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  Noah laughed. Eddie laughed too. They stood together like the old mates they were, and despite all the pain, despite all the trauma, they laughed.

  And then Noah looked to the ground. “Tim. Your friend. I’m sorry about what happened to him.”

  Eddie took a deep breath and sighed. “Tim died protecting us. He died a hero. What better way to die than that?”

  Noah nodded back at Eddie. “I guess.”

  He looked back, then. Over at the cabin. He could see the group sitting outside it. Barney sitting patiently, waiting for scraps of rabbit. Zelda, quiet and stoic as ever. And Kelly. Upright. Conscious. Back to full strength, pretty much.

  “Why don’t you just ask her?” Noah said.

  Eddie frowned. “Huh?”

  “Kelly,” he said. “Ask her.”

  Eddie’s cheeks started to flush. “Ask her what?”

  “Don’t try hiding it from me, mate,” Noah said. “I can see you’re in love with her.”

  “I’m not in love.”

  “Yeah. Yeah, you are.”

  “Mate, I’m not. What me and Kelly have is… strictly physical.”

  Noah almost spat out a laugh. “Wait … what?”

  Eddie shrugged like it was nothing. “We might’ve hooked up a few times.”

  “Wait, hold on a second. I was fucking around a little and asking you to ask her out in the name of your own self-confidence, but…”

  “Jeez. Thanks, mate. Real ego booster.”

  Noah shook his head. “I’d apologise for being sarcastic but… whoa. Fair play, buddy. Fair play.”

  Eddie shrugged again like it was no big deal. “It’s nice to have some company. You know.”

  His face dropped right away like he realised what he’d said.

  “Noah, I didn’t mean—”

  “It’s okay,” Noah said.

  “Really, man. I wasn’t thinking. I—”

  “It’s okay, Eddie. Really.”

  He smiled at him. And Eddie smiled back.

  “For what it’s worth,” Eddie said. “I never got the chance to properly say how sorry I was. With all the shit going on. And I’m guessing you… locked away in that place, you got plenty of time alone with your own thoughts. Plenty of time to grieve. But… but I just want you to know I’m here for you, man. I’m here. No matter what. Always.”

  Noah wanted to cry. He wanted to let it all out, there and then.

  Instead, he just smiled.

  Put a hand on his best mate’s back.

  “Come on,” he said. “Let’s get some of that rabbit. Before the girls demolish it.”

  The pair of them turned around.

  And Noah found himself looking back.

  Looking back at the compound.

  Staring for quite some time.

  “Noah?” Eddie said.

  Noah looked back at Eddie. Took a deep breath.

  And then he smiled.

  He walked towards the log cabin, together with his best friend.

  Tonight was for recovery.

  Tomorrow, was for survival.

  Tomorrow was a new beginning.

  END OF BOOK 3

  Extinction, the fourth book in the Surviving the Virus series, is now available to pre-order on Amazon at

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  The characters and events portrayed in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Any reference to real locations is only for atmospheric effect, and in no way truly represents those locations.

  Copyright © 2020 by Ryan Casey

  Cover design by MibLart

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  Published by Higher Bank Books