First Wave (The Travis Combs Post-Apocalypse Thrillers) by JT Sawyer Read Free Book Online Page A

there’s one group of folks that can handle Murphy , it’s all of you. Get some water in you, split up the chow, and
down a few calories. Then we’ll push on in ten minutes.”
    Travis nodded to Pete to follow him into the tunnel,
a few feet off from the group. With sound amplified in the tunnel, Travis kept
his voice to a whisper. “So, tell me what you know about the caverns here.”
    Pete ruffled his lips, “Well, we used to take our
groups to the region east of here, the Grand Canyon Caverns. It was a touristy
place with an elevator we’d take down twenty stories into the heart of the
caverns. The main cavern complex was huge but there were several offshoot
tunnels that branched out for miles beyond those, going who knows where. I did
a headlamp tour once with a guide and the tunnels were gnarly, man,” he paused,
in between chews of his protein bar. “We were crawling on our elbows for
hundreds of yards just to get from one chamber to the next. Not sure all these
folks could make it, for more than just the obvious physical limitations. I
remember the guide told me that there were some branches that went on for fifty
miles or more in different directions.”
    “The question is,” said Travis, “whether this branch
is one of these or if it leads to the main cavern?” He rubbed his whiskered
chin, contemplating the path ahead. “We’ll have to see what Becka knows about
it.”
    Pete chimed in, “A few years ago, some geologists
filled the caverns with red smoke canisters to see if there were any above
ground entrances elsewhere in the region. They found a few but, the amazing
thing, is that three weeks after they left, red smoke was spotted in several
areas seventy miles away from where they launched the project.”
    “Well, we have enough water and food to last for the
next day and that’s about it, so we need to find a way out of here before we’re
too spent. Not to mention, avoiding running into any more roving bands of those
rotting freaks. Also, trust me on this- funny things can start to happen to your
head when you’re in a dark cave for days on end.”
    They heard someone moving up behind them and turned
to see Katy. “What are you guys talking about?”
    “We’ll be with you all in a minute Katy? We’re
almost done here,” said Travis.
    “I want to be involved in your planning. I ‘m not
gonna sit this one out,” she replied, resting the shotgun across her knees. 
    “Alright, we’re talking about where we go from here
and how to get there in lightning speed before everyone is tapped out
physically,” he said.
    “You mean more tapped out? We’ve been pushing
hard for over eighteen hours now. Maybe you’re used to such punishment but
Evelyn doesn’t have much more left in her, not to mention the rest of the group
being ready to collapse,” she said, rolling her sleeves down to contend with
the cool air wafting through the tunnel.
    Travis stole a glance in Evelyn’s direction. He knew
she was the weak link in the group that they would have to adjust for. “We
can’t stay here. We have to keep moving. Everyone will have to hoof it for
short intervals. There is no alternative. Once we gain some distance from the
entrance, we’ll take a breather.”
    He stood halfway up and strode back into the small
chamber where the rest of the group was sitting. He knelt down next to the
young girl who was balled up against the rock wall, her hands wrapped around her
knees and head sunk low. “Becka, I’m sorry about your grandpa. He seemed like a
fine man. You are one tough woman to have gone through what you did,” he paused
searching for the words. “You are probably no stranger to what it feels like to
be bucked off a horse and land hard on the ground, and what happened back there
must hurt a hundred times more. I don’t know what you are feeling but just know
that you are not alone. Me and the others are here if you need to talk, OK?”
    She gave a faint nod while he continued. “Right