Compass Call: Survival & Awakening (The Gatekeeper Book 3) Read Online Free Page A

blanket. He knew Pete had it under control, but until they could fill sandbags, two folding chairs would have to do.
    John had to secure the stepladder to the wall after it was knocked over several times, because the alcove OP quickly became the place to be for the older kids. It was all the adults could do to keep the two youngest Hernandez kids from climbing the ladder and joining the bigger kids in the, “fort.” John fixed that problem by covering the first three rungs of the ladder with plywood secured with zip-ties. From that point forward, access to the alcove required a bit of a stretch, but it prevented the little kids from climbing up and hurting themselves.
    The drop from the ledge was about twelve feet, which was more than enough to hurt an adult, let alone a kid. Such a fall wouldn’t necessarily be fatal, but if someone fell on John’s heavy door brace, it could very well cause a life-threatening injury. But all in all, the alcove OP was a great idea, and everyone started calling it “OP Abby,” in honor of the person who made such an excellent recommendation.
    When John finished dressing, he made a quick stop at the pee bucket and signaled Paul that he was ready to assume his watch. Paul looked down, paused for a moment, and then slowly climbed down the ladder. He hopped the remaining three feet to the floor and yawned. “Did you see anything of significance?” asked John, as Paul started to walk away.
    “It’s much easier to see from up there, that’s for sure. It’s better than the guest room. But if you call a few neighbors walking around on the street significant, then yes,” answered Paul.
    “Really?” asked John, with new interest. “You’re the only neighbor I’ve seen since the disaster started. Did you see anyone you recognized?”
    “Nope. It was too dark,” answered Paul, with another yawn.
    “How many people?”
    “Oh, I don’t know, maybe three different groups,” replied Paul, as he scratched behind his ear.
    “Groups! What do you mean, groups?” asked John.
    “OK, well maybe not groups, groups, but one group had two people, and the other two had about three or four. It was hard to tell for sure in the dark. I only counted the people I saw carrying flashlights,” finished Paul.
    John noticed Paul was beginning to sound defensive and irritated at being questioned, so he decided to drop it. It wasn’t an interrogation, he just wanted to know what Paul saw. John realized that if he wanted a better report, he would have to provide the guards with a log book. Written information was much more reliable than a verbal report, especially when dealing with civilians. All he wanted to know was the time the groups passed his house, what direction they were heading, and what equipment they were carrying, if any, other than their flashlights. John knew he couldn’t get upset with Paul because it was his responsibility to set the watch conditions, but it wouldn’t happen again.
    John also had to remind himself that Pete was the only other soldier in the house. The closest thing he had for a real soldier before Pete arrived was Adam. John considered Paul the least soldierly male in the house, but he knew he couldn’t hold that against him. Paul had shown his mettle when he boldly gunned down Darrel for raping his wife, and he would have shot Luanne, Darrel’s biker girlfriend, if John hadn’t quickly intervened.
    But Paul was quick to question John’s every decision, and he got moody whenever someone questioned him back. It made for a veryemotional relationship, and one that John hoped wouldn’t last forever. If they were to work together as a team, everyone needed to trust each other. Wanting to change the subject, John glanced up at the alcove and asked, “How’s Marissa doing?”
    “She’s doing as well as she can considering . . . do you have any more questions for me, because I’m really tired and want to get some sleep before the kids wake up?” asked Paul.
    “No.