Free Rise of the Phoenix (The Phoenix Trilogy Book 1) by M.R. Ferguson Page B

with.”
    Taking only their guns and knives they hiked back to the village. As usual guards awaited them. They walked forward with their hands in the air.
    “Could we speak to Ben?” Adam asked.
    One guard walked away without saying a word. The other stared them down. His eyes drifted to Phoenix and she watched them go up and down her figure with a mixture of lust and disgust.
    The other guard returned and spoke. “You’ll be leaving your weapons.”
    Phoenix figured this would be the case. Slowly they disarmed themselves and sat the weapons on the ground.
    “You first,” the guard pointed to from Adam to Phoenix and grinned.
    Phoenix looked over her shoulder and saw that he had his shotgun pointed at their backs as they walked. She took note of the boy who had previously had a broken leg. It was set with boards, and he walked with an old set of wood crutches. Others they had noticed in the village that had appeared to be sick, tired, and hungry, now had a glow to their skin. No longer were their eyes sunken in or dark. Everyone still looked quite dirty though.
    At the end of the street they walked across the threshold of Ben’s home. As before he sat at the large table.
    “You came back, why?” He rested his arms on the table and looked up at them waiting for an answer.
    “We wanted to see for ourselves the healing you spoke of. And I wanted to apologize for my reaction,” Phoenix said.
    “Take a gander outside. My kin have been healed by your blood. I will thank you for that, but ya’ll are not welcome here.”
    “We hoped to make an alliance,” Adam said.
    Ben blew a laugh out. “Why would I wanna go and do that? She wanted to kill us,” he said pointing to Phoenix.
    “Sir, if I could just explain,” she pleaded.
    “None necessary. That’s what y’all are. I get that.”
    “Yes, I will admit are a lot of vamps that are only after blood and killing. They form gangs and work like a pack of wolves. Adam and I are not like that. I didn’t want to kill you for your blood. My reaction was to mine being taken and the eagerness I saw and felt in you as you got it. I’ve never had anyone ask for my blood. It made me want it myself. I wasn’t prepared for that,” she explained.
    “How long has it been since either of ya killed?”
    “Years, sir,” Phoenix answered. “We have found a better way to get the blood we need.”
    “How’s that?” Ben asked disbelieving.
    “Donations,” Adam offered.
    “Are you telling me that folks offer themselves up to you?” Ben crinkled his nose as if disgusted.
    “You’re one to talk. You wanted us to offer ourselves to you for blood,” Phoenix countered.
    Ben took a second and pursed his lips nodding. “I guess ya have a point.”
    “Look, you need our blood to keep your village healthy. We need yours to keep providing it,” Adam added.
    “And in return?” Ben asked.
    “We will trade blood for blood and medical supplies for canned food,” Phoenix said.
    Ben stood picking up the rifle that was lying on the table beside him. “One person get’s hurt I’ll kill ya.”
    “Understood,” Adam said.
    “Let’s go,” Ben motioned for them to follow him.
    He pointed to a few people as they walked. “Jimmy over there had a cracked leg. Had to set it of course, and it wasn’t pleasant. The boards will come off tomorrow maybe. He had some of the blood. Other’s had disease which is gone.” They walked up to another shanty where two women were sitting on run down wooden rocking chairs.
    This here is my wife, Vera.”
    She had beautiful brown eyes, and few wrinkles. Her hair was short like the others in town, but Phoenix could see the woman’s beauty never the less. She carried herself with grace and she emitted a loving kindness that reminded Phoenix of her mother.
    Phoenix extended her hand to shake, but Vera just grinned and nodded.
    “It’s nice to meet you,” Phoenix said anyway.
    “Vera, I have struck a deal with these vamps. Give them some