Nuclear Survival: Western Strength (Book 1): Bear The Brunt
Page 17
“I’ve got one.” A moment later, a light flicked on and Owen’s face came into view. “Keep it in my bag just in case.” He pointed the beam at the ground and adjusted the focus to as wide as possible. “Ready?”
They took off as a group, first canvassing the entire garage to ensure they were alone and then up the concrete and metal stairs to the first floor. Keith paused at the landing. “You’re sure we’ll be protected up here?”
“Don’t see why not.”
Lainey agreed. “If we find out it’s open or not sealed, we can head back down. Even if some of the fallout has reached the ground already, it would take a while to work its way inside. It’s particulates in the air, just like smog or pollen.”
Keith nodded in understanding and Owen opened the door.
Thanks to the flashlight, they were able to navigate the enclosed hallway and in a matter of minutes, found a courtroom on the first floor that would suit their needs. It sat near the center of the building, with no windows and only three doors. With plenty of benches and tables for jurors and legal staff, they could barricade themselves inside and never need to leave.
Even if someone else broke into the building, they had a chance to stay undiscovered and safe. Keith leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. He only wished they had a genie to magically transport all their supplies back upstairs.
Jerry clapped him on the shoulder. “Take a break. Owen and I can haul the gear.”
Keith hesitated. He barely knew the man. Could he really trust him? As Keith shifted, the butt of the guard’s pistol dug into his abdomen. The thought of using it turned his stomach, but it was an insurance policy of sorts. And he desperately needed the rest.
At last, he nodded. “Thank you. I could really use it.”
Jerry smiled in response and motioned for Owen to help him. With Owen leading the way with the flashlight, they headed toward the door.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
LAINEY
Superior Courthouse
Los Angeles, California
Saturday, 3:00 p.m. PST
Lainey walked over to Keith and reached for his hand, fingers fumbling down his arm until she found it. “I didn’t know you could pass for a race car driver.”
“I’ve picked up a few skills since we broke up.” His fingers twitched and she knew he was grinning even though she couldn’t see his face in the dark.
“Any others you care to tell me about?”
“Maybe later.”
Lainey eased down to the floor and Bear nuzzled her face. She gently pushed him away. “Thank you, Keith. If you hadn’t come with me today—” The stress and emotion of the past twenty-four-hours rushed at Lainey full-speed and she choked back a sob.
Keith sat down beside her. “Thank you for trusting me with what you knew. If you’d kept it to yourself—”
“You’d be safe with Bear far away from here.”
“No, I’d probably be breathing in toxic radiation and a few hours away from a horrible death.”
Lainey didn’t respond. Millions of people were doing that very thing. Breathing in the comfortable southern California air, oblivious to the death sentence it had become. Were other cities in the grips of their own nuclear disasters? Did the other bombs deploy?
She thought of her mother and her sister and wished she’d brought her bag into the courtroom. It had been hours since she’d checked for word from either of them.
“Are you okay?” Keith’s question came out soft and full of caring.
“I will be.” She snuffed back a wave of tears. “As soon as it’s safe to head out, I need to find my mom and sister.”
“I know.”
Lainey leaned over and braced herself on Keith’s shoulder. It took her a few moments to gather up the courage, but at last she asked, “Did we do the right thing?”
“When?”
“Going on air and broadcasting what we knew.”
“Of course.”
She sat up. “But it happened so soon—was it even an hour? That didn’t give anyone enough time to evacuate or buy food or prepare. All those people out on the road. They were there because I told them about the bomb. Did I—”
“You didn’t kill them, Lainey. You told them to stay inside. You told them to take shelter immediately. They made a choice.”
“But if I hadn’t said anything…If I’d done what that man said on the phone…”
“All those people would still be dying, only they wouldn’t know why or what to do to protect themselves. You gave the city a chance. Hell, you gave the country a chance.”
“What if it wasn’t enough?”
Keith reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers. “People will die. Millions, most likely. But that’s not your fault. It’s the fault of whoever planned the attack and carried it out. You can’t put that weight on your shoulders.”
Deep down, Keith’s words rang true, but Lainey couldn’t help but feel guilty. “If only I’d listened to Midge from the beginning. If only I’d ignored Matt and gone on the air sooner.”
“You can’t second-guess the past. What’s done is done. All we can do is move forward.”
Lainey tried to swallow, but her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. “What’s going to happen?”
“I don’t know.”
She squeezed his hand. “I’m scared, Keith.”
