“Dad!” she shouted. “It’s really you!”
“Yes!” he said, raising his voice and wishing he could tear off his helmet and talk freely. “I’m here.” He swallowed hard, his mind spinning in an effort to find the right words. “Are you all right?”
“I’m all right, Dad. I’m fine.”
Connor looked at her and knew she was telling the truth. His daughter was safe and unharmed. He’d done it, he’d got her back. But what now? Where would they go from here? He stepped back a little from her embrace, so he could look at her properly. “Siobhan, I’ve been so worried. I’m so glad to see you.” He peered over her shoulder. “Who else is inside? Is Milo in there? Is he okay?”
“Yes, Milo’s there. But he’s…he’s hurt.”
Connor’s face fell. “What happened?”
“Listen, it’s not what you think.” Siobhan hesitated. “We can’t talk properly like this. Come inside the truck. We can talk in there. It’s safe.”
“No, we’ll go back to the rover.”
For a moment, Siobhan didn’t reply, then she shook her head. “Dad, it’s okay. Please come inside. I can’t leave Milo in there.”
“I’ll collect him in a minute,” Connor insisted. “First, I need to get you inside the rover.”
Siobhan took a step back from him. “I can’t explain it out here, Dad. Just come inside for a minute.”
Connor narrowed his eyes. “Siobhan,” he started, but Parry’s voice was suddenly loud on the intercom: “Connor, we can’t see you from here. I’m coming out.”
“Parry, wait for a second,” Connor replied. Then he spoke to Siobhan, keeping his voice as low as he could. “Is someone forcing you to say this? Just raise your hand if you’re under duress.”
“No one’s forcing me to do anything, Dad,” Siobhan said. “But I can’t walk away and leave Milo behind. And there are people in there who you need to meet, people who risked their lives to help me get back here. The very least you can do is speak to them.”
Connor looked into his daughter’s eyes. She was asking him to trust her, to have faith in her. And she was right; she shouldn’t leave a wounded friend behind. She was, perhaps, more like him than he’d ever realized. “How did you get here anyhow?” he asked. “Where are the rest of the vehicles? And how did you persuade them to let you go?”
“It’s a long story,” she replied, “but I’ll tell you everything inside.”
Connor studied her expression for a second, and then he nodded slowly. “All right, Siobhan, we can go inside. You’d better lead the way.”
“Thanks, Dad. It’ll all be fine, you’ll see,” Siobhan said, then she turned back toward the vehicle and started walking. But Connor stood still and said, “Parry, I’m going inside their vehicle. But don’t worry. Siobhan says it’s safe, and I believe her.”
“That makes no sense,” Parry replied. “Stay put, I’m coming out.”
“Parry, I need you to stay in the rover for ten minutes,” Connor said. “Can you do that for me?”
There was a hiss on the intercom as if Parry had just exhaled on the microphone. “All right, Connor. Ten minutes. Then I’m coming out there.”
“Thanks, Parry. I’ll be back in ten, but right now, I’m going with my daughter. I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.” Connor set off, following in his daughter’s footsteps. Whatever happens next, he thought, I’m not going to let her out of my sight. Not until I get her safely home. And when Siobhan turned back and beckoned to him, he hurried to stand by her side.
Thank You for Reading The Trail
Thank you for reading The Trail. Part III of Colony B should be released in Autumn 2017, unless the grunge gets me. The best way to make sure you don’t miss it is to sign up for my readers’ group, The Awkward Squad - there’s a link below.
Thanks again,
Mikey C
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Also by Mikey Campling
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Trespass: A Tale of Mystery and Suspense Across Time—The Darkeningstone Book I
Three stories, separated by five thousand years, united by one deadly secret: Somewhere, sometime, the stone is waiting.
Trespass combines gritty, edgy modern-day action with a thrilling adventure across time. Discovered over five thousand years ago, the Darkeningstone affects everyone who finds it.
Jake was too smart to believe the rumours about Scaderstone Pit, but now he’s in more danger than he could ever have imagined.
In 1939, as World War II looms, the lives of two men will be changed forever.
Over five thousand years ago, a hermit will keep the stone a secret. But someone is watching him—someone with murder in his heart.
When it finds you, what will you see when you look into The Darkeningstone?
Outcast—The Darkeningstone Book II
3650 BC When Hafoc’s only family, his brother, is taken by the savage tribe known as the Wandrian, he’s determined to rescue him. But Hafoc is too young to face the Wandrian alone.
2014 Tom lives a life of quiet, orderly routine. He needs it that way. But when he sees a mysterious stranger, his life begins to unravel. Who is watching him? And why do they seem hell bent on ruining his life?
2018 Cally is working hard on her studies at university, so when she’s instructed to drop her research, she’s devastated. Will she give in or will she rebel? And who can she trust?
Scaderstone Pit—The Darkeningstone Book III
In the year 3550 BC, a woman runs for her life. She must find shelter before nightfall. But why is she so afraid?
In 1919, the new owners of Scaderstone Rock prepare to open a quarry on the site. But what will they discover? Will the secrets of Scaderstone be unveiled?
And in the future, what lies in store for Jake? He needs answers. But where can he turn? There is perhaps one person who can help him.
Scaderstone Pit looks forward into the future and peers even further back into the myths and mysteries of the distant past. But there’s one thing you can be sure of:
Somewhere, Sometime, The Stone is Whispering.
Breaking Ground - A Darkeningstone Story
A bonus story that adds extra detail to the Darkeningstone world but stands alone so it can be read before or after the full-length novels. Breaking Ground is only available via a free download via mikeycampling.com/freebooks
CHEATC0DE - The Downlode Heroes Book I
Most people play the game: total immersion VR with full neural sync. But Hank lives it.
