Crossing Savage Read Online Free Page B
Author: Dave Edlund
Tags: Fiction, thriller, Novel, energy independence, alternative energy, Peter Savage
The world was strangely silent, both eardrums shattered by the explosions; blood trickled from his nose and ears. His right hand felt wet, and it was very hard to breathe.
He thought of Mary and Madelineâtheir golden hair bouncing as they ran toward himâsmiling, laughing. He was sure he could hear their giggles.
Oddly, Jeremy thought he was having a bad dream, a horrible nightmare. Somehow, in his mind, he was looking down at himself lying on the green, cool grass at home, and Mary and Madeline were tugging at his sleeve, begging him to wake up. He could hear them and feel their touch, but he could not make his eyes open.
All he had to do was open his eyes and the nightmare would be over, but he couldnât shake the slumber. It was so strange, he thought, being able to look upon his prone body sleeping while his daughters frantically tried to wake him.
Then his mind focused again on their bright, innocent faces framed in wavy blond hair, just like their motherâs. Only now they were shouting to him.
âDaddy! Daddy! Wake up! Please, wake up!â
He wanted so much to reach out and hug them, to tell them how much he loved them, how much he loved their mother. He thought of his beloved wife, how beautiful she was, her warm embrace.
Then a stabbing, slicing pain racked Jeremyâs body as his conscious mind fought to regain awareness. He felt wetness in his eyes and on his face. As his broken body lay on the floor, his lips were moving, mumbling a prayer that he would somehow survive this horror and hold his precious children and wife again.
At the thought of his family his subconscious psyche mercifully took him again to paradise. He was holding Mary and Madeline, squeezing them in a warm embrace; he was sure he could feel their delicate arms wrapped around his waist. In his mind it was all so real. He tried to stretch his left hand out to touch Maryâs head and rustle her curly locks, but his battered body wouldnât move.
Jeremy could see Mary and Madeline, smilingâ¦
Calling to himâ¦
Pleading with himâ¦
But he couldnât move, he couldnât touch them.
And then his vision went black.
His prayer, like all the others voiced that morning, would not be answered.
Chapter 2
September 12
Bend, Oregon
The afternoon was sunny and warm , with barely a breeze and not a cloud in the sky. With luck, this weather would hold for the weekend. One never could be sureâautumn in Central Oregon was more often than not a mixed bag. Peter could remember more than one Halloween when he had taken his two children trick-or-treating in snow. Still, it was early Septemberâthe shoulder season between an all-too-short summer and an even shorter fall. If the weather was this nice tomorrow, Peter planned to take his canoe up to Todd Lake and try his luck at fishing.
He and Maggie had often visited Todd Lake, nestled between Mt. Bachelor and Broken Top, the aptly-named remnant of a long-extinct volcano. They would pack a picnic lunch and bring towels for the kids so they could splash in the cold, blue water. And it was at Todd Lake that Peter and Maggie chose the names for their two children. But that was a long time agoâa time of boundless love and endless possibilities, when a lifetime to share still lay before them.
As hard as Peter tried to keep those memories locked away, they would occasionally rise to his consciousness, threatening to claw away his sanity.
He shook his head and turned his eyes again to the calculation displayed on his computer monitor. He knew he needed to focus on interpreting these equations, but his mind resisted, constantly wandering in a different direction. He glanced at the timeâ4:20. Late enough, he thought. Besides, depending on his mood he might come back to the calculations in the evening; that was just one of the benefits and curses of living above his office and workshop.
Many times he found that the soft crackling of a fire and a
He thought of Mary and Madelineâtheir golden hair bouncing as they ran toward himâsmiling, laughing. He was sure he could hear their giggles.
Oddly, Jeremy thought he was having a bad dream, a horrible nightmare. Somehow, in his mind, he was looking down at himself lying on the green, cool grass at home, and Mary and Madeline were tugging at his sleeve, begging him to wake up. He could hear them and feel their touch, but he could not make his eyes open.
All he had to do was open his eyes and the nightmare would be over, but he couldnât shake the slumber. It was so strange, he thought, being able to look upon his prone body sleeping while his daughters frantically tried to wake him.
Then his mind focused again on their bright, innocent faces framed in wavy blond hair, just like their motherâs. Only now they were shouting to him.
âDaddy! Daddy! Wake up! Please, wake up!â
He wanted so much to reach out and hug them, to tell them how much he loved them, how much he loved their mother. He thought of his beloved wife, how beautiful she was, her warm embrace.
Then a stabbing, slicing pain racked Jeremyâs body as his conscious mind fought to regain awareness. He felt wetness in his eyes and on his face. As his broken body lay on the floor, his lips were moving, mumbling a prayer that he would somehow survive this horror and hold his precious children and wife again.
At the thought of his family his subconscious psyche mercifully took him again to paradise. He was holding Mary and Madeline, squeezing them in a warm embrace; he was sure he could feel their delicate arms wrapped around his waist. In his mind it was all so real. He tried to stretch his left hand out to touch Maryâs head and rustle her curly locks, but his battered body wouldnât move.
Jeremy could see Mary and Madeline, smilingâ¦
Calling to himâ¦
Pleading with himâ¦
But he couldnât move, he couldnât touch them.
And then his vision went black.
His prayer, like all the others voiced that morning, would not be answered.
Chapter 2
September 12
Bend, Oregon
The afternoon was sunny and warm , with barely a breeze and not a cloud in the sky. With luck, this weather would hold for the weekend. One never could be sureâautumn in Central Oregon was more often than not a mixed bag. Peter could remember more than one Halloween when he had taken his two children trick-or-treating in snow. Still, it was early Septemberâthe shoulder season between an all-too-short summer and an even shorter fall. If the weather was this nice tomorrow, Peter planned to take his canoe up to Todd Lake and try his luck at fishing.
He and Maggie had often visited Todd Lake, nestled between Mt. Bachelor and Broken Top, the aptly-named remnant of a long-extinct volcano. They would pack a picnic lunch and bring towels for the kids so they could splash in the cold, blue water. And it was at Todd Lake that Peter and Maggie chose the names for their two children. But that was a long time agoâa time of boundless love and endless possibilities, when a lifetime to share still lay before them.
As hard as Peter tried to keep those memories locked away, they would occasionally rise to his consciousness, threatening to claw away his sanity.
He shook his head and turned his eyes again to the calculation displayed on his computer monitor. He knew he needed to focus on interpreting these equations, but his mind resisted, constantly wandering in a different direction. He glanced at the timeâ4:20. Late enough, he thought. Besides, depending on his mood he might come back to the calculations in the evening; that was just one of the benefits and curses of living above his office and workshop.
Many times he found that the soft crackling of a fire and a
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