The Girl Who Kicked Ass (Death Fields 3)
Page 33
“Put your gun down and I’ll show you.”
He looks at the others and they nod. So he gives his gun to Kori and walks over. I take off my backpack and set it on the ground. By the time he’s reached me I’ve pulled out some canned goods and a couple of MREs from Fort Arnold.
“What’s your name?” I ask him.
“Devin.”
“Are those your siblings?”
“Yeah. Kori and Garrett, it’s my job to take care of them now that our mama’s gone.”
“Did she get sick?” He nods, and I think the tough exterior may break but he holds it together. “Who do you live with now?”
“It’s just us,” Kori shouts, but Devin gives her a look and she clamps her mouth shut.
“Us and this big dude named Marcus,” he declares, trying to scare me.
“Well, Devin, I think you’re doing a really good job.”
He points to the MREs. “What are those?”
“Army food. It’s pretty good. You can have it. All of it.”
“It’s not a trick?”
I shake my head. “No, but you’ve got to let us go. He’s right. We have important things to do. And like you, I’ve got to go take care of my sister.”
“You got a sister?”
“Yep.”
He bends and takes the food, piling it into his shirt and waving over the smaller boy, who scrambles over and takes a few packages in his tiny hands.
“Do you think you can do me a favor?” I ask him in a quiet voice.
His eyes narrow. “What kind of favor?”
“We need someone to watch that SUV while we’re gone. Can you do that? We should be back in a few days.”
“What do you have to trade for it?” he asks. This kid is smart.
I look over my shoulder. “I think Parker has some candy in her bag she can share.”
He looks between us. “Who’s Parker?”
Parker and Jude appear from the other side of the building. “That’s Parker. She’s got a bag of chocolate in her pack.”
Parker shoots me a nasty look. “Thanks a lot, Alex.”
She digs around and pulls out a bag of treats. The kid’s eyes go wide and I can tell Parker doesn’t feel that put out about sharing.
“We’ll watch your truck. Promise,” Devin says with a toothy grin. Kori and Garrett are already shoving the sweet candy into their mouths.
I also hand him a bottle of water. “Devin, besides Marcus, are there any adults that still live here?”
His face darkens. “All the adults are in the church.”
I frown. “What do you mean?”