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

only served to pique his interest further. He wanted to see the weapon that had changed his life so profoundly.

But those weren’t the only options he considered. He thought there might be another hidden entrance to the bunker. Or perhaps the door protected something even cooler, like proof that aliens existed. Maybe it even had alien bodies inside!

These were the thoughts running through his mind as he attempted to push the door open again. He strained until spots danced before his eyes.

“Open up you fuc—”

Suddenly, the stubborn door gave way. He couldn’t shift his weight back fast enough. He flew forward, sprawling into the passage on the other side.

Kyle scrambled to his feet. His eyes went wide. A pair of massive metal tanks dominated the room. They stood about ten feet apart and had to be almost fifteen feet high. A series of pipes connected the two containers at different intervals.

This could be it! It could be the water purification system.

He moved toward a dusty control panel. He studied it for a second before looking around the rest of the room.

Another passage led out of the chamber. It didn’t have a door, and it was dark. He kept a wary eye on it, hoping monsters wouldn’t come running out of it. They hadn’t seen zombies yet, but that didn’t mean they wouldn’t. He knew a little bit about radiation and how bad it was. His best friend’s mom had it, and all her hair fell out. She looked like a zombie until she got better. Thankfully, she’d been doing fine the last time he’d seen her. He hoped she and his friend survived.

He quickly shook away the thought. He didn’t like remembering his friends because there was a good chance they were all dead now.

Kyle returned to the control panel. He blew across the keyboard, kicking up a cloud of dirt that made him sniffle and cough. Wiping his nose, he sat down in the rolling chair nearby.

He examined the buttons. One had the word ‘intake’ scrawled across it, while the others were unmarked or the writing had degraded over time. The steel console and large raised buttons were a complete mystery. Why didn’t they have some sort of screen with a menu you could choose from? People in the Cold War sure were stupid. Even the cheapest mobile phone game had a better interface.

Over time, he managed to decipher a few more of the keys. It could be the fallout shelter’s water purification system, but it was hard to tell. However, one button said “water,” so maybe he was right.

Kyle’s heart beat faster. His mother would be so happy. Now they wouldn’t have to worry about running out of fresh water.

Elated by his find, he wrestled with the idea of going back to tell his mother the wonderful news. His gaze drifted to the short, gloomy passage. Could there be monsters locked up in another room down there?

Standing, he shook out his shoulders. He wasn’t a kid anymore. Darkness didn’t scare him. He’d already killed a man, and he’d do it again if he had to. Kyle decided to fully explore the secret passageway before he left.

He pulled a small penlight out of his back pocket. His dad told him never to go anywhere without it, so he always kept it on him. The minuscule light didn’t do much to illuminate the darkness, but it was better than nothing.

As he inched his way down the corridor, the hair on the back of his neck stood on end. He felt a breath on his neck, but when he spun around, no one was there.

“This is creepy as hell,” he muttered.

He slipped deeper into the hallway until he looked back and couldn’t see where he’d come from. Unnerved, he was just about to turn around and run when he spotted something glinting ahead. He tiptoed toward it.

“Whoa.” Kyle stood before another door. This one was thicker and looked heavier than most of the others in the shelter. In fact, it looked like it might be an exit. Maybe that breath he’d felt was actually air from outside.

An iron bar lay across the center of it. He heaved it up and set it aside. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the door open. To his surprise, it opened easily, as if someone was pulling from the other side. He stumbled a few steps into the next room and collided with another body.

“Oh, shit!” Kyle stared up into the bearded face of a strange man. The golden crucifix on his neck suggested he might be one of the cultists, but Kyle didn’t wait around to find out. He took one look at the man’s holstered pistol and turned to run for his life. He sprinted back toward the water purification room.

“Hey! Get back here!” The man’s feet pounded on the concrete behind him. “I ain’t gonna hurt you, kid. I just want to talk to you.”

“My mother says don’t talk to strangers,” Kyle shouted without turning around.

He cleared the door and ran into the main hallway. Instead of leading the guy back to his family, he lunged toward a stairwell. He leaped onto the railing and slid down it, picking up speed as he went.

The man had to slow his pace to take the stairs the old-fashioned way. Without a plan, Kyle fought against the panic threatening to strangle him. He came zipping off the rail at the bottom much faster than he’d expected. They made it look so easy in cartoons, but cartoons didn’t skin their knees and bruise their elbows.

When he hit the landing, he bounced across the floor. He scrambled to his feet and took off running again. A scream of pure terror burst from his lips. His attacker drew closer with each passing second.

Kyle glanced behind him. His pursuer drew his pistol.

Kyle returned his gaze forward. He almost fainted with relief when he came around a corner and saw his father. Luke took in the situation, drew his 9mm