NATION OF DARKNESS

AN AMERICAN EMP SURVIVAL THRILLER BOOK 1

MICHAEL SAINT ANTHONY

Copyright © 2024 by Michael Saint Anthony

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

CHAPTER ONE

“Waiter, can you bring us the most expensive bottle of red wine you have available?” Chad asked the young man serving his table.

“Yes, sir. I’ll bring a bottle of our finest Malbec blend,” the waiter responded. “I’m sure you and your lovely date will enjoy it.”

Chad Wellington and Julie Chambers were on their first date at Rocky’s, the most expensive steakhouse in Washington, DC. They’d met on a dating app called Swipey, and Chad figured she had potential because she was hot.

The restaurant bustled, full of patrons, with waiters and waitresses taking orders and serving food. The dimly lit chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and the solid oak dining tables gave the restaurant an old-school, vintage vibe.

The waiter returned with two wine glasses and a bottle of Malbec and set them on the table. He poured a half glass of wine for both Chad and Julie.

“Hope you enjoy,” he said, smiling, then walked away to assist other patrons.

Julie raised the glass to her lips and took a sip. “So why did you swipe right on my profile?” she asked. “There are tons of other women on Swipey that probably caught your eye. So what made you interested in me?”

Chad took a sip of wine and cracked a mischievous grin. “To be honest, you were the hottest woman compared to all the other women on the app. There are too many below-average-looking women. When I viewed your profile picture and saw your beautiful blond hair, I had to swipe right immediately.”

She forced a smile. “Well, thanks. I guess.”

“You’re welcome.”

“Is there anything else about my profile that intrigued you? Like my hobbies, personal interests, future goals? Did you even read it?”

Chad gave a hollow laugh. “No, I didn’t read it. To be honest, with my job and my schedule, I don’t have the time to read long dissertations on Swipey. You were the hottest woman on the app, and that’s good enough for me.”

Julie rolled her eyes and took another sip of wine.

“Hey, Julie, have you ever been to Monaco? I go there every year for a vacation. And this year, I’m planning to visit Croatia and Dubai. They have some of the best accommodations in the world. That’s one of the best things about being a mergers and acquisitions lawyer for the firm I work for. They pay me a hefty six-figure salary so I can afford the finer things in life. Also, I just bought the latest Porsche 911 two months ago. That car is a beauty. Not too many people have the specs I designed for the car.”

“That’s real nice, Chad,” Julie said sarcastically, tightening her lips into a narrow line.

Chad Wellington was a thirty-five-year-old hotshot lawyer for the largest law firm in the nation, Mckinnick & Mckinnick Law Group. He’d made junior partner a year ago, and the higher-ups said he would make senior partner within five years as long as he kept bringing in clients and closing deals.

He was originally from Moorefield, West Virginia and grew up with his mother, father, and older brother. His mother had become hooked on alcohol and ran off on her family with another man to god knew where. Which led to his father raising Chad and his brother by himself. From what Chad had heard, his mother was living in California. But these days, he really didn’t care where she was or what she was doing. She was out of his life. For good.

At the age of eighteen, Chad enrolled in West Virginia Technical University to study Political Science. After he earned his bachelor’s, he enrolled in law school at Manhattan State University. When he earned his JD, he took the bar exam and passed on his first try. He was hired as a junior mergers and acquisitions lawyer at Mckinnick & Mckinnick. He rose through the ranks quickly and the rest was history.

His good looks, high-paying career, and material possessions had made him narcissistic to the point that he could not find true love because women soon became sick of his self-centered nature.

“So besides making lots of money, taking expensive trips, and buying fancy cars, what else do you want out of life?” Julie asked, tapping her fingers on the table.

“Well, um, I kind of wa⁠—”

The waiter arrived with two plates of delicious ribeye steaks that he and Julie had ordered. Suddenly, the overhead lights flickered. Then the restaurant went completely pitch black.

As everyone was sucked into darkness, the patrons in the restaurant spoke in whispers. Chad pulled out his phone from his pants pocket to use as a light, but the screen did not turn on.

“Hey, my phone isn’t turning on. Can you check yours, Julie?” Chad asked.

“Sure. Let me get it out of my purse,” Julie said.

Julie fumbled through her purse and took out her phone. Hers was completely dead as well.

“My phone is dead too,” she said in a hushed tone. “What do you think is going on? A power outage maybe?”

Chad scratched his head, deep in thought. “Maybe. But if it’s a power outage, why the hell are both of our phones dead? A power outage doesn’t affect cell phones.”

“So, what do you think it is?”

“To be honest, I don’t have a clue. But I have a feeling this is something more.”

The restaurant manager strolled into the dining room, shining a bright flashlight to illuminate the room. Behind him were the waiters and waitresses carrying candles. They began placing the candles at the center of every table.

“I deeply apologize about this power outage, everyone,” the manager said, sweeping the entire room with his flashlight. “The lights should be back on shortly. In the meantime, we are placing candles on each table so you can continue to enjoy your meal. Once again, I apologize for this inconvenience.”

A tall man at the rear of the dining room stood up with his arms crossed. “How long will it take to get the power back on? My wife and I ordered T-bone steaks. It’s our anniversary and we’re hungry.”

The manager shined the flashlight on the upset man and formed a calm smile. “Well, happy anniversary to you and your wife, sir. As soon as the power comes back on, our chefs can resume cooking and we’ll bring your meals right on out.”

The murmurs in the restaurant grew louder. Everyone seemed restless as they looked around at each other. Some were staring at their dead phones.

A few people sitting at the bar got up and exited the restaurant.

An elderly man sitting at the table next to Chad tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hey, young man. Sorry to bother you, but what do you think is going on?”

The man lifted his phone and shrugged. “The screen on my phone went blank and my wife’s phone isn’t working,” he said. “Something is telling me that this is way bigger than a power outage.”

Chad lifted an eyebrow. “I agree. My date and I were just talking about this. Phones aren’t hooked up to the power grid.”

The elderly man opened his eyes wide as if they held some type of dark warning. “Well, son, whatever is happening out there, you and your date stay safe.”

“Thanks, sir. You and your wife do the same.”

Chad turned his attention toward Julie. She propped her hand on her chin.

“So, what do you want to do? Leave or wait it out?” Julie asked, her voice uncertain.

“Let’s wait it out for a few minutes. If the lights aren’t back on, then we can roll out of here.”

After fifteen minutes, Chad’s patience had been tested. He tapped his fingers on the table and scanned the room.

“It looks like the lights aren’t coming back on anytime soon. Let’s go to another spot,” he said as he rose from his chair.

Julie stood up and slung her purse over her shoulder, and they both walked to the exit.

When they exited, complete darkness and stillness met them outside. The cars on the street were immobilized and completely stalled. All the streetlights were out and none of the lights inside of the office buildings and restaurants were on either. People wandered aimlessly in the streets in shock.

Chad began getting nervous. He recalled the times when his late father had ranted about the lights going out and the nation descending into chaos. But he didn’t think it would happen in his lifetime. His father used to tell him and his brother about the incoming downfall of America and how foreign adversaries would either nuke the country or disrupt the electrical systems to cause massive panic and chaos. Chad was under the belief his dad was talking crazy back then. But now he had second thoughts.

Shit.

Chad’s eyes swept the surrounding area. “This looks bad.”

“Yeah, it is. I don’t even know how I’m going to get home,” Julie said, looking at the black screen on her phone. “I can’t even order a rideshare driver. And I live in Alexandria, so I can’t walk back.”

A smirk formed on Chad’s face. “Well, I only live a few blocks away. You can come and hang out at my place till things get back to normal.”

“Well, I don’t know about that.”

“Why not?”

“I just met you, Chad. And our first date got cut short. You might be a psycho stalker for all I know. We really don’t know each other that well.”

“Welllll, we can get to know each other inside my apartment.”

Julie’s lips pressed together to show her displeasure at Chad’s suggestion.

Chad placed his hands on his hips. “Look. At least at my place, you can be comfortable until the power comes back on. It’ll be much safer than standing out on the street or walking all the way back to your place.” Chad pointed toward the intersection. “I live right down there. Just a few blocks away. You have nothing to worry about. I’m not crazy, a stalker, or anything like that.”

Little did Julie know that Chad was a professional womanizer. He had various women swooning over his good looks and upper-echelon professional status. The women who worshiped the ground he walked on rarely told him “no.”

Julie sighed and gave in. “Okay. But only for an hour or until the lights come back on,” she said guardedly. “I don’t want you thinking that I’m trying to spend the night with you.”

Suddenly, people began streaming out of the steakhouse one by one. Chad assumed the patrons had come to the same conclusion, that the power would not come back soon and it was a waste of time to sit in the restaurant twiddling their thumbs.

A lady in a red trench coat walked toward a red Mercedes Benz parked in front of the restaurant and began clicking her remote, trying to unlock the doors. The car did not respond.

“What type of crap is this?” she shouted. “I just took this car to the dealership last week to get it serviced. Why is it acting up all of a sudden?”

Chad thought to himself that she needed to look around. Everyone’s car was out of commission.

“Let’s get moving,” he said to Julie, pulling on her arm.

Perfect. I’m going to get laid tonight.

CHAPTER TWO

Chad and Julie speed walked toward 16th Street, heading in the direction of Chad’s apartment. The reverberation of glass shattering in a storefront across the street turned their attention to the commotion. A group of teens had broken into the sneaker store and began running out with boxes of sneakers.

Chad shook his head in disgust, tugging on Julie’s arm. “Let’s hurry. Things are getting crazy out here.”

Another group of teens approached the teens who had broken into the store. One teen walked up to another who was holding a shoebox. “Homeboy, you better drop that box and give it to me.”

“Man, I ain’t givin’ up nothin’, homie. Get up out of my face!” the teen holding the shoebox yelled.

Suddenly, the two groups began swinging fists at each other. An all-out brawl broke out and it spilled into the middle of the street.

Julie couldn’t keep her eyes off the altercation. “Where’s the police?” she fretted, her face turning rigid with fear. “Those kids are going to kill each other!”

Chad kept tugging at her arm as they walked, signaling to her to keep up the pace.

“I don’t think the police are coming. As a matter of fact, I don’t think any of the first responder services are available.”

Julie froze in horror.

“What do you mean?” she asked. “It’s like their job to come and rescue people. So why do you think they aren’t going to come?”

“I don’t think this is a run-of-the-mill power outage. Can you see all the cars stalled out on the streets? You see all the buildings pitch black? You don’t see any streetlights on, correct?”

Julie nodded.

“I’m sure the police, fire department, and other first responder communication networks are down as well. Also, I’m sure their vehicles aren’t functioning either.”

Julie’s brow furrowed. “How do you know for sure?”

Chad recalled the times his father used to lecture him and his brother about what would happen if the power grid went down. He remembered his father saying that the police and fire department wouldn’t be able to save them, so they better be prepared. There would be pandemonium in the streets, such as looting, robberies, fights, and more. Chad regretted not taking his father’s warnings more seriously because he certainly wasn’t prepared for the current situation.

His breathing quickened. “Someone told me that this might happen.”

“Who?”

“We can talk about that later. Let’s hurry.”

As soon as they passed an alley, a short, scrawny Asian man approached them from behind.

“Hey, you two! Stop!” the man said.

Chad turned around and focused on the man. He seemed to be missing all of his teeth, his eyes had a reddish tint, and his clothes were raggedy and had a potent scent of urine.

“What do you want?” Chad asked. The scent of urine was so strong, he fought the urge to throw up.

“Just wanted to know if you could spare a dolla’? I’m tryin’ to get a hit of some crack. Things too stressful,” the crackhead said, his eyes bloodshot red.

Chad didn’t want to give up any cash, but he also didn’t want an altercation. His primary goal was to get Julie and himself back to his apartment safely.

Chad reached into his back pocket and pulled out a five-dollar bill. He handed the crack fiend the money.

“Thanks, man. And may da lord bless ya and keep ya safe.” The crackhead scurried off into the dark abyss of the alley.

“He scared the hell out of me,” Julie said, her voice rigid with fear.

“Same. We only have a few more blocks to go. Let’s pick up the pace.”

A pack of men came running down the street with glass bottles in their hands. They began lighting the rags sticking out of them with lighters and then throwing them at stalled cars.

Chad and Julie began to run away from the mayhem as the cars behind them exploded in flames.

Chad grabbed Julie’s arm tighter. “Just one more block.”

The two sprinted across the block, adrenaline coursing through his veins. Chad wanted to escape the mayhem occurring on the streets of DC. He desperately wanted to be in the comfort of his apartment.

A few seconds later, they reached the main entrance of Chad’s luxury apartment building.

Chad pulled his access key card out of his pocket and swiped it against the access panel.

No response.

I forgot, the power is out.

He banged his fists on the door, hoping someone would hear him. A few seconds later, the front desk concierge trotted to the door with a flashlight in his hand.

“Hey, Adam! It’s me, Chad Wellington. Can you let us in?” Chad waved his hand furiously.

Adam unlocked the front door from the inside. Chad and Julie rushed inside while Adam locked the door behind them. Chad was relieved that he and Julie had made it back to his apartment building safe and sound. Especially with the chaos they’d witnessed.

As they walked toward the elevator, Chad spotted a short, stocky figure standing at the concierge desk, holding a flashlight. It was his neighbor, Graham.

“Hey, Graham? What’s going on out there?” Chad asked.

Graham stood in a wide stance, pointing his flashlight upward to illuminate his face. “I think it’s a cyberattack. You know how these hackers are. Stealing people’s credit card info isn’t enough for them anymore. Some people want to cause panic and watch the world burn.”

Graham worked for the federal government as a tech analyst. He specialized in data security and enjoyed talking tech with anyone who would listen. Chad and Graham had been neighbors for two years and they got along great, despite their differences.

Chad tilted his head and scratched it. “I don’t know, Graham. I know you’re the expert on all things tech. But I highly doubt a cyberattack would destroy our phones and put every car out of commission. I think it’s bigger than that.”

“You know, you could be right. But anything is possible. Hopefully, the government will have this blackout resolved soon.”

“The government,” Chad said with a scrunched-up face. “You really don’t believe they are coming to save us, do you?”

Graham smirked. “Well, the federal government is my employer, after all. I trust them to do the right thing by the American people.”

“We’ll see about that. Oh, I almost forgot.” Chad turned to Julie. “Julie, this is my neighbor Graham. Graham, this is Julie. She’s going to crash at my place until the lights come back on.”

Graham extended his hand to Julie, and she shook it. Graham turned to Chad and gave him a knowing smirk. “Have fun, you two.”

Julie rolled her eyes. “It’s not like that. Trust me. We were on a first date and had to end it early.”

“I bet,” Graham said.

Chad grabbed Julie’s arm. “Let’s go. See you later, Graham.”

As they hurried toward the elevator, the concierge called out to them. “Elevator’s not working. Gotta take the stairs.”

Damn!

Chad’s apartment was on the twelfth floor and the flights of stairs leading up to it could be grueling if one isn’t used to working out.

“One second,” Julie said. “Let me take off my heels. I can’t walk all the way up those stairs in these.”

Julie took off her black high heel stilettos and held them in her hand. “Now I’m ready.”

Adam, the concierge, approached Chad. “Take this. You’re gonna need it.” He handed Chad his flashlight.

“Thanks, Adam,” Chad said, gripping the flashlight in his right hand, “but aren’t you going to need it?”

Adam waved him off. “Nah, I got five more just like that in the closet. You guys need it more than me.”

Chad waved at Adam and Graham. He and Julie began ascending the stairwell to the twelfth floor. As they reached the fourth floor, Julie was breathing hard and lagging behind Chad.

“Can we take a break? These stairs are brutal,” Julie said, taking in deep breaths.

Chad barked out a laugh. “Brutal? We’ve only reached the fourth floor and you’re tired already?”

Julie took a seat on the stairs. She began breathing in and out slowly.

Chad stood in front of her with his back against the wall. He hadn’t even broken a sweat. He shined the flashlight on her face.

“I can’t believe I came home with you,” she said, holding her face in her hands, sweat dripping off of her forehead. “If I knew it would be this kind of workout, I would have just walked all the way back home to Alexandria.”

Chad crossed his arms and gave Julie a long stare.

“Do you even work out?” he asked.

“Yeah. I do home aerobics. I watch a few online videos and just follow the instructor.”

Chad gave a hollow laugh. “Home workouts are useless. Those workouts really won’t help your core muscles. You have to go to the gym and start using free weights or even get on the machines. This is why you’re getting tired so easily going up these stairs.”

She gave a half shrug. “Whatever you say.”

Julie quickly stood up to prove she was as capable as he was to walk up the stairs. “We can get going.”

They continued to climb the stairwell. Fifteen minutes later, they reached the twelfth floor.

Chad opened the stairwell door into his hall and pointed his flashlight toward his unit. “My apartment is down this hall.”

Chad led Julie down the hall to his door. He fumbled through his pockets, searching for his keys. Once he located them, he opened the door, and they both walked into Chad’s dark apartment.

“Finally. Home sweet home.”

He turned to Julie, and a smile swept across his face. “Welcome to my humble abode, Julie. Feel free to take a seat on the couch,” he said, pointing his flashlight at his plush gray velvet couch.

Chad grabbed a few candles from the linen closet to illuminate the dark apartment. He took several of them and placed them on his kitchen counter. He lit them one by one and then placed candles in every room in his apartment. After he finished lighting the last candle, he strutted back to the couch to join Julie.

Julie’s eyes lit up with interest as she gazed around his apartment. “I gotta admit, you have a very nice place. This must cost you a pretty penny.”

Chad blew out his cheeks and slumped his shoulders. “Yeah, it’s costing me over eight thousand dollars a month.”

“Eight thousand a month?!” she blurted out.

“You heard that correctly. But it’s worth it, though. It’s in a great location. It has a lot of amenities. Floor-to-ceiling windows. It’s very spacious. It has an underground garage, so I can keep my Porsche, and a lot of powerful and influential people live here.”

“I bet.”

Chad pointed to a wooden wine cabinet full of wine bottles. “You see that wine cabinet over there? I’ve stocked some of the most expensive and finest wine on the planet. I get wine imported from different countries around the world and keep them in there.”

Chad stood up and rubbed his feet on the rug. “You see this rug? This is handcrafted Persian. I got this specially made for me.”

Chad turned his focus to a few art pieces he had on his living room wall. He walked toward it and placed his hands on his hips, admiring the canvases on the wall. “I bought these art pieces from a famous Italian artist, Giovelli Agosti. Have you ever heard of him?”

Julie shook her head. “No, I haven’t. Am I supposed to?”

He frowned. “I guess you wouldn’t.”

Julie turned her attention to a framed photograph sitting on the bookcase. She rose from the couch and made her way toward the photograph, then picked it up and inspected it.

“Is this your family?” she asked.

“Yeah, that’s me, my older brother Harry, and our dad.”

Chad took the photo from her and gazed at it. The photograph was taken twenty years earlier. Chad and his brother were much younger and much skinnier.

“We took this picture after a fishing trip to the river.” Chad and his brother were holding up the catfish they’d caught.

“Do you have any pictures of your mother? I would love to see what she looks like.”

His facial expression hardened. “She ran off on us when my brother and I were small. Haven’t seen or heard one peep from her since,” he said in a solemn tone.

“I’m sorry to hear that. That must be tough to deal with.”

“At this point in my life, I’m over it. I’m very successful and I don’t need her.”

“And your dad? Is he still around?” she asked.

“No. Unfortunately, he passed away a few years ago. But let’s change the subject.”

Chad was still having a hard time dealing with his father’s death. He’d passed away from a heart attack while he was shopping for groceries. The only person Chad had in his life was his brother, and they weren’t on speaking terms.

He smiled at Julie. “I’m sure you’re tired. Feel free to crash on my bed.”

Her facial expression turned poker-faced. “Thanks for the offer. But I’ll only sleep in your bed if you stay on the couch. We’re not sleeping together on the first date.”

Chad gave a shaky laugh. “Of course not.”

He walked Julie to his bedroom, then grabbed fresh bed sheets and pillows from the closet. He removed the old sheets from his plush king-size bed and replaced them with new ones.

After Chad finished, Julie sat on the edge of the bed. “This is comfy. Thanks for letting me crash for the time being. I’m going to get some shuteye. Wake me up when the power comes back so I can leave.”

Chad walked toward the door with his flashlight and gave her a glittering smile. “Sleep tight. I’ll be in the living room.” He shut the door and went to the couch to lie down.

Once he got comfortable lying down on the couch, his eyes fixated on the ceiling above.

He reflected on what his late father had told him and his brother, that America was going to be attacked somehow and they had better get prepared. Chad’s brother, Harry, had heeded their dad’s warnings. He’d bought a small cabin on the outskirts of Moorefield. Along with the cabin, he had a small homestead where he raised a few animals and grew his own food. Chad had instead opted for the fast-paced city life and spent his money on women, cars, traveling, and materialistic things. He’d hated living in the middle of nowhere when he was younger and wanted to be where everything was happening. With all the money he had made in his career, he should have bought a small cabin out in the country to get away from the chaos in the city. Heck, probably two or three.

As Chad dozed off, he began making backup plans just in case the power never came back on.

CHAPTER THREE

POP! POP! POP!

The echoing of gunfire outside of Chad’s apartment building woke him from a deep slumber. Chad jolted and sat straight up. Sweat dripped from his forehead in his complete state of panic.

“Chad! Chad!” Julie shouted, running into the living room. “Did you hear that? What’s going on?” Panic flared in her eyes as she sat next to Chad.

Chad put his arm around her and pulled her in close to comfort her. “It’s going to be okay. Don’t be scared. We’ll get through this.”

Her eyes flooded with tears. “What the hell is going on with people? A simple power outage and people have lost their minds all of a sudden.”

Chad had concluded that this wasn’t a “simple” power outage. Something major had happened and the entire country had fallen into darkness. The lights weren’t coming back anytime soon. When the food ran out, people were going to turn into savages. He needed to implement his backup plans before Washington, DC descended into total chaos.

The voices of people yelling and shouting pulled Chad’s attention to his balcony. “Do you hear that? Wait here. I’m going to check it out.”

Chad jumped to his feet and treaded to the balcony door. He pulled it open and stepped out onto the balcony overlooking the street. He focused his attention on a group of shouting people on the street assembled in front of the supermarket. A few of them were carrying baseball bats and crowbars in their hands. They began swinging them at the door and the glass windows. Within a few seconds, the glass shattered, and the looters ran into the supermarket.

Chad went back inside to update Julie on what he’d just observed.

“Looters just broke into the supermarket.”

“Why?” she asked with a questioning look.

Chad sat down next to Julie. He put his hand on her shoulder and stared into her eyes. “Julie, the electricity isn’t going to come back on anytime soon. Also, at some point, the food is going to run out. The looters know this, and that’s why they raided the supermarket. When the food runs out, people are going to reveal their true colors because they will do whatever is necessary to feed their families and themselves.”

Her jaw dropped. “Jesus Christ. So what do we do now?”

Chad stood up and walked to the window. He crossed his arms over his chest and gazed over the city. “I think our best option is to leave. The city isn’t the safest place to be. As a matter of fact, any major city or population center is going to turn dangerous. We have to get away from here.”

“So, where do you suggest we go?”

Chad slumped his shoulders and closed his eyes, deep in thought. There was only one place that was safe and out of harm’s way. The only question was whether they would be allowed to stay there.

“We can go to my brother’s cabin in West Virginia. It’s on the outskirts of the town where we grew up. We’d be safe and have everything we need. Food, water, shelter, you name it. My brother is self-sufficient, so he doesn’t rely on the grocery store.”

Julie’s face went blank. It was obvious she had doubts about Chad’s plans. “So how do you expect we get there? No cars are working.”

“Well, we’re gonna have to walk.”

“Walk?!” Julie blurted out. “That’s going to take days! Maybe weeks!”

“I don’t disagree with you at all. It’s going to take a long time to get there. But trust me, it’s safer than staying in the DC area. You know how dense this area is with people. Sooner or later, looters, criminals, and squatters will be breaking into both of our homes to get what they need. And you don’t want to be there when that goes down.”

“I don’t know about this….”

Chad’s brow furrowed. “Look, you don’t have to come. You can walk back to Alexandria and fend for yourself. But just know that no one is coming to save you if danger comes to your doorstep.”

She scrunched up her face. “Okay, okay. You win. But I don’t have any walking shoes. I can’t walk to West Virginia in my heels.”

“No problem. I’ll go across the street and get some shoes for you. What’s your shoe size?”

“It’s size eight,” she said.

“Keep the door locked and wait in the bedroom,” Chad instructed Julie as he put on his sneakers. “There’s a sporting goods store across the street at the corner of the block. I’ll grab your size and I’ll be back before you know it. I won’t be long.”

Her eyebrow rose. “But that’s stealing, Chad. You’ll be no better than the looters.”

Chad glanced at her and gave an ironic laugh. “I’m not stealing. We’re just borrowing them. The store will have no use for them. And we’ll put those shoes to better use than those looters.”

“Okay.”

Chad grabbed the flashlight from the kitchen counter and exited his apartment. He walked toward the stairwell and ran down the stairs to the ground floor. Once he opened the door to the main entrance, he shined his flashlight on the front desk. No one was there.

Adam must have gone home to be with his family.

Chad walked past the front desk toward the front door and immediately realized that the door had been left wide open. Chad walked outside and propped it open with a small tree branch that was lying on the ground. He didn’t want to lock it shut because the front door operated off electricity, and since there was none, he could get locked out.

He surveyed the street to make sure no one spotted him. Most of the looters were busy in the supermarket getting as much food as they could, so it was easy for him to maneuver with stealth to the sporting goods store.

To ensure he went unnoticed, he crouched and started walking behind the cars stalled on the street. He was sure that if a looter or criminal spotted him, they would try to rob him of everything he had. He continued staying low and using the cars for cover.

He finally arrived at the store. Luckily, looters had already broken the glass to get into the store, so entering was a piece of cake. Once inside the store, he turned on his flashlight. Most of the racks and shelves were barren, with not a single shoe in sight.

“There’s probably shoes in the storeroom,” he whispered to himself.

Chad shined his flashlight toward the rear of the store. He spotted a door. He moved toward it, turned the knob, pulled it open, then walked inside. He spotted boxes of shoes stacked up high on shelves and began searching for size eight women’s shoes. He searched one shelf but had no luck.

He rummaged through another shelf, but it contained only children’s shoes. Chad searched through another shelf that had women’s sneakers. He bit his lip and held his breath. He was coming closer to his goal. As soon as he found her shoe size, he would hightail it back to his apartment.

Bingo!

Chad discovered a pair of bright pink running shoes, in Julie’s size, on the very top shelf. He grabbed the box and tucked it underneath his arm. As soon as he was about to sprint out of the back room, the loud chatter of male voices at the front of the store caught his attention. Chad turned the lock on the door and hid behind the shelf.

“Hey! There’s nothing in here!” one voice yelled.

“Yeah. I guess people got to this store before we could. I really wanted a pair of new basketball shoes,” another voice said. “Let’s look in the back room to see if they got some stock.”

Someone began to tug on the locked door. Chad’s body shook and his palms were sweaty. If the looters broke the door open and discovered him hiding in there, he would be in deep trouble.

A looter began swinging a heavy object at the door from the outside.

BANG! BANG!

Chad’s heart thumped through his chest, and he felt icy with panic. The looters desperately wanted to get into the storeroom to get what they sought, and they were going to use every tactic available to them.

After a few seconds, the thuds on the door stopped.

“Man, this door ain’t opening for shit. Let’s go,” the looter said.

“Aiight, man. You’re right. Let’s hit another store.”

Chad waited a few minutes to make sure the coast was clear. He opened the door slowly and surveyed the room. Everyone was gone. He grabbed the pair of shoes he came for and hightailed it back to his apartment.

Chad entered his apartment with a winning smile. He’d obtained Julie’s shoes without incident. And most importantly, he’d made it back without getting into a confrontation.

“Hey, Julie! I’m back and I got your shoes,” Chad shouted as he strolled through the door.

Julie didn’t respond. So he went to the bedroom to see if she was inside. When he entered the room, he found Julie sitting by his bedside, holding a red lingerie set.

She was frowning with anger. She gripped the lingerie tight in her fist up so Chad could see.

“Who does this belong to?” she asked in a snarky tone. “You claimed you were single. Why do you have this in your drawer?”

He threw the box of running shoes on the ground. His eyes narrowed as anger mounted in him. “Why the hell were you going through my drawers? You have absolutely no right to do so.”

Julie tossed the lingerie on the bed and gave him a hard look. “I need to know what type of person I am dealing with if I’m going all the way to West Virginia with you. So I went through your drawers only to find women’s lingerie. So who does it belong to?”

“It belongs to my ex-girlfriend. She forgot to pack it when she came to retrieve her belongings after we broke up.”

Julie rolled her eyes. “Why do you still have it if you are broken up?”

“Look, Julie. Now is not the time to argue about trivial things when the world is ending,” Chad said, putting his hand on his hip. “We need to get prepared to leave here soon. We can talk about my ex later. Now isn’t the time.”

“Okay, you have a point. This is a discussion we can save for later.”

Chad picked up the box of shoes from the ground and handed it to Julie. “Try them on and see how they fit.”

Julie removed the shoes from the box and put them on her feet. She stood up and walked around in them, getting a feel for how they would feel on her feet.

“They fit good. And you got my favorite color, pink. How did you know?”

Chad giggled while he raked his fingers through his hair. “Just call it a man’s intuition.”

“So, what time do you want to head out?”

“I’m thinking at the crack of dawn. When the sun rises. I think it’s best we cover as much ground as we can during the daylight hours. At night, we can find shelter along the way and stay out of danger.”

“Okay. I’m going to get some rest so I’ll have enough energy for the trek to West Virginia,” Julie said. “But we still are going to have a talk about this lingerie and your ex.”

“Sure.” Chad closed the bedroom door and plopped down on the couch.

“What a crazy day,” he said to himself.

It had been a crazy day indeed for Chad. One minute he was on a date, and the next minute he was making plans to escape DC. He tried to wrap his mind around why Julie would go through his personal belongings. Was she that insecure? Or was she trying to find some dirt on him? Either way, the most important task was escaping the chaos that was ensuing in DC.

There was only one issue he hadn’t revealed to Julie that could really put a damper on the situation. He figured he would wait until the time was right to have that conversation.

CHAPTER FOUR

Chad woke from sleep around five in the morning and headed to the kitchen to pull out a few snacks from his pantry to carry with him on their journey to West Virginia. On the top shelf, he found a box of unopened chocolate chip cookies, a pack of rice cakes, a package of wheat crackers, and four bottles of water. He placed them inside of his pack and slung it over his shoulder.

He walked to his bedroom to check on Julie. Julie was putting on a T-shirt Chad had left on the side of the bed for her, since it would be more comfortable than the blouse she’d worn the night before.

“Are you ready to go?” he asked, looking her up and down.

“Yeah, I’m as ready as I can be,” she replied as she bent over to tie her shoes. “I still don’t know about this. How safe do you think we’ll be out there?”

“It’ll be safer than staying here. I can promise you that.”

Chad went to his dresser and removed a few pairs of fresh socks, a few boxer shorts, and some old T-shirts and placed them in his bag.

He turned to Julie. “Let’s get out of here.”

Julie and Chad exited the apartment and made their way down the stairwell. They left the building and began making their way south on 16th Street. The condition of the streets was appalling. Broken glass everywhere. Trash strewn on the sidewalks. Cars stalled in the middle of the streets. And the nauseating smell of smoke and ashes was rising above the city.

Julie gaped in horror at the destruction surrounding them. “It looks like you were right. Getting away from DC would be a hell of a lot better than staying here.”

Chad began walking faster. “It’s just crazy how people destroyed this city so quickly after the lights went out. Couldn’t they wait a couple of days at least?”

Julie flicked a nervous glance at him and shrugged. “I guess some people just want to watch the world burn.”

“You’re right.” Chad pointed his finger toward a street sign. “We are going to make a right on K Street, then a left on 17th Street. When we’re on 17th Street, we’ll make a right on Constitution Avenue. We’ll take Constitution to highway 66 and follow it all the way to Moorefield.”

Chad wiped the sweat from his forehead with his hand. The humidity was thick in the early June morning, and his clothes were already sticking to his body. But they had no choice but to leave in daylight hours since it would be the safest time. Dealing with a little heat was much better than dealing with constant danger in the night.

Chad and Julie arrived at K Street and they turned right.

“Okay, just one block to 17th Street,” he said.

They made a left on 17th Street and continued due south. They walked past the White House and spotted about fifty Secret Service officers on horseback patrolling the exterior of the White House fence.

“I guess the president is the only one that will be safe from the chaos,” Chad said.

“I wish he would get out of the comfort and security of the Oval Office and walk the streets to see what Americans are really going through,” Julie said, rolling her eyes, “but that’s asking too much of him.”

Chad chuckled. “He’s a lame duck, so he doesn’t really care. We’re almost at Constitution Avenue.”

Once they reached Constitution Avenue, they turned right and began making their way to highway 66. Chad was relieved that they were escaping DC without incident and hoped the rest of their journey would be just as smooth. But something tugged at him. That the wishful, perfect scenario wouldn’t play out as he hoped.

“So about that lingerie. Why is it still there?” Julie asked.

Chad clenched his teeth. He didn’t want to have this discussion. But he wanted to settle it for good.

“I told you earlier. It belongs to my ex. And she forgot to take it with her,” Chad said, keeping his focus on the road ahead of them. “I honestly forgot it was still in my drawer.”

Julie’s brows knitted. She gave him an icy stare.

“Look,” he said. “You don’t have to worry about her. We don’t see or talk to each other anymore. We broke up over a year ago. It’s over.”

“Are you seeing anyone else?”

“Not seriously. I go out on a date here and there. But I’m not involved with any woman.”

“Whatever you say, Chad,” Julie said in a sarcastic tone. “I want to apologize about going through your belongings. I should have never done that.”

“No. You shouldn’t have. What the hell were you thinking?” Chad barked, his voice thick with anger. He threw up his hands and gave Julie a death stare.

“Once again, I’m sorry about that. I was just insecure.”

“Yeah, I can see that.” Chad settled down and took shallow breaths.

Julie kept her eyes pointed at the ground, seemingly engulfed by shame.

“So, can you tell me about your brother?” she asked, changing the subject.

The resentment in his face dulled as his anger melted away. “He can be difficult and a hard-ass.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Really.”

“Is he married? Does he have kids?”

“The last time I checked, he was still single with no kids.”

Julie stopped walking and put her hands on her hips. Her face contorted and brows furrowed.

“What do you mean by the last time you checked?”

“We haven’t spoken to each other in a while,” he said sharply.

