A missile silo under siege...
A warrior confronts his past...
A radio broadcast changes everything...

When the silo’s alarm signals all-out trouble, Summer Lane and her friends jump into action.

What they face next is beyond their wildest imagination. To survive, they’ll have to enlist the help of the Nomad and together, shed what’s left of their humanity.

In this ultimate clash to the death, Summer will need to summon all her skills as a leader and as a warrior. Otherwise, the silo might be lost forever when an old nemesis returns with a vengeance.

Get your copy now to find out what happens in the third and final episode of the gripping SILO series from USA Today Bestselling Author Jay J. Falconer. You won’t believe how it ends.

Book 3 of 3 in the Extinction Series

Rated R for violence, language, and bloodshed.

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Bonus Content: Additional Chapters
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For those of you who made it this far in the journey, I've written additional chapters beyond the regular ending.

I decided to put the new content here since updating e-books, audiobooks, paperbacks, and hardbacks is a very time consuming and expensive process. Let me know what you think of these extra few scenes.

Thank you again for supporting my work!

Jay

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CHAPTER 53
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Destiny flinched as her ears rang from the gunshot, her hands gripping the edge of the table. Other than the initial movement, she held firm, not wanting to show any further reaction.

She looked from Lipton’s body to Krista, keeping her eyes fixed in a cold stare that she hoped portrayed strength and not weakness.

“Well,” Flipside said, breaking the silence as he leaned forward. “That’s one way to conclude a performance review.”

“He was a liability,” Krista said, her voice steady as she engaged the safety on her weapon and put it on the table. She looked at Destiny. “And dangerous. To all of us. You know I’m right.”

Summer gave a single head nod, her face grim. “He would have sold us out the moment it served him. It had to be done.”

Destiny let out a long breath, then looked at Asher. The dying man was focused on Lipton’s corpse. It wasn’t a look of horror. More of a profound sense of relief.

“Yes, it was long overdue,” Asher said, his words thick with congestion. “Finally, that asshat is gone. Once and for all.”

“The nuke?” Nomad asked after clearing his throat, his voice cutting through the tension like a rusty blade. He stepped forward from the shadows near the door, his presence filling the room. “If what Lipton said is true—”

“It is true,” Asher said. “The containment field won’t hold if those pressure spikes continue. If radiation leaks into the magma chamber during an eruption, it’ll cook us all.”

“So, we fix it,” Flipside said, standing in a flash like a soldier coming to attention. “We’re Blackstone. Fixing shit is what we do.”

“It won’t be easy,” Summer added.

“We’re not in the business of easy,” Nomad said.

“Ain’t that the truth,” Summer quipped.

“Time to drop the ceiling and bury the bitch,” Destiny said.

Flipside nodded. “We certainly have enough explosives.” He cracked his knuckles. “Cooks, cleaners, and demolition experts. We do it all around here.”

“I can show you where to place the charges,” Asher said, his knees wobbling as he stood.

“You can’t go back down, Ash,” Destiny said as she rushed to his side, latching onto his arm with both hands. “You can barely stand.”

“I have to,” Asher said, his eyes burning with intensity. “It’s my design. My tunnel. My mess. I’m the only one who knows the structural stress points. If we’re off even one tenth of one percent on the detonation, someone might die.”

“Yeah, like you,” Summer added.

“I’m already dead,” Asher said. “You know it. I know it. Everyone in this room knows it.”

Destiny scanned the room, taking the temperature of the group, then decided to bring two fingers to her mouth and let out a sharp whistle.

Sawtooth and Shotgun stormed in through the door, their eyes wide with attention. Watson was a step behind them and so were the scab women, including Helena.

“Okay,” Destiny said, her voice finding its command frequency. “Listen up, everyone. This is how it goes down. Sawtooth, Shotgun, take Lipton’s body out. Burn it. Bury it. I don’t care. Just get rid of it. Far away from here so none of us ever has to think of that man again.”

