by Andy Monk
“Long time till night…” he pushed his boot against the nearest fence post, which wobbled like a loose tooth.
“If the Mayor is Something Else…” Cece said, not looking at anyone from beneath the sagging brim of her hat, “…he might have access to the kind of devices that make whether its night or day irrelevant.”
“Or he could just pay some men to patrol his land,” John offered.
As usual, whenever John spoke a shimmer of irritation rippled through Cece’s soul.
When Cece didn’t reply, he added, “I haven’t seen any evidence of non-context technology in town.”
“Maybe he keeps it all on the Ranch…”
“So you’re saying it doesn't make any difference if we go in during day or night?” he asked, as was becoming increasingly common he wasn’t entirely able to follow everything Cece and John said. He decided he’d preferred things when he’d thought she was a singer and he was a gunsmith.
“We’re saying we don’t know. Maybe,” John explained, “If he is… not of this Earth, he might have access to technology… to weapons and tools… far more sophisticated than what’s naturally available here. He could have cameras that see as well in the dark as they do in the day, for instance.”
“Cameras?” Dorry asked.
“A machine that records images,” John shook his head, “doesn’t matter.”
He thought about things for a while when the others lapsed into silence, “Ok, lets split the difference. I reckon we’re half a day’s easy ride from the Ranch buildings you can see from the town road. Maybe a little more. We’ll ride over slow and careful during the day, but won’t approach the Ranch itself till after dark.”
The others nodded or grunted their agreement.
“This… technology… that the Mayor might have. You got any way of spotting it?”
Cece and John exchanged a glance, “Possibly,” she said finally.
Which was better than nothing, he supposed.
They stood side by side in silence, staring out across the grass before them, none of them seemingly keen to be the first to plant boots on the Mayor’s land.
The breeze was warm and the morning sun dazzling. There was no sound to be heard, save for the occasional fluting lilt of a lark. It could be the most peaceful place in the world. There were no killers to be seen, no monsters, no other worlds. But they were there all the same, waiting just over that tranquil green horizon.
“C’mon, lets getting moving…” he said eventually, “…we’ve still got a long way to go…”
The Saga Concludes
Hawker’s Drift
Book Five
Hollow Places
Coming Soon
Reader Offer
Subscribe to my email list and receive FREE material from my forthcoming collection of short stories set in the same world as the dark fantasy series In the Absence of Light.
In the Company of Shadows will feature standalone back stories, spin-offs and loose ends from the world of In the Absence of Light, as well as introducing new characters in stories set across the span of human (and vampire) history.
All you need to do is click the link below and subscribe to my e-mail list to receive your first preview novella, The Burning.
Yes!! – I’d Like to Read The Burning
Further information about Andy Monk’s writing and future releases can be found at the sites below. To receive updates on future releases please subscribe to Andy’s mailing list HERE, like Andy’s Facebook page or follow him on Amazon.
andymonkbooks.com
www.facebook.com/andymonkbooks
Amazon Author Page
By Andy Monk
In the Absence of Light
-
The King of the Winter
A Bad Man’s Song
Ghosts in the Blood
The Love of Monsters
Hawker’s Drift
-
The Burden of Souls
Dark Carnival
The Paths of the World
A God of Many Tears
Hollow Places (2018)
Other Fiction
-
The House of Shells