Free Book

    Hello everyone! I just wanted to let you all know that I will be doing a random drawing where someone could win an autographed copy of Tracker. All you have to do is either vote for your favorite short story (an earlier blog post) or visit my Facebook page- facebook.com/earthshakerfans and vote for your favorite topic for my next short story. You have until the end of this month. I will choose the winner on October 31st once I am home from work (It could be pretty late). If I get enough votes on both my blog and the Facebook page, I will choose two winners. Happy voting!

Update

    I have been working on the summary for Kindred, and will hopefully have some feedback on it by later this week. Once I have the summary completed I can move forward with the publishing process.
Also, I posted a poll on my Facebook page where you get to choose the topic of my next Earthshaker short story. To vote, go to facebook.com/earthshakerfans.

Kindred Update/Kindred Chapter Three

    While on my trip to MN this weekend I had quite a bit of time to work on editing Kindred. Because of that, I was able to finish the last several chapters I had left to edit. Once I'd finished I did the majority of my formatting, so the files are nearly ready to submit for review. I am hoping to get the process started within the next couple days, so it shouldn't be too long before book two is ready. :-)
     Meanwhile here is chapter three of Kindred- book two of the Earthshaker series, and don't forget to check out Tracker- for sale now at Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ES5XIGG/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_4hLrsb15TYCBC

THREE

Jason

            After meeting with Alice and Dan I headed to the park to meet Dustin, Hannah and Sam. I found them quickly and walked over to the basketball court where Dustin and Sam were playing a game of Horse. I ignored the other people who were playing Frisbee in one area and football in another, skirting around the edges of the games in order to reach the basketball court. Hannah sat on a bench on the sidelines, watching and laughing at Dustin's intense concentration as he lost to a twelve-year-old.

            Dustin was letting Sam win, but he was doing a good job of looking like he was trying his hardest, and he kept the game close. The look of joy on my brother's face as he made the last basket made me smile. It was good to see him having fun. He hadn't been able to have much fun in his life, and now that we were in a relatively stable situation, he was able to be a kid again. If only his big brother wasn't so screwed up. I felt a pang of self-pity for my own lost childhood, but quickly pushed it away. What was done is done, I reminded myself firmly. There was no point in dwelling on it.

            The sun was nearly blinding, so I reached into the backpack I'd retrieved from the house before coming to the park, and grabbed my sunglasses. "Hey guys," I said walking up behind Hannah. She jumped and squealed slightly. "Sorry," I said with a laugh. "Didn't mean to scare you."

            "I didn't realize I was so jumpy," she said laughing. "How did things go with Alice?"

            I didn't feel like talking about it in front of Dustin or Sam, so I shrugged. "Fine," I answered vaguely. She frowned, but Dustin came over before she could respond.

            "Hey, Jason. You want to join in this round?" My new friend asked, clapping his hand on my shoulder. I tried to hide my flash of discomfort at the contact and be happy he hadn't chosen my left shoulder that still had pain issues, but from the way he pulled back, I obviously hadn't succeeded.

            "Sure," I said, wanting to move on. I didn't want Dustin to start acting uncomfortable around me, like he had to walk on eggshells or something, so for now we'd move past this awkward moment. There were enough people treading lightly around me already, and I knew it was my fault. After what had happened last fall, I’d pushed them away. Even after telling Hannah it was the last thing I wanted, I couldn’t help it. Running was my response to pain. Always had been. But it didn’t always have to be.

            We spent the afternoon playing ball and having fun, eventually convincing Hannah to join in. It was the first time in…well, I didn’t know how long, that I allowed myself a day to be normal. Despite that, I was unable to shake the feeling that something was about to go very wrong. Strangely, it was Dustin who picked up on my mood. Hannah and Sam were seemingly oblivious as they shot around while Dustin and I took a break on the sidelines.

            I watched Sam and Hannah laughing and playing, but I could feel Dustin's concerned gaze on me. "What?" I asked softly, finally looking at him.

