Enclave by Thomas Locke

Author:Thomas Locke
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction;Christian fiction;Suspense fiction;FIC028070;FIC055000
ISBN: 9781493413980
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2018-10-11T16:00:00+00:00

The first sign Kevin had of change was a great smear of smoke that drifted over the moon. Then he smelled the camp, a strong mixture of people and animals and grilling meat. They rounded a corner and came upon a large clearing that extended west from the road. People began turning off, searching for an empty spot where they could rest.

Carla slipped from her mount and said quietly, “We leave the road here.”

To Kevin’s astonishment, she took a narrow trail leading east and north, back toward the perimeter fence. Kevin resisted the urge to tell her how dangerous that was. He sensed it would merely be wasted breath.

The path meandered through a forest of pine and oak before fading entirely away. Somewhere up ahead, Kevin knew, rose the township’s outermost boundary wall. He had heard they lined such remote sections of the city’s perimeter with traps intended to kill and maim.

Even so, smugglers got through. Overpass was home to families who passed down secret paths to trusted members of each new generation. Kevin suspected the trail they followed was one such route. And yet it vanished up ahead, lost to weeds and a pair of young dogwoods sprouting summer blooms.

He decided he had no choice but to say, “We should turn around.”

In reply, Carla lifted her face as though sniffing the night breeze that rattled the branches overhead. Then she lashed her horse’s reins to nearby branches and slipped between the young trees and continued on. Kevin hesitated, then followed.

The trail opened up again on the other side, only now it was merely an indentation in the weeds. Carla stepped carefully, and Kevin placed his footsteps directly upon her own. Two hundred paces farther, a guard tower’s searchlight flickered over the treetops directly ahead of them. Still Carla continued on. When the tower came into view and the light shone upon armed men patrolling the balcony, Kevin hissed, “We can go no farther.”

This time Carla halted. She raised her face once more and shut her eyes. The sweeping light shone upon her clenched fists and taut features. They waited there for what seemed like hours.

Then the searchlight went out.

Shouts rose from the soldiers stationed on the tower as a siren sounded in the distance. The electronic wail rose and fell, spurring the militia to action. Kevin could see their silhouettes as they clattered down the steep stairs. All the lights in this part of the city went out, which made the moon appear brighter still. A second Klaxon began to wail, this one farther away. The soldiers piled into a truck parked beneath the tower, only to discover the engine would not start. Kevin could not make out their words, but the soldiers were clearly frantic. Confused. Angry. An officer shouted above the fray, drawing the dozen or so troops into some semblance of order. They marched away.

Carla whispered, “Here they come.”

Kevin found no need to point out that whoever approached would still be on the other side of a triple fence topped with razor wire.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.