Page 12 of Ash Fall

"He'll likely be at the warehouse with the others," Torrin tells her. "We're going there next. The plan is to free the soldiers from Ashford's control and release everyone being held. You can go home and lock your doors until your husband gets back, or you can stay with us if you want."

I lower the tailgate and offer the woman my hand. She studies me for several seconds before taking it. Her little boy clings to her neck while I help them down, glaring at me the entire time.

I give him a small nod for his good instincts.

Charlie and Foster mumble apologies and cut the restraints off the people who were bound. Most of the civilians choose to go, moving quickly down driveways and between houses, watching the soldiers warily until they put enough distance between themselves and the truck.

An older man with his cardigan buttoned up unevenly folds his arms. "My wife disappeared yesterday. I'm staying with you to go find her."

Three others have decided to come with us as well, all of them looking for someone that has gone missing.

Torrin looks at the people who have decided to stay with us and go to the warehouse. "Look, I need to be clear about something. We are going to the warehouse because we know our friends are there and we think we can get them out. But this could be dangerous, we are talking about confronting a bunch of trained, armed soldiers that are under orders to capture us. This could go horribly wrong and I don’t know that we can protect you. So, if you come, you take your chances."

All four of them look hesitantly at each other before cardigan man speaks. "We’re going. We have people too."

Just as we’re about to jump into the back, the ground heaves under our boots knocking us down to the pavement. The earthquake or whatever it is rocks and rolls for at least two minutes before everything settles back down again. The three soldiers slowly climb back to their feet while Torrin hauls me up to mine.

"What the hell is causing that?" I ask as a car alarm blares from down the street.

One of the soldiers looks around warily. "We heard on the radio that seismic activity has increased all over the world due to the stronger gravitational pull from the moon being closer."

"Great, let’s just add that to the shit show list we’re dealing with."

Charlie gets in the back with us while the other two get into the cab. As the engine starts, Charlie leans toward us.

"The rest of the patrol is one street over. There’s four of them, plus whoever they've loaded. Corporal Thenton is running that section." His mouth tightens into a grimace. "He's one of the hardcases I mentioned. Ashford didn't have to force him very hard."

Torrin looks at me and I nod. This probably isn't going to stay easy for long.

The truck rolls around the corner before stopping behind another military vehicle. Two soldiers are forcing people out of a blue two-story house at gunpoint. An elderly couple stands near the curb beside a teenage girl wearing pajama pants and a man who is still holding a spatula. A third soldier waits beside the truck with a clipboard, and the fourth stands near the cab with a radio handset at his ear.

The stripes on the fourth man's uniform tell me he's Thenton.

Charlie and Foster march Torrin and me toward them with their rifles positioned to sell the prisoner act. Torrin's shoulder brushes mine once as we walk.

Twenty feet away, the soldier with the clipboard notices us. "Charlie's lot found two more, Corp."

Thenton lowers the handset and turns.

I understand Charlie's warning as soon as I see his face. There's nothing confused or reluctant about him. He looks us over slowly before smirking.

"Where the hell is Davey?" He clips the radio back onto his vest and starts toward us. "And why aren't these two zipped? Charlie, you thick..."

Torrin steps forward. "All four of you, lower your weapons and then remain still. Do not touch your radios. You can speak when I ask you a question."

Every weapon lowers. Then all four soldiers stop moving.

Momentum causes the clipboard to fall to the ground because the soldier holding it can’t move his hand. Thenton freezes mid-step with one boot slightly forward, his entire body held in position.

Torrin doesn't waste time. "The orders Colonel Ashford gave no longer control you. You will ignore them. The people you were ordered to round up are not your enemy."

I watch them for their reaction, ready to call my shadows if it looks like something is wrong.

"Fuck," one whispers.

Thenton glares but says nothing.

Torrin changes the command. "You can move and speak normally now. You cannot touch your weapons or radios, leave, warn Colonel Ashford, or hurt anyone here unless I tell you otherwise."