Read Online Endless Flames (Surviving Ashes, Book Four) by Kennedy Layne - Free Book Online
Authors: Kennedy Layne
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be rather laid back, but she’d seen a different side of him this morning as he struggled with the idea of their journey together. It made her realize that she really didn’t know him at all.
“It’s over and done with. A decision was made.”
“Just like that?” Maxie asked, wondering why Berke wouldn’t harbor some type of resentment over her forcing the issue. He could have easily left her back in Texas without a sweat, but he’d kept his word thus far.
“Would you rather I had left you back there, sitting in your van, waiting for your time to run out?”
Maxie grinned at his question, relaxing somewhat now that they were talking. The majority of the trip thus far had been spent in silence as Berke searched for back roads less traveled and stayed away from the general public scrambling for an escape from the inevitable. He’d purposefully drove around the town’s square so that they didn’t come in contact with Sheriff Ross and the other deputies. It was now every man and woman for themselves and they all had to make their own decisions based on what they thought best.
“So tell me about this town,” Maxie urged, leaning up against the side of the door so she could see him better and keep Jacob in her view. The orange tint of the landscape had faded quickly and the lights from the dashboard gave enough illumination to still see Berke’s features. He appeared relaxed when she was confident he was anything but, especially considering his searching gaze took in every aspect of their surroundings, both in front and in back of their direction of travel. Her previous unease returned and she slid her hand to the holster on her gear belt, confirming it was still in place and her weapon was buttoned in. “What’s so special that your team feels they can make it through the next ten years or so? Isn’t that what’s going to happen? An ice age or something like that?”
Berke sighed and then flexed his fingers around the stitched leather on the steering wheel, as if his hands were going numb from the tight grip. Would he finally share the truth with her or would he continue to remain silent as to why a group of friends were willing to risk their lives by going against the recommendations of the government to seek safety on the East Coast?
“I have an old tank commander—Ernie “Tank” Yates—who bought a large stretch of mountainside property up in Washington near a small town called Lost Summit.” Berke paused when Jacob started to make some sounds, but it was just his happy chatter. “The original property owners had established a silver mine back in the early 1900s, but the property was sold to a private owner after the silver had played out. You see, the original deed had included enough property with large mountaintop lakes and access to a river in the valley below to support a reasonably successful fishing and hunting lodge. The area also has several natural mountain springs that feed the lake and several watering holes.”
“How was he able to buy up such a property? I’m surprised the state or federal government didn’t come in to try and make a profit.”
“The original private owner had sold the rights to an investment group in the early ’70s for a test well to be drilled for natural gas development, but it only produced enough sweet grade gas to power the lodge and not much more,” Berke replied, smiling fondly as he then explained a little more about the man who would provide them shelter. “Tank retired and bought up the place and the mineral rights for a song. The old owner was getting on in years and none of his children were interested in running the lodge or hiring someone to run the operation since it needed quite a bit of work to bring the place up to code in order for a bank mortgage to be approved. Tank’s family had once had a rather successful logging operation back on the East Coast and he invested his rather large inheritance into buying the property for cash and
“It’s over and done with. A decision was made.”
“Just like that?” Maxie asked, wondering why Berke wouldn’t harbor some type of resentment over her forcing the issue. He could have easily left her back in Texas without a sweat, but he’d kept his word thus far.
“Would you rather I had left you back there, sitting in your van, waiting for your time to run out?”
Maxie grinned at his question, relaxing somewhat now that they were talking. The majority of the trip thus far had been spent in silence as Berke searched for back roads less traveled and stayed away from the general public scrambling for an escape from the inevitable. He’d purposefully drove around the town’s square so that they didn’t come in contact with Sheriff Ross and the other deputies. It was now every man and woman for themselves and they all had to make their own decisions based on what they thought best.
“So tell me about this town,” Maxie urged, leaning up against the side of the door so she could see him better and keep Jacob in her view. The orange tint of the landscape had faded quickly and the lights from the dashboard gave enough illumination to still see Berke’s features. He appeared relaxed when she was confident he was anything but, especially considering his searching gaze took in every aspect of their surroundings, both in front and in back of their direction of travel. Her previous unease returned and she slid her hand to the holster on her gear belt, confirming it was still in place and her weapon was buttoned in. “What’s so special that your team feels they can make it through the next ten years or so? Isn’t that what’s going to happen? An ice age or something like that?”
Berke sighed and then flexed his fingers around the stitched leather on the steering wheel, as if his hands were going numb from the tight grip. Would he finally share the truth with her or would he continue to remain silent as to why a group of friends were willing to risk their lives by going against the recommendations of the government to seek safety on the East Coast?
“I have an old tank commander—Ernie “Tank” Yates—who bought a large stretch of mountainside property up in Washington near a small town called Lost Summit.” Berke paused when Jacob started to make some sounds, but it was just his happy chatter. “The original property owners had established a silver mine back in the early 1900s, but the property was sold to a private owner after the silver had played out. You see, the original deed had included enough property with large mountaintop lakes and access to a river in the valley below to support a reasonably successful fishing and hunting lodge. The area also has several natural mountain springs that feed the lake and several watering holes.”
“How was he able to buy up such a property? I’m surprised the state or federal government didn’t come in to try and make a profit.”
“The original private owner had sold the rights to an investment group in the early ’70s for a test well to be drilled for natural gas development, but it only produced enough sweet grade gas to power the lodge and not much more,” Berke replied, smiling fondly as he then explained a little more about the man who would provide them shelter. “Tank retired and bought up the place and the mineral rights for a song. The old owner was getting on in years and none of his children were interested in running the lodge or hiring someone to run the operation since it needed quite a bit of work to bring the place up to code in order for a bank mortgage to be approved. Tank’s family had once had a rather successful logging operation back on the East Coast and he invested his rather large inheritance into buying the property for cash and
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