Survive the aftermath sm.., p.12
Survive the Aftermath (Small Town EMP Book 2), page 12
“Hey,” Amanda said, coming up to stand beside him.
“What?”
“Don’t bite my head off. Come on, we need to walk,” she said, heading away from the house.
After a moment, he followed her, suddenly recognizing that she’d stopped an argument from getting out of hand, and then he’d bitten her head off in return. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t snap at you. That guy, though, he’s on my last nerve,” he muttered.
“Your brother?”
“Yes.”
“Why? I came in at the end. What were you two arguing about?” she asked.
He felt a little ridiculous admitting to the reason, but couldn’t lie to her about it. “Savannah.”
“What about her?”
He shrugged. “I feel like she’s dumped me and chosen Ennis to be her new dad.”
Amanda chuckled, knocking her elbow against his. “I don’t think it works like that.”
“You know what I mean. I’ve been so busy with planning the missions into town and taking care of the defenses and that stupid USB drive, I hadn’t even noticed the two of them have been spending the last week together. He took her fishing today! I used to always ask her to go fishing and she never wanted to. Now, he’s going to show her how to set traps and take her hunting,” he complained.
“That’s a good thing, though, isn’t it?” Amanda asked.
“Yes, but why can’t I be the one to show her that stuff?”
“I’m sure you can. Maybe you need to set aside some time with her,” Amanda suggested.
Easier said than done, Austin thought to himself. Could he do that? Yeah, absolutely… if he could bring himself to take a step back from worrying about the house and their safety, which was something else entirely.
They made their way to where the horses’ makeshift shelter was underway. It was nothing more than a tarp stretched between two trees, which they were in the process of covering over with branches in order to muffle the sound of rain on plastic and also camouflage the shelter a bit, but Amanda had grand plans to make something much bigger and sturdier. Now, Amanda reached out, stroking Raven’s nose.
“I don’t think she wants to spend time with me. She’s always mad at me,” Austin confessed, feeling hurt by the realization.
“She’s a teenage girl who’s been through hell and is trying to figure out life, just like the rest of us. Unlike the rest of us, she doesn’t have maturity and wisdom on her side. I think she’s also a little upset about the Malachi situation.”
“What? What Malachi situation? What did he do?” Austin asked, ready to rip the kid limb from limb.
Amanda smiled, her face illuminated by the muted moonlight filtering through the trees.
“He hasn’t done anything but ignore her. You yourself said she had a crush on him. Malachi is pushing her away, and she’s hurt by it,” Amanda explained.
Austin wrinkled his nose. That was new information. “Good.”
Amanda swatted his arm. “No, not good. She’s got a bit of a broken heart.”
“So, she’s hanging out with Ennis?” he asked incredulously.
“Austin, I’m going to say something, and I’m sure it’s going to make you mad and you’re going to want to deny it, but just think about it, okay?”
He shrugged. “What?”
“You’re a good father. You have done a great job with Savannah. You’ve done everything you can to protect her and shield her from the harsh world. You’ve been on the road with her traveling, keeping her all to yourself, controlling her environment in order to keep her safe from everything and everybody in the world,” Amanda said, her hand still on his upper arm.
“I wasn’t trying to control her world,” he defended himself.
She cocked her head to the side. “Are you sure about that?”
He inhaled a deep breath. “She’d just lost her mom. Things were bad. I wanted to get her away from it all.”
“And you did. You did what you thought was best for her, and maybe it was. Scratch that,” she corrected herself when she saw he was about to argue, “I bet it was. Maybe she’s the well-adjusted, happy girl she is today only because you did that for her. You gave her the safety and security she needed at a time when her life had been turned upside down, Austin. But that was then, and this is now. She’s changed. She’s grown up, and she’s had some huge life experiences that have given her strength and courage,” she went on.
Austin looked into Amanda’s eyes. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying, that little girl that you swooped in and wrapped up with love and protection has grown up some. She’s growing into an independent woman. You have to take a step back, and help her grow and guide her when she needs it. You’ve raised a smart girl, so don’t try and hold her back now,” Amanda said.
Austin shook his head, wanting to reject the idea that his little girl was growing up. “She’s only fourteen.”
“She’s fourteen, yeah, but she’s seen more and lived through more than most adults,” Amanda reminded him.
Austin groaned. “I hate that I’m losing my baby girl.”
“You’re not losing her, but you will if you don’t let her stretch her wings. Be the one that supports her growth, okay? Just like Ennis is doing. Your relationship has to evolve. She’s moving into a new stage in her life. You have to get on board or she’s going to throw you from the moving train.”
He nodded, letting Amanda’s words sink in as he stroked Charlie’s muzzle. “You’re right. I’ll try, but it’s hard to see her changing right before my eyes.”
Amanda giggled. “My dad used to say the same thing about me. When I went on my first date, he actually followed us. I spotted him at the movie theater. Let me tell you, I was so mad! I didn’t talk to him for two full weeks—not until my mom sat us down and made us hash it out. He agreed to give me some room, and I agreed to check in with him.”