“Why? What’s going on betw⁠—”

Chad turned around to face Julie. His pupils flared, and his mouth twitched. He was getting annoyed by her questions and bickering.

“Look, Julie,” Chad said hotly. “If you still want to come, you gotta stop barraging me with questions because it’s becoming annoying. Otherwise, you can stay here and fend for yourself in this madness.”

“What if he doesn’t let us in? Have you ever thought about that?” she yelled, throwing up her hands.

“We’ll worry about that when we get there,” he replied. “So, what do you want to do?”

Julie gave Chad a long gaze, deep in thought. “Okay. I’ll stop with the questions. But I want to know everything that happened between you two when we get there.”

Chad nodded and began walking. At some point, he would have to explain to Julie why he and his brother were no longer on speaking terms anymore. But that was going to have to wait until they had reached safety in West Virginia.

“I promise I’ll fill you in on everything once we get there.”

“Okay, Chad,” she said, keeping pace with him. “I just want to say all the money and material things you own don’t make a man. Your character will. You may have differences with your brother, whatever that may be, but you two are still family.”

Chad gave a weak smile. Julie was right. He and his brother not speaking had been weighing on him for years. But the backstory of their falling out was a “complicated” one. At some point, they would have to resolve their issues and move on as a family. Because at the end of the day, all they had was each other. And Chad needed him more now than ever.

CHAPTER FIVE

One hour later, the duo crossed the Theodore Roosevelt Bridge into Virginia. Julie kept up the pace with Chad, due in part to her brand new sneakers he’d obtained for her from the sporting goods store the night before.

Chad was glad to put DC behind him. But deep down inside, he knew he’d have to face new challenges on the long road ahead. Even though he wasn’t as prepared as he should have been, Chad remained focused on reaching West Virginia, despite having indulged in a life of luxury and splurged on meaningless things. Staying in the city or a dense population center was not a smart thing to do at this time because of mass hysteria and the massive amount of crime people were committing.

As they entered the neighborhood of Rosslyn, the high-rise buildings and skyscrapers provided them with shade from the sun. Stalled cars blocked the streets. People were walking up and down, dazed and confused. The looks on their faces were blank and expressionless as if they’d just been dropped off on another planet.

Directly across the street, a young woman in her early twenties was crying hysterically on another woman’s shoulders.

“I wonder what happened to her,” Chad remarked with a questioning look.

“It could be anything. You know how us women are,” Julie said as she kept her gaze on the two women.

“Yeah. Women are too sensitive. Cry about everything.”

Julie glared at Chad, folding her arms. “Uh huh? And men don’t cry?”

Chad looked at the ground. His eyes were dull with sadness. “Only when we lose a loved one.”

Chad was still grieving over his father’s passing. It had been sudden when he got the call from his brother that their father had passed away. Dealing with the pain of losing him had eaten away at Chad for quite a while. He tried to numb the pain by spending his money wildly on cars, trips, and material possessions. It had helped temporarily. But Chad still missed hearing his father’s voice and his wisdom.

“Are you okay?” Julie asked with a concerned look. “I hope I didn’t bring up any awful memories.”

“No. You’re fine,” Chad responded. He lifted his head and gave her a half-smile. “Let’s keep going. We’re making progress.”

One thing that surprised Chad was that many of the storefronts and buildings were still intact, unlike in DC. He chalked it up to the fact that the specific area of Virginia that they were in housed many professionals who worked for the federal government, such as defense contracting companies and accounting companies. There weren’t too many rough parts in Northern Virginia, thankfully. But one still needed to keep an eye out for trouble.

“This part of Virginia is untouched, unlike in DC,” Julie commented.

He nodded. “Yeah. I think it’s because of the high-earning demographic that lives here. People here are educated and make good money, so they aren’t going to tear up the place.”

Chad pointed to a convenience store that had its windows broken out. It was the sole storefront on the block that had been vandalized.

“We need to get some food to take with us. The cookies and crackers I brought won’t last us long.”

Julie fixed her eyes on the store Chad was pointing to. “So I’m guessing you want to check that place out for food?”

“Yeah. Let’s be quick though.”

Chad and Julie sprinted toward the store. Once they arrived, they went through the broken door and surveyed the floor.

Someone had knocked the shelves to the ground and left them sparse of anything of value. Chad and Julie searched thoroughly to see if they could find any food to take with them.

“I see nothing,” Julie said, making her way past the maze of toppled shelves.

Chad trudged to the rear of the store. “Let me check if the storage room is open. Maybe looters haven’t gotten to it yet.”

He turned the knob on the door, swung the door open, then shined his flashlight into the dark room.

Empty.

“This room is empty also. Let me check behind the cashier counter,” Chad shouted, still shining his flashlight into the barren storage room.

In search of food, he ventured behind the cashier counter. He noticed a small unopened cardboard box underneath the cash register. He pulled it out and ripped off the packing tape. Inside of the box were boxes of Twinkies.

“Hey, I found some Twinkies,” Chad shouted, waving the box of snacks.

Julie chortled. “Twinkies? I think you’re trying to make me put on weight.”

“I like my women slim, actually. And you’ll walk this off by the time we reach West Virginia.”

Her eyebrows drew together and she put her hands on her hips. “You are so lame, Chad. Worrying about women’s looks during a damn apocalypse.”

Chad put a few of the boxes into his pack and continued scanning the area behind the cashier counter. He spotted two small bottles of energy shots lying on the ground. He grabbed them and placed them in the front pouch of his pack.

“Okay, I think that’s all we’re going to find. Let’s get out of here.” Chad hopped over the counter and began making his way to the front of the store.

As Chad and Julie walked to the exit, two people wearing ski masks and dark clothing approached them.

Chad grabbed Julie by her arm and pulled her close to him.

Both of the masked men sprinted toward them and grabbed Julie’s other arm and shoulders.

“Come on, baby. You’re coming with us,” one of the masked men said.

“Get the hell off me!” Julie screamed at the top of her lungs. “I’m not going anywhere with you!”

Chad held on to Julie as tightly as he could. His heart hammered in his chest as fear rose. He refused to let go of Julie. He was going to protect her at all costs.

“Let her go!” Chad yelled as he held on to her waist.

The two men overpowered Chad and grabbed hold of Julie. They dragged her out of the store. Julie kicked and screamed, trying to wring herself out of their grasp.

Chad spotted a crowbar lying on the ground and picked it up, then dashed toward the two criminals. Rage flowed through him like lava. His skin turned crimson red. His eyes blazed with fury. He was going to save Julie at all costs and make it to West Virginia.

One of the masked men caught sight of Chad rushing toward him and removed a revolver from his holster. He raised it and pointed it at Chad. In the nick of time, Chad slammed the crowbar down on his arm, knocking the gun from his hand.

“Arrrgggg!”

The gunman curled into a fetal position on the floor, grasping his right arm. His accomplice stopped dead in his tracks, still holding on to Julie.

Chad raised the crowbar over his head, then brought it down with all of his might, striking the man’s head. Chad swung it a few more times, bludgeoning the man to death. Opaque red fluid streamed from the dead man’s head, creating a pool of blood on the floor.

Julie pushed her abductor down and ran towards Chad. Tears ran down her cheeks as she embraced him.

Chad released himself from her embrace and picked up the gun the man he’d just killed had been carrying. He gave the firearm a once over and walked toward the living abductor.

“Please don’t shoot me! I’m sorry, man! Don’t kill me like you just did to my friend,” the man begged, raising his hands and backing away.

Chad’s face hardened as icy fury raged in his blood. He’d almost lost Julie, because of some lowlifes who had tried to kidnap her and more than likely wanted to have their way with her. That wasn’t going to happen on his watch.

He pointed the gun at the man’s chest.

20 years earlier…

Bang! Bang! The tin absorbed the bullet and flew back five feet off the table.

“That’s how you aim and hit your target precisely.” Harry Senior handed the revolver to his youngest son, Chad. “Now it’s your turn. Do as I showed you earlier.”

Young, scrawny Chad aimed at another empty tin can sitting on top of the wooden table. He raised the revolver with both hands to chest level, closed one eye, and squeezed the trigger.

POW!

Chad hit his mark. His face lit with a smile, and he pumped his fist in the air.

“You and your brother are naturals at shooting,” Harry Senior said, stroking his long brown beard. “But that’s no surprise. You learned from the best.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Chad replied.

Chad wasn’t into guns, unlike his father and his brother. But he was a good shot.

He was more focused on video games, cars, and following the NBA.

“You and your brother need to learn to protect and defend yourself. I’m not always going to be around to protect you guys.”

Chad nodded, then handed the revolver to his older brother Harry Junior. “Your turn, Harry.”

POW! POW!

Chad squeezed the trigger. The bullets from the revolver ripped through the second masked man’s center mass. His body dropped and blood splashed all over the floor.

Julie put her hands over her mouth as if she was too frightened to scream. Her eyes widened as she stared at the lifeless body.

Chad lowered the weapon and tucked it inside his waistband. His pupils were huge as he stared at the body. He’d just saved Julie. But he’d also ended another human’s life.

He had always been a person who cared about himself. He’d always put himself first and other people last. But in this instance, he didn’t want to see Julie get hurt or kidnapped. So he had to do what he had to do to make sure that didn’t happen.

Julie rubbed Chad’s shoulder. Her eyes were still welling up with tears. “Thank you, Chad. You saved my life.”

Chad grimaced as he stared at the cold, lifeless bodies lying on the ground. He stared in disbelief at what had just happened. What he’d done. And he wasn’t sure he’d done the right thing.

“I can’t believe… I just… killed people,” he fretted.

“But it was self-defense,” Julie reassured him. “You shouldn’t feel bad at all. It was either us or them. And you made sure it wasn’t going to be us.”

“We need to do something with these bodies,” Chad said as he bent down to grab one of the dead men’s legs. “Help me drag them to the dumpster in the back.”

Fifteen minutes later, Julie and Chad had placed the two dead criminals in the dumpster at the back of the store and walked back out onto the street.

Chad secured his pack around his shoulders and gave Julie a thin smile. “Let’s get out of here.”

CHAPTER SIX

As Chad and Julie were making their way westbound, Chad abruptly stopped in his tracks and froze completely, almost as if he were suspended in time. His face went bug-eyed, then blank.

Julie turned around and stared at him with concerned brown eyes. “Are you okay?”

Chad fell to his knees and clasped his hands over his face. He began shaking as a wave of sadness engulfed him. Chad was sure he was having a mental breakdown, and he did not know how to control it.

“I can’t believe… what just happened…” he bawled. He removed his hands from his face; his eyes were wet with tears.

Chad was having a hard time dealing with what had just happened. Even though he lived a flashy life, he was the least violent person you can imagine. He wasn’t into firearms nearly as much as his father and brother. But he’d gone shooting with them just to save face. It was clear that he was having difficulty adjusting to this strange, post-apocalyptic world.

Julie bent down next to Chad and massaged his back with her hand. She fixated her worried eyes on him. “Just let it out, Chad. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

Chad choked back the sobs to compose himself. He winced, then ran his hand through his hair.

“I’m sorry, Julie. This is just too much for me.” He wiped the tears from his eyes and gazed at the ground. “I’ve lost my career because of this outage. I’m leaving my car, my apartment, my artwork. People are acting crazy on the streets. And to top it off, I just killed two people. Imagine that. Me… a killer. Who would have thought?”

Julie grabbed his face and turned it toward her. Her eyes locked with his as she gazed at him softly.

“Look, Chad. I know the world is going to hell right now, and you had to abandon your apartment, your car, your career, and other things. But just understand those are material things. They don’t mean anything in the long run. The most important thing right now is getting to your brother’s place in West Virginia.”

“I don’t know, Julie,” Chad said, wiping away the wet tears with his hand. “I’m having second thoughts about this trip. Maybe I should go back to my apartment, and you go back to your place.”

“Chad, you’re not thinking straight. You saw what’s going on back there in DC. All hell is breaking loose. We wouldn’t last too much longer if we stayed back there.”

Julie stood up, dusting off her jeans. “We made a commitment to get to your brother’s cabin in West Virginia. So we can be safe from the madness that’s going on.” She gave Chad a triumphant smile and put her hand on his shoulder. “Don’t chicken out on me now.” Julie grabbed his hand and helped him up from his knees.

Chad felt a renewed sense of purpose. “Thanks, Julie. I needed to hear that.”

She gave a hopeful smile, and Chad smiled back. They continued on their trek.

One hour later, they made it to highway 66, one of the major stretches of highway that led to Moorefield.

“Sorry about that little breakdown back there. My emotions got the better of me,” Chad apologized.

“It’s okay, Chad. Let’s keep covering more ground before it gets dark.”

CHAPTER SEVEN

The sun was lowering, and the skies were getting darker. Chad and Julie made it to the outskirts of Arlington, Virginia and were making good time. They walked through a quaint neighborhood populated with older brick homes built after World War II. Homeowners stood outside talking to their neighbors and looked suspiciously at Chad and Julie as they walked by. Chad gave a friendly wave to an elderly woman standing on her front porch. She screwed up her face and lifted her middle finger in response.

“I don’t think they want us here,” Julie said in a low whisper. “We need to find somewhere to lay our heads down for the night.”

“Agreed,” Chad replied. “Walking around at night, with no lights on, is nothing but pure trouble.”

They walked past a short Asian man standing on the doorstep of his house. He cradled a shotgun in his arms and as Chad passed by him, they locked eyes. Chad nodded at the man to acknowledge his presence. The man nodded back and kept his eye on the two travelers.

“Seems like the neighborhood is on edge. They might’ve seen some trouble last night.”

Chad unzipped his pack and removed his flashlight. He turned on the power switch to illuminate their path since it was getting dark.

Twenty minutes later, the sun completely set and nightfall arrived. Dogs were barking nonstop, perhaps frightened by the unusual darkness.

A group of young men with bandanas and jeans hanging off their rear ends walked in Chad and Julie’s direction. Chad shined his flashlight on the group to get a better look at them.

Just before they passed each other, a brown man with gold teeth stopped right in front of them.

“What up, homie? What y’all doin’ out chea?” the man with the gold teeth asked.

Chad was hesitant to answer. But also didn’t want to get into a confrontation. So he made up a lie.

Chad’s forehead furrowed. “We’re heading to a friend’s house.”

The gold-toothed man flashed a smile displaying all of his golds. “Oh, aiight. I thought y’all was tryin’ to get some loot.”

Chad jerked Julie closer to him. “No, not today. Bye.”

Chad and Julie walked to the other side of the street. The gang of men snickered, then went on their way.

As they advanced through the neighborhood, Chad spotted more groups of sketchy-looking men roaming about.

Two teenagers walked up to a house and began peering through the windows. After about thirty seconds of casing the house to make sure it was empty, one teen smashed the window with a crowbar and they both crawled through the windows.

“Damn,” Chad said as his eyes widened, observing the crime. “It’s getting unsafe around here. We need to get off the streets as soon as we can.”

“Ayeee yo! Homie!” a familiar voice shouted from behind.

Chad turned around and shined his flashlight. It was gold tooth and his crew.

“Yeah?” Chad asked, clenching his fists.

Gold tooth approached Chad, pulling out a gun from his waistband. He flicked his bloodshot eyes between Chad and Julie. Chad concluded he must be high on some sort of drugs.

“Drop yo’ bag and put yo’ hands up. Both of y’all!” the gold-toothed thug shouted as he waved his gun back and forth between Chad and Julie.

Julie sweated as she slowly raised her hands into the air, shaking.

“Look, man, we don’t want any trouble.” Chad tried to reason with the thug by being calm and collected. He had been through enough in the past two days, and all he wanted to do was get Julie and himself to safety.

“Just do what I said,” the thug demanded in a threatening tone. His buddies were behind him with their arms crossed, observing the altercation menacingly.

Chad took off his pack and lowered it to the ground slowly. He shook with fury. He wanted to shoot them, but he’d put the gun he took from the thugs earlier in the day inside his pack. If he unzipped it, the thug would start firing shots.

“Hey! What’s going on?” someone shouted from one of the homes.

Chad, Julie, and the thugs turned their heads to the side. A man was sprinting from his porch with a shotgun in his arms. He slowed, then walked toward the group and came face to face with the gold-toothed thug.

He racked his shotgun and pointed it at gold tooth’s chest. “You get the hell out of here and leave these innocent people alone.”

The man held the shotgun firmly. His facial expression hardened. He meant business.

Gold tooth and his crew backed away and eventually scurried off into the darkness.

“Are you guys okay?” the tall, middle-aged, Caucasian man with a long beard asked.

“Yes. We’re fine,” Julie replied, looking relaxed. “Thanks for getting us out of that jam.”

Chad extended his hand toward the man. “Thanks for saving our asses. We owe you one. By the way, my name is Chad and this is Julie.”

Both of the men shook hands.

“Don’t mention it. I’m just glad I came outside when I did. My name is Martin.”

Martin peered at Chad and Julie. “Where are y’all headed? It’s kind of dangerous to be out and about in the total darkness.”

Chad pondered for a few moments about the answer he wanted to give. He didn’t want to reveal too much to a total stranger. But on the other hand, Martin had just saved their lives. He decided to give Martin “just enough” info to gain his trust.

“We’re actually headed to my brother’s place in West Virginia,” Chad replied, glancing sideways.

Martin widened his stance and cocked his head. “That’s a long ways from here. But I guess it’s safer than staying around here in the madness.” Martin stroked his beard while looking at Chad and Julie. It was obvious he was thinking about something.

“How about you two stay at my place for the night and get some rest? You’ll be safe and you can head out in the morning.”

Chad and Julie turned toward each other suspiciously. It sounded like a good plan, but he didn’t know Martin from a can of paint. What if he was a psychotic mass murderer? But on the other hand, Martin had proved himself to be a Good Samaritan by saving him and Julie from getting robbed, or possibly worse, by those thugs. They also needed a place to stay for the night, and it might be a good idea to take his offer while it still stood.

Julie gave Chad a slight nod, signaling she was okay with staying at Martin’s for the night.

“Thanks for the offer, and we’ll take you up on it. We’ll be out of your hair first thing in the morning,” Chad stated.

“Sounds good. Follow me,” Martin replied, then led the two toward his house.

Happiness flowed through Chad as they walked into Martin’s house. He’d had an extremely rough and challenging day and was happy to see there were still good people out there.

“You guys can crash on the sofas. Make yourselves at home,” Martin said to Chad and Julie as they walked through the front door. Candles illuminated the living room. There was a large flat-screen television on the wall. In the middle of the room was a glass coffee table that held various magazines on different topics such as sports, luxury homes, and fishing.

Chad sat on one of the leather sofas, and Julie sat on the other. Martin went to the closet and pulled out fresh sheets and two pillows.

“Here you go,” Martin said as he handed out the linen. “You guys can use these to sleep with.”

“Thanks for everything,” Chad said as he laid the sheets on the sofa.

“We really appreciate everything you are doing for us, Martin. You really don’t have to do this for us,” Julie added.

Martin smiled comfortably. “It’s not a problem. Trust me. When I see fellow Americans in need, I’m going to do the best I can to help them.”

Martin sat on the stool next to the wall. He crossed his arms and studied Chad and Julie. “You guys were smart for leaving DC when you did. I’m hearing that place is turning into a war zone. Robberies, looting, arson, gang wars, shootings, you name it. That city is going to all hell and I’m afraid the anarchy is going to spread here and even farther at some point.”

Martin’s statement surprised Chad. His body stiffened and his mouth twisted. “How did you ‘hear’ about anything? The power is out. There’s no TV, no internet, no radio, cell service. How on earth do you know what’s going on?”

Martin gave a half-smile, then stood up from the stool. “That’s funny that you ask. I have a ham radio in the kitchen. I hooked it up to a surge arrester to protect it from events like these.”

Julie scrunched up her face. “What’s a ham radio?”

“A ham radio stands for amateur radio. We have our own stations and we can broadcast from our homes.”

“Yeah, I think I heard of those before. I remember my dad talking about those things when I was younger,” Chad replied, slouching back in the chair. He began reminiscing about various lessons his dad had taught him and his brother. His father had taught them many skills to prepare for the end of America. He only wished that he had taken his father more seriously back then.

“Come into the kitchen so you two can check it out.” Martin strolled into the kitchen while Chad and Julie followed.

The kitchen was tiny but adequate enough for Martin. It was obvious he was a bachelor, so he didn’t need too much more space. His ham radio setup was sitting on a desk on the back wall. The transceiver was quite large with a microphone and a pair of headphones sitting on his desk.

Martin pointed towards the equipment. “So this is the ham radio. I’ve had it for many years. Honestly, it’s one of the best investments I’ve made in a while. I can talk to other ham operators within a ten-mile radius. We were exchanging news and happenings around the area even before the lights went out.”

Chad examined the radio setup.

A ham radio is a valuable tool. Especially in times like these.

“Have you heard any news about why the power went out?” Chad asked as his brows furrowed. “A lot of folks are saying it’s a cyberattack. I think it’s way worse than that.”

Martin let out a light chuckle. He pulled out his lighter and lit another candle on the desk where the ham radio sat. “Oh, those people are so wrong. And you are right. A cyberattack wouldn’t take out cars.”

Julie’s expression dulled. “Then what was it?”

“My sources are telling me it was an EMP.”

Chad and Julie turned toward each other with confused expressions on their faces.

“What’s an EMP? What does it stand for?” Julie asked, crossing her arms and tapping her foot on the ground.

Martin put his feet on the desk and leaned back in the chair. He clasped his hands behind his head and began rocking back and forth.

“Sounds like I need to school you two on a few things so you know what you’re up against.” Martin paused and stared stoically at Chad and Julie. “EMP stands for electromagnetic pulse. Basically, it knocks out anything and everything that uses electricity. From late-model cars, the power grid, water supply, utilities, cell service, you name it. That’s why we’re in total darkness.”

“So what caused this EMP?” Chad asked with a sickening feeling. His gut was right, that this was way worse than a cyberattack. He knew that this country was in big trouble.

“China is claiming responsibility. They detonated a low-orbit EMP weapon over every major city in America. From what I’ve learned by communicating with other operators, the effects have been felt across the entire country.”

Chad and Julie glanced at each other. Chad shrugged and turned to Martin. “So you mean to tell me the entire country went dark?”

“Yup. Pretty much,” Martin responded as he stroked his long beard. “And you know people will use this crisis as an opportunity to do bad things.”

“Well, the government has to come and fix this, right? I mean, that’s why we pay taxes,” Julie reasoned in a shrill voice.

Martin let out a bitter laugh. “The government? Those bureaucrats on Capitol Hill only care about saving their own asses. The government is not going to save us. And if they do, it’ll be weeks, months, or even years. You gotta learn to take care of yourself.”

Her eyebrows shot up after Martin told her that news. Chad felt a twinge of disappointment, but he wasn’t shocked to hear this revelation.

Chad agreed with what Martin said. His dad used to preach the same rhetoric about the government. It was almost twenty-four hours after the EMP and there had been no response from the federal government. And the way it was looking, they wouldn’t hear from them for a long while.

“Do you have a gun, Chad?” Martin asked with a hardened expression.

“Yeah, I do. Let me get it.” Chad walked to the living room and unzipped his backpack. Pulling it out, he revealed the revolver he had confiscated from the thugs in the convenience store. He stared at it with cold eyes as his skin paled. As he held the gun, the memory of shooting and killing the thugs flashed through his mind. He was still having a hard time dealing with the fact that he’d cut down other humans with it.

He walked back to the kitchen and handed the revolver to Martin. Martin opened the cylinder and gave it a good spin.

He let out a peal of laughter. “You only got one bullet left in this thing. You certainly aren’t going to defend anyone with only one shot. Let me grab you some more ammo.”

Martin opened up a drawer under his desk and removed a can of ammo. “Your revolver uses .38 Special bullets. I’ll fill it up and give you some more ammo to carry with you on your trip.”

Martin filled all the slots of the revolver with bullets. After that, he put more ammo in a paper bag, then handed it to Chad.

“Thanks again for everything. I owe you one,” Chad said.

“No worries. Let me get you guys some MREs to eat so you can get a good night’s rest. You two got a long walk ahead of you tomorrow.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

At six a.m., everyone in the house was awake and stirring. Martin was outside in his backyard cooking breakfast on his gas grill. Chad and Julie were in the living room relaxing on the couch, getting ready for their trek on the road.

A few minutes later, Martin walked into the house carrying two plates of sausage, scrambled eggs, and ham. The aroma of the food made Chad’s stomach grumble.

“Here you go. Enjoy.” Martin handed Chad a plate of food, then he handed a plate to Julie.

“Thanks, man. I know I will.” Chad stuck his fork into the meat and began devouring his food.

Julie chomped at her food and gave Martin a thumbs-up. Martin smiled brightly and returned the gesture.

As Chad finished his plate of food, he set it down on the table and slouched back on the sofa.

“That was an excellent breakfast, Martin. Thanks again for that,” Chad said. “What do you think is going to happen to this country in the long term?”

Martin scratched his beard and glanced at the ceiling. “Well, I think people are going to be leaving the major cities once they realize help is not coming and the lights are not coming back on soon.” He paused, narrowing his eyes at Chad. “About seventy to ninety percent of the US population will die in the next twelve months.”

Chad's eyes went wide as he jolted upright on the sofa. “Seventy to ninety percent? What the hell? Why do you think that?”

“Well, people are gonna die because of starvation, sickness, and violence. Keep in mind that medical services are not functioning, so people that are currently sick or will get sick in the future will not be able to get the proper medical treatment needed. Not to mention that food supplies will run out shortly. People are looting grocery stores for everything and anything that they can consume. And when the food runs out, people will turn violent and hurt people to feed themselves and their families. People who were unprepared before this crisis probably won’t survive.”

Tears filled Julie’s eyes. She choked back a sob. “I can’t believe this. Why are people so wicked and evil?”

“That’s just the way humans are built, Julie. You guys have already seen the madness in DC within the first couple of hours in darkness. It’s going to get much worse than that. Believe me,” Martin said.

Martin got up from his seat and went to his bedroom. He returned two minutes later with an item in each hand. He held a Glock 19 in his left hand and a map in his right.

“Julie, I’m handing you this Glock. You’ll need it if you ever come across a hairy situation.” Martin handed her the firearm. Her hands trembled as she held it.

“Don’t be nervous, Julie. It will save your life or someone else’s one day. Have you ever fired a handgun before?”

Julie nodded. “Yes. When I was in ROTC in college. We had firearms training now and then.”

Chad’s eyebrows shot up. This was news to him. “I didn’t know you knew how to shoot guns.”

Julie rolled her eyes. “There’s a lot you don’t know. Keep in mind we just met each other a few days ago.” She placed the gun in her bag and zipped it tight. “Thanks, Martin.”

“You’re welcome, sweetie.” He turned to Chad and handed him the map. “And for you, this is a map of Virginia and West Virginia joined. It shows all the major roads, highways, and trails that are available in both states.”

Martin handed Chad the map, and he opened it up. Examining the roads, trails, and highways on the map, he was impressed with the immense detail the map publisher had used to create it. All the highways, trails, and roads were color-coded with specific colors, which made it easy on the eyes and easy to spot the routes you wanted to take.

Chad slipped the map into his backpack and stood up. His and Julie’s eyes met.

“Julie, it’s time to go.” He tightened the straps of his pack around his shoulders and extended his hand to Martin. “Thanks for everything, buddy. We could never repay you for everything you’ve done for us, total strangers.”

“No need to mention it. You guys stay safe out there and come back and visit if you ever decide to come back to the DC area.”

Both men shook hands. Julie approached Martin and embraced him, and then Julie and Chad walked to the front door.

“See you again, Martin.” Chad waved as he and Julie exited the house.

Chad and Julie continued walking through the streets of Arlington in the humid and misty June morning. There were a few people walking their dogs and sweeping up trash in the streets, but otherwise it was quiet. Sweat dripped from Chad’s head as he led the way out of the city.

A few minutes into the walk, they reached a fork in the road. To the left was the highway on-ramp. To the right was the main road that continued into the next town.

Chad took out his map. He used his index finger to trace the routes that were available.

“I think we should get on highway 66. It would be a straight shot into West Virginia. Plus, we’d avoid danger in the towns.”

Julie’s forehead furrowed as she took in a sharp breath.

“What is it?” Chad asked.

“Well, I’d prefer that we walk through the towns,” Julie said in a quiet voice, relaying concern.

“Why?”

“Well, just in case I need to use the bathroom.”

“You can use the bathroom on the side of the highway in the bushes. No one will see you.”

“Ewww, that’s dirty. A lady needs to use a proper bathroom.”

Chad’s eyes narrowed. He understood Julie’s reasoning. But these were unusual times, and who knew what or who else they might run into if they kept going through towns and neighborhoods? There might not be a “Martin” to save them the next time around.

“But Julie, it’s too dangerous to keep going through the towns. We already had two incidents. We really don’t need any more if we plan to make it to my brother’s place. The highway is much safer and it will be quicker. Fewer people will be using it, so that means less trouble.”

Julie pouted and bit her lip. She was visibly upset. He didn’t want to make this trip any worse than it already was. So he gave in.

“Okay, we’ll go through the towns. At least through the towns, we can find somewhere comfortable to sleep instead of the bushes.”

Julie’s pout turned into a bright smile as she leaped into Chad’s arms. “Thanks, Chad.”

“No problem. But let’s go through these towns as quickly as we can. Let’s not waste time as we move through them. I don’t want us to become targets.”

So with that settled, the duo walked down the main street in town and avoided the highway altogether.

Chad pondered if he’d made the right choice. Or whether he should have held firm on his decision? Only time would tell what the outcome would be….

CHAPTER NINE

My life won’t ever be the same.

As Chad walked side by side with Julie, he couldn’t stop thinking about what the future held for him.

The nation had gone dark and madness had descended upon every metropolitan area in the country. There was a good chance that he might never return to DC, since gangs and looters had taken over the city. Not only that, but he didn’t have a job anymore.

Chad thought about his possessions. His Porsche, artwork, expensive furniture, clothes—everything he owned was worthless now. Hell, toilet paper was probably worth more than his belongings at the moment.

He had been on a date with Julie just a few nights ago, hoping to get laid. But the apocalypse had ended those plans quickly.

Chad ran his fingers through his hair, looking toward the sky. Getting out of dodge had been rough, but hour by hour, they were inching closer to West Virginia.

So far, he had been keeping Julie safe. She seemed to be becoming more comfortable with him as time went on. Chad had gotten the impression that sometimes she was a bit of a handful. A woman who can be very hard to deal with. But ultimately, he was glad that she was sticking by his side during this ordeal and trek.

Chad's thoughts shifted toward his brother, Harry. It had been years since they had spoken. More than likely, his brother was still mad at him for what he had done prior. Chad’s selfishness had put a rift in their relationship, resulting in Harry not wanting anything to do with him. Chad had been wanting to make amends with him for years. He missed talking to his older brother. He missed bonding with him. But he feared what the outcome would be if he tried to call him. Unfortunately, he needed him now more than ever, since he had nowhere else to go and his brother’s cabin was probably the safest place he could be.

Chad wished that he had listened more to his father. When Chad was younger, his father kept drilling into his and his brother’s heads that they needed to get prepared because the USA was going to fall one day soon. He regretted ignoring his father and calling him a crazy nutcase that believed in too many conspiracy theories. If he’d paid attention to his father back then, he wouldn’t be “winging it” trying to get to West Virginia safely. He didn’t even own so much as a gun. It had been a stroke of luck that he had even made it out of DC and further into Virginia. At least Harry had listened to their dad and was out of harm’s way. Harry probably didn’t even realize the extent of the damage the EMP caused. How lucky he was.

Chad realized that if he and Julie were going to make it to West Virginia, he was going to have to be more resourceful than ever. He would have to do things he’d never done before and use his brain in ways he’d never had to.

Chad was up to the challenge. As a matter of fact, he really didn’t have a choice.

CHAPTER TEN

A few hours later, the duo entered the city limits of Falls Church. Chad surveyed the streets to make sure they were not being followed and to avoid any potential trouble. After the first two nights, he needed a break from the drama.

“Julie, we need to cover as much ground as possible before it gets dark. So if we gotta stop, let’s make it quick,” Chad said.

“Gotcha,” Julie replied as she kept her eyes focused on the road ahead of her.

To their left was the remains of a shopping center that had been burnt to a crisp. Chad’s eyes burned as the fumes of the smoke overwhelmed the area.

“Looks like the looters didn’t waste time burning this place down,” he said, covering his face with his shirt.

Julie coughed. Her eyes turned red as she buried her face in her shirt as well.

Five minutes later, they had walked further away from the vicinity of the burnt-down shopping center and the air became clearer. Chad took out his last bottle of water from his pack and handed it to Julie.

“Here, take a sip.”

“Thanks.” She accepted the bottle and took a sip. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and handed the bottle back to Chad.

“No problem. We need to find more bottles of water to carry with us. We aren’t going to get much further with only one.”

“How about if we find tap water?” Julie asked. “We can fill up the empty bottles you have in your bag.”

Chad waved his finger. “Tap water is run off electricity. So we probably won’t get a drop if we tried.”

Julie’s face went blank. She scratched her chin, pointing toward a gas station. “Maybe we can find some bottled water inside of that station.”

“It wouldn’t hurt to take a look.”

Chad and Julie walked across the street toward the gas station. As soon as they crossed the street, Chad spotted a large group of teenagers running out of the station with bottles of soda and water. Chad and Julie stopped in their tracks so they wouldn’t draw any attention to themselves. Once the teenagers were out of view, they approached the station and went inside.

All of the consumables in the store had been raided, including the water that was supposed to be stored in the fridge.

Chad frowned and put his hands on top of his head. He was disappointed but even more angry because he was a little too late.

“Looks like those kids got the last of the drinks,” Julie said as she walked around looking for anything useful.

After a few minutes of scavenging the store, Chad became antsy.

“Let’s stop wasting time and go. Hopefully, we’ll find something as we keep going.”

Chad was feeling dehydrated and he figured Julie must be also. There was no way they could keep walking in this hot and humid weather with nothing to drink.

When they stepped out of the gas station, Chad caught sight of a man walking alone with a huge backpack on his back. He was walking with purpose, trying to get somewhere. Ever since the lights went out, Chad hadn’t seen anyone on the streets walking by themselves, so this was an unusual sight.

“Hey, there!” Chad shouted, waving his hands. “Where are you going?”

The man stopped and turned around. His expression hardened as Chad and Julie sprinted toward him. As Chad got closer, the man put his hand on his holster.

Chad held his hands above his head. “Hold on! Hold on! We’re friendly!”

“Yeah, so what?” the middle-aged, graying man said. His eyes darted back and forth between Chad and Julie.

