Into the Dust Storm

by Logan Brookfield

  Into The Dust Storm

  Dust Storm Series Book Two

  Logan Brookfield

  Copyright © 2019 by Logan Brookfield

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Cover design by Ebooklaunch.com

  Formatting by Idealbookformatting.com

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Dust Storm Series

  About the Author

  Books by Logan Brookfield

  Prologue

  In a bleak post-apocalyptic future, the last outpost on Earth lies in ruins. Plumes of smoke fill the horizon as the poor and downtrodden battle for their lives in the rubble that was once mankind’s only safe haven.

  The ambitious plan to use time dilation to take Edmond and the elite to a more hopeful future, has been destroyed in an act of terrorism aboard the spaceship Lasell. Perpetrated by Hugh, Edmond’s most trusted youth worker, the detonation of the bomb has killed thousands and brought to an end the draconian and barbaric rule of the Cloud people.

  Back on Earth, with the city walls breached and the sentry drones disabled, the Wretches have overrun the city and fight it out for the last remaining food rations and weapons, neighbour killing neighbour over 9mm bullets and tinned fruit.

  Carl and pregnant Amy narrowly escaped the uprising and have headed out of the city in search of the mythical Sanctuary. Some say it’s just a legend, dreamt up by desperate poor people. Others believe it to be a peaceful place where escaped Wretches find safety and security. Carl and Amy hope that if it does exist they can finally find some normality. A place where peaceful people live out their natural lives in a fair and democratic society.

  Chapter One

  The sun blazed down onto the barren earth creating a haze that rose up from the dusty road like a giant shimmering mirror. The endless long days of sun interrupted by monsoon-like acidic showers had created a land that looked and felt devoid of any life. It was somewhere that resembled the early stages of creation or a faraway star, dead for a millennium, and now waiting for a distant civilisation to send their probes across the coldness of space in search of the reason for their existence.

  But this isn’t Mars or any other one of a hundred billion planets within our known universe. This is Earth, the third planet from the sun and the only one known to harbour life. A once rich and diverse ecosystem that stood alone in the bleakness of space. A victim of its own success and almost destroyed by its most successful species.

  The ancients of old left the safety of the village to resolve their disagreements and wars using crude weapons they’d fashioned from wood and metal. Many hundreds of years later their relatives used technology to deliver their death blows through nuclear missiles launched from the land and sea.

  ‘This heat is relentless,’ Amy said. ‘Do we have much water left? I can’t seem to get rid of this thirst no matter how much I drink.’

  Carl tried to keep the truck on course as the rubble-filled dusty track became more uneven. ‘I think there are just a couple of canteens left in the back. I’ll ration what I drink but you need to drink plenty now you’re drinking for two.’

  Amy placed her hand on her stomach and smiled. ‘Make sure you drink enough too. Can’t have you passing out at the wheel, can we? I wonder how far this Sanctuary place is, how far north. Or if it even exists.’

  Carl glanced out of the side window then back to the road. ‘Nothing out here looks like sanctuary; it’s just a barren landscape burnt to a crisp. I don’t know how anyone could live out here. You can’t plant anything, there’s no water, no nothing. At least in the city we had ruined buildings and stuff we could use to build shelters.’

  ‘I’d rather end my days out here and have my weary bones bleached by the sun than go back there,’ Amy said.

  ‘Same here,’ Carl said. ‘I’ll never take you back there. Nothing but death and suffering back in that hellhole.’

  ‘It’s getting warm in here,’ Amy said, wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead. ‘It’s either boil to death in a tin can or open the window and get a face full of hot air and dust.’

  Carl adjusted the vehicle’s temperature knob and cool air started to blow out of the dashboard vents.

  ‘Heaven,’ Amy said, moving the vent, which now blew a steady cold stream, ruffling her blonde hair. ‘Why didn’t we find that before?’

  Carl shook his head. ‘I didn’t even know these riot trucks had air conditioning. There’s so many dials and switches in this thing I’m frightened to touch anything. It also looks like the rev counter goes up a notch when it’s turned on, so we’ll have to be careful or we’ll burn through our fuel quicker.’

  ‘What’s over there?’ Amy said, pointing to the east. ‘Looks like the land’s turning into desert.’

  Carl looked over at the never-ending stretch of sand that ended where the land met the sky at the horizon. He tried to keep the truck from running over any large rocks but the road was becoming almost impossible to drive over as it disappeared under a blanket of sand. He slowed right down as he negotiated the ever more difficult terrain. ‘Hold on,’ he said. ‘This is going to get bumpy.’

  The left front wheel thudded into a deep hole, jolting them both out of their seats. A loud metallic crack brought the vehicle to a sudden stop in a cloud of smoke and dust.

