Read Online Meteorite Strike by A. G. Taylor - Free Book Online Page B

Daniel followed after, side by side.
    â€œThere, now you know I’m not going to ditch you both,” he said. “Just make sure Bobbie doesn’t lose that bag, or when we reach Melbourne I’ll be the one getting dumped in the desert.”
    â€œWell, we wouldn’t want that,” she replied. “I guess.”
    There was really nothing else to say.
    In the distance, unseen by any of them, something glinted amidst the dunes and then disappeared, like the sun reflecting off a pane of glass.
    Or the lens of a pair of binoculars.
    The man who had watched every move of their fight now tracked the truck as it sped away in the direction of the smoke column.
    His hand reached for a walkie-talkie.
    â€œGroup Leader, this is Scout 3. Targets are mobile, heading south-east. Over.”
    The handset crackled back after a few seconds’ delay.
    â€œGood work. Intercept at the refinery. Over.”

10
    When they got within a couple of kilometres of the refinery, they saw fires burning out of control in at least two places, sending huge vines of black smoke trailing across the desert. The site was ablaze.
    â€œA single spark can turn one of those oil storage tanks into an inferno,” Daniel explained as they drew closer in the truck. They passed a towering billboard by the side of the road written half in English and half in Chinese. The title read
McKeever–Sikong
Oil Refinery: the future of power, today! Beneath the words, a Chinese and an Australian worker shook hands.
    â€œBut where are the firemen?” asked Robert, talking for the first time since the incident in the desert. “Why isn’t anyone trying to put it out?”
    â€œI don’t think the rescue services are anywhere near here, Bobbie,” Daniel replied.
    â€œAnd why exactly are we driving straight towards a fire?” Sarah asked.
    Daniel tapped the fuel gauge of the truck. The needle pointed towards empty. “We won’t get further than another twenty kilometres if we don’t find some petrol. There must be a filling station for the tankers somewhere here. Hopefully not too close to those flames.”
    The iron gates to the refinery complex stood open. A guard’s hut by the gate appeared deserted, but as they passed Sarah saw a man in a uniform slumped in a chair, another victim of the virus. Robert made a noise when he saw it, but Daniel shook his head.
    â€œThere’s nothing we can do for him, Bobbie.”
    Ahead, the fire was raging, a monstrous, orange mass tearing through the oil tanks and the nearby buildings. The oil, stored there for processing, had ignited and was now feeding the fire without end. They stared at the terrifying sight for a moment through the dusty windscreen of the truck. The fire roared like a wild beast set free, making the windows vibrate.
    â€œHave you ever seen anything like this before, Daniel?” Robert asked, straining to get a better view over the dashboard.
    â€œOnce,” he replied softly. “Ten years ago in Iraq at an oil drilling platform. The only way they could stop the fire was to seal up the top with explosives. It took two days and four attempts before they managed to do it. We don’t want to get too close to it, that’s for sure.”
    Sarah pointed over to the left of the complex. There was a single storey building and a row of what looked like petrol pumps.
    â€œIs that what we need?” she asked.
    â€œWell, done, Sarah,” Daniel said, putting his foot on the gas and driving the truck forward.
    They followed a wide road past abandoned trucks and machinery, pulling up next to one of the petrol pumps. Daniel looked over at the open doorway of the building nearby.
    â€œI’m going to fill up,” he said. “Why don’t you two check out the station? There might be stuff we need. See if you can find a petrol can we can fill.”
    Sarah looked at him with a raised eyebrow. He nodded and pulled the keys