“It’s just odd to see someone by themselves,” Julie said, her voice cracking. “Since the lights went out, all we’ve seen is packs of looters roaming around.”

The man took his hand off his holster and relaxed his body. “That’s true. I shot two of them last night. By the way, my name is Jim.”

Chad extended his hand toward Jim. Jim grasped it firmly and they shook hands.

“I’m Chad and this is Julie,” he said, pointing to her. “We’re on our way to West Virginia. DC was getting too crazy, so we bailed.”

“Smart move. I’m headed that way also,” Jim replied. His facial expression softened and he crossed his arms. “Two looters broke into my house last night, and I had to blow them away. They didn’t expect me to be armed and prepared for any threats that came my way.”

Chad’s mouth fell open. He was relieved to know that he wasn’t the only one who’d had to take someone’s life in self-defense. At first, he’d been remorseful about the incident in the convenience store a day ago. He was glad that people were doing what was necessary to protect their property, family, loved ones, and themselves.

“I served in a combat unit in Desert Storm. So I’m always prepared. And in a crisis like this, my military experience saved my life,” Jim said.

“Give me a minute, Jim. I want to talk to Julie for a second,” Chad said, tugging at Julie’s shirt.

They walked several yards away from Jim to converse privately in hushed voices.

“I think we should ask Jim to join us. He has experience in situations like this. Plus, we are headed in the same direction.” Chad glanced back at Jim, then turned to face Julie. “We’ll have a better shot at making it to West Virginia safely if he comes with us. You know what they say about strength in numbers.”

Julie’s expression dulled. “We don’t know him. What if he’s crazy or something?”

“I doubt that. He’s also trying to get somewhere, just like us.”

Chad had concluded that Jim would be a valuable resource on their trip. Who knew what horrors and challenges would face them along the way? Jim’s military training would be useful if they ever hit a snag on the road ahead.

Chad laid both of his hands on Julie’s shoulders. Their eyes locked.

“Julie, trust me on this. Jim will be a tremendous asset to our team. You won’t regret it.”

Julie shrugged and glanced at Jim, who was standing tall and observing their conversation.

“Okay,” Julie said sheepishly. “You better be right about this.”

Chad nodded and walked toward Jim. A slow smile spread across his face as he approached closer to him.

“Hey, Jim. Julie and I were just talking. We wanted to know if you would like to join us, since we are all going to West Virginia.”

Before Chad finished, Jim blurted his reply. “Yes! Most definitely. I think it’s a good idea for us to travel together. If we combine our resources and smarts, we can get where we need to go.”

Chad and Jim shook hands. Chad turned to Julie and gave her a thumbs-up. Chad was relieved to have Jim’s assistance.

“Glad to have you with us,” Chad said, beaming.

Chad slapped his forehead. He was so excited to have someone else join them that he almost forgot what their main objective was at the moment.

“Hey, Jim. Do you have any bottled water on you? We’re getting kind of thirsty.” Chad opened up his pack and pulled out an empty bottle.

“No, I don’t. But I have something better.” Jim placed his pack on the ground and unzipped the front pocket. He pulled out a silver package that contained white tablets.

He held the packaging so Chad and Julie could see.

Julie gave a questioning look. “What are those?”

“These are purification tablets. They remove the bacteria from dirty water and turn it into clean water,” Jim replied, handing the package to Chad. “Fill up your water bottle from a pond or river, and drop one of these babies inside. Shake it up, and wait for about fifteen minutes. After fifteen minutes, the water you poured into the bottle is now purified and clean. So it’s drinkable.”

“I wish I knew about these sooner. I would have gotten a pack of these things instead of scavenging for bottled water,” Chad remarked, examining the tablets.

“Chad,” Jim said with an authoritative tone. “It’s important to be prepared beforehand so you don’t have to go around looking for items when shit hits the fan. What would you have done if we didn’t run into each other? You see how people are acting since the country went dark? People are turning into savages just so they can survive until the next day.”

Chad looked wounded because Jim was right. If he had prepared beforehand, he wouldn’t have nearly as many problems as he did. His previous materialistic, city-slicker life had proven to be useless.

“Never mind all of that. We can’t cry over spilt milk.” Jim narrowed his eyes at Chad and Julie. “Are you two armed?”

Chad and Julie nodded. That was one thing Chad was grateful for. Even though they’d acquired their firearms through unconventional means.

Chad put his pack on his ground, unzipped it, and pulled out his revolver. He lifted it up to show to Jim.

“Nice,” Jim approved, then shifted his eyes towards Julie. “How about yourself, young lady?”

Julie opened up her purse and pulled out her Glock. She held it high and Jim examined it.

“Impressive. A Glock 19.” Jim chuckled. “Why does the woman have a better weapon than the man?”

“A friend gave this to me,” Julie answered, putting her Glock back into her purse. “And you don’t want to know how Chad got his.”

Jim crunched up his face.

“Fair enough. There’s a stream up ahead. Let’s go there and fill up those water bottles and drop some tablets inside.”

“Sounds good,” Chad replied.

Chad’s group of two had now become three. His confidence had risen more than ever that he and Julie would make it to his brother’s cabin safely and get out of the chaos that was taking place around them.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Nightfall came, and the trio found an empty elementary school to set up camp and spend the night in. Chad and his group went inside a classroom and moved the chairs and desks to the side of the room so they could make an area to sleep.

Chad took a position next to the wall and placed his pack up against it. He sat down, resting his back against his pack, and let out a tremendous sigh.

Chad was tired and exhausted. In the past couple of days, he and Julie had experienced a great deal. He wished this nightmare would end soon. He was grateful they’d run into Jim. They could use his military expertise to overcome the challenges they would face ahead. But he still needed to be careful, since they couldn’t trust many people these days.

Julie plopped down next to Chad, resting her head on his shoulder. It was obvious to Chad that she was just as exhausted as him. She had been through so much, especially with a person she’d only recently met.

Jim sat down next to the door. He wanted to be ready to take action just in case there was any trouble.

“Are you two okay?” Jim asked, cocking his head and looking at Chad and Julie.

“We’re fine, thanks,” Chad replied.

Jim lifted his firearm from his holster and placed it on his lap. “Make sure you guys got your weapons ready. You never know what’s gonna happen through the night. It’s better to stay ready than to get ready.”

Chad and Julie nodded. They removed their guns from their bags and placed them on their laps as well.

Suddenly, Chad’s eyes opened wide, and he rose from the ground.

“What is it?” Julie asked with alarm in her eyes.

“I thought I heard something.” Chad tiptoed to the window to look outside. A few seconds later, Jim joined him.

Chad surveyed the surrounding area. He turned his head left and right. Jim tapped him on his shoulder and pointed to the right. A group of people were creeping toward the school.

“There’s a group of people dressed in all black coming this direction.” Jim gripped his pistol and kept his eyes focused on the incoming group.

Chad kept his eyes on them. The group began to sprint toward the main entrance with what looked like guns in their hands.

Jim unholstered his weapon. “Everyone, look alive and get ready. We got company.”

Julie and Chad readied their weapons while Jim locked the door and spent a few seconds barricading it with chairs and desks.

Julie’s eyes flashed with terror. Chad placed his hand on her shoulder to calm her down.

“Relax,” Chad whispered in Julie’s ear. “We’ll get through this.”

“What do you think they want?” she fretted.

“They probably want to steal anything they can find. But we can’t let them spot us, because they’ll try to rob us, too.”

Loud footfalls stomped in the hallway. The clang of doors opening and slamming made Chad’s heart pound in anticipation. Another fight was coming, but this time he was more prepared and had Jim by his side.

The doorknob started rattling. Someone was trying to get inside. Chad readied his revolver and aimed at the door. After a few seconds, they heard someone begin to pry the door open with a crowbar.

The door swung open and a man in a ski mask rushed in. Jim wrapped his hands around the intruder’s neck and tossed him to the ground. He ripped off his mask and tossed it to the side.

“What are you doing here?” Jim commanded, his voice thick with anger. Jim tightened his grip around the man’s neck, suffocating every breath out of him.

Chad rushed to Jim’s side and shined his flashlight. The intruder was a bald Caucasian man with a gray beard, around the age of thirty.

“We’re just trying to get some stuff,” the bald man gasped, his eyes wide with terror.

“Stuff like what?” Chad asked hotly, shining his light directly in the man’s face.

Jim released his grip from around the man’s neck and stood up.

The intruder began breathing hard. He dragged himself toward the wall and rested his back against it.

“Stuff like food, money, water,” the intruder said, gasping.

“Money?” Chad looked puzzled. “So you and your people are planning to rob folks?”

“Yeah, that’s the plan.”

“I’ve heard enough—” Jim clenched his right hand into a fist and delivered a vicious blow directly at the intruder’s face. The man lost consciousness.

“We need to get out of here. His buddies will be looking for him,” Jim said, dragging the man to the rear of the room.

Chad and Julie picked up their bags and darted to the door. Jim followed right behind them.

Loud footfalls came running in Chad’s direction. He pointed his flashlight down the hall to see four men approaching with guns in their hands.

A muzzle flashed from the end of the hallway. POP! POP!

Chad and Julie jumped back inside the classroom they’d exited, while Jim dashed into a room on the opposite side of the hall. They took cover by the doorway. Chad peeked out of the door to spot his targets. He leveled his revolver, then squeezed the trigger, and two gunshots rang out.

“Argghh… I’m hit!” one intruder said as he fell to the ground. His friends began returning fire at Chad’s group. Jim fired his pistol at the group and two men fell to the ground.

The lone intruder remaining turned and sprinted toward the main entrance, but it was too late.

Chad and Jim stepped from behind cover and let out a volley of gunfire. Bullets ripped through the intruder’s torso, and his body crumpled and fell to the ground.

“Let’s go, Julie!” Chad grabbed Julie’s hand, and they made their way to the entrance. Their shoes stomped in the pool of blood from the dead bodies on the floor.

“Wait one second.” Jim searched through the pockets of one of the dead bodies. “Let’s search these bodies quickly to see if we can find anything useful.”

Chad went through the pockets of one of the bodies and pulled out some ammo. He grabbed the man’s gun from the floor and placed it in his bag.

Julie stood frozen on the side of the hallway. She gaped in horror at the lifeless bodies oozing blood. Her pupils were huge, and she kept her hand over her mouth to prevent herself from screaming.

“Are you okay, Julie?” Chad asked, resting her hand on her shoulder.

“I’ll be alright,” she whimpered, her face deadpan.

Chad held Julie tight and stared at the dead bodies on the floor. It was impossible for him to deny the fact—he was becoming a good shooter. He’d dropped one intruder from long-distance range. This time around, he was more comfortable pulling the trigger. He was nowhere as dazed at seeing dead bodies, unlike at the convenience store. Was he getting used to taking lives, or was he just desensitized? Or maybe both?

After Jim finished checking the rest of the bodies, he stood up and fixed his eyes on the entrance.

“It’s about time we hightail it out of here. But we should at least hide the bodies,” Jim said.

Chad’s face contorted. He gazed at Jim as if he’d lost his mind. “What does it matter if we leave them here? They’re dead.” Chad pointed his finger at one of the dead bodies and grimaced.

“I hear what you’re saying,” Jim said, “but their buddies may come looking for them sooner or later. And who knows? They may be on a vendetta to find their killers. It could spark a manhunt to find us.”

Chad debated with himself about Jim’s reasoning and concluded that he was right. They certainly didn’t need any more unnecessary drama on their way to West Virginia.

“Okay. Let’s do it. I’m sure there’s a dumpster in the back of the school.”

Chad and Jim spent fifteen minutes dragging each body from the hallway into the dumpster.

After finishing, the trio sprinted toward the entrance and entered the darkness.

CHAPTER TWELVE

“My feet are hurting,” Julie yelped as she lagged behind Chad and Jim. “Can we stop for a few minutes to rest?”

Chad turned to Julie and gave her a long stare. He’d been afraid that at some point she would slow them down since she wasn’t an active person. He had to find a way to speed up their journey so they wouldn’t lose time.

“Okay, we’ll take a ten-minute break,” Chad said, lowering himself to the curb next to Julie. Jim took a seat next to Chad.

Chad stretched his legs out and folded his arms. He lifted his head toward the night sky and admired the stars twinkling above.

“We could really use some sort of transportation so we can get to West Virginia faster and not put so much strain on our bodies,” Jim said. He picked up a rock on the ground and tossed it across the street.

“But aren’t all the cars out of commission because of that EMP thing?” Julie asked.

“Well, not all cars.”

Chad’s eyebrows rose. He turned his head toward Jim and stared at him with deepened interest. This revelation that there were some cars out there that still worked piqued his curiosity.

“What do you mean by not all cars? Explain,” Chad demanded.

Jim stood up, stretched his arms, and put his hands on his hips.

“Cars built before 1960 should still run and not be affected by the EMP.”

“Why is that?” Chad asked.

“Because those older cars don’t have all of the fancy electronics running through and powering them,” Jim replied, waving his hands. “If we can find an older car somewhere, it should start up and we can drive the rest of the way.”

Chad stroked the stubble of hair that was growing on his face. He was contemplating where they could find an older car.

Bingo!

Chad jumped to his feet. “I know where we can find one.”

“Where?” Jim inquired.

“I remember my coworker mentioning to me a few times he takes his antique cars to get fixed at a mechanic in McLean.” He took out his map and began trying to pinpoint its location.

Julie grabbed Chad’s flashlight and pointed it at the map so Chad could see. Jim walked over to look.

Chad scanned the map carefully and traced the potential location with his finger. He gazed carefully and finally stopped moving his finger.

Chad’s eyes lit up. “Aha! There it is! McDuffy’s Garage on Old Dominion Drive.” He glanced at his companions. “Looks like we’re not too far from there. Maybe a forty-five-minute walk at best. Is everyone up for a quick detour for the possibility of getting a car?”

Jim nodded. “Sounds good to me.”

Julie grinned at Chad. “I’m down with it. Anything so we can stop walking.”

Chad put his map in his pocket. He bent over to pick up his backpack and slung it over his shoulder. “Okay, everyone. Let’s head to McDuffy’s and see what we can find.”

One hour later, they reached McDuffy’s garage. The one-story mechanic shop was made of white painted brick with bright red paint covering the word “McDuffy’s” over the two garage bay doors.

Chad went to the front door and turned the knob. Locked. He’d expected that this place would be locked up tight since this garage housed cars worth into the millions.

“Hey, guys, I got in through a window that was unlocked!” Jim shouted from the other side of the building.

A few seconds later, Jim unlocked the front door and waved Chad and Julie inside.

Chad flicked on his flashlight and went inside the garage. There were only two cars inside. One car was high on the lift. Chad looked at it and discerned it was a Ford Model T that was missing an engine.

He shined his flashlight on the second car. When he got a full visual of the car, a winning smile formed on his face.

Chad circled the car and admired the treasure he’d just discovered. “Jim! Come here. You got to see this!”

Jim and Julie rushed over and their mouths dropped. They, too, were shocked.

“This is a 1959 Chevy El Camino. There are less than two hundred of these cars around.”

The long, crimson-red, two-door car was pristine and had a commanding presence. Chad recalled reading about these in magazines when he was younger. But even during his youth, their numbers had been low.

“Great! This even fits the criteria for cars built before 1960. It shouldn’t have been affected by the EMP.” Jim pulled open the driver’s side door and peeked inside. “Wow. Even the leather seats have been restored.” He reached below the steering wheel and pulled the latch for the hood. Chad opened the hood and examined its contents.

“Everything is still intact. Looks like they even put a brand-new engine in here. All we have to do is find the key and we are out of here.”

Chad walked to the office on the left side of the garage and scanned the area, searching for a set of keys. He found nothing.

Jim searched for the keys inside the garage area. He fished around on the shelves, tables, and every corner imaginable. He came up with nothing as well.

“I found them!” Julie blurted out, standing next to the car, holding them up high.

“Good find, Julie! Where did you find them?” Jim asked.

“They were right under the car mat. That’s where I used to store my spare keys before I sold my car.”

“Good thinking, Julie,” Chad complimented Julie.

Jim strolled over to the car to join the group. “Great, who’s driving?”

Chad raised his hand. “I’ll drive. After all, I know where we are going.”

Julie handed Chad the keys, and he hopped into the driver’s seat. He inserted the key into the ignition and then turned it.

ROAR!

The car started up like a dream. Chad pushed down on the gas pedal to rev it. He grinned when the loud rumble coming from the exhaust echoed throughout the garage.

Chad glanced at the dashboard. His smile turned into an instant frown.

“Guys, we have a problem. This car only has a quarter tank of gas in it.”

Chad turned the car off so he wouldn’t waste gas. He stepped out of it and rested his back on it.

“We aren’t going to get far with only a quarter tank.”

Jim crossed his arms and looked at the ground. “No, we’re not.” Jim stared at the ground and went silent for a couple of seconds. He ran his hand through his hair, then snapped his fingers.

“Siphoning kit,” he said. “Let’s look for a gas siphoning kit. I’m sure there is one in this shop.”

Chad searched with his flashlight around the garage. He knew exactly what to look for. His dad had kept a siphoning kit in their garage back in West Virginia. He always told them that there may be a time when gas stations aren’t pumping gas anymore, and they may need to “borrow” some from another car. His dad had an odd way of rephrasing stealing.

Chad opened up an equipment closet, and he immediately spotted the siphoning kit with a hose sitting on the ground. He picked it up and handed it to Jim.

“Give me a few minutes. I’m going to get some gas from that truck stranded outside.”

Jim picked up an empty gas can on the floor and ran to an abandoned pickup truck that was stuck in the middle of the street. From his pack, he retrieved a metal object and opened the tank. He stuck the hose down the gas tank and attached it to the pump. He attached the other hose to the pump and stuck it down the gas can.

He pumped gas out of the truck for ten minutes and came back with a full gas can. He handed the gas can to Chad, who poured the gas into the El Camino’s fuel tank.

After emptying every drip from the can, he opened the trunk and placed the gas can inside. Jim also placed the siphoning kit inside the trunk. Chad was glad that they’d found the equipment because there might be a time when they would need to use it again.

Chad opened up the driver’s door. Julie climbed inside and sat in the middle. Jim lifted open the garage bay door, then returned to the car and sat on the passenger’s side. Chad then took his seat behind the steering wheel. He turned the ignition, and the car roared. He checked the dashboard and the fuel gauge read full.

Chad backed out of the garage and drove the car onto the road.

“So, which way are we taking? Are we still going through the cities?” Julie asked.

“I think it’s best we get on the highway. We will get to West Virginia much faster,” Jim suggested while he put on his seat belt.

“Yeah, let’s go on the highway so we can get there faster,” Chad agreed as he pressed on the gas pedal and drove towards the highway on-ramp.

Chad was relieved that they’d found a working vehicle and he could give his weary feet a break from walking. Now they wouldn’t have to worry about finding places to sleep and avoiding troublemakers in populated areas.

Chad turned the steering wheel right and sped up onto the highway.

“I really want to make it to my brother’s cabin by tomorrow. If we take turns driving, it should be doable.”

“Sounds good to me,” Julie replied.

“I’m fine with that,” Jim said, gazing out the window at the road ahead.

Julie rested her head on Chad’s shoulder, and a few seconds later, she was out like a light.

Jim turned his head toward Chad and smirked. “So, are you and Julie an item?”

Chad kept his expression neutral, grabbing the steering wheel with both hands. “We actually met a few days ago. We were on a first date when the lights went out.”

Jim laughed indulgently. “That’s a hell of a first date.”

“You can say that again. That will be a night neither of us will ever forget.”

Chad and Jim began talking about their lives before the EMP. They got to know each other much better, which made Chad more comfortable being around Jim.

Two hours into their drive, they finally crossed the West Virginia state line. Joy danced through his heart as fresh energy filled him. He’d finally left the terrors of the big city behind him.

Suddenly, the car’s steering wheel began vibrating in Chad’s grip.

“Something’s wrong. The steering wheel is shaking,” Chad said.

“Pull over to the side so we can check it out.”

Chad pulled over on the side of the road. He and Jim hopped out of the car to inspect what was going on. He looked down at the tire on the driver’s side and grimaced.

“Damn, we have a flat.”

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Chad opened the trunk to look for the spare tire. He lifted the cargo liner and discovered a scissor jack and a lug wrench. But no spare.

“I got the tools to change the spare, but a tire isn’t inside,” Chad said as he placed the tools on the ground.

“I’ll check underneath the car,” Jim replied, getting on his knees and then lying flat on his back. He turned on the power on his flashlight and slid his body underneath the car.

“Found it. It’s underneath the trunk,” Jim said as he rose to his feet.

Chad placed the jack underneath the car and raised it a few feet from the ground. He slid himself under the car and attached his lug wrench to the spare tire, while Jim held the flashlight.

The first thing Chad spotted was rusty bolts. So the tire had probably never been used. Or if it had been, it was a long time ago. He attached the lug wrench to one nut and tried twisting it. His skin turned crimson. He clenched his teeth as he used all of his strength to remove the lug nut.

No luck.

Chad began cursing to himself in frustration. He wanted to get back on the road as soon as possible so they could make it to his brother’s cabin. They were so close. The last thing he needed was to be stranded on the road and have to walk the rest of the way.

Julie bent down next to Chad and peered under the car.

“Do you need help?” she asked, looking at the stuck tire.

He gave her a dirty look. “How about you just stay to the side and keep looking pretty? Let the men handle this.”

She scrunched up her face and jumped to her feet. She put her hands on her hips and stomped her right foot while giving Chad a hardened look.

“You’re an asshole, Chad. All I was trying to do was offer you help. But you just had to be an asshole.”

She turned away from him and stormed off into the darkness.

Chad shrugged and continued working on getting the lug nut off. When he got frustrated, he turned into a jerk. He hadn’t meant to be disrespectful to Julie at all. He regretted his words, but his primary goal was getting the spare tire on the car so they could continue their trip.

“You’re not gonna go after her?” Jim inquired, watching Julie walk down the dark highway.

“She’ll be alright,” he answered unsympathetically. “She just needs time to cool off.”

“But you didn’t have to say all that, especially during these times. You two have been through a lot together. Maybe you should go after her.”

Chad stopped what he was doing. He rose to his feet and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Jim was right. The manly thing to do was to go after her and apologize. Also, he didn’t want any bad blood between them since it looked like they would be spending a lot more time together.

“Julie! Wait!” Chad shouted, galloping toward Julie.

Julie stopped to turn around, shook her head, and continued walking.

Chad finally caught up with her and grabbed her hand. She jerked away from him.

“Hey, Julie, don’t act like that. I’m sorry about what I said earlier. That was rude of me.”

Julie crossed her arms and rolled her eyes skyward. It was obvious to Chad that his choice of words disgusted her.

Chad put his hand on her shoulder. “I was just frustrated that we caught a flat and I couldn’t get the spare off. I truly didn’t mean what I said earlier. You’re more than just a pretty face. Even though we haven’t known each other long, it feels like we’ve spent a lifetime together.”

She nodded, then gave a quick grin to Chad. “I forgive you. Just don’t let that happen again.”

“I won’t. As a matter of fact, I’ll make it up to you when we reach my brother’s cabin.”

“Okay. I’ll be counting on it.”

As soon as Chad and Julie began walking back to the car, loud rumblings of ATVs began approaching from the rear. Chad turned around and counted four headlights speeding towards them. A bolt of panic hit him as his anxiety spiked.

More trouble was on the way.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“Let’s hurry back to the car so we can be with Jim.”

Holding Julie’s hand, the duo began sprinting back to the El Camino. Adrenaline rushed through his veins as his mind ran through scenarios that would explain why the ATVs were approaching. He would rather be safe than sorry and have his firearm with him, just in case these guys were up to no good.

“Are those ATVs riding toward us?” Jim asked as Chad and Julie returned to the car.

“Yeah. I don’t know what they want,” Chad said, unzipping his pack and grabbing his revolver. He lifted his shirt and tucked it into his waistband.

Julie opened up her purse and removed her Glock. She held it by her side, narrowing her eyes at the incoming group.

A few seconds later, the cavalcade of ATVs stopped directly in front of them. A tall man with tattoos all over his face hopped off the lead four-wheeler and approached Chad.

“What y’all city folks doin’ round here?” the tattoo-faced man asked hotly. He glared at Chad’s group with menacing eyes. These people were not the welcoming party.

Jim stepped closer to Tattoo-face and stared him directly in the eyes. “We have a flat tire. And we were busy fixing it. You guys are more than welcome to help us so we can be on our way faster.”

“We aren’t helpin’ with nothin’!” shouted Tattoo-face, spit flying out of his mouth. “You’re on our turf and y’all got no business being here.”

Chad’s pulse raced with fear. He had a bad feeling about these guys. And his intuition was right.

Tattoo-face pulled a gun from his holster and pointed it at Chad and his companions. The other three minions hopped off their ATVs and approached the group with their guns drawn.

“Give me all of your belongings. We want everything,” Tattoo-face demanded, pointing the gun at Chad’s chest.

Chad’s heart jack-hammered with fear. If he reached for his revolver, he was as good as dead. He raised his hands in the air, hoping the thugs wouldn’t shoot.

“My bag is next to the car. You can grab it if you want,” Chad said.

Jim grabbed his backpack and placed it on the ground. “Here’s mine. Just take our stuff and leave. We don’t want any trouble.”

One thug walked over to grab the bags, then returned to his group. Tattoo-face turned his heavy gaze toward Julie. His eyes bored into her, and a crooked smile formed on his face.

“Give us the girl, too. So we can have some fun with her.”

“Hell, no!” Chad barked.

If they had plans to abduct Julie, Chad would not let that happen. He planned on keeping her safe. Even if it meant risking his own life.

POP! POP! POP!

Gunfire rang out from behind Chad. Jim was squeezing the trigger of his firearm at the gang. One bullet struck one of the gang members in the torso and he flopped to the ground.

Chad and Julie ran behind the car and took cover. Chad pulled out his revolver from his waistband and aimed for Tattoo-face.

Tattoo-face ran off to the side of the road and took cover in a ditch.

“Julie! Run! Get to safety!” Chad screamed as he reloaded his revolver.

“No. I’m not leaving you, Chad. I can fight too.”

Chad appreciated Julie was a fighter, but at the same time, this was the most intense situation they had been in. The thugs wanted her, and god knew what they would do with her.

Jim fired rapidly at the remaining thugs taking cover in the ditch. He turned to look at Julie. “Chad is right. Your safety is everyone’s top priority. Get going!”

Sadness flitted across her face. “Okay. Be safe, you two. We’ll meet up soon.”

She stood up and sprinted off into the bushes on the side of the road.

A barrage of bullets peppered the car. Chad’s muscles stiffened, his eyes wild with terror. There was a good chance he would not make it out of this alive.

“I’m out of ammo,” Jim said as he took cover behind the engine block. He had a worried look in his eyes.

“I’m almost out too,” Chad replied, taking potshots at the enemy across the road. “I think we should make a run for it.”

“Sounds like a plan. But I think we should split up. Let’s go and stay low.”

Jim and Chad stood up and bolted in opposite directions. Jim was going in the direction in which Julie had disappeared, while Chad went the opposite way.

Chad sprinted away from the chaos as fast as his body would allow. Getting away from these Neanderthals was his number one priority. Reuniting with Jim and Julie would come at some point. Then he would focus on making it to his brother’s cabin.

Chad raced through the thick overgrown bushes, desperately trying to create distance between him and his attackers. His chest heaved as he drew in large breaths of air. His heart hammered in his chest as he fixated his eyes on the path forward. Shouting and screaming were closing in behind him. Chad was being tailed.

Suddenly, Chad tripped and fell over a large rock. He landed on his shin. His face twisted and teeth clenched while lying on the ground grabbing his shin. He’d never felt pain like this before ever in his life.

Heavy footfalls drew near, so he gathered all of his strength and tried to drag himself to somewhere where he could hide. He crawled on the ground at a slow pace because of the pain.

“There you are!” a familiar voice shouted behind him.

Chad turned his head to glance behind him. It was Tatoo-face. Chad was screwed, and the gang held his fate in their hands.

Tattoo-face and one of his henchmen walked towards Chad, shining their flashlights, and picked him up by his shoulders. Once he was off the ground, Tattoo-face let his lackey hold Chad upright while he stood directly in front of him, glaring at him with bloodshot eyes.

“You thought you were going to get away from us?” He sucker-punched Chad in the face. “Your friends might have got away. But we’ll take you as the prize instead. You little bitches should have never come ‘round here.”

The punch bruised Chad’s right eye. He grimaced from the pain, but oddly enough, he was in good spirits knowing that Julie and Jim had gotten away.

“You’re coming with us.” Tattoo-face delivered another fierce blow to Chad’s face, and he collapsed to the ground.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Fourteen hours later, Chad woke up in a pitch-black room. He attempted to lift himself from the cold concrete floor, but he immediately collapsed and curled into a fetal position.

The pain his body was enduring was unimaginable. His head throbbed with a banging migraine from the blows the tattoo-faced hoodlum had delivered to his face. He wiped his mouth and tasted the crust of his own blood surrounding his lips.

He found himself in a difficult predicament. Things just kept getting worse for him each day since the lights went out.

He curled up against the wall and mulled over his decision to leave DC. He regretted making the trek to West Virginia. It seemed he couldn’t go one day without running into trouble. If he had stayed in his cozy apartment, he might have been able to ride this out.

After a few minutes of brooding, Chad returned to his senses. He knew good and well that his and Julie’s chances of survival in DC were slim to none. They would fare better away from populated cities. Who knew what DC had turned into in the past few days since the lights went out? An urban war zone, perhaps?

Chad rolled himself onto his back. He stared at the ceiling, clasping his hands over his head.

How the hell can people become so evil? And flip the switch overnight?

He understood it was every man and woman for themselves, but there was no need to threaten each other’s lives. After all, this was the United States of America. Americans were supposed to look out for each other in times of need. Not cause chaos and destruction. Unfortunately, Americans were taking advantage of this crisis for their own selfish gains.

His thoughts drifted toward Julie and Jim. He was relieved when the hoodlum mentioned they got away. Hopefully, they would find safety and some help to get him out of this mess. The last thing he wanted to do was die in a prison cell. Chad had faith that someone would come and save him. Hopefully sooner than later.

After lying on his back for a while, the pain eased. Chad closed his eyes and passed out.

Chad awoke to the murmurs of people talking. He sat up against the wall and scanned the room. Rays of sunlight flooded the small single window, which was blocked off with steel bars. He spotted four other captives in the room with him, all unkempt and disheveled with frowns on their faces.

“You finally woke up,” said a man with a full head of gray hair. He appeared to be in his late fifties. “You were knocked out for a long time. Those assholes put a beating on you.”

Chad slumped and turned toward the gentleman. Those thugs had beat him up quite thoroughly, and Chad was determined to get payback.

“By the way, my name is Chuck. And the fella to the right of me is Paul.”

Paul waved and flashed a quick grin. “Those two gentlemen on the other side of the room are Robert and Joseph. Looks like we’re gonna be cellmates for a while.”

Robert and Joseph were younger men in their twenties or thirties. They gave Chad a thumbs-up.

Chad raised his head and made eye contact with each of the prisoners. “My name is Chad. What are you guys doing in here?”

“Well, we all work together, or used to, I guess,” Chuck said, running his hands through his hair. “We were heading back home from working second shift at the poultry processing plant not too far from here. My truck stopped working all of a sudden and we were stuck on the road.”

Chuck stood up and leaned his back against the wall. “The Red Jackals is a well-known gang that operates around here. They rolled up on us on ATVs, robbed us of everything we had on us, and took us as prisoners.”

“The Red Jackals, huh? What do they plan on doing with us?” Chad asked.

Chuck lifted his shoulder in a half-shrug. “Who knows? Those asswipes are known for dealing in human trafficking. So they might sell us as slaves or some crap.”

“Or they may cut out our organs and sell them on the black market,” Robert added. “You know body parts go for a high price. I watched a documentary about this stuff once.”

Chad wanted to puke. Just thinking about being sold into slavery was enough to make his skin crawl. Not to mention someone chopping his body into pieces and selling it in every which direction on the planet. He shivered at the thought.

Chad sat cross-legged and put his hands on his lap. “So how many of the Red Jackals are there?”

“I think there are about twenty of them, give or take,” Joseph said.

“Twenty, huh? That’s not a lot.”

“No, it’s not. But the leader, Flint, wanted to keep it small so he can micromanage everyone.”

Chad’s brows furrowed. “Flint?”

“Yeah, Flint Martin,” Chuck replied. “The guy with the tattoos on his face.”

Chad recalled his face. He was the one who had ambushed his group and forced them to run for their lives. Flint was the one who had punched Chad in the face and taken him captive. Flint’s menacing eyes left a lasting impression in Chad’s memory. He was the devil incarnate. Chad was going to make sure he paid for what he did.

Someone stuck a key in the door and jiggled the lock. The door to the cell creaked open. A hand tossed a bottle of water and a loaf of bread through the opening, then immediately slammed it shut.

“Breakfast is served,” Chuck said dryly.

Chuck grabbed the loaf of bread from the floor and began dividing it into portions so each prisoner could have an equal amount.

“Bread and water,” Chad murmured, expressing surprise they’d been given anything to eat at all.

Chuck handed Chad his portion of bread. Chad took a bite. His face twisted. The bread was stale but not spoiled. He wondered if it was possible to survive on this diet while being held captive.

Joseph handed Chad the bottle of water. Chad raised it to his mouth and took a quick sip, then handed it to Chuck.

“We get one meal a day.” Chuck took a bite of his bread. “They usually come around at this time in the morning and give us bread and water.”

One meal a day was better than no meals a day. Chad figured that if they were being fed, the Red Jackals must have had a reason they were keeping them alive. He just hoped the human trafficking part wasn’t true.

“Do you have any idea what caused the electricity to go out?” Chuck asked.

”It was an EMP attack by China,” Chad answered. It seemed that people were still in the dark about what had caused this catastrophe. Literally and figuratively.

“Electromagnetic pulse? I remember one of the prepper websites I surf every now and then talked about those things. There was a huge article about what it can do and the ramifications it can cause. So those commies in China finally let one off?”

“Unfortunately, they did. And it seems like this country wasn’t prepared at all for the attack.”

“That’s our government for you,” Chuck added, slapping his forehead. “Incompetent and inept, at best.”

Chad finished his portion and gazed at his cellmates sitting on the floor. His eyes were dull with sadness. The last thing he imagined was being held prisoner by a human trafficking gang. Last week, he was signing contracts, conducting business deals, and driving around in his new Porsche 911. Unexpectedly, everything in his life had been flipped upside down and now he was in a battle for survival. It’s funny how life can be. He needed to get out of there. And he needed to do it soon.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Chad sat in the corner of the dark, damp prison cell, contemplating how he was going to get out of his predicament. His cellmates wore grim looks of despair and dejection.

