Get Out of Denver (Denver Burning Book 1) by Algor X. Dennison Page B
Authors: Algor X. Dennison
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insane.”
“It is,” McLean agreed. “And I don’t have all the answers I wish I had. Somebody is deliberately preventing authorities from working to mitigate this crisis, and they’re not letting people calm down and work together either. They seem to want to ensure chaos reigns supreme for now. Those gunmen I saw at the Capitol are a good bet, but their numbers have to be limited. Some larger force has got to be behind all this. I don’t know what.”
Back on the move, McLean avoided major streets, choosing instead to wind through neighborhoods, parks, and school grounds. This kept them safer from detection but slowed their progress down. Shauna couldn’t go much faster anyway, and David was dragging as well. They hadn’t slept since the night before and the stress and physical strain was taking its toll.
Filtering his flashlight through his fingers to glance at his map, McLean judged that they’d done about ten miles in three hours. It was 3:30 in the morning now, and the foothills were another ten miles due west. They wouldn’t be able to make a straight shot, though, so unless they could pick up the pace significantly, they wouldn’t make it out of the city by sunrise.
There was no way Shauna and David could walk faster. He didn’t like the idea of holing up in an unfamiliar place, but if gunmen were still roaming the roads by daylight it could become too dangerous to move. A bunch of bicycles would come in very handy at that moment, but short of breaking into a bike store it just wasn’t going to happen.
Shauna and David were hanging back several yards, heads drooping and feet scuffing on the pavement. McLean slowed until Carrie was next to him. She was still going strong with a backpack twice as heavy as her roommate’s.
“Carrie, I need to ask you something. Don’t hate me for this. I’m just trying to optimize our chances of getting to safety.” He nodded toward the two stragglers behind them. “We may need to split up at some point. A larger group is more conspicuous and needs larger hiding places, more resources. Two by two, we might have an easier time getting through Denver. For instance, if we come across an abandoned bike, one or two of us could make it out of here fast. All four together makes it harder.”
“What are you asking me?” Carrie responded, trying to see McLean’s eyes through the night shadows.
“We could split up and let those two go at their own pace, hiding and moving as they’re able to. Meanwhile you and I move ahead faster and find a safe hiding place outside the city, somewhere in the foothills. We could wait there for them to catch up. When we see them coming, we join up again and all head into the mountains together.”
“They’d never make it, McLean. What would we do if they never showed up?”
“We’d have to continue on.”
Carrie shook her head. “I can’t believe you’d suggest abandoning them.”
McLean sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that. But would they come back for you? Are you willing to get all of us killed to keep the group together? Because if we aren’t off the streets by daybreak, it might come to that. We can’t save everyone we come across. I made a commitment to you, and I’ll stick to it. But they weren’t part of it, and they’re making it a lot harder. We could at least ask them and see what they say.”
“No. We stick together as long as we need to. I know there’s danger, McLean, but if we stop caring for one another, then what’s the point of it all?”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ll try to figure something else out,” McLean said. But he wasn’t actually sorry. He knew that unless they had incredible luck, the two hangers-on would get them all killed.
They walked on in silence for another hour. They heard distant gunshots and saw the glow of two fires about a mile off. But their route took them through quiet, mostly deserted streets and no one bothered them except for one guy, a heavily bearded
“It is,” McLean agreed. “And I don’t have all the answers I wish I had. Somebody is deliberately preventing authorities from working to mitigate this crisis, and they’re not letting people calm down and work together either. They seem to want to ensure chaos reigns supreme for now. Those gunmen I saw at the Capitol are a good bet, but their numbers have to be limited. Some larger force has got to be behind all this. I don’t know what.”
Back on the move, McLean avoided major streets, choosing instead to wind through neighborhoods, parks, and school grounds. This kept them safer from detection but slowed their progress down. Shauna couldn’t go much faster anyway, and David was dragging as well. They hadn’t slept since the night before and the stress and physical strain was taking its toll.
Filtering his flashlight through his fingers to glance at his map, McLean judged that they’d done about ten miles in three hours. It was 3:30 in the morning now, and the foothills were another ten miles due west. They wouldn’t be able to make a straight shot, though, so unless they could pick up the pace significantly, they wouldn’t make it out of the city by sunrise.
There was no way Shauna and David could walk faster. He didn’t like the idea of holing up in an unfamiliar place, but if gunmen were still roaming the roads by daylight it could become too dangerous to move. A bunch of bicycles would come in very handy at that moment, but short of breaking into a bike store it just wasn’t going to happen.
Shauna and David were hanging back several yards, heads drooping and feet scuffing on the pavement. McLean slowed until Carrie was next to him. She was still going strong with a backpack twice as heavy as her roommate’s.
“Carrie, I need to ask you something. Don’t hate me for this. I’m just trying to optimize our chances of getting to safety.” He nodded toward the two stragglers behind them. “We may need to split up at some point. A larger group is more conspicuous and needs larger hiding places, more resources. Two by two, we might have an easier time getting through Denver. For instance, if we come across an abandoned bike, one or two of us could make it out of here fast. All four together makes it harder.”
“What are you asking me?” Carrie responded, trying to see McLean’s eyes through the night shadows.
“We could split up and let those two go at their own pace, hiding and moving as they’re able to. Meanwhile you and I move ahead faster and find a safe hiding place outside the city, somewhere in the foothills. We could wait there for them to catch up. When we see them coming, we join up again and all head into the mountains together.”
“They’d never make it, McLean. What would we do if they never showed up?”
“We’d have to continue on.”
Carrie shook her head. “I can’t believe you’d suggest abandoning them.”
McLean sighed. “I was afraid you’d say that. But would they come back for you? Are you willing to get all of us killed to keep the group together? Because if we aren’t off the streets by daybreak, it might come to that. We can’t save everyone we come across. I made a commitment to you, and I’ll stick to it. But they weren’t part of it, and they’re making it a lot harder. We could at least ask them and see what they say.”
“No. We stick together as long as we need to. I know there’s danger, McLean, but if we stop caring for one another, then what’s the point of it all?”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I’ll try to figure something else out,” McLean said. But he wasn’t actually sorry. He knew that unless they had incredible luck, the two hangers-on would get them all killed.
They walked on in silence for another hour. They heard distant gunshots and saw the glow of two fires about a mile off. But their route took them through quiet, mostly deserted streets and no one bothered them except for one guy, a heavily bearded
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