“You got it, boss,” Sawtooth said, heading to the body with Shotgun right behind him.

Destiny continued. “Flipside, you get the gasifiers prepped just in case this goes south, and we need to make a run for it. Summer, Krista, Nomad—gather the explosives.”

“What about us?” Watson asked, pointing to himself and Simms.

“You’re with me,” Nomad said. “We’re going to need strong backs to haul the ordnance down into the heat.”

“And the scabs?” Summer asked, glancing at Helena and the others.

Nomad looked at Helena. He made a series of hand gestures—sharp, precise movements. Helena nodded once, her expression fierce.

“They guard the perimeter,” Nomad answered. “If Fletcher had any stragglers, or if anything else comes out of those woods, they’ll handle it.”

Summer smiled. “I pity the fool who tests them.”

“Let’s move,” Krista ordered, grabbing her sidearm from the table and holstering it. “We have a world to save. Again.”

***

Summer wiped the sweat from her forehead, then ran her fingers over her pants to dry them off. The heat in the main dispersion shaft was far more oppressive than she expected, pressing against her lungs with the force of a tool bench vise. 

The air smelled of sulfur, ozone, and death, a combination that seemed to fill every chamber below ground.

Nomad led the way with two crates of explosives balanced on his shoulders. Behind him, Simms and Watson acted as pack mules, sweating like rivers as they hauled the detonating cord and other supplies.

Flipside and Destiny escorted Asher as the old engineer’s feet dragged in the dirt.

“How much farther?” Krista asked from the rear position.

“Quarter mile, give or take,” Asher answered. “Junction 4-Alpha. That’s the choke point.”

Several minutes later, they arrived at a heavy steel bulkhead. Beyond it, the tunnel sloped down and into darkness.

The Geiger counter in Asher’s hands continued its relentless click—a slow, rhythmic warning that made the hair on Summer’s arms stand up.

“We made it,” Asher said, sliding to the ground after Destiny helped him sit against the wall.

“You sound a little surprised,” Flipside said.

“I think we all are. At least a little,” Summer said, taking the device from Asher.

“Obviously, it took all of us,” Destiny said in a firm tone, her gaze focused on Asher. “Right Ash?”

The old man gave her a weak smile. “Appreciate the assist.”

“It takes a unified force to move a mountain,” Flipside said.

“Or in this case, bury one,” Krista said.

Asher pulled a crumpled schematic from his pocket, his right hand shaking. He pointed at the paper with his left. “You need to place the primary charges on the support struts here, here, and here. And the secondary charges along the ceiling here and here.”

Nomad knelt beside him, studying the diagram. “Gravity should do the rest.”

“Exactly. Just needs a little nudge,” Asher said as another round of coughing filled his chest. “But everything must be simultaneous. Otherwise, the force gets directed down the tunnel at the device, instead of dropping the rock on top of it.”

“I can rig it,” Nomad said. He looked at Krista. “But I’ll need your help. You have the steadiest of hands.”

“Steadier than anyone I know,” Krista said, flashing a look back at Asher.

For the next twenty minutes, the only sounds in the tunnel were the ticks of the Geiger counter and the heavy breaths from the team.

Destiny watched her brother work. He moved with a precision and grace that belied his size. He wasn’t just a warrior; he was a technician of destruction.

“Charges in place,” Nomad announced, connecting the final lead to the remote detonator. “We’re hot.”

“Good,” Asher whispered, taking the detonator from Nomad. His skin ran pale, almost translucent in the beams of the work lights. “Now go. All of you. Fall back to the upper level.”

“No, Ash,” Destiny said, grabbing for his arm.

Asher pulled back, his hands pushing against hers. “I’m staying.”

“Oh no, you’re not,” Summer said.

“Listen,” Asher replied, pointing to the Geiger counter, now clicking at a near-constant buzz. “There isn’t time. I’ll just slow you down.”

“Asher, please,” Destiny said.