  ‘What the hell was that?’ Amy asked, staring wide-eyed at Carl.

  ‘No idea, but it doesn’t sound good,’ he said, opening the door and jumping out. He got on all fours and peered underneath. ‘Damn it, looks like the drive shaft’s broken.’

  Amy got out and knelt down. ‘Is that bad? Can it be fixed?’

  Carl lay on his back and pushed himself underneath for a better look. ‘No, not here anyway, and we’ve no way of moving it like this. That’s a major repair that needs a workshop.’

  Amy got up and dusted the sand from her knees. ‘I don’t think we’re going to find one of them around here. What will we do? Are we stranded?’

  ‘We’re stuck, that’s for sure. Let’s take a break and think this through.’

  They both climbed back into the truck and made their way into the rear of the vehicle. The two rows of metal benches on either side could seat 12 soldiers, and numerous boxes and compartments held supplies and military equipment.

  Carl p
ulled open a small metal door. ‘It’s like a gold mine in here,’ he said taking out a flare gun and several cartridges.

  ‘Why did they need all this stuff?’ Amy asked.

  ‘Because they were tyrants and terrorised the poor people with machine guns and gas drones. If they put as much effort into helping us as they did killing us, things might have been very different.’

  Amy opened a packet of rations containing dried strips of protein and took a bite. ‘Quite tasty considering the rubbish I usually eat. Try one,’ she said holding out the packet.

  Carl took one and bit into it. ‘Tastes like cardboard dipped in some kind of sickly-sweet sauce. Not sure I’d call it tasty, but it’ll keep us going for a while.’

  Amy bit into another. ‘Better than them red biscuits, that’s for sure.’

  ‘Eating dirt is better than eating that garbage. My stomach still hurts every time I swallow something, I’m sure it’s that crap they fed us,’ Carl said.

  Amy nodded. ‘I’d rather starve to death than eat them again.’

  Carl took a sip of water from a canteen then retrieved the field glasses. ‘I’m going up on the roof to take a look around.’

  He climbed up onto the highest point of the vehicle and scanned the surrounding area. The heat was making the lens steam up each time he placed them to his eyes, so he had to keep wiping the glass to get a clear view. They were at the edge of a cliff which led down to some jagged rocks then a sea of sand dunes which reached out to the horizon. ‘This must be where the ocean used to meet the land,’ he said. ‘I saw it on some old maps. There was more water than land at one time.’

  Amy got out and shielded the sun with her hand. ‘Is there anything out there?’

  Carl squinted and wiped the sweat from his eyes. ‘Nope, nothing but sand as far as I can…wait a minute. There is something out there, a light flashing. Not sure if it’s some kind of vehicle, but it looks big and is partly buried in the sand. Maybe the recent dust storms uncovered it.’

  ‘How far is it? Do you think we should check it out? Are they trying to signal us? Do they need our help?’ she asked.

  Carl looked up at the sky and squinted. ‘It’s stopped now but I definitely saw a light flash a few times. The sun will be going down in a couple of hours, we’d never make it there and back before dark, and we really should stay with the truck overnight. No telling what could be out here when night falls,’ he said, climbing back down. ‘We can’t just assume that anyone or anything we come across is friendly.’

  ‘You mean two-headed monsters?’

  ‘No, I don’t think they exist, or at least I’ve never seen any if they do, and until I see something with my own eyes I don’t believe anything these days,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘I’ve only ever seen monsters with one head wearing black hats.’

  ‘Evil monsters too,’ Amy said. ‘All dead now though, I hope. Mom always said that devils die in fire.’

  ‘I hope so. Let’s rest here tonight, and tomorrow we’ll climb down that slope and take a walk out and see what that thing is and who might be trying to get our attention. Maybe there’s some food and water there, who knows? It’ll take half a day to get there and back. If we set out early it won’t be so hot, and I can probably travel faster on my own if you want to wait here while I take a look.’

  ‘No way am I staying here on my own. I want to come with you.’

  ‘It’s up to you. Come with me if you want, but it’s going to be a long walk and very hot too. There’s no shelter out there,’ Carl said. ‘Let’s get out of this heat and rest a while. We can’t do much more today.’

  Amy nodded while taking a drink from a canteen.

  Carl checked the storage bays underneath the seats looking for weapons and food. ‘Really could do with one of them machine guns. You’d think they’d keep weapons in here somewhere,’ he said, opening and closing every compartment he could find.

  ‘All we’ve got is this flare gun,’ Amy said, pointing.

  Carl pulled the revolver from his waistband. ‘This too,’ he said, checking the cylinder and safety catch. ‘Not exactly a military-issue rifle but it’ll help if we meet any trouble.’

