by Hunt, Jack
Some had the good sense to flee while others defended the ranch until death.
Parents scooped up children and piled them into a truck, taking off in the opposite direction. Alex’s mind was on full alert, his senses heightened as he returned fire on any that raised a gun at them.
Ryan and Thomas raced out of the mansion, turning their heads, surprise and shock spreading as if unable to process the chaos unfolding around them.
“Ryan!” Sophie cried out.
Their heads turned and they bolted toward them, Thomas stumbling as panic took over. As soon as Alex handed off Meadow to them, he went to assist the soldiers in the helicopters who were being attacked from the ground. “Alex.” He heard Sophie’s voice but kept running forward. He dropped to a knee, scooped up a rifle from a dead follower and unloaded on two guys standing in the doorway with an M134 gun, a modern-day Gatling gun. For a split second his mind went back to that room, those metal boxes full of ammo and weapons of all kinds. They had been preparing for this, maybe for a long time.
Not expecting fire from the ground, they didn’t see it coming, but the soldiers in the Black Hawk did. He was sure he caught one of them giving him a thumbs-up before the helicopter circled overhead. The sharp pain in his arm was now worse, he was losing blood fast and could feel himself becoming faint.
He stumbled forward, grasping a railing a second before Sophie appeared at his side, drawing him back, away from the heat of battle.
Shots continued to ring out from every direction until those on the ground were neutralized. Within seconds the pilots had the helicopters on the ground and fire teams of Rangers broke away running at a crouch, rifles ready, scanning for threats as some entered the mansion and others continued to kill followers crouched in the tree line.
To avoid being mistaken for threats, all of them got on their knees. Alex dropped his weapon and kept his hands up. Three Rangers came toward them. “Don’t shoot. We’re not with them,” Alex said.
Surrounded, they listened as Rangers communicated with one another, alerting each other to friendlies, and threats that had been eliminated.
One of the rangers turned toward them. “Ryan Valez?”
They all turned to look at him.
In a slow, measured way, he replied, “That’s me.” He raised a hand.
“We have orders to bring you with us,” a Ranger said coming around and strong-arming him away.
Sophie got up and instantly the other two Rangers pointed their rifles at her. “Wait. He’s my son. Where are you taking him?”
“Peterson Air Force Base.”
“Then I’m coming with you.”
“I’m afraid we only have…”
“Fuck your orders. That’s my son.”
Alex rose to intervene. “Sophie.”
The Ranger got back on his comms and walked a short distance away. He turned his head. “Sophie Reid?”
“That’s right.”
“Okay, come with us.”
She pointed at Alex. “I’m not leaving without them. My husband is injured.”
They took one look at him and made a gesture with his head. “All right. Let’s go.”
“There are others, injured, drugged, far below the barn. You’ll find the entrance in the floor of the stall at the end,” Alex said as they were led to the helicopters.
The Ranger yelled over the whooshing blades. “We’ll handle it. For now, get in.”
No sooner had they got inside than the Black Hawk lifted in a plume of grit, revealing a gruesome bird’s-eye view of El Dorado. A ranch meant for peace.
It now looked like a war zone.
31
The full extent of Ryan’s involvement with the U.S. bombings soon came to light over the next three days, as did Abner’s role in the wave of attacks in Denver. After being flown into Peterson Air Force Base, they were met by Assistant Director Danielle Gardner of Homeland Security. Few words were exchanged except to say that after receiving medical attention they would be escorted to Cheyenne Mountain where Ryan would be held. Sophie wanted to go with him but was denied. Unbeknownst to them, Homeland Security had placed a tracking device inside his jacket so they could keep tabs on his whereabouts and monitor conversation.
That whole confession he’d given outside of Asheville had been exactly what they wanted in the beginning. It seemed they knew he wasn’t telling the truth the first time around but instead of forcing it out of him, or holding him, they figured the best way was to cut him loose with the hope he would inadvertently reveal more.
