The Harvest (Book 1) Read Online Free PDF

Seven.”
    “Section Seven sir?” Austin had been to Cheyenne many times, but never heard of Section Seven.
    “Classified.” The general said and then began rattling off instructions on how to find the Section, but was cut off before he could finish.
    “Sir?” Austin waited, but no response came. “Yes sir.” He automatically replied.
    The general’s name on the screen stared back at him, as if it had eyes and waited for Austin to take action. He contemplated calling his wife. However, a deeply engrained sense of duty demanded he follow orders first, but the tingle in his spine was saying to hell with orders. It screamed at him to go find his wife, find somewhere safe to hide, because some serious shit was rolling across the land. A mental tug of war ensued in Austin’s mind for the briefest moment. In the end, as always, duty was the victor.
    Shifting the truck into gear, he headed for base headquarters. Progress was a slow go as Austin maneuvered the vehicle around snow drifts. He squinted to make out the shapes in front of him, passing by one abandoned vehicle after another. They were all empty. In fact, that he could see, there were no signs of life anywhere.
    Headquarters was located in an older, but still impressive two-story Spanish style building. The entrance was flanked by flag poles waving the flags of various countries. The flag’s cloth already tattered from the barrage of snow and wind. A few clay roof tiles had blown off shattering on the street below. The burnt orange clay stood out boldly against the snow.
    Austin made his own parking space in front of the steps. He wasn’t concerned anyone would care, but wished someone would. He’d welcome the opportunity to debate with someone over his parking spot, but no one did.
    Inside the building, Austin was greeted by an overturned chair, a half eaten doughnut and spilled coffee at the reception desk. A quick departure or maybe an evacuation, were his first thoughts. Austin walked past the reception desk and down a corridor with offices on either side. The walls were splattered with blood, but unlike the hangar, there were no mutilated bodies to explain the blood.
    He entered an empty office and walked over to the desk.  A full cup of coffee sat on the corner, steam rose from the dark liquid. The phone’s receiver dangled down to the floor. He absently set it back in its cradle. An open desk drawer revealed a purse. Austin dug around in the purse, pulling out a cell phone.
    Recent calls listed a call from a J.T. at 8:02 and a call to J.T. at 8:23. The current time read 9:42. Out of curiosity Austin called J.T. With the phone on speaker, he set it on the desk and continued to search for clues. After several rings J.T.’s voice mail picked up.
    A search of the remainder of the building turned up more empty desks, more purses left behind, more suit jackets hanging on back of chairs, and more cell phones with recent calls that took place between eight and eight thirty. In all cases the walls and floors were decorated with splattered blood. Austin returned to the front of the building. He fished out Mitch’s phone and called General Roth. On the other end the phone rang nonstop. No one answered. No voice mail picked up.
    With the phone held to his ear, Austin walked over to the double glass doors that led back out to where he’d parked. The outline of his truck was near impossible to make out. Deep in thought, he watched the snow fall and listened to the endless rings.  A disturbing ‘what if’ brewed deep in his mind. It swirled about, but didn’t come forward. Austin wouldn’t allow it. He wouldn’t allow himself to ask that particular ‘what if’, because he knew the wrong answer might derail his commitment to doing his duty.
    A pained expression crossed his face just before a jolt to his spine knocked him to his knees. He opened his eyes to see Roxi standing naked in the snow, holding a baby, their baby. All around her the snow was dyed