Avenged: Ashes of the Collapse Book 6: (A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller) by Mark Hunter & Mike Kraus

Author:Mark Hunter & Mike Kraus [Hunter, Mark & Kraus, Mike]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Muonic Press Inc
Published: 2025-03-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

Reliance, Nebraska

Harper navigated her dusty Bronco through the ruins of Reliance's east side, with Grace beside her in the passenger seat, and Jim, Midge and Scottie huddled in the back. Carter followed close behind in his bullet-riddled police cruiser with Beckett at his side, Earl and Ruth in the rear.

Years ago, the area had been the heart of the city, but a push to revitalize downtown and a few ill-conceived road closures had turned it into a virtual ghost town, even before the earthquake had turned it into an actual ghost town.

The vehicles rolled past the remains of the Orpheum Cinema, its baroque façade boarded up from lack of interest years before its marquee was felled by the disaster. Next door, the front of Gino's Pizzeria had completely collapsed, leaving only a ragged heap of brick and wood that still smelled faintly of marinera and rancid cheese. The front window of a second-hand clothing shop had shattered, its glass blades slowly cutting brightly colored blouses and skirts to tatters as they fluttered across them in the breeze.

"Looks like everything in this part of town is pretty much ruined," Jim said numbly. "Where are you taking us?"

Harper spoke distractedly as she navigated around a burned-up car. "A safe place."

Grace's eyes flicked over the ruined landmarks, and a slow understanding dawned on her face. "Oh my gosh. We're going to Grandma and Grandpa's place, aren't we?"

Scottie blinked in confusion. "They have another house outside of Prairie Winds?"

"No, my other grandparents. Grandma and Grandpa Madison."

"Oh!" Midge's eyes widened with realization. "The ones with the hotel."

Harper nodded. "My parents retired and sold the property a few years before they passed. It's been a long time since I've been back."

"But the building is still there?" Jim asked.

"We're about to find out."

The Bronco's tires bumped over the rubble-filled pavement as Harper guided it past more ruined buildings and around a corner, and as the next street came into view, a surge of old emotions rushed through her. At the end of the block, rising up from the shattered asphalt like a majestic relic of a bygone era, was the old Madison Suites hotel. The impressive art-deco façade stretched three stories high, its geometric patterns and bold vertical lines evoking the grandeur of better days.

The exterior was rendered in pastel pink and white marble, weathered by decades of sun and rain, yet defiant and strong. A pair of fluted columns flanked the grand entryway, their plaster surfaces cracked and pitted, and above, a curved roof shielded the entrance, its underside adorned with intricate gold leaf designs that glinted in the hazy sunlight. Rows of large windows marched across each floor, some still intact while others gaped with jagged shards clinging to the frames.

On the roof, a jaunty neon sign leaned precariously to one side, its metal supports bent and twisted by nature's fury, but enough of the tubes remained intact to pick out the words "Reliance Family Inn" rendered in a looping script. Scottie eyed it, his brow raising.

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.