Darkness Remains: Sequel to Darkness Falls Read online

  DARKNESS REMAINS

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Darkness Remains

  CHAPTER 1

  CHAPTER 2

  CHAPTER 3

  CHAPTER 4

  CHAPTER 5

  CHAPTER 6

  CHAPTER 7

  CHAPTER 8

  CHAPTER 9

  CHAPTER 10

  CHAPTER 11

  CHAPTER 12

  CHAPTER 13

  CHAPTER 14

  CHAPTER 15

  CHAPTER 16

  CHAPTER 17

  CHAPTER 18

  CHAPTER 19

  CHAPTER 20

  CHAPTER 21

  CHAPTER 22

  CHAPTER 23

  CHAPTER 24

  CHAPTER 25

  CHAPTER 26

  CHAPTER 27

  CHAPTER 28

  CHAPTER 29

  CHAPTER 30

  CHAPTER 31

  CHAPTER 32

  CHAPTER 33

  CHAPTER 34

  CHAPTER 35

  CHAPTER 36

  CHAPTER 37

  CHAPTER 38

  CHAPTER 39

  EPILOGUE

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  DARKNESS REMAINS

  By

  KC Luck

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination and/or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons - either living or dead - is entirely coincidental.

  COPYRIGHT © 2018 KC Luck

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever.

  COVER

  ART

  BY

  MAY

  DAWNEY

  Designs

  (https://covers.maydawney.com/)

  20180904

  Thank you for your interest in Darkness Remains. I sincerely hope you enjoy the story. It was a pleasure to write. If you find time, a review, or even better, a referral to another reader, is always appreciated.

  Please enjoy!

  KC

  CHAPTER 1

  he smells of hay, horses, and leather were some of Sam TQuinn's favorite scents in the world. She felt at home as she walked into the Oregon State University's horse center.

  Some of the majestic animals were already missing from their stalls, and she wondered how many of her veterinary studies peers had the same idea she did. It was time to get out of Corvallis and horseback was a smart way to travel.

  Following a super solar storm, the power had been off for a week. Although all normal channels were out, a friend in the communications department confirmed a few transmissions had been received over the university's shortwave radio network. The news was grim. A planet-wide blackout, with no end in sight, had set the world back a hundred years. All modern conveniences that relied on electricity were rendered useless. Societal collapse was already in motion, particularly in the larger cities. For Sam, this meant it was an excellent time to bug out, and with vehicles quickly becoming useless without access to fuel, she planned to go by horse. Luckily, she had one available, or at least she sort of did. Lester, a ten-year-old quarter horse, was actually owned by the university, however, he had been assigned to her when she was a freshman as part of her vet studies. Now, four years later, the beast was her best friend. There was no way she was leaving him behind.

  Sam turned down the row of stalls where Lester spent his time when she was not working with him and saw his sizeable brown head poking out over the gate. If she didn't know better, she would say he had been waiting for her to show up. Sam grinned as Lester tossed his head with a

  nicker of hello. “Good to see you too, buddy,” Sam said, reaching him and running a loving hand down his cheek.

  “Ready for a little adventure?” Lester nuzzled her neck in response and she chuckled. “I figured as much.” Just as she began to open the door to his stall, she heard footsteps on the concrete floor behind her.

  “Hello, Samantha,” said a man’s voice. Sam turned to see Ben Wilson, the barn manager, walking toward her.

  Even though he was a good man and Sam had great respect for him, he was the last person she wanted to see. Her mouth went dry as she considered her options.

  “Hello, Mr. Wilson,” she said, waiting to hear what else he had to say. Considering she had a full backpack on her shoulders and a .22 rifle at her side, there was no sense in trying to explain the obvious. He came to stand beside her.

  When Lester turned to him, the man touched the horse with affection.

  “Taking Lester out for some exercise?” he said, not looking at Sam.

  Sam swallowed. “Yes, sir,” she said softly. The two of them stood quietly for a minute while Mr. Wilson stroked Lester’s muzzle.

  Finally, he turned to her. She saw a look of sadness in his eyes. “Good,” he said. “He needs the attention. Just be careful, okay?” he said.

