New Title 1 by Dru Pagliassotti Read Free Book Online Page B

middle of the site, bright and white and moving away from the edge of the pit. Richard blinked and the light resolved into a white-haired man, his long coat flapping behind him like two wings. He was walking so calmly and easily over the unsteady ground that it seemed like he wasn’t affected by the earthquake at all.
    Something cracked like a gunshot.  Richard twisted, staring up in shock as the heavy wooden cross toppled down upon him.
    Creosote-soaked railroad ties slammed into his back, snapping bone. He screamed and twisted, his belly in the dirt, facing downhill again as tears of pain streamed from his eyes. Oh, shit, his arms were broken, he was sure of it, and the cross was so heavy that it was crushing his ribs.
    Down below, the ground was collapsing around the dig site, caving in as though it were pouring itself into deep caverns located far below the surface of the earth.
    Richard shrieked as the earth heaved beneath his stomach and the broken bones in his arms grated against each other. His vision darkened but he clung to consciousness, afraid that if he passed out he’d never wake up again.
    The screams below him grew louder. He tilted his head, staring down at the field where geysers of earth were erupting like miniature volcanoes.
    Huge, carapace-covered serpents lifted draconic heads and shrieked to the stars.
    Richard stared, his cheek pressed against the dirt, and wondered if he were hallucinating from pain.
    The serpents ducked and slammed back into the dirt, their open jaws engulfing the hapless police team as they hammered their way back underground, leaving only blood and torn limbs behind.
    Only the man in white—no, he was wearing a black coat, but his hair was so white it seemed to spread its brilliance over the rest of him—only the man in white still stood on the edge of the torn field, motionless, looking like he was waiting for the world to end.
    Richard drew in a labored breath. Dirt slid and collapsed beneath him as the side of the hill began to collapse.
    One of the serpentine creatures burst from the hillside next to him. It turned its eyeless visage toward him, its razor-edged mouth gaping.
    Richard released his last breath in a scream that sent a black, blood-covered feather fluttering away as the serpent dived, slamming him deep into the earth.

IX

     
    Jack swore as the first jolt rocked the small apartment, and Andy yelped and grabbed his laptop before it could plunge off the side of the desk. Books toppled from the shelves and dishes shifted in the cupboards. Before they could catch their breath, a second jolt hit, and then a third. The bookshelves rocked away from the walls and fell; one crashed through the living room window. A cupboard door swung open. Jack covered his head with one arm as plates spilled out, shattering on the linoleum floor.
    The lights went out.
    “Andy!” Jack jammed his pack of cigarettes and lighter into his jacket pocket and groped his way through the kitchen, holding onto the counter top as his boots crunched through broken glass and china. “Where are you?”
    “I’m okay,” the reply came. “Be careful—it’s probably not over yet.”
    Jack braced against a wall as the ground shook again. His heart was pounding harder than it had in months. He’d been in tornadoes, thunderstorms, floods, car accidents, and shootouts, but never an earthquake. He hadn’t realized how horrible it was. A man counted on the earth being steady under his feet. To have it suddenly develop a mind of its own felt like madness.
    More objects fell, but the first sharp jolts had stopped, at least for the moment. Jack edged forward, keeping his hands out and ready to grab whatever was close by for support.
    “There’s a flashlight in the kitchen drawer by the sink,” Andy said.
    “I’ll get it.” Jack backed up, knocking his forehead against an open cupboard door. He cursed and ducked, bent nearly in half as he felt for the sink. His hands touched metal and he groped