The Long Fall of Night: The Long Fall of Night Book 1 Read Online Free Page A

have time to wait while you work it out.” He stalked off toward his apartment, not intending to go there but working up the nerve for the first two things on his to-do list: steal a car and get more supplies than he’d been able to fit in his bugout bag.
    “I’m not stupid, you know. So the city is out. How do you know it’s bigger, Ash?” Elliot almost whined, keeping pace despite Ash’s long, purposeful strides.
    “Have you got a phone?” Elliot pulled an iPhone out of his pocket and waved it. “Try to turn it on,” Ash instructed. The screen remained stubbornly black. “It’s fried. A regular power outage doesn’t do that.”
    Elliot threw up his hands. “What are you saying? This is a solar flare or something odd that took out the whole country?”
    Ash stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, a frisson of fear dragging up his spine like a resurrected zombie shambling for brains. If Elliot wasn’t coming, he needed to ditch the kid before he got to the illegal stuff, and it clearly wasn’t happening until he explained what he knew. He was uncomfortable enough with breaking more than the underage drinking laws. Last thing he wanted was a witness or to get Elliot in trouble. “I don’t know. I have no evidence for anything. All I know is my uncle, who keeps his ear to the ground about foreign stuff and terrorists and shit like that, called and told me if something unusual happened, to get out of the city. He sent me an email and said to be prepared. I need to get to my sister and nephew before any inmates do. I’m not going to sit around and wait for this place to descend into Lord of the Flies. ”
    Elliot stared at him, confused, eyebrows furrowed but opening his mouth to ask another question.
    Ash lost patience and snapped, “Are you staying here or coming with me?” Elliot’s eyes went wide. Ash got right in his face, their lips an inch apart. “If you’re staying, I’m gonna kiss you goodbye and walk away. Five seconds.” He paused long enough to count down, while at the same time, giving Elliot a thorough eye-fuck for old time’s sake. Elliot’s skin reddened, and he demurely dropped his gaze.
    “Time,” Ash said softly, then kissed his lab partner for all he was worth, with full body contact, holding his head captive with one hand and pressing his other into the small of Elliot’s back. Delving into Elliot’s mouth, he groaned when his startled partner got over his surprise and kissed back with equal fervor, the caress of tongues and clash of teeth not usual for them. Hell, the kissing was unusual. Ash was almost instantly hard and regretting there was no time for this. With one last sweep of his tongue between Elliot’s lips, he pulled back and looked into Elliot’s eyes. “Then I guess this is goodbye.” He ignored the pang in his chest, swinging around and striding away.

2
    CHAPTER TWO
    Day 1
    New York City, New York
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    D eep into that darkness peering , long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before.
    —Edgar Allen Poe
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    E LLIOT STARED AFTER ASH , indecision freezing him in place while his lips throbbed in time with his heartbeat. Ash was only half a block away when he became indiscernible from the inky shadows. There was a nearly full moon, so the edges of shapes held pearly highlights, hulking buildings cast shadows, and people scuttled like roaches fleeing sudden movement. Still, Elliot stood immobile.
    He’s crazy, was his first thought.
    What if he’s right?
    What if I get stuck here when the power doesn’t come back?
    What if I go with him? Worst case, I’m covered, and if he’s wrong, I’ve missed a few classes. Like they’ll have class anyway with no power.
    Remembering the way Ash had looked him over, like he wanted to lick every inch of skin, Elliot’s face heated and his dick throbbed against the placket of his jeans.
    Shut up, he scolded his treacherous body, even as his feet carried him after