Page 145 of After the Burn

I just shrugged. Nothing Wren said should surprise any of us.

“We need to find my mommy.” Rory turned and walked toward Finley. “She hates storms.”

We all exchanged uncomfortable glances. This precious child had lost something irreplaceable, a loss she was too young to comprehend. And in this new world, she would face it again and again.

I surveyed the faces that had become so dear to me, and in that moment, I swore to live each day to the fullest and protect them as best I could.

No matter what I had to do.

We all gathered our belongings and checked the place for anything we could use. There wasn’t much: a small tin container that would be handy for boiling water, and a roll of baling twine.

Finley hadn’t said a word to any of us. I knew it must be killing him to leave without knowing where Harper was. I’d hate to know that someone I loved was wandering around as a rotter.

We started making our way back to Gideon’s town, hoping to track down the warehouse where he was supposedly staying.

Lila was still out there with guys ruthless enough to trade gas for women, and we needed to get her back before heading to the farmhouse. I’d gut Gideon like a fish if he didn’t tell us exactly where she was.

Suddenly, Max stopped abruptly, and his entire body went rigid. A long, low growl rumbled from his chest.

Every single one of us stopped dead.

Max stared toward the field, beyond the trees, and I followed his gaze.

At first, I didn’t see anything, then something moved.

A woman.

I could see her walking slowly through the grass. When she came a little closer, I felt my stomach drop.

Finley made a sound like a wounded animal.

Rory gave an excited squeal. “Mommy?”

Wren grabbed her when she started to dart forward.

Harper lifted her head, and even from a distance, I could see the difference from last night.

There was nothing left.

Her skin had turned gray, and blood stained the front of her shirt from something she’d eaten recently… hopefully an animal of some sort.

Harper’s movements were jerky and wrong. And her eyes⁠—

God.

Her eyes were empty of anything that made her human.

Last night, there had been something… a flicker…recognition. Enough of Harper left to tell Rory to run.

That was gone now.

She spotted us, and her mouth opened. Then she came toward us.

Beck raised his gun, but Finley stepped in front of him. “No.”

“Finley, you can’t leave her like that,” Beck reasoned with him.

Harper was closing in fast, and Rory was struggling to get out of Wren’s hold.