Camp Zero (Book 2): State of Shock by Jack Hunt Page A

permission to kill?”
    I shoved him hard up against the wall, he sneered at me.
    “Who put you in charge?”
    “I’m telling you.”
    Luke laughed in my face. “You’re telling me?” He pried my hands away and pushed back. “Go to hell, Frost.”
    With that said he stormed out of the diner. I stood there for a second staring at the wall, my gun beside me. I gritted my teeth and balled my hand.
    “Sam. SAM!”
    I ignored Billy and went out the front to continue collecting some of the fuel that the soldiers had siphoned out.
    “Maybe we should use their truck. I mean, if they have the roads blocked off we could get in as one of them.”
    I scoffed at Billy’s idea. “This is not Mission Impossible , Billy. Now help me lug these two gas canisters over to the truck.”
    “I’m just saying.”
    “Well don’t,” I said spinning around. “This isn’t a game we are playing. We can’t just sneak into the town in their truck. They aren’t stupid.”
    “It was just an idea.”
    Billy turned and walked back to the diner. I felt a wave of guilt wash over me. I was taking out my anger on him. Luke was pissing me off. The guy didn’t have an off switch. He was looking for any reason to kill. It wasn’t that I was against killing but it at least had to be justified in my mind.

    * * *
    H ayden was a town that was slightly larger than Mount Pleasant. Keith filled us in on what the community was like and how the military had blocked off the road that led in and out.
    “You can get in by trails using a motorbike or ATV. Though the brush is pretty dense in some areas. You aren’t thinking of heading in there, are you?”
    “No, we just enjoy learning the history of towns,” Billy said sarcastically.
    He stepped forward. “You don’t stand a chance.”
    “We’re not looking to start a fight with them and not all of us would go in.”
    “What?” Ally said. “Um, when were you going to tell us?”
    “Since he nominated himself the leader of our group. Isn’t that right, Frost?” Luke muttered before lighting a cigarette.
    “It’s just common sense. It’s easier if one or two of us go in than all of us. We all get caught, how would we get out of that? There’s no point in all of us dying.”
    “Oh but let me guess, you’re going and I’m not?” Luke asked.
    I leaned against the truck and glanced inside before looking at him. “You’re reckless, Luke. I have no idea what you are going to do next. The last thing I need is for you to go shooting up the place and alerting them to our presence. If you want to shoot something, go into the woods and catch us dinner.”
    Luke pushed away from the van and walked over to me. He took a deep pull on his cigarette and blew it in my face on purpose. “Fuck you.”
    “If you two are done, maybe we can get to the part where we talk about getting my father back? Let’s not forget why we are considering this,” Ally said trying to be the voice of reason.
    “I say we all go,” Corey said. “They are as much our family as they are Kiera’s and Ally’s. Besides, who’s going to watch your back?”
    “Keith here,” I said.
    “Oh no, I can’t go back there.”
    “You are the only one who knows the town. You know where they are keeping people. You know where they patrol.”
    He threw his hands up and walked away. “I can’t. I’m sorry.”
    “Keith. I get it. You lost your wife and daughter. All of us have lost someone close to us but we need your help. I’m asking you. Please.”
    He fixed his gaze on me and gnawed on the side of his cheek. “I’m not going in but I will take you to the edge of town. It’s up to you from there.”
    He walked over to a small branch on the ground and snapped off a small twig. He motioned for us to come over. There in the dirt he outlined the town, and some of the major buildings which they had turned into enclosures for anyone refusing to give up their guns.
    “I don’t get it. Are they planning on staying?”
    “I