“So am I.” He lifted her hand and brought it up to his chest, pressing the back of her hand against his heart. “But we’ll get through it. You and me—”
Bear stuck his nose between them, shoving apart their hands as he wedged his body into a space not big enough for him to fit. Lainey made room, laughing in exhaustion and relief. “And Bear. We can’t forget him.”
“Never.”
The door to the courtroom opened and Jerry and Owen appeared, rolling what looked like a library cart into the room. Sitting atop stacked cases of drinks was an emergency lantern.
Owen grinned. “We found a storeroom. There’s no food, but a ton of supplies.”
Jerry held up a stack of something soft and flexible. “Army surplus blankets.”
“And lanterns and batteries and even an axe.”
“I thought you said this place was closed?”
“It is. Guess the city doesn’t care about its inventory.”
Jerry snorted. “Tell me something I don’t know.”
Relief filled Lainey’s body and riding right behind it was a wave of exhaustion. She couldn’t wait to pick a blanket and a bench and sleep away this waking nightmare. “I call dibs on the bench behind the prosecutor’s table.”
“Why that one?”
“I figure it gets the least amount of use.”
Jerry laughed out loud. “I can see I made the right choice throwing my lot in with you all.”
“Feeling’s mutual, my friend.” Keith stood and walked over to the other two men. He stretched his back and turned toward the rolling cart. “Is that everything?”
Owen nodded. “Only took one trip.”
Jerry held a blanket out and Lainey took it with a grateful smile. She picked a spot on the bench and sat down before slipping off her shoes. Sleep dimmed her vision. As she lay down and shook out the blanket, she heard Owen’s voice from the other side of the room.
“What do we do now?”
She didn’t have to listen to know Keith’s reply. “We wait.”
Thank you for reading Bear the Brunt.
Lainey’s story continues in Shelter in Place, book two in Nuclear Survival: Western Strength.
A nuclear bomb destroys the heart of Los Angeles.
A reporter, a cameraman, and golden retriever survived a nuclear explosion, but that doesn’t mean they’re safe. Out of food and out of options, they must leave the safety of their shelter and brave a ruined city if they want to live.
No good deed goes unpunished.
When Lainey broke into a TV station and jumped behind the news desk to warn about the impending
attack, she thought she was doing the right thing. Not everyone agrees. Thanks to her recognizable face, radiation exposure will be the least of their worries on the streets of LA.
Could you drop everything to save yourself?
Confronted with the horrors of nuclear destruction, Lainey, Keith, and Bear are forced to flee. New-found allies might be their only saving grace. If they don’t choose their path wisely, they might never make it out of the city alive.
The attack is only the beginning.
Want to know how it all started? Subscribe to Harley’s newsletter and receive First Strike, the prequel to the Nuclear Survival saga, absolutely free.
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If you found out the world was about to end, what would you do?
Four ordinary people—a computer specialist, a hacker, a reporter, and a private investigator—are about to find out.
Each one has a role to play in the hours leading up to the worst attack in United States history.
Will they rise to the occasion or will the threat of armageddon stop them in their tracks?
Also by Harley Tate
NUCLEAR SURVIVAL
First Strike (exclusive newsletter prequel)
Southern Grit:
Brace for Impact
Escape the Fall
Survive the Panic
Northern Exposure:
Take the Hit
Duck for Cover
Ride it Out
Western Strength:
Bear the Brunt
Shelter in Place
Make the Cut
AFTER THE EMP
Darkness Falls (exclusive newsletter prequel)
Darkness Begins
Darkness Grows
Darkness Rises
Chaos Comes
Chaos Gains
Chaos Evolves
Hope Sparks
Hope Stumbles
Hope Survives
Find all of Harley’s releases on Amazon today: www.amazon.com/author/harleytate.
Acknowledgments
Thank you for reading book one in the Western Strength series. This trilogy will complete the Nuclear Survival Saga (Southern Grit and Northern Exposure are complete trilogies and available now). I hope you enjoy all three books!
As I mentioned before, a few liberties may have been taken, especially with place names and other minor details in writing this series. I hope you don’t hold it against me!
If you enjoyed this book and have a moment, please consider leaving a review on Amazon. Every one helps new readers discover my work and helps me keep writing the stories you want to read.
Until next time,
Harley
About Harley Tate
When the world as we know it falls apart, how far will you go to survive?
Harley Tate writes edge-of-your-seat post-apocalyptic fiction exploring what happens when ordinary people are faced with impossible choices.
The apocalypse is only the beginning.
Contact Harley directly at:
www.harleytate.com
harley@harleytate.com