Read Online Get Out of Denver (Denver Burning Book 1) by Algor X. Dennison - Free Book Online
Authors: Algor X. Dennison
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man with a couple of electric guitars under one arm. He looked drunk, or high, and hailed them from across the street, but when he saw McLean’s shotgun he wandered off without saying anything more.
They came to a cross street in Englewood, and David looked up. “Hey, guys, this isn’t too far from my place!”
They all stopped, and Shauna sat down on the sidewalk.
“How far?” McLean asked David.
“It’s probably eight or nine blocks from here. I didn’t realize we were in my part of town already.”
Carrie looked at McLean to see what his response would be.
McLean wanted to tell David to go and take Shauna with him, but he knew Carrie would object. “It’s a lot quieter on this side of town than the northeast. Are you going to go?”
“Yeah,” David replied. “Any of you want to come? I don’t have a lot to offer, it’s just a bachelor pad. But we could all crash there.”
“Which way is it?” McLean asked.
David pointed north, straight toward downtown Denver. “That way. On Galapago, near Jefferson Street.”
McLean consulted his map, then looked up at the road heading north. “It looks like your way is clear. But that’s sixteen blocks, not eight, and it’s awfully close to the interchange, as well as an industrial area with city offices. I’d prefer to keep to the quiet residential streets down here. If we keep going west, we can go through two golf courses, around Marston Lake which should also be quiet and dark, and then we’re almost to the hills. That’s where I’m headed.” He put the map away and looked at Carrie.
“Shauna, what do you think?” Carrie asked. “Do you want to go to David’s place and try to shelter there, or keep heading west to the mountains?”
“Mountains?” Shauna ejaculated. “Why would we want to go there?”
McLean rolled his eyes, but no one saw him in the darkness.
“It’s probably safer,” Carrie explained. “Nobody there to attack us, no fires, no looting.”
“But there are bears! And where would we sleep? Anyway, my boyfriend is here in the valley somewhere. He’s in the National Guard, and he’s probably helping get all this under control as we speak.”
McLean huffed. “Carrie, we can’t stand here all night discussing what all of us should have thought through long ago. Please decide if you’d rather go west and try to make it out of town before daylight, which I suggest, or take our chances at David’s place for the near future.”
David started walking north up the sidewalk. “I’m going back to my place. You can come if you want.”
Shauna wearily stood up. “Wait, I’m coming! If you have somewhere I can lie down and not get shot, I’m coming with you!”
Carrie stood, indecisive, for another moment. Then she beckoned to McLean. “Come on. Let’s check out David’s place. I’d rather not leave the city if we don’t have to. Maybe we’ll be safe there for the next day or two, until things settle down.”
McLean followed, but grumbled loudly enough for Carrie to hear as they walked after the others. “And if things don’t settle down? Power’s out, police and military are out of commission, Denver is burning, and there’s shooting in the streets. I think it’s past time to bug out of here. These two fools are going to be the death of us.”
Carrie didn’t say anything. She looked uncomfortable, but kept walking after David and Shauna. McLean felt a twinge of regret as he realized he’d spoken more harshly than he should have, and chalked it up to sleep deprivation. He hurried ahead to walk next to David, scanning the street for threats.
They walked a mile deeper into David’s neighborhood. The smell of smoke from the fires raging downtown grew stronger. “It’s quiet,” David said. “Usually I can hear the noise from the freeway around here. It’s eerie.”
They passed a house with a lantern glowing in the front window. Inside, an old man watched them go by through the window, standing in the
They came to a cross street in Englewood, and David looked up. “Hey, guys, this isn’t too far from my place!”
They all stopped, and Shauna sat down on the sidewalk.
“How far?” McLean asked David.
“It’s probably eight or nine blocks from here. I didn’t realize we were in my part of town already.”
Carrie looked at McLean to see what his response would be.
McLean wanted to tell David to go and take Shauna with him, but he knew Carrie would object. “It’s a lot quieter on this side of town than the northeast. Are you going to go?”
“Yeah,” David replied. “Any of you want to come? I don’t have a lot to offer, it’s just a bachelor pad. But we could all crash there.”
“Which way is it?” McLean asked.
David pointed north, straight toward downtown Denver. “That way. On Galapago, near Jefferson Street.”
McLean consulted his map, then looked up at the road heading north. “It looks like your way is clear. But that’s sixteen blocks, not eight, and it’s awfully close to the interchange, as well as an industrial area with city offices. I’d prefer to keep to the quiet residential streets down here. If we keep going west, we can go through two golf courses, around Marston Lake which should also be quiet and dark, and then we’re almost to the hills. That’s where I’m headed.” He put the map away and looked at Carrie.
“Shauna, what do you think?” Carrie asked. “Do you want to go to David’s place and try to shelter there, or keep heading west to the mountains?”
“Mountains?” Shauna ejaculated. “Why would we want to go there?”
McLean rolled his eyes, but no one saw him in the darkness.
“It’s probably safer,” Carrie explained. “Nobody there to attack us, no fires, no looting.”
“But there are bears! And where would we sleep? Anyway, my boyfriend is here in the valley somewhere. He’s in the National Guard, and he’s probably helping get all this under control as we speak.”
McLean huffed. “Carrie, we can’t stand here all night discussing what all of us should have thought through long ago. Please decide if you’d rather go west and try to make it out of town before daylight, which I suggest, or take our chances at David’s place for the near future.”
David started walking north up the sidewalk. “I’m going back to my place. You can come if you want.”
Shauna wearily stood up. “Wait, I’m coming! If you have somewhere I can lie down and not get shot, I’m coming with you!”
Carrie stood, indecisive, for another moment. Then she beckoned to McLean. “Come on. Let’s check out David’s place. I’d rather not leave the city if we don’t have to. Maybe we’ll be safe there for the next day or two, until things settle down.”
McLean followed, but grumbled loudly enough for Carrie to hear as they walked after the others. “And if things don’t settle down? Power’s out, police and military are out of commission, Denver is burning, and there’s shooting in the streets. I think it’s past time to bug out of here. These two fools are going to be the death of us.”
Carrie didn’t say anything. She looked uncomfortable, but kept walking after David and Shauna. McLean felt a twinge of regret as he realized he’d spoken more harshly than he should have, and chalked it up to sleep deprivation. He hurried ahead to walk next to David, scanning the street for threats.
They walked a mile deeper into David’s neighborhood. The smell of smoke from the fires raging downtown grew stronger. “It’s quiet,” David said. “Usually I can hear the noise from the freeway around here. It’s eerie.”
They passed a house with a lantern glowing in the front window. Inside, an old man watched them go by through the window, standing in the
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