Read Online Endings: Dystopian Post Apocalyptic Zombie Thriller (Parables From The Apocalypse Book 1) by Norman Christof - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Norman Christof
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unimaginable it would be to go a whole day and not see his kids. The thoughts of them someday growing up and moving away never occurred. Every parent thinks of those moments, even just in passing, but no one ever gives them much credence. It seems so distant. But eventually those days come, and in Chaz's case, it had come sooner than he expected.
Chaz said, "Now's as good a time as ever to take a water break. I'll go first, you keep watch."
"Are you sure, Colonel? We haven't made it that far since the last break."
"Remember our last conversation? Do you remember who I am to you?"
"Yes, sir, my commanding officer. That's who you are. I'll just keep an eye out while you take a water break."
Chaz had already stopped listening as he moved to a shaded section of the road. He swung off his pack, and eased himself down, sitting cross-legged. Rummaging through his pack, he found the laptop he had taken from Abby's house. He hadn't looked at it since shooting up her old home. He opened it up, and waited for it to boot. He watched Alex's back as he paced up and down, keeping his weapon at the ready. The kid's got potential , Chaz thought, but he didn't have the patience or desire to take on training new recruits. And that's exactly what Alex was. He may have done some time in this army, but he still had a lot to learn.
The laptop beeped a few times, and Chaz looked down at the screen, avoiding eye contact just as Alex turned. Chaz started flipping through the emails again, for anything that could give him more clues. Nothing was helping. There were a bunch of emails from the old boyfriend after their breakup. Quite a few emails. It looked like she was the one who broke it off, and he really didn't want it to end. One of Abby's emails said she just wasn't ready for a serious relationship. Apparently he was. That could be a bit of a problem, Chaz thought. There were a few other emails from her parents over in North Carolina, but nothing helpful. Mostly just stuff from her mom with pictures of cats and crazy lose-weight scams.
Chaz started flipping through the photo albums, and found quite a few recent pictures. Why would she leave this behind, he thought. All her email stuff, and all these photos. Wouldn't she want to take this stuff with her? She left in a hurry, but the laptop was just sitting out in the open. She couldn't have forgotten it. Maybe she wanted someone to find it? Maybe she hoped I would come looking for it? Naah! Just wishful thinking on my part. He paused at a couple of photos of Shax with some other school kids. She had gotten so much bigger and prettier. All that baby fat was gone, and she was looking more and more like her mom.
Then, a video call window popped up. Someone was calling Abby's account on the computer.
"What the hell?" he whispered aloud.
Alex looked to Chaz. "What is it, sir? Things OK?"
Chaz glanced quickly up then back to the screen, waving Alex off. "Don't worry about it, it's nothing. Keep an eye on what you're supposed to be doing."
Chaz clicked on the "accept call" button. Abby's face filled the video screen. Behind her was a mud-brown wall, with an old painting of mountains. For a moment, they both froze. No one said anything, and the look of surprise on Abby's face was obvious. Chaz didn't know what to say.
Abby spoke first. "I'm sorry, I didn't expect ..." She looked down, and fumbled around with her keyboard and mouse.
Thinking she was trying to disconnect, Chaz spoke up. "Wait ... please ... don't go. I really need to ..."
"It's too late for any of this, Chaz. I thought there'd be someone else there. I really need to go. I can't do this today."
Chaz struggled, and just said the first thing that popped into his head. "I quit. I quit to find you and the kids."
"You quit? Quit what?"
"The military. I quit the military."
Abby's face shifted
Chaz said, "Now's as good a time as ever to take a water break. I'll go first, you keep watch."
"Are you sure, Colonel? We haven't made it that far since the last break."
"Remember our last conversation? Do you remember who I am to you?"
"Yes, sir, my commanding officer. That's who you are. I'll just keep an eye out while you take a water break."
Chaz had already stopped listening as he moved to a shaded section of the road. He swung off his pack, and eased himself down, sitting cross-legged. Rummaging through his pack, he found the laptop he had taken from Abby's house. He hadn't looked at it since shooting up her old home. He opened it up, and waited for it to boot. He watched Alex's back as he paced up and down, keeping his weapon at the ready. The kid's got potential , Chaz thought, but he didn't have the patience or desire to take on training new recruits. And that's exactly what Alex was. He may have done some time in this army, but he still had a lot to learn.
The laptop beeped a few times, and Chaz looked down at the screen, avoiding eye contact just as Alex turned. Chaz started flipping through the emails again, for anything that could give him more clues. Nothing was helping. There were a bunch of emails from the old boyfriend after their breakup. Quite a few emails. It looked like she was the one who broke it off, and he really didn't want it to end. One of Abby's emails said she just wasn't ready for a serious relationship. Apparently he was. That could be a bit of a problem, Chaz thought. There were a few other emails from her parents over in North Carolina, but nothing helpful. Mostly just stuff from her mom with pictures of cats and crazy lose-weight scams.
Chaz started flipping through the photo albums, and found quite a few recent pictures. Why would she leave this behind, he thought. All her email stuff, and all these photos. Wouldn't she want to take this stuff with her? She left in a hurry, but the laptop was just sitting out in the open. She couldn't have forgotten it. Maybe she wanted someone to find it? Maybe she hoped I would come looking for it? Naah! Just wishful thinking on my part. He paused at a couple of photos of Shax with some other school kids. She had gotten so much bigger and prettier. All that baby fat was gone, and she was looking more and more like her mom.
Then, a video call window popped up. Someone was calling Abby's account on the computer.
"What the hell?" he whispered aloud.
Alex looked to Chaz. "What is it, sir? Things OK?"
Chaz glanced quickly up then back to the screen, waving Alex off. "Don't worry about it, it's nothing. Keep an eye on what you're supposed to be doing."
Chaz clicked on the "accept call" button. Abby's face filled the video screen. Behind her was a mud-brown wall, with an old painting of mountains. For a moment, they both froze. No one said anything, and the look of surprise on Abby's face was obvious. Chaz didn't know what to say.
Abby spoke first. "I'm sorry, I didn't expect ..." She looked down, and fumbled around with her keyboard and mouse.
Thinking she was trying to disconnect, Chaz spoke up. "Wait ... please ... don't go. I really need to ..."
"It's too late for any of this, Chaz. I thought there'd be someone else there. I really need to go. I can't do this today."
Chaz struggled, and just said the first thing that popped into his head. "I quit. I quit to find you and the kids."
"You quit? Quit what?"
"The military. I quit the military."
Abby's face shifted
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