Those Who Remain (Book 2) by Priscila Santa Rosa Page A

happening.”
    “If you say so.”
    “While they try to shoot at me, you shoot them from up here. Can you do that?”
    Her eyes rest on the sniper rifle in my hands. “Cover fire. Yes. I may not hit anything, but they’ll be confused at least.”
    Of course she knows what cover fire is. I smile at her. “We are going to save the town, don’t worry, Mrs. Terrence. And please stay out of view. I’ll try to be quick about it, so they don’t have enough time to figure out where you are, but if they do, you need to climb down and hide, okay?”
    “Yes, dear. Good idea.”
    The building next to the drugstore is a barbershop, smaller and lower. The jump to that roof will hurt a lot, especially since I’m going to land on my right side, but I do it anyway. I run across the second rooftop and reach the closed pet shop. Since it was abandoned by its owner, Redwood teens use it as a meeting place. I use the plank they brought to pass another set of rooftops. I climb down, planting my feet at the sidewalk at the end of the street, right at the exit of the town.
    I cross the pavement, keeping an eye out for any movement. The trucks remain parked at the same spot and a few forms move around. I track my way back to them, behind the buildings. From this angle I can see the back of each truck.
    That’s when I recognize Roger, sitting in the back with his hands and feet tied, mouth covered with tape. My heart beats with joy, then with dread. He’s a hostage. They are going to use him against me.
    Father’s advice is clear in my head. “Then don’t let them. Ignore him. Better yet, leave town.”
    No. That’s not how things will end. I’m going to save him and finish these bastards off.
    A closer inspection reveals also my mother and Danny being held at gunpoint by a man with a big red star painted on his vest, he has a mullet and the appearance of a deadbeat drunk who thinks himself the top dog of the bar. Beside them, a man with a Tomahawk tattoo holds in chains an infected man with no arms.
    They are going to threaten them with the bite. Damn.
    Hopefully Mrs. Terrence can’t see Danny from where she is. With a sigh, I move to Old Joe’s back door, careful not to draw attention.
    Two women and one man trash the pizzeria, kicking tables and chairs onto the floor. They don’t seem in a rush to find anyone. I keep crouched behind the sales counter, next to Joe’s office. From my bag I take out a breathing mask and three Ping-Pong balls: Father’s homemade smoke bombs.
    I light and toss one of them over the counter, then move quickly to another hiding spot: Joe’s administration office. With the mess they are making, they don’t hear the tiny explosion. The smoke slowly fills the room, but not enough. I roll another one and wait until it explodes too.
    “The fuck?”
    One of the soldiers, the one wearing a helmet decorated with a roaring lion, moves to inspect the broken ball, coughing with the smoke already reaching his knees. I roll another one, the ball stopping by his left boot. It explodes and he curses at the sting.
    “There’s someone in here!” He screams, coughing shortly after. “Fuck.”
    On purpose I open the office door, and move out of view, standing with my back at the wall. I hear footsteps and coughing. The instant the man walks inside the office, I throw my bag in his face and kick him in the stomach. He falls while pulling the trigger, a ring of bullets hitting the ceiling above us. I give him no time to recover and pound my feet against his chest, taking out my SIG Sauer.
    He has bright green eyes and blond beard. I shoot him in the face.
    “Lion? What the fuck is going on?” A woman outside the room yells. “Can’t see shit.”
    Grunting, I lift the body and place the bag back over my good shoulder. He’s heavy as hell, but I just need to move him enough to block the door. The gunner is about to get in when I push the body off me and on to her. She loses her footing, falling backwards. I raise