Free The Harvest (Book 1) by Anne Ferretti Page B

wasn’t sure what to think of him. Instincts said he was dangerous, but not a danger to her, not in the traditional sense of the word anyway. Maddie closed her eyes, hoping for sleep. She didn’t have to hope for long.
    Five feet away, Austin closed his eyes, but his mind didn’t grant him peace. Images of Roxanne floated in and out of view, always the same, always her same desperate cries for him to help her, to save their baby. Roxi morphed into Eve. Green eyes turned pitch black. Eve beckoned him to follow her. He watched for a sign, or an indication that he was on the right track, but she revealed nothing. Frustrated he opened his eyes and focused on the sound of his companion’s breathing. Both were fast asleep.
    “Sydney.” Madison mumbled in her sleep. “Stop Syd. Not funny…”
    She mumbled something else, but Austin couldn’t make out the words. She shifted in her sleeping bag, but didn’t wake. Curious about something, Austin held the night vision goggles up to his eyes, and looked over at Madison. Her hand rested on her gun as he had expected. He was about to lower the goggles, but paused for a second on her face. Even in the green light, he understood the effect she had on Luke and probably most men she came in contact with. Beauty was a dangerous thing. If they crossed paths with other men, it might cause them to act less than civilized. He’d seen it happen before over less.
    Tossing the goggles to the side, he zipped up and turned over. It was his duty to protect all citizens from the enemy, regardless if the enemy was foreign, domestic or a monster. The origin of the threat was of no consequence to him. In this he accepted the responsibility of Madison’s well being. He now had two opportunities at redemption. This time he hoped not to fail.
    There were a few things about her granting him the slightest bit of comfort. That she was a cop and obviously knew how to handle a weapon was a definite plus. And, despite his earlier remark, he was impressed she’d made it this far on her own, which indicated she had better than average survival skills. Knowing he wouldn’t have to hold her hand gave him as much peace of mind as anything could these days.
    The question of her age crossed his mind. He muddled through what little he learned about her. As a lieutenant she had to be at least twenty five, but it seemed unlikely she was that young. Not because she looked older, she just projected an air of maturity that indicated she was closer to thirty, maybe over thirty. Too old for Luke, he thought. And then shook his head at why he would think such a thing. He sighed and closed his eyes. This time he slept undisturbed.
    Sometime in the night, Madison awoke with a start. Her eyes adjusted to the small room, as her mind slowly came back to her surroundings. She relaxed, but didn’t close her eyes. The uncomfortable pressure on her bladder prevented immediate return to sleep. On her own she would have just gotten up to use the bathroom, but she wasn’t alone and she was inside a freezer. She debated holding out until morning, and checked her watch. It was only three o’clock. If she had skipped water at dinner there would be no predicament. Damn it to hell.
    “Shit.” She muttered, reaching for the zipper.
    “Bathroom’s out the door to the left of the meat cases.” Austin’s voice startled her.
    “What? How’d you know?” She unzipped her bag.
    “I had a wife.” He stated flatly and turned the lantern on low. “Here use these.” He tossed her the night vision goggles.
    “Thanks.” She muttered, embarrassed to be sharing personal moments with a complete stranger. Get use to it girly. Things ain’t pretty out there. They’s mostly ugly. Her grand mamma would say to her anytime she complained about anything. And there ain’t always gonna be clean bathrooms, or private moments. Madison added to grandma’s advice.
    “Fifteen steps outside the storage room past the meat case to the right is a