Free The Break Free Trilogy (Book 3): Through The Frozen Dawn by E.M. Fitch Page B

Patricia for male. Her form, the way she held herself, even in the combat gear and with a gun slung over her shoulder, she was indisputably female. Her eyes shifted and locked on Kaylee's, pale hazel and striking. Kaylee attempted a smile and after a moment, Patricia simply looked away.
    "Brother and sister?" Kaylee asked Rebecca. The woman smiled.
    "Cousins," she answered. "Both in the National Guard. They were stationed somewhere near here in an evacuation center. Of course, that was overrun. We all found each other and now we're here, in the Circle. We move around a lot. Add new vehicles when we find more people. Keep mobile."
    "How many are here?"
    "It fluctuates. Today, around thirty."
    A shadow fell over Kaylee's shoulder and she stiffened, her hand stretching automatically for her weapon. Before her fingers could wrap around the handle, she spoke.
    "Michael said you were held hostage, one injured, one missing." Her voice was softer than Kaylee expected and it caught her off guard. She turned to find Patricia staring down at her. Her gaze was intense and unflinching, something about the challenge in those eyes stirred Kaylee to action.
    "One injured, three missing," she answered. "My sister and... and Jack were in the town you flooded with biters."
    "That's right, Mike did mention that," James said. He came from behind his cousin and squat on the ground next to Anna. He examined the water bottle drainage system propped next to Andrew. "Nice work, that."
    Anna thanked him while Patricia kept her eyes locked on Kaylee. Andrew was asleep, no movement near him except the occasional bubbles that broke the surface of the water bottle.
    "What are your plans?" Patricia asked, still staring at Kaylee. Kaylee took a bite of venison before answering.
    "He needs rest," Kaylee said, nodding towards Andrew, "a couple days at least. Then we'll be going."
    "Back there?" Patricia asked, jerking her head in the direction of the parked jeeps. Kaylee nodded. "There's no one left back there. It's pointless."
    "Our family's left back there and we're going to get them." The words were firm and Kaylee locked eyes with Patricia as she spoke them. James's lips quirked in an amused smirk.
    "Well, we have safety and food," James said. "You're welcome to come with us."
    "Come with you?" Anna asked, frowning.
    "We don't stay in one place for too long," James answered. "Especially with the fences we took down. In fact, we're giving the order to pack up in the next hour, after everyone's done eating."
    They didn't wait for Kaylee's reply, both standing and getting in the growing line for food. Kaylee shot Anna a quick look and knew in an instant, they didn't have a choice.
    "When do you think he'll wake up?" Kaylee asked, nodding towards Andrew. Anna shrugged.
    "Definitely if we have to move him, maybe before."
    "I want to tell him," Kaylee said. In her mind she was picturing his reaction. He would be angry. She didn't blame him. His father was lost, possibly hurt. There was a chance Bill was dead. Andrew would want to run back the second he could stand. But the reality was, Andrew couldn't stand. He couldn't run. And Kaylee and Anna alone couldn't keep him safe. Their best shot at staying alive was to stick with these strangers, even if it meant moving further from Bill. It was the hard reality they were facing. It should be Kaylee who explained this to Andrew. She owed him that.
    Anna nodded and scraped her plate clean. "Why don't you rest then," she suggested, pointing to the ground next to Andrew. "I have to keep an eye on him anyway."
    The ground was hard, rocky and unforgiving. But with her arm propped under her head and her eyes sliding closed, the noise of the camp around her and Rebecca's soft murmuring to Anna, Kaylee fell to sleep without hesitation.

Chapter 7
    E mma awoke before Jack . The scraping and stumbling of the infected below dragging her out of pleasant drowsiness and into painful alertness. For a quick moment, she thought about