He wondered if they had ever discussed among themselves about breaking out of the prison. Did they want to get back home to their families? Or did they accept defeat and accept the fate that was coming their way?

Chad continued to muse, deep in thought. Should he take charge and formulate a plan to get out of their captivity? Or should he let someone else do it? Or wait for this situation to play itself out and pray to the heavens above that someone was going to save them?

I need to step up and take the lead if we are going to get out of this.

He believed that there had to be a way. An opening. Some diversion, some ruse that he could use to get himself and the rest of the prisoners out of there.

While he sat on the cold floor, he stared at the ceiling, devising a plan for their escape.

The next morning, the guard unlocked the door and tossed a loaf of bread and a bottle of water into the cell. Chuck retrieved the loaf and carried out his usual routine of dividing the portions.

An idea popped up in Chad’s head.

“I have a plan to get out of here,” Chad whispered to his cellmates.

Everyone stopped eating and stared at Chad with cold, dull eyes.

“Are you nuts?” Joseph asked flatly. “How the hell are we going to get out of here? Don’t you see they got us locked up in this cell tight?”

Chuck stroked his chin and gave Chad a hard look. “Hold on, Joseph. Let’s hear Chad’s plan.”

Joseph leaned back against the concrete wall. “Okay. Let’s hear his grand plan of escaping this hellhole.”

Chad rose to his feet and walked to the center of the cell. He rubbed his hands together, glancing at everyone in the room.

“You see how the guard comes at the same time in the morning to feed us? Well, we are going to use that as an opportunity to escape.”

Chuck lifted an eyebrow. “I’m listening.”

“We are going to need someone to play the role of a sick person. They need to cough and make noises. When the guard unlocks the door, someone is going to shout that we have a sick person in here and he needs help. When the guard comes in to check on him, we are going to pin him down and knock him unconscious.”

Joseph laughed with a sneer. “That will never work. The Red Jackals aren’t so stupid to fall for that trick.”

Chad scowled at Joseph. He didn’t appreciate his remarks and uncooperativeness. “Do you have a better plan?”

Joseph lowered his head. “No, I don’t.”

Robert raised his hand. “So, what day do you want to carry out this plan? And who is going to play the sick actor?”

“I think we should carry out this plan as soon as tomorrow,” Chad said. “The longer we stay in here, the less of a chance we have of escaping. Time is of the essence.”

Chad shot a glance at Joseph as he curved his mouth into a mischievous smile. “Joseph is going to play the role of the sick prisoner.”

“Why me?” Joseph asked with open disdain. “Why are you making me play the sick guy?”

“Because you are the only one who had objections even though you didn’t have a plan of your own. Besides, you have an easy job. The rest of us will pin down the guard, trying to take him out.”

Joseph huffed and puffed and threw his hands in the air.

“Try to do a good job, Joseph. For this plan to work, you will have to be convincing,” Chad added.

“I’ll try my best.”

“As for the rest of us, when the guard comes in and checks on Joseph, we are going to bum-rush him, pin him to the ground, and try to knock him unconscious.”

“Sounds good to me,” Chuck said. “All of us should be able to pin him down with no problems. If I can get him in a choke hold, I can put him to sleep.”

Chad gave Chuck a shallow nod. “That will work. Any maneuver we can use to knock him out would be excellent.”

“So let’s say everything goes as planned. Where do we go from here? They have other gang members roaming around the facility. We might get shot at if they spot us,” Paul interjected, looking troubled.

“Well, we are going to have to make a break for it. We are going to have to find safety and help. As long as we can create some distance between us and the Red Jackals, we’ll have a chance of making it through. We just need to have faith.”

“I like Chad’s plan,” Chuck said with a little forced smile. “It’s better than rotting in this cell. I have no problems taking a chance to secure our freedom.”

Chad gave him a thumbs-up. He was glad that his fellow prisoners had the will to escape. Even Joseph, though he’d objected at first. Everything had to go as planned for them to break out of there. And most importantly, everyone had to be a team player. He was glad to know that the Red Jackals couldn’t keep them down, no matter how hard they tried. Chad and the rest of his cellmates were fighters. He was going to do whatever was necessary to help them get back to their loved ones.

“So is everyone down with the plan?” Chad asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

All the men in the cell answered, “Yes,” in unison.

“Okay. Let’s take the rest of the day to get our minds right. We have an important day ahead of us tomorrow.”

The next morning, everyone got into position. Chuck stood next to the door so when it swung open he would be able to grab the guard from behind and place a choke hold on him.

Joseph was lying on the floor ready to play sick. Chad, Paul, and Robert were sitting on the floor surrounding Joseph so they could pin the guard down when the time came.

“I hear footsteps,” Chuck whispered, placing his ear next to the door so he could hear the sounds coming down the hallway.

The footsteps became louder as the guard approached the door. Anxiety lined Chad’s eyes as he focused his attention on the door. Would this plan work? Or would it fail? A shred of doubt flitted through his mind, but he quickly brushed it away. It was too late to back out. They had to go through with the plan.

“Start coughing and rolling around, Joseph,” Chad instructed.

Joseph began coughing harshly, even hacking up his spit. He held his stomach, tossing and turning on the floor. He was playing up the part of the sick prisoner.

Someone placed a key in the lock and cracked open the door.

“Help! We have a sick prisoner! He’s throwing up and coughing up his own blood!” Chad shouted, pleading for help in hopes the guard would come inside.

The door swung open, and in the doorway appeared a menacing brute about six feet tall with long brown hair past his shoulders, a full-length beard, and visible tattoos covering his neck.

The guard put his hands on his hips and surveyed the room. He then directed his gaze toward Joseph tossing around on the ground.

“What the hell is going on in here?” he asked, his pupils flared. He patted his holster and walked toward Joseph.

Unbeknownst to the guard, Chuck crept up behind him and wrapped his arms around his neck. The guard and Chuck began tussling. Chad and the rest of his cellmates swiftly pounced on the guard. They grabbed his legs and arms to pin him to the ground.

The guard had absolutely no chance of breaking free. Chuck applied more pressure to his choke hold. The guard’s face turned blue as he gasped for air but came up short. He abruptly lost consciousness and was out like a light.

Joseph stood up and gazed at the guard’s lifeless body. “We did it. We did it!”

“We can’t celebrate yet. We gotta get out of here first.” Chad took the gun from the guard’s holster and held it to his side. Chuck, Paul, and Robert dragged the guard’s stiff body to the corner of the room.

Chad peeked out the doorway to see if anyone else was in the vicinity. Once he verified the coast was clear, he motioned with his free hand for the others to follow him.

“I can’t believe that worked,” Joseph whispered to Chad. “For a minute, I thought shit was going to go haywire.”

Truth be told, Chad couldn’t believe the plan had worked either. He’d come up with the plan on the spot. He certainly hadn’t put much thought into it. He’d just hoped once the guard came to feed them, he would fall for the bait and come inside the cell. Now the next task was to get out of the facility.

Chad didn’t know the layout of the building they were in because the Red Jackals had knocked him unconscious when they brought him to the facility.

His cellmates were in the same position since they’d been blindfolded when they were brought to the cell.

“Follow me. There’s got to be an exit that leads us outside,” Chad said as he led the pack of men down the dark corridor. Sunlight from a few extremely small windows high on the wall was the only type of light that was coming in. The screeching noise of mice scurrying across the hallway was noticeable. The damp smell in the air suggested that mold was growing on the walls and ceilings. Where the hell were they, exactly? Chad was trying to figure that out while he and his group searched for an exit.

POP! POP! POP!

Everyone hit the ground for cover.

“Did y’all hear that?” Robert asked, putting his hands over his head.

Chuck’s eyes widened as he swiveled his head back and forth. “Those gunshots are coming from outside.”

POP! POP! POP! POP! POP!

More sounds of gunfire erupted from outside.

What the hell is going on? Chad wondered. He sweated with fear as the banging of gunfire stopped them all in their tracks. This was a hell of a coincidence for the Red Jackals to get attacked by a rival gang. Or could it be people coming to save them? He and the other men certainly wouldn’t know what was going on until they got out of the building.

Chad rose to his feet. “We can use this diversion to escape. Let’s keep going.”

Chuck and the rest of the men stood up and ran down the corridor. Chad spotted a large steel door with an exit sign above it.

“Okay, everyone, get behind me,” Chad said as he raised his gun and put his left hand on the cold steel doorknob. “Once we go outside, bullets are going to be flying everywhere. Stay low and move out of sight like ghosts. We still don’t know what’s going on out there.”

The men stacked themselves behind Chad. The sounds of gunfire were much louder now that they’d found the door. Chad’s heart hammered as adrenaline surged through his veins. It was now or never.

“On the count of three, I’m going to open this door and we are going to make a run for it. Are you ready?”

The men nodded their heads.

“One, two, three!”

Chad pulled open the door and the group of men ran into the middle of the fray.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Chad and the rest of the men raced outside and hid behind an empty shipping container. The piercing noise of gunfire echoed in the air while they took cover.

Chad peeked around the corner of the container to see who was shooting at the Red Jackals. He spotted a group of men in blue uniforms taking cover behind two abandoned cars. There were also a handful of other men who weren’t dressed in uniforms, but he couldn’t make out who they were because they were too far away. He figured the men in uniforms must be the police. The Red Jackals were across the field behind a mobile home trailer, firing a barrage of shots at the police.

Chad regrouped with the men. “I think those guys are the police. I’m pretty sure they are here to save us.”

“Should we move towards them?” Chuck asked.

“Yeah, I think we should. If they are here to help, then they aren’t going to shoot us,” Chad replied. His nerves were on fire as the gunfire continued. This was their one and only chance to get out of this mess.

Joseph frowned as his eyes shifted left and right. “I think we should go back inside, guys. I don’t think it’s safe out here. What if we get hit by the crossfire?”

Chad’s facial expression hardened. “Look, we made it out this far. We can’t turn back now.” He paused and put his hand on Joseph’s shoulder. “You did a good job back there. We’re all proud of you. Who knows what will happen if we go back inside? Let’s just get ourselves to those police officers so we can get to safety.”

Joseph nodded. “Okay.”

“Everyone, follow me and stay low.”

Chad and his group left the cover of the trailer and advanced toward the police. Chad spotted an abandoned car about seventy feet away.

He pointed at it. “Let’s take cover behind that car.”

The group of men rushed to the car and ducked behind it.

Chad directed his eyes to the group of men firing at the Red Jackals with the police. Two of them had familiar faces.

It was Jim and his brother Harry, who was wearing his signature cowboy hat and sporting his long beard.

“Jim! Harry!” Chad shouted, waving his hands. “It’s me, Chad!”

“Stay right there!” Jim shouted as he took potshots at the gang.

Chad watched the two groups continue to exchange gunfire for the next ten minutes. One by one, the Red Jackals were going down like dominoes.

The gunfire subsided, as the Red Jackals were losing the battle. A few of the gang members threw down their weapons and raised their hands in the air to surrender. The police sprinted toward them with their guns drawn.

“Get down on the ground! Hands behind your back!” the police officers barked at the gang members. The Red Jackals complied, and the officers secured flex-cuff restraints on their hands.

Harry and Jim darted towards Chad and the rest of the escapees. A jolt of pleasure rushed through Chad. Their presence filled Chad with excitement. Especially his brother Harry. Despite not having seen each other in a long while, he was overjoyed that Harry had come to his rescue.

“Are you okay, Chad?” Harry asked, giving Chad and the rest of the prisoners a once-over.

“Yeah, I’m okay, bro. How did you find us?” Chad asked with large, sad eyes. In his mind, it shouldn’t have taken a crisis for them to reunite. He lamented getting his brother involved in his mess.

Harry scratched his beard. “We have a lot to talk about. But no time for that now.”

Jim approached Chad and extended his hand. “Good to see you again, Chad.” Chad gripped it and gave it a firm shake.

“I believe this belongs to you.” Jim pulled a revolver from his pocket and handed it to Chad.

Chad took the revolver and held it with his other hand. He handed the gun he’d confiscated from the guard to Chuck. “Hope you’re a good shot.”

Chuck winked as he wrapped his hand around the grip. “As good as ever.”

Harry turned his attention behind him. He peered down the dirt road and raised a brow. “Do you hear that?”

Everyone turned their heads. The police were staring down the dirt road as well.

“Sounds like ATVs,” Chad said, raising his weapon. “I’m sure the Red Jackals have backup on the way.”

“Everyone, take cover positions!” one of the police officers yelled. They all scattered and hid behind two abandoned cars in the field.

The band of ATVs approached closer. Chad recognized the menacing tattooed face leading the pack. It was Flint.

His heart pounded as he aimed his gun at the incoming ATVs. Apparently, he was nowhere near getting out of this mess. All he wanted was to get to his brother’s cabin and out of harm’s way.

Bullets peppered the abandoned cars the police and Chad’s group were taking cover behind. Chad and everyone else let out a barrage of gunfire toward their enemy combatants.

Chad and Harry kneeled side by side, taking potshots at the ATV riders. The Red Jackals hopped off their vehicles and spread out in different directions.

Two police officers came out from cover and began shooting at a few of the Red Jackals who were running. One of the officers shot a gang member in the chest, and he fell to the ground. A bullet ripped through the other officer’s thigh, and he collapsed.

Chad spotted Flint running towards a ditch. Rage flowed through him like lava as he gripped his gun and aimed at his menacing adversary. He would never forgive him for the trouble he’d caused him and his friends. Chad was determined to eliminate him, so he wouldn’t be able to cause any more harm to anyone else.

Chad pulled the trigger and fired three shots at Flint. Flint jumped into the ditch in the nick of time as the bullets flew over his head.

Harry fired at a gang member fleeing in Flint’s direction. The bullet tore through his center mass and his body slumped to the ground.

Realizing they were outnumbered and outgunned, Flint and his posse of brutes escaped, melting into the forest behind them.

Chad breathed a sigh of relief, wiping the sweat from his forehead with his shirt. This was a hell of a day. Not to mention a hell of a trip.

All in all, only one police officer had sustained an injury, and his fellow officers were working to stop the bleeding from his gunshot wound. There were a good number of dead Red Jackals, and a few who had surrendered.

Harry and a police officer started conversing near Chad.

“Is the officer that got shot going make it, Officer Terry?” Harry asked.

The officer frowned, hanging his head. “It’s a nasty wound to the thigh, but he should be fine.”

“How are you gonna take these prisoners back to the station?”

Officer Terry let out an exhilarated laugh. “We are going to make these sons of bitches walk. We will escort them while we ride the ATVs.”

“Sounds good. Don’t let them rest. They don’t deserve it.”

Officer Terry and Harry shook hands. The officer left to check on his injured colleague.

Jim patted Chad on the shoulder. “Everything okay, bud?”

Chad embraced Jim. “Yeah, I’m good, man. Thanks for coming to save us. Where’s Julie?”

“Julie is at the police station waiting for us. Don’t worry. She’s safe and sound.”

Chad’s mouth twitched with a smile. A swell of satisfaction washed over him when Jim revealed to him the good news. He’d been worried about Julie after the incident a few nights ago. Maybe more than he was for himself. But all’s well that ends well, and Chad and the prisoners had escaped and were rescued from the evil clutches of the Red Jackals.

“I’m glad that you guys are safe.” Chad crossed his arms. “So, how did you find us?”

“Well, the other night when we got ambushed, Julie and I found each other literally running in the same direction. She stopped to take a break from running, and I saw her in front of me. We decided to stick together and find someone that could help us. As luck would have it, we walked for a few hours and came across a West Virginia State Police station in a small town. We told them what happened and informed them we were on the way to your brother’s house.” Jim pointed his finger towards Harry. “The police station had a ham radio, and the operator contacted Harry and informed him of the situation. Your brother is pretty well known around here and a lot of the officers know him. Apparently, these Red Jackal hooligans have been causing a lot of trouble in this area, and this was the perfect time for the police force to strike. Your brother came right on down to meet us and we coordinated the rescue operation.”

Harry patted Jim’s shoulder. “The Red Jackals are a devilish bunch. I wish we got them all. Who knows what they are planning next?”

“So, how did you guys get here if none of the cars are working?”

“ATVs,” Harry smirked. “You grew up around here. We used to drive around in them when we were younger.”

Chad reminisced about the days when he and his brother used to race their ATVs through the open fields of Moorefield. Twisting the knob to its max speed gave him an adrenaline rush no drug or substance could match. Recalling racing with his brother brought back joyous memories of a past that was much, much simpler.

“I think we should get back to the station.” Jim turned to Chad as a smirk formed on his face. “Your Julie is waiting.”

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Later that afternoon, Chad and everyone else arrived at the West Virginia state police station in the town of Baker, West Virginia.

The officers escorted Chad, Harry, and Jim into the station. The loud generator in the background powering the electricity for the station was roaring from the rear of the station.

A petite female officer with long brown hair greeted the group. “Hello, y’all,” she said in a sweet country accent. “I’m Officer Barlow. You gentlemen look beat up. Follow me to the infirmary so we can patch y’all poor fellas up.”

“Chad!” a familiar female voice shouted.

Chad turned his head. It was Julie. She sprinted toward him and jumped into his arms.

Tears ran down her cheeks as she and Chad embraced each other. “I was so worried about you! I didn’t know if you were ever coming back.”

His face lit with a smile. “I was worried about you, too.” He wiped the tears from her cheek with his hand. Chad was ecstatic to see Julie.

When he was in captivity with the Red Jackals, Julie had been at the forefront of his worries. Now that they were reunited, he could let his brain rest for a bit.

Chad released her from the embrace and held her hands. “I’ll be back in a few minutes. We are going to get our injuries looked at and get patched up.”

“Okay. I’ll be right here,” Julie said softly as she went to sit on an empty chair in the lobby.

Chad and the prisoners followed Officer Barlow down a corridor of offices. She made a left into a hallway with a dead end and opened the door to the right.

A middle-aged woman with fine wrinkles and short gray hair sat at a wooden desk.

She raised her eyes from her paperwork as she observed the group of battered and bruised men.

“Hello, gentlemen, I’m Nurse Cindy. Y’all look like you need some fixin’ up. Why don’t y’all take a seat on the chairs over there against the wall? I’m going to get my medical supplies.” Nurse Cindy rose from her seat and went to a metal cabinet to grab some pieces of gauze, bandages, and various ointments. She placed them on a metal trolley and pushed the cart toward the weary-looking men.

She started working on Chad by applying some antibacterial ointment on his face. “I’m going to fix up that handsome face of yours, sweetheart.” She winked and gave him a sultry smile.

Despite his bruised face, Chad returned the smile and was shocked that she believed he was still good-looking. “Thank you for helping us.”

“Not a problem, sweetheart.” She applied two large Band-Aids to his face and then moved on to the next man.

Chad rose from his seat and exited the infirmary. He walked down the hall towards the lobby. He found Julie, Jim, and Harry chatting with each other.

Harry shifted his gaze to Chad as soon as he spotted him. “Chad. Let’s go outside and talk for a minute in private.”

Shame corroded Chad’s insides. He figured his brother was going to use this opportunity to chew him out. He already knew how this conversation was going to play out inside his head. Guilt tormented him since he and his brother hadn’t spoken in years. He was crawling back to him now that he needed help. Chad wished he had ironed out their issues years ago, so he wouldn’t feel nearly as bad as he did now.

Chad followed his brother to a wooden gazebo on the side of the building.

“Sit,” Harry commanded, standing tall with his arms crossed.

Chad sat on the wooden chair, tapping his foot on the ground.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Harry chided. His eyebrows snapped together as he glowered at Chad.

“Come on, Harry. I didn’t have anywhere else to go or anyone else to call.” Chad slouched and hung his head. Shame flooded his conscience, and he felt horrible. But he deserved it.

“After the lights went out in DC, shit just went to all hell. It wasn’t safe to stay there anymore. Plus, I had Julie with me. You should have seen it, Harry. It was a damn near war zone.”

“I know what’s going on in DC and other major cities across the country, so you don’t have to lecture me. My issue is after all these years of us not talking, you are begging for my help all of a sudden.”

Chad raised his head and stared at his brother with large, sad eyes. “I’m sorry. You’re right. I shouldn’t be running to you when shit hits the fan. But we were at odds with each other and I didn’t know how to reconnect.”

Harry shook his head and turned away from Chad. “You know I don’t have to let you stay. But since you have Jim and Julie with you, who actually seem like decent people, unlike you, I’m going to open up my cabin to y’all.”

Chad exhaled. He had fretted that his brother would tell him to find somewhere else to stay. But he’d always known Harry as a compassionate person. He might get mad and agitated, but he usually calmed down.

“Thanks, Harry,” Chad said with a soft smile.

“Don’t thank me yet. We’ll air out our grievances once you guys get settled in.” Harry turned his attention back to Chad. “Let’s go. Your car is here at the station. I’ll drive the ATV, and you guys can follow me.”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Forty minutes later, Chad, Harry, Jim, and Julie arrived at Harry’s cabin on the outskirts of Moorefield, West Virginia. They stepped out of the car and followed Harry to the front porch of the cedar log cabin.

The size of the cabin impressed Chad. It was big enough that it could hold a family inside comfortably.

Harry inserted his key in the lock and opened the door. “Home sweet home. Make yourselves comfortable.”

They all walked inside and glanced around at their surroundings. The stress and anxiety Chad had endured in the last couple of days subsided with every second he spent inside the safety of his brother’s cabin.

“I have a couple of spare bedrooms you guys can use. Let me show them to you.”

The group followed Harry down the narrow hallway lined with wooden walls. Harry opened up the first door on the left. There was a small twin bed and a desk next to the window.

“Chad, you can stay here. I’ll take Julie and Jim to their rooms,” Harry said.

“Thanks, Harry,” Chad replied as he sat on the bed.

Harry gave Chad a stony stare and closed the door.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Chad held his head in his hands. He was happy that he was back in West Virginia and that his brother had allowed him and his friends to stay with him. He would be forever grateful for his brother’s compassion for helping him out in a time of need. But it was obvious Harry still held a grudge against him.

Chad lay down on the bed and gazed at the ceiling, his eyes cold and distant.

Thoughts ran through Chad’s head about the trip to West Virginia and the dangers he’d encountered. On multiple occasions, he’d come dangerously close to losing his life, but sheer luck had allowed him and his friends to make it through. He was happy that he could keep Julie safe and was appreciative that Jim had joined them. He certainly didn’t think he would have gotten this far without Jim’s help and survival expertise.

Chad rolled to the side and curled into the fetal position. The bed was comfortable and sucked his body in. Almost as if he were resting on a cloud.

He shifted his eyes towards the window. The clear blue sky and the Appalachian mountains in the distance were a warm reminder that he was back in his hometown. A flock of birds flew past, heading toward the horizon of the mountains. The quietness of his surroundings eased his mind, unlike the hustling and bustling city he’d lived in all of these years.

Living in Washington, DC had its benefits, such as job opportunities, networking with other professionals, and a plethora of activities. But there was no place like coming back home to rural West Virginia, where Chad could relax and put aside his worries.

Chad’s thoughts shifted to the possessions he’d left behind. The posh apartment, the Porsche 911, his expensive artwork, and more. Even though he’d spent a lot of money acquiring them, they were meaningless to him now, since the country was collapsing after the EMP. Getting to safety was the only thing on his mind and he could live without them.

Someone knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Chad said as he sat straight up on the edge of the bed.

The door slowly opened and Julie came inside. She gently closed the door shut behind her and sat next to Chad.

“Hey, I just wanted to come by and check on you,” she said, putting her hand on his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Chad gave her a half-smile, then stared at the ground. “I’ll be fine, thanks. How about you? Are you settled in?”

“I’m fine. Your brother gave me a real nice room. As a matter of fact, it has a mountain view like yours.” Her face lit up in amusement as she scanned the room. “Your brother’s cabin is so nice. And it’s peaceful up here, unlike DC. Harry seems like he is a good guy. He’s being an excellent host to Jim and me. I’m thankful he’s letting us stay with him.”

“Yeah, me too,” Chad agreed. He fought a grin, lifting his shoulder in a half-shrug.

“The tension is thick between you and your brother. I asked you a few days ago why you and your brother haven’t spoken in years. Care to tell me what’s going on between you two?” Julie probed.

Chad rose to his feet. He strode to the wall on the opposite side of the bedroom and put his back against it. He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets and stared at Julie with dull eyes.

“Well, it’s high time I level with you about what’s going on between us.” He took in a deep breath. “When our father died, he left us a large sum of money and his house in the will. The money was supposed to be split evenly between the two of us. And the house we were going to keep.”

Julie lifted an eyebrow. “So what happened?”

“I took Harry to court to secure all the money plus the house. I wanted everything for myself.”

Julie shot him a dirty look. “Why the hell would you do that to your own brother? What kind of jerk are you?”

He squeezed his eyes shut. Shame engulfed him as he mulled over his selfish actions that had caused a rift between him and Harry. Years later, Chad understood what he’d done was conniving, but he did not know how to repair the relationship between them. The damage he’d caused had taken a toll on his conscience.

“I was young, immature, and greedy. His feelings or anyone else’s were of no concern to me. I’ve come a long way since then and I’m really sorry for what I did.”

“So what happened next?”

“I hired the best probate attorney that was available and won our father’s estate. We had a months-long court battle. It was beyond stressful. But ultimately, I won. I ended up getting seventy-five percent of the money our father left us plus the house.”

Julie gave Chad a quizzical look. “And how much was that?”

“A little over five hundred thousand dollars.”

Julie’s eyes bugged out. “Wow. You’re a greedy asshole. You were already making good money at your job. To turn on your brother and take a portion of his inheritance is terrible. No wonder he’s cold as ice to you.”

Chad walked back towards the bed and sat down next to Julie. His face contorted as though he were struggling not to cry.

Julie stood up to face him. She placed her hands on her hips. “Chad, you need to man up and apologize to him. He deserves it. He’s family, and he’s all you have. You both have been through a lot and you need to take the first step to fixing your relationship with him. Because let’s be honest. You are the one that ruined it.”

Chad nodded. He wiped the tears from his eyes with his shirt.

“You’re right, Julie. If I’m going to be in his house, I need to step up and apologize.”

“You need to do it now. He’s probably been waiting on your apology for years.” Julie turned around and walked to the door. “We’ll talk later, Chad. Let me know how it goes.” She opened the door and left the room.

Chad sat on his bed, contemplating how to approach his brother to apologize.

Fifteen minutes later, Chad strolled into the kitchen. Harry and Jim were sitting at the kitchen table, which was made of reclaimed oak.

Harry and Jim paused their conversation and glanced at Chad. Harry’s piercing stare at Chad made him cringe inwardly.

“What are y’all talking about?” Chad asked.

“Oh, just about life here in Moorefield,” Jim responded, picking up a cup of coffee and taking a sip.

“Mind if I take a seat and join?” Chad asked, pulling out a wooden seat from under the table.

Harry’s eyes were as cold as steel. “Sure.”

As soon as Chad sat at the table, an awkward silence settled between the three gentlemen. Chad’s and Harry’s eyes locked as if they were in a staring competition.

Jim rose from his seat. He picked up his cup of coffee and took another sip. “I’m going to give you guys some space. I’m sure y’all have a lot to talk about.”

“No problem, Jim. We’ll chat some more later,” Harry said. He got up and walked to the stove. “You want a cup of coffee, Chad?”

“No, thanks.”

“Fine, suit yourself.” Harry poured more coffee into his cup and went back to the table.

Chad ran his hand through his hair. This was the moment that would repair their relationship or destroy it even more. How his brother would respond, he didn’t know.

“So, how’s life for you lately?” Chad asked, his voice quaking.

“Life is the same as it’s always been. I’m not living the high life like you. But I’m getting by. As you can obviously see.” Harry narrowed his eyes at his brother. “Why don’t you cut the small talk and tell me what you want?”

“Look, Harry. I want to apologize to you for what I did. I was completely in the wrong for taking you to court to get most of the inheritance Dad left us. If I could turn back the clock, I wouldn’t have done that.” Chad’s voice was heavy with emotion, his face etched with sadness.

Harry clenched his fist and slammed it on the table. “You think it’s that easy? You think you can say you’re sorry and everything will be all good and well? Do you realize the type of emotional hell you put me through because of your selfish actions?”

Chad nodded. His eyes flooded with tears. The emotional toll he’d put on himself and his brother had been rough, to say the least. He’d tried to compensate for it by indulging in material possessions. But the allure always wore off after a while.

Chad put his head on the table and wept. He couldn’t control his emotions. The rift between him and his brother had eaten away at his soul for years. Now he was letting it all out.

Harry stared at his brother stonily, then relaxed his posture as his expression softened. “Chad, at this moment, it’s water under the bridge. What’s done is done. The money isn’t important. The most important thing to me is your safety. After all, you’re my brother and I love you. Even if you’re an idiot.”

Chad lifted his head and wiped away the tears. “So you forgive me?”

“Yes, I do. Let’s move on from this.”

“Thank you. I appreciate everything you’ve done and are doing for us,” Chad said with a willed, little smile.

“Hold your horses. You aren’t out of the woods yet.” Harry rubbed his hands together and laughed with a sneer. “You guys are going to have to pull your weight around here if you want to stay. This property is self-sufficient; we don’t have to rely on the grid for electricity or grocery stores for food. I have a greenhouse where I plant stuff. There’s animals out in the woods and fields where we can go hunting, and a river where we can go fishing. I’m going to need help around here. Jim and I have already discussed it, and he’s fully on board. I’m sure Julie will be too.”

“We’re willing to do whatever is necessary to help. You can count on us.”

“Good. Now that we’ve settled a few things, why don’t you go back to your room and rest? We have a busy day tomorrow since I’m going to be showing you guys around the property and how to complete tasks.”

Chad rose from his seat. When he walked by Harry, he placed his hand on his shoulder. “Thank you.”

“Go get some rest. We’ll talk some more later.”

Chad walked out of the kitchen, relieved. He’d finally cast the thousand-pound gorilla off his back and made amends with his brother.

CHAPTER TWENTY

The next morning, around nine o’clock, Chad, Harry, Julie, and Jim stood in front of the house. The cool, brisk air hit Chad’s face as he gazed toward the mountains.

“Okay, everyone. Follow me to the greenhouse. I’m going to show you where I plant my vegetables,” Harry said.

Harry led them down a dirt path behind the house. They approached a mid-sized greenhouse made of glass. Once they arrived, Harry unlocked the door with his key and led everyone inside.

Chad admired the rows of various growing vegetables. He saw corn, tomatoes, lettuce, potatoes, peppers, and more. There was enough food being grown to feed an entire neighborhood.

“This is a lot of vegetables, Harry,” Chad said, bending down and picking up one of the potatoes. “You grew this all yourself?”

“You’re damn right I did. It wasn’t hard at all. Just plant a few seeds at a time,” Harry replied. He turned his attention to Jim and Julie and put his hands on his hips. “Our dad always told us to be prepared and not rely on the government to save us if we are in a crisis. As you can see now, the country is in crisis mode and our leaders are nowhere to be found.”

“You can say that again,” Jim agreed.

Harry bent over and grabbed a red plastic bucket from the ground.

“Now I’m going to show y’all how to pick vegetables.”

He kneeled on the ground next to a small tomato patch and picked a few ripe tomatoes off a long, thin stem, then placed them in the bucket.

“That’s all there is to it. Just pick off the leaves and toss them into the bucket.”

Harry spent the next thirty minutes showing the group how to pick various vegetables and fruits that were available in the greenhouse.

“Harry. You have an amazing greenhouse,” Julie complimented as she bent over to examine the stalk of corn. “I love planting. Can I take over gardening duties?”

Harry smiled. “Of course you can! I appreciate you taking the initiative. But before you start, let me take you all to the well.”

They followed Harry outside to the well, which was located right behind the greenhouse. It was a man-made stone well with a wood awning covering it. Attached to a spool with a rope, a bucket hung underneath the awning, ready to be raised or lowered with the hand crank.

“I got this well drilled five years ago. I wanted to have my own source of water, so I didn’t have to keep going to the store to buy bottled water. Looks like this investment is going to pan out.”

Chad grabbed the bucket and lowered it into the well. He then gripped the hand crank to reel up the bucket filled with water.

“I have to say this setup is really convenient,” Chad admitted, taking the bucket and tossing the water back down into the hole.

“Yeah, all you guys have to do is grab the water from here if you need to water the crops or you simply need a drink.”

Harry pointed to a nearby shed. “Let’s head over to that shed. That’s where I cook meat and dry it out for preservation.”

The group walked over to the shed and entered it. Inside was a woodstove with a chimney protruding through the ceiling.

“This is the area where I clean and cook raw meat. I dry it out by cooking it on the stovetop.”

“What kind of animals live around here that we can hunt for?” Jim asked.

“We have deer, turkeys, boar, and a whole wide range of game. As a matter of fact, speaking about hunting, let’s go back to the cabin so I can show y’all my gun and rifle collection.”

Julie tapped Harry on his shoulder. “Can I go ahead and start working on the plants in the greenhouse? I’m really excited to get back to gardening again.”

Harry gave Julie a bright smile. “You absolutely can. As a matter of fact, you’ll be in charge of maintaining the crops. Have fun!”

Julie turned around and departed the shed. She waved as she sashayed through the door.

“Okay, gentlemen. Back to the house, so I can show you my rifles.”

The men walked back to the house and entered through the back door. Harry led them to a small room next to the kitchen and unlocked the door.

Harry flicked on the light. Chad scanned the room and spotted a wide array of bolt-action rifles hanging on the door.

Seeing these rifles made Chad recall the times when he, his brother, and his dad used to go hunting. They would dress up in camouflage and carry bolt-action rifles with them. His dad used to carry a rifle with a stock made of maple wood.

“These are some damn nice rifles, Harry.” Jim gazed longingly at the assortment of weapons. “How often do you go hunting?”

Harry folded his arms while using his right hand to stroke the end of his beard. “About every two weeks. It’ll probably be more often since there’s more mouths to feed.”

Chad turned his attention from the rifles to Harry. His eyes formed a question. “Do you still have Dad’s old rifle?”

Harry’s eyes widened. “You bet I do.”

He kneeled down on the ground next to a black case and unlocked it. Inside lay their late father’s rifle.

Chad’s eyes misted over. Seeing his father’s favorite rifle, still in pristine condition, made him emotional. “Looks good as new.”

Harry stood up and placed his hand on Chad’s shoulder to comfort him. “Yeah. I wanted to keep his memory alive. So I clean and polish it regularly.”

Harry kneeled back down and closed the case.

Once he rose to his feet, he paced to the wall where his rifle hung.

