“Crashed” Part 17
“Crashed” Part 17 The palm beam glimmered. Just as she feared, the energy was insufficient to generate a force strong enough to erase the animal. She forced what little power remained into the emitter and triggered the charge. The beam struck the dog. The animal dropped. But it had not been erased. Cellima grabbed the […]
Crashed Part 16
“Crashed” Paret 16 Five hundred feet now separated Cellima from the road she had detected — five hundred feet from the one called Patty. For the first time since escaping the basin, she felt the beginning of something she had not felt in several hours. Relief. Not safety. Not yet. But enough endurance to continue […]
“Crashed” Part 15
Crashed Part 15 Ken checked his rearview mirror, scanning for any reaction to the sound.He knew it was Cellima. Still, he hoped he was wrong. “People are turning back around, honey,” he said, forcing calm into his voice. “Yes, I see. We should go back too,” Patty replied — her tone leaving no room for […]
“CRASHED” PART 12
“CRASHED” PART 12 The command center wasn’t what Ken expected—though, truthfully, he hadn’t known what to expect. The tent was larger than it looked from the outside. Rows of laptops and monitors glowed in the dim light. Young soldiers sat at folding tables, headsets on, fingers moving fast. For all the military presence, it felt […]
“CRASHED” PART 11
“Crashed” Part 11 “Good morning, Mr. Miller,” the young MP said as Ken brought the pickup to a stop. “We’re going to give your vehicle a quick once-over, and then you’ll be free to go. Sorry for the inconvenience, sir, but my orders are to check anything coming or going.” Ken nodded, doing his best […]
“Crashed” Part 10
“Crashed” — Part 10 “Ken?” Hayes’ voice crackled through the radio. “You there?” “Ten-four,” Ken replied. “My team just pulled in,” Hayes said. “I’m not trying to rush you, sir, but do you have an ETD? I’d like to get this sweep underway as soon as possible.” Ken already knew what the call was about. […]
“Crashed” Part 9
“Crashed” Part 9 Patty and Ken packed a few essentials into their suitcases. They had no idea how long “a few weeks” would really be, but they figured they’d deal with that when the time came. Enough clothes for a week, some toiletries, and a shared feeling of uncertainty. Hayes had given them a number […]
“Crashed” Part One
CRASHED — Part One It was 2:00 a.m. when Ken and Patty were jolted awake by a violent explosion echoing across the night. It sounded like it came from the tobacco field. Ken was out of bed instantly. He rushed to the window and yanked the curtains aside. Far in the distance, an amber glow […]