Avalon: The Retreat Read Free

were the most important priority to him right now and he knew he needed to make the meeting.

    The scene quickly slipped away as Mike entered a creek bed in which he traveled for a few minutes before pulling out. He then crossed a field of clover and noticed there were a few cows that grazed leisurely. He stopped and cut the barbed wire, and once through, he mended the fence with the extra wire he had placed there long ago, wrapping it around the post during his planning of this route.
    It was simply one more detail that had become part of his plan. He wasn’t a vandal, after all, and he wasn’t going to leave an opening for the farm animals to escape. If they did later, it wouldn’t be because of anything he had done. Perhaps it seemed a petty thing to do but in his mind, it was the right thing to do. He made good time and soon noticed a stand of thick woods ahead. As he thought about it, he decided it could be a dangerous area, perhaps the ideal place for an ambush by unfriendly people.
    It was early, he knew; the proverbial balloon had just popped in which Middle Eastern extremists had set off a small suitcase-type nuclear bomb in the middle of Atlanta, Georgia. Not that any type of nuclear bomb was actually small. Another was detonated only minutes later in Washington, D.C. He didn’t know it yet, but the death toll was soaring. It climbed as quickly as the mushroom clouds that had already begun to swirl up into the heavens on the East Coast.
    The deaths of 9/11 paled in comparison to what had just happened and the loss of American lives in a matter of days would eventually exceed the casualties of the Revolutionary War, Civil War, Vietnam, Korea, and World Wars I and II combined. The overwhelming carnage and casualties swamped police and hospitals, essentially rendering them ineffective during the initial onslaught. Thousands of accidents on the freeways and highways added to the ensuing massacre.
    People panicked and ran in every direction, not really knowing where to go or what to do. Their instinctive fight or flight mechanism had been activated and since they could see nothing to fight, they ran.
    Mike continued toward the woods, but just before entering, he decided to turn and go around the thick clump of trees. He understood the cost of losing even a little time. Going around the woods might add an extra fifteen minutes to the trip, but his gut told him it was the best choice, so he gave the area a wide berth.
    As he passed the particular section of trees that had concerned him most, people came out. They had rocks and clubs in their hands and though he was armed, he likely would not have been able to defend against the lot of them. He knew his instincts were good and had likely just saved his life.
    He ate up the countryside on the 250X and left the people on the outskirts of the wooded area jumping up and down and shaking their fists at him. In another moment, they were gone from view. He was grateful he had trusted his intuition and listened to the inner voice that had saved him again, just as it had in Bosnia.
    The miles were devoured as he rode, and he knew it was only a few more minutes until he would turn to the left and approach the first cache. He stopped a short distance away and took out the binoculars. As he scanned the area, it appeared safe enough, but he saw there were two other dirt bikes there. They were hidden, tucked into the brush and partially obscured, but not from his trained eyes.
    He recognized the bikes, knowing their riders, and they knew his too. At first glance, they remained hidden, but they showed themselves as he approached. They had already started digging, and had stopped when they heard him coming.
    Mike parked his bike with the others and took off his backpack in order to help them dig. The one who had most recently dug assumed the guard. It was Caroline, an ER registered nurse, and an important member of the unit. She was also beautiful.
    Mike and she were close.

Chapter 2