Free Survival: After It Happened Book 1 by Devon C Ford

he saw prison as nothing but another ‘tour’ where he met old friends.
    He was a parasite, and Chloe was no better. They were thieves. Lazy people who believed that the world owed them everything, and if someone said no to them then they threatened and intimidated until they got their own way.
    Their parasitic lifestyle was about to meet an abrupt end, and neither of them had the slightest inclination.
     
    As dinner was ready, Dan blessedly drove up towing a small army trailer. Penny walked to intercept him, and Neil joined her having been briefed efficiently by her on their now resident squatters. They hadn’t seen Chloe or Callum since the incident, and assumed they were still inside.
    Dan wasn’t given time to explain what had happened with his trip, but the new equipment didn’t go unnoticed. They quickly filled him in about their troublesome new additions, and Penny saw his face descend into anger.
    “New rule; work together or get out. They’re leaving, now.” He turned to Neil and said “No guns, I’ll deal with this”
    Dan unlocked the padlock on the trailer and threw in all his new equipment. He went to meet the impending confrontation carrying no weapons but was armoured in a temper that neither Neil nor Penny had seen before. The temper was nothing new to him; he had learned to channel it, to focus it, to use it. He’d spent years dealing with scum like this, and now there were no disproportionate rules in place to protect them from him.
    He stomped towards the shop, ignoring everyone on the way as his adrenaline-fuelled muscles tensed in anticipation.
    He rounded the entrance to see Andrew flat against the wall, white with fear, and a chav leaning up into his face.
    “You” Dan growled “Put him down. Now.”
    Every word from him dripped with threat. Callum was either very brave, drunk or had no natural sense of self preservation.
    “Who the fuck does you think you is, yeah?” he droned. A carving knife was produced in his left hand, and he tried his hardest to swagger in Dan’s direction. Had he still been carrying firearms the situation would have formed differently, but Dan wanted this idiot to think he had the advantage; that Dan was yet another person he could bully and intimidate like he had his whole life. Andrew ran from the shop in panic.
    “Where’s your slag?” Dan barked at Callum, stopping him in his tracks.
    Rage contorted Callum’s face at the insult. The anger destabilised him, made him reckless as Dan knew it would.
    “Chloe!” Callum shouted, causing her to appear from round the corner with an armful of cigarette packets.
    “This fool thinks he’s a big man. He’s going to apologise for calling you a slag before I cut him up”
    “No, I’m not. She’s a slag, and you’re a little boy playing hard man. If you both leave now, I’ll let you go” Dan said in a very matter of fact way.
    He knew full well how this would play out, and he wanted it to be public. He wanted Callum to be shamed in front of the group, and he didn’t want to miss the opportunity to reinforce a learning point.
    Dan was calm whereas Callum was shaking with anger. He turned his back and walked outside, where Andrew’s panicked flight had drawn a crowd. The whole group was there to watch, as Dan looked along the line of scared and confused faces Callum erupted from the shop, helpfully shouting in rage to tell Dan exactly where he was. Screams and shouts of alarm erupted from the group.
    He stepped quickly to the side and kicked out at Callum’s knee as he passed. He dropped the knife and rolled around the floor, shocked and in pain. Dan walked around him, kicking the knife back to his grasp. Callum caught his breath, picked up the knife again in his left hand and lunged for him. He blocked the lunge, driving a forearm into Callum’s chest but he kept hold of him to stop him falling down. Dan pushed him away, and told him again. “I gave you the chance to leave unhurt, what happens now is on