In Unlimited Combat, he’s one of the best. He makes his own luck. And he plays solo. Until now.
When a player offers Hank fame and fortune, it’s too good to pass up. To succeed, Hank must fight harder than ever before, pushing past the game’s safety protocols. His life is on the line, and when he’s captured, he knows he’s in too deep. Can he escape? And who can he trust?
Meanwhile, Hank’s father also escapes into VR, where he can relive his military past. But Hank’s dad has problems, caused by his experiences in the virtual battlefields of the future, and sometimes he has difficulty separating reality from his memories of virtual conflict. In real life, there’s conflict between father and son - could they be heading for a collision in VR?
Join Hank in the game—if you dare.
The Trust - The Downlode Heroes Book II
In the virtual worlds at the Downlode Trust, you can be anyone you want - but who can you believe?
Hank doesn’t do VR. Not anymore.
He was always good at VR games, especially Combat Unlimited, but he’s left all that behind. These days, he doesn’t even log on. But he’s down on his luck, and when he’s offered a place at the prestigious Downlode Trust, it’s too good to miss. It means leaving home and everything he knows, but tempted by the Trust’s cutting edge VR, he signs up. Now, he must travel to the UK and forge a new life while tackling new challenges that push at the limits of his ability.
But there’s trouble at the Trust. A security breach in the Trust’s systems looks like an inside job. Who could be behind the cyberattack? And will it make the Trust’s students vulnerable?
As head of operations, Colonel Stewart Headingley-Clarke is in a race against time to protect everyone at the Trust. Can he root out the trouble before the new students arrive?
Meanwhile, one student has discovered an illegal mod, smuggled into the VR system. It will make her invincible, and she wants to make sure she’s the only one who can use it. She’ll do whatever it takes, and no one will be allowed to stand in her way. No one.
Join Hank in The Trust, but remember: logging in is just the beginning.
After Dark - Thoughtful Horror Book I
When another body is discovered - a young woman washed up by the tide - it seems that someone stalks the streets of the nearby town of Whitby, after dark. Someone who preys on young women, and kills them in a very singular manner. And as crowds of Goths arrive to celebrate an annual festival, the scene is set for a gothic tale with a contemporary twist.
After Dark is a horror story set in modern day Whitby, the town where, according to Stoker, a certain Count came ashore. In recent years, Whitby has held an annual Goth festival, and this surreal event sets the stage for a deliciously dark tale.
Once in a Blood Moon - Thoughtful Horror Book II
England. A quiet stretch of wild countryside. An isolated farmhouse. And an American visitor taking a break from it all. It sounds idyllic, doesn’t it?
But on this night, the full moon looms especially large in the sky - a supermoon. And this event just happens to coincide with a lunar eclipse, tinging the moon with red. But it’s probably safe to be outside at night. After all, some things only happen once in a blood moon.
A Dark Assortment - Thoughtful Horror Book III
Sometimes that noise you can hear upstairs is just the old floorboards creaking as they settle down for the night. Sometimes. But there’s no need to worry because that face you saw at the window was just a reflection. There’s no one else here. You’re alone. But that’s OK because you’re safe in your bed. And all those things you fear deep down in the dark reaches of your soul…well, they only happen in stories, don’t they?
A Dark Assortment is a collection of seventeen stories; a chocolate box of handmade treats. But beware—beneath each richly decorated shell, there’s a seed of delicious darkness.
The God Machine
Areva dreams of the day when he will become a Scribe and contribute to The Collective—the tethered souls, connected to the God-Machine. The Scribes write the Universe into existence, and it’s Areva’s destiny to join them. But as his time draws near, he hesitates. Perhaps the God-Machine serves a darker purpose.
This book is widely available for free.
Connect With the Author
Thank you for taking the time to read my work—I really hope you enjoyed it.
I love hearing from readers so there are lots of ways to reach me.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to email me via [email protected]
You can follow me on Twitter @mikeycampling and I’ll do my best to reply to your mentions.
I’m also active on other social media and the best place to see all those links is on my website: mikeycampling.com/contact
About the Author
Mikey works hard at everything he does. As a teacher, he always went the extra mile to give kids the best start in life that he could. His particular passion was inspiring children to love books, and his lively readings were always popular. His proudest moment was when the parents of a young boy with Asperger’s Syndrome told him that their son was asking for bedtime stories for the first time in his life.
Today, after a spell as a full-time dad, Mikey writes stories with characters you can believe in, and plots you can sink your teeth into. His style is vivid but never flowery; every word packs a punch. His stories are complex, thought-provoking, atmospheric and grounded in real life.
Mikey has always read very widely, and his work is just as varied. There are several strands to Mikey’s work:
The Downlode Heroes - An ongoing series of fast-paced sci-fi novels with plenty of action and written using USA spellings;
Colony B - a science fiction colonization serial written using USA spellings;
The Darkeningstone Books - A trilogy of novels plus a novella featuring supernatural suspense across time and set in the UK using British spellings (NB: These novels form an epic tale and are best read as a complete trilogy);
Thoughtful Horror - Short, dark stories with modern settings and a twist in the tale.
All Mikey’s works have one thing in common: respect for the reader. As a writer, he takes a professional approach, and he believes very firmly that errors are unacceptable.
Judge for yourself and start reading for free! Get your free starter library of Mikey’s books at:
mikeycampling.com/freebooks
Copyright
© 2017 Mikey Campling All rights reserved.
No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the copyright holder, except as permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
The Trail: A Colonization Science Fiction Serial (Colony B Book 2) Page 12