  Sam nodded. She could feel the waves of resignation coming off of the man. “Everything okay, Mr. Wilson?” she asked. “I mean, under the circumstances?”

  The man let his eyes drift to the floor, rubbing the toe of his boot at a faint spot of dirt before letting out a long sigh.

  “My wife is diabetic. Since she was a baby,” he said softly. Sam felt her stomach sink. “Without power, the insulin ...” He shrugged, and Sam did not know what to say.

  There will be a lot of this in the days ahead, she thought. As medications run out. All the more reason to stay clear of people. As if reading her thoughts, Mr. Wilson lifted his eyes

  and looked hard into hers. “Which direction are you going?”

  he asked.

  “West first,” Sam answered. “Then North up the coast into Canada probably. I have family in Alaska.”

  Mr. Wilson raised his eyebrows. “That’s quite a distance,”

  he said.

  Sam nodded. “It is, but I'm in no rush,” she said, and it was true. Sam was twenty-six, had no possessions but what was in her backpack. She had no agenda and no real destination. As if satisfied with her answer, Mr. Wilson looked away again and stared at the floor. The silence grew long, and finally, Sam cleared her throat. “Well, sir, I think I'll get Lester saddled up and head out.” The statement seemed to snap Mr. Wilson back to the present and he blinked.

  “Right,” he said. “Of course.” He clapped a hand on Sam's shoulder. “Be safe,” he said and walked away. Sam watched him leave for a moment and then turned to Lester to get busy. It was time to go.

  TAKING IN THE SIGHT of the dozens of fire-damaged buildings, Taylor Barnes drove the Honda Pilot through the ruined neighborhood. When the city's hospital caught fire, and then exploded as the flames found the oxygen tanks, the fire had spread into the nearby community. Only a heavy Oregon rain shower had stopped the disaster from wiping out the entire city. Now, however, the twenty blocks impacted looked similar to warzones, which Taylor had seen when she was a military police officer in the Army. “I had no idea,” Jackie Scott breathed from beside her in the passenger seat. Instinctively, Taylor took the beautiful woman's hand, squeezing it gently.

  “Are you sure you still want to help with this?” she asked.

  “Anna will be over at the high school working with patients.

  They always need volunteers there.”

  Jackie shook her head. “No,” she said. “I want to be here to help Andres and Ramona.” Taylor glanced over at Jackie, and smiled. She knew the woman she loved was well out of her comfort zone. After a career of kicking ass in boardrooms for a prominent designer magazine in Seattle, the idea that she was about to sift through the ashes of ruined buildings to help her new friends was admirable.

  “They appreciate it,” Taylor said, stopping behind the truck pulling over in front of her. She watched Jackie’s sister, Lexi Scott, climb out of the driver’s side while her friend Andres slid out of the other. Turning off the engine, Taylor looked at Jackie. “You’re going to get dirty,” she said with a playful smile.

  Jackie rolled her eyes. “I can handle it,” she said, starting to pull her hand away from Taylor’s. Taylor held tight. “You’ll need a shower afterward,” she said, her voice intentionally husky.

  Now Jackie tilted her head as she took in Taylor’s look.

  “What are you suggesting?” she asked, letting her eyes turn sultry.

  Taylor felt a bloom of heat start low in her belly. Damn, this woman is trouble, she thought. Even though they slept wrapped in each other’s arms every night, she had yet to make love to her. But I’ll wait as long as it takes. No doubt seeing Taylor’s hungry look, Jackie blushed and then successfully pulled her hand away as she opened the car door.

  “You’re only making this harder on yourself, Taylor Barnes,” she said and got out. Taylor sighed as she opened her own door. The woman was right, but in her heart, she would not change it for the world.

  LAURA KENNEDY WALKED down the sidewalk and tried to keep from crying. Why does she have to be so awful? Laura thought as she remembered her sister-in-law’s harsh words over their meager breakfast of oatmeal that morning. It’s not like I want to live there. Still, the other woman all but accused Laura of taking the food out of her children's mouths. The problem was Laura had no other choice but to stay with them. When the hospital fire ravished her neighborhood, the old bungalow she lovingly brought back to life and furnished with her mothe
r's antiques burned.

