Read Outnumbered (Book 6) for Free Online

has passed and neither can you."
    I whistled shrilly to cut through the multiple loud voices. "Stop it, all of you quiet down.  Try to stay calm and speak one at a time. Richard, do you have more to add?"
    He glanced at the faces surrounding John and Marcie before he focused on his brother, Barlow. "This is so off the wall ridiculous.  Are you people so arrogant as to believe we are the only zombie survivors left in the world? How can you think we're all that is left, or that if others survived, they will all want to be our friends. Haven't our past encounters with renegades taught you anything?" Richard shook his head before he stepped back and sat.
    I heard another movement behind me. Andrea stood beside me and spoke in a subdued tone but loud enough for all to hear. "Tom, thank you for your leadership over the past years, but..." She paused for a deep breath. "I'm tired of the fighting and killing, sick of it. I didn't attend church during or after college, so it's not like I've been a religious zealot my whole life. That's not who I was or am now. But I believe there has to be a higher authority, and I can't continue to place my safety and salvation in weapons that kill. I have to trust that a kind and benevolent God will provide for us and look after us. I believe what John says makes sense." I watched several people nod in agreement and silently mouth the word Amen.
    From the crowd, Kira respond forcefully, "Your God didn't prevent the zombies from destroying the world He supposedly created, and He didn't protect us from them. We protected ourselves and used firearms to do that. As much as I like you, Andrea, in my opinion, your position doesn't make any sense."
    Shandrea Jones stood before Kira finished talking. "Please, let's all stay on friendly terms. I agree that in the past the use of firearms was necessary. But that time has passed, and we're no longer in danger. I'm not comfortable living with people packing guns around as if we're in constant danger, and I don't want my children raised in an environment akin to a war zone."
    Kira quickly countered her, "Since we've moved here we've not seen any zombies, humans or tornados. But that doesn't mean there aren't still pockets of zombies or evil humans or that a tornado won't hit us before the day is out. I can't fight back at storms, but I can against the other two, and I'm keeping my weapon with me at all times."
    Several people spoke at the same time. I whistled and waved them down. "John, when you say we, who are you speaking for? I'd like a show of hands of those adults who stand with John."
    Cautiously, glancing around as if fearing reprisal, people stood. I counted twenty. "Now will those against John's proposal please stand. I counted seventeen with me and Kira. I was disappointed but not surprised.
    Into the ensuing silence, Mitch stood and spoke. "I understand your longing for peace, I really do. But I saw my father turn to the bible and start preaching to others who wanted to believe something would rise to protect them. It didn't. He and all of the people who followed him died horrible deaths. We've got to use common sense and look out for ourselves, because no one else has or will come to our aid."
    The discussion was going nowhere, so I deemed it time to shut down the meeting. "I think we should table the proposal until the next meeting. Think about it in private, and discuss it with people on both sides of the issue. We'll take it up at our next group session."
     
    For three days the situation was tense but calm. I had limited conversations with people on both sides of the guns issue, but my reasoning didn't appear to change the opinion of any of the anti-gunners. The part that saddened me the most was that the adults didn't outright dispute my logic. They simply rejected it and wouldn't brook any alternative.
    After lunch that third afternoon, I saw people slinking into John and Marcie's cabin. All of them were members of the anti-gun lobby. A few