Free Apocalypse Asunder by David Rogers Page A

steel pistol and clicked the safety off.  “Are you sure?” she asked as she pulled on the slide to load it.
    “Yeah, pretty sure.” he grunted as he pushed himself from knees to feet in one swift motion that left him upright but swaying slightly.  She caught the wince that went across his face as he rose, even though he tried to cover it with a brisk expression.
    “Okay, I’ll check it out.”
    “We’ll check it out.” Austin corrected her.
    “What happened to me being in charge?”
    “Jessica, it’s dark with a new moon.  What kind of squaddie lets his leader wander around in that alone?”
    “I need—” Jessica began, but she cut herself off and settled for a fast eye flick toward Candice.  The girl had risen with the adults, slower to be sure, but now she stood watching and listening.  Another thumping came from downstairs, followed by a splintering sound of breaking wood.
    “Not after dark.” Austin said as he produced one of his pistols and clicked off the safety.  Covering and protecting Candice had been discussed, frequently, but actual incidents had been rare in the weeks since leaving Knoxville.
    Jessica studied Austin for another couple of seconds, then looked at her daughter.  “Candy Bear, lock the door after we leave.  Hide under the bed.  Stay there until me or Austin get back.  You understand?”  She leaned down and blew out the candle they’d been using for light, plunging the room into near darkness.
    “Yes.” Candice said, nodding once.
    “Stay quiet, stay hidden.” Jessica repeated.
    “I got it Mom.” the girl insisted.
    Another complicated breaking and splintering sound came from downstairs, followed by some more thumps.  “Door just got broken down.” Austin said.
    “Okay, back me up.” Jessica said, moving to the bedroom door.
    “Right with you.”
    Jessica paused long enough to crack the door open – with her foot and shoulder planted to keep it from opening more than that bit of a crack – for a quick look and listen.  She didn’t see anything in the upstairs hallway, but she heard someone moving around downstairs.  “Something.” she thought as she heard the loud, uncoordinated footsteps.  “Several somethings.”
    She kept a small flashlight in her pocket these days, and now she pulled it out and arranged it in her left hand, then settled both hands to put flashlight and pistol next to each other like Austin had taught her.  It felt weird, and the mass of the gun was uncomfortable in only her right hand, but it was that or shoot blindly in the dark.  The flashlight couldn’t control itself.  Drawing a slow breath, she stepped back and nudged the door fully open with her foot.
    The hall was still empty.  She moved out and headed for the stairwell, staying on the balls of her feet and moving as quietly as she could.  Behind her Austin moved with silent grace that still amazed her; even hurt, even as big and tall as he was, he was scary good at this sort of thing.  Her feet were making slight noises on the floor, but she couldn’t hear him at all.  His presence was reassuring as she edged toward the top of the stairs.
    Then the bedroom door closed behind her.  Not loudly , but it was definitely a door being closed, and the sound carried in the darkness.
    “Hello?” a man’s voice called from the first floor.  Obviously the door’s closing had carried all the way downstairs.
    “Larry!” a woman hissed.
    “What?”
    “Don’t do that.”
    “What?”
    Jessica reached the stairwell and put herself against the wall as she looked down.  Austin was right, it was quite dark in the house without any serious amount of moonlight filtering through the windows.  But there was just enough weak and begrudged illumination for her to recognize a humanoid shape approaching the stairs.  A long, different shape was in its hands, some sort of weapon.  A long gun.
    “Stop right there.” Jessica said loudly before crouching down behind the shelving