Make no mistake. I will regret every drop of blood spilled here today until the day I die, but I will not be kept from what I need to achieve, and I will not spare a single drop of your blood if necessary to ensure we survive this, and do the right thing.”
By then Kevin was crying. His words were not said with malice, but sadness. It was not a threat but an apology. It was a eulogy-before-death for the soul that he worried about losing if they came to violence. By then the crowd had gone silent, and their eyes had begun to run with the tears that had been created by rage, but set free by epiphany. As Kevin watched, filled simultaneously with crushing dread and slowly lifting hope, the crowd started to slip away. One and two at a time they walked down the street that had brought them here, dropping and discarding their implements of harm and hate as they went, taking each other's hands. The powerful rifle was hung low in the hands of the man Ethan had been ready to kill, the will to murder long gone.
When all of the islanders were gone Ethan and Roger came down from the tower, and joined Kevin, flanking him, amazed at the event that had just transpired. The men stood in silence for a long time, watching the backs of the locals as they went home.
"How did they even understand you?" Ethan asked his team leader.
"I don’t know Ethan," Kevin said back. "But I am glad they understood the message."
The three men stood quietly for longer than they realized, watching the island's locals walk away before Kevin reached up, and hit the transmit button on the microphone at his collar he always had at the ready.
“Kate, it’s time for us to go home.”
In the distance the three men heard the plane’s engines whine, and roar to life. They turned and took one more step on the long voyage home.
- About The Author -
CHRIS PHILBROOK is the creator and author of Adrian’s Undead Diary as well as the fantasy series Elmoryn and Tesser: A Dragon Among Us.
Chris calls the wonderful state of New Hampshire his home. He is an avid reader, writer, role player, miniatures game player, video game player, and part time athlete, as well as a member of the Horror Writers Association. If you weren't impressed enough, he also works full time while writing for Elmoryn as well as the world of Adrian’s Undead Diary and his newest project, Tesser; A Dragon Among Us.
- Find More Online -
Visit adriansundeaddiary.com to access additional content. Learn more about Adrian’s world, contact the author, join discussions with other readers, view maps from the story, and receive the latest news about AUD.
Check out Chris Philbrook’s official website thechrisphilbrook.com to keep tabs on his many exciting projects, or follow Chris on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ChrisPhilbrookAuthor for special announcements.
Read more by author Chris Philbrook in The Kinless Trilogy. Explore Elmoryn, a world of dark fantasy where death is not the end. The story begins in Book One: The Wrath of the Orphans, available in print, Kindle, and online. Visit elmoryn.com to learn more about Elmoryn, view concept art, and much more.
Follow Chris Philbrook’s latest epic series as it unfolds in Tesser: A Dragon Among Us. Meet Tesser, the Dragon. He who walks in any form, and flies the skies free of fear. He has slept for millennia, but now he has awoken in a world ruled by human hands, where science has overshadowed even the glory of old magic. Follow Tesser as he seeks to understand why he slept for so long, and where all the magic has gone. Visit adragonamongus.com to learn more.
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Can’t Wait for More?
Look for Chris Philbrook’s FREE short fiction eBook, At Least He’s Not on Fire.
Find it on Amazon, Goodreads, or Smashwords today!
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JSGEKIK
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21948978-at-least-he-s-not-on-fire
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/430970
Adrian's Undead Diary (Book 6): In the Arms of Family Page 31