The Recovery - Solar Crash Book 4: (A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller Series) Read online

  Reaching into the window of the truck Dixon wrestled the dead man’s jacket from him, taking his own military-issue jacket off and throwing it inside the truck with the corpse. He then re-dressed himself in the stolen jacket and plucked the red baseball cap from the stranger’s head as well, pulling it down low over his brow. From the waist down he was still dressed like a soldier, but Dixon was certain he could get away with that, many people copying the military style anyway. Thankfully the stolen jacket was slightly too big for him and therefore hung low over where Dixon kept his pistol. He thought briefly about keeping it in the waistband of his pants instead but Dixon knew in an emergency, it would be his gut instinct to reach for the holster.

  After checking out his appearance in the side mirror of the truck Dixon squared his shoulders and walked confidently across the entrance to the White House, glancing briefly out of the corner of his eye to see none of the soldiers on watch taking any notice of him. Once he was out of their sight, his pace quickened. Dixon knew this route to the library well, and if he maintained a steady jog, he could be there in less than ten minutes.

  Hang on Mary, Dixon thought to himself. I’m coming for you.

  ***

  Mary kept her head low as she twisted and turned down the streets that led to the campus library. She wasn’t far from it, but she knew the short walk would take much longer than it normally should. Up ahead an old delivery van was hissing loudly. Steam poured out from under the hood and sounded like an old-fashioned teapot when the water boiled over the stove.

  What was strange was that the vehicle hadn’t crashed into anything. It was still parked on the side of the street in a very normal manner, no evidence of foul play or a crash like the countless ones Mary had already witnessed since leaving the subway station. Aside from her and the hissing vehicle though, the street was deserted. Mary jogged along it as quickly as she dared, finding it strange that no one else was around when loud screams still carried from the main road.

  When she came level with the delivery truck she placed a hand on the steaming hood, instantly recoiling as the metal burned her skin. It was hotter than anything Mary had come into contact with and, as she watched the steam rise for a few seconds longer, she slowly started to realize what was happening.

  Without another thought Mary broke into a run, sprinting as quickly as she could further down the street and away from the vehicle. The engine was overheating. She didn’t know much about cars or how the new electric engines worked, but she knew that didn’t sound right and she didn’t want to be nearby when the thing exploded. Placing her hands on her knees and turning around for one last look as she reached the end of the street, Mary could see the amount of steam pouring out from under the hood had increased dramatically. That thing couldn’t survive for much longer and so Mary took several deep breaths and continued running around the corner, desperately trying to put as much distance as possible between her and the delivery truck.

  Back out on the main road, the chaos people were bringing to the city returned. Mary wanted to stick to the smaller side streets, but this was a road she had to cross if she wanted to follow the quickest route to the library. Normally it took her a long time to cross because of the traffic. Now she was faced with a different problem.

  The huge skyscraper that stood on the corner was crumbling. Mary could almost see the brick walls swaying above her, the foundations damaged by something and no longer able to support the tall building. If that fell, it would wipe out hundreds of people in the surrounding area. Mary had to get away from it and fast.

  Taking a step out into the road, free of speeding cars for the first time in Mary’s life, she heard a loud explosion erupt behind her. The ground shook and Mary looked up just in time to see the skyscraper tilt further to one side, angling down toward the road that led to the library. There was no time to stop and think. Mary suspected it was the delivery truck that had blown up and caused the explosion, but that was so far down her list of priorities now she didn’t even consider how narrowly she’d just avoided death. Had she left the subway five minutes later she could’ve been on that street as the truck exploded. As it happened, she was now on a different street that a skyscraper was potentially about to collapse onto.

  Other people around Mary started to realize the same thing she had and the panic began to intensify. Hordes of people started running towards Mary, fleeing from the street that led to the library where it looked like the building was about to fall across. Mary bit her lip. She didn’t have time to pause and weigh what she was about to do, she just either had to go for it or give up. Refusing to do the latter, Mary took off at a sprint, tearing through the crowds of people running in her direction. She needed to make it down that road and she needed to do it fast.

  Several people tried to grab her and slow her down as she dodged through the crowd. Women screamed at her to come back, that she was going the wrong way while men attempted to wrap their arms around her to protect her. Mary shrugged them all off, thankful it was only a very small minority of the crowd who were even the slightest bit bothered by her. The majority didn’t even look in her direction, focusing only on their own wellbeing and safety.

  Eventually, Mary broke free of the crowd and could now run even faster, only having to avoid the occasional straggler who couldn’t run as quickly as the main group. She cast her eyes upward as she reached the base of the skyscraper, seeing its large frame swaying unevenly in the wind. The building now definitely stood at an angle, leaning diagonally over the street she needed to pass. But she couldn’t waste another second; she was either going to make it to the library or die trying.