            "What's going on, man?" he asked, his brow furrowed in concern. "It's like you're a million miles away all the time, but you seem scared again today. You haven't been scared lately, so what happened?"

            After Dustin had discovered my powers, Alice and Hannah had told him what they knew about the case, so I simply said, "Kindred's back."

            His eyes widened and he opened and closed his mouth several times without speaking. He swallowed a couple times and asked, “Who?”

            He wasn't asking who Kindred was, but rather who the man had killed. “A friend of my father's. Same M.O. as my father.” He'd been tied to a chair and his throat had been cut just as deeply as dear old dad. “Not that he didn't deserve it, but I'd rather not have some psycho killing people for me.”

            Dustin seemed thoughtful for a moment. “You said he was doing this to thank you, right?” I nodded. “Maybe he's done now,” he said hopefully. “This ‘friend’, I assume he was the one who knocked you out when your father tried to grab you?”

            “Yeah,” I rubbed my hand over my face wearily.

            “Then maybe he's done.”

            I shrugged. “Hopefully. Or maybe he starts going to the less obvious threats, or Mason's men who avoided the police but knew about me. Who knows?”

            I tensed suddenly, going to the ground in a crouch, my right hand in the dirt. “Speaking of...we need to get out of here,” I said standing up and wiping the dirt off on my pants.

            “Hannah, Sam, let's go.” Sam came immediately, used to following my orders without question. Hannah came more slowly, grabbing the ball before joining us.

            “What's wrong, Jase?” Sam asked as we nearly sprinted to Hannah's car.

            “One of Mason's men, along with some other footsteps I don't recognize. They were heading in our direction.”

            “From where?” Dustin asked looking around quickly, trying to spot the threat.

            “A few blocks east,” I answered, gesturing in the general direction, still running to the car.

            Once we'd reached the car and climbed in, Dustin asked, "Are you sure they were coming to us? How would they even know where we were?"

            I shrugged. "I don't know for sure, but it seemed like a bad risk to take. I killed their boss. They probably don't like me very much."

            "Alright. So I guess we go back to Hannah's and study," Dustin said mildly.

            Sam pouted. "That's boring. I don't wanna study."

            "You don't have to, bud," I said glancing back at him from my spot in the front seat. "You can watch TV or a movie, or play on the computer." He shrugged and watched out the window as we got closer to Hannah and Alice's house.

            The tension I'd felt when I noticed the footsteps refused to loosen as we reached home, so as soon as I got out of the car, I dropped to a knee and sent streams of my consciousness into the ground, searching for any signs of a threat. There were multiple echoes around the house, none of them familiar. None of them had entered the house either. "I think we're clear," I said standing up and brushing the dirt off my hands and onto my jeans.

            My three companions trusted me to know when the house was clear, so they piled out of the car and headed in.

            "Jason, there's an envelope here for you," Hannah said after opening the screen door.

            "Another one? In the same day?" I said incredulously, taking the envelope from her. We went into the living room and sat down: Hannah and I on the couch, and Dustin and Sam in the chairs.

            "Sammy, go play on the computer please," I said.

            "But..."

            "Go. Now. If it's something important I'll tell you later," I promised. It was a lie. The only thing I would tell my brother about this new note was if it said that he was in danger.

            "Fine," he said shortly, probably sensing my lie. I waited until he was out of the room, and then opened the plain white envelope. I stared down at the single sheet of paper, unable to believe what I was reading.

            "What? Jason, what does it say?" I handed it to Hannah silently, and she read it out loud. "We need your help. Mason's assassin has turned on us and is hunting us down. We worked with Mason, but had nothing to do with what he did to you. Please help us." Hannah stopped reading and looked at me in shock that quickly turned to anger. "Why ask you? Why not just go to the police?"

            I shrugged. "In a way they kind of are," I said. "They'd have to know that I'm still working with the police and will tell them about this note. The thing I'm not sure of is what they think I can, or will, do to protect them."

