Read Online Constant Fear by Daniel Palmer - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Daniel Palmer
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reflected light from the overhead fluorescent bulbs, like a star going supernova.
CHAPTER 9
W inston, Massachusetts, was part of Berkshire County, a quintessential New England town with picturesque views that looked like something out of a bank calendar. It was a small community, only twelve thousand residents, but its downtown was thriving: several quality restaurants, a movie theater, drugstore, shoe store, various craft shops, and more mom-and-pop establishments than chain stores. If not for the dedicated efforts of the town’s zoning commission, Winston might have turned to bigger companies for acquiring higher tax revenue. Instead, the commission made every effort to foster a traditional small-town atmosphere.
Pepperell Academy was only a few miles from downtown, surrounded by undeveloped woodland and farms. It was the perfect place for Jake and Andy’s retreat. When “The Day” arrived, and the world collapsed as Jake so believed, Winston’s town center would draw people seeking resources and shelter, leaving Pepperell Academy and the land around it mostly deserted.
Jake never envisioned that he’d be raising his son in a town like Winston. He thought he’d be living in the Back Bay, or maybe a sweet condominium in Cambridge during baseball season and somewhere warm in the off months. But life, like the sport Jake loved, could throw curveballs. Which was how he’d ended up in the western part of the state. It wasn’t so bad. The community was supportive, the air clean, and the restaurants were more than halfway decent.
Jake and Andy liked to go out to eat at least once a week. Tonight they had settled on Lotus, the only Asian cuisine in town. Andy was busy checking over the menu and didn’t notice his dad looking at him across the table.
“You know what you’re getting?” Jake asked.
Andy studied the menu some more. “I might have the pad Thai and dumplings,” Andy said with his face buried in the menu.
Jake appraised his menu anew. “That’s what Uncle Lance usually gets.”
Andy glanced up and looked around the restaurant. “Speaking of Uncle Lance, where is he?”
“You know if it’s not school-related, your uncle is always fifteen minutes late. By my watch, we’ve got another minute or two to go.”
Andy went back to studying his culinary choices, but with an odd look on his face. Jake had been noticing his dark mood, which was short-tempered and sullen, and wondered whether Andy was properly managing his blood glucose.
Andy noticed his dad’s attention. “I’m at one hundred ten,” Andy said with a roll of his eyes. “You’ve got to stop worrying.”
Busted. “I’m your dad,” he said. “It’s burned into my DNA. Besides, I wasn’t worried when I saw you in The Quad today.”
Andy perked up. “You were there? Watching?” A spark of pride flared in his brown eyes.
“I felt bad for that Ryan boy from the get-go,” Jake said, “but I wanted to see you in action.”
“Yeah, well? How’d I look?”
Jake made a face. “The move was great,” he said. “I saw it coming from a mile away, but he sure didn’t. The yell when you made your strike, though—now, that needs some work.”
“I thought I was loud.”
“It sounded more like you got something caught in your throat.”
“I could yell now.”
“You’ll have plenty of chances to practice your yell, where you won’t scare the waitstaff. I thought maybe we’d toss some muay Thai training into the mix, or even krav maga. I think there are instructional DVDs in the library.”
“Krav maga’s pretty badass,” Andy said.
“When The Day comes, you might have to pull some of those moves on tougher opponents than Ryan Coventry.”
Andy looked seriously annoyed, and then he just looked away. “I’m glad you’re teaching me self-defense because I think it’s cool,” Andy said in a soft voice, as if anything louder might trigger an avalanche of emotion. He locked eyes with his father once more. “But
CHAPTER 9
W inston, Massachusetts, was part of Berkshire County, a quintessential New England town with picturesque views that looked like something out of a bank calendar. It was a small community, only twelve thousand residents, but its downtown was thriving: several quality restaurants, a movie theater, drugstore, shoe store, various craft shops, and more mom-and-pop establishments than chain stores. If not for the dedicated efforts of the town’s zoning commission, Winston might have turned to bigger companies for acquiring higher tax revenue. Instead, the commission made every effort to foster a traditional small-town atmosphere.
Pepperell Academy was only a few miles from downtown, surrounded by undeveloped woodland and farms. It was the perfect place for Jake and Andy’s retreat. When “The Day” arrived, and the world collapsed as Jake so believed, Winston’s town center would draw people seeking resources and shelter, leaving Pepperell Academy and the land around it mostly deserted.
Jake never envisioned that he’d be raising his son in a town like Winston. He thought he’d be living in the Back Bay, or maybe a sweet condominium in Cambridge during baseball season and somewhere warm in the off months. But life, like the sport Jake loved, could throw curveballs. Which was how he’d ended up in the western part of the state. It wasn’t so bad. The community was supportive, the air clean, and the restaurants were more than halfway decent.
Jake and Andy liked to go out to eat at least once a week. Tonight they had settled on Lotus, the only Asian cuisine in town. Andy was busy checking over the menu and didn’t notice his dad looking at him across the table.
“You know what you’re getting?” Jake asked.
Andy studied the menu some more. “I might have the pad Thai and dumplings,” Andy said with his face buried in the menu.
Jake appraised his menu anew. “That’s what Uncle Lance usually gets.”
Andy glanced up and looked around the restaurant. “Speaking of Uncle Lance, where is he?”
“You know if it’s not school-related, your uncle is always fifteen minutes late. By my watch, we’ve got another minute or two to go.”
Andy went back to studying his culinary choices, but with an odd look on his face. Jake had been noticing his dark mood, which was short-tempered and sullen, and wondered whether Andy was properly managing his blood glucose.
Andy noticed his dad’s attention. “I’m at one hundred ten,” Andy said with a roll of his eyes. “You’ve got to stop worrying.”
Busted. “I’m your dad,” he said. “It’s burned into my DNA. Besides, I wasn’t worried when I saw you in The Quad today.”
Andy perked up. “You were there? Watching?” A spark of pride flared in his brown eyes.
“I felt bad for that Ryan boy from the get-go,” Jake said, “but I wanted to see you in action.”
“Yeah, well? How’d I look?”
Jake made a face. “The move was great,” he said. “I saw it coming from a mile away, but he sure didn’t. The yell when you made your strike, though—now, that needs some work.”
“I thought I was loud.”
“It sounded more like you got something caught in your throat.”
“I could yell now.”
“You’ll have plenty of chances to practice your yell, where you won’t scare the waitstaff. I thought maybe we’d toss some muay Thai training into the mix, or even krav maga. I think there are instructional DVDs in the library.”
“Krav maga’s pretty badass,” Andy said.
“When The Day comes, you might have to pull some of those moves on tougher opponents than Ryan Coventry.”
Andy looked seriously annoyed, and then he just looked away. “I’m glad you’re teaching me self-defense because I think it’s cool,” Andy said in a soft voice, as if anything louder might trigger an avalanche of emotion. He locked eyes with his father once more. “But
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