Free The Plague Years (Book 1): Hell is Empty and All the Devils Are Here by Mark Rounds

area with his tools hanging neatly on a peg board. David was a fair gunsmith on his own time, tinkering with guns for friends and family. It also held two freezers and a motorcycle in parts. A couple of metal shelving units lining the other wall held boxes of winter clothes, various military duffel bags, and some sporting goods. Lawn equipment was racked neatly by the door. Dave’s truck was parked in the drive and so the center of the garage should have been empty. It was filled with a collection of boxes, crates, and bags. Dave had it all labeled and neatly stacked.
    “Ok, over here,” said Dave pointing at a stack of boxes, “are twelve cases of bottled water. I am buying more all the time, but I am doing it in small lots so as not to arouse suspicion. I figure bad water is a distinct possibility.
    “I also bought a bunch of dried food. There is a little backpacking style freeze dried food but that has flown off the shelves in the last couple of months. I also have a couple of boxes of protein bars, granola bars and the like. I’d appreciate us not using them unless we have to move. It’s as good a tactical food as I can find right now. The freezers are full of stuff like bacon and ham that will keep if we lose power.
    “Most of the other stuff I have is things like beans, rice, flour, and split peas, stuff that is cheap but also dehydrated and long lasting,” said Dave gesturing at a stack of bags. It was clear Dave had spent more than a little time building racks to keep them off the floor and easier to get to.
    “What about vitamins and such,” asked Heather. “You can get scurvy, beri beri, and all sorts of nasties if you don’t get the right nutrients.”
    “Absolutely, which is why I have that box by your feet there,” said Dave. “It contains an interesting assortment of vitamins.
    “I also have picked up a portable Honda generator and a tri-fuel kit. After I apply some elbow grease, the generator should run on various grades of gas, propane, and natural gas. We will have power for quite a while as I also have the parts to connect it to the house’s natural gas feed.”
    “It’s weird some things can’t be found, guns and ammo are scarce as is dried food, but vitamins and anything related to health care is also pretty dear. That cost us a pretty penny because I also had to put together a pretty aggressive first aid kit. I got all kinds of antiseptics and prescription antibiotics from a friend who is still active and owed me one. I can handle things up to and including gunshot wounds.”
    “Who is going to be shooting at us?” asked Heather.
    “If I knew, I’d shoot them first,” said Dave with a smile. “Seriously though, if there is a situation where we have to use bottled water or there is a disruption in the food supply, some folks always think they can bully good people into doing what they want. I aim to see it doesn’t happen.
    “I have also picked up some four by fours, ply wood, all the barbed wired I could find, and some sacking material. If the place looks like a tough nut to crack, maybe the bad folks will go elsewhere, but that will only last so long so I also picked out a couple firearms for you Chad.”
    “Chad has guns,” said Mary testily. Chad and Mary had a very different view of firearms.
    “Mary, Chad has an AR-15 which is similar to the rifle he qualified with in the service and a Ruger GP-100 in .357 magnum. Add to that a Ruger 10/22 rifle and a Ruger Mark 2 target pistol to train the kids and that’s all. And I’ll bet that he doesn’t have more than a hundred rounds for any of them.”
    “We aren’t going to a gun fight!”
    “Best way to stay out of one is to be prepared for one. Besides, Connor is 6’2” and 180 lbs. He isn’t a boy anymore. He could be a real help in facing down a gang banger who ….”
    “Chad, talk to him!” said Mary interrupting David. “It’s not going to get that bad is it?”
    “Mary, I really don’t know,” said Chad.