He did.
Now they hoped to use him to not only shut down the flaws in their code but catch the same people who he’d sold the flaws to on the black market.
Iranian hackers.
At least that’s what they were told.
In no uncertain terms they were informed that the event was believed to be retaliation for killing the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force unit. To the U.S. government, he was a terrorist and a war criminal but to Iran, he was a hero whose popularity extended beyond those who supported the regime.
They were given no timeline of when he would be released or if he would, only that his work was important to national security and that took precedence over any fostering agreement she had in place. Sophie protested, demanding to speak with someone higher up, but her words fell on deaf ears. Fortunately, she was allowed one last meeting with Ryan before they were given a ride back to California.
In Alex’s mind that was the only upside to it all.
As for that weasel, Abner, it came to light that he was an Iranian sympathizer, leading one of many terrorist cells throughout the U.S. The same group who were responsible for the second wave of attacks. However, unlike the other cells, he’d used his newfound position and past work with inner healing to convince people to join him, mostly for his own sexual pleasure. Like many of the other sickos, Abner joined a long line of cult leaders, people who had convinced many to do horrific things under the guise of spirituality.
They were informed that Meadow, Star and anyone else who was a victim of Abner would be taken into custody, questioned and then released to a FEMA camp.
That was the last they saw of them.
After a tearful goodbye, with no idea of when they would see Ryan again, Thomas, Sophie, and Alex boarded the belly of a V-22 Osprey and took to the skies.
Their arrival in Petaluma was as they expected, full of fear and worry as they took in the aftermath. That soon changed when they found a message from Elisha scrawled on a sign outside Sophie’s home.
The pilot was kind enough to take them on from Petaluma to Willits.
From his window, Alex eyed the cattle in pastures, rolling hills and creeks snaking their way through the terrain before the V-22 set down in a wide, expansive high school field.
They exited and the pilot gave a thumbs-up as they watched it take off. The whoosh of the blades whipped the air, sending a gust up and filling their eyes with grit.
Their arrival was filled with mixed emotions.
Sophie’s heart was heavy and her mind filled with worry.
Thomas was quiet, and Alex filled with a sense of gratefulness to be alive.
“Well. Let’s go find our girl.”
Warm rays of sunshine speared through the canopy of trees as Elisha returned to the cabin with a five-gallon jug of fresh spring water. After the attack, they had loaded the bodies of Ramiro and his crew onto the back of a truck and disposed of them in a quarry just on the outskirts of town rather than bury them in a shallow grave.
Tate was not among the dead. Although Liam searched the town over the next few days, he never found him.
Steps were taken to rebuild what was destroyed though talk in the evenings circled around finding a new place, somewhere that was more secure, remote, possibly even a larger group who were riding out the shitstorm together.
Strolling up the hill, Elisha saw Garcia crouched near the grave of Andre.
He’d been quiet, more r
eserved since losing him.
Elisha set the water jug down at the cabin and made her way over. A cross was stuck into a mound of dirt surrounded by rocks. A few wildflowers protruded from the earth. “Hey. You okay?”
Garcia glanced over his shoulder. “Just taking a moment.”
She nodded looking thoughtful. “He’ll be missed.”
“Yeah.”
“How long did you know him?”
“Since I was a kid. Grew up in the same neighborhood, had the same interests.”
She took a deep breath and stuck her fingers into her jean pockets. “When I lost Michael, I didn’t think I would smile again but eventually I did. The pain is still there and I can get back to it if I think about him but it doesn’t sting as much anymore.”
Garcia gave a nod as he rose and they walked away from the grave. “Where’s Liam?”
“Went into town with Leo to see what they could scavenge.”
In almost two weeks since the event the situation hadn’t got better. With so many towns and cities in ruins, and many forced out of homes and work, it had created a different world. One filled with fear and suspicion.
