Free The Divide: Origins by Mitchel Grace

Where did you find coffee?”
    “They
had some stashed away, and I found a coffee maker in the precinct. From there,
I didn’t waste any time. Here’s to drinking what might be our last cup of
coffee,” she said and raised her cup.
    “Just
not good coffee,” Max said as he scowled from the taste.
    “Sorry.
I found this, but I didn’t see any sugar or creamer. So what’s the plan for
today?”
    “There
should be some vehicles on the property. We’ll find where they keep their keys
and raid everything that doesn’t belong to these people. From there, we’ll just
drive. Normally, I would fire you from being our driver, but you did just save
my life. Do you want to take another shot at it?”
    “Actually,
I was hoping you could drive after what happened last time. Maybe you could
give me a new job.”
    “We’ll
figure out something. After what you did for me yesterday, you can stay with us
for as long as you want. We’re family now.”
    “Family,
huh?”
    “Yeah.
We don’t know each other very well yet, but it’s going to take a group to live
through this. No lone wolves are surviving in this world. What do you say? Do
you want to be a part of our group permanently?”
    “I’ll
stick with you guys. I would hardly call this a group, though. It’s just four
people, and that old man doesn’t look like he’s going to be good for much, if
things turn ugly.”
    “You
didn’t seem like you would be much in a fight either. You sure saved my ass,
though. Let’s give him a shot. He stepped up for Zoe, so he’s earned at least
that.”
    “I
guess you’re right. I think that little girl really likes you. What’s the story
behind that? You just met each other, so it doesn’t make much sense.”
    “Remember
when I told you about Jerome?”
    “Yeah.
Is it that simple?”
    “Kind
of. I saved her from being killed by him and possibly even worse. We discovered
her parents, too. None of that should make her close to me. It’s just a story
about a bunch of messed up stuff in a world that’s falling apart. I think I
might be all she’s got left, though. I’m not her father, friend, or even
someone who knows that much about her. I’ll protect her, though, and judging by
what she did last night, I think that’s mutual. That’s all a person can ask for
now.”
    “I
guess that makes us close, too, then. You gave me a group, and I helped get you
out of that room. Should we wake her and Walter up yet?”
    “No,
let’s talk some. You know a lot about my past. I told you why I was in prison
and about my family. All I know about you is that you worked too much and never
found somebody to share your life with. There has to be more to your story than
that.”
    “There’s
not as much as you would think. I moved here for college. I’m originally from
West Virginia. I couldn’t wait to get out of that place. I
always said when I turned eighteen , I was gone .
My parents thought it was all talk. Most kids say that there, but very few have
the drive to actually make it a reality. I did, though. I went to college at
NYU. It was a shock to live in the city because of where I came from. It was
good for me, though. I fell in love with the city for a while, but after I got
my degree, I decided it was time to get out. I got a job around here, and I’ve
been there ever since. I’ve had friends, but they’ve come and gone. I never
made time to establish lasting relationships.”
    “What
about your parents? Are they still around?”
    “I
hope so. They were before the disaster.”
    “Maybe
we can check on them on the way. We’ll be going through West Virginia.”
    “Could
we really do that?”
    “Of
course. If we’re making a new life, we’re definitely going to take all the
people worth something with us. Your parents qualify.”
    “Thank
you.”
    “It’s
no problem. I’ve got a simple question for you now. How old are you?”
    “Didn’t
anyone ever tell you that you’re not supposed to ask a woman how old