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

Luke ducked but not before catching a glimpse of Derek slinking around the edge of the compound. He disappeared around the corner.

“I have no idea,” Luke said.

One of the cultists stepped out from behind a thick tree stump. He hurled a hand-sized object their way. As it sailed through the air, Luke recognized it as a grenade. Luke shot the man through his throat, killing him instantly, but it was too late to stop the deadly explosive.

“Down.” Luke slapped his palm on the back of Liz’s head and shoved her face-first into the dirt behind the boulder. A split second later, a tremendous bang set their ears ringing. Shrapnel peppered them, but they’d avoided a direct hit. For now.

“We have to kill their leader. It’s the only way to take the fight out of them.” Luke peered carefully over the boulder at the compound. No doubt it was full of adversaries, but he didn’t see any other option. “Their new preacher is probably hiding inside there.”

“Agreed.” Liz reloaded her rifle. “I’ve got one mag left. Let’s do it. Let’s go in.”

“No.” Luke fixed her with a flinty stare. “It’s too dangerous. I want you to run for the forest. I’ll cover you. Go back to the bunker. Make sure you’re not being followed.”

“Like hell I will—”

“Liz! It’s too dangerous. You can’t stay here.”

“There’s no fucking way I’m leaving you. Stop arguing with me and move!”

She took off running. Luke cursed and sent out a volley of fire to cover their sprint. Bullets tore up the ground behind them. They made it to the wall and raced around the side.

They spotted Derek through one of the windows. He bashed it out with his gun and fired at the men chasing Luke and Liz. Two cultists jerked like marionettes before falling face down. Smoke still trailed from the barrels of their weapons, but the men were dead.

Liz vaulted up through the broken window and landed inside, instinctively dropping into a crouch. Luke hopped in behind her. Derek put a finger to his lips. Luke looked left then right. The hallway was clear.

“Stay with Derek. I’m going to look for the real generator room.”

“Be careful,” Liz said.

“We’ll hunker down here and pick off anyone trying to get back inside,” Derek said. “Once you flip the lights, we’ll throw on the night vision and take out the rest of these assholes.”

“I’ll find it,” Luke said. “I’ll look for their leader too.”

He knew the old generator room was to his left, so he turned right. He slinked along the wall, carefully checking around corners before going into any rooms. So far, nothing.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard muted sounds, as if someone were talking somewhere upstairs. His instincts told him the cult leader would be on the top floor. Even though a basement would be far more secure, the man’s ego would demand he be able to look down on everything in his ‘kingdom’.

Shouts and pounding footsteps on the ceiling above his head spurred him on with greater urgency. He raced up the stairs and turned into a random room just as a group of cultists entered the hall. He’d missed them by a split second.

As they passed the room, he yanked his knife out, grabbed one, and slit his throat. The guy crumpled to the floor.

The second guy turned around, but he was too shocked to move. Luke stabbed him through the heart. The guy looked down at his chest, then back at Luke. As he stumbled back, Luke smirked and pulled it out.

Outside the building, the rat-a-tat-tat of gunfire pierced the air. Luke worried about Liz and Derek, but he couldn’t do anything to help them right now. He had to find the preacher and kill him.

Luke jogged toward the next hall. He reached the corner and peered up the darkened corridor. It seemed empty, but he wanted to check it out anyway.

Halfway down the hall, he spotted a second, more hidden staircase. The sound of someone speaking was louder. Luke was getting closer. He could feel it.

He eased a foot onto the first step, checking for creaks. By walking near the edges rather than the middle, he minimized the flex of the boards. Silently, he ascended the stairs.

When Luke was close to the top, he dropped down, laying across the steps on his belly. He peeked up, exposing only his head and shoulders. The upstairs hallway stretched for twenty feet before ending at a T-junction. It was hard to tell, but he believed the voices’ source came from the left corridor.

Luke rose silently, drawing his Browning M1911. Taking out multiple adversaries with a handgun was a challenge, but Luke was running out of options.

He flattened himself against the wall and sidestepped along the passage, blinking sweat out of his eyes. He worried about Liz and Derek. Other than the quick volley of gunfire earlier, it was silent now. The pregnant hush hanging over the place was unnerving.

When he reached the end of the hallway, he was close enough to hear the discussion in the next room.

“They’re going to kill us all,” a man simpered.

“Do not fear, my children, because the Lord of the Bomb is on our side. In his glorious name, we shall smite the ruin of these murderous heathens.” The speaker was definitely the same preacher Luke had heard before.

“But there must be dozens of them,” a man said. “We’re all going to die!”

Luke grinned at the sound of panic in the guy’s voice. He was right. One SEAL was easily worth twelve normal men, and he intended to kill every last one of them. It needed to happen if he was going to keep his family safe.

“No matter. Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am the Lord of the Bomb. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand and wash away the dirt to dust.” There was a moment