The Survivalist - 02 Read Online Free Page B

Jeep started to roll slowly forward.
    “That’s good. Now just keep it at this speed for a while.”
    Samantha steered the Jeep across the large parking lot that Tanner had specifically selected for her training lesson. The closest car was easily fifty yards away. She drove across the lot a few times, making wide U-turns when she got to each end.
    After a few minutes, she said, “This isn’t so hard.”
    “I’m glad you think so. Now, take us out into the street.”
    She shook her head.
    “I’ll hit something.”
    “So, what if you do? At this speed, we’ll be fine. And there’s no shortage of cars if this one gets damaged.”
    She snorted, not buying into his logic. But she did as instructed, carefully steering the Jeep out of the parking lot and into the street.
    As they exited the lot, a herd of small animals darted out from behind an overturned Greyhound bus. They were light brown in color, measured a few feet in height, and had long, ridged horns.
    “Whoa!” she said, hitting the brakes.
    They watched as more than a dozen of the animals dashed across the street with amazing speed, finally disappearing around a corner.
    “What were those?” she asked. “Deer?”
    He shrugged. “Gazelles, I think. They must have been released from the zoo.”
    “Why would anyone just set them free?”
    “It was that or let them starve,” he said, thinking of his own fortuitous rescue from a cage.
    She nodded. “Well, I’m glad they let them go. They’re pretty.”
    “Pretty good eating if that’s what you mean,” he said with a grin.
    She frowned. “That’s not what I meant at all.”
    “You say that now.”
    “I’ll say that always. I would never want you to kill an innocent animal for us to eat.”
    “Uh-huh,” he said with a knowing smile.
    “Really, I mean it.”
    “Fine. Now, no more excuses. Let’s get going already.”
    She looked back at the road. There was no straight path through the congestion of abandoned cars, so she began to carefully maneuver through the maze of wreckage. She kept the Jeep running at idle, and the car never got above ten miles an hour.
    “You okay?” he asked.
    “I’m bound to hit something. I told you I’m clumsy.”
    Tanner leaned his head against the window.
    “I’m going to take a nap. Wake me when you crash or see a sign for I-85.”
    “You’re crazy.”
    Tanner closed his eyes, and before long, he was snoring softly.
    Samantha glanced over at him, unsure if he was faking it. She certainly wouldn’t put it past him. Tanner had a weird sense of humor, and sometimes she had trouble telling when he was messing with her. The fact that he was putting his life in the hands of an eleven-year-old girl said a lot about his lack of common sense. She shook her head and turned her attention to the road. He really was crazy.

    Tanner didn’t know how long he had slept, but it felt like he’d been lying in a grave. His neck hurt, and his mouth tasted like tuna fish. Samantha was pushing his shoulder, rocking him from side to side.
    “Wake up.” She sounded worried.
    He sat up and took a quick look around. A sporty little two-door sedan was directly in front of them, steam pouring out from under the hood. The windshield, hood, and doors were all peppered with bullet holes. The trunk was open, and a suitcase with clothes spilled out was sitting behind the car.
    “Where are we?” he asked.
    “Just outside Atlanta.”
    “How long have you been driving?”
    She looked at the clock on the car radio.
    “Almost three hours. I’m tired.”
    He yawned. “You hit anything?”
    “No,” she answered, squinting at him while waiting for some retort.
    He didn’t offer any. Instead, he opened his door and set one foot on the asphalt.
    “I saw a car heading that way.” She pointed toward the tall buildings at the heart of Atlanta.
    “Did anyone see you?”
    “I don’t think so. They were going pretty fast.”
    Tanner grabbed his Remington 870 Police Magnum shotgun and