The Silence of Tomorrow (Remnants Book 2) by Anthony M. Strong

Author:Anthony M. Strong [Strong, Anthony M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: West Street Publishing
Published: 2022-06-06T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

We came upon the town of Happenstance as the sun was sliding low on the horizon. For the last hour of our trek, we had been walking on steadily rising and increasingly rough terrain. My first glimpse of Happenstance came from above as we crested the peak of a rocky prominence and looked down across a wooded hillside into the valley below.

The town sprawled out around a glistening river that weaved through the heart of the valley. There was a downtown area with three and four-story brick buildings nestled close to a bridge that connected the riverbanks. Further away were larger buildings that looked like warehouses and factories. Residential neighborhoods fanned out from the town center and crept up the low slopes of the valley.

A single strip of dark asphalt stretched away from town in both directions. Had we not lost the vehicle, this would have been the way we approached Happenstance, no doubt.

“Looks quiet from up here,” I said as we came to a halt and gazed down into the valley. The place reminded me of a hundred old mill towns I had driven through on journeys back and forth between Vermont and New York, where my brother Jeff lived—or at least, the brother I was given in the false narrative of my life that the government of this world supplanted in place of my real memories.

“Looks can be deceptive,” Brooks replied.

“There’s a welcoming party waiting for us down there,” Colt grumbled. “I can pretty much guarantee it.”

“So, how do you want to do this?” I asked, shooting Brooks a sideways glance.

“First thing we have to do is find accommodation,” Brooks said. “Somewhere safe to spend the night. I’d rather not spend a second night in a tent.”

Colt rubbed his neck. “Especially if there are drones scouting the area, which I guarantee there will be since this is the closest town to where we left the car.”

“After we have a place to lay our heads, I’ll make a call or two,” Brooks said. “Try and arrange us some wheels so we can be out of town before anyone knows we were even there. We’ll need more provisions, too. Food and water for the next leg of the trip.”

“Agreed,” said Colt. “We should stock up now before we reach the Cauldron. There won’t be many places to find supplies there.”

“Right.” Brooks nodded.

“You still haven’t answered my question,” I told Brooks. “How are we going to accomplish all of that without ending up caught or dead?”

“Very carefully.” Brooks looked grim. He took a step forward. “Come on. Time’s wasting. Let’s get down there. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I won’t be able to relax until we’re inside out of sight.”

“Wait.” I gripped his arm. A thought had occurred to me. “What about the guns? We can’t walk into town with them over our shoulders.”

“Good point. We’ll conceal the weapons on the lower slope. When we’re ready to move on I’ll send someone back to retrieve them.”

“I don’t relish the idea of going in there unarmed,” Colt said.

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