Buried Flames by Kennedy Layne Read Free Book Online Page A

are three hours closer to being buried in ash, Brenna. That’s not running behind , that’s downright asking for a slow death you brought up earlier. You have no idea what it’s like out there. The main roads are all but impassable right now. With all the cities and towns you need to pass through? Nothing but riots and chaos. The people you’ll encounter? They’re terrified. Do you know what desperate people do? They’re willing to do whatever it takes to survive. It’s everyone for themselves and you’ve gone and made yourself a target instead of doing what I told you to do, which was stay with the group. You’re coming with me, Brenna, because as little odds as we have in making it to Washington…you don’t stand a chance making it to the East Coast now.”
    Brenna was relating to the terror everyone else was experiencing as her stomach lurched and her heart rate accelerated to the point her chest hurt with every rapid thud against her ribcage. The picture he painted was grim and was about to be thrust into the carnage described in the Bible at the end of times. There was no talking Mason into taking the easy route, but then again, there wasn’t a simple passage available anymore. She wasn’t ready to die…she wasn’t. And that left her no choice but to join him.
    Brenna had to lick her lips a couple of times before she was able to whistle. The loud noise resonated in the air since no sound had been heard since the eruption. Her call was answered when her companion joined her by her side, giving her some sense of comfort. She wasn’t about to face the apocalypse on her own alone with Mason.
    “Fine,” Brenna answered with more courage than she felt. “Help me get some of my supplies into your truck. I’ll come with you, but I’m not leaving Sam behind. You take me…you get him too.”

Chapter Five

    M ason spun the function dial on the PRC-104 HF radio until it clicked into the off position, the cab of the truck filling with heavy silence. He’d chosen a different route instead of the one he’d tried to take earlier, but they’d made little progress. It didn’t matter what roads they took now, it would be slow going until they reached the point where there were no survivors heading west northwest. Worst yet would be the roads headed north.
    The last of the panicked, slow-moving groups would have fatalities among them and would pull off to bury their dead. It wasn’t something to look forward to, yet it would mean they were one step closer to their goal of heading northwest to the extreme northeastern corner of Washington State.
    Mason cracked his window to relieve some of the tension and pull in the extended whip antenna they used for long haul communications. The dog Brenna insisted on bringing, Sam, immediately shifted to Mason’s side in the back to breathe in the new scents blowing in the open portal. Mason gritted his teeth to prevent himself from saying anything. They’d both already said things they couldn’t take back and the one defining statement Brenna had used kept ricocheting inside of his head— I feel sorry for you . If only she knew…
    “I can’t get in touch with Beau.” Brenna’s soft voice cut through the air as she gently set her phone next to his in the cup holder. Both were plugged into his USB charger hanging out of the auxiliary power point in the dash. With the phone constantly searching for a stronger signal, they discharged their batteries pretty quick. “Do you think the lines are jammed or do you think communications are totally down?”
    Mason didn’t answer right away, not wanting to be drawn into a long, technical conversation. It was bad enough he caved on letting Sam come along when it would have been smarter to let the dog navigate on his own, but now he had to take care of another person when he was about to endure a very tough journey that wasn’t a sure thing for anyone involved. He wasn’t about to give Brenna reassurances he couldn’t back up.