Free The 40th Day (After the Cure Book 5) by Deirdre Gould

slowly up the grassy path. The little one looked familiar, but Rickey couldn’t place her. He pulled to a gentle stop as they turned to look at him. The older woman stumbled as she pressed the younger behind her.
    “Shit,” said Rickey, “I think she’s sick.”
    “I knew we should have grabbed the extra cement yesterday when we had the chance. If they’re this close we won’t be able to travel again for weeks,” muttered Amos. “Keep everyone in the truck. If they bolt for the truck or pull a weapon, don’t wait for me, you got it? I can handle myself, but only if I know the rest of you are taken care of. You take off and don’t stop for anything.”
    “Got it, boss,” said Rickey, his knee bouncing nervously. Amos climbed out of the truck.
    “Hello,” he said, his voice rolling easily over the still, windless field. “You from the City?”
    “Yes,” shouted the older woman and took a few steps toward him. Amos held up his hand.
    “Wait,” he said, “don’t come any closer yet— we’ll help you, but we have to keep everyone safe.”
    The woman raised a hand to shade her eyes. “Amos? Issat you? It’s me, Christine Das.”
    Amos was silent but Rickey saw him sag a little. “Don’t you remember me?” she asked.
    “Yeah, yeah of course I remember you, Christine. What are you doing way out here? I thought you’d be caring for people at the hospital.”
    “The City— there’s an outbreak there.”
    “We know. We got Sevita’s message.”
    “She— she sent a message?” She swayed a little, as if she were very tired or dizzy.
    Amos crossed his arms. “Kinda thought you’d be with her,” he said.
    “She put me in the bomb shelter. Below the hospital. Tole me to stay ‘side so I wouldn’t get sick. She tole me to stay ‘til someone came to help. She was already sick, she wouldn’t come inside. I tried—” she took another step toward Amos but stopped as he held up his hand again. “I tried to persuade her, but she said I would be safe inside. And then she left. We waited—” she waved backward at the younger woman, “we waited several days, but she didn’t come back. ‘Nother group did, and threatened to break the door down. They had kids with ‘em, needed the shelter more. An’ Marnie—” she waved again at the other woman.
    Rickey sat up straighter at the name. He shared a glance with Amos.
    “Marnie said she had a friend here.”
    “Henry,” offered Marnie, “He should be at the Colony.”
    “Yes, Henry. She said we could come and be safe, so we snuck out of the shelter to find the Colony.”
    “You’ve been in the shelter the whole time? You haven’t been exposed?” asked Amos, his posture softening.
    Christine hesitated. Rickey shook his head. “No. No, no, no. Amos, they have to go to quarantine, just like everyone else,” said Rickey, opening his door.
    “But if they haven’t been exposed, it’ll be like throwing one of us into a pen of Infected and hoping we make it out okay,” said Amos.
    “They have separate cells. They don’t have to get close enough to anyone to catch it.”
    “Except whoever is feeding them—”
    Christine watched the two men arguing from each side of the truck. The people in the back began to stand as well.
    “We have to take that risk. Amos, you know we have to. You promised Henry that we wouldn’t bring any Infection back, that we’d be careful. Let them walk to quarantine. It’s not that far. They’ll be as safe there as at the Colony. If they are telling the truth, they’ll just be uncomfortable for a few weeks. If they aren’t—” Rickey looked up at the two women. “I’m sorry, we just can’t chance it,” he called. “You’ll be safe in the quarantine. Henry can talk to you over the radio. It’s quiet and clean and Vincent will make sure you have everything you need. Then, in a few weeks, we’ll all be together again.” He closed the truck door.
    “Do you mind if we just get a ride on the back of the