Austin felt himself grinning at the idea of following Savannah on a first date, and then checked himself when he saw Amanda glaring at him. “Thank you. I will talk to her. I just hope it isn’t too late,” he muttered.
16
Zander rolled to the side of the bed he’d been laid up in for too long. Merryman was going to pay for what he’d done. He’d not only cost Zander several good soldiers, but had nearly killed him in the bargain. The shot to his arm had barely missed his brachial artery—he’d bled like a stuck pig and had nearly died from the injury. It was only his anger and need for revenge that had kept him going, and still recovery had been too slow for his liking.
Merryman was going to know what it was like to lose everything. Zander’s mission had been deemed a failure by his bosses and that was unacceptable. The powers that be were not happy with him, and he needed to fix that. He couldn’t stand to be a failure. He had devoted too much time and energy to making this transition a success.
There was a quiet knock on the door, distracting him from the pain shooting down his arm.
“Come in!” he barked.
“Sir, I’ve got that list of names you wanted,” one of his captains said, stepping forward and into the office space he had claimed as his own living quarters.
“Did you secure the horses we’ll need?” Zander asked, skipping any niceties.
Captain Davis nodded. “I have five right now. How many guys do you want on the hunting team?” he asked. “This is a list of the best options—those who will obey orders and not hesitate,” he said, handing over a piece of paper.
Zander took the list of names handpicked by the captain and glanced over it. “I want at least six. Five men and myself. We have to find these people.”
“I’ll get on it. Do you know who you want?”
Zander didn’t recognize the names on the list, though that was no real surprise. They had been recruiting soldiers for the past two months. It was easy to get people to sign up to be a part of the new controlling force when you took everything away from them. They’d secured quite a few former American military personnel, as well, and were actively hunting for more. The ones who were already trained for war were the most valuable, especially now.
“I don’t know these men. I’m trusting you to select the right team.” He looked up at his captain and passed the list back to him. “I need at least one person familiar with tracking. I have a feeling these guys are smart enough to try and cover their tracks,” Zander hissed.
“I’ll do that, sir. How long of a journey should I prepare them for?” Captain Davis asked.
Zander shrugged his good shoulder. “As long as it takes. They’ve got our weapons and they still have that stupid USB. We have to get it back. You know the leaders will kill all of us if we fail to find and destroy that drive.”
Captain Davis looked like he might leave, but then hesitated, and instead asked, “How will they access the information on it?”
Zander glared at him until the man nearly cowered, and did take a step back. He didn’t need his men questioning him about the mission. That wasn’t their place—particularly when they obviously weren’t thinking. “They don’t have to access it. All they have to do is get it into the hands of the wrong people. You can’t think we’re the only ones who were prepared to function after an EMP. If that information is leaked, our entire mission fails. We’ll have done all of this for nothing. We’ll be sought out and get a needle in our arms for our role in taking down the country. I’m not interested in dying, are you?” Zander seethed.
“No, sir. I’m sorry I questioned your mission. When should I tell them we’ll be leaving?”
“Two days. In the meantime, I want scouts out asking questions. I want to know if Merryman and his crew were dumb enough to stay in my city. If they are here, I want them brought to me—all of them,” he ordered.
David nodded, already backing away. “Dead or alive?”
“Dead, except Merryman. I want him alive. I want to be the one who kills him.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll report in later.”
“Good. Send in the nurse on your way out,” he added.
“Yes, sir,” Captain Davis replied as he quickly exited the room.
17
Austin swatted away an annoying mosquito buzzing near his ear as he tried to sleep for at least an hour. The trunk of the tree he was leaned up against was digging into his back, and the hard ground he sat on was extremely uncomfortable. After a couple of weeks of having a couch or even a carpeted floor to sleep on, he’d forgotten how miserable it could be to sleep outside with nothing but the ground to lay on.
He, Amanda, Malachi, and Nash had left that evening, hiking through the forest and hunkering down at the edge of town. Now, he guessed it was well past midnight. They wanted to get a look in town, take the temperature of the situation, and maybe scout out more locations to scavenge. This initial trip was all about getting the lay of the land and determining just how dangerous it was.
“Are you asleep?” Amanda whispered.
He guffawed. “No. These dang mosquitoes are relentless.”
“We should have brought bug spray,” she replied.
“We’ll know better for next time.”
“Maybe we should just go now,” Malachi mumbled from a few feet away.
Austin stared into the darkness. He had no idea what time it was for sure.
“We probably have an hour or so of walking into town,” Nash reasoned. “I think we can move now and keep a close watch on activity. If it’s too busy, we’ll find somewhere to wait it out until the early morning hours when everyone will hopefully be asleep. None of us are sleeping now, after all.”
Austin looked to Amanda for her opinion. In the muted light of the stars, he caught the outline of her head moving up and down. “Sounds good to me,” she confirmed. “I don’t think any of us are going to get any sleep, no matter what we planned.”
