Read Online Buried Flames by Kennedy Layne - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Kennedy Layne
Ads: Link
a person for what was now on top of them.
Brenna was left in the dark, only this time Sam jumped over the console to comfort her. They ended up reassuring each other as they listened to the sounds of Mason opening up the trailer and allowing the horses their release. She strained to hear anything else, but it was her eyes that were suddenly gifted with sight. Mason had lit some type of lantern to the right of the truck, taking time to indicate it was safe to exit the truck.
“Come on, Sam,” Brenna whispered encouragingly, slowly pulling on the door handle. She never took her eyes off of Mason, but she did catch sight of floating flakes of ash here and there from the few holes in the walls. The air would only become worse, but at least they had the time to rig whatever Mason had designed in his head. “Go and calm down the horses, Sam.”
Her companion needed no encouragement, having grown up around ranch animals. Sam made his way to the back of the barn while Brenna took in her surroundings. She spotted a couple of old musty haystacks, but nothing much else to be found. It was once again quiet, making her wonder what happened to all the traffic they’d seen outside.
“I saved us time by getting out of the truck to open the barn door,” Brenna explained somewhat unenthusiastically, not wanting to hear another speech from Mason. She wasn’t a recruit in boot camp. She had common sense and knew when to use it. “I—”
“I know,” Mason said quietly, the deep richness of his voice carrying through the empty barn. He ran a hand through his short black hair before resting his elbows against his knees as he sat on one of the old hay bales scattered about. “We should have had at least another thirty miles or so before that ash cloud hit us like it did. It’s falling heavier than I thought it would be.”
“We needed to make it as far as we could before stopping though.” Brenna slowly sat down next to him, glad she’d held on to her rifle. His holster was unclipped, as if he were ready for something to happen. Did he expect some of those people to make their way off the road and over here? She cast a worried glance toward the door. “Are the horses okay?”
“Sergeant and General are fine—just a little spooked.” Mason zeroed in on Brenna with his dark brown eyes, letting her know he was about to say something she wasn’t going to like. “This is where we leave the truck. I’d hoped to make it farther, like midway across Montana, but that’s not going to happen.”
“Well,” Brenna said, forcing a little lightheartedness in her voice when she wasn’t even close to feeling that way, “show me what we need to do for Sergeant, General, and Sam. I’ll help and then we can get out of this place before it collapses.”
“Wishing you’d gone east?” Mason said, not making an attempt to move quite yet. “I’d give you Major if I thought you stood half a chance of making it to the coast by yourself.”
Brenna noticed he omitted that they would stand a hell of a lot better chance if that were the route they chose, but she’d already accepted that he was determined to get to Washington. After hearing about Tank and his bunker, Brenna believed he was making the right decision. They just had to get there in one piece.
“I could have easily gone that route when I was still in Harpersfield, but I didn’t get the chance.”
“I didn’t give you much of a choice.”
And that’s the heart of the matter. Mason was now experiencing a bit of guilt over bringing her with him, but Brenna had said numerous times she was a woman with her own mind. If she hadn’t wanted to be with him, here and now, she wouldn’t have gotten into his truck back then. Couldn’t he see there wasn’t a right or wrong answer to this messed up dilemma?
“We need to get moving.” Mason stood and turned away from her, but not before she saw a flash of pain cross his features. It wasn’t emotional pain either. Brenna
Brenna was left in the dark, only this time Sam jumped over the console to comfort her. They ended up reassuring each other as they listened to the sounds of Mason opening up the trailer and allowing the horses their release. She strained to hear anything else, but it was her eyes that were suddenly gifted with sight. Mason had lit some type of lantern to the right of the truck, taking time to indicate it was safe to exit the truck.
“Come on, Sam,” Brenna whispered encouragingly, slowly pulling on the door handle. She never took her eyes off of Mason, but she did catch sight of floating flakes of ash here and there from the few holes in the walls. The air would only become worse, but at least they had the time to rig whatever Mason had designed in his head. “Go and calm down the horses, Sam.”
Her companion needed no encouragement, having grown up around ranch animals. Sam made his way to the back of the barn while Brenna took in her surroundings. She spotted a couple of old musty haystacks, but nothing much else to be found. It was once again quiet, making her wonder what happened to all the traffic they’d seen outside.
“I saved us time by getting out of the truck to open the barn door,” Brenna explained somewhat unenthusiastically, not wanting to hear another speech from Mason. She wasn’t a recruit in boot camp. She had common sense and knew when to use it. “I—”
“I know,” Mason said quietly, the deep richness of his voice carrying through the empty barn. He ran a hand through his short black hair before resting his elbows against his knees as he sat on one of the old hay bales scattered about. “We should have had at least another thirty miles or so before that ash cloud hit us like it did. It’s falling heavier than I thought it would be.”
“We needed to make it as far as we could before stopping though.” Brenna slowly sat down next to him, glad she’d held on to her rifle. His holster was unclipped, as if he were ready for something to happen. Did he expect some of those people to make their way off the road and over here? She cast a worried glance toward the door. “Are the horses okay?”
“Sergeant and General are fine—just a little spooked.” Mason zeroed in on Brenna with his dark brown eyes, letting her know he was about to say something she wasn’t going to like. “This is where we leave the truck. I’d hoped to make it farther, like midway across Montana, but that’s not going to happen.”
“Well,” Brenna said, forcing a little lightheartedness in her voice when she wasn’t even close to feeling that way, “show me what we need to do for Sergeant, General, and Sam. I’ll help and then we can get out of this place before it collapses.”
“Wishing you’d gone east?” Mason said, not making an attempt to move quite yet. “I’d give you Major if I thought you stood half a chance of making it to the coast by yourself.”
Brenna noticed he omitted that they would stand a hell of a lot better chance if that were the route they chose, but she’d already accepted that he was determined to get to Washington. After hearing about Tank and his bunker, Brenna believed he was making the right decision. They just had to get there in one piece.
“I could have easily gone that route when I was still in Harpersfield, but I didn’t get the chance.”
“I didn’t give you much of a choice.”
And that’s the heart of the matter. Mason was now experiencing a bit of guilt over bringing her with him, but Brenna had said numerous times she was a woman with her own mind. If she hadn’t wanted to be with him, here and now, she wouldn’t have gotten into his truck back then. Couldn’t he see there wasn’t a right or wrong answer to this messed up dilemma?
“We need to get moving.” Mason stood and turned away from her, but not before she saw a flash of pain cross his features. It wasn’t emotional pain either. Brenna
Similar Books
