Free Preppers of the Apocalypse - Part 1: Post Apocalyptic EMP Survival by Godsby Jim Page B

been a long
time coming, and he’d always known that. Somehow, he thought he might get away
with it. Just long for Georgia to… It didn’t matter. He was about to get his
head smashed in.
     
    As
Ash braced for the first blow, the crowd parted. A man pushed his way into the
middle. He faced the crowd and held out his hands to stop them moving closer.
     
    “This
isn’t going to solve squat,” he said. “All it's gonna get you is a night in
Ellie Ashurst's cells. And don’t think it’s not big enough for all you folks.
This bastard might have drained us dry, but the people of Pasture Down don’t
take an eye for an eye.”
     
    “I’ll
gladly take his eyes,” said the Knicks guy.
     
    “You’re
ignorant, Kenny Reedley. And it’s time you learned to stop your tongue running
away from your brain.”
     
    The
crowd, with their anger dissipated for the time being, began to drift away. Ash
breathed a sigh of relief. He knew he’d come close this time.
     
    “Thanks,”
he said to the man. “Didn’t catch your name?”
     
    The
man smiled sadly.
     
    “Shame
you can’t catch my name now, but you sure as hell had no problem cashing my
check. Name’s Tony Shore, you son of a bitch. Now you better leave town before
they start queuing up to kill you.”

Chapter 2
     
    When
night fell on a place like Pasture Downs, it fell fast. The sky above looked
like a black duvet sprinkled with silver glitter, and when the stars blinked,
it almost looked beautiful. Ash felt himself start to get drowsy, and that
wasn’t a good idea when he was going at seventy miles per hour. He wound down
the window and let the cold breeze slap his skin, but even that couldn’t cut through
the need to sleep.
     
    He
slowed the car to five miles per hour and then turned off the road. He killed
the engine. He was still over two hundred miles from the Bolton tunnel, the
only passage way through the Lantern mountain range that separated him from the
city. The geography around him reminded Ash of footage of the moon; nothing but
rocks and dirt for miles on end. Somewhere east of Pasture Down was a forest,
and apparently there was a national park nearby. If someone was in the mind for
it, they could get through to the city by driving over the mountains, but if
they decided to do that, they better have a week set aside for the trip.
     
    Ash
and his dad used to go on camping trips. They’d say bye to mom, load the van
and then head to the forest where they’d spend a week hunting, fishing and
brooding in silence. His dad always looked a little more content when he got
away from it all. Not happy, but just free from the crushing weight of his job
and having to support a family. He’d taught Ash a whole manner of survival skills
on their trips, but over the years Ash had let the knowledge slip from his
mind. He just hoped there would never come a time when he needed to remember it.
     
    He pulled
out his mobile and hit the speed-dial. Three rings later, a groggy woman answered.
     
    “You
better not be drunk,” she said.
     
    “Miss
you too, hon,” said Ash.
     
    Georgia
cleared her throat. She’d probably been in bed for a few hours. That was her
usual routine. TV until eight, then a book in bed until nine. It pretty much
went that way every night, especially since their last doctor’s appointment.
After seeing the doc, Ash decided to let her have her routine. There was no
point him making the effort to go to bed at the same time as her if there was
nothing doing. The baby wasn’t going to come without IVF, and Ash was going to
have to scam a few more towns until they could afford that.
     
    “Seriously,”
she said. “I’ve got a meeting at eight. I’m not in the mood for Drunken Ash
Time.”
     
    “Gimme
a break.”
     
    A
pause. Then she said “You sound upset.”
     
    He
reached under the chair of the driver’s seat and twisted the handle. The chair
reclined a little.
     
    “I’m
fine hon. Honestly. Listen, I’m coming back