With their new plan decided, the foursome headed down the hillside. The smell of fire filled the night air as they hit the paved road leading into the outskirts of the city. It looked and sounded completely deserted. They stuck to the shadows cast by the small buildings lined up along the road.
“What do you think is burning?” Malachi asked after they’d been walking a bit.
Nash scoffed. “It’s hard to say. It could be soldiers burning people out or survivors trying to cook food or boil water. It’s best to stay away from the fires.”
“We’ll go north, up towards the tower,” Austin said quietly.
“Is that a good idea?” Amanda asked.
“I’m not saying we go directly to the tower, but there’s a good four miles between where we are and the headquarters. It’s the financial district. You’re the one who said we could scavenge the businesses—”
“Get down!” Nash shouted when a flaming ball came flying through the air directly at them.
Austin and the rest dropped to the pavement and rolled in opposite directions. Austin rolled to a stop in the ditch and peered above the road line. The flaming ball smacked into the road a few feet from where they’d been walking. It was followed by another flame in the sky and a group of men coming behind it, carrying a variety of pitchforks, shovels, and what looked like hammers. A couple of men in the group were carrying torches to highlight their progress.
“Come out now! This is our block!” one of the men shouted.
There really was nowhere to run or hide without making targets of themselves, and so Austin got to his feet, his hands raised, his rifle still slung over one shoulder.
“We don’t want any trouble. We’re just passing through,” he said as the men got closer.
Amanda and Malachi stood up from where they’d been hunkering down on the other side of the road.
“Where’s the other one?” the man snapped.
Nash rose from the shadows and stood with his hands up, as well. Austin looked from side to side then, and realized the guns they were each carrying didn’t make them look remotely peaceful. Malachi had the Glock in a holster at his side while he, Amanda, and Nash had each opted to carry both a rifle and a back-up handgun. They looked outfitted for war.
“Passing through, huh? You look like you’re out for trouble,” the man in front of the group said, stepping forward until he was within ten feet of them.
Austin studied the middle-aged man, who had a scraggly, unkempt dark beard shadowing his face. His hair was shoulder-length, and looked dirty and greasy. His clothes matched the facial hair. He had the look of a man who was weary, with nothing to lose.
“We’re travelers, trying to get through, nothing more,” Austin said quietly, trying to keep his words even and calm.
The man studied him for another few seconds before looking to Amanda, then Malachi. His upper lip curled in disgust.
“You’re traveling with them, huh?” he snapped. “All of you mixed together. What a disgrace.”
Austin looked at Amanda, then Malachi, wondering what it was the man was referring to. Then it dawned on him. Their skin color. He looked back at the white faces filled with hatred in front of him, and had a flashback to the literature he’d read on the USB.
“We’ll be on our way,” Austin said, hoping the fear he felt wasn’t showing.
“Not with them, you won’t,” one of the men in the crowd growled.
Austin stepped sideways, putting himself between the men and Amanda. “Look, I understand you have your beliefs, but we have our own. They’re as American as you and I. They’re not a threat,” Austin warned, noticing that not one of these men looked to be armed with guns, giving them the advantage. They’d thrown some flaming balls, and he saw more rubber in a bag, ready to set aflame, but even those wouldn’t do the damage of a bullet. These men were carrying what weapons they had, but they wouldn’t stand up to ARs.
He cast a glance at Nash and made a point of looking at the barrel of the rifle sticking up high above his head. Nash nodded in understanding. The pitchforks and shovels and torches were no match for their guns.
“We don’t want their kind around here,” the man in front continued. “This is our block and we keep it the way we want it,” he added, his bluster deflating somewhat. He must have realized he was seriously outgunned.
Austin shrugged, meeting his eyes again. “We’re not asking to move in. We’re passing through.”
“You think the others are going to welcome you with open arms?” he snapped.
Austin shook his head, sensing that the conversation had moved more toward conversation than confrontation—and being glad for it. He didn’t want to shoot anyone who was just trying to survive, no matter how skewed their world view might be. “We’re not asking anyone to welcome us.”
The man looked Austin up and down, and then his eyes lingered on the rifle hung over his shoulder. And Austin saw the very moment when the man recognized the black strap with gold thread.
“You’re one of them!”
Austin shook his head again, trying to keep his voice even. “No, we’re not. We relieved some of them of their guns after they attacked us.”
The leader stared, unsure, and then another man came up to whisper in his ear. Whatever the exchange was, it worked in their favor. He turned to look at his small gang before facing Austin again. “We’ll let you pass. I don’t know what you think you’re going to find in the city, but it’s ugly. You’ll be killed.”
“Ugly, how?” Nash asked.
The man shifted, scowling. “Ugly, as in there’s no food and there’s a riot unfolding about half a mile from here. Some of those soldiers tried to take over a building that’s already been claimed by some preachers. The preachers and their people been real nice, trying to help the survivors by offering food and blankets. A couple of them are doctors and were helping all of us. The soldiers caught wind of what was happening and went in there, guns blazing, throwing grenades and trying to kill as many as they could. A bunch of the other groups living around here fought back. They’ll all be killed, which is why we’re staying over here.”
