Free Apocalypse Asunder by David Rogers

Worship?”
    “Stop.”
    “Her Royal In-Charge-ness?”
    Jessica couldn’t help her giggling as she followed him out of the store.

Chapter Four – Good Fences
    “You’ve got to decide.”
    “I know.” Jessica told Austin without looking at him.
    “Come on Mom.” Candice said after several moments of silence.
    “You guys are just trying to get me to make another mistake.” Jessica said as she studied her cards.
    “Life moves pretty fast.” Austin said with a laugh.
    Jessica eyed him briefly.  “Where have I heard that before?”
    “I’m going to point out that I’ve never said one of my middle names is ‘Original’.”
    Candice giggled as Jessica rolled her eyes at him.  “You’re the one that’s taking too long.” the girl said in a cheerful tone.  Jessica turned her gaze to her daughter, but she couldn’t summon enough resolve to keep her smile from leaking in as she tried to glower at Candice.  The ten-year-old just giggled again.
    Austin produced a second deck of cards from one of his pocket and opened the flap.  “Come on Candice, let’s play something else on the side while Mom takes her time.”
    “Okay!” Jessica said abruptly, realizing that staring at her cards wasn’t making them any better.  “Okay, okay, okay!”  She pulled the four of clubs free and dropped it on the discard pile.  The problem was the three of them were all about even in tricks at the moment, and she was having trouble remembering what had already cycled through the discard pile and been picked up.
    Austin was just about as good with cards as he tended to be with all things violent and lethal; but Candice had proven a remarkably quick study.  To be fair, the girl had gotten a lot of practice in.  Without power and with only a limited number of books she found interesting, cards were about the only fun activity available.
    Jessica’s fears were confirmed when Candice reached out and snagged the four off the discard pile.  “Hah!” her daughter crowed, dropping it next to her other tricks along with the two, three, and five of clubs.
    “I blame Austin.” Jessica announced.
    “Why is this my fault?” he protested with a chuckle.
    “One, because I said so.  Two, because it usually is.  And three, you encouraged her to rush me.  Again.”
    “Mom’s just unhappy she’s losing.” Austin said to Candice in a stage whisper.
    “Mom is still up twenty points.” Jessica said archly.
    “No way.” Candice protested, looking at the matched sets arrayed out next to them.  “I just scored twenty.  We’re tied!”
    Jessica glanced at the cards and did swift mental arithmetic.  “Hmm, I guess we are.”  She switched her gaze back to Austin.  “And four, you cost me the lead.”
    “Your turn Austin.” Candice said brightly as she dropped the nine of hearts into the discard.
    “Now I’m scared to get near you.” Austin said as he slowly reached for the cards in the middle, drawing the motion out like he didn’t want to come into range of Jessica.
    “I promise I’ll bite.” Jessica said with a mock scowl.
    “See how she’s trying to intimidate me?” Austin asked Candice.
    “Mom does that to you a lot.” the girl observed.  “She likes being mean sometimes.”
    “Hah!” Jessica snorted.  “Austin likes being naughty.”
    “Naughty?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at her.  “Naughty is it?”
    Jessica saw something more than simple amusement in his expression and felt herself starting to blush.  But before she could summon a response, a heavy thumping came from downstairs.  It was muffled and slightly distant, but the house’s structure carried it clearly enough for her to hear.  Before she even fully realized what she’d done, the cards had fallen from her hands and she was on her feet with one hand on the holstered Taurus.
    “Front door.” Austin said, rising to his knees.  That put him nearly as tall as her even though she was standing.
    Jessica drew the stainless