Ep.#9 - "Resistance" by Ryk Brown Read Free Book Online

at his captain for a moment, finally nodding his agreement. “I would hope that I would have the strength to, sir.”
    “Good luck, Loki,” Nathan said as he stood and extended his hand.
    Loki took the captain’s hand, giving it a single shake. “Thank you, sir.” Loki smiled. “I’ll see you in a few days.”
    “You’d better.”

CHAPTER TWO
    Jessica had been following the river over two hours, yet she had only moved a kilometer closer to the city. The winding path of the river and the forest itself made for slower travel, but it had the advantage of stealth, which was more important. She considered the possibility that making such an effort to stay out of sight might in itself seem suspicious, but after her encounter with the lecherous, old farmer, she figured most people would understand why a young woman traveling on foot would prefer to remain invisible.
    The forest itself was surprisingly lush. Green and full, with plenty of undergrowth covering its base, it was unlike wooded areas near her childhood home. When it finally opened up to a small meadow, she felt almost disappointed. The meadow was not terribly large, about one thousand square meters, she guessed. At the inland edge of the meadow stood a large two-story structure. It was too large to be a residence and too small to be a hotel. There was a dirt lot to one side with a long unpaved road that disappeared into the forest on the other side of the building. She studied the building for several minutes. There were no signs of life that she could discern: no vehicles, no clothing hanging on the line to dry, no children’s toys lying on the ground. There weren’t even any curtains on the windows.
    The river ahead bent to the left again, undoubtedly snaking back around as it had done time and again during her journey. More than an hour ago, she had wished she had driven the truck a little farther before abandoning it on the side of the road. The last two times the river had made such a turn, she had been able to cut across the forest and shorten her time by at least ten minutes.
    Jessica looked at the sun hovering low in the western sky. She figured she only had another hour or two of daylight left. After that, traveling through such dense growth would become more dangerous. She was also tired, having not slept in nearly twenty hours. She really needed a place to hole up for the night, so she could enter the city well rested and alert. If the building at the far end of the meadow was indeed abandoned, it would make an excellent place to get some much needed sleep.
    She turned inland and walked parallel to the meadow, staying a few meters back inside the forest to remain hidden. Once she reached the appropriate distance from the structure, she broke out of the forest, approaching the building from one corner to reduce the angle of visibility in case there was someone in there. Her instinct was to go into a crouch, approaching the target in a low profile, but that would put anyone who might be hiding inside on guard. Instead, she walked normally across the field as if she were merely trying to cut across to the other side more directly.
    Jessica kept her head angled downward as if watching where she was stepping, but at the same time, she kept glancing upward at the building. She checked every window repeatedly, watching for any movement in a systematic fashion. As she grew closer, she spotted torn remnants of old curtains still hanging on some of the upper floor windows. As she closed in, she could make out more detail. It became obvious that the building had been abandoned for some time. Months, perhaps years, of neglect became obvious with each step.
    The ground of the meadow was soft. Jessica was sure that it had rained here recently. The dirt lot on the side of the house, although far more compacted, was also fresh, as it lacked the cracks in the dirt that usually accompanied lengthy exposure to the sun. As she approached the building, something caught