As The World Dies Untold Tales Volume 3 Read Free

shouldn’t know throughout his life. Whatever gave him the ability to see and communicate with ghosts also gave him precognition about death.
    Today, he felt the weight of millions upon millions of deaths upon him.
    “Why, Lord, why me?” Rune cried out. “Why do I have this burden to bear?”
    The only answer was the breeze blowing through the boughs of the tree above his head.
     
     

     
     
     
    Chapter 3
     
    The Perdernales River was freezing cold, but Rune ignored that fact as he quickly and thoroughly cleaned off several days of stink from his body. Crouched on the flat rocks buck naked, he wasn’t worried about being caught by the highway patrol anymore. He hadn’t seen a soul since he had broken camp and traveled along a country road to find a place to clean up and get himself sorted out.
    The hangover was gone, but the heartache remained. The words of his daughter that he had considered a curse hours before now felt like a prophecy. He had to stay alive and fulfill his destiny. Rune was a ruthless son of a bitch about certain things, but he was deadly serious when it came to his spirituality. Though he was deeply grieved that his daughter and grandson were gone, he was also comforted by the fact that they were no longer afraid or in pain. They were with the Good Lord , and the Good Lord apparently had a job for him to do.
    Shivering violently, he finished washing his body and quickly dried himself with a towel from his bags. The warmth of the overhead sun gave him some respite while he hurriedly pulled on his socks, underwear, jeans, undershirt, and heavy boots. Braiding his long white hair with deft fingers, he glanced over his shoulder at his bike at the edge of the road. Its brand new paint job reflected the sun, shining like a sapphire.
    “Charlene, it’s just you and me babe,” he said sadly. “Just you and me.”
    Tugging on a long sleeved shirt and his leather vest, he craned his head to the north, then the south. The road remained empty. If not for the birds chirping in the trees, it would be easy to believe that everything in the world was dead but him. Strapping on his holster, Rune checked both of his Glocks to make sure they were fully loaded.
    On impulse, he tried making a call one more time and got the same damn message. “Fuck me, all circuits are busy.” He tossed the useless piece of junk into his bag with a grunt. Tying his folded bandana around his head and donning his leather jacket, Rune picked up his bags and headed toward Charlene.
    “Mister! Mister!” a woman’s voice called out.
    Swinging about, Rune stared across the sparky flowing water at a woman standing on the opposite side of the narrow river. The breeze ruffled her curly brown hair and blew her blue and white dress against her legs. She waved at him with both arms, desperation in her actions.
    “Please! I need your help!”
    “What’s up?” Rune asked cautiously. He fastened his bags to the bike, but kept an eye on her.
    “This is going to sound crazy, but one of my husband’s friends showed up very early this morning feeling poorly. My husband was going to drive him into town to go to the doctor, but then Jim—the friend—got really, really sick. Then he started attacking my husband and it got all...” The woman faltered, looking back over her shoulder. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him.”
    “Where is he now?” Rune searched the terrain behind her, but didn’t spot anything moving.
    “I...” she hesitated. “My husband said to take the kids and run.”
    “Where are your kids?” Rune set his hands on his hips, but only so they were closer to his holster.
    Looking over her shoulder, the woman fell silent.
    “Ma’am?”
    “I’m not sure.” Fear and bewilderment filled her voice. “They were with me.”
    “Is your house nearby? Did they maybe double back?” Rune studied the landscape surrounding them. He hadn’t seen a house, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t one tucked out of the