The Sanders Saga
Page 45
“Go get your Uncle Clay, Miss Abigail,” he cut in gently. “Please,” he added, not looking at her.
“Did I say something wrong?” she asked. “I didn't mean to offend you,” she hastened to say. “I was just kinda teasing, and plus I wanted you to-”
“Please go get your Uncle Clay, Miss Abigail,” Jody repeated just as softly, placing his food on the small bench table at his side and picking up a rifle she honestly hadn't seen until that second. He raised the rifle in a smooth, fluid motion, his eye going to the scope as naturally as breathing.
“What do you s-” Abigail began, turning to look out the 'window', but then cut herself off as she saw it.
In the distance was the eerie orangeish glow of a massive fire, reflected off the night sky.
“Oh, my God,” she whispered. “That's a huge fire.”
“Please go and get your Uncle,” Jody said again, eye never leaving the scope. “And thanks again for bringing me supper,” he added as she opened the door.
“Y-your're welcome,” she told him, still a bit rattled by the fire. She took the steps down two at a time and was soon running into the night to get Clay.
-
“- need to start getting solar panels up tomorrow I think,” Gordon was saying. “Assuming our brain trust thinks it's okay to do,” he looked toward where the twins were conferring with Jonathon Jackson. The three looked at him.
“It should be okay,” Jonathon said as the twins nodded their agreement. “We haven't seen any aurora in several-”
“-Clay! Uncle Clay!” Abigail's call cut him off as everyone turned to see a running Abby heading their way. In seconds, every soldier at the table was up, moving to places where they could cover everyone in the room.
“Uncle Clay, Jody wants you to come to the cupola!” Abby gasped out. “Ther-there's a big fire in Peabody I think!” she told him.
“All right,” Clay nodded. “I 'll be back,” he told Lainie softly and she nodded, not objecting. She was learning and so was he.
Clay double timed his way over to the building, and could see the glow in the distance as soon as he was out of the trees. Three minutes after his niece had sounded the alarm he was beside Jody Thompson.
“Started to show maybe a minute before I sent Abigail to get you,” Thompson reported softly. “At first I thought it was light. I...I had forgot that there wasn't any light from the town,” he admitted, shaking his head ruefully. “Then I noticed the color and realized it had to be a fire. Reminds me of that big brush fire south of-”
“Yeah,” Clay nodded. “I was thinking that myself,” he admitted. “And that is almost certainly Peabody. I didn't expect things to get to this level this fast,” he sighed.
“May not have,” Jody shrugged. “Might just be an accident that got out of hand. People using wood heat, candles for light, all sorts of things.”
“True,” Clay nodded. “Maybe.”
-
“Definitely Peabody, or else somewhere between here and there, but. . .it sure does seem to be right where the lights from town would be this time of night before.”
Gordon's face was set as he looked on, having rode over with the twins while the rest had walked, the soldiers and their dependents along with Jake and his daughter going 'home' and the Sanders trailing along to see what was happening.
“Oh dear,” Angela said softly. She had also ridden with the twins and now stood with her husband as they watched the glow from their home town apparently burning up.
“This will change things,” Clay told them, still looking at the glow. “This will change things a bunch. No telling how many homes are in that, or how much in goods and supplies. Where we might have had another month or even two before we began to see people out this way stealing, we 'll be lucky to get another week, now.” He turned finally, looking them over.
“Everyone better get a good night of sleep,” he warned. “We have a lot to do starting tomorrow and we don't have much time.”
THE END
A MESSAGE FROM AUTHOR
N.C. REED
I hope you've enjoyed Fire From the Sky. Unlike my other post-apocalyptic fiction, namely Odd Billy Todd and Roland, this book is intended to be a series, and Lord willing if I continue to live and remain in at least moderate health, it will be. The story of the Sanders' family and their new neighbors will expand as their lives are filled with a hard, new way of life.
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My blog there is full of odds and ends and I always post release dates for new work. There are also a lot previews of books already published, but a good bit of stuff you won't find anywhere else, including some old fanfiction from long ago.
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Pickwick Dam Tn
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