  Amy sat down on a bench. ‘We’ll be bumping into other survivors soon if we don’t get far away from here. They’ll follow the road and see the signs too.’

  ‘Other Wretches should be friendly, but you know what it’s like, everyone is out to get what they can from whoever they can, and I’ll bet they’ll be armed to the teeth and looking for trouble.’

  Chapter Two

  The sun started to spread its red hot glow across the land, evaporating any moisture that had collected overnight.

  Carl and Amy made their way down the steep rocky slope to where the land changed into a never- ending sea of sand. Firm ground gave way to soft as they struggled to make much headway; every step took twice the effort as they slipped and stumbled over the terrain.

  ‘It’s like walking in some thick soup,’ Carl said.

  Amy wiped the beading sweat from her top lip. ‘We need to get under cover soon, it’ll be unbearable out here when the sun’s at its highest. Are we even walking in the right direction? I can’t see anything but sand and sky.’

  ‘I can’t understand where it’s gone, I’m sure it’s this way,’ he said, looking back towards the cliff, where he could just make out the truck in the shimmering haze.

  ‘Wait, what’s that over there?’ Amy said pointing.

  Carl took the field glasses from his bag, wiped his eyes and took a look. ‘It’s something white, jutting out of the sand. I can’t make it out but it’s not moving,’ he said, placing the optics back in their pouch. ‘Here, take a drink of water and we’ll head over to that thing and see what it is.’

  Amy gulped from the canteen, spilling water down her chin and chest then coughed. ‘Sorry, I inhaled it rather than swallowing.’

  ‘Take it easy, we’re running low, and we’ve got to make it back too remember,’ Carl said, screwing the top back onto the water container. ‘It’s not too far now. Let’s keep going.’

  As they neared the object they could see several huge shapes sticking out of the sand, each one curved outwards. Their white colour was stark and contrast against the sand and sky.

  ‘Do you think it was some kind of building?’ Amy asked.

  Carl touched one of the protruding shapes. ‘This isn’t any kind of building…it’s a ribcage.’

  Amy ran her hand down the bleached bones. ‘What on earth could have been so big? It’s massive.’

  Carl walked through the ribs of the animal, the insides of which were as big as a building. ‘Whatever it was, it was a giant. Maybe some kind of marine creature from the oceans that used to be here,’ he said, kneeling down and picking through the bone shards and seashell fragments. ‘This place must have been full of life at one point.’

  ‘It’s hard to imagine that such a thing could’ve lived. I mean, what would it eat? How would it live?’ Amy said.

  Carl picked up a small bone. ‘Probably other, smaller animals. From what I’ve read the animals existed in some kind of food chain. The smallest one was food for the next one up, and he was food for the next and so on. A system that worked really well until the ancients messed it all up.’

  ‘As they messed up everything,’ she said.

  Carl stood on top of a bone which stuck out of the sand about knee-high. He pulled out the field glasses and scanned the horizon, as a glint of light caught his eye. ‘There it is,’ he said pointing. ‘That flashing light again, and I can also see that big structure, not too far away…let’s make a move.’

  They both walked in the direction of the object, which grew in size with each step they took. The bone remnants of other animals were so dense it became difficult to take a step without treading on something. As they neared the object its shape became clearer: a long cylindrical body as long as a street, which was half buried in the sand and black in colour and covered in barnacles. Sitting on
top was a tower structure as tall as a several-storey building.

  ‘What is it?’ Amy asked.

  Carl shook his head. ‘Looks like some kind of vessel. Maybe something the ancients used to travel the seas.’

  Amy touched the cone-shaped nose of the craft. ‘I can’t see how anything so big could float in water.’

  Carl made his way along the length of the object until he came across a gaping hole, about halfway down, as tall as he was and just as wide. Fixed to the outside was a wind chime made from tubes and shiny fragments of metal. ‘I think I’ve found the flashing light. It was this thing reflecting in the sun, but somebody must have made it and placed it here. Maybe this was a military vessel, looks like something holed it and it sank maybe. Probably a relic from the wars,’ he said, peering inside the cavernous interior.

  Beams of daylight flooded the inside through gaps in the bulkhead, created by decades of damage and decay. Carl and Amy stepped inside and made their way deeper into the vessel, climbing over twisted metal.

  ‘I’ve never seen anything so big,’ Amy said.

  They worked their way down a rusted corridor, which was mostly intact. Pipes and wires lined the walls where white paint flaked away, revealing rusted metal. They walked through a doorway to an open area where a ladder disappeared up into another level. The bottom of the ladder had corroded , but Carl jumped to reach the middle rungs and hauled himself up.