“I’m assigning both of you guys to hunting duties,” Harry said. “Both of you have experience handling guns, and the more hunters we have, the more food we can store.”

Harry pointed at the wall of rifles. “Pick whichever rifle you want to use. If you need cartridges for your rifle, there’s a huge ammo can of .243 Winchesters in the corner of the room. Take as much as you need.”

Harry pointed to the steel can in the far corner of the room.

Chad surveyed the assortment of rifles. There were plenty to choose from, no shortage whatsoever. He always knew Harry loved his guns, but he had enough to arm a small army.

He laid eyes on a rifle with an abstract camouflage pattern all over. He took it off the shelf and cradled it in his arms.

Jim picked out a solid black rifle. He held it up to the light to examine the stock and the finish.

“I’ll take this one,” Jim said.

“Good choice,” Harry replied. “What you’re holding is a Ruger Predator. I won that from a shooting competition a year ago. It shoots like a dream.”

“I’m sure it does. I can’t wait to try it out,” Jim exclaimed, slinging the strap around his shoulder. “Harry, I must admit that your preparation is on point. Your self-sustainable setup is impressive. You would have done well in the military.”

Harry let out an exhilarated laugh. “Thanks for the compliment. I always took our dad’s warning seriously about being prepared.” He slid a knowing smirk at Chad and nodded his head. “Unlike the knucklehead standing next to you.”

Chad gave a dismissive wave of his hand and rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to rub it in, Harry. You and I both know I messed up and I’m paying for it now.”

“Yeah, you sure are.” Harry chuckled. “Why don’t you guys head out in the woods to hunt and try out your new toys?”

An hour later, Chad and Jim had trekked through the forest about a quarter mile from Harry’s cabin.

The smell of pine trees and stale wood gave a welcoming scent. Fallen branches and leaves littered every area of the forest. Birds chirped their familiar birdsong from the treetops.

Chad and Jim were lying prone behind a fallen log, scanning the forest for live game to shoot.

“I really want to thank you for allowing me to come with you and Julie to your brother’s cabin. Even though we just met each other a few days ago, you and your brother opened your arms and treated me like a lifelong friend.”

Chad scanned the forest with the butt of his rifle pressed firmly against his shoulder.

“It’s not a problem at all. I’m glad we ran into each other back in Virginia. You helped Julie and I escape that hellhole. If it wasn’t for you, I don’t think we would’ve made it this far. Plus, I can tell my brother enjoys having you around. Probably more than me at this point. You two seem to have a lot of the same interests.”

Jim lowered his rifle and raised his eyebrows. He turned his head toward Chad.

“I noticed some tension between you two. Is everything okay?”

Chad told Jim everything that had happened between them up to him apologizing. He was glad he’d apologized to his brother and gotten that weight off his chest. Chad was also happy that Jim was open to listening to his problems.

“Well, we don’t always get along with our family members,” Jim said. “But at some point, you have to be civil with each other because that’s all you have. I’m glad to hear you apologized to him.” Jim picked up his rifle and began to survey the area for wild game. “I know it was tough. But you made a big step in repairing your relationship with him. Time heals all wounds and I know he’s happy that you came forward and apologized. He may not say it, but I know he’s grateful you did it.”

“Thanks, Jim. That means a lot.”

“No prob—” Jim pressed his rifle against his shoulder and peered down his rifle sight. “Look over there,” he said quietly, pointing.

Chad turned his attention in the direction Jim was pointing and spotted a white-tailed buck. It was munching on the leaves of a bush, oblivious that it was being hunted.

“Go ahead and take the shot,” Jim whispered.

Chad aimed at the deer with one eye closed. He took a deep breath and squeezed the trigger.

POW!

The bullet ripped through its chest, and it slumped to the ground.

“Good shot!” Jim exclaimed, pumping his right fist in the air.

“Thanks.” Chad rose to his feet and used his other hand to help Jim up. They advanced on the incapacitated buck while leaves crunched beneath their feet.

Chad bent down and examined the wound. The buck’s lifeless eyes stared into the abyss.

“We’re going to have a lot of meat for weeks. This is a hefty and healthy buck. Let’s drag it back to the cabin so Harry can cut it up and begin drying out the meat to store.”

Later that evening, their makeshift family sat at the dinner table inside the cabin. Harry had prepared roasted squirrel meat, tomatoes, white rice, and homemade lemonade. Chad and Jim were digging into the meal, but Julie was taking her time picking at the meat.

Harry glanced at Julie as a sardonic smile formed on his face. “I take it you aren’t used to eating squirrel?”

Everyone at the table except for Julie barked out a laugh.

“Absolutely not. But there’s a first time for everything,” she said, cutting a small piece of it and putting it in her mouth. “But I’m going to have to get used to it.”

Chad was impressed by her determination to make herself comfortable in the cabin. He was worried that she had the notion that living this type of lifestyle was beneath her, but it was actually the opposite. She had been settling in quite well, mostly.

“So, Julie, are you feeling comfortable all the way out here in the middle of nowhere in West Virginia?” Harry asked.

Julie finished chewing her meat and swallowed it. She took a sip of lemonade and set her glass down. “Actually, I am. I’m loving it out here. The air is so clean and clear. I love looking at the mountains in the distance. And your greenhouse is absolutely amazing. I’m enjoying gardening and picking crops. I also have a few ideas I want to run by you for vegetables I would like to grow.”

“Sure, what do you have in mind?”

“I was thinking of pumpkin, squash, and onions. I think those would be great additions.”

“That sounds great to me. You can probably find the seeds for those vegetables at the farmer’s market in town.” He nodded toward Chad. “Maybe Chad can take you there later in the week.”

“I would love to,” Chad responded.

“I also wanted to thank both of you guys for bringing back that buck. I didn’t think you guys would find anything on your first day hunting. But as luck would have it, you did.”

Jim took a sip of lemonade and leaned back in his chair. “Not a problem at all. I haven’t had deer in ages. I’m looking forward to tasting a piece when you have it dried out.”

“Shoot, you and me both,” Harry replied. “It’s been years since I’ve had deer meat as well.”

Jim turned his attention to the lights on the ceiling. “I noticed when we first arrived that you have solar panels on your roof. Smart investment, especially during these times. But how do you still get electricity at night when the sun isn’t shining?”

Harry stroked his beard and gazed at the light on the ceiling. “That’s a good question. The extra energy generated by the solar panels during the day is stored in a solar battery storage system I installed on the side of the house. I use that excess energy in the system to power the cabin with electricity. Make sense?”

Everyone nodded.

Chad and Harry’s dad had recommended they get solar panels for their homes when they got older because they would never know when they would have an outage or how long it would be. He was glad his brother had taken their father’s advice.

“What’s the latest news you’ve heard on your ham radio?” Chad asked. His eyes were as steady as glass as he anticipated more bad news.

“Well, the situation is not good.” Harry folded his hands on his chest and shifted his eyes between everyone at the table. “The entire country is in peril. Every major city is being torn up by hooligans and troublemakers. The government still hasn’t stepped in to put a stop to the chaos.”

“That’s no surprise,” Chad murmured, recalling how DC had fallen apart during the first few hours of the blackout.

Harry bit his lip and looked at Chad warily. “My sources report DC has fallen to the gangs. The president and the federal government leaders have evacuated to an unknown location. No one knows their contingency plans to get things up and running, but one thing I’ll say is that y’all made a smart decision to leave when you did. The violence and destruction the gangs are causing in DC is despicable.”

Julie gave a pointed look to Chad and he nodded. He assumed that was an acknowledgment from her that he’d made the right call on skipping town.

Jim tapped his fingers on the table anxiously. “So how long have these Red Jackal bunch been around?”

“Oh, those assholes,” Harry bellowed, shaking his head. “Apparently they formed about three years ago after their leader, Flint Martin, got released from a fifteen-year stint in prison for a drug trafficking conviction.”

Chad cringed inwardly when his brother mentioned Flint’s name. His face contorted as molten anger rolled through every inch of his body. He wanted Flint’s head on a silver platter. Badly.

Harry rolled his shoulders. “He and his lackeys have been dealing in all sorts of shady and illegal businesses such as human trafficking, drug and gun running, and extortion. The police didn’t do anything about them because they were outnumbered and some of the officers on the force were on the take. I just wish we could have gotten them all the other day. But something tells me we’ll have to deal with them at some point.”

Everyone in the room fell silent. Chad understood that the Red Jackals were a nuisance to the local community. He wanted to play a part in taking them down for good. No one should be subjected to Flint and his gang’s dangerous operation.

He needed to stay patient, since the Jackals’ day of reckoning would come.

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Two weeks later…

Chad, Jim, and Julie had settled into the cabin and were attending to their daily duties. Chad felt much more relaxed. The anxiety of escaping the mayhem in DC and being imprisoned by the Red Jackals was slowly fading away. Chad and Harry’s relationship was slowly being repaired, but there was still a lot of work to do. Chad was happy that they were at least talking, and Harry wasn’t being as cold to him anymore. They had been having a wide range of discussions between the two of them about the latest news that had been going on in town, the future of America, prepping, and life in the cabin.

Julie and Jim had made themselves comfortable as well. Julie had been working hard in the greenhouse picking and growing crops. Jim had been hunting with Chad and helping Harry prepare the meat for preservation.

Grateful to be in the safety of his brother’s cabin, Chad was determined to continue to pull his weight and not let his brother down.

On a sunny Wednesday afternoon, Chad was hand-washing everyone’s clothes at the back of the cabin. His brother walked out of the house and spotted Chad hard at work.

Harry put his hand on his shoulder and barked out a laugh. “I see you left your city-slicker life behind and are now embracing hand-washing clothes.”

Chad stopped what he was doing and wrung his hands to dry them off. “It’s not like I have a choice. No washer, no dryer. A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do. Plus, I don’t want to walk around in smelly clothes.”

“You’re damn right. I would throw your ass out of here and make you sleep outside.”

Chad laughed lightly as he put his hand back in the bucket to continue washing his clothes.

Harry took off his cowboy hat and raked his fingers through his hair. “So about Julie? Are you two an item or what? I can’t really figure you two out.”

Chad picked up another shirt from the ground and dipped it in the wash bucket. He twisted it in the water.

“Well, not at first. I met her on a dating app and was hoping to get laid. But with everything that happened in the past few weeks, I’m kinda getting feelings for her.”

“So she’s growing on you?” Harry asked.

“Yeah, she is.”

Chad’s feelings for Julie had increased tenfold lately. He had been more sympathetic to her feelings and was nowhere as lustful as when they’d first met. Chad enjoyed having Julie around and getting to know her. Chad understood that if he was going to be serious about one woman, he needed to leave his womanizing habits in the past.

“Can you see yourself being with her long term? Perhaps marrying her?”

Chad gave Harry a lopsided grin. “It’s too early to be thinking about that. We haven’t even completed a proper date, much less gotten laid yet.”

“All you think about is getting some? Geesh, you haven’t changed a bit.”

Chad shrugged. “They say old habits die hard. But you’re one to talk. You aren’t married, engaged, or even dating. Why is that?”

“The pickings are slim in Moorefield. Plus, I like living the quiet bachelor's life. No way am I giving that up at this point in my life.”

Someone let out a loud cough behind them. Chad turned around and saw Julie standing in the doorway, her arms crossed and giving him a death glare.

The color drained out of Chad’s face as humiliation overcame him. “How long have you been standing there?” Chad asked with a pang. He really didn’t want to get into another argument with Julie.

“For close to ten minutes. I heard every word you said,” Julie sneered. Her face contorted and her eyes narrowed. “So you wanted to get laid? That’s the only reason you took me out? You’re such a creep.”

Chad stood up and put his hand on her shoulder. “It’s not like that, Julie. I promise you!”

She rolled her eyes in disgust. “Oh, really? Then what is it like?”

Chad paused for a moment to think. He wanted to find the right words to say and not put his foot in his mouth.

He reminisced about his girlfriend in high school and how he’d treated her wrong. He regretted how he’d led her on and played with her feelings. Little did she know, he had been seeing another girl on the side. Even though his girlfriend treated him like a king and with the respect that any man would desire, he still had the urge to play around. Throughout the years, Chad had led a life of noncommitment and chasing the next beautiful woman.

“Look. At first, I wanted to sleep with you,” Chad said in a small voice. “But the EMP happened and protecting you became my number one priority. I’ve grown to really like and appreciate you.”

“Whatever, Chad. You don’t mean that.”

“But I really do, Julie. When those thugs tried to abduct you back in Virginia, my feelings for you grew stronger. I couldn’t stand the thought of losing you, so I did what I had to do to save you.”

Julie gave an amused, soft smile.

“I’m sorry about what I said about trying to get laid. But I’m a different person now, and my feelings for you have grown a lot.”

Julie’s eyes gleamed as she relaxed her posture. “It’s okay, Chad. My feelings for you have grown too during the last few weeks. You really are a piece of work.” She put her head on Chad’s shoulder and rubbed his back. “This crisis has changed everyone for the better or for the worse.”

She gave Chad a kiss on the cheek and turned to go back into the house. “See you guys later.”

As soon as Julie walked into the house, Chad looked at Harry. His brother had a sly smirk on his face.

“When did you become such a lover boy?” Harry chuckled.

“You got a lot of jokes for me, huh?”

“That was some serious sweet-talking you just did there.”

“It wasn’t sweet-talking. I was being serious.”

“I know you were being serious. I have to admit you really are maturing. You aren’t the same narcissistic and selfish person.”

“I guess at some point in life, we all have to grow up,” Chad affirmed.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Early Sunday morning, Chad and Julie drove to the farmer’s market in town. Julie wanted to get some seeds to grow various types of vegetables she was interested in.

While driving down the main street in town, Julie gazed at the quaint, old-style, two-story brick buildings that lined both sides of the streets.

“These buildings are sooo cute!” she chirped. “They bring so much charm to this town. What’s the proper name for them?”

“Victorian,” Chad answered as he made a right turn at an intersection. “Some big developers came into town many years ago and offered lots of money to knock them down and replace them with newer high-rises. But the residents raised hell and protested against the redevelopment plan. The developers tucked their tails between their legs and ran away.”

“As they should,” Julie said. “These big corporations want to ruin small-town America for their own selfish gains. It’s good that you guys stood up to them and forced them out.”

Chad nodded in agreement and concentrated on the road.

“But it looks like it can get boring here after a while. Yes or no?”

“Oh, it definitely can. That’s why I left for college and had no desire to come back. There are not many job opportunities here or anywhere nearby. And you just see the same people all the time. I needed to open my mind up to new ways of thinking and see different things.”

Julie looked at Chad. “Did you ever miss home?”

“Every now and then. I certainly missed the peace and quiet and the friendliness of the people. But looks like I’m back now.”

Chad pulled into the parking lot of the outdoor farmer’s market. Many people walked or rode ATVs. There were a few older cars, like the El Camino, parked in the lot.

Chad and Julie strolled through the crowds of patrons looking for vendors that sold seeds. They walked down aisles of stands that displayed all sorts of crops of vegetables and fruits, as well as meats. There was no shortage of vendors hawking their produce for sale.

Once they reached the end of the aisle, they came across a stand that sold seeds. A short woman in her mid-thirties was sitting on a stool manning the stand.

“Good morning!” she said with a bright smile, showing off her white teeth. “How can I help y’all?”

Julie bent over and examined the packets of seeds she had on the table. “I’m looking for pumpkin, squash, and onion seeds. Along with seeds to plant azaleas and lily flowers.”

Chad’s eyes snapped open. “Flowers? Why on earth do you want to plant flowers? I thought the plan was to get seeds for vegetables you want to grow.”

“I know it sounds a little silly, but I wanted to make the greenhouse prettier. A few flowers planted inside will brighten things up. Harry gave me the okay. He doesn’t have a problem with it.”

Chad shrugged. “Okay, get whatever you want.”

The vendor picked up the packets of seeds Julie requested and placed them in a plastic bag.

“They’re all here in the bag,” the vendor said, tying the bag shut. “As you know, since the start of the crisis, cash is no good anymore. But I accept silver coins or anything you have to barter.”

Chad bit his lip while deliberating about how he was going to pay. He had some silver coins on him but didn’t want to give them up for seeds. They were too valuable to exchange.

“I might have something.” Julie unzipped her purse and fumbled inside of it. She pulled out a stick of lipstick. “I think it would look good on you.”

Julie handed the lipstick to the vendor. She opened the top and inspected it.

The vendor gave Julie a charming grin as she placed the lipstick in her pocket. “We have a deal. Enjoy your seeds.”

“Thank you,” Julie replied.

Chad and Julie turned around and began to make their way back to the car. Chad was thrilled that he didn’t have to use his coins, and Julie got what she wanted. The trip to the market proved to be beneficial for both.

“Is that Chad Wellington?!” a male voice shouted.

Chad scanned the area to see who was calling his name.

“Chad, I’m behind you! It’s me, Oliver James, from high school!”

Chad turned around and spotted a tall man in a jeans jacket with short brown hair and a goatee.

Chad shook his hand and they gave each other a quick hug.

Chad and Oliver had had many classes together and graduated the same year. Oliver was a class clown and knew how to get a party started. Chad had lost touch with him after he went away to college, so it was good to see a familiar face again.

“It’s been a long time, Oliver. How’ve you been?” Chad asked.

“Yeah, it’s been a while. I’ve been okay. Working in the packaging plant. How about you?”

“Same. I used to work in DC as a lawyer until all hell broke loose. We had to leave since the city went up in flames.”

“Yeah, we heard about all the major cities descending into chaos. Luckily, it hasn’t spread out here. We may not have electricity, but at least everyone is still acting decent.” Oliver shifted his eyes to Julie. “Who’s your friend you got with you?”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” Chad put his hand behind Julie’s back. “Julie, meet Oliver. Oliver, meet Julie. She came up here with me from DC.”

Oliver gave Chad a sly grin. “Is this your wife to be?”

Chad blushed as heat crept into his cheeks. Now wasn’t the time to think about marriage. But thinking carefully, he wanted to say the right thing and not offend Julie. He needn’t get into any more trouble.

“We’ll see what happens down the line,” he stated, his voice uncertain.

Oliver nudged him and winked. “You need to settle down soon. Can’t live the bachelor life forever. Julie seems like a nice girl. I’m sure she would appreciate a ring on her finger.”

Julie's eyes opened wide as she stared at Chad.

Oliver had put him on the spot, and he didn’t appreciate it.

Chad raised an eyebrow and tucked his chin. “How about you? Are you married? Do you have kids?”

Oliver put his hands in his pockets and turned his eyes down and away, doing his best to not make eye contact. “Yeah, I have two kids with a gal I used to date two towns over. We didn’t work out, and she’s eating me up in child support.”

Chad frowned at hearing Oliver’s ordeal. He hadn’t meant to hit a nerve. He knew plenty of people who were paying a fortune in child support and alimony. Sometimes hearing other men’s horror stories made him thankful that he was still a bachelor.

Oliver blew out his cheeks. “Never mind all that. How are y’all surviving this EMP stuff?”

“We’re staying at my brother’s cabin in the outskirts. Luckily, he had room to host us.”

“Oh, okay, yeah, I remember Harry. Is he still wearing his cow⁠—“

Suddenly, two men started yelling at each other about twenty feet from them. Everyone in the vicinity turned around to view the altercation.

“Come on, Charles, you undercut me! I have mouths to feed,” a short, balding man yelled to another taller gentleman.

“But Connor, you can’t overcharge people. We’re going through tough times right now. You're just a greedy, slimy, dust ball,” Charles shouted back, shaking his fists.

Connor shoved Charles. Charles stumbled backward. He caught his footing, balled his fists tight, and slammed his fist into Connor’s jaw.

Connor fell to the ground and Charles pounced on him. Both men tussled with each other on the ground. A few seconds later, a couple of patrons rushed over to break the fight up and separate the two.

“Emotions are running high,” Chad said as he turned away from the spectacle.

“Yeah, ever since the lights went out, everyone has been on edge,” Oliver replied. “Hey look, I got to run. It was nice seeing you, Chad. It was also nice meeting you, Julie.”

Chad and Oliver shook hands, and he departed through the sea of people.

Chad turned to Julie. “I think it’s time we get out of here too.”

“Agreed. Let’s go.”

Chad and Julie exited the farmer’s market and got back in the car. Chad was happy to get out of there since he really did not want to deal with any more drama. He’d dealt with more than enough in the past few weeks.

“Things got crazy in there,” Julie said, gazing out the window.

“Yeah, it did. It’s not often folks around here get into fistfights or even arguments. The residents of Moorefield are usually peaceful.”

Chad tried to recall if he’d ever seen a fight when growing up in Moorefield. He honestly could not. He might have witnessed an argument or two when he was younger, but those were usually resolved peacefully. The people he’d grown up around were decent people who always respected the next man or woman.

“But when I think about it, I would rather deal with an old-fashioned fistfight than people shooting at each other like in DC.”

“That’s the truth.”

“I think we need to start bringing our guns everywhere we go from now on. We’re living in a different period now and you never know what trouble we may run into.”

Julie’s eyebrows snapped together. “Even to the farmer’s market?”

“Yes, even to the market. You saw what just happened back there. It could have been worse. Like Oliver said, people are on edge. We need to be prepared at all times to defend ourselves in case we come across trouble.”

“That makes sense. You have a point.” Julie reclined her seat and closed her eyes.

Chad looked back on the incident that had taken place in the market and the venomous looks on the two arguing vendors’ faces. That facial expression was unfamiliar in the town of Moorefield. Maybe something one might experience in Detroit or New York. Nonetheless, the crisis was slowly having an effect on small towns like his and others around the country.

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Chad stood in the kitchen as he poured cups of coffee for himself, Julie, and Jim. They had been sitting around the table, discussing the latest happenings around town. Harry walked into the kitchen with a grim look on his face.

“What’s wrong, Harry?” Chad asked as he placed the cups of coffee on the table. “You don’t look too happy.”

Harry pulled out a chair at the table and sat down. He stroked his beard and stared down at the table as his face contorted.

“Well, I was listening to the ham radio and got an update from another well-known operator around here. FEMA is opening up evacuation camps, and apparently they are getting ready to set one up right outside of Moorefield.”

Chad’s eyes narrowed. “FEMA camps? Why one around here?”

“People are leaving the big cities in droves and trying to get as far away as they can. The crime, violence, and lack of services have turned the cities into a living hell.”

Harry shifted his eyes in turn to everyone at the table. “Apparently, there’s a horde of refugees heading this way from DC.”

This predicament was Chad’s worst nightmare. He’d come to Moorefield to get away from the madness. Not to stew in more of it. He understood people needed help, and yes, most of the people who were heading to the camp were good folks. But with every group of good folks, there are always a few bad apples mixed in the bunch. And that was his major concern.

“Jesus, right outside of Moorefield. Imagine if some of those hoodlums decide to venture out of the camp and start terrorizing the town. I don’t know if everyone is prepared for this,” Jim said as he took a sip of his coffee.

“Well, the good thing about Moorefield—well, West Virginia—is that everyone is armed. We believe in the Second Amendment and will use it to the fullest extent to defend ourselves if need be,” Harry said.

Harry took another deep breath and folded his arms. “I was also informed that the military is going to be overseeing the formation of the FEMA camps.”

“I just hope they don’t start confiscating town resources for their own benefit. The government only has a finite supply of food and water,” Chad added as he played a potential scenario in his head involving the military coming door to door, taking civilian food and resources.

Julie pulled back her hair in a ponytail and placed her hand on Chad’s lap. Chad grabbed it and caressed it. “Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that,” she said.

“All in all, this is not good for anyone,” Harry mused. “FEMA camps have a bad reputation. They actually cause more harm than good.”

“Such as?” Julie asked with concern.

Harry stroked his beard and leaned back in his chair. “For starters, sickness and disease start to spread in these camps. There’s not enough doctors on staff to take care of everyone that gets sick. Nor is there enough medicine.”

“Also, food will run out at some point,” Jim added. “All the trucks and vehicles are out of commission because of the EMP. So they won’t be able to bring enough food for everyone.”

Harry nodded. “When provisions start to run low and they resort to rationing out meals, people will get antsy. They will begin fighting each other, and others will leave the camp and wander off into nearby towns to get what they need.”

The color drained out of Chad’s face when he heard this. He remembered his father spouting off about the atrocities that took place within FEMA camps, but he always thought it was some sort of conspiracy theory his dad had conjured up in his head. The last thing he needed was desperate people threatening the residents of Moorefield and causing mayhem in this peaceful town.

Chad turned to Jim. “I say you and I go and check it out. Let’s see what exactly is going on.”

Jim rose from his seat. “Let’s do this. I’m ready when you are.”

Chad stood up and put his hands on his hips. “Where can we find this camp?”

“East of town. Along Route 48, next to the Fox Run River,” Harry said. “Let me know what you find.”

“Will do,” Chad said as he put his hand on Julie’s shoulder. “I’ll be back soon.”

“Be safe out there,” Julie whispered as she touched his hand.

Chad and Jim walked out of the house and hopped into the El Camino.

Thirty minutes later, they drove up toward a hill overlooking the FEMA camp. Many white tents were set up below. Chain-link fences with barbed wire on top surrounded the perimeter of the camp. Hundreds of weary travelers were standing in line at the main gate, waiting for their turn to get inside. Military personnel were patrolling the area, with their rifles in their arms.

“Let’s hang back in the tree line behind us so we don’t get spotted,” Jim suggested, pointing to a group of trees. “I don’t feel like being questioned about why we’re here.”

They melted into the shrubs and observed what was going on in the camp.

“I wonder which cities these people are coming from,” Chad said.

“I’m sure DC and surrounding areas. I can’t blame them, though,” Jim replied, lifting his hands. “They needed to get out of danger. And they more than likely ran out of food and other provisions. FEMA camps are probably the only place that can feed them and keep them out of harm’s way for the time being.”

“Yeah, you’re right. Most of these people were not prepared, and this crisis literally blindsided them. Heck, even I was. I’m thankful that Harry was kind enough to take us in.”

“True. Your brother is a lifesaver.” Jim turned his head toward the car. “Let’s head back to the cabin. I think we’ve seen enough.”

As soon as they got closer to the car, Chad and Jim spotted two men circling and inspecting it. One man wore a sleeveless red jacket and ripped jeans. The other man wore a basketball jersey and a backward baseball cap. These men were clearly not from around here.

Chad narrowed his eyes at the men, his eyebrows sharp. “Can we help you?”

“Oh, we just looking at your ride. Man, it’s nice,” the man with the basketball jersey said.

The man wearing the red jacket gave Chad a twisted smile. “We haven’t seen a car running for days.”

He put his hand on the hood of the car and glared at Chad. “How ’bout you give it to us? Y’all don’t need it.”

“And if I say no?” Chad replied, his face hardening. He was not going to let these thugs get their hands on their vehicle. If he had to defend his property by using lethal force, he would gladly do so.

“Well, we’ll just have to take it from ya, partna. Hand over the keys.” The thug wearing the red jacket approached Chad and Jim with fists clenched. His comrade stood behind him with his arms folded.

As soon as he got within a few feet, Chad lifted his shirt to display the gun tucked in his waistband.

The thug’s eyes widened and he immediately stopped in his tracks. “I don’t mean any trouble, my man. I was only playin’. Ya feel me?” He raised his hands in the air, backing away from Chad and Jim. His comrade did the same.

“You two need to get out of here,” Jim commanded as he pulled his firearm out of its holster.

The two hooligans turned around and ran off into the unknown.

“That was a close one,” Chad said, sliding the car key into the door. “Let’s get back to the cabin.”

Later that day at the cabin, Chad and Jim were sitting in the living room with Harry, discussing what they’d observed at the FEMA camp.

Chad explained to Harry everything he witnessed, including the hordes of people that were coming in. He also told him about the attempted carjacking.

“Thankfully, you two were armed,” Harry said as he took a sip of coffee. “It seems that more criminals will be popping up around here in the coming weeks since the camp is so close and people are getting desperate. We need to beef up security around here.”

“What do you have in mind?” Chad asked. He assumed it would take more than the four of them to secure the area and cabin.

“I’m going to talk to the neighbors down the road and see if they would be interested in setting up a neighborhood watch.”

“That sounds like a great idea,” Jim said. “If we can get all of the neighbors on board, we can thwart any threats. Maybe we can set up a roadblock so we know who exactly is coming through.”

“My thoughts exactly, Jim,” Harry replied. “The neighbors around here are friendly folks. We don’t see each other much since we are spread out. But I’m sure they will agree to it.”

A few seconds later, Julie walked into the living room with dirty pants, her hair wrapped in a scarf, and gloves on. She took off her gloves and set them down on the table, then walked over to Chad and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

“What’s up, guys? What are y’all talking about?” she asked.

“We’re just talking about what we saw at the FEMA camp. Among other things,” Chad replied, omitting the part about the attempted carjacking. He didn’t want to worry or fluster Julie. There was enough going on as it was.

“Are there a lot of people at the camp?” she asked as she sat next to Chad on the sofa.

Chad leaned back. “Yeah, tons. They looked exhausted. The military is patrolling the area also. They have the camp locked down tight.”

Julie took in a deep breath. “Do you think they will be able to handle the massive amounts of people that will try to get in?”

Harry stroked his beard and shook his head. “I doubt it. At some point, the camp will get overcrowded and FEMA won’t be able to take in any more people. Once they start turning people away, those folks will look for somewhere else to stay, and more than likely they will start wandering into Moorefield.” Harry rolled his shoulders and sighed. “I’m not saying all those people are bad. Not at all. But there will be some hoodlums in that bunch ready to cause trouble. I suggested to Chad and Jim that we talk to the neighbors about forming a neighborhood watch and taking precautions.”

Everyone in the room fell silent. Trouble was going to find its way into Moorefield, sooner or later. It was only a matter of when.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

The next morning, Chad and Harry walked down the main road to meet with the neighbors. The first house they approached was a one-story prefab made entirely of wood. They walked up to the doorstep and Harry rang the doorbell.

“Who is it?” a scratchy voice shouted.

“Hey, Mr. Stross. It’s me, Harry Wellington, from up the road,” Harry said.

The door creaked open and standing at the door was an older man in his early seventies in overalls with thinning silver hair.

“I told ya a while back to stop calling me Mr. Stross. Ya make me sound old.” He waved Chad and Harry inside. “Larry is just fine.”

Larry gave Chad a once-over. “I’m assuming this is your brother?”

“You guessed right, Mr. Str—er, I mean Larry. Chad, meet Larry. We’ve been neighbors for quite a while now.”

Chad and Larry shook hands.

“It’s nice to meet you, Larry,” Chad said, releasing his grip.

“Likewise. You look like yer brother. Just without the beard. Why don’t you two come into the kitchen and let me fix y’all some jerky and coffee?”

Chad and Harry followed Larry from the tiny living room into the adjacent kitchen. The aroma of fresh coffee slid into Chad’s nostrils.

Larry pointed at the square wooden dining table in the center of the kitchen. “Take a seat.”

Chad and Harry sat while Larry poured two cups of coffee and brought them to the table. He set the cups down in front of Chad and Harry and went to his cupboard. “Hope y’all like espresso.”

Chad took a sip, and a jolt of energy washed over him. He hadn’t had coffee this good since he left DC.

“This is real good, Larry. It’s much appreciated,” Chad said, taking another long sip.

“It most definitely is,” Harry added, taking his hand and wiping the liquid from his mustache.

“Glad, y’all like it.” Larry walked back to the table with a glass jar of beef jerky. He set the jar on the table and took a seat. “Y’all can help yourself.”

Chad opened up the jar and removed a few pieces. He handed the jar to Harry, who did likewise. Chad bit off a piece, chewed on it for a couple of seconds, then swallowed.

Damn, this is good.

Larry chuckled as he watched Chad chomp on the strip of jerky. “You sure are enjoying the jerky, young man.”

Chad gave a thumbs-up and nodded his head.

“I dried the jerky out on the open fire in the backyard. I threw a little bit of my homemade barbecue sauce on it to give it a bit of flavor.”

After Chad finished eating, he glanced at a picture of Larry in a green army uniform. He was posing with a group of men in a jungle. Chad determined the location was in Vietnam.

“Did you serve in ‘Nam?” Chad asked.

Larry frowned. “Yeah, unfortunately. We had no business fighting over there. I lost a lot of good friends in a meaningless war.”

Larry turned his attention to the picture Chad was staring at. “I served in an infantry unit. Most of the guys in our unit didn’t make it out, got severely injured, or went batshit crazy when we got home. I guess I was one of the lucky ones to get out of there unscathed.”

Chad had studied the Vietnam War in his World History elective in college. He recalled a war veteran coming to his class for a lecture and recounting the horrors he’d witnessed. The Vietnam War had ultimately been a colossal failure and cost many soldiers their lives.

Larry crossed his arms over his chest and directed his attention to Chad and Harry. “We can talk about my war stories another time. How can I help ya young fellas today?”

“Well, as you know, things are getting crazy around the country and it’s creeping up around here slowly,” Harry said, biting off a small piece of jerky. He washed it down with a sip of coffee and continued. “I wanted to form a neighborhood watch of sorts. Maybe put a roadblock at the entrance of the road that leads to the houses in this neighborhood.”

Larry scratched his chin and gave Harry a questioning look. “So you want me to volunteer?”

“Yeah.”

“Not a problem. I got a rifle in the storeroom.”

“That would be great.” Chad smiled. “We were thinking people could take shifts manning the roadblock. If anyone tries to enter the neighborhood, you can contact everybody on the walkie-talkie.”

“I have several radios that I’m going to hand out to everyone,” Harry said. “It’s important that we stay in constant communication with each other.”

Larry cocked his head. “So those things didn’t get affected by the EQM thingy?”

“EMP. And not mine, at least. I kept my radios in a Faraday cage, which protected them. So they weren’t affected in any way,” Harry replied.

“Ah, gotcha,” Larry said, tapping his fingers on the table. “There’s only one thing I ask. I want to work in the mornings. I work better in the a.m. when my mind is functioning right.”

“That’s fine,” Chad said. He extended his hand to Larry, and they shook hands. “Thanks for coming on board.”

“Not a problem, young fella. I’m more than happy to do my part to keep everyone safe. I ain’t lettin’ no filthy vermin terrorize our neighborhood.”

Chad and Harry rose from their seats, and Larry escorted them through the living room to the front door.

As they walked, Chad spotted a picture on the mantle of Larry, a woman, and two small children.

“Is this your family?” Chad asked, pointing his finger at the family portrait.

“Yeah, those are my two boys. They live in California now. They rarely come home to visit.” Larry walked to the portrait and picked it up. He looked at it and laid his finger on it. “And the lady in the pic is my late wife Sarah. She passed on five years ago.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, Larry.” At the moment, Chad regretted asking Larry about his family, as it probably brought up memories he would rather not think about.

