Book Read Free

The Dying of the Light (Book 1): End

Page 41

by Jason Kristopher


  Eighteen years without outside human contact will do that to you, I guess.

  Ivanovich sidled up. The svelte Russian goddess all of us men — and not a few of the women — had been lusting over wrapped an arm through mine and drew me down the hallway.

  “What about my little request?” she asked, running her hands over my chest and arms.

  It had been a while.

  I swallowed and nodded. “Da, tovarisch. I sent your message. We’ll have to wait some time before a response, I imagine…” She interrupted by pulling me in for a kiss, a kiss that promised much more. Even though I knew she’d been through just about every man on the base so far, I hadn’t made it on the list yet… and I wanted the next spot. I was just getting interested when the base alarm went off.

  That’s the communications alarm, I thought. What the hell?

  “Where the hell is he?” yelled Warner as he ran around the corner, almost colliding with Oksana and I. “Oh, there you are. Mind telling me just what in the hell is going on?” he asked, his face flushed with anger.

  “How would I know?”

  “You were just in there, Atkins.”

  “Everything was fine when I left, I swear!”

  “Well, it sure as shit ain’t fine now!” he said, taking a step back and trying to control his anger. At the bottom of the world, it could kill you as fast as the cold, and we all strove to maintain an even keel.

  Some were more successful than others.

  “Take Sven and get back over there,” he ordered.

  “Sometimes I hate that guy,” I said as we took off our outer jackets in the comm building. “What a prick.”

  “Yes. But we must work with him. None of us are going anywhere. Let’s see what’s going on with that alarm.”

  We moved into the communications room, and I reached over to flick off the alarm as I checked my half of the monitors. “Nothing here. You?” I turned around. “Sven, did…”

  Sven stood motionless, staring at a display I couldn’t see. I moved around the tall Swede to check it.

  “Holy fuck,” I said, turning back to Sven.

  “As you say, Jim. Holy fuck. Now is when I would wish to have working radios.”

  “You and me both, brother.” Seconds later, we were racing for Hotel California, leaving the message blinking on the monitor.

  “McMurdo Station, this is AEGIS Bunker One. Do you read?”

  About the Author

  Jason Kristopher was born in Waco, Texas, and spent the first years of his life moving with his family around northern Texas and the Panhandle, including Lubbock. After settling with his family in northern Colorado, Jason spent nearly two decades there soaking up the creative energy and enjoying the beautiful weather, before moving back to Texas ten years ago for ‘real’ work.

  Throughout this long journey, Jason continued to write all kinds of fiction, including fantasy, sci-fi, horror, and children’s tales, and even tried penning a poem or two. His family members were constantly invited to read incomplete works; finally, on pain of death, he has finished his first novel, and hopes that their ire will be at least somewhat sated.

  Jason currently lives in Houston and enjoys reading, writing, movies, music (live and not), the Houston Astros (winning and not) and the Texas hill country, especially the vineyards.

  Contact Jason Kristopher

  Facebook: Author.JasonKristopher

  Twitter: JasonKristopher

  Email: jason@jasonkristopher.com

  Table of Contents

  Characters of Note

  Acronyms

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  Works Cited & Interesting Links

  Excerpt From The Dying of the Light: Interval

  About the Author

  Table of Contents

  Characters of Note

  Acronyms

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Chapter Twenty-three

  Chapter Twenty-four

  Epilogue

  Afterword

  Works Cited & Interesting Links

  Excerpt From The Dying of the Light: Interval

  About the Author

 

 

 


‹ Prev