            "They're desperate," Dustin pitched in. "They know you have no reason to help them, but they have no real way to fight Kindred. From what you've said, the man's a ghost. They know you took out Mason, who apparently controlled Kindred, so they think you might be able to beat Kindred too." I stared at him for a moment, not knowing where he'd come up with that. He shrugged in response. "I'm pretty sure it's how I'd think if I were them."

            "Besides, just because they worked for Mason doesn’t meant they deserve a death sentence. They’re coming to you probably because they know about your abilities," Dustin continued. I snorted. Yeah, them and about every other dirt bag in the city thanks to Mason. Dustin had found out about them shortly after the incident with Mason. He hadn't known that he was supposed to announce himself before coming down to the basement, and the sudden footsteps in my sanctuary had startled me. My lack of control showed once again as I nearly tore through the basement floor in an attempt to protect myself.

            It was a good thing Alice and Hannah's house was very solidly built. That hadn't been the first or last time I'd lost control. I still hadn't reached the last time. At least I don't think so. That I hadn't lost control when I'd felt the footsteps of people who worked closely with Trevor was a good sign. I'd felt my control slipping when the note had arrived...

            "JASON!" Hannah yelled, dragging me out of my thoughts. I blinked and jerked backwards when I noticed her face only inches from mine. "You back?" she asked, her voice back to normal. "You were a million miles away again," her tone was light, but her concern was obvious.

            "I'm sorry. I was just thinking."

            Dustin spoke up. "Your 'just thinking' looks a bit like you going catatonic. You're slipping more, Jase. You need to talk to someone."

            Talking. How could talking solve my problems? Yet my friends kept urging me to do so. I looked up at Hannah and saw the worry all over her face. Regardless of my original response, I was beginning to think they might be right.

End Chapter Three

I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think :)

Update/Tracker Chapter Three

Hi everyone! I have been working on editing Kindred, and have only about 50 pages to go before I do my next read-through. I will be out of state this weekend, and will probably not be posting anything between now and Sunday. Also just wanted to let everyone know that Tracker (paperback edition) is currently listed at Amazon for $7.42 (USD) so check it out to take advantage of the lower price!

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ES5XIGG/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_4hLrsb15TYCBC

And here is chapter three of Tracker. Enjoy!

THREE- Jason:

Despite being unable to move, my body tensed in preparation for fight or flight. The door creaked open and I was able to put faces to the footsteps. The first man, whose stride was long and purposeful, was dressed like a businessman in an expensive looking black suit and blue pinstriped tie. He had a jagged scar on his neck from when someone had apparently tried to kill him.

According to Alice one of Trevor’s business partners had gone missing a couple years ago and had been found with his throat cut so deep the bone was visible. If I had to guess, I’d say that was the guy who’d tried to kill Trevor, and this man, with the scar and the bodyguards had to be Trevor. It was my first close up view of the man most street people feared. Two more men followed the first, big and beefy types, both treaded heavily on the ground, leaving deep impressions on the earth. If I’d been following them, I could have felt their echoes for hours after they’d passed, unlike whoever had entered the room across the cement wall. Those were so light as to be almost non-existent, but I had no time to figure out the odd steps. The bodyguards took over my concentration.    

The first man that followed Trevor into the room was a familiar face. I’d seen him on a wanted poster Alice had shown me when she’d first asked for my help, but there hadn’t been a name to go with the picture. That had been about a week ago, and I’d only managed to find one area where it seemed like he did a lot of business. This thug looked like a bulldog. His face was round and the nose had been broken so it looked flatter than normal. His cheeks sagged slightly and he had the empty eyes of a killer. Based on what I’d found, he seemed to be one of Trevor’s right hand men.

    The second thug was huge. His face was unfamiliar, but I memorized it quickly. He had an angular face that didn’t seem to fit on a man his size. This one had about two inches on the other man at about six foot six and weighed about three hundred pounds if I had to guess, and looked like a football player. His eyes were a clear blue and had the same empty look as the thug I’d dubbed the Bulldog. Both bodyguards wore jeans and plain black T-shirts. The uniform of a hired thug, I guess.

