Free Doing The Apocalypse Shuffle: Southern Prepper Adventure Fiction of Survival Grid Down (Old Preppers Die Hard Book 2) by Ron Foster Page B
Authors: Ron Foster
battery, my big rig can do the job quicker and better and handle more of a load so we are studying up on how to pump water or fix something to make ice with.” Farley declared and didn’t miss for a second that his standing in this little outpost of commerce had gone up three notches from the time he first came in the store.
“Ice? Seriously? You all got a way to make ice over there?” Barnett said incredulously.
“Well not quite yet, Smitty, that’s the insurance salesman that everybody bitches at cause they bought insurance from him that is pretty worthless now and the fact that he seems to have less than the rest of us when it comes to basic poor man or lake living skills, he has a portable icemaker that doesn’t work any more and I am going to try to either fix it and get it producing again or figure out how many batteries it takes to run one of those on a refrigerator. It’s a huge experiment with half remembered things by me and the truth is I don’t remember much when it comes to electronics math. The schoolteacher is trying to figure it out for me but we will get it done one day.” Farley declared enjoying the fix it or invent it talk all men sometimes enjoy.
“If you ever manage to get ice then you sure got yourself something special there, boy.” Barnett told Farley.
“Don’t you know it? Hopefully it wont be too long until I get it all worked out. Ha! I bet you lower your price on beer to me if I could trade you back with cold ones!” Farley said laughing.
“How much ice can one of them things, I think you said a portable maker, produce in a day, Farley?” Frazier asked and for once since the first time Farley had seen him put his rifle down and forgot about it as he engaged in this conversation.
“That one Smitty has got said it was rated at 30 lbs. of ice per day, so that’s about 3 good bags of ice. We can do it, I figure, because all those boats don’t have to be water ready and just like pooling the gas we are all dedicated to the cause. Everyone agreed the marine batteries off the boats that chipped in on the gas could go towards making us a communal battery bank to try for lights or running water. We plan on just keeping one motor boat up and running and the rest can sit at the docks or run off of trolling motors.” Farley said weaving his elaborate ruse on the fly that he was somehow settled in and living with several lakefront households.
“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
“You work that ice maker thing out, Farley, and then you come back and visit again real soon. Let’s see now, you said you got 20 gallons of gas for trading.” Barnett began.
“No cans included because the owners want them back.” Farley declared.
“Ah hell, go find something to put that gas in Frazier.” Barnett told him.
“How about I pour it in my car? Ok Barnett, I was just kidding, I am on it.” Frazier said and then set about finding something after Barnett raised his eyebrows at him about his joke.
“My current selling gas price when I can get it is $20.00 a gallon, might go up to $25 soon enough. I will give you $10.00 a gallon, man has got to make himself a profit.” Barnett said.
“Yea this man also has to make a profit, how about that, you give me $15, Barnett.” Farley said.
“I will see you in the middle at $12.50.” Barnett said offering his hand.
“Not so fast, Barnett, you are probably going to jack your selling price to $25 probably the very second I get out the door and besides if you don’t, $5 a gallon is more than a decent profit for you to make on gas. Hell, before this crap hit service stations were lucky to make a nickel or a dime off of it.” Farley declared.
“Well, I ain`t no service station. Take the $12.50, Farley, and I will throw in one chicken.” Barnett said with a grin.
“Holding out with a chicken, you are a piece of
“Ice? Seriously? You all got a way to make ice over there?” Barnett said incredulously.
“Well not quite yet, Smitty, that’s the insurance salesman that everybody bitches at cause they bought insurance from him that is pretty worthless now and the fact that he seems to have less than the rest of us when it comes to basic poor man or lake living skills, he has a portable icemaker that doesn’t work any more and I am going to try to either fix it and get it producing again or figure out how many batteries it takes to run one of those on a refrigerator. It’s a huge experiment with half remembered things by me and the truth is I don’t remember much when it comes to electronics math. The schoolteacher is trying to figure it out for me but we will get it done one day.” Farley declared enjoying the fix it or invent it talk all men sometimes enjoy.
“If you ever manage to get ice then you sure got yourself something special there, boy.” Barnett told Farley.
“Don’t you know it? Hopefully it wont be too long until I get it all worked out. Ha! I bet you lower your price on beer to me if I could trade you back with cold ones!” Farley said laughing.
“How much ice can one of them things, I think you said a portable maker, produce in a day, Farley?” Frazier asked and for once since the first time Farley had seen him put his rifle down and forgot about it as he engaged in this conversation.
“That one Smitty has got said it was rated at 30 lbs. of ice per day, so that’s about 3 good bags of ice. We can do it, I figure, because all those boats don’t have to be water ready and just like pooling the gas we are all dedicated to the cause. Everyone agreed the marine batteries off the boats that chipped in on the gas could go towards making us a communal battery bank to try for lights or running water. We plan on just keeping one motor boat up and running and the rest can sit at the docks or run off of trolling motors.” Farley said weaving his elaborate ruse on the fly that he was somehow settled in and living with several lakefront households.
“Appear weak when you are strong, and strong when you are weak.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
“You work that ice maker thing out, Farley, and then you come back and visit again real soon. Let’s see now, you said you got 20 gallons of gas for trading.” Barnett began.
“No cans included because the owners want them back.” Farley declared.
“Ah hell, go find something to put that gas in Frazier.” Barnett told him.
“How about I pour it in my car? Ok Barnett, I was just kidding, I am on it.” Frazier said and then set about finding something after Barnett raised his eyebrows at him about his joke.
“My current selling gas price when I can get it is $20.00 a gallon, might go up to $25 soon enough. I will give you $10.00 a gallon, man has got to make himself a profit.” Barnett said.
“Yea this man also has to make a profit, how about that, you give me $15, Barnett.” Farley said.
“I will see you in the middle at $12.50.” Barnett said offering his hand.
“Not so fast, Barnett, you are probably going to jack your selling price to $25 probably the very second I get out the door and besides if you don’t, $5 a gallon is more than a decent profit for you to make on gas. Hell, before this crap hit service stations were lucky to make a nickel or a dime off of it.” Farley declared.
“Well, I ain`t no service station. Take the $12.50, Farley, and I will throw in one chicken.” Barnett said with a grin.
“Holding out with a chicken, you are a piece of
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