Read Online Deep Shadows by Vannetta Chapman - Free Book Online Page B

second. Glancing out the kitchen window, he saw Max in his backyard fiddling with something on his picnic table. He grabbed a box of whole grain cereal, the last of the milk from the fridge, a spoon, and a bowl.
    He stepped outside with his breakfast and walked toward Max. “Hungry?” he asked, opening the chain-link fence that separated Max’s yard from theirs.
    â€œActually, I am.” A box of Pop-Tarts sat on the picnic table beside an old camping stove.
    â€œThat sweet stuff will kill you.” Carter filled his bowl with cereal, sniffed the milk, and poured it up to the rim. He devoured three bites before he looked up. “What?”
    â€œI’m remembering what it was like to be seventeen and starving.”
    â€œYou joke, but in a week we might all be starving.”
    Max didn’t argue with him, which Carter appreciated. His mom still tended to treat him like a kid, as if she could protect him from bad news. But he wasn’t a kid, and the bad news was pretty obvious.
    Max filled an old tin pot with water and set it on the stove, but he didn’t turn on the flame.
    â€œBet you’re wishing you didn’t buy that fancy electric stove now.”
    â€œYou bring up a good point. Gas is still working, so you and your mom should be able to cook on yours—at least for now.”
    â€œWant to take the coffee inside?”
    â€œNah. It’s cooler out here.” Max sat down and tore open a package of the Pop-Tarts. He put half a pastry in his mouth, chewed for a few moments, and then swallowed it down with a swig of orange juice straight from the carton.
    â€œI’d get a lecture for that.”
    â€œOne of the perks of being a bachelor.”
    They ate in silence for a few moments. When Carter was done with the cereal, he pulled out his phone and checked it again.
    â€œThat’s not going to work.”
    â€œI know, but it’s just—”
    â€œA habit.”
    â€œYeah.” Carter frowned, feeling a strong desire to pitch the thing across the yard. He still hoped they were wrong about the flare. As long as there was hope, he’d keep it.
    â€œSo what did you and my mom find out last night?”
    â€œYour government is at work doing the best they can.”
    â€œMeaning nothing.”
    Max laughed. “Basically you’re right, but I’m not going to encourage your cynicism.”
    â€œI learned it from you.”
    â€œProbably, and if it prepares you for something like this, I suppose I’m not sorry.”
    â€œWhy aren’t they doing anything?”
    â€œThey’re trying, but no one has ever dealt with a massive solar flare before. It wasn’t one of the scenarios in their handbook.”
    â€œBut a Russian invasion was?”
    â€œYou must have had Mr. Johnstone for government.”
    â€œGuilty.”
    â€œYeah. He always did like to pull out the city documents and share them with his class.”
    â€œAnd now I know why. Couldn’t they prepare for something logical, like a virus or an IED or a solar flare?”
    â€œSometimes it takes a while for our emergency plans to catch up with reality.”
    â€œWe’re sunk.”
    â€œNot exactly.” Max was facing Carter’s house, and Carter turned to see who he was waving at. His mom was standing in the kitchen window, waving back at them both. Max stood and picked up a package of matches, lit the burner, adjusted the flame, and centered the pot of water over it.
    â€œYour mom was pretty tired last night.”
    â€œI never heard her come in, and for the record, I’m the one who is supposed to be staying out late.”
    â€œFor the record, thanks for filling all of my containers, sinks, and tub with water.”
    â€œNo problem.” At the time it had seemed like a lame thing to do, but now he was starting to think it was pretty smart.
    His mom wore the same clothes she’d slept in, and her hair had that Medusa