    I turned my attention back to the first man. Trevor Mason. The name seemed innocent enough, but just thinking it sent shivers down my spine. His face was set and emotionless; he’d probably beat me hands down in a poker game. I tried to mirror his expression, but the slightly amused crinkle around his eyes showed that I’d failed miserably.

    “What do you want?” I asked, a slight crack in my voice giving away my anxiety. I eyed him warily from my cage, knowing I was at the mercy of a killer. Say what you want about innocent until proven guilty, but upon my first meeting I had to say he was guilty of everything the cops suspected him of doing. And probably more that they were unaware of. He carried himself with the confidence of a man who knew he could do whatever he wanted, and have no trouble getting away with it. What was his secret?

    He seemed to consider my question carefully before giving an answer. “You’ve been working with the police.” He stated, his voice deep, but slightly raspy. A lingering effect of getting your throat slit, I’d imagine.     A pity his partner hadn’t been slightly more successful in that endeavor.

    My first reaction to his statement was to deny it, but he was watching me carefully so I knew he wouldn’t believe the lie. Also, the way he’d said it made it clear that he already knew it was the truth. I nodded slowly, not liking the direction this was going.

    “You forced me to close down operations in a thriving business area.” He continued his raspy voice carefully neutral. I blinked in surprise. That was news to me. All I had done was talk to some of the street people and ask them if they knew anyone working for Mason. “I simply want to make you an offer,” he continued. He leaned toward the Bulldog and whispered something. The bodyguard nodded and left the room.

    “What offer?” my voice was wary, any offer he had couldn’t be good. I was debating asking him how I had forced him to shut down, but determined it might put him in a worse mood. He thought I’d shut him down somewhere? All I’d done is follow some of his people that my contacts had told me about. I hadn’t been able to find definite proof of anything in the short time I’d been helping Alice. I was pulled from my thoughts when I felt Bulldog’s footsteps coming back and with him…”Sammy,” I whispered.

    Mason’s eyes widened slightly in surprise—the first real emotion I’d seen from him—and I berated myself. The man had no idea of my abilities and would now wonder how I’d known it was Sam. This was one person I did not want speculating about what I was capable of. If he threatened Sam, I would have to show him firsthand, but I would cross that bridge when it came.

    The door opened and Bulldog pushed Sam in front of him, the little boy stumbling slightly. His dark brown eyes were narrowed in anger, but his face was pale with fear. “Let him go.” I growled tensing and ready to unleash my power. My desire to keep my powers hidden did not extend to watching some common criminal hurt one of my kids, and the tentative hold I kept over my ability was already slipping with the thought of this monster’s thug holding Sam. When I pulled myself together a bit, I noticed that Sam was tapping his foot, letting me know through a code I’d made up, that he’d seen the outside of the building. He was a very observant eleven-year-old and had been able to memorize the building number. After passing on the message he stood quietly, careful not to draw too much attention to himself as he waited for me to make a move.

    Mason was watching me closely and I tried to hide the fact that I was receiving information about where we were. “You want to make me an offer, get me out of this,” I demanded, shaking my hands and making the cuffs rattle on the pipe.

    He pursed his lips slightly and nodded at thug number two. “Let him out, but keep the cuffs on him.”

Thug two opened the cage door and unlocked the cuffs from the wall. He dragged me out, and I nearly blacked out at the sudden change from laying on the floor to standing. Only the thug’s beefy hands on my arms kept me from falling over. He put the loose end of the cuffs around my wrists and closed them…hard. I winced in pain as the unyielding metal dug into the skin and cut off the circulation to my hands.

