Free Take Back Denver by Algor X. Dennison

standing inside, and Ron noticed at least one AR-15 rifle.
    “ Who goes there?” one of them shouted through the bars while Ron, Rory, and Brad were still half a block away.
    “ Just a few good men heading northeast of here,” Brad called back.
    “ Well, if you plan on going through here you’ll have to surrender those guns and keep your hands in the air,” the guard called back. “We won’t stand for any more tricks from anybody. I mean it! We’re shooting to kill now, so don’t make any sudden moves.”
    Ron shook his head, grimacing at Rory’s stricken expression. “Can you believe these guys?”
    “ Hey, we’re not trying to mess with anybody. We’re trying to find his ex-wife,” Brad shouted back, pointed at Rory. “Can we get through to twelve-eleven Eastborn from here?”
    There was some private talk at the gate and then the guard called back, “Send one guy over here, unarmed, and we’ll chat. The other two just stay where you are, please.”
    Rory put down his weapon and walked to the gate, showing his empty hands. After a few minutes he came back and told Ron and Brad what he’d learned. “They said they have most of this area locked down and will only allow us through unarmed. But the block where Tiffany lives is inside of the no man’s land sandwiched between these guys and their rivals to the north, who have been raiding their gardens and eating their dogs and whatnot. It’s not going to be easy getting through.”
    Ron spat on the pavement. “Especially without any way to defend ourselves. No way am I going in there gun-naked.”
    Brad agreed. “I’m sorry, man. Isn’t there any other way in?”
    “ Not from what they said,” Rory replied. “They have patrolled walls and fences up between here and Gem Street, over to Paisley Avenue. And the territory beyond that is run by these rivals, who they say are really rough customers and won’t ask nicely for our guns.” He paused and then added, “None of them have heard of Tiffany. They said there aren’t many women of her age and description in this part of town, either, and they think it’s unlikely she’s even around any more.”
    Brad and Ron were silent.
    “ Look, guys, I have to do this,” Rory finally said. “I have to go in there and see what’s left, if there’s any trail of Tiffany’s whereabouts. I don’t expect you to go any farther with me. You’ve both been more than generous, and good friends. But this is where we’ll have to part ways.”
    Ron nodded. “If that’s the way you want it.”
    Brad and Ron shook hands with Rory, and Rory handed Ron his weapons.
    “ If you make it back our way, check in at Crested Butte,” Brad told Rory. “They can put you in contact with one of us, and we can come guide you in to the ranch.”
    “ Yeah, we’d love to have you any time,” Ron added.
    “ Okay. Thanks for everything, guys,” Rory told them. “Until then!”
    He sauntered over to the gate, feeling strangely unencumbered after so long carrying a gun. The guards let him through and soon he was out of sight. Ron and Brad turned to go, wondering what Rory’s fate might be.
     
     
     
    Chapter 10  :  Gloves Off
     
    At the ranch, DJ was starting to get quite a lot out of the radio. He was now plugged in to a fledgling ham network that was growing more robust by the day, thanks to his efforts to coordinate the installation of new stations in towns all along the Intermountain West. Most of the existing radio communications infrastructure had been lost to the EMP, but now it was starting to come back bit by bit in the towns around the region including Crested Butte.
    After one particularly productive conversation he came rushing into the dining room where those that remained at the ranch were eating lunch. “You guys, this is huge. Are you ready for this? Two old geezers I’m talking to in La Junta are saying that an army rolled through there a couple weeks back. They’ve only just managed to get a radio