“Thanks. It’s okay, though.” Larry set the portrait back on the mantle and sighed. “She battled a long and hard fight with breast cancer and decided to go home with the lord. It’s better that way, I suppose. I do miss her a lot.”

“She was such a nice person and always treated me good,” Harry added. He opened the front door, and he and Chad walked outside.

Harry turned to Larry and tipped his hat. “It was good seeing you today, and I appreciate your help. Once I get more people on board, I’ll create a schedule and start assigning shifts.”

Larry waved. “Looking forward to it.”

Chad and Harry walked about two hundred feet to the next home, a two-story farmhouse-type house painted green and white. Harry unlocked the fence, and they walked to the front door.

“This is the Wilsons’ home. I don’t know them too well. We only see each other in passing,” Harry said, knocking on the front door.

“Do you think they will work together with us?” Chad asked.

“Who knows?” Harry shrugged his shoulders and lifted his hands. “I’m hoping they’ll be team players to help keep them and their kids safe.”

“Who is it?” a soft, feminine voice shouted from behind the door.

“I’m one of your neighbors. My name is Harry Wellington. I live in the cabin up the road.”

The door opened, and a young, blond-haired woman stood at the doorway holding a toddler.

“Hi, Harry, long time, no see. How’ve you been?”

Harry tipped his hat and took in a deep breath. “Good seeing you too, Lana. Things could be better. Is Hank home?”

Lana put her child down, and he took off toward his stuffed animal in the living room.

“Yeah, he’s here, but drunk as a skunk right now. You two can have a seat in the living room while I get his drunk self out of bed.”

“Thanks, Lana,” Harry replied. “By the way, this is my younger brother, Chad. He and his friends are going to be staying with me for a while.”

Chad and Lana shook hands. “Nice to meet you, Lana,” Chad said.

“Likewise.” Lana gave a calm smile. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Lana strolled down the hallway to retrieve her husband while Chad and Harry watched the toddler play with his stuffed animal.

A few minutes later, a drunk man with an overgrown beard and mustache stumbled down the hallway, reeking of booze. A small boy, about the age of seven, was right behind him.

“Daddy, Daddy, why aren’t you walking straight?” the young boy asked.

“Dadda ain’t feelin’ too well. Take ya lil’ brother and head back to tha room, while I have a big-man conversation wit’ these gentlemen.”

The boy grabbed the toddler by the hand and led him back down the hallway, with his stuffed animal in tow.

Chad viewed Hank with a watchful eye. Hank was in no condition to do any type of patrol or security detail. He was seriously intoxicated and it would take about a week to get all the booze out of his system. Hank would need to get sober. Fast. Chad hoped they could talk him into dropping the liquor and taking part in the security detail.

Hank took a seat across from Chad and Harry. He let out a loud burp and patted his chest.

“Is everything okay with you?” Harry asked, his brows knitted.

“Yeah, I thinks,” Hank slurred. “How can I help ya two?”

Chad took the lead. “Well, we want to set up a roadblock at the entrance of the main road. There’s been sketchy people roaming around town, and we want to make sure none of them come into this neighborhood.”

Hank ran his hand through his hair and slouched in his seat. “Yeah, this damn blackout is bringin’ out—hic—the worst in folks.”

Harry leaned forward. “We wanted to know if you would be interested in taking a shift at the roadblock? We can use all the help we can get.” Harry paused and stared at Hank directly in the eyes. “You would need to sober up first.”

Hank threw his hands up in the air. “Why not? It’s not like I have anything else better to do.”

Lana walked into the living room and sat next to him. She rubbed his back while giving him the side-eye.

Chad pumped his fist in the air. “Great to hear. We’ll start assigning shifts once we get a final headcount of who’s in.”

“Sure, lemme know when it’s—hic—my turn to start. See ya.” Hank rose from the seat and staggered down the hallway.

Lana glanced uneasily at her husband. Then she focused her attention on her guests.

“Thanks for asking him to join. He’s been depressed ever since he lost his job at the plant after the blackout.” A look of sadness clouded her features. “He has a drinking habit, and he tripled it when he became unemployed. It’ll be good for him to get out of the house and be productive again.”

“Yeah, I understand. We’ll get him straightened out for you,” Chad remarked.

Chad’s thoughts turned inward. How many people were out of work because of the EMP? With no electricity available, no place of business could function. And what was worse, the people who were unemployed and had vices to begin with would succumb to them because they had more time on their hands. An idle mind is a devil’s playground. It was a bad situation all around.

Harry rose from his seat. “Do you know anyone else that might be interested in helping us man this roadblock?”

Lana furrowed her brow, put her hand underneath her chin, and peered at the ground.

“The Browns who live in the red house down the road. They might be willing to help out.”

“Okay. We’ll go over to their house and ask for their help.” Harry walked toward the door as Chad followed. As they reached the door, he turned to Lana. “In the meantime, get Hank off the liquor and get him sober. We are gonna need him at one hundred percent.”

“I certainly will. Thanks for giving him an opportunity to get back on his feet. And most importantly, giving me a break from him.”

They all laughed. Chad and Harry left the house and headed toward the Browns’ residence.

Ten minutes later, Chad and Harry were at the Browns’ front door. Chad knocked on the front door, and a few seconds later, the door swung open.

“Roger! …Oops!” A woman with short brunette hair put her hands over her mouth in embarrassment. “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought it was my husband.”

Harry removed his hat. “No problem, ma’am. I don’t think we’ve formally met. My name is Harry. I live up the road.”

She smiled and extended her hand. “I’ve seen you a few times coming up and down the road. My name is Beth.” They shook hands.

Harry gestured to Chad. “This is my younger brother, Chad.”

Chad nodded his head and smiled thinly.

“Nice to meet you, Chad. How can I help y’all gentlemen out?”

Suddenly a tall, skinny, long-haired teenager appeared from the hallway.

“Mom, who’s at the door?” the teenage boy asked.

“Come and meet Chad and Harry. They live up the road.” She put her hand on her son’s shoulder. “This is my only son, Randy.”

The men shook hands.

“Well, I came to ask for y’all’s assistance. Is your husband around?” Harry asked.

Beth’s expression dulled instantly. “No, he’s not here. That bastard ran off with another woman three weeks ago. Haven’t heard or seen him since.”

Randy crossed his arms and looked at the ground. “I don’t know why Dad does these things. I mean… he has a family at home.”

“Sorry to hear that,” Chad consoled. “Hopefully, he comes back soon.”

“We’ll see about that. This isn’t the first time he’s done this,” Beth said.

Chad sympathized with Randy and his mother. He was a womanizer as well, but at least he didn’t have a wife or child to worry about. Chad understood how dealing with multiple women, especially when married, could destroy a family.

“We came here to ask if any of you can help us man a roadblock we’re planning to set up at the main road,” Chad began. “There’s been a lot of shady stuff going on since the lights went out. I think it’s best, as a community, that we keep a close eye on anyone coming and going that does not live around here.”

Chad darted his eyes between Beth and her son. “But since your husband isn’t here, I’m afraid you guys won’t be able to help.”

Randy raised his hand and waved. “I can help! I can help!”

Beth stomped her foot on the ground. She narrowed her eyes at her son as she placed her hands on her hips. “Randy Brown, you are not helping with anything! You are way too young! And it could be dangerous.”

“But Mommmm!” Randy whined, rolling his eyes. “I know how to shoot guns. I’ve been practicing with Grandpa since I turned ten. Come on, Mom! I can help.”

Harry placed his hand on Randy’s shoulder. “You should listen to your mom. She needs you right now since your dad is gone.”

Randy huffed and puffed. “This ain’t fair. Come on, Mom.”

She glanced at Chad and Harry, then back at her son. “I’ll think about it. But right now it’s a no.”

“Okay,” Randy said sullenly.

“What guns do you know how to shoot?” Harry asked.

“I’ve shot AR-15s, bolt-action rifles, and a Glock. Grandpa said he’ll get me my very own rifle when I turn eighteen.”

“That’s good. You got a little bit of experience,” Harry complimented. “Beth, we could really use his help. But I understand he’s your only son.”

“If you change your mind, give us a shout,” Chad said as he and Harry began walking away from the house.

“Will do,” Beth said, waving at the two brothers. “Be safe out there.”

Twenty minutes later, Chad and Harry were walking up the dirt path toward the cabin, only to see Jim and Julie talking to the town sheriff. The sheriff spotted them and gave a hearty wave.

“Harry. Great to see ya!” the sheriff shouted.

“Likewise, Sheriff Harper,” Harry replied. “What brings you ‘round these parts?”

The sheriff’s face turned to a frown. He removed his hat and scratched the top of his head.

“I got some bad news that I thought I should tell you myself,” he said solemnly. “Flint Martin and the Red Jackals paid Mayor Westfield a visit today and demanded money from him for protection.”

“Extortion?” Chad asked.

“Yup, extortion money. Flint said if he doesn’t get his money by the next time he comes back, he’s going to rain down hellfire.”

The memory of Flint taking Chad prisoner and holding him captive for days was still fresh in his mind. Flint had become an evil nemesis in Chad’s life that he just couldn’t get rid of. He wasn’t surprised by Flint’s desire for extortion money; it was just his nature. An agent of chaos that wouldn’t go away.

“So what’s the plan, Sheriff?” Jim asked. “We can’t let him get away with extorting people. If he gets payment from one person, he’s going to demand payment from more people.”

Sheriff Harper put his hat back on and sighed. “I agree with you. That’s why I wanted to invite y’all to an emergency town meeting at three p.m. this afternoon. It will be held in the town hall. We’re going to discuss this matter and how we should deal with it. We don’t want Moorefield turning into a war zone.”

“We’ll be there,” Harry said.

“Good. Well, I gotta get back to my shift. I’ll see y’all at the meeting.” Sheriff Harper tipped his hat and hopped on his ATV. He rode down the dirt path onto the main road.

Pain was clear in Chad’s expression. His troubles were far from over with this recent development.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

At three p.m., hundreds of people had gathered outside the town hall. The mayor stood behind a lectern on a podium that rested on top of a long staircase made of stone, overlooking the crowd.

Chad stared at the crowd surrounding him and noticed that everyone was on edge. People were murmuring and whispering to each other. Their body language was antsy as if they didn’t trust anyone around them. Which was understandable.

Mayor Westfield tapped on the mic. “Good afternoon, residents of Moorefield. I hope you are doing well in these trying times. I called this meeting today to discuss a few issues that have arisen within the past few weeks.”

The crowd began yelling and shouting at the mayor. One man had a loudspeaker and began speaking into it. “What are you plannin’ on doin’ ‘bout that got-damn FEMA camp outside of town? Them people ain’t bringing nothin’ good to our community. Seen a few of them refugees wandering around town.”

“Calm down, calm down,” Mayor Westfield said, gripping the lectern. “I’m aware of this situation and plan to keep you all safe by adding more security to patrol around town,” the mayor said, narrowing his eyes at the crowd. “Unfortunately, our law enforcement department is short-staffed at the moment, so we are looking for a few volunteers to help secure Moorefield. If you are interested, come see me after the meeting is over and the sheriff will get you sorted out.”

Chad turned to Harry and Jim. “It looks like they have the same idea as us. The residents are going to have to take their security into their own hands.”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, that’s what it seems like. I heard a few of the deputies quit due to them not getting paid and wanting to look after their families.”

“Yeah, I can see that,” Chad replied.

Chad turned his focus to the stage, and he spotted Sheriff Harper walking toward the mayor.

“Now I’m going to give the mic to Sheriff Harper so he can speak.”

“Thank you, Mayor.” Sheriff Harper took the mic and raised it to his mouth.

“I just want to thank everyone for coming and giving us your full attention. I hate to bring you more bad news, but we have another situation on our hands.” Sheriff Harper paused and gave the crowd a long stare. “The Red Jackals are trying to extort the mayor. They threatened that if they don’t receive payment from him, they are going to shred this town into pieces.”

The crowd gasped. Their eyes went wide. It was obvious that this situation was getting worse.

“So, Mayor, what would you like to do about them?” Sheriff Harper asked. “We have a few options on the table, as you may already know.”

Sheriff Harper handed the microphone back to the mayor. The mayor’s eyes dulled.

“I know Flint Martin is a huge problem. Just take it easy on him.” The mayor’s eyes pointed down toward the ground. “Please, Sheriff. Just do this for me.”

Sheriff Harper shrugged and let out a deep breath. “I can’t make any promises, but I’ll see what I can do.”

Interest lit up in Chad’s eyes. Why did the mayor want to handle Flint with kid gloves? Flint was a devil. An agent of chaos. He didn’t deserve to be coddled like a child.

Chad turned to Harry. “Do you know why the mayor wants to play it soft with Flint? This sounds ludicrous. The man said he will cause destruction if he doesn’t get what he wants.”

Harry shrugged and shook his head. “I’m wondering the same.”

Someone tapped on his right shoulder. He turned around. Larry Stross was standing behind him.

“Hey, Larry, good to see you here,” Chad said.

“Likewise, I’m having a chuckle watchin’ the clown show.”

Chad nodded his head. He definitely agreed with Larry’s sentiment.

“Got a question for you, Larry. Do you know why the mayor wants to play it soft with Flint? I mean, for crying out loud, he’s a literal terrorist.”

Larry gave Chad a frosty glance. Larry’s lips curled in a disgusted manner. “Not too many people know this, but the mayor and Flint are brothers.”

“What?!” Harry and Chad said in unison.

“Yeah. Half-brothers, that is. But still blood. Same papa, different mothers. They grew up in the same house till their early teenage years. Flint began goin’ down a path of destruction. Got in all sorts of misdeeds and trouble.”

“Like what?” Harry demanded.

“Ah, man, all sorts of crap. Drinking, drugs, runnin’ with the wrong crowd. His papa put him out of the house. Couldn’t take it anymore. And you can only imagine how his story unfolded.”

“Yeah, we sure do,” Chad muttered, even though this news about the mayor and Flint being brothers was shocking. But at this point, nothing shocked him anymore.

“And the mayor got into politics?” Chad asked.

“Yup. He went to West Virginia University. Got a diploma in politics or whatever you call it. As soon as he got out of school, he worked on the town council. He worked it for ten years, then ran for mayor and won in a landslide.”

Larry put his hands in his pockets and tucked in his chin slightly. “Personally, I don’t think he’s much of a mayor. He don’t listen to his constituents. He feels that his way is the right way. I’m sure you can agree, Harry.”

Harry nodded.

Mayor Westfield tapped on the mic to get everyone’s attention. “Does anyone have any questions or concerns? It’s an open mic, so feel free to come up on stage. Don’t be shy.”

A woman strolled up to the podium and grabbed the mic. She rolled her shoulders and gave the mayor a pointed look. “Hello, Mayor. My name is Norma, and I live at the south end of town. When are you going to leave office? You have done little for the town. Now we have gangsters and undesirables roaming around. Why can’t we just get a new mayor and stop dealing with you?”

The crowd erupted in cheers. Clapping and yelling reverberated throughout the area.

Mayor Westfield gave a chuckle. “When you find a worthy opponent to run against me, then I might lose my seat. But until then we have more important issues on the table. Wouldn’t you agree, Norma?”

“Yeah, you’re right, maybe I⁠—”

Suddenly, a bright flash followed by a loud explosion erupted from behind the mayor. Everyone in the crowd fell to the ground. The explosion scattered debris and wreckage everywhere. Chad’s ears were ringing from the blast. He looked around for his comrades in the billowing smoke. He immediately spotted Harry helping Larry stand up. Jim and Julie were kneeling on the ground, getting their bearings together.

“Everyone okay?” Chad yelled, placing his hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Harry said, coughing through the smoke. “It looks like everyone else is also.”

Chad turned his head toward the podium to see if the mayor was all right. Luckily a few deputies helped him and the lady who had just spoken off of the stage.

“Let’s get out of here,” Chad said, wiping his burning eyes. “Shit is about to get real.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

An hour later, Larry had joined Chad and the others back at Harry’s cabin. Their clothes, faces, and hair were all covered with dust from the blast at the town hall.

Jim had a few cuts and scrapes on his arms and legs. Julie was bandaging his minor wounds with Band-Aids from a medical kit in the cabin. Everyone else was okay otherwise.

The group sat in the living room, trying to make sense of what had just happened. “Jesus Christ. Why the hell did they have to blow up city hall?” Larry said, rubbing his arm. “Thank goodness no one lost their life out there.”

Chad sat on the floor, stretching his legs out. His ears were still ringing from the blast. He couldn’t believe that not only did they have to deal with gangs, but now they would have to deal with terrorists.

Chad’s face contorted as he took a sip of water. “I’m feeling sick to my stomach about what just happened. There’s only one group who had a reason to pull something like this off.”

Harry leaned back against the wall, took off his dusty hat, and brushed off the dust. He then placed it in the coat closet and sat down next to Chad.

“The only people that could have done this were the Red Jackals,” Harry agreed. “Flint knew that the mayor, his brother, wasn’t going to give him any money for protection. So he wanted to make good on his threat by destroying Moorefield.”

“Those slimy lil’ bastards are going to pay for what they did!” Larry said, gritting his teeth and shaking his fist in the air.

“Don’t worry, their time is coming,” Chad said. “They can’t continue terrorizing people. Flint is going to get what’s coming to him.”

Someone knocked on the front door. Harry rose from the ground, walked to the door, and opened it. It was Sheriff Harper.

“Come on in, Sheriff, and have a seat,” Harry said, motioning for the sheriff to come inside.

“Thanks, Harry. Are you guys okay?” Sheriff Harper asked as he took a seat on a wooden chair.

“We are all good. Thanks for asking. Jim got a few cuts, but nothing serious. Julie is patching him up,” Chad said.

A few seconds later, Jim and Julie walked into the living room. Jim took a seat on the couch while Julie sat down next to Chad.

Sheriff Harper scratched his chin and glanced at everyone in the room. “I hate to come by and bother y’all after today’s events. But I really need y’all’s help.”

“What can we do for you?” Harry asked.

“Well, I want to take out the Red Jackals and Flint. Not arrest them. I want to wipe them off the face of this earth. They just claimed responsibility for today’s attack.” Sheriff Harper's brows drew together. “Now that we know it was them, we have all reason to eliminate them. They are a menace and they will do worse things if we don’t deal with them soon.”

A myriad of thoughts ran through Chad’s mind. The sheriff was absolutely right. Flint and his crew had gone as far as bombing a building just to send a message. If they believed they had the right to bully the townspeople into giving in to his demands, they had another thing coming.

“So how do you want to play this?” Jim asked, tapping his foot on the ground.

“Well, we got intel that they are holed up in a compound up the mountain. If we can breach the compound and take out whatever Red Jackals are there, including Flint, it would then be a success.”

Chad raised his eyebrows. “Do you know how many people are up there?”

“Around fifty. Give or take.”

Harry stroked his beard as his eyes widened. “Fifty people is a lot. We won’t be able to do this by ourselves.”

Sheriff Harper leaned back in his chair. “Agreed. The deputies that have remained and your group won’t be enough to handle them. We are going to need more people, and I have another group in mind.”

“Which group is that?” Chad asked.

“I suggest we ask the Red Jackals’ rival gang if they would be willing to help us out. They have the manpower and the firepower to tip the odds in our favor.”

“The Vikings?!” Harry blurted with his mouth open. “You really want to team up with another gang? I thought the police and gangs were enemies.”

Sheriff Harper shrugged his shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck. “That may be true. But we have a common enemy. Those two gangs have been warring with each other for quite a while now. I have a good feeling they will help us out.”

Sheriff Harper turned his attention to Julie, Chad, and Jim. “You guys aren’t aware of the Vikings, so I’ll give you a bit of background on them. They formed five years ago, and they are located at the south end of town. They are into criminal activities such as gun running, illegally growing pot, and other shenanigans. But one thing I can say about them is that they don’t hurt innocent people. They just do their dirt, make their money, and stay quiet in the background. Apparently, something went wrong between the Vikings and the Red Jackals. Some business dealings fell through, from what I’ve heard. I’m not aware of the full story. So that’s why they have been at odds with each other for a while.”

Chad stood up, put his hands on his hips, and stuck his chest out. “I say we go pay the Vikings a visit and see what they have to say.”

The others nodded in agreement.

Harry stood up and went to the closet to grab his hat. “Sheriff Harper, Chad, and myself will take the car and go. You three can wait here until we come back.”

The three of them rushed through the front door. Chad hopped in the driver’s seat and started up the El Camino, and they sped off down the dirt road.

Ten minutes later, Chad and his group reached the Viking’s hideout at an abandoned warehouse at the south end of Moorefield. Chad stepped out of the car and gazed at the dilapidated warehouse with graffiti sprayed all over the walls.

As they approached the front door, a bearded man holding a rifle came marching toward them.

“What do y’all want here?” the bearded man shouted with wide, menacing eyes. He directed his stare toward Sheriff Harper. “Especially you, coppa. What the hell you want?”

Sheriff Harper put his hands above his head. “Calm down, buddy. I’m just here to talk to Doc about something. We’re not here to start any trouble.”

The man motioned them toward the front door with his rifle. “Walk up to me and put your hands on y’all heads. I have to search you.”

Chad, Harry, and Sheriff Harper approached the man with their hands on their heads. The man patted them down and took their weapons out of their holsters.

“I’m gonna hold on to these for now,” the man sneered.

“That’s cool,” Chad said, maintaining eye contact with the man. “As long as we get them back.”

The man chuckled. “We’ll see about that. Follow me.”

They followed him into the dark warehouse illuminated by candles. Men were sitting at tables eating food, sitting on couches, relaxing, and just milling around. As soon as Chad and his companions walked in, the Vikings stopped what they were doing and locked eyes on them.

“Doc!” the bearded man shouted at the top of his lungs. “We have visitors. They said they want to talk to you ’bout somethin’. Don’t know what, though.”

A tall, lean, clean-cut man in his mid-forties wearing glasses came strolling toward the group. As soon as he got close enough, he stopped in his tracks and pushed his glasses up his nose. He crossed his arms and gave a once-over to the three men.

“Sheriff Harper. Long time, no see. What brings you here today?”

“Hey, Doc. It’s been a while. You’re looking well,” Sheriff Harper said.

“I’m as well as I can be.” Doc and the sheriff shook hands.

“I wanted to talk to you about a common issue we both have,” Sheriff Harper said in a trembling voice.

“Is that so?” Doc questioned, slightly tucking his chin. “Are these your friends?”

“Yeah. They want to help get rid of the problem.” Sheriff Harper turned around and pointed to each of the men. “This is Chad and Harry Wellington. Chad and Harry, meet Doc.”

The men shook hands.

“Nice to meet all of you. Follow me to my office so we can talk.” Doc turned around and began walking toward the rear of the warehouse. Chad, Harry, and the sheriff followed his lead.

Doc was very cordial and polite for a gangster, which was definitely strange. The gangsters Chad had seen in movies and on TV shows and had encountered in real life were rugged, rude, and abrasive. Doc carried himself differently. He carried himself more like a Wall Street professional than a man involved in criminal activity.

Doc opened the door to his office. Inside, a wooden desk was stacked with books and a few metal chairs sat around the room.

“Feel free to take a seat.” Doc walked behind his desk and sat down. He put his feet on his desk, leaned back in his chair, and put his hands behind his head. “So, how can I help you folks?”

Chad raised his hand. “Just one question. Why do they call you Doc?”

“Oh, I was a medic in the Army. After I got out, I worked as a nursing assistant for a few years. Quit that because the money wasn’t good. I got into other—let’s say… ventures—that pay a whole lot more,” Doc said, smirking.

“I bet they do,” Sheriff Harper muttered, rolling his eyes.

“What was that, Sheriff? Mind if you speak up a bit?” Doc insisted.

“Oh, nothing. Let’s get to business. I’m sure you heard about the bombing at town hall today?”

“Yeah, such a shame. I heard through my sources it was the Red Jackals that set it off. Did anyone get hurt or worse?”

“Yeah, some people sustained injuries. But no one died. Thank the lord.” Sheriff Harper paused and tapped his foot on the ground. “I want to get rid of them. Including Flint. Would you be willing to lend us a hand?”

Doc sat straight up in his chair at full attention. “You want me and my gang to help you destroy the Red Jackals for good?”

Chad took a deep breath. “Yeah, from what it looks like, you have the manpower we need.”

Doc’s jaw tightened. “I don’t know if I want to get the Vikings involved in this. Yeah, we and the Red Jackals have our issues. But what this sounds like is an assassination attempt.”

“Yeah, that’s exactly what it is. I won’t sugarcoat it one bit,” Harry stated boldly. “Flint Martin and his gang have stooped to a new low. They have stepped into the realm of terrorism. Who knows what they are planning next?”

“Yeah, but this doesn’t really involve the Vikings.”

“Come on, Doc. It affects all of us. Who’s to say that they won’t come after you next?” Sheriff Harper said.

Doc stroked his chin and looked up at the ceiling. Chad could tell that he was in deep thought.

After a few seconds, Doc focused on his visitors. “If we decide to help you, what’s in it for me?”

Sheriff Harper pulled his chair closer to Doc’s desk and rested his hands on top of it. He stared Doc directly in the eyes and tucked his chin.

“Well, for starters. You’ll get to have Flint’s head on a platter. If we wipe him and the Red Jackals out, you would be the only gang in this area.” He gave Doc a wink. “Law enforcement won’t bother you as long as you’re not hurting innocent folks.”

“Sounds enticing.” Doc rubbed his hands together. “I’ve always hated that bastard Flint. He’s been a thorn in my side since day one. He took a lot of business away by undercutting us. I would love to strangle him myself or put a bullet through his head.”

“If that’s so, then you should help us!” Chad implored, his eyes flaring with excitement. “This is a win-win for all of us if we can get rid of the Red Jackals.”

“I need to talk to my guys about this first.” Doc rose from his seat and walked toward the door. “Give me a few minutes. If everyone agrees, then we can talk about hitting the Red Jackals.”

Doc left the office, while Chad, Harry, and the sheriff waited for his return.

Chad pondered this strange turn of events. He was now working with a gang. This newfound alliance would never have happened under normal circumstances. But then again, these days weren’t “normal” by any means. Doc seemed like an honorable man to Chad. It seemed like he just wanted to make his money and be left alone.

Ten minutes later, Doc came back to the office. He leaned his back against the wall and faced Chad and the other two men.

“I got good news for you. We’re willing to help. Only under one condition,” Doc said, turning his head toward Sheriff Harper. “You got to let out one of our boys that’s been locked up in county jail for a few months.”

“What’s his name?” Sheriff Harper asked, raising one eyebrow.

“His name is Derrick Conway. We call him Overdrive. He was locked up for drug trafficking charges. Cops said he had ten pounds of marijuana in his trunk. If you let him out, then we will work with you.”

“That’s not a problem. At the crack of dawn, I will make sure he gets out. I’ll run up to the county jail and put in a request. I’m good friends with the warden up there, so I’m sure he won’t have any problems.”

“Sounds good.”

“You can come and get him tomorrow morning at the station. And we can plan the operation at the same time.”

“I like the sound of that, Sheriff,” Doc said, shaking Sheriff Harper’s hand.

“Let’s all plan to meet tomorrow morning at ten. We have a lot to discuss.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

The next morning, Chad, Harry, and Jim put on their shoes to head to the sheriff’s station. They were tired after the events that had happened the previous day. But they understood that after this meeting was over, they could come back home and get much-needed rest before the next day’s assault on the Red Jackal’s compound.

“Where do you all think you are going without me?” Julie appeared at the door with bright assessing eyes.

“We are just going to the station to plan the attack on the Red Jackals,” Chad said as he walked up to hug her. “You should stay back. We won’t be long.”

“Yeah, but I want to be part of this operation. I’m just as good a shot as you.”

“But Julie, this is going to be dangerous. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Look, Chad. I understand your sentiment, but I already had to sit out the time when the others rescued you and the rest of the prisoners from the Red Jackals. I refuse to stand by and watch. Whether you like it or not, I’m coming.”

Chad turned to Harry and Jim, hoping they would back him up. Instead, they both shrugged.

“If she can handle a gun, she should probably come,” Harry said. “We’ll need all the help we can get.”

Julie gave a tight-lipped smile. She put on her shoes and followed the men to the car.

Ten minutes later, they arrived at the sheriff’s station. Sheriff Harper and two of his deputies came outside to meet them in the parking lot.

“Glad you folks could make it. Follow me to the meeting room.” Sheriff Harper walked to the main entrance and everyone followed. As soon as he entered the door, he made a left turn down a quiet, dark hallway illuminated by candles. He opened a door on the right and opened the blinds after entering so he could let sunlight through.

“Have a seat, everyone.”

Chad and his group sat in chairs around a long conference table. A few seconds later, ten more deputies walked in, followed by Doc and two members of the Vikings. Everyone in the room exchanged quick pleasantries, then immediately quieted down.

“Okay, everyone. Thank you for coming.” Sheriff Harper cleared his throat and continued. “As you know, I called this meeting because we have a common problem that needs to be eradicated ASAP. And that problem is the Red Jackals.”

Quiet murmurs spread through the room for a few seconds and many nodded in agreement.

“I got information that they are holed up in a compound up the mountain. It’s heavily guarded. From what I’ve been told, the compound is surrounded by a large concrete wall with barbed wire at the top. So the only way to breach it is to break in through the main gate.”

One deputy raised his hand. “I guess we gotta ram the gate and charge straight in?”

“Yup, you got it. We have a few Humvees that are still operational after the EMP. We’ll use them to get inside. Once inside the compound, shoot as many of those sons of bitches as you can. Don’t leave anyone standing. Including Flint.”

All eyes went wide and were paired with smiles. They were finally about to get some payback against the Red Jackals.

Sheriff Harper set his eyes on Chad and Harry. “Do you two have any input you would like to share? You guys have had experience with them in the past. That’s why I want you to help with this operation.”

Chad straightened up in his chair as excitement raced through him. He wanted to get this operation done and over with. He would be able to sleep peacefully at night knowing that Flint Martin would no longer be a threat.

“I think we should hit them at the crack of dawn tomorrow,” Chad advised. “They’ll be half asleep, probably drunk, and high as hell. They will be off balance, so that will give us the advantage.”

“I like that idea,” Sheriff Harper agreed. “Does anyone have any objections?”

Everyone shook their heads.

“Good. Now I called the Vikings in to provide us with support. With the sheriff's deputies, combined with the Wellington group and the Vikings, we should be able to overrun their compound and take them out.” Sheriff Harper narrowed his eyes at Chad’s group. “Are you guys equipped with sufficient weapons?”

“We have bolt-action rifles and sidearms,” Harry replied.

The deputies and Vikings all barked out raucous laughs.

“You know we’re not hunting deer,” Doc bantered, wiping the tears from his eyes as he continued laughing. “You guys are going to need something more powerful than those.”

“Agreed,” Sheriff Harper added. “Don’t worry. I’ll outfit your group with some of the most powerful rifles we have available.”

Sheriff Harper put his hands on the table. “We’ll meet up here at five in the morning. After we check our gear, we’ll make our way up the mountain. The Wellington group will ride in their El Camino, and the deputies and the Vikings will take the Humvees we have stored at the station.”

Sheriff Harper gestured to Harry. “Your group can follow me.”

Chad and the others followed Sheriff Harper down the hallway. They arrived at a room that had the word “ARMORY” painted above the door. The Sheriff opened the door with a key and motioned for them to come inside.

Along the walls were various models of assault rifles of all makes and models. Chad stared at the weapons with wide eyes. The only time he’d seen this many weapons in one room was in the movies.

“Take your pick,” Sheriff Harper said.

Chad spotted an AR-15 with a red dot sight mounted to it. He took it from the wall and slung it around his shoulder. “I’ll take this one.”

“Good choice. You’re going to love it,” Sheriff Harper approved.

Harry grabbed a SCAR-19, while Jim chose an M-16, and Julie picked an AR-15 like Chad’s, but without a scope.

“You all picked good rifles. I hope that you use them to their fullest potential and inflict maximum damage with them.”

They all nodded and followed Sheriff Harper out of the room. They walked to the main entrance, and the sheriff opened the door to let them out. “I’ll see you folks bright and early tomorrow. Thanks again for helping us out. I truly appreciate it.”

“Not a problem. See you tomorrow,” Harry replied. They hopped into the El Camino and drove off toward the cabin.

Later in the evening, Chad, Harry, Jim, and Julie sat at the table eating dinner. Harry had prepared grilled deer meat, white rice, and squash. The aroma of the freshly cooked meat slid through Chad’s nostrils.

Harry took a bite of his squash and chewed it for a few seconds. He slouched in his chair and clasped his hands over his stomach. “This has been a hell of a few weeks. Who knew that the EMP and the electricity being out would be the least of our problems?”

“You got that right,” Jim responded, downing a glass of water. “I just hope that we can get rid of that damn Flint Martin and the rest of the Red Jackals tomorrow before they cause more destruction.”

Chad’s expression hardened. The challenge he and his group were about to face the next day was going to be arduous. No one wanted to take out Flint more than him. And he was determined to see it through.

“After we get back from the mountain, we need to set up the roadblock and guard shifts. Just haven’t had time to set everything up with all the crap that’s been going on,” Harry said.

“Good news is we have a few volunteers.” Chad tore off a small strip of deer meat and bit into it. “Everyone seems motivated to protect the community.”

Harry turned his attention to Julie as she dug into her meal. “Are you sure you want to come with us tomorrow, Julie? If you changed your mind, there’s no harm in it.”

“I’m not changing my mind. I’m coming with you guys to take down the Red Jackals,” Julie countered. She clenched her fist and shook it in the air. “I want those assholes to pay for what they did to Chad, the prisoners, and the bombing at town hall. And I want to see them get what they deserve with my own two eyes.”

Harry’s face lit up in amusement. “You got a lot of spunk and grit in you. I like that. I’m glad you’re here with us.”

Julie smiled indulgently at the compliment. Chad turned to Julie and gave her a wink. He was extremely proud of the bravery she’d shown during the last couple of weeks.

“Heard any news from your ham radio buddies lately?” Chad asked Harry.

“Just some bull-crap about how the federal government is hard at work trying to fix the power grids around the country. But we all know that’s going to take years to get the electricity fully restored.”

“I’m just shocked that they never prepared for this scenario,” Jim said, putting his hand underneath his chin and resting it on the table. “I mean, come on, those doomsday preppers have been predicting our country is going to get hit by an EMP or cyberattack by a foreign adversary for years. They totally dropped the ball on this one. What the heck were they using our tax money on?”

“Typical nonsense,” Harry said, shaking his head. “Funding other countries’ wars, programs that we clearly don’t need, such as entitlement spending, paying government employees’ high salaries to sit in their offices in DC and do absolutely nothing.”

