The Left Series (Book 3): Left On The Brink by Christian Fletcher Page A

just don’t want to end up like those things out there.” I pointed to the window. “If I die in an airplane crash, then so be it. At least I died trying to get to a better place.”
    Smith sighed deeply and hung his head on his chest.
    “You’ve certainly made your mind up about this, haven’t you, kiddo?”
    I nodded. “I know it’s the right thing to do. It feels right for us.”
    Smith gave Batfish a sideways glance. “Are you game? At best, it’s a free trip to Canada, at worst it’s a watery grave over the Atlantic.”
    “Ah…okay, whatever.” Batfish shrugged and flapped her hands.
    “Okay, kid. You’ve sold the trip to me,” Smith sighed.
    I felt as though I had scored the winning touchdown at the Superbowl. “Yes!” I hissed, clenching my teeth and pumping my fist into the air. “I’m sure it’ll be great in Scotland.”
    “It’s damn cold over there, isn’t it?” Batfish asked.
    “I don’t think it’s much different to Pennsylvania in the winter,” I said.
    “Have you been there before, Brett?” Batfish gave me an accusing glare.
    “Well…no, I haven’t visited Scotland but I’ve been to Ireland and as you know, I used to live in London, England , when I was a kid. My mom still lives in London. Me and Samantha went over there a couple of years back.”
    All kinds of thoughts flooded my head at once. Samantha was my former girlfriend and I hadn’t seen or heard from her since we’d left Brynston in Pennsylvania over six months ago. I hadn’t had any contact with my mother in London since the apocalypse either. I wondered if they were both still alive. Memories of my childhood and happy, intimate moments I’d shared with Samantha scrambled around my brain like a jerky home movie. The thoughts made my head spin and I suddenly felt nauseous and giddy. I shuffled over to a black upholstered swivel chair and slumped down holding my forehead.
    “Are you okay, Brett?” Batfish asked. “You’ve gone very white.”
    “Let me get you some water,” Chief Cole said. He moved to a water cooler next to the desk and poured the clear liquid into a paper cup. “I know it’s a lot to absorb in a short space of time,” he said, handing me the cup of water. “But it’s an opportunity for us all to start over. Maybe build some kind of life again.”
    I nodded and sipped the water, which was welcomingly ice cold against my dry throat. “I’m looking forward to it already, Chief,” I spluttered.
    Cole gave me his scowl-type smile again and nodded his head.
    “All we have to do is wait around for a few hours and we’ll be up in the sky,” I sighed in self satisfaction.
    “I hate to piss on your parade, kid,” Smith growled. “But aren’t you forgetting something?”
    “What?”
    “Err…the small matter of your dog and the two girls back on the boat.”
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Nine
     
    Smith’s words of reality hit me like a sledgehammer.
    “Ah, crap!” I spat. “I’d forgotten all about them.” Guilt returned in waves. How could I have forgotten about Spot after all we’d been through together? How selfish I’d been to think only of my own safety, absent mindedly brushing off the welfare of Landri and Mignon.
    “We’ll have to go back for them, Smith.” I leapt from the swivel chair, spilling the remainder of the cup of water down my pants in the process.
    Smith raised his eyebrows and gave me a knowing nod. “Uhuh. We could also use that box of cash, guns and spare ammo onboard.”
    “Well, you better get going, gentlemen,” Cole cut in. “The clock is ticking and these fly guys don’t want to hang around. I’d say you have two hours maximum.”
    “Two hours should allow us plenty of time,” I said, flashing Smith a glance.
    “Yeah, if we don’t run into any trouble.” He turned to Chief Cole. “Do you think we can use that modified Humvee with Milner on the cannon?”
    Chief Cole shrugged