    Okay. This would make things a little bit harder, but my hands weren’t completely necessary for accessing my power. Having them free made precise work easier, but I wasn’t going for precise right now. “Sammy, you okay?” The boy nodded, his brown hair falling into his eyes and shadowing them, hiding the fear I’d seen right away. He seemed unhurt, but I couldn’t be sure. “Cut to the chase, Mason.” I demanded. My eyes narrowed in anger, my fear was gone or buried so deep it didn’t affect me. “What do you want?”

    “It’s simple,” he said. “I want you to stop helping the police. If you do that, little Sammy here will remain safe in my care,”

    “Oh, hell no,” I growled. Alice had told me what kind of things Mason did to children and I would not allow Sam to go through that. “Sam won’t be staying with you and I will take you down.” I nodded once and Sam dove to the ground as I let loose the power I’d been building. The ground shot up, making chunks of concrete fly around the room hitting the startled bodyguards and making Mason dive for cover. Someone yelled in fear or surprise, or some combination of the two as I continued my attack.

    I made a wall protecting Sam both from the effect of what I was doing and from the Bulldog, who was trying to grab him as a shield. I sent a tendril of power through the uncovered earth, and located Alice. I was able to push enough power through to send the address Sam had given me.

    We were only about two blocks from where the detective was, and I could only hope she’d get here quickly. “Sam, get out!” I yelled as I poured more energy into keeping Mason and his thugs busy. I felt Sam’s response as he rose and quickly ran to the door. There was a pile of dirt and debris blocking the door and I sent enough power to clear it away, allowing Sam to get out. The effort distracted me long enough for Mason to sneak behind me.

    Unfortunately it was also at that moment that my strength gave out. I heard a click and felt the cold circle of metal on my neck as I nearly collapsed from exhaustion.

    “Enough,” Mason said his voice filled with anger and possibly a little fear. He hadn’t expected that, I thought with a smirk as my legs gave out and I fell to my knees. My hands were numb, still held in the cuffs behind my back. Trevor kept the gun to my head as he surveyed the damage. His thugs were nowhere to be seen, but there were still the very light footsteps behind us, but whoever was there didn’t bother interfering. The sirens right outside gave him reason to be concerned as well, and I felt several people enter the building, distracting me once again from the odd footsteps. Alice and Dan were among them.

    “It’s over Trevor.” I said with a short bark of laughter.

    “Not even close, Freak,” he hissed. I almost snorted. No, I didn’t like being called a freak. But really, couldn’t he come up with something a little more original? He yanked me to my feet just as the door slammed open.

    Alice and Dan entered with their guns drawn and my anxiety level increased at having three guns pointed at me; my near-amusement of a moment ago was forgotten. Mason adjusted his hold on me, the larger man not having too much trouble holding me up. I’m only about five foot eight and weigh about one hundred fifty pounds, while he stood at easily six foot and weighed about two hundred. And as I could feel through his suit, he was quite strong. He held his left arm around my neck and his right hand held the gun to my head.

Alice’s eyes caught mine after quickly taking in the damage done to the building. I allowed my exhaustion to show for a moment to let her know I had reached my limit and was down to running on fumes. They would have to take care of this on their own. I could hardly move a pebble at this point.

Sam’s footsteps had gone out a different door, before Alice had arrived so I wasn’t sure if she even knew he had been here.

    “Let him go, Mason,” Alice demanded, her blue eyes piercing and colder than I’d ever seen before. Her smooth brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail, which sharpened the angles of her face, making her look sleek and dangerous. Her partner entered next to her, his slightly wrinkled face set in a mask of anger, his dark eyes narrow and gun aimed at Mason’s head. Alice didn’t always take charge, but in this instance, Dan allowed it.

    I felt some familiar steps approaching behind the two officers, “Alice, look out!” I called as I saw both Bulldog and the Big Man creeping up behind them, guns in hand.

End Chapter Three

Hope you enjoyed this excerpt! Let me know what you think!

Poll: Which Short Story?

    So far I have posted three short stories in connection to the Earthshaker series. Now I want to find out: which one was your favorite? Comment with either a 1, 2, or 3 and what you liked about it. I look forward to your comments!