  Almost everything Laura owned was consumed by the flames. All she had been able to do was stand back and watch. No fireman had come and the bucket brigade which formed, as heroic as they were, was only able to do so much. Only the rain kept the entire lot from turning into nothing but ash. But close to it, she thought, turning the corner and wandering to where her house had once stood.

  She stopped and looked at the few remaining blackened walls. The roof had collapsed. Most of the building had fallen inward, no doubt making the site hazardous, but Laura did not care. She had been waiting for the rain to stop so she could come and sort through whatever was left. Finally, today the sun was out. Nothing would prevent her from searching now.

  Looking around, she saw a lot of families had the same idea. Cars and trucks lined the block. Grim-faced people moved with shovels and crowbars through the ruined structures. Tears threatened again as she watched the despair on so many faces. Knowing hers looked the same, she brushed a long, blonde lock of hair out of her face while focusing on the task ahead. Seeing the front door was gone, Laura walked around the side of the house. She found an opening where a wall used to be, and she stopped to look

  into the living room. Black mud covered the once polished wood floors and only one corner of her prized wool rug shown through. Suddenly, Laura just wanted to turn around and leave. Doing the task alone would be too hard and, being a loner by nature, she had no one to ask for help. It’s hopeless, she thought and sank down on her knees. She didn’t care that the ash was staining the too big jeans she borrowed from her sister-in-law.

  She covered her face with her hands, letting the tears come at last. For a week, she had stayed strong. First, the power went out, then her home burned and she had to move in with her brother's horrible family, but now this overwhelming and possibly useless task was too much to bear. The sobs came hard and shook her body. It was all she could do to not just lay down in a ball in the mud and die.

  “Laura?” a woman's voice said from beside her and then she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright?”

  Laura almost laughed the question was so ludicrous. Of course she was not alright. She was kneeling in the mud while crying her heart out and wishing she was dead. Still, she took her hands away and looked to see who was beside her. A woman had knelt down in the ashes with her. The sun was behind the woman, so her face was in shadow. Laura could not see her expression, but the voice was so gentle and kind, Laura wanted to hug her. “It is Laura, right?” the woman asked clearly uncertain of her name. “Laura Kennedy?” Laura nodded, not sure she could trust her voice.

  Suddenly, the sun went behind a cloud and the woman's face came into focus. Laura's breath caught. Oh my God, she thought. I can’t believe she even knows my name.

  Laura was looking into the stunning face of the person who was once the most popular girl in high school and who Laura always wished she could be. She was looking at Jackie Scott.

  CHAPTER 2

  ackie saw the woman's eyes widen and she realized it was Jentirely possible Laura did not recognize her. After all, she had not seen her classmate for a couple of decades. “I guess I should say who I am,” she started, but stopped when Laura shook her head.

  “I know who you are,” she said. “You’re Jackie Scott. I just can’t believe it.”

  Jackie laughed. “No kidding, right?” Jackie said with a smile. “This is the last place I thought I would be right now too.” Then, she sobered and rubbed the woman's shoulder.

  “But that doesn't matter. Was this your house?” she asked.

  Laura nodded as a tear snuck down her cheek. The sight nearly broke Jackie's heart. She could not imagine. Leaving her own condo behind with all her beautiful things had been hard, but to know everything was destroyed would be devastating.

  “I'm so sorry, Laura,” Jackie said and meant it. Even though they were never close friends in high school, Jackie had always admired Laura. The girl had been so incredibly smart at everything. In the classes they shared, which now that she thought about it were a lot of them, Laura excelled.

  Spanish, the sciences, math. Jackie remembered Laura was even the editor of the school's small newspaper. She rubbed the woman's shoulder again. “How can I help?” Jackie asked.

  Laura looked at her as if confused. “You want to help me?” she stammered.

