Edge of Fear: An EMP Post-Apocalyptic Survival Prepper Series (American Fallout Book 3) Alex Gunwick (free reads .txt) 📖

Luke nodded gravely.

“I don’t know. I keep going back and forth about engaging with them. What if we just stayed here all winter? They probably won’t survive. And will they even be able to find this place?” Liz was hesitant to endorse taking on the Children of the Bomb. She couldn’t bear any more loss.

“Honey, we’ve been through this.” Luke’s tone was gentle. “None of us are safe while they’re still out there. There won’t be peace. They already tried to kill me at the cabin. They killed Sierra. We have to take them out before they get us.”

“You’re making my point for me. We’ve already lost Sierra. I almost lost you, too. It’s too great a risk. I can’t lose you or Kyle. I can’t take any more loss.” Tears welled in her eyes. Luke put his big hand on her thigh, squeezing it gently and fixing her with an intense gaze.

“That’s exactly why we have get rid of them. These people aren’t rational. They’re fanatics. I dealt with people like them overseas. Different god, maybe, but the same story. There’s no reasoning with them. No negotiating. There is only blood. The only question is, will it be ours or theirs?”

Liz sighed. He was right. She hated putting her family at risk, but what choice did she have? If the cult found the bunker, Liz and what was left of her family would be screwed. They still hadn’t found a second way in and out of the bunker, but there had to be one.

Taking out the cult members one by one was the right thing to do. Sitting around hoping they wouldn’t be found was foolish, and she was smarter than that. She slowly nodded her head, steeling her resolve and silently vowing to do everything in her power to take down the cult once and for all.

20

Derek lay prone on the ridge above the bunker. He searched the clearing below through his binoculars. Liz had reported seeing several dozen people down there the previous night, but he didn’t see anyone now.

He could, however, make out the ashes from a few fires, so he had no reason to doubt they’d been there. But there was one question nagging at him. Were those people members of the cult, or were they innocent people passing through the area?

It seemed highly unlikely that such a large group of people would be on this part of the mountain unless they were connected to the Children of the Bomb. With winter coming on fast, most people wouldn’t be foolish enough to travel through the mountains without the assurance of a safe destination. Were the COB bastards recruiting more people to their cause?

The COB already had them outnumbered, and Derek didn’t like the idea of those odds tipping even further. Though, when it came to actually fighting them, he was pretty sure that he and Luke could take on the whole cult.

They could have picked up a few ex-military along the way. Derek had known a few unbalanced soldiers, but he doubted they’d be amenable to the particular brand of crazy these people were selling. Even if there were soldiers in their ranks, there couldn’t be more than one or two in a group that size.

Ultimately, it was pointless to theorize about it. He’d have to get a closer look at their base of operations if he and Luke were going to formulate an effective combat strategy. He carefully scanned the clearing and the surrounding woods again through his binoculars. There was no sign of human activity.

Satisfied that the area was deserted, at least for the time being, he made his way back down the ridge and hobbled down the slope toward the clearing.

He paused in the woods at the edge of the clearing, scanning his surroundings and listening intently for movement. He saw nothing out of the ordinary and heard only the familiar bird-sounds of the forest.

He crept into the campsite, seeking some clue as to the intentions of those who’d been here. He found a few crushed beer cans, energy bar wrappers, and dozens of cigarette butts. Sifting through the ashes of the fires with the toe of his boot, he uncovered a few half-burned beer cans and some charred animal bones.

Based on the little evidence available to him, he felt confident that whoever these people were, they weren’t military. Any significant military training would probably have taught them not to leave behind such a mess.

It was encouraging. The sloppy campsite spoke to a lack of discipline, which he could’ve already predicted from the shoddy assault they’d mounted on Luke’s cabin. Based on what he’d seen of them so far, he figured there wasn’t a single soldier in the bunch.

After poking around the campsite, he spotted crushed vegetation at one edge. He located a narrow path that had been trampled by a dozen or more boots and tennis shoes.

He followed the path through the woods, moving carefully and quietly. No sentries appeared to be posted around the camp, but he had to be careful. He wanted to avoid conflict until his gashed leg and the stitches in his side had time to heal. He cringed at the thought of Sandy re-stitching him without any anesthetic. He sure as hell didn’t want to go through that again.

Farther down the path, he came across a few scattered cigarette butts and a couple of energy bar wrappers.

“Savages.” He muttered, annoyed by their lack of respect for the pristine mountain environment.

He continued to follow their tracks. As disgusted as he was by their trail of trash, he was also thankful for their careless actions. Following the slobs was easy. It wouldn’t be long before he located them.

He reached a hill that overlooked an alpine lake. Situated next to the lake was a large stone building that looked like an old park ranger station. About two dozen people milled around outside