Operation Z-Day (The Raven Falconer Chronicles) Read Free

went up instantly, into which Raven thrust a quickly scribbled note, providing instructions on what they each could do to expedite her departure.
    Raven’s first stop was her summer employer.  The owner of the coffee shop had mixed feelings about letting his best staff member leave for a full month, but he preferred to give her the time rather than force her to quit.  He was a sound businessman who understood it was the pretty girl’s face and cheerful smile that drove his business and certainly not the second-rate coffee he sold at a premium.  However, he insisted she be gone for no more than a month and he even managed a heartfelt, “Good luck,” as she’d scooted out the door.
    The friends, with directions in hand, scurried about Western C algary, buying up the things Raven would need to sustain her for the month.  By 9:00 p.m. they were back at the condo, packing items into boxes and checking them off the list as they went.  “I think you’ve done it.” Raven excitedly confirmed.
    “ Did any of you feel like things were a little crazy out there tonight?” Hannah inquired.  The friends stopped what they were doing and looked at her.  “What?  Don’t tell me you didn’t see or feel it.”
    “ You mean the paranoid and perplexed that were mobbing the stores?” Bobi questioned, clutching at her throat, as if suddenly overtaken by some invisible bug.
    “ Exactly!” Hannah replied, shifting her weight to throw a shoulder into the comic.  Bobi winced, pulling away and rubbing her bosom where she'd taken the strike.
    “ Happens every year.  Flu hits and people empty the store shelves in case they’re stranded at home for a prolonged period of time.  Don’t you remember last year when people were begging for Tamiflu and there wasn’t enough to go around?” Bobi asked, in hopes it would calm any burgeoning fears.
    The packing done, the girls plopped down on the chairs and couch that faced the well-used fireplace.  In years past, they’d all faced flu season with mixed results.  Mick was the most prone to exposure, due to the nature of her work with small children, but each had taken their turn in bed for a few days as the others acted as nurse s and comforters.  The women suspected this year would be no different.
    Raven sat in an overstuffed armchair and pulled her knees to her chest.  She wrapped her arms around her shins before she shifted the conversation away from illness to something more upbeat.  “I’ll print out a detailed map so you won’t get lost on the way to the cabin.  Is there anything else you guys can think of that we need to discuss before I leave in the morning?”
    “ Take your cell charger,” Hannah reminded her.  “We’ll let you know in a few days which weekend we’ll be coming.”
    “ Thanks Hannah.  Let’s say our goodbyes tonight so I don’t have to wake you in the morning.  I’m gonna try to get out of here early to avoid rush hour.”  The friends sat in silence for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts.  It was Raven who broke the comfortable stillness.  “I’ve got to get to bed if I’m driving early.”  Raven hugged each friend just a second or two longer than she usually did, saving Mick for last.  “You take care of these two,” she said, nodding her head at Bobi and Hannah.
    “ You know I will.  You on the other hand, will have to fend for yourself.  Be careful out there.  Avoid the bears and the local ‘wild-life’, if you know what I’m talking about?”
    “ Yes, I will and yes, I do.  Nothing but writing with the occasional nap for me.”  Raven pulled her long-time friend close and whispered in her ear, “Love you Mick, thanks for being there for me.”  The two separated, slightly misty-eyed and emotional.
    “ This is ridiculous – we’re seeing you in just a few days.  What could happen?  For heaven’s sake, really, what could happen?” Mick concluded, before pushing Raven in the direction of their shared