“What’s happened?”
Austin braked and pulled off the road. He switched off the engine of his quad and stepped off, walking closer to the edge of the road where it just disappeared into the Hudson. This was no accident: the bridge had been destroyed by someone.
“I don’t understand,” Samuel breathed as he stood behind Austin, his vertigo stopping him from getting too close to the edge. “Why would they destroy the bridge? It doesn’t make any sense, now they’re all trapped there.”
“Or we’re trapped outside,” Austin replied, more than aware of some of the crackpot views some people in Poughkeepsie shared about outsiders. They liked to keep to themselves, but blowing up the bridge and the main route into the city seemed a bit farfetched even for them. It made no sense; surely the people would need resources from the outside world. They couldn’t survive on their own forever.
“What do we do?”
“I – I don’t know,” Austin shook his head. Devastated barely began to explain how he was feeling; to be so close to his son and then halted at the final hurdle. It was cruel and hard to deal with, his hands curling into fists at his sides in frustration and anger at the residents.
“I don’t know if there’s enough fuel in the bikes to go around,” Samuel commented, giving Austin more bad news about their situation. “Is there any other way across the river?”
“This was the only bridge,” Austin replied with a shake of his head. “The last we passed was already destroyed and the one before that is practically back in New York. This was our only option.”
Staring at the ruined crossing, Austin felt his world crumbling down like the very structure in front of him had done just days earlier. He had put all his effort and focus into seeing his family again that he’d never even considered what he would do if he couldn’t reach them. It was impossible to believe that they were so close and yet they couldn’t go any further.
The Hudson meandered beneath them at a pace and depth far more powerful than one they could cross. Going through the river wasn’t an option, the bridge had been it – the only way forward – and now it was gone. As his heart sank, so did Austin, finding himself sitting on the tarmac staring at the city where his family waited just out of reach. When Trident had collapsed, he had lost so much, but the knowledge that Dante and Bowie were waiting for him had kept him alive, kept him fighting. When times were tough and he felt like there was no hope left, picturing them had inspired him and forced him forwards, stopping him from giving up when he felt like everything was worthless. Now that feeling intensified and Austin couldn’t find a single reason to get himself back up again and carry on fighting. Everything he had done since New York had been for nothing. His family were out of reach and very suddenly and completely, it felt like the end of the road for Austin.
Samuel had no choice but to stand behind his friend and let him have his moment. His head was empty of ideas for what the two of them could do next, but there had to be something. Samuel knew they hadn’t travelled all this way and gone through so much together just to be turned away by a broken bridge. They were better than that and once Austin realized it, they could keep on moving. But for now, his friend just needed a moment of silence and Samuel was more than happy to give that to him. When Austin was ready, they would continue again. And until that moment came, Samuel would wait by his side and consider their options.
Chapter 22
“It’s time.”
“Already? I didn’t think we’d be there for another month. Weeks at least.”
“Me neither,” KW shook her head, “but it’s happening now. We’ve had the order. We need to launch stage two tonight.”
“Is it ready?”
“It’ll have to be,” KW’s mouth set into a firm line. “We don’t have a choice.”
Throughout the bunker, the five elite criminal hackers sat in silence as they absorbed the news. They had always been aware of the second stage of their government’s plan, but they had never thought it would happen so quickly. The attack on Trident had only taken place a couple of weeks ago. They had forecast months of upset and disaster before the second stage was put into place. No one could guess at what would happen if it was released this early.
Out of the corner of her eye, KW glanced at FM and shook her head ever so slightly. They had been planning to meet later that night to discuss how their plans of escape were going, but with this new information, they wouldn’t be able to. All hopes of their freedom would have to be put on hold as the bunker became even more closely scrutinized as the second stage of the attack was launched. A world without money was one thing, but now they were going to take it to the next level.
If people felt like they had lost everything already, then they were in for an unpleasant surprise. Things were about to get a whole lot worse.
Wipeout Book 3
Available Here
Want More Awesome Books?
Find more fantastic tales right here.
If you’re new to reading Mike Kraus, consider visiting his website and signing up for his free newsletter. You’ll receive several
