Read Online Final Assault by Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch - Free Book Online
Authors: Dean Wesley Smith, Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Tags: SF, Space Opera
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the first ring, relief so deep in his voice when he realized it was her that it took her a moment to tell him what was happening.
She hadn’t realized how worried he would be. She had thought he wouldn’t even know she was gone. Her mother’s voice had echoed in the background, also worried.
Kara had told her father where she was, what had happened, and had urged him to get her. He had promised he would be there within the hour. But a half an hour later her ’puter vibrated against her wrist. She answered.
Her father was on the line. The roads were closed into the city. The police had formed barricades. He had been told he could go around them if he dared, but most people who did had their cars hijacked or worse.
He asked if she was all right and if she was in a safe place. She didn’t know how to answer him. Finally she told him she was as safe as she could be.
He wasn’t satisfied. He offered to have her go to one of his colleagues’ condos on Lake Shore Drive, but she told him she was afraid to walk there. She was also afraid that the building would be closed, just like the hotels were. Still, he made her take his friend’s name and address in case she had to leave her spot.
Her father offered to stay on the link all night, to keep her company, but his voice made her weepy and fearful. She was better off on her own, or so she had told him. When he finally hung up, she almost dialed him back, but didn’t let herself. She had to get through the night on her own.
And now she had.
When she had walked to the Loop at dawn it was with the hope that the trains were repaired. All night she had heard gunshots, but the worst of the rioting had eased. As she walked, she still saw looters, but they didn’t care about her.
No one seemed to care about her, now that she was grubby and filthy. She kept her sleeve buttoned over her wrist’puter, her only link to the real world, and she had stuffed her earrings and necklace in her pockets. She looked like any other street kid out to get into trouble, or so she hoped.
Now she was walking north on Lake Shore Drive. From Randolph to the Chicago River, the streets were deserted. There was no sign of anyone or anything, and no sign of trouble. Somehow that made her even more nervous than movement had.
But once she crossed the river into Streeterville, she heard screams and shouts again. There was smoke coming from her left—the entire Magnificent Mile seemed to be aflame. Apparently things had gotten worse since she had walked to the Loop.
She had been walking for hours and she hadn’t even gotten as far north as she had been the night before. She was tired and hungry and her shoes pinched. She was tempted to go inside one of the destroyed businesses and grab a bottle of water. Who would know?
Who would care? In a month none of this would matter. Nothing would matter.
But that still didn’t stop her from wanting to go home.
She had to find some shelter so she could call her dad again and tell him she was walking. Maybe when she got farther away from downtown, he would be able to pick her up.
It had been so dumb for her to leave home. She hadn’t realized until she had done it that home was where she wanted to be. If she only had twenty-nine days left to live, she wanted to be with her family, not running in the street breaking things and stealing.
Maybe for the next twenty-nine days, she and her parents could pretend like nothing was happening. Maybe they could barricade themselves into their house, eat good meals and listen to music or watch vids. Maybe, if they worked at it hard enough, the end would come and they wouldn’t even know.
It was better than going like this.
It was better than destroying everything around.
Everything was going to be gone soon enough. She didn’t want to be one of the people who helped speed up the end.
3
October 12, 2018
4:56 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
29 Days Until Second Harvest
The Roosevelt Room was crowded and hot. The
She hadn’t realized how worried he would be. She had thought he wouldn’t even know she was gone. Her mother’s voice had echoed in the background, also worried.
Kara had told her father where she was, what had happened, and had urged him to get her. He had promised he would be there within the hour. But a half an hour later her ’puter vibrated against her wrist. She answered.
Her father was on the line. The roads were closed into the city. The police had formed barricades. He had been told he could go around them if he dared, but most people who did had their cars hijacked or worse.
He asked if she was all right and if she was in a safe place. She didn’t know how to answer him. Finally she told him she was as safe as she could be.
He wasn’t satisfied. He offered to have her go to one of his colleagues’ condos on Lake Shore Drive, but she told him she was afraid to walk there. She was also afraid that the building would be closed, just like the hotels were. Still, he made her take his friend’s name and address in case she had to leave her spot.
Her father offered to stay on the link all night, to keep her company, but his voice made her weepy and fearful. She was better off on her own, or so she had told him. When he finally hung up, she almost dialed him back, but didn’t let herself. She had to get through the night on her own.
And now she had.
When she had walked to the Loop at dawn it was with the hope that the trains were repaired. All night she had heard gunshots, but the worst of the rioting had eased. As she walked, she still saw looters, but they didn’t care about her.
No one seemed to care about her, now that she was grubby and filthy. She kept her sleeve buttoned over her wrist’puter, her only link to the real world, and she had stuffed her earrings and necklace in her pockets. She looked like any other street kid out to get into trouble, or so she hoped.
Now she was walking north on Lake Shore Drive. From Randolph to the Chicago River, the streets were deserted. There was no sign of anyone or anything, and no sign of trouble. Somehow that made her even more nervous than movement had.
But once she crossed the river into Streeterville, she heard screams and shouts again. There was smoke coming from her left—the entire Magnificent Mile seemed to be aflame. Apparently things had gotten worse since she had walked to the Loop.
She had been walking for hours and she hadn’t even gotten as far north as she had been the night before. She was tired and hungry and her shoes pinched. She was tempted to go inside one of the destroyed businesses and grab a bottle of water. Who would know?
Who would care? In a month none of this would matter. Nothing would matter.
But that still didn’t stop her from wanting to go home.
She had to find some shelter so she could call her dad again and tell him she was walking. Maybe when she got farther away from downtown, he would be able to pick her up.
It had been so dumb for her to leave home. She hadn’t realized until she had done it that home was where she wanted to be. If she only had twenty-nine days left to live, she wanted to be with her family, not running in the street breaking things and stealing.
Maybe for the next twenty-nine days, she and her parents could pretend like nothing was happening. Maybe they could barricade themselves into their house, eat good meals and listen to music or watch vids. Maybe, if they worked at it hard enough, the end would come and they wouldn’t even know.
It was better than going like this.
It was better than destroying everything around.
Everything was going to be gone soon enough. She didn’t want to be one of the people who helped speed up the end.
3
October 12, 2018
4:56 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time
29 Days Until Second Harvest
The Roosevelt Room was crowded and hot. The
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