Never Never Read Online Free

will do?”
    â€œNo telling. But if the Dubliners leave the city—which is likely—to look for food or to take what they need—we need to be ready.”
    â€œIs that necessary? They can’t find us here.”
    â€œWe need a place we can defend. A fortress.”
    â€œNot this castle idea of yours again.” Sarah rolled her eyes.
    â€œAye, that’s it exactly. A castle. With the ocean behind us and high on a bluff where we can see what’s coming. Nobody will be able to scale the walls or burn us out.”
    â€œEver hear of a siege?”
    â€œNot when there’s grazing and crops and a water source inside the castle.”
    Sarah looked uncertainly around her. He knew she felt safe here. The blackbirds sang and flew over the little garden plot that had comfortably fed the entire convent—nearly seventy people—all summer long.
    â€œLikely Dublin and the other main cities will react at first by looting themselves,” Mike said, “but they’ll soon get hungry enough to come into the countryside.”
    Her face was screwed into a mask of confusion. “ Who are you talking about?”
    â€œThe opportunists, the provisional government, the army. And it’s people like us they’ll look to take from. We’ll need to move quickly.”
    Sarah put a hand on Mike’s arm as if to prevent him from entering the front door. Siobhan began to fuss in her arms and he took the baby from her.
    â€œYou just got through telling me the only way to find John again is to wait for him to come back here .”
    â€œListen, Sarah…”
    â€œ No .” Her face was flushed. “He’s coming back here . You know he is. If…if he can.”
    â€œSarah, lass, listen to me…”
    â€œNo! I’m not leaving without him. You can do what you want.” She pulled Siobhan out of his arms, causing the child to give a startled shriek, and stomped into the convent.
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    T he dining room was the biggest room in the nunnery. Since Sarah and Mike and the people of the compound had come, everyone took their meals together in this room.
    Fiona thought she would never get tired of seeing their whole community around the table like one big happy family. Her two little girls sat to her left on a long wooden bench. They were inseparable and Fiona was glad for that. Both of them had seen some terrible things in their young lives. It was good that they had each other.
    Declan sat on her right. Solemn, silent and still. Nothing like the man she’d once known and loved. The man who had led his gypsy family with humor and bravery. Now his hands shook and there were times when he looked at her with uncertainty.
    Breakfast had been over for an hour but the air buzzed with anticipation. She hoped Mike wasn’t planning on breaking the news to everyone about the EMP as some sort of surprise since she was pretty sure everyone already knew.
    When Sarah came into the room—a squirming, fighting Siobhan in her arms—her face was dark with frustration. A few steps later, Mike entered to cheers and applause from the gathered men and women. He went to the head of the table and held out his arms for quiet. Fiona noticed he did not look in Sarah’s direction. Sophia—so big she looked like she’d deliver any moment—lumbered over to Sarah to relieve her of Siobhan. The child settled down quickly.
    Fiona knew that everyone here had cause to trust and respect her brother. From the men he’d rescued from the work camp in Dublin last spring to the women he’d brought home safely from the rape camp—herself included. She felt a movement on her right and placed a calming hand on Declan’s knee. He’d even found her dear Declan and brought him back from the grave. Almost literally.
    â€œWell, sure you’ll have all heard the big news by now,” Mike said in a loud voice. Instantly, the talking ceased and all eyes