“I remember Dad saying the federal government was a bunch of good-for-nothings. Looks like he was right all along,” Chad said.

Chad patted Julie’s thigh. “Let’s go outside on the front porch and look at the stars. It’s a clear sky tonight.”

Julie rose from her seat, then took her plate and Chad’s and set them in the sink. “Just put your dirty dishes in the sink, everyone. I’ll wash them later before I go to bed.” She gazed at Chad and patted him on the shoulder. “Come on, Chad. Let’s go.”

Chad and Julie sat next to each other on the steps of the front porch, gazing at the inky night sky. Thousands of stars glistened in the distance. A full moon hung in the sky, aglow with a natural milky light that illuminated the surrounding area.

Chad rubbed her back as Julie rested her head on his shoulder. Chad was glad Julie was by his side, through thick and thin. Being with her made this crisis a lot more bearable for him.

“I want to ask you about something,” Julie said as she sat straight up.

“Sure, ask away,” Chad replied, gazing into her eyes.

“On our first date, right before the lights went out, I asked you: What else do you want out of life? You were about to tell me, but all hell broke loose. So you can tell me now. What is it?”

Chad blew out his cheeks and turned his face away.

Julie gawked. “What is it, Chad? Spill it. I’ve never seen you act this way before.”

“Well….” Chad cleared his throat, then turned to Julie. He was tense with emotion as he locked eyes with Julie. “I want a family. I want a wife, kids, the whole nine yards.”

“Really?!” Julie blurted, her eyes widening. “Chad Wellington, the former playboy of Washington, DC, wants to settle down with one woman and have a family?”

“I’m serious, Julie. With everything that has happened in the past couple of weeks, I’ve now realized what is important. And I have you to thank for that.”

Tears shone in Julie’s eyes. “You really mean that?”

“Yes, I do, Julie. You’ve done so much for me that you probably don’t know. And when things get back to normal, you’re the one I want to be with for the rest of my life.”

The two embraced each other and kissed. Chad was happy that he’d shared his true feelings with Julie, without feeling like he had to put on a front. He truly wanted to settle down with Julie, but there were obstacles they’d have to clear first. Such as the one they were about to face the following day.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

At five a.m. the following morning, Chad’s group, the Vikings, and the sheriff’s deputies stood in the parking lot at the station checking their gear and preparing for the operation. The air was crisp and cool and the early morning birds chirped away. Everyone was tense but focused on the mission at hand. Eliminate the Red Jackals. Leave no one standing.

Doc and one of his gang members approached Chad. “Hey, buddy. Are you ready for this?”

Chad shook Doc’s hand. “Yeah, man. I’ve been waiting for this day. I have some history with the Red Jackals, as does everyone in this town as of late. The sooner we can take him down, the sooner things will get a bit safer around here.”

Doc smirked. “I totally understand. Hey, I want you to meet someone.” He turned to his comrade. “Overdrive, meet Chad. Chad, meet Overdrive. Overdrive is the prisoner we made the deal to get released.”

“Nice to meet you, Overdrive,” Chad said.

“Likewise, Chad.” Both of the men shook hands.

“So why do you they call you Overdrive?” Chad asked.

Overdrive’s mouth twitched with a smile. “Because I always do what’s necessary to get the job done.”

“Say no more,” Chad replied, giving him a mischievous wink.

“Everyone, listen up!” Sheriff Harper shouted. “Form a circle around me so we can discuss the mission plan quickly! Hurry up now! We don’t have all day!”

The Vikings, deputies, and Chad’s group formed a circle around Sheriff Harper. All told, close to seventy people were involved in this operation, with the Vikings being the majority.

“Okay, folks. We are going to leave out in ten minutes and make our way toward the mountain. My vehicle will lead the pack and everyone will follow behind. Once we reach the Red Jackals’ compound, I’ll ram the gate and everyone will storm the compound. Those bastards are probably still asleep, half asleep, or drunk. Since we’re taking them by surprise, we should have the advantage. Our primary mission is to take out as many Red Jackals as possible. I got verbal permission from the mayor to put down Flint Martin as well. Seems like he’s had a change of heart since the bombing.”

Everyone cheered and applauded.

“Before we head out, I just want to say a few words.” Sheriff Harper cleared his throat, then spun around in a circle to look at everyone. “All of you brave men... oh, and women—” He gave a quick glance to Julie. “—should be proud of yourselves for taking on this mission. You fine folks are risking your lives to make Moorefield a safer place to live, and y’all should be proud of yourselves. Your courage and fearless spirit are appreciated by the residents and myself. Stay safe out there and kick as much ass as humanly possible. I believe in you and if we work together, I can assure you that we will be victorious.”

The crowd erupted in applause. Bright smiles filled everyone’s faces. Chad absorbed their lively spirits. Even his motivation was through the roof. He felt as if he could run through a brick wall or jump over a tall building. He was ready to get this mission started.

“All right, everyone, we’re leaving in ten minutes. Make your final checks and get in your vehicles.” He turned to Chad’s group. “I have a surprise for you guys. Follow me.”

They followed the sheriff to his Humvee. He opened up the back door and pulled out a bulletproof tactical vest. “You guys are going to need these out there. It may possibly save your lives.” He handed one to everyone in the group.

Chad pulled it over his shoulder and tightened the straps. It had plenty of pouches on the front for storing extra magazines.

“Thanks, Sheriff,” Harry said as he tightened the straps of his vest around his waist.

“No, thank you,” Sheriff Harper replied. “I’m just glad you guys are assisting us today. We need all the help we can get.”

“We’re going to head to the car now and wait for the caravan to leave,” Chad said. His group went to the car to get ready to leave. A few minutes later, the sheriff’s Humvee pulled out of the parking lot, and they followed behind them.

Harry sat behind the wheel, following the large convoy of vehicles. The passengers in the car were quiet as mice, focused on the mission.

Chad was thinking about the risk that he and his companions were about to take on. They could get hurt or even lose their lives in this “search and destroy.” But he understood he needed to step up to the plate and deal with the Red Jackals once and for all. Flint and the rest of his henchmen couldn’t continue to run around causing havoc on innocent people. Especially in this crisis. He needed to be taken out as soon as possible so the townspeople could live somewhat normal lives.

Thoughts popped into his mind about how much he had matured. He’d made up with his brother and they were now on good terms. They were speaking regularly, and Harry was no longer as cold to him. Heck, they were even joking around now and then, like when they were younger.

He’d reacclimatized himself with country living and was doing just fine without the material possessions he’d left behind in DC. He realized that he didn’t need those things to get by. Family and good friends were all he needed in this world to survive.

Chad was thankful they’d met Jim when they did. Jim had proved to be resourceful and had helped them out of jams many times. He truly didn’t think he and Julie would have made it to West Virginia without Jim’s assistance.

He was pleased with himself for having expressed his true feelings to Julie the night before. He cared for her greatly and would do anything to ensure she was safe. They had been spending much time together and their love had been getting stronger. Even though he had a different agenda with her than during their first date, he was glad things had happened when they did. He even treasured the moments of the trials they’d faced together on their trek out of DC. Those moments he would never forget.

The sun was peeking over the horizon in the east as they followed the convoy up the mountain roads. As they drove further up, Chad glanced out of the window and viewed Moorefield below them. The town appeared to get tinier as they ascended higher up the mountain.

As soon as Chad turned his head to face the road ahead of him, the convoy made a right turn. The lead vehicle, which the sheriff was riding in, began to speed up and everyone followed. A few hundred feet ahead of them stood a large metal gate with tall concrete walls surrounding the property.

“This is it!” Harry shouted, gripping the steering wheel tighter and smashing the gas pedal.

“Everyone, get ready!” Jim instructed.

Chad gripped his rifle firmly as his body tensed. The main event was about to start.

The sheriff’s Humvee crashed through the main gate, sending the gate flying in pieces. Gunfire erupted from a Red Jackal stationed in the guard shack, but the sheriff’s deputies hopped out of their vehicles and cut him down quickly.

Red Jackals began pouring out of the massive log cabin inside the compound and firing their weapons at the assault team.

Chad, Julie, Harry, and Jim hid behind one of the Humvees and began firing their weapons at the gang members pouring out of the house. One by one, they began dropping like flies. Chad spotted two gang members sneaking up on them from the side of the cabin.

“I got two to the left!” He aimed his rifle at the enemy, placing the reticle of the red dot on his target’s chest. He squeezed the trigger, and the bullet tore through the man’s center mass.

Julie targeted the other man, who tried to run for cover, but she dropped him with one shot.

“Good shot, Julie!” Chad cheered, scanning the area for more incoming attackers.

“Thanks!” Julie called.

Suddenly, a hail of bullets pounded the Humvee like a fierce storm.

Chad turned his head to the right and caught sight of Doc and the Vikings engaging with the Red Jackals. Many of the Jackals hid behind trees, firing off at the Vikings.

“I’m gonna kill as many of you assholes as I can!” Doc shouted, firing his rifle at his opposing enemies. “I always hated you sons of bitches, and today is the day you die!”

A few of the Red Jackals fell to the ground. The few remaining ran towards the cabin to get out of the fray.

Sheriff Harper and his men moved toward the main entrance of the house. From the looks of it, they were going to breach it and take down as many Jackals as possible, including Flint.

“Looks like they’re going inside the cabin. I’m going with them.” Chad stood up and began running toward them.

“Hold on. I’m coming too!” Julie said, tailing Chad.

As soon as they reached the front door, a volley of gunfire echoed throughout the hallway. Two deputies were hit and fell to the ground. One deputy grabbed his bloody leg, grimacing in pain. The other deputy had been hit right in the chest plate, which saved his life. Their comrades dragged them out of the house so they could receive immediate medical attention.

Chad and Julie dashed into a nearby room on the right side of a hallway and took cover. Bullets whizzed past the door as Chad debated whether he should peek his head out to take shots.

“Everyone, turn around and don’t look!”

BANG! A deputy threw an object into the hallway and a bright flash of light illuminated the area. Luckily, Chad had heard the orders just in time and grabbed Julie, pulling her to the ground with him.

The Red Jackals were temporarily blinded as loud screams traveled from the other end of the hallway. The deputies stormed down toward the end of the hallway and shot any Red Jackals they saw.

“I think we should go search the house,” Chad insisted while refilling the magazine of his rifle with more ammunition.

“Just lead the way,” Julie replied, putting her hand on his shoulder. “I got your back.”

Chad and Julie left the spare room and charged down the hallway. More gunfire took place on the upstairs level. Chad figured the Red Jackals and the deputies were dueling it out. As soon as they reached the end of the hallway, he spotted an open door that led to a staircase down to a lower level.

“Let’s go down here and see if we see anyone.”

Chad switched on his flashlight. He and Julie tiptoed down the dark staircase.

A muzzle flashed from the corner of the room. POW! POW!

Chad and Julie ducked. Julie aimed her rifle in the direction of incoming gunfire and unleashed a barrage of bullets. The opposing threat immediately crumpled to the floor, his blood splashed everywhere.

They walked up to the body to make sure he wasn’t breathing.

“Well, you tore him a new asshole.” Chad slapped Julie on the shoulder. “Remind me never to get into a fight with you.”

With eyes bugged out, Julie gazed at the bullet-ridden man. “Damn, I didn’t mean to rip him to shreds.”

Chad scanned the lower level with his flashlight. He spotted a metal door that led to another room.

“You see that door over there?” Chad pointed his flashlight at the door.

“Yeah, what about it?”

“Let’s go check it out.”

Chad and Julie approached the door with their rifles raised to shoulder level.

His heart hammered through his chest and his throat tightened as he gripped the door handle. He swung it open, and his eyebrows shot up as soon as he caught sight of who was in the room.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

“Flint!” Chad shouted, keeping his finger on the trigger as he pointed his rifle at a terror-stricken Flint Martin cowering in the corner.

Flint aimed his pistol at Chad. He was shaking with fear, sweat dripping from his forehead, as a look of panic overtook his face.

“Drop the gun, Flint! It’s over. You don’t have anywhere to run!” Chad hollered.

Flint dropped his weapon.

“Put your hands above your head and stand up, you coward!”

Flint obeyed Chad’s commands and rose from the ground. He held his hands high above his head.

“Walk towards us. Slowly!”

Flint walked towards Chad, stopping a few feet in front of him.

“Julie, keep your rifle aimed at him while I search him. If he makes any sudden moves, drop him.”

“Got it,” Julie responded.

Chad patted down every area of Flint’s body to make sure he wasn’t carrying any additional weapons. After searching him thoroughly for a full minute, he came up empty.

Chad stepped back a few feet from Flint and aimed his rifle at Flint’s chest. His expression hardened as he locked eyes with his adversary.

“You are nothing but a coward,” Chad barked. “Your men are fighting and dying for you outside, and all you can do is hide like a weakling. What kind of leader are you?”

Chad spat a ball of saliva at Flint’s feet and moved closer to him. He really wanted to end him now. Put a hot round through his head. But he wanted the sheriff to be able to face him and do as he pleased. It wouldn’t be fair if Chad had all the fun.

“What do you want to do with him?” Julie asked, glancing back and forth from Flint to Chad.

“Let’s take him outside so he can face Sheriff Harper. I’m sure he has some choice words for him.” Chad motioned for Flint to walk towards the stairs. “Up the stairs and keep your hands above your head.”

Flint walked up the staircase while Chad and Julie trailed behind him with their rifles pointed at his back.

“Outside,” Chad instructed.

As they walked through the hallway, Chad couldn’t help but notice the walls ridden with bullet holes, along with empty shell cases strewn all over the ground. To him, this was the fiercest battle he’d been in since the lights went out. But it was well worth it.

Once outside, Chad took notice of the dead bodies of the Red Jackals lying next to each other on the ground. The deputies were placing them one by one in black body bags and carrying them to the Humvees. Chad scrunched up his face as he walked past the gruesome scene.

“I see y’all got him! Good work!” Sheriff Harper hollered, marching toward Chad and his prisoner.

“I was about to put a round in him,” Chad said, poking Flint’s back with the barrel of his rifle, “but I decided to let him live so you can have your way with him.”

Flint’s eyes shifted toward the ground. Sheriff Harper’s face contorted. He cracked his knuckles, then delivered a swift left hook to Flint’s jaw.

Flint tumbled to the ground and grabbed his swollen red jaw in agony. “Ahhhhhhh!”

“You deserve more than that, you son of a bitch, after that stunt you pulled at the town hall. A lot of people got injured because of your horrific act.” Sheriff Harper kicked Flint right in the stomach. “And we lost a few good men today trying to root you and your gang out. You are the worst of the worst, Flint Martin.”

Doc and a few of the Vikings walked over to watch the spectacle. Doc gave Harry a high-five and fist-bumped Jim.

Sheriff Harper’s face went blank as he pulled his pistol out of his holster. He aimed it at Flint’s forehead.

“It’s time for you to die, you piece of trash.”

Flint gazed at the sheriff with bloodshot eyes. An evil smile formed on his face, revealing his crooked yellow teeth. “Pull the trigger! DO IT!”

Sheriff Harper put his finger on the trigger. As he was about to squeeze it, a familiar voice began shouting behind them.

“Stop! Don’t shoot!” the man shouted, running full speed toward the sheriff.

Chad and everyone at the scene turned to see who it was.

It was Mayor Westfield.

CHAPTER THIRTY

Mayor Westfield walked toward the sheriff, huffing and puffing, as sweat dripped down his forehead. He glowered at Flint kneeling on the ground, who was seconds away from losing his life.

Chad nudged Harry. “Take a look at this.”

The mayor walked up to the sheriff and Flint and put his hands on his hips. “Don’t shoot him yet. I need to ask him a few questions.”

Mayor Westfield stared down at his brother with a scowl on his face.

“Why did you have to blow up town hall? Being a criminal isn’t enough for you? Now you want to stoop as low as being a terrorist? What the hell is wrong with you?”

Flint cracked a mischievous grin but stayed silent.

“You could have killed people back there. Why are you so wicked?”

Flint’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t have a care about anything or anyone in this world. I have nothing to lose at this point.” Flint shifted his eyes away from the mayor as his eyebrows snapped together. “Truth be told, I’m the least of your worries.”

Mayor Westfield stepped back and lifted an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that? Is there something you know you want to tell me?”

“Just a premonition. That’s all. Crises like this one bring out the worst in people. As you can see. In due time, you’ll see exactly what I’m talking about,” he sneered.

“But you could have killed me, your own brother, in that blast. Doesn’t that concern you?”

An evil grin formed on Flint’s face. He shrugged. “You never meant that much to me anyway. We were never close. You wanted to play Mr. Goody Two-shoes and get everyone’s approval in life. While I played the part of the black sheep. At least I was true to who I was.”

Chad’s eyes widened at this revelation. Sure, he and Harry had their problems. But they sure as heck weren’t trying to take each other’s lives.

Mayor Westfield’s eyes grew large as he took a step back. He walked over to the sheriff and whispered in his ear. Sheriff Harper nodded as if he was acknowledging something. Then Mayor Westfield walked toward the front gate and exited the premises.

As soon as the mayor was out of sight, Sheriff Harper lifted his pistol to Flint’s forehead.

Flint shut his eyes and took in a deep breath.

Sheriff Harper narrowed his eyes at Flint and squeezed the trigger.

BANG!

Flint’s body lay in a pool of blood with his lifeless eyes staring up toward the sky.

Two weeks later, on a sunny and cool Saturday afternoon, Chad and Hank Wilson were on guard duty at the roadblock they’d set up for their community. They’d found a couple of plastic barricades on the side of the road and used those to set up their roadblock.

The volunteers manning the roadblock had rotating shifts. Larry and Harry took the morning shift, Chad and Hank did the afternoon shift, and Jim was on the night shift, with Larry waking up early in the morning hours to come and help him out.

While Chad and Hank were outside on duty together, they’d been getting to know each other very well. Chad had discovered a lot of interesting things about his neighbor. Most of all, he was glad they’d helped him get off the liquor.

“Hey, Chad. I just want to thank you and your brother again for the millionth time for getting me out of the house and away from the alcohol. Being with you guys while patrolling the roadblock has kept me sober. I have to admit there is no better feeling than being alert and alive,” Hank said with a winning smile.

“No problem, Hank. I have to admit I was a little worried about you. Especially when we first met. You could barely keep your balance.” Chad removed a Ziplock bag of dried jerky from his pocket and took out a piece. He offered the bag to Hank, but Hank put up his hand and shook his head, declining.

“Yeah, my wife was disappointed with my behavior too,” Hank said, scrunching up his face. “I should have set a better example for my children. I shouldn’t have ever let them see me get to that point.”

“It’s not the end of the world, Hank. We all go through difficult times. It’s how we respond and pull ourselves out of them that matters in the long run.”

Thoughts of the difficult situations Chad had been through both in the past and recently ran through his mind. Chad was on his very own path of redemption and would do what was needed to see it through.

The roaring of a loud engine of a vehicle approaching the roadblock caught their attention. Chad turned to the road ahead of him and spotted an older black pickup truck driving toward their position.

Chad and Hank gripped their weapons as they kept their eyes on the truck. Chad pressed the talk key on his radio. “Everyone, we have a black truck approaching our position. I’ll keep everyone updated on who it is and what they want.”

“Copy that,” Harry replied over the radio.

The truck stopped in front of the roadblock. Chad approached the driver’s window carefully, holding on to his rifle firmly. Hank approached the passenger side with caution.

Once Chad got to the window, he noticed four dark-skinned men with bloodshot eyes wearing purple bandanas wrapped around their heads. The driver rolled down the window and the reek of marijuana made Chad step back a few feet.

These guys are high as hell, he thought.

“How can I help you gentlemen out today?” Chad said politely, not wanting to start an altercation.

“Hey, what up, homie?” the heavyset driver with long dreadlocks said, showing off his mouth full of gold teeth. “Where dis road lead to?”

“Are you guys lost? Where are you folks coming from?”

“Oh, we comin’ from da camp not far from here. We left dat place, cuz we was gettin’ bored. We just checkin’ out da scene, ya know.”

His three passengers began snickering.

Chad keyed the radio. “We got a slight situation down here.”

“On our way,” Harry responded.

Chad’s expression went blank. He wanted to know what these men were checking out because, obviously, they were up to no good. He and the residents of Moorefield had just finished dealing with the Red Jackals. They sure as hell didn’t need another gang trying to move into town, wanting to cause havoc.

Chad put his hand on the hood of the truck. He slid his hand over the body and inspected it carefully. His grandfather had had the same 1965 Ford F-10, but in the color red. He didn’t know young people, especially gangsters, drove around in these older cars.

“So, what are you guys checking out?” Chad asked with heavy sarcasm. “Ain’t nothing up here but dirt roads and cabins.”

“Hey, is everything alright?” a familiar voice called out. Chad turned around. Harry and Jim raced down the dirt road, cradling their rifles.

“Yeah, just trying to help these fellas out. Apparently, they're lost,” Chad replied, not taking his eyes off the truck.

“Aww shit, my dude. Is you gonna let us through or not?” the driver complained.

“First, tell me where you got this truck from. I didn’t know young folks like to drive old-man cars. Since the blackout hit this country, I haven’t seen too many cars on the road. But you have a 1965 Ford.”

The driver gave Chad a dirty look and clenched his shiny gold teeth. “None of ya business where I got da truck from. You askin’ too many damn questions. We outta here!”

The driver put the truck in reverse, spun it around, and drove off down the road.

Jim shrugged. “Well, that was eventful.”

Chad kept his eyes on the truck driving off in the distance. “Yeah, it was. I think we need to report these guys to the sheriff. They could be a huge problem for everyone.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

In the middle of the night, Chad jolted upright from his sleep. With cold sweat streaming down his face, he took heavy breaths to calm himself down. He’d had a nightmare about the assault on Flint’s compound. In this version of his dream, the assault didn’t go as planned. Many of the deputies and Vikings who took part in the operation lost their lives, and Flint got away.

Chad hopped out of bed and grabbed the towel hanging on the chair. He wiped the sweat from his face and sat on the side of the bed, trying to get his bearings. After a few minutes of sitting in silence and realizing it had only been a bad dream, he lay down on his bed, facing the ceiling. He forced himself to try to go back to sleep. He wanted to wake up early in the morning to report the previous day’s incident to the sheriff.

A few hours later, Chad put on a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and his boots to get ready to leave the cabin. He walked to the kitchen and found Julie eating a bowl of cereal.

He stepped over to her and kissed the top of her head. “Good morning, hon.”

“Good morning,” she said with a bright smile. “How did you sleep?”

“Could’ve been better, but not the worst,” he replied, pulling out a seat to sit across from her. “Where’s everyone?”

She put her spoon in the bowl and began stirring the cereal. “Harry is out manning the roadblock with Larry. Jim is out hunting for food. After I’m finished eating, I’m going to work in the greenhouse for a little. Where are you off to?”

“I’m headed to the sheriff’s station so I can report the incident we encountered yesterday.”

“Oh, about those suspicious guys that drove up to the roadblock?” Julie asked curiously.

“Yeah, them.” He rose from his seat and turned toward the door. “Those fellas are up to no good. We need to preempt any kind of threat before it begins. Everyone has been through enough as it is.”

“Understood. Let me know how it goes.” Julie waved as Chad left through the front door.

Chad hopped into the El Camino and drove down the road toward the roadblock. Harry and Larry were standing in front of it, holding their rifles. Harry moved the barrier to the side as Chad crept through.

“Morning,” Harry said, tipping his cowboy hat. “Heading out to see the sheriff?”

“Morning to you both. Yeah, I’m going to meet with him and tell him about yesterday. I think he should be informed so he can get a pulse of what’s going on and take the necessary steps to keep everyone safe.”

“Okay. Let me know what he says,” Harry replied.

“Will do. You and Larry have a safe shift.” Chad drove down the main road and headed toward town.

“So you think those guys are gang affiliated?” Sheriff Harper asked while jotting down notes on his legal pad.

“Yeah,” Chad replied, leaning back in the chair. “All of them in the truck were wearing purple bandanas.”

Sheriff Harper scratched his head as he continued to write notes about Chad’s encounter with the suspicious individuals. As the sheriff was busy writing, Chad glanced around the sheriff’s office and took notice of pictures on the wall of the sheriff with his colleagues and with his family, as well as awards and certificates he’d earned.

“To be honest with you, we’ve been getting reports from residents who volunteered to patrol the streets that they have been noticing individuals wearing the purple bandanas on their heads. They’ve just been roaming around aimlessly. We believe they came from the FEMA camp nearby.”

Chad’s eyes widened, and he sat up straight. “That’s what the driver of the truck told me. That they came from the camp. He said that they were bored, and they were checking out the area.” Chad paused and gazed out the window. “What they were checking out, who knows?”

The sheriff put down his pen and folded his hands on his desk. “There was an incident two nights ago. An elderly couple’s garage was broken into. The thieves stole their 1965 Ford F-10.”

Chad froze and locked eyes with the sheriff with wide eyes. He recalled that was the same make and model the thugs were driving.

“What color was it?” Chad asked.

“Black.” Sheriff Harper narrowed his eyes. “Do you know something about it?”

“That was the same make, model, and color of the truck those guys pulled up in at the roadblock yesterday.” Chad rose from his seat and slammed his fist on the desk. “I’m sure it’s them that stole it.”

“Are you sure?”

“Well, I asked them about it. I told them young folks really don’t drive old jalopies like that. When I asked the driver where he got it from, he got mad and drove off. It seemed as if he was hiding something.”

“Well, seems like we have our suspects.” Sheriff Harper picked up his pen and turned to a fresh blank page on his legal pad. “Can you give me a description of the suspects?”

Chad spent about ten minutes describing every detail about the men he’d encountered the day before. He left nothing out.

After Sheriff Harper took a detailed report of the criminals, he stuffed the sheet of paper into a manila folder. He leaned back in his chair and let out a sigh.

“Chad, I’m giving you and your group full authority to apprehend those vagrants if you run into them again. If they are willing to rob helpless elderly people, who knows what they will do to the average person.”

Chad nodded.

“You have my full cooperation. We will bring them to you if we see them again. The only problem is that I don’t know where they are staying since they left the FEMA camp.”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out,” Sheriff Harper stated. “It’s not like Moorefield is the size of New York City. I’m sure soon enough you’ll find where those bastards are hiding.”

“I guess you’re right.” Chad ran his hand through his hair and looked out the window. He admired the clear blue sky with a few puffy clouds flying overhead. The scenery put him at ease and helped him think more clearly.

Chad stood up and reached across the desk to give the sheriff a handshake. “I’m going to get going now. I’ll let you know if anything comes up.”

“Great. Let me know if you guys need anything. Once again, thanks for all of your help.”

“Not a problem.” Chad gave a thumbs-up and walked out of the sheriff’s office toward the main entrance.

While Chad was driving through the town streets to get back to the cabin, he laid his eyes on two teenagers wearing purple bandanas. They were rushing toward an unsuspecting woman who was unaware they were approaching.

Chad slowed the car down to see what action these two hoodlums were going to take. One teen pushed the woman to the ground with all of his might. She landed on her right arm. She screamed in agony while lying on the ground, holding her arm. The other teen grabbed her purse from her shoulder and they took off running.

Chad pressed down on the gas pedal and gave pursuit. They were sprinting as fast as they could, but Chad was right behind them. One thug gave Chad the middle finger and yelled obscenities. The two criminals turned down an alley, but unbeknownst to them, it was a dead end.

Chad parked his car at the entrance of the alley and drew his weapon. He aimed at the two criminals with narrowed eyes. Fury roared through his mind as he held his pistol. An innocent lady had been walking down a street, minding her own business, yet some slimy gangbangers had the audacity to assault her and steal her purse. These guys didn’t deserve to be among decent society.

“Drop the purse and put your hands up!” Chad hollered, resting his finger on the trigger. “Make one wrong move and I’ll shoot!”

The thugs put their hands up and dropped the purse. Their eyes widened as Chad approached them.

“Step back! All the way back!”

They did as Chad commanded. Chad picked up the woman’s purse and tucked it under his arm.

“What the hell were you two thinking, attacking an innocent lady? Are you two crazy?”

They shook their heads.

“Which gang are you with that wears purple bandanas? I’ve been seeing you guys around town as of late. Are you trying to claim Moorefield as your turf?”

The two remained silent. Not a peep out of their mouths.

Chad turned his attention toward the taller of the two teens, then wrapped his hands around his throat and thrust him against the wall.

“Dark-skinned guy, with dreadlocks and gold teeth. He’s driving around in a very old Ford pickup truck. What’s his name?”

The teen’s eyes bulged out. “I don’t know who you’re talking about…” he said, trembling.

Chad shoved his pistol into the boy’s mouth. He grabbed his throat even tighter. “I’m not going to ask you again. Who is he?”

Tears shone in the teen’s eyes. “Okay. Okay, man, don’t shoot.”

Chad released his grip from the scoundrel and put his firearm back in his holster. He stood tall with his chest out in a wide stance as he glared at the teen.

“The guy driving the black truck…. His name is Big Smooth.”

The other teen walked toward his friend to assist him. He let out a deep sigh as he turned to Chad. “Big Smooth is the leader of the Midnight Snakes. He’s about to take over this town. Just wait and see.”

“About to take over?” Chad asked, narrowing his eyes at the two petty thugs. “What do you mean?”

“He’s getting as many members as he can get to come to this town. The Midnight Snakes are originally from Baltimore. But there’s nothing left there since the blackout.”

Chad pondered what he’d said. Big Smooth wanted to take over Moorefield and he was getting as many gang members as possible to come to Moorefield? This wouldn’t end well at all for the community.

“Where can I find this Big Smooth so I can pay him a visit?”

It was evident that the two teens were shaken. Chad realized these two weren’t real gangsters if little old him put fear into them. These two needed to be on the basketball court playing ball or riding bikes, enjoying their youth. Not stealing purses and gangbanging.

Chad relaxed his expression and put his hand on the taller teen’s shoulder. He figured that if he acted more like a friend than someone who wanted to take their heads off, he might be able to get more information out of them.

“Look, guys. I’m not trying to hurt you at all. I just want to find this Big Smooth guy and get the truck back. That truck was stolen from an elderly couple and they really need it back. It’s one of the few vehicles in town that still work.”

The taller teen relaxed and lowered his head. “You can find him at an abandoned house about three miles from here. Right outside of town. It’s white and has a scarecrow in front of it. I think it’s off South Fork Road.”

That was all Chad needed to hear. Now that he had a lead on where to find Big Smooth, he could retrieve the truck. Although he wasn’t planning to go there alone. He needed backup. He needed to go back to the cabin and pick up Jim.

“Thanks, gentlemen.” Chad stepped back a few feet and frowned. “You two shouldn’t have robbed that lady. That was extremely wrong. If law enforcement was operating at its full capacity, you two would have been arrested.”

The two teens shook their heads in acknowledgment.

“Not to mention, you two are too young to be part of a gang. Imagine how your parents must feel that their two boys, who they’ve raised since birth and love so much, are now part of a criminal organization.”

The two boys lowered their eyes to the ground and folded their arms across their chests.

“Take off those bandanas. You two need to go back to the FEMA camp with your parents. I’m sure they’re wondering where you are and worried about you. Now scram!”

The two teens took off their purple bandanas and threw them in the nearest trash can. Then they darted off toward the main street and disappeared from Chad’s view.

Damn kids.

Now the only thing left for Chad to do was to find the woman whom the purse belonged to. He hoped she was okay. She’d taken a pretty fall after being pushed down. No one deserved treatment like that. Chad was just sorry that he hadn’t had a chance to check on her since his instincts had automatically kicked into overdrive, chasing those boys.

He got back into his car and began retracing his route. Five minutes later, he spotted the woman who had been attacked, as she held her arm and walked slowly on the sidewalk.

Chad pulled up beside her and rolled down his window.

“Hey, I got something that belongs to you.” Chad held up her purse so she could see.

The woman flicked a soft smile. “Thank you so much. I really appreciate you getting it back for me.”

Chad handed the purse to her and nodded his head. “You’re welcome. Are you okay?”

She grimaced and gripped her arm. “I think I’ll be fine. Nothing is broken, at least. My arm just hurts like hell.”

Chad felt horrible for her. She might not be able to use her arm comfortably for a while since those thugs had assaulted her. Arm pain could be hell. Hopefully she had pain medication to make the pain go away temporarily.

“Do you need a ride home?” Chad asked.

“I actually live right around the corner,” she replied, turning her head toward a side street. “I’ll be at my front door in a few minutes, tops.”

“Okay, then. Stay safe.” Chad put the car in drive and gave the lady a wave.

“Will do, and you do the same. Thanks again for getting my purse back.”

Chad waved and drove off.

Now the only thing left to do was to confront Big Smooth and get the truck back for the elderly couple.

But before he went, he needed to grab Jim and prepare himself for another potential fight.

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

An hour later, Chad and Jim were driving toward the abandoned house where the teenagers had told Chad he could find Big Smooth. Jim was in the passenger’s seat checking the clip of his firearm to make sure he had enough ammo, just in case things went south. Chad was focused on the road, contemplating how he should handle this situation. Should he be aggressive and forceful? Nope, that probably wouldn’t end well for either of them. Or should he take a diplomatic approach to the matter and reason with Big Smooth about why he should give the truck back? Chad contemplated his options and decided that the latter approach might be the best way. Another issue was bothering him. It was likely that Chad and Jim would be outnumbered and outgunned. But he’d cross that bridge when they came to it.

Chad made a left on South Fork Road and crept at the lowest speed possible to find the house with a scarecrow in front of it.

“Look for an abandoned white house with a scarecrow in front of it,” Chad said, looking at both sides of the road.

“There it is!” Jim exclaimed, pointing at a dilapidated house. “Just a few houses away.”

Chad drove toward the house and spotted the black Ford pickup truck sitting in the gravel driveway.

“There’s the truck. So those assholes are definitely in there. Let’s go knock and see what happens.”

Chad parked at the entrance of the driveway. They hopped out of the car and walked to the door.

Chad grimaced at the sight of the dilapidated house. He noticed overgrown grass, peeling paint on the siding, weeds and vines growing in the cracks of the driveway, and a few boarded-up windows.

As they walked closer to the house, the skunky odor of cannabis permeated the air. The thumping of obnoxiously loud hip-hop music boomed through the walls. These guys were having a party and a grand old time. Chad was planning to interrupt their shindig to get what he’d come for.

Chad walked to the front door and rapped on it. He waited a few seconds, but no one came. He then clenched his hand into a fist and began pounding on the door as hard as he could.

“Open up! I need to talk to you!” Chad shouted as anger flooded through his veins. The Midnight Snakes were nothing but cowards to him. Stealing from people who couldn’t help themselves. They had no right to call themselves men.

