by A E Faulkner
“This is it,” Aidan sighs, looking at us expectantly. “Your last chance to escape.” A hint of insecurity tugs at his toothy smile, as if we might just push past him, leaving him and this place.
“Sorry, Aidan,” Riley laughs. “You’re stuck with us.”
I nod my agreement.
As the first screw punctures the metal door, faces flash through my mind. Sergeant Bowen. Without him, we’d probably still be on that base. Thank goodness he took a chance on us. And gave us a way home.
Jasmine and her parents. Chris. Rose. Benny. I hope they’re all okay and that we can see them again. I have no idea if that’s even possible, but I don’t want to think about that now.
Memories of our parents creep from the shadows of my mind, never far from the forefront. I’d like to think they’re here with us in some way. Maybe watching over us, sometimes cringing but mostly proud that we’ve made it this far. And that we’re together.
Realization strikes like a lightning bolt. The two people I care most about in this world stand right here, and I’m lucky enough to still have them in my life. Emotion swells in a wave rolling from my chest to my limbs. My eyes glaze over, threating to spill tears.
Any caution or self-consciousness I’d normally hold fades into the shadow of powerful feelings. The moment the first screw is embedded, I wrap one arm around Riley and the other around Aidan, drawing them closer. After a blink of startled hesitation, they both return my embrace. In silence, we allow ourselves to enjoy the simple comfort a hug can bring.
I don’t know what will be on the other side of that door when we emerge from here, but I do know one thing. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep the people I care about safe and by my side.
Author Note
Dear Reader,
We’ve made it just over halfway through this series! I hope this installment of Quinn and Riley’s story did not disappoint. In a world where our attention is demanded from every angle, thank you for choosing to spend some time buried in my characters’ ongoing saga!
If you haven’t yet, please consider leaving a review for each of my books that you’ve read on Amazon and/or Goodreads. Reviews are a huge help to authors, and they help readers find books they are likely to enjoy.
Up next, book 4 in the series will be a novella titled Allegiance Unravels and it will explore Sergeant Bowen’s back—and side—stories. It will provide a perspective on how decisions about handling natural disasters came to be made and executed. I hope you enjoy this deeper dive into information that Quinn and the gang may never learn.
Until then, let’s stay connected. I’m active on social media and distribute an e-newsletter whenever I have news to share. Visit my website to sign up. I also attend several signing events throughout the year, so watch the Events page on my website to check if I’m coming to a location near you!
Acknowledgements
Michelle Preast of Indie Book Cover Designs, once again you’ve created an amazing cover that perfectly represents the story within its pages. Thank you for sharing your amazing skills. I could not be happier with the finished product!
Cate Pearce, MA EMHS, thank you for offering advice and support to the Twitter #WritingCommunity. Your disaster-management knowledge is fascinating! Thank you for helping me shape this book, incorporating what could happen as well as what could be believable in my fictitious world.
Angie and Chris, I cannot thank you enough for patiently answering all of the military-base questions I threw your way. Your willingness to help me in this area of research is much appreciated! And I look forward to asking you many more questions!!
Marilyn Krepps, Kennel Manager at the York County SPCA, thank you for sharing your knowledge of dogfighting operations with me. This was the most difficult topic I’ve researched for this series and I hope that someday soon this vile activity ceases altogether. Special shout-out to the York County SPCA: We met our Jasmine at your shelter and truly appreciate your staff’s help in matching us with her and the care they provided when she was found as a stray in the city. She is very loved and pampered, and we thank you for entrusting us with her.
Emily Angeline, Robin Asick & Beth Suit, once again I thank you for the insightful feedback you provide as beta readers! Your suggestions challenge the story, thereby improving the plot, descriptions, and character reactions. At this point, I can’t imagine writing a book without having your eagle eyes review it before it’s released into the world.
Vanessa Anderson at Night Owl Freelance Editing, thanks for always pushing me to flesh out the best concept or phrase—especially with the hardest parts, like the tagline and blurbs! I love bouncing ideas off of you and your industry expertise continues to amaze me. And your wicked sense of humor is a bonus that deserves its own mention!
Friends & Family Members, I appreciate your encouragement and enthusiasm in celebrating the tiny milestones! Bonus points for those of you who actually read one (or more) of my books and posted reviews!!! Also, I greatly enjoy incorporating your names and fictionalized personality traits into the story—it is definitely fun to write!
Jim Lesher, thank you for sharing your vehicular recommendations with me! You were always so fast to come up with the perfect make and model for my characters—like the Pontiac Fury!!! Perfect name for a vehicle in this series! And I never would have come up with that on my own. Also, as I’ve told you many times, you are not the inspiration for the Jim character in this series!!
Carol, thank you for going back and forth with me (so many times!) on book title ideas. Without our texting pow-wows, Devastation Erupts never would have been granted such a great name! Robin and Diane, I love seeing your familiar faces at book signings and bookstore parties! Thank you for being regular fixtures at these events!
Matt, many thanks for your patience when I asked you question after question for research! I appreciate your willingness to share your knowledge and experience with me and I love that you agreed to have a character named after you!!
Scott, Landon & Aidan, thank you for continuing to support me in this journey. Writing and editing takes an incredible amount of time, and I can’t think of anyone other than you that I’d rather have by my side. ♥
About the Author
A. E. Faulkner was born and raised in Pennsylvania. When she’s not lost in a book, she loves spending time with her husband and two sons, especially while hiking, biking, or exploring nature. She loves ALMOST everything about nature—ticks excluded, and one of her biggest fears is the repercussions we will face when nature can no longer tolerate human destruction. As such, she never tires of reading dystopian-themed tales. Stories about the end of the world absolutely fascinate her.
Follow Her Work
To learn more visit:
AuthorAEFaulkner.com
She can also be found:
Tweeting @AuthAEFaulkner
on Facebook @authaefaulkner
& on Instagram @authoraefaulkner
To leave a Goodreads review, please visit Goodreads.com and search for
Devastation Erupts by A. E. Faulkner.
Further Reading
Continued
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Chapter 55
Chapter 56
Chapter 57
Chapter 58
Chapter 59
Chapter 60
Chapter 61
Chapter 62
Chapter 63
Chapter 64
Chapter 65
Chapter 66
Chapter 67
Chapter 68
Chapter 69
Chapter 70
Chapter 71
Chapter 72
Chapter 73
Chapter 74
Chapter 75
Chapter 76
Chapter 77
Author Note
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Follow Her Work
Further Reading
Continued