Franklin reached the pavement just before dawn, a familiar stretch that bore abandoned cars with license plates hailing from many different states. Death had recognized neither boundaries nor luxury class, as a primer-spotted Ford Fiesta shared the automotive graveyard with a Mercedes, the occupants of both sharing the same speed of decomposition.
He took a risk by walking the parkway—he was much more exposed to Sarge’s patrols, since the road was easily viewed from the surrounding ridges—but now he was eager to finish his journey.
He came to Milepost 288 and rested again. For the final three miles, he stayed in the high weeds along the road, even though the grass was thick with dew. The sun was well up by the time he reached the concrete marker at Milepost 291 and looked up the mountain where Wheelerville was hidden among the trees and boulders.
He took the logging road that wound to the peak. Even though he’d cut several footpaths that were hardly noticeable to the casual hiker, he decided to stick with the relatively easier route he’d used to haul supplies and materials to his compound. Aside from the occasional beer can, there was no sign that civilization had ever touched this rocky series of switchbacks and rhododendron thickets. The air was rich with decaying leaves, muddy springs that smelled of salamanders, and the heavy sweetness of goldenrod and snakeroot.
If anyone had passed this way in the two weeks since he and Jorge had been away, there was no sign of their passage in the loam and black dirt. He moved quietly, like an animal, alert for both soldiers and Zapheads. He didn’t think Sarge would have spared the resources necessary to locate the compound, but Franklin would never sleep fully as long as they remained regional neighbors. On the other hand, any Zapheads would be more likely to encounter the bunker and its noisy occupants than Franklin’s hideaway.
He considered leaving some signs for Rachel, such as lining up rocks in formation or breaking branches in a detectable pattern, but he’d given her enough veiled clues about the compound’s location over the past couple of years. If she was out there, she would find it.
If.
The compound looked much the same as when he’d left it, with the gate open in case Rosa and Marina returned. Goats milled around the compound, staying close to home even though Franklin had released them from the pen to forage. The chickens appeared fewer in number, likely thinned by hawks or foxes, but enough remained to provide eggs and meat for the winter. Fortunately, the animals had not broken through the fence to plunder the garden. The cabbages, broccoli, potatoes, collard greens, butternut squash, and other crops were vital for his survival.
Their survival.
Franklin had a feeling he wasn’t going to be alone when the icy winds and snow swept over the Appalachian Mountains from the northwest. This might be the last outpost of the human race, and he was more determined than ever to stand against the hostile forces of the world, whether man or mutant, nature or time.
He checked the cabin, saw it was much the same as he’d left it, and then grabbed his ax. He’d need plenty more firewood.
It was going to be a long winter.
Look for the other books in the series, After: First Light, After: The Shock, and After: The Echo.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Scott Nicholson is the international bestselling author of more than 20 thrillers, including the Solom supernatural series, The Home, McFall, Disintegration, Liquid Fear, Speed Dating with the Dead, and the After post-apocalyptic series. His books have appeared in the Kindle Top 100 more than a dozen times in five different countries. Visit his website at www.AuthorScottNicholson.com or his Amazon Author Central page.
Sign up for his Tao of Boo newsletter for giveaways and free books: http://eepurl.com/tOE89.
VIEW OTHER KINDLE BOOKS BY SCOTT NICHOLSON:
After: First Light
After: The Shock
After: The Echo
The Scarecrow (Solom #1)
The Narrow Gate (Solom #2)
The Home
McFall
Creative Spirit
Disintegration
The Red Church
Speed Dating with the Dead
The Skull Ring
Drummer Boy
The Harvest
Kiss Me or Die
Liquid Fear
Chronic Fear
Cursed (with J.R. Rain)
Bad Blood (with J.R. Rain & H.T. Night)
Ghost College (with J.R. Rain)
The Vampire Club (with J.R. Rain)
Spider Web (with J.R. Rain)
Meat Camp (with J.T. Warren)
October Girls
Crime Beat
The Dead Love Longer
Fangs In Vain
Burial to Follow
Curtains
Flowers
Ashes
The First
Zombie Bits
Head Cases
Gateway Drug
Missing Pieces
These Things Happened
American Horror
Bad Day for Balloons (with Sergio Castro)
If I Were Your Monster (with Lee Davis)
Too Many Witches (with Lee Davis)
Ida Claire (with Lee Davis)
Duncan the Punkin (with Sergio Castro)
Ethereal Messenger
Mystery Dance
Horror Movies: Three Screenplays
Ghost Box: Six Supernatural Thrillers
Scott Nicholson Library, Vol. 1
Scott Nicholson Library, Vol. 2
Scott Nicholson Library, Vol. 3
Scott Nicholson Library, Vol. 4
Box of Boo (Library, Vol. V)
Mad Stacks: Short Stories Box Set
Bad Stacks: Short Stories Box Set
Odd Stacks: Short Stories Box Set
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