1. Trust-- Jason and Alice's first meeting
2. Stray-- Jason meets Paul and begins his habit of protecting other children
3. Rescue--Jason takes his little brother away from their abusive father

Comments

    Hi everyone! Commenting will now be easier, because I figured out how to change my settings to allow for anyone to post. If anyone has wanted to comment before and couldn't because of my settings, I apologize. I am still a little new to the blogging thing, but I am figuring it out. Thanks for your patience! So now I would like to invite you to share your opinions, keeping in mind that I am not a fan of foul language and will delete comments containing it. Thank you for considering this in your commenting, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Rescue- An Earthshaker Short Story

Here is another short story I wrote in connection to the Earthshaker series. It occurs about two years before the events of Tracker. Enjoy!

RESCUE

By Adrianne Lemke

            After three years on the streets there was only one thing from my former life that threatened to drag me back: my little brother was now living with my father. It was a situation I’d been feeling the urge to rectify since I’d found out my mother had died a few months earlier, leaving Shane once again living with dear old dad.

            “Jason,” Paul, one of the street kids I protected, spoke up. “You should go,” he urged, knowing how I felt. “I’ll keep an eye on the others while you’re gone.”

            He and I stood near the only entrance to the dead-end alley where we lived for now, watching for any threats. The others were against the back wall, sleeping. Erin, Ginny, and Jeffrey were aware that I’d been distracted lately, but Paul was the only one I’d told about Shane.

He was also only the second person I’d ever told about my ability to feel the vibrations and echoes of people’s footsteps through the earth. I’d shared that fact with the other children as well, so they’d know I could keep them safe. I sighed. “If I go, I’ll need to tell them about my brother.”

            “And why you’re breaking your own rule about taking children from their homes,” he added nodding. My rule had always been no matter the situation, I would not force my idea of rescue on a child if they weren't ready to go. The minute they changed their mind, I would be there, but I would not coerce them to leave.

            For my brother, I would make an exception. I would remove him with force if necessary. I hoped it wouldn't be. “I don’t want them to know,” I said, staring down at my feet.

            “Jason, if you’re going to take your brother, then you should tell them why.”

            Paul knew the whole story, or at least as much as I’d been able to force out, and he was smart enough to read between the lines. He’d been with me the longest, almost a full year. The others I’d come across in my wanderings, but they were new enough that it was hard for me to trust them with the truth. And they were young enough that I did not want to talk about it. They’d all come from bad situations, but none were quite the same as mine.

My father had abused me; physically, emotionally, and…I still have trouble admitting the last. Fathers are supposed to care for and protect their children. My father had been someone most dads would protect their children from. And my little brother was with him.

            “No. Not yet,” I said forcefully, making Erin stir in her sleep. “I’m going now,” I added softly, now that I’d decided, I couldn’t wait. “I’ll be back in a couple days.” He agreed and I began gathering supplies for the next couple days.

            When I’d run away, I’d gone as far and as fast as I could in the hope that I’d never return. Unfortunately knowing Shane was still around had me checking in on my father to make sure Shane had not gone back to live with him again for any reason. But he was far enough away that it was difficult to get there often, especially with the new obligations I held for the children back at the alley.

            Now I was going back, and nothing would stop me from rescuing my little brother. Leaving those children I’d sworn to protect was difficult, but once I’d made the decision to go back for my brother, I knew I had to. I couldn't even be certain he’d recognize me. It had been several years since I’d seen him.

            The ground I’d covered when I ran away three years earlier was much more difficult to cover now that I was going back. I would have to avoid my father at all costs. If he knew I was there, he’d drag me back to his house and find a way to keep me there. He’d told me that I was his, and always would be. I managed to prove him wrong. Now I would take my brother from him and leave him with no one.

            Our mother had escaped, and for some reason managed to take Shane with her. Our father, to the best of my knowledge, spent very little time looking for her. Instead, any time he was out of work, which was often, he would spend drinking and tormenting the one person he’d been left with: me.

