Free Breakout (Final Dawn) by Darrell Maloney Page B

think they’re going to prosecute anybody for doing things they had to do to survive. Shot, they’d have to prosecute everybody, probably. Including maybe themselves.
         “So no, I don’t think you have a legal dilemma at all. If you don’t take it somebody else will. But it’s a damn safe bet that the corporations that once owned it aren’t getting it back again.
         “In my opinion, the only dilemma you have is a moral one. Do you think God would approve? I think that God enabled us to survive to help repopulate and rebuild His earth. And I think He would want us to use whatever was at our disposal to do that. So if it was up to me to make that decision, or if I get a vote, I say go for it. Pick the best trailers and bring them back here, before other survivors beat you to it.”
         “Thank you, John. What are you going to do with the radio logbook?”
         “We’ll leave it right here on the counter, next to the activity log. Anybody who’s curious can pick it up and read it anytime. And if we happen to hear anything important, we can discuss it at our weekly get togethers.”
         “Thank you, John. You’ve been a big help.”
         Mark took Hannah’s hand and they walked to room 112, which had been designated as the grade school for the younger children. At the present time, there were only four children in the grade school. Little Markie was the youngest, but according to Karen, the teacher, he was also the most inquisitive and the one most eager to learn.
         It was almost three p.m., and time to get out for the day.
         They’d promised him that if he behaved in school, they’d let him help feed the pigs and chickens before dinner.
         Markie loved feeding the pigs and chickens. Because he made them earn their food by letting him chase them around their pens first.
         And Hannah liked watching him. There had been so few things in Markie’s young life that allowed him to just be a boy, and have fun. This was one of them, and it brought Hannah at least as much joy as it did for Markie.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 17
     
         During the years they’ d been in the mine, the group had done a great job taking care of their vehicles. One of the bays in the back of the mine had been designated the group’s motor pool. That was where all of the vehicles were stored and closely cared for by two volunteers.
         The vehicles were started twice a week and allowed to run for several minutes to keep the engines lubricated and the batteries charged. They were even driven short distances periodically to keep the wheel bearing grease from settling.
         As a result, all of the vehicles were in good running condition when they were relocated from the mine to the compound next door.
         Including the two Kenworth trucks.
         Bryan was much more experienced as a driver. During the preparations to the mine in the months before Saris 7 struck the earth, he’d gone to a commercial driving school. He’d gotten his trucker’s license, and had been certified to drive a fuel tanker. And then he’d leased a tanker and driven it to and from Corpus Christi to purchase diesel fuel in bulk.
         That’s where the diesel that had powered the mine’s generators had come from.
         So even though it had been many years since he’d driven a tractor trailer, Bryan was fairly experienced in doing so.
         And he found it was a lot like riding a bicycle. Once you did it, you never really forgot how.
         Brad knew how to drive a rig from his Army days in Kaiserslautern, Germany. His job was driving big rigs with tanks on the back, to and from maintenance depots.
         The three of them went together again: Mark, Bryan and Brad. Ju st like when they went to pick up the seed planting rig.
         Actually, they could have gone without