Free Grid Attack (Cyber War #1) by Emerson Hawk

saltines.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 12 - Anthony
     
    “C’mon in man. You scared the shit out of us.” Tony said with a chuckle.
     
    “Thanks, man. I could smell the chili cooking from my house. Just wondered if you might want to trade some saltines for a bowl?” he asked.
     
    I glanced over to Kat who gave me a little glare. I knew she didn’t want to, but he was much closer a friend of ours than everyone else on the block.
     
    “Sure, Carl. Grab a bowl and help yourself.” She said, reluctantly.
     
    “Thanks, Kat.” He said as he made his way to the stove and then joined us at the table.
     
    “I can’t cook anything over at my house. All electric. No heat or hot water either.” He said. I felt a twinge of guilt. But just a twinge.
     
    I knew he had family in the area so it wasn’t like he needed us. I figured he would probably head to his brother’s house or his mother’s.
     
    “You planning on going to your mom’s and wait this thing out?” I asked.
     
    “Probably not. Things are actually probably better here than there.” He said.
     
    “How do you figure?” I asked. Inquiring minds want to know.
     
    “This.” He said, and pulled out a portable HAM radio and plopped it on the table. “I only turn it on every so often so I can find out what might be going on. But the battery is almost dead and I don’t have gas for the generator.”
     
    Carl grabbed a scoop of chili on the top of a cracker and shoved it in his mouth. Kat’s chili was known for being one of the best.
     
    “Even if I did have the gas, the generator is so loud, it would draw a lot of unwanted attention unless I put it inside. Of course, then I would die from carbon monoxide poisoning, so I am kinda fucked.” He chuckled at his predicament.
     
    Kat shook her head. “I wish I would have gotten at least ONE solar panel, dammit!” she said, looking at me.
     
    I knew what she was thinking. She had asked me a couple of times for us to set up a single panel just to use to charge things and I kept putting it off because I didn’t want to spend the money. The worst part was, it wouldn’t have been that expensive for a small setup that would at least charge some 12-volt batteries, so we could charge small things like phones, flashlights, and portable HAM radios.
     
    “I know, I know.” I said to her. Carl had no idea what I was talking about, but Katherine sure did.
     
    “I want to save the gas for my truck anyway. I’m not sure exactly what I need to do. Based on what I could tell, the National Guard was evacuating some places. I just don’t know which areas.” Carl said. He sighed as he finished shoveling chili in his mouth.
     
    There was a brief moment of silence as we all continued eating, watching the one candle flicker at the movement of the air.
     
    “Wait, I have an idea,” Kat said. “Babe, did you leave the ladder upstairs?” she asked.
     
    “Yes, it’s at the top of the landing, why?” I asked.
     
    She grabbed a flashlight and hurried up the stairs. I followed her up. Moving the attic door out of the way, she went up for a minute and then came back down with a box that said, ‘camping’ on the side.
     
    After putting the door back and coming down the stairs, she opened the box and pulled out something metal. It was an inverter that she had had from years back. It had two wires on it that you could attach to a car battery and use to power up items.
     
    “Most likely, we aren’t going to be taking both trucks anywhere. We can pull on of the batteries out, and hook this up to charge up the HAM radio!” Her excitement showed as she handed me the inverter.
     
    “I knew you were a smart cookie!” I said as I patted her on the butt. The same place that I smacked it earlier.
     
    We both let out a giggle, knowing exactly what I meant.
     
    Pat was done with his bowl of chili and had moved over to the couch.
     
    I handed him the inverter. “We can use this to charge