Seattle Quake 9.2 Read Online Free Page A

windows broke and one back porch slumped, but no one died or was seriously injured. At ten p.m. he helped Max shut down the station.
    *
    The earthquake was over. Or was it?  Directly below the city of Seattle, the enormous shelves tested the strength of the newest snag.
    *
    By the next day, Collin had questions, serious questions. "Folks, I'm looking for the name of a good book on Earthquakes. If you know of one, call in.  Meanwhile, our friend Louise has been kind enough to stay on the line while we took our little station break. Louise, are you still with us?"
    "Like I said, I'm real tired of you young folks trying to run me down when I try to cross the street. Slow down! My feet don't go as fast as they once did."
    "How old are you, Louise?"
    "Ninety-four. I've lived through four wars and ‘twas'nt a one as dangerous as crossing Third Avenue during rush hour. Tell them to slow down, afore they splat me clear across the road."
    "I'll tell them, Louise. Do you still live on your own?"
    "Sure do, Hazel died, you know."
    "No, I didn't know. I'm sorry."
    "Well I'm not, meanest nurse you ever did see. My granddaughter lives with me now. She's forty-three and don't cook so good, but we manage. Well, that's all I got to say." With that, Louise hung up.
    Collin chuckled and looked at Max, "That's what I like about the older generation, they get right to the point. And before I forget, here's tomorrow's excuse for not going to work -- someone pulled the wiring out of my car. Okay, let's get back to the earthquake question.  If you know of a well written, informative book on the subject, let me know. What I don't get is, some people felt the earthquake and some didn't. Why is that?"
    With his feet on his console, his hanging microphone lowered to his mouth and his blond hair pulled back, Max grinned, "We're on a hill. People who felt it were on hills. People who didn't, either live farther away or are in the low-lands."
    "In that case, I say we move the station."
    "Can't. Can't afford the rent anywhere else."
    "Figures." Collin sipped his coffee and went on, "And now for other news.  Remember Jan Farnsworth, the woman who claims Winston Churchill tells her the future?  Well, it seems the ghostly Mister Churchill wasn‘t as forthcoming as he might have been. The body of Jan Farnsworth was found in a hotel room in Portland early this morning. The cause of death has not been determined."
    Collin intentionally paused before he went on, "Now this is interesting. The Aircraft Carrier USS Carl Vincent is due to arrive next month for maintenance and repairs. Man those babies are beautiful and a real pleasure to watch. We don't see a lot of Aircraft Carriers in Colorado and in my opinion, they are the essence of well spent, hard earned American tax dollars.
    And guess what else folks, the Medical Profession has issued yet another public awareness announcement. You know, those fillers the mega-media uses on their nightly news … when they're out of real news to report.  Well, now they claim smoking causes cancer in cats.  I ask you, who can afford to let their cat smoke?  And why aren't all the cats dead by now?  I smoke and…" He hesitated and watched Max through the window. Right on cue, Max played Chubby Checker's, "I feel fine," interrupted by the sound of uncontrollable coughing.
     
    Days Later
     
    The oldest of the three, Carl Kingsley was a tall, slender man with blond hair and mischievous brown eyes. His beloved air crane was the same one he'd flown in the Viet Nam War, later convinced the army to sell and floated an enormous loan to buy.  His air crane was his one true love and when she stood idle on her landing pad, he delighted in checking the engine or climbing a ladder to polish her bubble face. Even now, he still chuckled at the thought of his ex-wife's failed drug company.
    To outsiders, the three made an odd trio -- Jackie usually dressed as though she stepped out of a magazine, Michael was the epitome of a