Page 69 of Ash Fall

"Stop it," I hiss at all of them.

"I didn't say anything," Jules says.

"You winked."

"Can't a man blink anymore?"

"That was not a blink, it was most certainly a wink. There's a difference."

"Aggressive accusation, Cin."

Gage drags a hand down his face. "Can we maybe focus on the bus full of strangers?"

"Thank you!" I say with relief.

"Excellent idea," Reid mutters.

The guys move forward to join Mars, Anders, Stu, and Gord, and Gage gives Jules a shove between the shoulder blades that earns him a laugh. I look at Gigi in disbelief, and she winks at me.

"There. Now we've welcomed all these new people with laughter instead of suspicion. My work here is done."

"You just told my entire friend group that my mother was conceived during a threesome."

"Information is power, granddaughter."

"What possible power does that information give anyone?"

"None whatsoever, unless you count the power to make you uncomfortable - but look how much less tense everyone is."

I cover my face with both hands. "Jesus Christ, Gigi."

Kara is still laughing beside me while my grandmother pats me on the back.

"You're welcome, darling."

I glance toward the men. Mars and the other four have formed a solid line beside him across the front of our group. Anders, Gord, and Stu haven't relaxed by a single degree. Across from them, more people are stepping down from the charter bus.

Maybe we aren’t as tense, but I definitely don’t think we’re relaxed either.

Chapter 26 - Gage

The man who steps down off the bus has the bearing of someone used to being listened to. He's older, silver-haired, broad through the shoulders, and he takes in our whole convoy in one slow sweep before his eyes settle on Anders and stay there. A woman follows him down, somewhere in her sixties, with a cardigan buttoned to the throat and both hands clasping a bible in front of her. Behind them the bus keeps emptying, one tired face after another, until maybe twenty people are standing on the pavement beside the road crew.

Nobody over there is armed that I can see, but nobody over here has relaxed either.

Whatever mood Gigi managed to break with that threesome comment stays broken for about four seconds. Then Luna laughs somewhere behind me, and Jules's shoulders loosen a fraction. Being furious with him can wait until the newcomers are sorted out.

Gramps walks forward to meet the silver-haired man halfway, and I go with him. Stu and Gord stay a step back. The rest of the guys hold the line in front of the women and kids.

The older man puts out his hand. "Clayton Sorensen. I'm guessing you're not with the government."

Gramps shakes it. "I don’t think anybody's with the government anymore. I'm Anders. This is my grandson, Gage."

That gets a short, tired laugh out of Sorensen. "No. I don't suppose they are."

He introduces the woman as his sister, Marlene, who nods without unclasping her hands, then jerks a thumb toward the work trucks. "That's Tanner and his crew over there. They were running a maintenance job on the road outside of town when everything happened. The rest of us were on the right side of the line."

"What line?" I ask.