While food wasn’t scarce yet, and there was plenty of game to hunt in the area, they were already beginning to talk about moving, if only to avoid any future trouble from outsiders. Ken Fischer had offered to have them come and stay at his cabin but the animosity between him and Garcia was palpable, so they declined.
“You showed a lot of heart that night. Your parents would be proud.”
“I appreciate that,” Elisha said as they took a seat at a picnic table outside the cabin. Garcia brought out smoked meat, and bread they’d made from a batch of flour. They’d taken to searching homes and businesses that were no longer occupied. Although it wasn’t the safest method, the need to survive made everyone think differently, including Garcia who had for the longest time been a man of the law. “Do you think others will come?” Elisha asked as she chewed a piece of meat.
Garcia sliced into the bread. “No. Even gangs know when to throw in the cards.”
“Do you think it’s true about the safe zones?”
A few days earlier, they’d used a hand-crank AM/FM radio and had come across a message being broadcast mentioning safe zones throughout the USA.
“If it is then maybe there is hope for the country.”
“I’d like to believe that,” she said before stuffing her mouth with bread.
The sound of a vehicle approaching caught their attention. Instinctively, they both reached for their rifles. Fortunately it wasn’t trouble, just Liam and Leo returning. The cruiser wound into the driveway and Elisha laid her rifle down and turned her back to continue eating.
A few seconds later, doors were slammed, and Liam called out.
“Hey Elisha. Take a look at what we found?”
“Later, I’m eating.”
“I think you’d be interested.”
“If it’s another case of beer…”
Before she could turn, she felt hands on her shoulders, then a cheek pressed against hers. Garcia had this big smile on his face. As Elisha turned, she dropped the food in her hand. “Mom?”
“Hey darling.”
Rising, she saw that she wasn’t alone.
Her brow furrowed. “Dad!”
“Hey beautiful.” His arm was in a sling as he walked from the car over to her.
Tears welled in all their eyes as they took a moment to embrace.
“Came across them in town,” Liam said perching on the edge of the table, a grin forming. Another guy came into view behind her father, a ginger-haired short guy who couldn’t have been much older than her.
“Ryan?” She asked.
“No. That’s Thomas. Ryan is…” Sophie trailed off. “He’ll join us later. I hope.”
Elisha briefly caught the look her mother gave Garcia, a smile that faded fast as her eyes bounced back to her father.
They hugged and over the next few hours swapped stories of how they’d managed to survive, what they’d learned from Homeland Security, and all they’d been through in different towns and cities across America. All of it confirmed what she believed — the nation had fallen, and it wasn’t rising again anytime soon.
Still, with Ryan working with Homeland Security there was a sense of hope on the horizon.
The conversation soon turned to the future, to the challenges that lay ahead over the coming days and weeks. Ruined communities meant desperation, and desperation meant trouble. Elisha looked around the table at the faces of survivors, each one different in age, background and experience. It was a strange dynamic but one that had served them well. They’d come through a lot, and with it gained a new strength that would carry them through the coming days as they fought to survive.
And survive they would, together, against all odds.
THANK YOU FOR READING
As Our World Survives #3 will be out in May 2020
If you enjoyed that, please take a second now to leave a review. Even a few words is really appreciated. Thanks kindly, Jack.
A Plea
Thank you for reading As Our World Falls: Cyber Apocalypse Series Book 2. If you enjoyed the book, I would really appreciate it if you would consider leaving a review. Without reviews, an author’s books are virtually invisible on the retail sites. It also lets me know what you liked. It also motivates me to write more books. You can leave a review by visiting the book’s page. I would greatly appreciate it. It only takes a couple of seconds.
Thank you — Jack Hunt
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About the Author
Jack Hunt is the International Bestselling Author of over forty novels. Jack lives on the East coast of North America. If you haven’t joined Jack Hunt’s Private Facebook Group you can request to join by clicking here now. This gives readers a way to chat with Jack, see cover reveals, and stay updated on upcoming releases. There is also his main facebook page below if you want to browse.
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