Free Season Of Decay (The Decaying World Saga Book 2) by Michael W. Garza Page B

was also the one thing they’d have available to get Jonah and the others back to the surface if they found them. The entire plan felt rushed at best and doomed at worst. Mia was doing her best not to consider the odds of success, but it was proving to be a futile gesture.
    “You’re sure that you have everything you need?” she asked when she was close enough. “There’s nothing else?”
    Rowan tore his stare away from the descent ahead of them.
    “I don’t think I could carry anything else even if I wanted to,” he said.
    Mia forced him to take food and water along with his requirement of weapons.
    “You’ll thank me for it,” she said.
    Asher forced himself into the conversation.
    “We’ll be in and out.”
    “Don’t say that,” Rowan countered. “You don’t know that and neither do I.”
    Mia’s hopeful idea of them getting along was evaporating by the moment.
    “This doesn’t change anything,” Asher said, refusing to acknowledge him. “You and the rest of the council need to prepare for what’s to come. I gathered a good crew of engineers and they can be ready to start working on the generators as soon as the way is clear.” He eyed Rowan. “And it won’t make any difference if we’re back or not.”
    Mia didn’t like the sound of that. She knew what Rowan was going to say before he got it out.
    “We’ll back that plan up,” she said, “in case they can’t get the generators back online.”
    Rowan nodded.
    They stood huddled in a tight circle without much to say. The riggings were checked and double checked and there was nothing to keep them from beginning their descent. Mia stared down at the edge of the gorge, unable to look at either of them. An awkward cough from Rowan forced her to look up at him.
    “I’m going to find him,” he said.
    Mia nodded.
    “Come back safe,” she said. “Find the kids and get back as quickly as you can.”
    Asher refused to give up his place even as Rowan leaned in toward her. He pressed his lips against her cheek and Mia’s eyes instinctively closed. She had to tell herself that it wasn’t going to be the last time she felt his touch in order to keep her emotions in check. Rowan pulled back. He wasn’t more than a foot away when Asher put his arms around her and squeezed. Mia tried not to smile at the sound of Rowan’s groan in the background.
    “I’ll keep him safe,” Asher mocked as he let her go and turned to face the riggings.
    Mia stepped away trying to shake off the awkwardness. She smiled at them as they went to work. They took their time tying themselves off to a safety line before throwing the ends of the ropes over the side. Rowan and Asher were dangling over the edge a moment later. Mia approached the rim and looked down. The darkness hid the dizzying drop and she was happy for it. Mia was satisfied with being able to watch the climbers’ safely reach their target several stories down.
    The climb took longer than she expected and the tension built with every placement of their hands. Rowan and Asher reached the remains of the highest landing and they tested their weight before pulling themselves free from the safety lines. It wasn’t until they drew their guns that the reality of the situation hit Mia square in the heart. There was nothing she could do to help them. Asher disappeared through the opening in the wall, but Rowan took a step then looked up at her. It was impossible for her to see his face, but in Mia’s mind, he was grinning at her the way he always did, and that was the last image she had before he vanished into the darkness.

 
     
    8
     
    The darkness was all consuming. The glow emanating from the devices around the necks of Rowan and Asher did little to fight back the blackness. They stood close to one another, each with a handgun drawn and pointed directly ahead of them. Their steps were light and their movements slow and purposeful. In Rowan’s mind, it wasn’t a question of if they ran into the dead, it