slowly I got a feel for several of them, but rarely could I make out any of their names.
    Late that night, I heard a pair outside the building discussing their plan to go back into the city to acquire the final ingredients for this cure. My plan was to reveal myself in the morning before they left. It was risky, but I wouldn't be able to keep up any other way. I had been a recluse long enough. While I worked it all out in my mind, my eyes closed and I drifted asleep.
    That morning, I overslept.
    I awoke to a vacant farm. After quickly helping myself to a few of the supplies they left behind, I made my way down the road to find some way to catch up to them. After several miles, I found an abandoned car nearly hidden along the side of the road. Judging by its condition, it hadn't been abandoned for more than a week or two.
    I still wonder what happened to its occupants. There was a little blood on the inside of the windshield, but no bullet holes or anything worse. Why would someone just leave that out there? Anyway, I was lucky because a little work with its wires and the car instantly started, and I was back on their trail.
    I followed them into the city by following their tracks in the snow little bit of snow left on the asphalt. Just as I passed through the tunnel and arrived at the bridge, I saw them being taken by men in black uniforms – New Americans.
    These past six