by Hamill, Ike
Tim wiped the dust from the kitchen table before he and Jackson sat down.
“We followed this highway down from Maryland,” Tim said. He highlighted the route. “You’ll just have to find a way through Pennsylvania.”
“That won’t be a problem,” Jackson said.
Tim believed him. Jackson was amazingly good with motorcycles. He seemed to be able to burn any gas in them, even when other people declared that the fuel had turned. Jackson claimed that the secret was in his mixture of gas and two-stroke oil—his own custom blend. Of course, Jackson also carried a bag of spark plugs and fuel filters in his backpack as well.
“How long do you think it will take you to get back?”
“I figure a few days up and twice that back down. Those guys move slow.”
“You don’t have to come back with them,” Tim said.
“I know, but I will. At least the first time. You never know what I’m going to see on the way up.”
“Just be careful.”
“You know I always am.”
Somehow, Tim managed to suppress the laugh that tried to come out. Jackson honestly thought of himself as a careful, measured person. He would say it with a straight face after having jumped his motorcycle over a fence to save himself five minutes of riding.
Jackson really looked at Tim—stared at him, not letting Tim look away.
“You know, we could just fly back,” he said. “Then you could ride down with the convoy. It would be safer, probably.”
“I know,” Tim said, finally looking away. “I know, but there are things I should do here. I want to start setting up the food stocks and find a tractor that still works so we can sow some winter crops. I want to gather up medications and get a clinic squared away.”
Back in Donnelly, they had narrowly avoided a crisis with prescription medications after the incident with The Origin. It was lucky that Ty had already collected and locked up most of the pills from the pharmacies. Tim would have to do the same thing to make this new area safe for the winter.
“You sure?”
“Yeah,” Tim said. For all the reasons he had listed and for all the ones he wasn’t willing to admit, he was sure.
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“One thing,” Tim said.
Jackson was revving the engine of the motorcycle to keep it going. Jackson had tuned it up the night before and now it wanted to run full-speed or not at all.
Tim handed him the envelope. It was addressed to Ty.
“You’ll be able to write him whenever you want as soon as the links are set up,” Jackson said. “It only takes a few seconds to get a message all the way to Connecticut. It probably won’t even take that long to get down here.”
Tim’s new outpost was twice as far as the distance between Gladstone and Donnelly, but Tim didn’t bother to correct Jackson.
“I know,” Tim said. He held out the note. Jackson finally took it and stuffed it into his backpack.
“I’ll be back soon.”
“Just be careful,” Tim said. His advice was lost to the wind. Jackson was already zipping across the yard of the green house and jumping the ditch. His back tire barked when it hit the pavement and then Jackson was gone. Tim listened to the whine of the engine until it faded away.
“We have a lot to do,” he said to Cedric.
The dog wagged his tail. He still had mud stains on his feet.
Tim turned and started walking back to the house, talking to the dog the whole time.
“I want to set up three houses at first. If people want to spread out after this winter, they can, but we’re going to start with three houses in close proximity. They need to be fully stocked. We’re going to need a good vehicle too. I saw a dealership from the air when you were asleep. We can walk there.”
Cedric ran ahead and bounded up the porch stairs. He already looked perfectly at home in their new house.
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Ike Hamill
September, 2017
Topsham, Maine
About Distinct
Thank you for reading Distinct. I hope you enjoyed this visit with our old friends as much as I did.
To me, this book is about coping with crisis. It’s so much easier to reminisce than it is to start fresh and move on. When I began to wonder about the survivors from Extinct/Instinct, it occurred to me that they might be holding onto their memories instead of moving forward with their lives. That line of thought made me wonder if they should really even trust their nostalgia. Perhaps this new trial has helped them finally put all that behind them.
Please let me know what you think of this book. I’m happy to answer any questions, comments, and complaints, at [email protected], or Facebook, or Twitter. As always, I’ll be thrilled if you leave a review on Amazon, and even more excited if you recommend this book to a friend. Both books before this, Extinct and Instinct, are available in both paperback and eBook, and both formats are easy to share.
Read on for blurbs about my other books, and sign up for my mailing list on ikehamill.com if you want to receive a note when I release a new title. I’m in the habit of sending new subscribers my next book for free. So, please, leave a review, tell a friend, and let me know. Check back soon and I’ll have another book for you. I’m very excited about the coming titles.
-Ike Hamill
The Claiming
It wasn't her fault.
It wasn't Lizzy's fault that she saw the cloaked people out in the yard. It wasn't her fault that she was drawn by the moonlight to watch them as they advanced on the house. And it definitely wasn't her fault when people began to die. Lizzy didn't want the strange dreams where she saw how they were killed. Even her sister was starting to suspect her.
It wasn't fair because it wasn't her fault.
Lizzy was claimed.
Inhabited
They were looking for an adventure—a night of harmless fun. Miguel has a map. Kristin’s friend has the equipment. The mine leads to the cave, and the cave is where they’ll find their fortune.
But down in the darkness, something waits.
It needs them.
The caves hold a secret. They’re Inhabited.
Madelyn’s Nephew
Gather my bones, if you find them. If a bear hasn’t dragged them off, or a wolf cracked them for my marrow. My skull goes on the wall with the others. Any other remains can be planted near Sacrifice Rock. That’s where my grandfather is buried, and where I dug up the skull of my beloved grandmother.
Her sweet eyes were still wise and kind, even when I only imagined them from their hollow sockets. She taught us so many things—how to hunt, trap, and fish. She should have taught me how to live alone. I never learned the trick of scaring away the ghosts. They won’t shut up and leave me in peace. Guess I can’t beat them. I’ll have to join them.
—Madelyn
This series is continued in "Madelyn's Mistake" and "Madelyn's Last Dance"
Migrators
Do not speak of them. Your words leave a scent. They will come. Somewhere in the middle of Maine, one of the world's darkest secrets has been called to the surface. Alan and Liz just wanted a better life for themselves and their son. They decided to move to the country to rescue the home of Liz's grandfather, so it would stay in the family. Now, they find themselves directly in the path of a dangerous ritual. No one can help them. Nothing can stop the danger they face. To save themselves and their home, they have to learn the secrets of the MIGRATORS.
Accidental Evil
Kingston Lakes is a quiet town. During long summer days, the residents barely have a care. They almost never have to worry about the rise of a bloodthirsty demon who wants to feast on their flesh and enslave their immortal souls.
Almost never.
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