            Not that he had been any better before she’d left. Plain and simple he was a possessive, abusive, drunk. And Shane had been living with him for months. There was no way I could pretend for long that my father had changed and Shane would be kept healthy and happy, but I could hope that he hadn’t gone as far as he had with me. I would never forgive myself for not getting him sooner if our father did to him what he’d done to me.

            Two days of travel passed in a blur and I found myself on the block where I’d grown up. There was a bank nearby and I saw that it was about two o’clock in the afternoon. Shane would be coming back from school in a little while, probably walking but potentially on the bus. I would need to watch for a little while to make sure our father wasn’t around before I went in after my brother. Nothing good would come if he caught me trying to take Shane away.

            There was a park across the street from the house where I’d grown up, and I found a bench near the edge of the park behind some bushes. It was dense enough to hide me, but I could peek through the branches to see anyone I felt approaching the house.

            Unfortunately I’d run away before my abilities developed enough to automatically remember the people whose footsteps I felt, but now I would be able to relearn my father’s pattern so I could better avoid him in the future.

            I’d hoped Shane would be the first to come back so I could make my initial approach right away, but my hope was in vain. Every muscle in my body was screaming for me to run. The monster of my childhood was in sight, but I was able to resist the urge. Even at age sixteen, the urge to escape nearly overtook me. “Shane needs me,” I muttered as I kept my gaze glued on the man across the street. Shaking myself, I finally knelt and laid my hand on the ground, concentrating all my energy on the footsteps by my former house. He was drunk, that much was clear from the stumbling, but he managed to straighten out enough that I got a clearer feel of his footsteps.

            I also got worried. In this state, who knew what he’d put my brother through before I could get to him. Speaking of…yes, Shane was walking down the sidewalk to his house, dragging his feet and hesitating once he saw the car in the driveway. That reluctance to continue was enough to tell me the man in that house had definitely not changed. I saw my little brother, age nine, square his shoulders like a man heading into combat, take a deep breath, and walk into the den of a monster.

            It was several moments before I realized my whole body was shaking with the desire to get Shane out of our father’s grasp, and I had to struggle to hold back the power that threatened to erupt and bring the monster’s house down.

            Tomorrow morning. I wouldn't make him wait any longer than that.

            The night dragged. I had found a hidden spot in some trees near the center of the park where I tried to get some sleep, but only got a few moments rest throughout the evening and into the early morning hours before the sun rose. My rest was disturbed by the thoughts of what my father would be doing to Shane, and by my close proximity to the monster I had managed to escape. When I returned to the edge of the park after giving up on sleep, I watched the activities at my father’s house again. He left first, cursing as he squinted against the sunlight, the hangover in full swing. If all went well, he would never know I’d been here and would assume Shane had run away.

            Several minutes after he left, Shane stepped out of the house gingerly. He was trying to avoid putting pressure on his right leg, and his left arm was wrapped protectively around his stomach as he limped down the stairs.

            Unable to bear it any longer, I ran across the street calling out as I went, “Shane!”

            His face brightened, but he looked confused. “Jamie!” he yelled back, calling me by my former nickname.

            “I’m Jason now,” I informed him with a smile. “No trace back to him.”

            Shane nodded and looked up at me, his young face full of hope. “Can I come with you?” his voice cracked as he spoke, and I nearly broke down with him.

            Smiling gently at him, I nodded. “That’s why I’m here, little brother. I have some friends in Carndal now. We live on the street, but we’re free.”

            Ruffling his hair and pulling him into a gentle hug, I added, “It’s good to see you, Shane.”

            He pulled back, looking up at me with a slight frown before shaking his head. “No connection,” he said firmly, a smile slowly forming as he took my hand. “I’m Sam now.”

End

Please let me know what you think! And check out Tracker- Book One of the Earthshaker Series, available through Amazon at this link:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ES5XIGG/ref=cm_sw_r_fa_dp_4hLrsb15TYCBC