2026-10-14 19:19:51
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Chapter 178: Crossing
The roar of the exploding fuel depot still rumbled down the canyon as Asher pushed through the thick birch scrub along the riverbank. Smoke drifted overhead in heavy black ribbons. It blotted out the late afternoon sun and turned the cold air thick with the stench of scorched rubber and diesel. “Keep your head low, kid,” Kaelen muttered. He pulled the boy’s hood down over his face as they ducked beneath a low pine branch. “The river rocks are slick.” “Is the fire following us?” the boy asked. His voice shook against Kaelen’s shoulder. “The water stops the flames,” Kaelen said. He stepped over a patch of black mud. “We are heading for the narrow bridge.” Camila dropped into a low crouch near a cluster of jagged boulders at the river bend. She kept her rifle resting across her forearm. “Asher, hold up. Look at the cables.” Asher stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes scanned the footbridge fifty yards ahead. Two thick steel ropes stretched across the churning white water. They suppo
Chapter 177: Fuel depot
Asher crouched behind a sharp granite ledge. He looked down at the lower river basin. Two hundred yards below, a fortified Syndicate fuel depot sat beside a ruined wooden bridge. High steel mesh wire surrounded four massive fuel tanks. A thick iron pipe stretched from the central storage tank straight down to the narrow road entrance. “Vance’s column is coming down that canyon road right now,” Camila whispered. She rested her arm against the cold rock shelf. “If his armored trucks cross this river, Miller takes the whole southern valley.” “They will not cross,” Asher said. His hand rested on the wooden grip of his revolver. “We are blowing the depot.” “We have three revolver rounds left, Asher,” Kaelen said. He set the boy down inside a dry rock hollow behind them. “We do not have explosive charges.” “We do not need charges,” Asher said. He pointed at the thick iron pipe above the road. “We open that main valve and let the fuel flood the narrow road.” “One bullet into the
Chapter 176: valleys floor
The cable car slammed onto the lower platform with a deafening metallic screech. Wooden deck boards groaned under the heavy impact. They threw up a spray of loose ice and rotten splinters as the cage ground to a complete halt against the iron stopper posts. Asher hit the door latch with his heel. He forced the jammed steel gate open with a loud groan. “Out, now!” Asher ordered. He stepped onto the snow covered platform with his revolver raised. Camila leaped out right behind him. Her boots slid slightly on the wet timber as she scanned the surrounding trees with her empty rifle ready. Kaelen followed last. He held the boy tight against his chest as he cleared the swinging iron frame. “Is the path clear?” Kaelen panted. His heavy boots crunched into the soft powder beside the ruined station cabin. “No tracks in the drift,” Camila said. She crouched beside a stack of rotted pine logs. “Nobody has been down here since the last snowfall.” “Which way into the timber?” Kaelen
Chapter 175: Hanging box
The metal cage shook violently as the overhead pulley wheels ground along the rusted steel cable. Ice dust whipped through the open iron mesh of the box. It blinded Asher as he clung to the frozen outer frame and stared back up at the cliff lip. “Are they shooting at the line?” Kaelen shouted. He shielded the boy with his shoulder while the cage swung wildly back and forth in the mountain gale. “They cannot hit the cable in this whiteout!” Camila yelled back. She crouched low against the vibrating steel floor as she racked another round into her rifle chamber. “Keep your heads down!” A heavy rifle bullet slammed against the top mounting plate. It sprayed a shower of red sparks over their heads before ricocheting into the void. “They do not need to hit the cable!” Asher said. His fingers were numb inside his leather gloves as he braced against the corner post. “If a shot hits the battery housing on the top platform, the winch stops cold.” “How far down are we?” Kaelen asked. H
Chapter 174: Cable line
The storm howled through the narrow gap. It drove stinging ice crystals sideways against the sheer rock face. Asher led the group out the back door of the cabin. He followed the thick steel wire that stretched into the swirling white fog above the gorge. “I cannot see the other side!” Kaelen shouted over the roar of the wind. He pulled the boy tight against his chest to shield the child’s face from the freezing ice dust. “Are you sure this wire holds?” “The wire is intact,” Camila called back. Her boot soles gripped the slippery granite ledge as she adjusted her rifle strap. “Look ahead. The timber housing is right on the edge.” Fifty yards out, the wooden skeleton of the cable station emerged from the whiteout. It sat balanced on the cliff lip. It was anchored by rusted iron bolts driven straight into the mountain rock. A boxy metal cage hung motionless from a heavy overhead pulley system. It swayed gently over the black drop. “Is anyone inside?” Kaelen asked. His breath mi
Chapter 173: Border trade
Asher tossed three unfired brass shells onto the scarred oak table. The heavy metal clicked sharp against the wood. It rolled twice before coming to a stop near the old man’s weathered hand. “That pays for the night and a fire,” Asher said. His voice was flat in the small stone room. The old man picked up one shell. He held it up to the dim oil lamp on the wall and bit down gently on the primer end with his yellow teeth. “Genuine brass,” the old man grunted. He dropped the casing back onto the table. “You folks must have robbed a Syndicate depot up north.” “We earned them,” Camila said. Her rifle barrel rested across her arm as she leaned against the closed timber door. “Now light the hearth. The child is freezing.” The old man shuffled toward the stone fireplace. He threw a bundle of dry pine twigs onto the black embers. He struck an iron striker against a piece of flint. A shower of bright red sparks fell into the tinder until a thin ribbon of blue smoke rose up the chim
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