Refuge Book 1 - Night of the Blood Sky by Jeremy Robinson, Jeremy Bishop Read Free Book Online

in that temper of hers and become the next Sheriff. Ultimately, it was up to the people of Refuge, so she’d have to stop punching people sooner or later. Preferably sooner than later.
    Cash’s truck roared to life across the street. He pulled out into the road and performed a wide U-turn. He gave a wave as he passed and then sped off down Main Street, headed north. She waited for the sound of his engine to fade before speaking.
    “Griffin, can you hear me?” Rule asked, and she knew he could because he looked down when she said his name. “If you’re not planning on going anywhere, could you man the phones tonight, so Frost can help me around town?”
    A breeze washed over her, carrying a foreign odor she couldn’t identify, but the air was dry and tickled her throat. Her first thought was that there was a fire, but she couldn’t smell smoke. It was almost like...salt.
    “Becky.” It was Griffin’s voice on the radio. She turned to the station and saw him looking at her. “The phones are out. Even the land lines. We’re completely cut off.”
    Rule nearly asked why they still had power, but remembered that the town was self-sufficient.
    “But...” Griffin continued, sounding grave. “I’m not sure...” The radio went silent, and she saw him lower his radio for a moment before bringing it back to his mouth. “We should speak in person.”
    She was about to ask why when Dodge appeared at her side, eyes wide. “What’s wrong? What doesn’t he want us to know?”
    She shook her head as casually as possible and forced a smile. “It’s nothing, Pastor. Phones are out is all. Nothing to worry about, and it’s not the Devil.”
    “You can’t know that,” he said.
    “Can and do,” she replied. “And if I hear about you spreading that kind of nonsense around town, I’ll lock you up.”
    Dodge reacted like he’d been slapped. “ Nonsense ? Lock me up ? For what?”
    “Incitin’ a panic.”
    The man nearly argued, but had the good sense to close his trap.
    As the few remnants of Refuge’s population began to emerge from nearby homes, looking up at the sky, a small crowd began to form in front of the church. Rule would have to address them soon, before the rumor mill began to churn out end-of-the-world scenarios and the pastor found his voice again. Before that could happen though, she needed to get organized, and if Griffin had answers, she’d need those too.
    She turned to Radar and Lisa as she started toward the station. “You two head home. I’ll keep this from your parents for now, but we’re going to have to work out something with Pastor Dodge.”
    Radar nodded rapidly, looking supremely relieved. Although the town might be worried about nuclear war or Satan’s imminent appearance, Radar was more worried about his father. And she knew Dodge would agree to keep things silent. Radar’s father was one devil they could all agree on.
    The kids ran into the quasi-darkness, eerily lit by the glowing red sky and the partially concealed full moon. They headed to their homes two blocks away, at the base of Black Job Hill. Rule stomped toward the station. Her feet ached from all the walking, but she barely noticed. Something else nagged at her, tugging at the back of her mind. Something...
    She stopped in the middle of Main Street, looking in both directions. There wasn’t a car in sight, and the center of town was well lit by a series of street lights staggered on either side of the street, each holding an American flag. One by one, she saw the flags at the far end of town snap toward her.
    A wind is coming , she realized, and she squinted her eyes. The flags next to her snapped hard when the wind hit. Rule’s hat was torn from her head. But the removal of her hat went unnoticed. The sting of whipping grit across her cheeks held her full attention. She raised her arms over her face and waited out the gust.
    The wind died down. The flags hung limp. Rule lowered her arms and played her tongue around