Free Post Grid: An Arizona EMP Adventure by Tony Martineau Page A

brought enough for three days. The way I count it, that gives us each a day and a half, two days if we both go hungry most of it. It doesn't allow for any delays either. Two, people will become more desperate by the minute and be willing to kill for what they think we have. And three, I hate to remind you but that bullet has to come out, and soon too.”
    Kelly guided the horses about a hundred feet off the highway to avoid the people walking west. This made it rough going for Jared because of the brush and uneven terrain. In many places, it slowed their pace to a crawl.
    As they traveled, Kelly talked out loud so that Jared could hear her thoughts.
    “I figure it's about sixty miles between Fountain Hills and Payson. If people had been stranded on the highway, they would wait for several hours for help and then start walking. They would go north to Payson or south toward the big cities. In either case, at three miles per hour—the average human walking speed—it would take them twenty hours to get to their destination. Families and the elderly will take longer. That means that the road will have people on it for several days. As time goes by, some will succumb to heat and dehydration. It's sad, but I can't come up with a single remedy for them that doesn't put our own lives in jeopardy.”
    Jared didn't talk much; Kelly had to guess it was the pain and exhaustion. She watched him closely for signs that he was no longer able to ride.
    At about five o'clock, Kelly looked for a suitable campsite. The arroyo to their left, a dry creek bed, would do. She guided the horses further into the desert. When she found a good spot, Kelly helped Jared down from his horse and leaned him up against a small tree. Hastily, the nurse made her patient a place to lie on the sandy, dry river bottom. Rocks had to be moved from the area by hand, but the sand bar, overhung with branches, was relatively flat and smooth. A sleeping bag over a serape—a traditional Mexican wool blanket—would serve as a bed. The long day had taxed the injured deputy, but he never once complained.
    “Here, let me help you,” Kelly said, pointing to the makeshift accommodations. Jared took her arm and pulled himself to a standing position. The two moved together toward their destination. Jared stumbled but Kelly caught him. She got him to bed, then went back to her horse for something.
    “Here, take these.” Kelly held out two more pain pills.
    “You're an angel,” Jared said taking the pills and popping them into his mouth. He reached out and took the canteen. Their hands touched briefly and Kelly felt a definite spark at the contact.
    The pain pills hadn't had time to take effect, but that didn't stop the officer from falling asleep. Kelly set up a picket line between two small trees for the horses so they could graze on whatever green vegetation they could find without wandering away. The next task was preparing a meal.
    After an hour or so, a nice pile of wood was stacked next to the campfire, where water was heating for their noodles. Kelly wanted the firewood in case they needed it during the night, but she did not intend to keep a fire going any longer than it took her to heat water. It wasn't yet dark, but when the sun was fully down, a fire would be easy to spot in the desert. It would attract anyone looking for food and water. Kelly patted her trusty Ruger.
    Camp wasn't much, but the sun was setting and it made a brilliant display in the western sky. Arizona was known for its sunsets and for good reason. Many, like this one, filled the sky with brilliant colors that played among the clouds.
    Jared slept through dinner. They each had had a granola bar and plenty of water during their afternoon ride. Kelly thought it was more important that he get some rest. Dinner was a lonely affair that ended when she found herself sitting in the dark, admiring the stars. There was no ambient light from Phoenix, a city of four million people, to make the customary