Read Online Broken Roads: A Tale of Survival in a Powerless World (Broken Lines Book 2) by James Hunt - Free Book Online
Authors: James Hunt
Ads: Link
then dropped to the ground, pulling both of her sisters with her.
The grass was thick. Mary couldn’t see anything around her or between the tall brown and green blades. She kept her hand over Erin’s mouth to silence her sobs.
“Do you see them?”
“They’re not in the buildings.”
“Where’d they run off to?”
“Check the grass.”
Mary brought her finger to her lips. She hushed them both quietly. All three of their bodies were shaking. Mary covered her own mouth with her hand; afraid she might give away their spot. The voices of the bikers taunted them.
“Come out come out wherever you are.”
“We’re not going to hurt you.”
“Yeah, why don’t you come out to play?”
Mary could hear the movement of grass being swept aside and the steps of their boots on the blades, rocks, and dirt. All of a sudden she could see the grass move and then…
“Hey!” a distant voice shouted.
“What?”
The biker’s foot was only twelve inches away from Mary’s face. She looked up, but couldn’t see the man’s face through the blades of grass.
“Jake wants everybody back now. Quit jackin off over there and head to the motel.”
“All right.”
The grass shifted, but stopped as the sound of the biker’s steps faded away from her. Mary kept her hand over her and Erin’s mouth for a few more minutes until she was sure she they were gone.
Mary rolled onto her back. The grass scratched against her exposed arms and legs. Erin crawled up next to her and Nancy’s breathing was quick as she hyperventilated.
“Mary,” she said.
“Yeah.”
“What do we do now? Where do we go?”
Erin rested her head on Mary’s chest. Mary had her eyes closed and could feel the warm sun shining down on her. Her body felt tired, expended.
“Let’s just lie here a few more minutes,” Mary said.
Day 9 (Mike’s Journey)
The airport terminal was stuffy, and the springs in Mike’s cot squeaked when he rolled over. It smelled like a musty towel, but it beat lying on the ground. He pushed himself off the cot and rested his boots on the floor. He’d slept with his shoes on ever since the fire at his house.
Nelson and Sean were still sleeping on their cots and the To family, Fay, and Tom were sound asleep as well.
Mike lighted a candle and weaved around the cots toward the kitchen door. He pulled his pocket watch out, running his fingers along the smooth surface before he opened it, checking the time. 7a.m. The watch snapped shut and he quietly pushed the door open and headed toward the front to meet Clarence.
Clarence sat crouched behind one of the check-in counters. He leaned up against the wall with a rifle over his lap. Whoever was on watch could see the entire front of the airport and could stay well hidden from the vantage point he had chosen.
“How was your shift?” Mike asked.
“Quiet. One guy walked by, but never came in.”
“What would you have done if he had?”
“I… I don’t know.”
Mike could see the struggle on his face. It was something Mike had experienced himself, back in his neighborhood. He tried helping. He tried giving advice, but it fell against deaf ears. When the people around you begging for help resort to strangling you, it’s time to fight back. Mike hoped that it wouldn’t come to that for Clarence.
“The longer this goes on the more desperate people will become,” Mike said.
“I know.”
Mike watched Clarence fumble the rifle awkwardly in his hands.
“You know I’ve never even fired one of these things before,” Clarence said.
“You haven’t?”
“Firearm training isn’t a part of the TSA program.”
Mike grabbed the rifle. He flipped it on its side exposing the safety lever and making sure it was clicked on and pointed away
The grass was thick. Mary couldn’t see anything around her or between the tall brown and green blades. She kept her hand over Erin’s mouth to silence her sobs.
“Do you see them?”
“They’re not in the buildings.”
“Where’d they run off to?”
“Check the grass.”
Mary brought her finger to her lips. She hushed them both quietly. All three of their bodies were shaking. Mary covered her own mouth with her hand; afraid she might give away their spot. The voices of the bikers taunted them.
“Come out come out wherever you are.”
“We’re not going to hurt you.”
“Yeah, why don’t you come out to play?”
Mary could hear the movement of grass being swept aside and the steps of their boots on the blades, rocks, and dirt. All of a sudden she could see the grass move and then…
“Hey!” a distant voice shouted.
“What?”
The biker’s foot was only twelve inches away from Mary’s face. She looked up, but couldn’t see the man’s face through the blades of grass.
“Jake wants everybody back now. Quit jackin off over there and head to the motel.”
“All right.”
The grass shifted, but stopped as the sound of the biker’s steps faded away from her. Mary kept her hand over her and Erin’s mouth for a few more minutes until she was sure she they were gone.
Mary rolled onto her back. The grass scratched against her exposed arms and legs. Erin crawled up next to her and Nancy’s breathing was quick as she hyperventilated.
“Mary,” she said.
“Yeah.”
“What do we do now? Where do we go?”
Erin rested her head on Mary’s chest. Mary had her eyes closed and could feel the warm sun shining down on her. Her body felt tired, expended.
“Let’s just lie here a few more minutes,” Mary said.
Day 9 (Mike’s Journey)
The airport terminal was stuffy, and the springs in Mike’s cot squeaked when he rolled over. It smelled like a musty towel, but it beat lying on the ground. He pushed himself off the cot and rested his boots on the floor. He’d slept with his shoes on ever since the fire at his house.
Nelson and Sean were still sleeping on their cots and the To family, Fay, and Tom were sound asleep as well.
Mike lighted a candle and weaved around the cots toward the kitchen door. He pulled his pocket watch out, running his fingers along the smooth surface before he opened it, checking the time. 7a.m. The watch snapped shut and he quietly pushed the door open and headed toward the front to meet Clarence.
Clarence sat crouched behind one of the check-in counters. He leaned up against the wall with a rifle over his lap. Whoever was on watch could see the entire front of the airport and could stay well hidden from the vantage point he had chosen.
“How was your shift?” Mike asked.
“Quiet. One guy walked by, but never came in.”
“What would you have done if he had?”
“I… I don’t know.”
Mike could see the struggle on his face. It was something Mike had experienced himself, back in his neighborhood. He tried helping. He tried giving advice, but it fell against deaf ears. When the people around you begging for help resort to strangling you, it’s time to fight back. Mike hoped that it wouldn’t come to that for Clarence.
“The longer this goes on the more desperate people will become,” Mike said.
“I know.”
Mike watched Clarence fumble the rifle awkwardly in his hands.
“You know I’ve never even fired one of these things before,” Clarence said.
“You haven’t?”
“Firearm training isn’t a part of the TSA program.”
Mike grabbed the rifle. He flipped it on its side exposing the safety lever and making sure it was clicked on and pointed away
Similar Books