  As the first brick hit the sidewalk just in front of Mary, she let out a loud scream and glanced back at the building. It was falling quicker now and she was out in the open, nowhere to go except to keep running forward. Pumping her arms, Mary kept running in a straight line. She couldn’t predict where the next bricks would fall, parts of the building now starting to fall down into the street below as the angle of its lean grew with each passing second.

  A loud crash sounded behind her and an ear-splitting creak began to fill the air. This was it. Mary ran faster than she’d ever run before and refused to look back. She could hear things flying through the air around her, objects smashing into the road both behind and in front of her. She saw a huge conference table fall through the sky and smash into the wall of a local diner over the road, fine fragments of glass from the broken window then showering down through the air after it and cutting through her skin and clothing. Blood started to seep from every inch of Mary’s body, but still she didn’t stop. The end of the street was almost in sight and she could nearly feel the cool air of the campus underpass: the underground walkway she was heading for which led right to the library door. Just a few more seconds and she would be safe beneath it.

  Still the sound of the building crumbling behind her continued to increase and as the tarmac beneath her feet shook Mary couldn’t help but glance back over her shoulder. The sight behind her hitched her breath and forced Mary’s legs to move faster than she ever thought possible. The skyscraper was about to fall and currently she was right in its path. Thinking about nothing else but getting to safety Mary grit her teeth and drove her arms, propelling her body closer and closer to the underpass.

  The force of the skyscraper smacking into the concrete flung Mary to the ground, throwing her forward just as she entered the underpass. As quickly as she could she scrambled back to her feet, continuing to run further into the underpass as fragments of brick and mortar followed her down the tunnel. She refused to look back. Dust fell from the ceiling as the weight of the building pressed down on the underpass. The roof was reinforced with steel but would that be strong enough to withhold the building? Mary didn’t want to be there to find out.

  The thought of being buried alive caused a new wave of adrenaline to surge through her body and she kept running. Her muscles complained from the speed and her body stung from a hundred t
iny cuts but she refused to let anything slow her down. As the natural light at the other end of the tunnel slowly increased Mary knew she had nearly made it; she was going to make it. Seconds later she broke onto the surface of Washington once more. Her breathing was heavy and her vision spotted for a moment before she calmed herself down, the genuine fear for her life slowly subsiding.

  Catching her breath, Mary turned around slowly, looking back through a thick cloud of dust at where the skyscraper had fallen. She couldn’t believe it. What she was staring at wasn’t Washington anymore: it was a ruined city. It looked like something out of a movie. The skyscraper was unrecognizable, a collection of bricks that covered the entire street she had run down plus the entrance to the underpass and at least two or three blocks either side of it. If she had been even a few seconds slower Mary would’ve been crushed to death, a reality that forced her to swallow hard as bile threatened to rise up her throat.

  Shaking her head, Mary looked away from the devastating scene. Making it to the library was only half of the battle; now she had to find Dixon and figure out what the pair of them were going to do. She strode forward with purpose, wincing at the cuts on her body from the shower of glass that had caught her just minutes earlier. In the grand scheme of things, she was comfortable with having a few cuts on her body. At least she was still alive.

  ***

  Dixon froze in front of the campus library doors, watching the scene unfold in front of his eyes. Several other people who were still on campus watched with him, all unable to tear their eyes away from the skyscraper that fell in the distance. The huge building seemed to sway for a moment in the air, choosing which direction it was going to fall, and then it crumbled so quickly that if you blinked at the wrong time you would have missed it.

  Dust and debris filled the air and formed a cloud so thick you could barely see through it. Dixon knew how to look for things though and he didn’t miss it when he saw a figure emerging from the underpass, her clothes soaked in blood and dirt and her breathing heavy and desperate.

  Instantly he started running towards her, certain within a matter of seconds that he knew who she was. He couldn’t believe it; why had she been in the underpass, what had happened to her? They were questions Dixon would save for later. For now he just wanted to wrap his arms around his girl and make sure she was okay.

  “Mary!” Dixon cried out once he had run within earshot, the cloud of dust still distorting his view of her slightly. He didn’t miss the recognition that flashed across her face at the sound of his voice though, and he didn’t miss the moment she picked out his figure sprinting towards her. Relief and joy flooded through his body as he closed the gap further, not slowing his pace as he ran up to her, causing Mary to stagger backwards at the force with which Dixon threw his arms around her.

  He breathed deeply. Inhaling Mary’s scent and feeling the rush of calm it caused him despite everything else. He couldn’t believe it. After he’d arrived at the campus library and searched the whole area without a single sighting of her, Dixon had been close to giving up hope. Now she was in his arms once more and—for the most part—relatively unharmed. After everything he had been through, suddenly and completely, it all felt worth it.

