They’d only made it about ten minutes down the road when he eased off the gas. Up ahead, blocking the road were two trucks. Standing in front of them was Hank Strickland and his family. “Oh great, what’s this about?” Colby’s mind immediately went to Seth. Had he figured it out, pinned it on them? Was he coming to collect on that debt?
“What do you think they want?”
“Only one way to find out.”
Hank wasn’t smiling. In fact, he looked downright pissed off, holding a Winchester rifle in his hand. All of his kin had the same scowl stamped on their faces. Colby pulled up but didn’t get out of the vehicle. “Hank.”
“Colby.”
“What can I do for you?”
He sniffed hard and looked around then back at him. “Heard you’re leaving the county. That right?”
He nodded.
“You know, Seth has been missing for over a month. You know anything about that?”
“That’s unfortunate. I’m sorry to hear.”
“Yeah. You see, Seth isn’t the type to just walk off.”
“I don’t imagine he is. Maybe Boone got to him.”
He studied Colby. Was he looking for a crack in his façade?
“Yeah, maybe. Though, it made me wonder if your sister had anything to do with it. You know, with the assault and all.”
Colby shook his head. “Miriam?” He laughed. “Please. She’s scared of the sight of her own blood.”
“That’s what I thought. But then I looked at you. And here you are, leaving town.” He breathed in deeply. “And I figure, maybe Seth decided to do the same. Spread his wings. He was always talking about that. What do you think?”
“Maybe. You Stricklands will never be outdone by us Rikers, will you?”
Hank looked right into his eyes as if he could see his soul. A smile formed. It was as if he knew, as if he knew the truth but for some strange reason was willing to let it slide. It was an assumption of course but Colby liked to think that they shared a mutual respect, a deep understanding that only those who’d lived their entire life in the hills could grasp. “You planning on returning?” Hank asked.
“That depends.”
“On?”
“If someone gives me a reason to.”
Hank raised an eyebrow. He knew what he meant by that.
Hank smiled and stepped back. “Safe travels.”
“You too.”
There was no handshake, no pat on the back, no words exchanged that would indicate the feud was over or that they were friends because of their shared time in the heat of battle. But as Colby drove away and glanced in his rearview mirror, Hank smiled and gave him the bird. Colby returned the gesture and chuckled. Were they still enemies? He liked to think that they’d buried the hatchet, if only for another decade.
THANK YOU FOR READING
If you enjoyed that be sure to check out Days of Panic, Rules of Survival, and All That Remains. Please take a second to leave a review, it’s really appreciated. Thanks kindly, Jack.
A Plea
Thank you for reading Outlive the Darkness: A Powerless World Book Four. If you enjoyed the book, I would really appreciate it if you would consider leaving a review. Without reviews, an author’s books are virtually invisible on the retail sites. It also lets me know what you liked. It also motivates me to write more books. You can leave a review by visiting the book’s page. I would greatly appreciate it. It only takes a couple of seconds.
Thank you — Jack Hunt
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About the Author
Jack Hunt is the International Bestselling Author of over fifty novels. Jack lives on the East coast of North America. If you haven’t joined Jack Hunt’s Private Facebook Group you can request to join by clicking here now. This gives readers a way to chat with Jack, see cover reveals, enter contests and receive giveaways, and stay updated on upcoming releases. There is also his main facebook page below if you want to browse.
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