The door swung open. Big Smooth was standing at the door with a .44 Magnum drawn at Chad and Jim.

Big Smooth narrowed his red-ringed eyes at his visitors. A few hooligans came to the door with their guns in their hands to see what the commotion was about.

“I remember you!” Big Smooth pointed at Chad. “You was da dude at da roadblock. You wouldn’t let me and da homies up the street.”

“Yeah, that was me,” Chad replied, giving Big Smooth a poisonous stare. “We came here to get that truck back. It doesn’t belong to you and you know it.”

Big Smooth clenched his gold teeth and waved his hand dismissively.

“It belongs to me now, homeboy. Finders keepers!”

Big Smooth’s cronies were chuckling in the background.

Chad was becoming disgusted with each second of Big Smooth’s ignorance. Chad wondered how a grown man could act so juvenile. If he thought he was going to keep the truck, he had another thing coming.

Chad clenched his fist and held it to the side. “That truck you stole belongs to an elderly couple. They really need it to get around and you’re hindering them. Don’t you have any compassion at all?”

Big Smooth shook his head and contorted his face. “Compassion? Fuck compassion! It’s a dog-eat-dog world out here. Every man fo’ himself. Since da blackout, everyone is gettin’ by any way they can. Including me, homeboy!”

Big Smooth locked eyes with Chad and scratched his head. “By the way, how da hell did you know where to find me?”

“Don’t worry about that,” Chad replied.

“Man, whateva. Imma do what I wanna do. Ya feel me? Soon Imma run dis town and kick punk asses like you outta here.”

Chad stepped up to the door and got face to face with Big Smooth. He maintained steady eye contact while keeping his frame. “Look, Smooth. All we want is the truck back. We don’t want any trouble. Once we get the keys, we will leave immediately. Don’t make this any more difficult than it needs to be.”

The tension was so thick that it was possible to cut it with a butter knife. Big Smooth’s homeboys were quiet as mice in the background. Big Smooth glared at Chad with eyes of hatred. But he finally gave in. He dug into his pockets and pulled out a set of keys. Instead of handing them over, he launched them into the driveway.

“There go ya keys, you chump! Get da hell out of my sight and don’t eva come back here!” Big Smooth scowled while waving his gun.

Chad and Jim walked toward the keys. Chad picked them up.

“Let’s get out of here,” Chad said to Jim as he opened the door to the pickup truck and hopped into the driver’s seat.

“I’ll meet you back at the cabin,” Jim said.

As soon as Chad pulled out of the driveway, a hail of gunfire came storming in Chad’s direction. Chad glanced in the rearview mirror and spotted Big Smooth and his gang firing their weapons at the truck. Bullets peppered the truck as Chad pushed down on the gas pedal to get out of the vicinity.

“Arggghhh!!!” Chad screamed as he felt a burning pain in his left shoulder. He looked down and saw blood streaming through his shirt. Luckily, the bullet had only grazed him, and he could still drive. A few seconds later, Chad and Jim had put enough distance between them and the Midnight Snakes and headed back to the cabin.

Back at the cabin, Julie was busy treating Chad’s wound and bandaging his arm. As she was tending to him, her eyes swam with tears.

“Chad, you have to be careful next time,” she sobbed, wrapping an adhesive bandage around his arm. “You could have lost your life back there. What would I do without you?”

Chad was more sad for Julie than for himself. He didn’t want to leave Julie in this wicked world by herself without him. She cared for him immensely, and Chad felt the same for her. He resolved that next time, before he went in “guns-blazing,” he would take her into consideration.

“I’m sorry about that, Julie. I was just so determined to confront that gangster and get the truck back. I should have thought through the plan more.”

Julie wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded her head. Chad took her hand and stroked it. While he rubbed it, she calmed down and smiled.

A few minutes later, Jim and Harry walked in with Sheriff Harper. The sheriff took off his hat and went to shake Chad’s hand.

“Thanks for getting the truck back for that elderly couple. They are very happy and grateful for what you did,” Sheriff Harper said.

“Not a problem. Aren’t they pissed off about the bullet holes that pierced the truck?” Chad asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Nah. They aren’t mad about it at all. They were way more concerned about you and your well-being.”

Chad breathed a sigh of relief. His getting shot at hadn’t been part of the plan.

Harry took a seat on a nearby chair. He took off his cowboy hat and laid it on his lap. “So what’s next, Sheriff? We can’t let these gangbangers off the hook.”

“You’re absolutely right. Big Smooth and his snakes won’t get away with this.” Sheriff Harper leaned back against the wall and drew in a long breath. “We’re planning an operation to take him and his gang down. And we could really use y’all’s help.”

Chad jolted upright. His eyes widened as he smiled. “You can count us in!”

Julie gave him a look of displeasure and crossed her arms. “Um, excuse me, sir, you just got shot at by these guys. And you’re pumped to get into another altercation with them?”

“Um, yeah,” Chad said with a shrug. “Julie, these guys are vicious and heartless. If we let this problem get too out of hand, they’ll destroy this town.”

Julie gave Chad a long stare. “Well, I’m coming too.”

Chad raised his hands in resignation and slouched back in the chair.

“I’m glad you guys are on board,” Sheriff Harper said. “You have experience dealing with gangs. That’s why I specifically would like you to help. I sent some of my deputies to that abandoned house, but it’s a good chance they left.”

“Where do you think they may have gone?” Jim asked, narrowing his eyes at the sheriff.

“I’m sure they probably went back to the FEMA camp. It would make perfect sense. They can blend into the crowd and get the food and provisions they need. Also, they can recruit more members from within the camp if needed.”

“So, when do you want to go to the camp?” Chad asked eagerly.

“Well, first we need to ask around if they’ve seen Big Smooth. It’s thousands of people inside the camp. So it’s possible that they may have overlooked him. The first thing we need to do is locate the director of the camp, so we can get more information on where we can find him.”

Sheriff Harper put on his hat and walked toward the door. “It was good seeing you folks. Even though it’s under unfortunate circumstances. Let’s meet up at the camp entrance tomorrow morning at nine a.m.”

“Sounds good,” Chad said, nodding. “I’ll go with you since I know what Big Smooth looks like. Everyone else can stay here.”

“Very well. See y’all later.”

Sheriff Harper left the cabin, and Chad slouched back in his seat. He put his hand over his head and contemplated the hellacious day he’d had.

When it rains, it pours.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

The next morning, Chad and Sheriff Harper stood in line to enter the FEMA camp. The refugees in line had weary faces, looked anxious, tired, and hungry, and most definitely needed baths. A few minutes later, they reached a desk where a male FEMA representative waited with a clipboard.

He looked up, and Sheriff Harper flashed his badge.

“I’m Sheriff Harper with the Moorefield Sheriff’s Department. We’re here on official business.”

The man raised his left eyebrow at Chad. “And who are you?”

“He’s with me, sir,” Sheriff Harper chimed in, wanting to thwart questions.

The representative nodded his head. “Okay. You two can go in.”

“Thank you,” Chad said. He and the sheriff walked past the desk toward a metal detector, and the security guard stopped them.

“Do you guys have any weapons on you?” the tired guard asked dryly. He must have been manning the metal detector for hours. It was obvious he needed a break.

Sheriff Harper flashed his badge and explained to the guard who they were and confirmed that they were carrying weapons. The guard understood and let them pass through.

As soon as they entered the camp, Chad’s eyes wandered around his surroundings. The camp was massive. It must have occupied at least a few acres. Rows of evenly spaced large white tents filled the camp. People wandered around aimlessly in crowds, almost as if they were lost. The disgusting odor of porta-potties made Chad’s nose crinkle. As they were walking through the crowd, Chad observed a group of boys playing basketball on a makeshift basketball court. A group of teenage girls not too far from them were jumping rope.

At least they can keep some semblance of their youth, he said inwardly.

Chad and the sheriff walked through the main strip of the camp to locate the administration staff. The camp was so large that they were having a hard time finding it.

“We need to ask someone where we can find the person running this camp,” Chad suggested, observing the spectacle surrounding him. “Or we will be walking around this place all day.”

Chad caught sight of a groundskeeper picking up trash about twenty feet away. He walked up to the woman and gave a friendly smile and wave.

“Hey, good morning, ma’am. We’re looking for the people who run this camp. Where can we find them?”

The silver-haired woman grimaced at him. “Why?”

Sheriff Harper explained why they were at the camp and how urgent it was that they talk to the head of the camp. The groundskeeper nodded and pointed to the right at a group of white trailers in the distance.

“You see those bunch of trailers over there? Director Anna Rowland is in one of those. She’s the one you are gonna want to talk to.”

“Thank you,” Chad said as he and the sheriff began walking toward the trailers.

They made haste and navigated through the crowds of people.

While they were walking, they passed a group of men wearing purple bandanas shooting dice next to a tent.

“Look at that.” Chad nudged the sheriff. “You see them over there?”

Sheriff Harper turned his head to observe what Chad was talking about. “The Midnight Snakes have certainly infiltrated the camp. That means Big Smooth must be around here somewhere.”

One man taking part in the dice game began raising his voice to his competitor. They both moved closer to each other and began arguing. The man who had raised his voice first shoved the other man. They both began tussling and shoving each other, and the other gang members held both of them back, breaking up the fight.

Chad shook his head and kept his focus on the path ahead.

As they continued walking, Chad caught sight of a long line of people with paper plates in their hands. As they walked past the line, Chad stopped. He turned his attention to a short dark-skinned man and walked toward him.

“How’s the food here?” Chad asked the man.

The man raised his plate and sighed. “I’ve been here for a few weeks and the portions have been getting smaller each week.”

“It’s that bad, huh?” Chad asked, frowning.

The man gave a half-shrug. “Yeah, it is. I have a feeling that it’s gonna get much worse. But what choice do I have?”

Chad inwardly agreed and sympathized with the man. At some point, the camp would run out of food. When that happened, all hell would break loose. Chad pictured in his mind starving men and women fighting each other and doing lord-knew-what just to secure some scraps of food for themselves and their kids. And more than likely, more people would leave the camp and make their way to Moorefield in search of food and water. When that happened, the Midnight Snakes were going to be the least of their problems.

Chad patted the man on the shoulder. “Good luck to you, brother. I hope things turn around for the better for you and everyone in this camp.”

“Yeah, me too,” the man muttered.

Chad and Sheriff Harper began making their way toward the trailers. Within five minutes, they arrived.

A big, burly brute of a security guard walked up to them and put his hand up. “Stop where you are. What business do you have here?”

Sheriff Harper tipped his hat to the guard. “Good morning. We’re looking for Director Rowland.” He pulled out his sheriff’s badge and showed it to the guard. “We need to talk to her about an urgent matter.”

The guard took his badge and examined it. After scrutinizing it to check for its legitimacy, he nodded his head in approval. “She’s in trailer number five.” He pointed to the trailer and Chad and the sheriff strode toward it.

Chad opened the door. He observed FEMA employees sitting at folding tables, filling out paperwork, and doing administrative duties.

He walked up to a chubby, younger man with a navy blue polo that had the acronym “FEMA” written across the right side of his shirt. He was occupied copying notes from a sheet of paper onto a legal pad.

Sheriff Harper walked up and showed his badge. “How are you doing, sir?”

The employee stopped what he was doing, eyeing the two visitors coldly.

“Yes,” he said with a flat tone.

“I’m Sheriff Harper with the Moorefield Sheriff’s Department. I’m looking to speak with Director Anna Rowland. I was told that we could find her in this trailer.”

The man pointed his finger toward the rear of the trailer. “She’s at the back of the trailer. Blond-haired woman. You can’t miss her.”

“Thanks,” Chad said as he and the sheriff made their way to the rear. The trailer was fairly large inside, with rows of folding tables on each side with people working at them, and a narrow aisle to walk through in the middle.

Director Rowland caught sight of them making their way towards her. She rose from her seat to greet them. Her short, petite frame with sandy blond hair caught Chad’s attention. She appeared to be around Chad’s age or even younger.

She’s kinda cute, Chad said to himself inwardly.

Chad shook himself out of the trance and forced himself to stay focused. He was here to find a criminal. Not to ogle women.

Director Rowland reached out her hand with a bright smile. “Hi, I’m Director Anna Rowland. But please call me Anna. I’m the one who manages this camp. And who might you two gentlemen be?”

Chad and Sheriff Harper shook her hand, introduced themselves, and explained why they were at the camp.

Anna’s personality and demeanor were bubbly for a person who was in charge of a FEMA camp with thousands of desperate refugees, especially during a crisis. Her energy could light up an entire stadium. Chad only wished he had that sort of pep within him.

“Do you have somewhere we can speak in private?” Sheriff Harper asked, his eyes glancing around the busy trailer.

“Sure!” she bubbled. She waved her hand and turned toward a door to her left. “Follow me.”

She unlocked the door and ushered the men inside. Inside the meeting room was a wooden, rectangular conference table, with metal folding chairs slid underneath it.

“Please take a seat,” she said.

Chad and Sheriff Harper took a seat at the table. Anna sat next to Chad.

“So tell me more about this guy you are looking for.”

Chad steepled his fingers on the table and turned his head toward her. “Well, we’re looking for a gang member we believe that’s in this camp. His name is Big Smooth.”

Anna took out a notepad from her pocket and started taking notes. “Okay. Tell me more about this Big Smooth.”

Chad described his physical features in full to Anna. He left no detail out so he would be easy to locate. Chad also shared with her the incidents when they had encountered him and indicated he could be armed within the camp.

“Thanks for telling me about this troublemaker,” Anna said. “I’m going to have the employees keep a lookout for him. If we find Big Smooth, we’ll apprehend him and bring him to you.”

“Thank you so much, Anna. Your cooperation is really appreciated.” Sheriff Harper scratched his head and gave Anna a long stare.

“Is there something else you wanted to talk to me about, Sheriff?” she asked, lifting an eyebrow.

“Yeah. We have reason to believe that a notorious gang out of Baltimore City, called the Midnight Snakes, has infiltrated this camp. Big Smooth happens to be the leader. We also believe that they are recruiting more members to join them from this camp.”

Anna blew out her cheeks. She slouched back in the chair and dropped her pen on the table. “I’ve been getting intel from the security staff that they believe a gang has gotten a foothold in this camp. They’ve told me they have seen men walking around wearing purple bandanas.”

Chad nodded. “Yup, that’s them. We’ve seen them wear those colors around Moorefield.”

Chad inwardly felt bad for Anna. Not only did she have to manage a camp with thousands of people, but she also had to worry about these Neanderthals who might cause trouble for the employees and people staying in the camp. The Midnight Snakes were a thorn in everyone’s side. They were hurting innocent people in town, and who knew what else they were doing inside the camp? Chad didn’t want to think about the possibilities.

Anna straightened up in her chair, and her face lit with a smile. “The good news is that Big Smooth shouldn’t be too hard to find if he’s here. His physical description is unique. So he’s going to stand out.”

Anna stood up, as did Chad and Sheriff Harper. “I’m going to give this information to my head of security. He’ll coordinate with the other security personnel and the soldiers that are outside the camp. We’ll nab Big Smooth in no time and have him pay for his crimes. We don’t need scum like him running around here, causing problems.”

Anna escorted them toward the exit of the trailer. They shook hands and thanked her for her time. Chad and Sheriff Harper walked away from the trailer into the sea of refugees.

As they were walking through the crowds, Chad spotted a familiar face with long dreadlocks, standing at the fence and talking to another individual with a purple bandana on his head.

Chad tapped the sheriff on the shoulder. “Hey, look over there.”

He pointed toward Big Smooth and the sheriff’s face turned crimson red.

The duo began walking toward Big Smooth. Big Smooth caught sight of them and took off running.

Big Smooth darted past people and shoved down anyone who was in his way. Chad pumped his legs, gaining momentum with each push, while Sheriff Harper was trailing behind him. Sweat dripped from Chad’s forehead as rage pulsed through his veins. He was determined to catch Big Smooth and have him pay for his crimes. Nothing was going to stop Chad from catching him. Absolutely nothing.

Big Smooth dashed into the dining hall. Chad and the sheriff were tailing him, gaining speed. Big Smooth grabbed a chair and threw it at Chad. It missed Chad’s head by inches.

Big Smooth hurdled over a table where a group of people were eating, startling the diners.

“STOP!” Chad shouted, his heartbeat pounding through his chest as he gave chase to his adversary. “Stop that man! Don’t let him get away!”

“Go to hell!” Big Smooth flicked them the middle finger and sprinted toward the rear exit.

Two security guards dressed in navy blue uniforms emerged from the door at the rear exit and pounced on Big Smooth. One guard held his arms down while the other guard held his legs.

“Ahh man! Let me go, yo!” Big Smooth howled, twisting and turning his body in an effort to break free from his captors with no success. “Y’all hurting me!”

Chad and Sheriff Harper caught up with them. Sheriff Harper removed the metal handcuffs from his belt and secured them around Big Smooth’s wrists.

Sheriff Harper’s mouth twitched with a smile while fastening the cuffs. “Big Smooth, you’re under arrest.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Chad sat at a metal table in the interrogation room with Sheriff Harper and Big Smooth. Handcuffed to the chair, Big Smooth hadn’t said a word since he’d arrived. Chad and the sheriff sat directly across from him while the sheriff jotted down notes.

Sheriff Harper’s eyes narrowed when he looked up at Big Smooth. “Where are you from?”

“Baltimore,” Big Smooth replied absently.

“How old are you?”

“Old enough.”

“So you’re a smart-ass, huh?”

Big Smooth shrugged and rolled his eyes.

Sheriff Harper shook his head and continued his questioning. “Why did you steal the truck from the elderly couple?”

“I needed a workin’ vehicle, and I knew that older cars and trucks can still drive.”

Sheriff Harper clenched his fist, glowering at Big Smooth. “That doesn’t give you the right to rob defenseless senior citizens. They need their vehicle just as well. You are nothing but a coward.”

Big Smooth lowered his head and stayed quiet.

“Don’t you have anything to say for yourself?” the sheriff asked.

“I wanna speak to a lawyer. I got rights, ya know.”

Sheriff Harper jumped to his feet and slammed his fists down on the table. “Let me tell you something, buddy. You don’t have any rights anymore. I don’t know if you noticed, but America is collapsing and the rule of law is deteriorating. And there is no way for you to get in touch with a lawyer since all communications are down. You’re out of luck.”

Big Smooth huffed and gritted his teeth. He clenched his jaw and cut his eye toward Sheriff Harper. “Go to hell!”

Sheriff Harper leaned forward over the table and delivered a striking blow with his fist to Big Smooth’s right jaw.

Big Smooth fell over in his chair, squirming and screaming. “Ahh, come on, dog! Why you do dat?”

The sheriff loomed over Big Smooth. He stood tall and crossed his arms, looking down on the filth he’d just knocked out.

“It’s because you’re a disrespectful, criminal little shit.”

Chad walked around the table and lifted Big Smooth’s chair upright. He didn’t feel bad for him in the least. Big Smooth deserved that punch and much more. If it were up to Chad, he would lock Big Smooth in a cell, throw away the key, and let him rot till death. Big Smooth deserved the same outcome as Flint Martin. To be wiped from existence.

Big Smooth regained his composure after Chad sat back down and began to breathe heavily. “Man, why y’all treatin’ me like dis? Dis inhumane treatment you be givin’ to your suspects. You violatin’ my rights.”

Chad’s face contorted as he listened to Big Smooth complain. His skin crawled just looking at the sight of him.

“You got some nerve complaining about ill-treatment. Did you think about how those elderly folks felt when you stole their truck? How about your little minions running around town stealing a purse from an innocent woman? Did you think about how they felt? Nope, I bet you didn’t. So just shut the hell up with your bitching and moaning!” Chad chastised, his eyes glowering at Big Smooth.

Chad leaned back in his chair and raked his hand through his hair. His stomach churned as he listened to the crap coming out of Big Smooth’s mouth. Did this man have no remorse?

“So why did you leave Baltimore to come all the way here?” Sheriff Harper asked. “Surely there are plenty of FEMA camps set up around the Baltimore and Washington DC area.”

Big Smooth turned away from the sheriff. He kept his eyes focused on the ground.

“Me and da Snakes left Baltimore after da blackout ’cause da city was turnin’ into a war zone. If we stayed any longer, our enemies were sure to get us.”

“Okay. So why did you come all the way to West Virginia?”

“Da camps around da DC area are filled wit’ our enemies. We beefin’ wit’ a lot of gangs around there, and if we went to any camp around there, blood will surely be spilt.”

Anger rose inside Chad like a tide in the ocean. He was pissed off that Big Smooth had brought his gang’s problems to his hometown. Big Smooth was nothing but a chicken, running away from his issues, refusing to face them like a man.

Chad slammed his fist on the table. He gave Big Smooth a steady, hostile glaze. “You are nothing but a big, ole punk for running away. You’re not some big bad gangster. You’re just a little asshole that likes to take advantage of people weaker than you.”

“I ain’t no punk!” Big Smooth said, shrugging.

Sheriff Harper turned his attention to the window in the interrogation room and waved. One of the deputies walked into the room.

“Deputy, please place this man in a cell. We’ll figure out what to do with him at some point.”

“Absolutely, Sheriff Harper.” The deputy walked over to Big Smooth, unshackled him from the chair, and cuffed his wrists back together. He then led Big Smooth out of the room.

Before Big Smooth exited the room, he turned around and faced Chad and Sheriff Harper. He glared at them with rage, his gold teeth clenched.

“You ain’t see da last of me, dog! Believe dat!”

The deputy pulled him out of the room and they vanished down the dark hall.

“Good work today, Chad. You did exceptionally well on tracking down Big Smooth.”

“It was nothing, Sheriff. I couldn’t have done it without your help.”

Chad leaned back, his eyes fixed on the ceiling. He thought about Big Smooth’s departing words. Did he really mean that they hadn’t seen the last of him? True or not, everyone needed to be on high alert. His gang members were still around and they were liable to do anything.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Chad returned to the cabin and joined Harry, Julie, and Jim in the living room, where they discussed the events that had occurred at the FEMA camp and how they’d captured Big Smooth.

Julie wrapped her arm around Chad’s shoulder and leaned into him. Ever since Chad returned, she had been right at his side.

“I’m so glad you’re back,” Julie said, rubbing his arm. “That could have gone badly.”

“Same here, Julie,” Chad replied, slouching in the chair and relaxing the tension in his muscles after an eventful day.

Julie was absolutely right. The situation could have taken a turn for the worst, chasing down Big Smooth. What if his gang members had been around and had tried to defend him? Chad and the sheriff would have certainly risked their lives in the camp, and they would have been outnumbered.

Chad sat straight up and stretched his arms. He wore a blank stare on his face as he looked straight ahead.

“There is something he said to us right before he was taken away to his cell that is bothering me.”

“What did he say?” Harry asked as his eyes widened.

“He told us we haven’t seen the last of him. I don’t know what he was trying to imply, but I don’t feel comfortable knowing that his minions are still around.”

Everyone in the room stared at Chad with shocked expressions. Chad knew that the Midnight Snakes might retaliate for their leader being jailed. This could have a negative impact on the security in Moorefield.

Harry stood up from his chair and walked toward the window. He put his arm on the glass and gazed out of the window toward the mountain. “I’m a bit worried about what he said. I hope we didn’t awaken a sleeping giant.”

Jim stood up, walked over to the front door, and grabbed his rifle sitting next to it. He slung it over his shoulder and faced everyone in the room.

“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. But for now, keep your eyes open. I’ll see you guys later. I’m going to start my shift.”

Jim waved to everyone as he headed out the front door.

Harry, Chad, and Julie continued talking throughout the afternoon.

An hour later, there was a loud knock at the front door. When Chad opened it, Hank Wilson stood there with a wounded look.

“Hey, Hank. Is everything alright?” Chad asked, motioning for Hank to come inside.

“No, everything is not okay.” Hank took a seat on the chair in the living room and covered his face with his hands.

“Hey, what’s up, Hank? What brings you over?” Harry asked as he walked into the room from the kitchen.

Hank removed his hands from his face. He turned towards Harry with resigned sadness in his eyes.

“We’re running out of food in our house. We only have a few more days of rations left before we completely run out.”

“Say no more.” Harry put his hand on Hank’s shoulder. “We got a ton of deer meat we can spare so you, your wife, and kids will have food to eat for a long while.”

Hank’s eyes welled up and he burst into tears. “T-t-thank you.” Hank wiped the tears streaming from his eyes with his hand. “You don’t know how much this means to us. We really a-a-appreciate everything y’all are doing for us.”

“Give me a few minutes so I can pack up the meat for you. I’ll be right back.” Harry patted Hank on the shoulder and disappeared into the kitchen.

Harry had always been a giving person. No matter what situation a person might face, Harry would always give the shirt off his back so that individual could be all right.

Chad recalled a time when they were younger and he and Harry were in town, having just finished eating at the local fast-food joint. As they were walking out of the place and heading back home, they spotted a homeless man with a sign asking for food or money. Harry immediately went back inside and brought out a hamburger meal for the homeless man. The smile on the man’s face could have lit up a baseball stadium. Giving was one of Harry’s best traits back then, as well as for the foreseeable future.

A few minutes after disappearing into the kitchen, Harry returned with four large packs of meat wrapped in butcher’s paper. Hank’s eyes widened as Harry handed the packs one by one to Hank.

“You didn’t have to give me all of this meat!” Hank gasped. “I don’t want to take all of your meat. You guys have to eat too.”

Harry walked back to his seat, crossed his arms, and gave a slight smirk. “Trust me, Hank. We have more than enough meat stored to last us for a long while.”

Hank stood up, holding the packages of meat stacked on top of each other. He exhaled, then gave a triumphant smile. “Thank you guys so much. Lana and the kids are going to be so excited that we got food. I can’t thank you enough.”

“Don’t mention it,” Harry said, stroking his long beard and rocking back and forth in his seat. “I’ll bring you along when we go hunting next time. We can split whatever game we catch so you can feed your family.”

“Will do. I’m gonna head back home now so I can prepare dinner with the meat you just gave us. Thanks again, and see y’all soon.” Hank waved and walked out the front door with a pep in his step.

Chad turned to Julie and rubbed her back. He wanted to get out of the cabin, to get some fresh air. After all, it’d been an eventful day. To say the least.

“How about paying good ole Larry a visit and see what he’s up to?” he asked her.

“I’m down with that. Let’s go.”

Chad and Julie walked down the road towards Larry’s house, hand in hand. As the sun lowered, crickets chirped, and the temperature dropped. Evening was setting upon them. A sense of relief washed over him, knowing that Big Smooth was out of the picture, for now at least.

Chad was happy to be with Julie, and he sensed she was happy to be with him as well. His feelings were getting stronger for her by the day. He was glad that he’d left his player life in the past, though he had no choice now since the nation was in complete darkness. Maybe this EMP had brought a few blessings into his life, such as Julie.

Chad knocked on Larry’s door. Within a few seconds, it opened wide and Larry stood at the entryway.

“Howdy, y’all,” Larry greeted as he blew out a puff of smoke from his cigar. “What brings y’all two lovebirds to my home?”

“We just wanted to check on you, Larry,” Chad replied as he and Larry shook hands. “There’s a lot going on around here, so we neighbors have to keep a close eye on each other at all times.”

Larry took another long drag on his cigar and exhaled a cloud of smoke. He stared at Chad, deep wrinkles forming on his brow.

“Yeah, you’re not lying about that. Why don’t you two come on in?”

“Thanks, Larry,” Julie said. She walked in first, and Chad followed behind her.

They followed Larry to his kitchen. Larry motioned for them to take a seat, while he set down his cigar in the ashtray on the kitchen counter. He walked to the stove and began pouring a cup of coffee for himself.

“Would y’all like a cup of coffee? I got some good French roast I think y’all would enjoy.”

“Yes, please,” Julie said.

“I’ll take a cup too,” Chad said, nodding.

Larry poured two more cups of coffee and brought them over for Chad and Julie. They thanked him and began taking slow sips.

Chad’s eyes lit up with amusement. He hadn’t had coffee this good since he was back in his office, where they had various brands of coffee from all over the world.

“This is real good, Larry. I didn’t know you were a coffee connoisseur,” Chad said.

“Well, I’m a connoisseur of many things, city boy!” Larry laughed and took a seat at the table. “I heard you and the sheriff apprehended that Big Smooth asshole that’s been causing trouble around here. Good on y’all!”

Chad ran his hand through his hair and grimaced. “We went through a lot of trouble getting him. But he’s in custody now. And won’t be doing any gangbanging around here anytime soon.”

He described the events of the day that led to the capture of Big Smooth. Larry looked amused as Chad shared everything he’d faced. “That’s one hell of an ordeal y’all went through to capture him. I haven’t heard a story like that in years. Y’all need to make this into a movie.”

All three of them laughed. Chad thought it was kind of “movie-esque.” Maybe if things ever got back to normal, he would seek out a movie deal.

“Well, I’m about to go get some rest so I can prepare for my morning shift with your brother,” Larry announced. He stood up, picked up the empty coffee cups on the table, and brought them to the kitchen sink.

Chad and Julie rose from their seats. Larry walked them to the front door and opened it.

“It was good seeing and chatting with you two lovebirds. Let me know when the wedding is. I’ll be sure to come.” Larry winked as Chad and Julie walked out of the door.

Heat crept into Chad’s cheeks as embarrassment coiled around him. The last thing he was thinking about was marriage. He cared about Julie immensely and wanted to be with her. But there were just too many things on his plate at the moment.

Julie nudged his shoulder. He turned around, and she gave him a wink.

“Don’t get your panties in a bunch at the mention of marriage,” she said, smiling and sliding her arm around Chad’s. “Let’s head back to the cabin.”

Once they arrived back at the cabin, Chad found Harry in the kitchen, listening to the ham radio.

“What’s going on?” Chad asked, taking a seat at the table.

“The president is about to address the nation.”

Chad’s expression hardened. President Combs hadn’t made a peep since the lights went out. Everyone was under the impression that he was hiding or the worst might have happened. Why wait all this time to speak to the citizens that he was supposed to be taking care of?

Harry placed his hand over the volume knob and turned the dial. The deep, authoritative voice that belonged to President Combs spoke over the radio.

“I, President Combs of the United States of America, would like to apologize to all Americans for not addressing you earlier. We had severe communications issues that prevented me from communicating with you all. Once again, my sincerest apologies.”

President Combs cleared his throat. “As you all must be aware by now, one of our foreign adversaries, which happens to be China, detonated multiple EMP weapons all over the United States, which decimated the grid and knocked out all of our electricity. We are working on restoring power, but the damage has been catastrophic. I will be honest with you and not hold any punches. It may take years before electricity is fully restored in the country.”

Chad’s skin crawled with disgust.

Years? This country didn’t have “years” to wait. Major cities were descending into complete chaos and people were losing their lives because of violence, starvation, and lack of medical services. The lack of preparation by most people for an event like this would cause a cataclysmic loss of life. Failure to restore the grid within the year would lead to things turning from bad to worse.

“We are asking all Americans to be strong. We are a resilient country and we will get through this as long as we work together and have each other’s backs. Thanks for tuning in to this brief address. You will hear from me in the coming weeks. God bless America.”

Chad stood up, went to the wall, and leaned back on it with his arms folded. He stared at the ham radio with a frown on his face. His spirits were sunk after hearing what they’d just heard.

“Honest question for you, Harry. Do you think they are going to restore the government?”

Harry turned to Chad and shrugged. “My guess is that they are working on getting it fully functional. But it will take months for that to happen. President Combs wants everyone to believe that the government is stable, but those who aren’t sheep know that isn’t the truth. The president doesn’t want Americans to think they are disorganized because that will cause widespread panic and dissent.”

“I think I’ve heard and seen enough for the day,” Chad said, turning to walk out of the kitchen. “Have a good night, Harry. See you in the morning.”

Harry waved. He slid on his headphones and went back to listening to the ham radio.

Chad walked into his room and found Julie under the covers, fast asleep. He kissed her on the cheek and slid under the covers next to her.

Around six a.m., the radio crackled with Harry’s voice on the other end calling Chad’s name.

“Hey, Chad. It’s Harry. I need you to wake up and meet me at the roadblock. Come as fast as you can. It’s urgent.”

Chad sat straight up and wiped the crust from his eyes. He grabbed the radio from the bedside table and pressed the talk key.

“Hear you loud and clear, Harry. I’ll be down in a few minutes.”

Chad stood up and stretched his arms to the ceiling. He let out a loud yawn and put on his blue jeans hanging on the chair. Instead of searching for a fresh shirt to wear, he put on the one he’d worn the day before because he was in a hurry.

“Where are you going so early?” Julie asked sleepily as she turned around on the bed.

“I’m going to meet Harry at the roadblock. Something happened.”

“Okay. Be careful, hon.”

Chad leaned over and kissed Julie’s forehead. He walked out of the room and shut the door.

He bolted out of the front door and sprinted toward the roadblock. He took sharp breaths as wind whipped his face. His mind raced with different scenarios as to why Harry had called him to come to the roadblock.

As soon as he came closer to the roadblock, he spotted Sheriff Harper standing with Harry and Larry. The sheriff had a dejected look on his face as Chad approached.

“What’s going on?” Chad asked as he placed his hands on his hips, his chest rising and falling with rapid breaths.

Sheriff Harper turned towards Chad, his mouth set in a hard line.

“Chad. This morning I found the body of my deputy guarding Big Smooth’s cell overnight with a gunshot wound to his chest. Big Smooth has escaped and we don’t have any idea where he went.”

Chad’s world once again turned upside down. He’d thought the ordeal with Big Smooth and the Midnight Snakes was over, but he was totally wrong. Big Smooth had made good on his promise. They certainly had not seen the last of him.

BEFORE YOU GO…

I hope you enjoyed this book and have considered getting prepared for the economic collapse that will hit our country. If you enjoyed this book, please leave a short review on Amazon. Reviews help this book get seen. Go to the link below or tap it on a web device. Thanks, I appreciate it!

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BOOK 2 - ‘NATION OF CHAOS’ IS COMING SOON!

Book 2 of the American EMP Survival Thriller, titled ‘Nation of Chaos’ will be released soon.

Stay tuned!

NEWSLETTER

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Michael Saint Anthony is a writer in the sci-fi, post-apocalyptic/dystopian genre and enjoys reading these sorts of books. Post-apocalyptic & SHTF scenarios has made him think seriously about potential disasters that could hit America and if he’s prepared enough to survive them. He also like playing video games, working out at the gym, traveling, and living life to the fullest. If you have any questions, feel free to contact him using the communication channels below.

Author Website: michaelsaintanthony.com

Email: michael@michaelsaintanthony.com