Winds of Ares: An Apocalypse Thriller Druga, Jacqueline (top 5 ebook reader .TXT) 📖

“First, how are you feeling?” Martin asked.

“I’m fine. Not as sore as I was.”

“Good. Emotionally?”

“I’m fine.”

“Just gonna ask you not to hold what Liza said against you. She feels bad.”

“I know,” I replied. “And I don’t. I really don’t. I probably would be the same way. Is this why you pulled me over here?”

“No, I need to apologize to you.”

“Me?” I asked, shocked. “Why?”

“For nearly calling you out over the Mars story.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it.” I waved out my hand then brought my bottle to my lips. “It’s fine. It’s still new to you.”

“I just think I need to explain to you why it bothers me.”

“Because it’s a lie?”

Martin shook his head. “No. Carlie and Reese, they’re my grandkids. I love them. I love them more than you can understand because it’s just a … a real different type of love. You and Lane have taken them kids, you have loved them, cared for them, walked the floors with them. For half Carlie’s life and nearly all of Reese’s. I get you not wanting to bad mouth your sister. I do. It’s your sister. But to glorify her in the eyes of those kids, she doesn’t deserve that love and admiration. You may feel differently. That’s how I feel, and I love you and Lane for all that you have done.”

“Thank you. Martin, why are you telling me this right now?”

Martin glanced down to his expensive bottle of bourbon and uncapped it. He sniffed it and smiled. “Life has little pleasures, and you have to breathe in each one as if it is your last. No missed moments, you know. When Bobby was killed, my only child, I thought I would die. I didn’t get that chance to say goodbye, but he left me those kids. Reese looks just like him and Carlie acts like him. So, in a way I still have my son. I’m just rambling like an old man, you know.”

I shook my head and watched him take a swig right out of that bottle. “No, I don’t. This isn’t you. What is going on?”

‘We’re what? Forty some miles away from crossing the crest into what is supposed to be a safe area.”

“Yes.” I nodded. “Are you worried about that?”

“You done good, kid. Whether there is safety on the other side of that ridge, remains to be seen. But whatever is there, we will make the best of it. I’m not worried about that ridge or what’s over it.”

“Then what is it?” I asked.

“Take a listen. Just take a listen to what’s going on outside.”

I didn’t really need to listen; I had been hearing the clamoring of the wind and thunder so loud it vibrated the ground.

“You hear that?” he asked.

“I do.”

“I told you, I have been in and seen a lot of storms in my lifetime. Lots of twisters and a few hurricanes. In all my years, I have never seen what we have come against on the road, and I have never heard anything like what is happening outside these walls.” Martin paused looking up to the roof when a loud bang rang out, and it sounded as if something ricocheted against it. “I don’t know what the morning is gonna bring or what we’ll face, but I know and feel in my gut,” he said. “It won’t be good.”

NINETEEN – THE STORM

Was it Ares? I had to question because it was possible. Julius had given me a twenty-four hour period after the Jupiter rectification that Ares would hit. He was wrong about the first storm, that came early, why wouldn’t Ares.

I didn’t want to be there in that warehouse, not in a place so vulnerable. The town had been empty, evacuated possibly. We could try to find a home, find a basement somewhere, but from what Julius described, Ares would be the mother of all storms. A massive front made up of every storm that was generated by Jupiter, joined together to wreak some final havoc upon our planet.

The way it sounded, the wind not letting up, I was certain any attempts to thwart Ares were in vain. The first and even the second launch I swore I saw.

Although we took a break, the storm never did. Water began seeping through the doors of the warehouse as we packed up to leave. I was frightened by what we would find outside, but we didn’t have a choice.

We were so close to safety, we had to move. For our wellbeing, we couldn’t stay there any longer.

Our voices were loud, it was the only way to be heard over the storm. The gas gauge on the truck was sitting just above E, and the RV wasn’t doing much better.

With any luck, we would get out of that portion of the storm with both vehicles and only have to make it over the bridge in the RV.

Not far from the bridge was where Julius said rescue crews would be waiting.

Yet, why weren’t we safe? Why were we getting battered?

It didn’t make sense.

Wasn’t the safe area between the Appalachian and Allegheny Mountains, we were technically on the Appalachian mountain.

Everyone loaded in, we pulled the vehicles close to the warehouse doors and Martin stepped out to open them.

I got out of the RV as well, despite Lane asking me not to.

I had to see.

I needed to see what we were up against.

As Martin slid the door to the right, the wind caught it, sending it fast and furiously off the hinge.

The rain fell like buckets were pouring down and it was sideways. The wind came in gusts, it wasn’t steady and that was a good thing.

“We have twelve miles to the gorge,” I said to Martin. “Will the truck make it?”

“Yes, then I’ll leave it.”

“Just get on Sixty-four,” I told him. “We need to be on that highway.”

Martin nodded and peered out of the warehouse. It was morning and not pitch black, but still dark.

I rushed to return to the RV. It was so quiet