  Chapter 18

  Letting his head sink down onto the pillow felt incredible. Len couldn’t believe they’d managed to find somewhere so comfortable after their day. The resort Harrison had led him to seemed deserted and it was filled with little lodges perfectly kitted out for the two of them. In the dark room, it was difficult not to let the thousand questions Len had been avoiding all afternoon torment his thoughts, but he refused to linger on a single one of them. Amy and James were alive at the lake house and tomorrow, he would find them. Just because Amy’s bag had been at the country club didn’t mean she was, and he would not entertain that thought for a second longer. He needed his family to be alive and even the tiniest bit of doubt threatened to halt him on the journey he’d been committed to since the first sign of danger in Chicago almost two weeks ago.

  Len could almost physically hear the voices in his head as he closed his eyes and tried to drift off to sleep. They were like distant murmurings creeping through the walls; whispers of what had happened. Or what was about to. Peeling his eyes open, Len realized with a start that the voices he was hearing were not in his head. There were people outside the lodge he and Harrison lay inside of and they did not sound friendly.

  Suddenly wide awake, Len slid quietly out of the bed covers and crept over to the window of the room, crouching beside it so he could not be seen from the outside. He listened carefully, trying to make out what the voices were saying and where they were coming from. It sounded like a group of three or four people, pacing through the resort not far from where he hid. They had no reason to keep their voices down, thinking the resort was deserted except for them. Little did they know Len and Harrison were within earshot and, after everything he had been through, Len was not going to give whoever was out there the benefit of the doubt.

  As stealthily as he could manage, Len crept away from the window and crawled to the door of his room. Harrison was sleeping just across the hall and as he pushed open his companion’s door he was surprised to see him sleeping soundly in the double bed. Harrison was normally the one to alert Len to suspicious activity. The older man must be truly exhausted to have not awoken at the sound of voices.

  Len paused by his bedside, wondering what to do for just a second. Then he reached out and shook his friend lightly on the shoulder, awaking Harrison from the brief sleep he had obtained. Immediately Harrison’s arm shot out and grabbed hold of Len, holding him firmly for a second before the old prepper realized who was there and let go. Len raised a single finger to his lips as he locked eyes with Harrison, warning his friend to keep quiet and act with caution.

  “There’s someone out there,” Len whispered. “A group of people I think.”

  In a flash Harrison was on his feet, moving with secrecy as he nodded to Len and understood what was happening. The two of them crept back into the room where Len had been trying to sleep and huddled together under the windowsill, listening intently. It didn’t take long for the voices to return, the people now closer to the window and their words discernable through the silence.

  “…don’t see the point in this. There hasn’t been anyone here for days.”

  “Well, you can understand why the boss wants us to keep watch. You shooting that kid didn’t help his nerves.”

  “How many times do I have to tell you that was an accident?”

  “Huh. Can’t say I’ve accidentally ever shot a child, but whatever. Just keep checking the doors so we can get back inside.”

  “You done the East Ridge?”

  “Yeah. You done the West?”

  “No, come on. Let’s get it finished and head back.”

  “Do you think they’ve managed to get the radios working yet? Be nice when we can have some form of communication back.”

  “I doubt it. Don’t think we’ll get anything working again any time soon.”

  “This sucks.”

  “Yeah, I know. But let’s just shut up and get this done, shall we?”

  Len and Harrison stayed silent as they listened to the exchange, their eyebrows rising as they tried to piece together what was happening. They couldn’t miss the sound of the footsteps growing nearer though, followed by the sound of doors being checked to see if they were still locked.

  Len looked at Harrison with concern. They had been so certain no one was around in the resort that when they’d broken into the lodge where they hid, they hadn’t bothered to try and close the door up properly. Harrison had moved a chair in front of it, but that wouldn’t stop it from opening. If anything, it was designed to alert them to someone opening the door, and so whoever was opening it from the other side would hear the noise as well.

  Harrison locked eyes with Len instantly, drawing his attention to where his Beretta pistol and the bow and arrows sat at the
end of his bed. Len had spent enough time with the man to understand what he was suggesting and nodded, making his way to where his weapons lay. Harrison did the same, exiting Len’s room and crossing the hallway into his own where he picked up the Remington A3 rifle and ensured it was loaded. With that and his Glock which never left his person, Harrison was ready for whoever was out there.

  The two men met back out in the hallway, both now armed with a pair of weapons. Harrison took the lead now as he always did, guiding Len into a protected position where they could both see the door and then lying down on the floor. They used the couch as cover, allowing them to see whoever tried to open their lodge and also protecting them from any immediate fire. Len wasn’t sure what was going to happen when the people outside found the lodge open, but he knew they needed to be prepared.

  As Harrison set up the A3 rifle, Len drew an arrow from the quiver and strung his bow. It had been some time since he’d had to use it, but the old-fashioned weapon felt natural in his hands now. He had come a very long way from when Harrison first taught him to shoot in his back garden in Chicago.