Free The McClane Apocalypse Book Three by Kate Morris Page B

farm
is positioned in it, Dr. McClane," Simon comments.
    Reagan recognizes that the boy is educated
by his tone and clear diction and the way that he motions with his
hands as if he's taken quite a few speech and debate classes in
school.
    "Thanks. It's been passed down from family
time and again. How did you come to be with this group?" Reagan
asks.
    "Amber out there is my aunt. She has dark
hair, the one hanging those clothes," he indicates.
    Reagan spots the woman of whom he speaks.
Kelly had not been impressed with this woman yesterday and he'd
made his opinion of her known.
    "Uh, yeah, I see her," Reagan says with a
nod. Amber looks like a real piece of work.
    "My parents are both dead. Well, my dad may
not be actually. He was a senator from our state. But he was in
London on business when everything went bad, so he had no way of
getting home and we hadn't heard from him or his staff in over four
months. We all heard about London being bombed. I don't know…," he
trails off sadly.
    "I'm sorry, Simon," Reagan acknowledges and
lays a hand briefly to his sinewy, thin forearm.
    "Mother and I held a private memorial
service for just the two of us at our home. We needed, she needed the closure. My mom was a surgical nurse and was killed
shortly after it all fell apart when the hospital where she worked
was raided. I told her to stop going to work, but she wouldn't.
Most of the doctors and nurses left and never came back. But she
felt a responsibility to try and help people. Some of the workers
were still going but not many. I went to the hospital to look for
her when she didn't come home. There were fires everywhere. They'd
been raided. I found her, though…"
    His eyes tear up, but he forces them not to
fall. He glances away for just a moment and then back at them.
Reagan feels sorrier than she can say for this orphaned kid. She
also feels sorry for his dead mother because what almost happened
to her at the university is probably what had happened to Simon's
mom. She's learned a lot about some types of men since the
apocalypse started. She's learned that some of them are beasts.
She's also learned how John deals with them.
    "I'm very sorry, Simon," Reagan says with
much understanding.
    "Thanks. I guess everyone has lost someone
since this all started. My Aunt Amber lived nearby, and she took me
with them even though we really never had much to do with her
before or were around her family very often. She was my mother's
sister, and I don't believe they got along very well. We didn't
have any other family in the area, though, so I was kind of stuck.
I thought about just staying in our home, but I had nothing to
protect myself, no guns, no weapons of any kind. I didn't figure
I'd last too long."
    "What about your dad's family?" Cory asks as
he finishes his breakfast, setting a completely empty plate on the
platter.
    His plates are always empty. He is
definitely a growing boy. Reagan just grins. She hopes the family
can always grow enough food to take care of everyone on the
farm.
    "My dad's family was all from the New
England states, and so they are likely dead, as well. We didn't
hear from any of them after the first tsunami. I had a sister but…"
he doesn't finish.
    Reagan figures that it's because it is too
difficult for him to discuss. These kids dealing with shit that is
so beyond their years is enough to make her wince.
    After a long pause, Simon continues, "When I
first went with Aunt Amber, it was just her and her son and two of
the guys. We met up with the other caravan later. They knew each
other or at least some of them did anyways," Simon answers openly
and honestly.
    Reagan has hope that she can pry more
information from him.
    "What about those men? Who are those men?
I've counted five, not counting our worthless uncle and the other
teenager Bobby that Huntley told us about," Reagan inquires.
    "Yes, that's correct. Bobby is my cousin,
Aunt Amber's son. There's Frank, he's the twins' dad. Buzz, he's
the bald one