Read Online Sanctuary: A Postapocalyptic Novel (The New World Series) by G. Michael Hopf - Free Book Online

now!” Samantha yelled.
    The man’s heavy footsteps were coming down the hall toward them.
    The door was still open and the man was coming down the hall fast. She turned and slammed and locked the door.
    Haley still stood frozen in fear with the pistol in her hand.
    Samantha snatched the pistol from Haley’s trembling hands just as the door burst open.
    The man tumbled inside and ran right into Samantha, knocking the gun from her grip. They both fell to the ground with a loud thud. Samantha quickly scrambled from underneath him and looked for the gun. It was gone; it had seemingly disappeared.
    The man reached for her but she resisted and kicked him in the face.
    Thinking on her feet, Samantha eyed her basket of yarn and a crochet needle next to her bed. She crawled over to it and grabbed the needle.
    The man lunged for her again, but this time his aggression was matched when she plunged the needle into his throat.
    The man clutched his throat. Blood began to gush out from between his fingers and under his hands.
    Samantha wasn’t done with him. She plunged the needle two more times. The second thrust hit his hands, and the third punctured his right cheek.
    Wounded and in a full panic, he got up and ran out of the room.
    “You come into my house and hurt me and terrorize my daughter!” she said as she chased him down the hall.
    The man was leaving a trail of dark red blood as he stumbled toward the stairs. He coughed and spit out more thick, dark blood before he fell to his knees at the top of the stairs.
    Samantha caught up to him and said, “You think you can just come into this house and hurt me? You think that you can take what you want?” She grabbed his hair, pulled back his head, and drove almost the full length of the needle into his right eye.
    His body gave a shudder, then went limp.
    A still-shocked Haley walked into the hallway just in time to see her mother’s brutal and deadly blow to the man.
    Samantha didn’t notice her. Her focus was still on the man. With disgust, she let go of him and kicked his body down the stairs.
    Klamath Falls, Oregon
    Gordon knelt down so he could look at Tyler eye to eye. He could see that the boy was upset at the news that Gordon was leaving them.
    Tyler had overheard Gordon speaking with a Marine outside the bedroom about his departure. When Gordon had entered to get his belongings, Tyler confronted him.
    “You’re leaving us?” Tyler asked, clearly hurt by the news.
    Gordon looked over at the bed and saw that Brittany was still asleep. He didn’t want to have the conversation here but he couldn’t get Tyler to leave Brittany’s room.
    “Tyler, I know you overheard that I’m leaving. I want to tell you that if all goes well for me, I’ll be coming back for you and your mother. I promised I was taking you to Idaho and I’ll honor that promise,” he said just above a whisper.
    Tyler wouldn’t look at him.
    “The Marines will take care of you. I know one of them very well; in fact he’s a friend of mine. Gunny Smith is his name. If you need anything at all, just ask him. You’re safe with them, I promise you,” Gordon said softly. Every time he attempted to make eye contact, Tyler would look away.
    “Where are you going?” Tyler asked.
    “I’m going to meet someone who might have some information for me.”
    “About going to Idaho?” Tyler asked. He now nervously looked at Gordon.
    The look in Tyler’s eyes tore him up inside. In so many ways, Tyler reminded him of his own son.
    “I’m going to be honest with you. There’s something else I’ve needed to do before we go to Idaho. I can’t tell you exactly what, but I could be gone for a bit and it’s better that you and your mother aren’t with me.”
    Tyler nodded.
    “You can tell me,” Brittany said with a raspy voice.
    Hearing her voice brought joy to Gordon’s ears. He stood up and went to her side. “How are you feeling?”
    “I’m good. I kinda have an idea of what happened but it’s