“Go!” Asher’s voice boomed with a sudden, fierce strength. “Save your family. Save your friends. Let me fix my mistake.”

“No, never,” Destiny said. “We don’t leave anyone behind.”

He dropped his head, looking beaten. “Please, let me do this. Let me go out on my terms. It’s better than a long, painful death.”

Nomad stood, locking eyes with Asher in what Destiny could only describe as a silent exchange of respect, passing between two men who had seen too much.

Nomad put a hand on Destiny’s shoulder. “He’s right. We need to evac. Now.”

Destiny held for a few beats, shaking her head.

Krista chimed in. “There’s no other choice. Someone needs to stay and trigger the device.”

“I’ll do it,” Destiny said.

“No, sis. You’re not. Blackstone needs you. I need you.”

Destiny didn’t answer. She needed more time to think.

“Your sister’s right,” Krista said. “It only takes one to end the threat. And Asher has already volunteered.”

“Then I un-volunteer him,” Destiny answered.

Summer leaned in close to Destiny’s ear and whispered, “You need to let the man die on his own terms. With dignity. Honor.”

The words cut through the emotions and resonated with Destiny. Her sister’s words made sense. But she couldn’t bring herself to agree. The pain was too much.

Summer continued. “The group needs you, sis. It’s the right thing to do no matter how much it hurts.” Summer pulled back and gave Destiny a deep stare, nodding with conviction. “It’s what he wants. You need to let him do it. For all of us.”

Destiny knew Summer was right. So was Asher. And Krista. Hell, everyone was. That’s when she gave in.

She leaned forward and kissed Asher on the forehead. “Thank you. None of us will ever forget this.”

“Now, all of you, get out of my tunnel,” Asher said, his eyes weak. “Before my mistake claims any more victims.”

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CHAPTER 54
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Destiny was the last to make her way up the series of inclines, her lungs burning, legs screaming. She accepted the discomfort in those areas of her body. Those were necessary. Even welcomed, given the situation.

It was the ache in her heart that brought her the most pain, her mind unable to rid itself of the fact that she’d left Asher behind. That she’d abandoned him down there. In that tunnel. To die. To be vaporized. At his own hands. Even if it was to save everyone else, it didn’t make it any easier.

Just as she caught up to the rest of the group, near the top of the climb, where the maintenance deck stairs ended and the fresh air began, the ground started to shudder.

It was a slow vibration at first, then all at once.

Summer, who was about six steps ahead of her, fell to the ground and covered her head. “Holy shit! He’s early!”

“No, that’s not it,” Nomad yelled, dropping to his knees with the rest of the group. “I’ve heard plenty of explosions and this isn’t one.”

“Then what is it?” Summer asked.

“A pressure spike would be my guess,” Nomad answered.

“The caldera must be venting,” Destiny added, dropping to her knees as well, just as a muffled thump filled the air.

Destiny looked down as a wave of vibrations hit her knees and thighs, then raced up to her chest, rattling her teeth in the process.

Before she could get the next word out, a massive, thunderous roar echoed in the shaft behind them, bringing with it a shockwave that sent everyone toppling over.

The ground rose at least six inches, then fell back into place all at once.

Dust billowed out of the ventilation grates, choking the air in every direction.

Destiny crawled to Summer, wrapping her arms around her sister in the tightest of hugs.

The others in the group did the same with whoever was closest to them. More out of instinct than anything else.

Just when Destiny thought the violent shake would go on forever, it stopped in eerie silence.

No fire.

No more blast wave.

No radiation alarm screaming.

Only dust settling.

“That’s it?” Summer asked, pulling free from Destiny and coughing into her sleeve.

“What, you wanted more?” Krista snapped, getting to her feet and brushing herself off.

Destiny did the same, walking to the nearest wall and leaning against it with an outstretched arm.

That’s when the tears came. Not a slow drip. More of a river, leaking out of her eyes with the force of a tsunami.

She spun and slumped her back against the wall, sliding down until her backside hit the floor with her knees bent.

