Free Sole Survivors: Crux Survivors, Book 2 by Dani Worth Page A

wet and combed back off her face. “But that isn’t hard considering how few of us there are left.” She sighed. “This is so nice. Food smells fantastic and damn, that shower felt good. Thanks again for letting me use it. We’ve been bathing in cold rivers since we left home. There we have hydro-electric generators and all the electricity we could need because our place is built over a running stream. But we’ve been on the road for weeks. We had to come farther south than planned because of the roads.”
    “So you are going to help rescue his family. Did I understand that right?”
    Jenna nodded. She reached up to smooth her wet hair behind her ears. She’d put on a baggy blue sweatshirt and jeans. When she shivered, Keera handed her a blanket.
    “Thanks,” she said, tucking it around her body. “Yeah, we’re going to help Cadmar. Not too long ago, Ross was out on one of his supply runs and was taken by surprise by some raiders. Caddie helped him escape.”
    “And Ross took him with him?”
    “No. He tried, but Caddie was actually trying to help an even younger boy the scumbags had taken. Neither boys were in a good spot with these men.”
    “Oh.” Keera looked down at her lap because the anger, disgust and hurt for Cadmar rose up so fast in her chest and throat, she thought she might choke on it. He was just so damned sweet.
    “Yeah, I see you understand. Ross didn’t plan to leave the boy, but he got stabbed and the raiders got away with Caddie. Ross and Jake—that’s the other man who lives on the property—tried to find them, but ended up having to bring only Colin home. Caddie later showed up with the raiders. They’d followed our trail.”
    Keera wanted to ask what happened, but could guess.
    “We killed them. We had no other choice. They knew our hideout. And trust me, it’s not something anyone is going to find without prior knowledge. It’s even more hidden than this place and what you have here is pretty damned nice.” She lifted the blanket to her chin. “This is great. Soft.” She smiled. “We asked Caddie to stay with us, but he told us about his family.”
    “So you all left the safety of your home to come rescue people you’ve never met?”
    “Wouldn’t you?” Jenna looked over at Cadmar, who was once again blinking at Tripp with puppy dog eyes. “Could you look at that kind boy, know what he’s gone through, and not want to help him get his family free?”
    “No, I couldn’t.”
    “I’d like to help.”
    Both Jenna and Keera jumped when Chase’s low voice joined the conversation. Jenna sat up, tucked the blanket around her again and looked around Keera at him.
    “Tripp and I live nowhere,” he continued. “That RV is our home. We’re looking for a town, something like that, but I want to help free that boy’s family.”
    “We don’t have a town—just a few adults and some extra kids—but we have a lot of room on our mountain. Room left in the house itself and room on the property to build more houses that can use the water and generators. We have a greenhouse, a barn for creating biodiesel fuel and we’re hoping to build another for livestock. I’ll be honest. We’re hoping Caddie and his whole family come to live up there. We’d love for you and Tripp to join us too.”
    “You don’t know us.” Chase sat up straighter, raised his knees and propped his upper arms on them.
    “No, not yet. But if you go with us to help Caddie, we’ll have time to get to know each other.” Jenna looked at Keera. “You have a nice place here, but we’d love to have you too.”
    “I don’t know about that.” Keera couldn’t imagine leaving her home. Not permanently. “But like Chase, I’d like to help you rescue Caddie’s family. I heard him tell Tripp he has a little brother there. I can’t imagine what these people are going through.”
    “I don’t want to imagine it.” Jenna grew quiet and looked toward the woods as a chorus of coyotes sounded then