Fall of the Mortals (Book 1) by Ken Bush Read Free Book Online

onto a desk but he was struck by a large piece of medical equipment. He fell over. Shaun barely caught Yuri’s wrist, saving his life. Shaun yelled struggling to hold Yuri up. Other items toppled over them and fell to the street.
    In the background, the earthquake ripped through the downtown area. Small to medium sized buildings crumbled to the street. A large gap broke open in the road causing more buildings to tumble to the street.
    “You gotta be freaking kidding me!” Shaun shouted, trying to hold on. “Give us a break! Just give me a damn break!”
     “Thai! Climb up! Help us!” hollered Shaun. “I can’t hold on much longer!”
    Thai struggled to climb back onto the demolished edge of the seventh floor. It looked like a gigantic slide leading to a steep cliff. There was barely enough room to stand. He took Shaun’s hand and helped pull them up to safety. Shaun lay there, knowing the three had almost died.
    “Hey! Look!” hollered Thai.
    They looked out at the city. Dozens of vampires flew out of their rest places from underneath the destroyed buildings. They were incinerated by the sunlight.
    “Yeah! Burn up!” growled Shaun.
    “That must have been hundreds of them!” said Thai.
    “That was just a handful,” said Shaun in a tired voice.
    “The roads are destroyed,” said Yuri. “We’re still a few miles from the tower.”
    “Let’s get to the main level,” said Shaun. “We gotta get moving.”
    They climbed over the elevated, destroyed flooring to reach the other side. It was like climbing up a wide slide. There were several jagged metal parts sticking out of the cracked walls and the floor. The flooring was ripped up and wedged against the elevator doors.
    “The elevator is history,” said Shaun. “We’ll take the stairs.”
     
    ***
     
    Harold and the others stood at the windows with sad faces. They knew the sun was almost down. There was no sign of Shaun, Thai or Yuri.
    “Maybe they’re okay?” said Betty.
    “It’s all my fault,” said Harold.
    “What you mean, now?” asked Betty.
    “I sent them out there to find medicine,” said Harold. “Now it’s clear I sent them to their deaths.”
    Harold sat on a sofa. He was full of grief.
    “Don’t blame yourself. Don’t you do that,” said Betty.
    Kim and Ni began to weep for their brother Thai. A tear rolled down Harold’s cheek.
    “Where could they possibly hide out there?” asked Harold. “If they’re still alive, that is.”
    “Shaun is a tough cookie,” said Betty. “And Yuri is a smart dude. They’ll think of something.”
    “I sure hope so,” said Harold, wiping away his tear.
    He looked over at Mr. Jones. He was lying on the floor. His wrists and ankles were still tied up in duct tape. A strip of tape was also across his mouth. He screamed muffled sounds through the duct tape. Harold took the tape off his mouth. Mr. Jones let out a deep breath and panted for a moment.
    “Feeling better?” asked Harold.
    “Untie me,” said Jones.
    “You need medicine,” said Harold.
    “Well, does it look like I’m gonna get any?” Jones hollered. “I don’t think so, you freaking jerk!”
    Harold put the tape back over his mouth.
     
    ***
     
    Shaun, Thai and Yuri hurried down the stairwell to the main floor. 
    Outside the building, they rushed to the Ferrari and got in. Shaun drove away. The streets were heavily damaged from the earthquake. He drove around looking for a way to get out.
    “Shit!” hollered Shaun, slamming the steering wheel. “The way back to the tower is completely blocked!”
    “Are we gonna have to walk it?” asked Thai.
    Shaun checked his watch. It was 5:58pm.
    “We’ll never make it by nightfall,” said Shaun. “We got a half an hour.”
    Shaun raced to the street in the car and headed northbound. He grew frustrated realizing he would have to drive for miles before he could find another route. He slammed on his brakes. The Ferrari spun around. The tires smoked. Shaun sat in his silent