  Jackie nodded. “Absolutely,” she replied. “I'm here with my friends to work on a different house, but they are more than capable without me. So, I will work with you. If you

  want, I mean.” Laura blinked at her, and for a moment, Jackie worried that maybe all of the events of the last week had been too much for the woman to handle. I could certainly understand it, Jackie thought. She was having enough trouble handling it herself. Finally, Laura took Jackie’s hand and held it tight.

  “I don’t know what to say,” she said softly. “But yes, I could use your help. I don’t even know where to begin.”

  Jackie looked through the gaping hole in the wall of the house and agreed. The place was a disaster. Fire damage and then water damage from the rain was evident, yet Jackie was not willing to believe everything was lost.

  “Let me borrow a box to put stuff we find in, and we can start looking,” she said. Just then, Jackie saw Taylor walking over. In the late morning light, the woman was so handsome and confident it made Jackie's breath catch. How does she always do that to me? Jackie thought with a hint of frustration.

  Noticing, Laura followed her gaze. “Who’s that?” Laura asked. Jackie smiled and stood up. Wiping at her knees, she waited for Taylor to draw close before answering.

  “A good friend of mine,” she said. “And something of a superhero, or at least she thinks she is.”

  Taylor raised an eyebrow at the comment. “Do I?” she asked with a playful tone. Jackie laughed and instinctively caressed Taylor’s arm when the woman stopped close to her. Feeling the taught muscle and warm skin sent a tingle through Jackie. She forced herself to pull her hand back. I have got to stop doing that, she thought, but for some reason she could not explain, the desire to touch Taylor was hard to resist. Taylor grinned at her, as if knowing exactly what she was thinking. Damn her. A tad irritated, Jackie turned to Laura who had just stood up.

  “Taylor Barnes, this is my friend, Laura Kennedy. We went to high school together,” she said. “And unfortunately, this is her house.”

  SAM WAS ENJOYING THE late morning sun as it dappled the evergreen trees which lined Highway 20. Riding along the shoulder, she had yet to see another person, although some cars and trucks were dead on the side of the road. Probably ran out of fuel, she thought and knew she would be seeing a lot more of that in the days to come. Overall, the trip had proven to be uneventful, and Sam was fine with things staying that way. Aside from the small caliber rifle, she only had a short-bladed multi-tool on her belt. There had been no means for her to find additional weapons in Corvallis and frankly, she did not want any other than what she already carried. In her opinion, handguns had an unfortunate way of being used against the owner, so she passed.

  Coming around a wide turn in the road, Sam heard a faint sound on the breeze through the trees. To her, it sounded like someone or something in pain. “Whoa, Lester,” she said with a gentle pull on the reins and the horse stopped, tilting his head as if listening too. The sound came again and this time, Sam could tell it was from off to the right of the road.

  More like a yelp of an animal than a human, she thought and knew she had to investigate.

  Turning Lester, she guided him carefully into the brush along the shoulder and, after ten feet, stopped again.

  Another yelp, coming from somewhere not far from her, but she could not tell the direction. This one was fainter, as if the creature was losing strength. Sam coaxed Lester another few feet when she saw a downed barbed wire fence hidden in the tall grass. Seeing the danger, she pulled back hard on the reins to stop Lester's forward momentum. He took two steps back in response and then stopped just as Sam wanted him too. “Good boy,” she said, patting his neck and then dismounting to examine the hazard. The wire was old, rusted, and dangerous. She shook her head angrily at

  the dereliction of whoever owned the property. Another step and Lester would have been caught in the stuff and been injured. It did not take Sam much deduction to guess that whatever animal was yelping was tangled in it too. Standing up, she listened, hoping to hear the cry again, but there was nothing. Making an educated guess the yelping came from a trapped dog, Sam called out encouragingly. “Where you at, boy?” she asked. “Help me find you.” She stopped to listen again and was rewarded with a loud whine. Clearly coming from her left, she tied Lester to a limb. “Don't move around,” she said. “I don't want you to get tangled.” The horse stayed still, and she appreciated his intelligence as she started to follow the fence in the grass. After twenty feet, she found the dog, only it was not a boy, but instead a female with a small litter of pups.