Ethan pointed. “Because there’s the exit up ahead.”
Wyatt looked. Sure enough, the tunnel ended a short distance away. Somewhere beyond it, an orange glow highlighted the exit’s shape.
“Oh, thank God!” Wyatt said, and picked up the pace. Ethan trailed along.
Wyatt ran past the lantern’s light radius.
“Be careful, Wyatt. Don’t fall into the river, again. You definitely wouldn’t survive it a second time.”
Wyatt ignored him and rushed ahead, his panting breath loud in his ears, canceling out the roaring of the river.
Soon he stood at the tunnel terminus. The river dropped here and rushed down into the darkness of the world outside. To one side, there was a wide concrete plateau which revealed a dry spillway. Beyond that, he could see tall buildings, dark against the starry sky.
A large campfire was in the middle of the spillway. A figure sat next to it.
“We’re out!” Wyatt said, and turned to Ethan.
Only Ethan wasn’t there. Nor was his lantern light. Just pitch darkness and the sound of the river within.
“Ethan?” he said, looking around. “Where the hell did you go, now?”
Ethan didn’t reappear.
Frustrated, Wyatt navigated his way down to the spillway toward the campfire. As he got closer, the figure became more familiar.
At the edge of the fire’s light, Wyatt stopped in amazement. “Baldy?”
The figure turned and looked at him in surprise.
“W-Wyatt?” Baldy exclaimed. He got up and ran over to Wyatt. “Are you o-okay? You look like complete sh-sh-sh-.”
“Shit, yes, Baldy, I do, and I feel it.”
Baldy guided Wyatt over to the fire, a huge grin on his face. “B-boy it’s real g-good to see you. I’ve b-been worried.”
Wyatt plopped down next to the fire, getting as close to its warmth as he dared. “Worried? Why? Last time I saw you we were making our rounds.” That seemed like a lifetime ago, instead of a single day.
Baldy looked at Wyatt like he was nuts. He raised his arms and said, “The world has g-gone crazy, Wyatt. E-everyone’s freaking out ab-about the power. I thought something might have h-happened to you and Ethan.”
Wyatt frowned. “Oh, that. Nothing to worry about.” He didn’t want to talk about Ethan right that very moment. “Hey, you got a knife or some scissors?”
Baldy blinked in confusion then pulled out a huge butcher knife from a side pocket. “L-like this?”
Ethan’s worries about Baldy being a mass murderer played through Wyatt’s mind. “Uh, yeah. Mind cutting these damned restraints off my arms for me?”
Baldy lit up like a child on christmas morning. “S-sure, lemme get ’em for you.”
As Baldy sawed at the restraints, Wyatt tried not to let himself get too worried. He doubted Baldy was a mass murderer. Or, at least for the next few moments he wasn’t.
There was an audible snip from behind Wyatt and suddenly his hands were free. “Oh, thank God!” Wyatt said as he rubbed at his arms. They were cold and numb.
Baldy moved to the fire, smiling like a fool. “Want some c-coffee. Just made it.”
“Hell, yeah!” Wyatt said as he examined the wounds on his wrists. The restraints had really cut into him.
Baldy handed him a tin cup full of piping hot coffee. Wyatt sipped at it eagerly.
“Baldy, this is the best coffee I’ve ever had. Thank you.”
“R-really?”
“Yup,” Wyatt said, drinking. Soon his gaze sank into the fire.
After a time, Baldy started to get worried. “Are you okay, W-Wyatt? Your f-face looks kinda f-funny.”
That syrupy feeling had arrived again and washed over Wyatt like a slow tsunami. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just fine.”
After a few moments, Baldy asked. “Whatcha th-thinking about?”
“Oh, my new job. I figured it out now. What it is.”
“Yeah? Wh-what’s your job?”
When Wyatt looked to Baldy, Baldy couldn’t be certain the face he saw was Wyatt’s at all.
“My job?” Wyatt said, his voice hollow and distant.
“My new job is to save the world.”
Kingdom Level One
(Kingdom Series Book 1)
A broken kingdom for a reluctant king.
Robert was content with his life as a night-shift janitor. No stress, no worries, and no responsibilities. But this idyllic existence is turned upside down when he suddenly finds himself trapped inside a fantasy Role Playing Game.
Confused and alone he must find a way to escape back to his own world and, more importantly, to his daughter. But to do that he must take up the biggest responsibility of alclass="underline"
To rule a kingdom.
Shadow Gambit
An impossible quest for a legendary item.
I love questing for loot.
And the more difficult the quest, the greater the reward.
So when I’m offered a chance to retrieve the ultimate treasure of all, I signed up. Yet no one warned me the task would be impossible. Against overwhelming odds I’m also expected to defeat an ancient evil – one with the power of a god.
But you know what?
Some loot is worth risking it all.
The Big Bag of Infinite Cats
An ancient weapon versus a magical bag of cats.
When a strange case of a detective being turned to stone baffles local police, retired investigator Mayra Beeweather is asked to assist. One of her tools of the trade is a magical bag which contains an infinite number of cats. Very special cats – each with a unique ability to aid in her investigation.
Yet, even with their help, Mayra may not solve the case in time, for she may be the next victim turned to stone!
Other books by Adam Drake
Kingdom Series
Shadow For Hire Series