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

Liz. “Look, honey, Derek and I are trained for this. It’s what we do. You’re better off staying here so you can keep an eye on Kyle and the Wrights.”

“Who do you think took out the cult the first time? Raise your hand if it was you.” Liz raised her hand, then pretended to be astounded that nobody else had joined her. “Oh, was it just me? Did I do that? And where were you?” She jabbed a finger at him.

“That’s not fair,” Luke said. “I got to you as quickly as I could. I had a lot to deal with. You think it was easy coming down from NorCal, mostly on foot? You don’t know half the shit I had to deal with.”

“While you were away, I had to step up and protect our family. And that’s what I’m doing now. You don’t have the right to stop me.”

Luke and Derek exchanged glances. Derek shrugged. Luke sighed.

“Well, I’m glad that’s settled.” Liz pushed past him and headed for the tunnel exit. She at the threshold. “Well? What are you two ladies waiting for? Let’s go hunt some nutjobs.”

The two men scrambled to catch up.

Despite her bravado, Liz was internally torn about attacking the cultists. After all, some of them might not be bad people. They were just scared, and the cult offered protection.

Then her brow furrowed as she recalled the misery the COB cult had already caused her family. They were not innocent. Far from it. So what if they were scared? She was scared, and under all their gung-ho he-man bullshit, so were Derek and her husband. They had to be. If they weren’t, then they were just plain stupid.

The cult was never going to leave them alone. It was time to fight. She considered staying back in the safety of the shelter but decided against it. She couldn’t live with herself if anything happened to Luke. He was her rock. When they’d spoken their vows, they’d promised to protect each other. She intended to keep that promise.

The trio hiked in silence as the sun crept below the horizon. Darkness fell quickly. Every snapping twig or rustle in the bushes had her on edge. They were relying on as much information as they’d been able to gather over the last few days, but would it be enough? Being outnumbered was a problem. But being outsmarted would be deadly.

After a couple of miles, Derek started checking the map Edwin had drawn for them.

“We should be getting close to the cave system entrance,” he whispered.

It took some searching, but they found the wide, rusty pipe thrusting up out of the ground very close to where Edwin had marked it on the map. Liz breathed a small sigh of relief. They were relying on the older man’s twenty-year-old memories, but so far, they were accurate.

Plywood covered most of the pipe. They removed it only to find a metal grate sealing the pipe shut with a padlocked chain. Derek picked the lock. As he pulled open the grate, it screeched from lack of use. Derek froze. His eyes widened as he glanced from Liz to Luke.

Luke held a finger up as if to silence everyone. None of them moved. Liz listened intently, but after a minute, she didn’t hear anything concerning.

“I’ll go first,” Luke murmured against her ear.

She nodded.

Luke hoisted himself into the pipe. He climbed down a narrow ladder made of rebar. When he vanished into the darkness, Derek motioned for her to go next.

She grabbed the edge of the pipe and swung a leg over. As she started down the ladder, the rough edges cut into Liz’s hands. She wished she’d worn work gloves, but it was too late to go back and get them.

Once they reached the bottom, they waded through knee-deep water. They sloshed through the murky gloom until they found the exit ladder. This one had broken about four feet off the floor. Luke gave Liz a boost up before making the ascent himself.

Liz reached the surface first. A metal grate capped the pipe, but it was not locked. She swung it open. Fortunately, this one made much less noise. The hinges opened silently. She crackled out then helped the guys up. They stood in the copse of trees, a few yards from the compound.

Luke motioned everyone into a huddle. He spoke in a low tone, almost a whisper.

“Once we get inside, we’re headed straight for the generator room. Derek and I will take care of anyone we come across, quietly. Liz, your job will be to provide cover for us if we need it. Understand?”

Liz nodded grimly. All she had to do was picture Sierra’s lifeless body and the prospect of shooting people became a whole lot easier. The cult needed to pay for what they’d done, and Liz was ready to send them all to hell if that’s what it took to protect her family.

Luke ran in a low crouch until he reached the back porch. He huddled in the shadows near the rear exit and motioned for the others to follow. Derek went next. Then Liz followed.

Once they all stood on the porch, Luke peered in through the narrow rectangle of glass set in the door. He tested the doorknob. It was unlocked, and he opened the door without a sound.

Silently, the trio made their way through a food storage area. Luke reached the entrance to a hallway, flattened himself against the wall, and motioned for the others to hide. Liz crouched behind a stack of canned food and waited. Her sweaty palms slipped on the stock of her rifle. She quickly regained her hold on it.

A cultist came into the room, whistling a ditty and munching on a granola bar. He walked right past Luke without seeing him. Luke sprang into action, wrapping his arms around the man’s neck in a chokehold. The cultist’s mouth opened, but he only had a moment before Luke jerked and twisted his arms, snapping the