Destiny put her face in her hands, trying to conceal the waves of emotions pouring out of her. “What have I done? What have I done?” she mumbled into her hands.

Krista and Summer ran to her position, with Summer sitting in the dirt next to her.

Summer wrapped an arm around Destiny and pulled her in tight. “It’ll be okay, sis. Just let it out. I’m right here with you.”

It took a good two minutes before Destiny could find the strength to free her face from her hands, bringing her eyes to Summer. “Asher. Oh my God. Asher.”

Summer rubbed her back and shoulders. “He did it. He saved us.”

“We saved us,” Krista said, offering a hand to pull them both up. “All of us.”

***

An hour later, the celebration was in full swing. It was both impromptu and chaotic. And yet, it was soothing. The most beautiful thing Summer had ever seen.

They had gathered in the main hall of the Visitor’s Center. Sawtooth had managed to get the old PA system working, and classic rock played in the background.

The food was a strange mix of supplies from Fletcher’s truck—canned peaches, jerky, and some freeze-dried meals—supplemented by fresh greens from Blackstone’s hydroponic garden.

To Summer, it was a five-star meal.

Nomad sat across from her at the table with his mask off. He wasn’t hiding his face anymore. There was no need. It was a time of acceptance for everyone. Even him.

Summer studied her brother’s eyes as he watched Helena and the other scab women move throughout the room.

The cannibals weren't cowering anymore. They were mingling. A sight Summer never thought she would see. One of the women even held a plate of food, examining a fork with curiosity as Watson demonstrated how to use it.

Krista arrived with two drinking cups and took a seat next to Nomad. “They certainly do learn fast,” Krista said, giving Nomad one of the cups.

“They have to,” Nomad replied, taking a sip.

A split second later, he turned his head and spit the liquid out in a violent spray. “What the hell is this?”

“Moonshine,” Krista said, shooting a smile at Summer.

Summer laughed, watching her big brother gag. He wasn’t nearly as tough as he pretended to be. Beneath all those scars was a giant teddy bear waiting to be unleashed.

“Simms found a still in one of the sheds. Flipside’s recipe apparently,” Krista said to Nomad.

Nomad gave the cup back to her. “Not my cup of tea, so to speak.”

Krista laughed before she said. “You did good today, Nomad. Or Blaze. Or whatever we should call you.”

“Nomad works,” he said. “Blaze died a long time ago. Nomad is the one you’re stuck with now.”

“Well, Nomad,” she said, “Welcome home.”

A few minutes later, when Destiny joined them at the table, Summer couldn’t help but beam a full smile while taking in the joy permeating the room.

Her family was back together again. Safe. Healthy. Happy. Well, mostly anyway. Plus, she had Sergeant Barkley in her lap, enjoying a double dose of ear rubs.

“So,” Summer said, looking at her sister. “I hear you have not only a functioning solar grid and a hydroponic farm, but enough books to fill a library?”

“And now,” Destiny pointed at the group, “I have a security chief who actually knows tactics, a doctor who isn’t an arrogant prick, and a brother who fights like a ninja.”

“And don’t forget the dog,” Summer said, giving the mutt a hug.

Destiny smiled. “Yes, never forget the dog.”

They laughed, the sound light and free. It was a sound that had been missing from the world for far too long.

Liz came over, looking exhausted but content. “Everyone is patched up. Minor injuries only. We got lucky.”

“It wasn’t luck,” Nomad said, his voice carrying across the room as the music faded between tracks.

He stood up.

The room went quiet.

Nomad looked at the team—the scientists, the soldiers, the survivors, the former enemies, and the genetic outcasts. “We survived because for the first time in a decade, we stopped fighting each other and fought for something—together.”

“For the future,” Flipside said, pumping his fist in the air.

“For the future,” the room echoed.

Destiny looked at the ceiling and smiled. “Thank you, Ash.”

THE END 
(for real this time!)