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

“I’m not afraid to get violent when it’s necessary. But we shouldn’t go looking for trouble. In my experience, you’ll always find it. And we don’t know if they were talking about us. They could be targeting some other family. We’re not the only group on this mountain.”

Luke’s jaw worked silently as he chewed on her logic. He was pretty damn sure the cult’s new leader was talking about Liz and the kids, but she was right. They didn’t know for sure. Starting another war with them would only serve to strain their resources further. And they might be wasting bullets for nothing.

“All right, Liz. We’ll wait. I just hope we don’t regret this decision,” Luke said.

That seemed to end the meeting. Everyone exchanged silent glances, and then Edwin stood. “Well, me and the missus best get back to our cabin before dark. It’s going to get damn cold tonight. Come on, honey.”

Sandy took his hand. “We’ll see you all tomorrow.”

Everyone gradually dispersed, leaving Derek alone by the fireplace. He considered the situation. Luke was the only person taking the threat seriously. However, Derek also respected Liz. He could empathize with her desire to keep her family away from danger. Derek knew loss all too well.

His thoughts turned to the real reason he’d come up the mountain. Back when he’d served in the military, he’d heard about something that might ensure their survival, but he wasn’t sure if it was still on the mountain. He couldn’t tell anyone about it until he knew if it still existed. He didn’t want to get their hopes up. However, if he could find it, it would go a long way in helping them stay alive in a world without rule of law. The thing he sought was hidden somewhere in the woods. But where?

Derek grabbed his travel pack and his cheap but sturdy semi-automatic rifle. He decided he would go into the woods and search for it until he found it, or he wound up dead. Because if he didn’t locate it, they were all doomed. They wouldn’t survive a nuclear winter without it. No one wanted to face the truth except for him. He needed to do this. Their future depended on it.

For now, he would keep it a secret. Locating it wouldn’t be easy, but if he could find it, he could leverage it to gain more status within the group. Hell, they’d probably make him their leader. But he didn’t give a damn about status. He was only looking to survive, just like everyone else.

He exited the cabin and closed the door, making as little sound as possible. He couldn’t afford to be followed. Even if he found it, he wasn’t planning on revealing its location. The others would stay dependent on him as long as they didn’t discover the source of their newfound wealth. Keeping the location secret would keep him alive.

Derek figured he’d be able to hear most people who might stalk him, but Luke had trained his family to use stealth to move through the forest. That little punk Kyle could practically disappear if he held still long enough. Sierra would be easy to spot. Liz was much better than her daughter but still identifiable. Luke was the only one who would be a real problem. He and Derek possessed the same level of survival training. Luke could track him if Derek wasn’t careful. He had to stay alert, not just for the members of Luke’s family, but for the cult members, too. Everyone would kill to get their hands on what he was determined to find.

Despite his alertness, he didn’t notice the lean figure following him into the forest.

Sierra sighed as she sat on her bed, staring at her phone’s black screen. Just a few short weeks ago, the device was a window into an entire world of possibility. If she was hungry, the nicest restaurant in town could be located with a few taps of her finger. If she was lonely, a couple of swipes and she might find a hot guy to spend some time with. And if she wanted to hear the latest top ten songs, they would be readily available on her music app. Now the phone was a useless chunk of metal, glass, and plastic.

Stuck on the mountain, there was nothing to do. She was completely cut off from everything that had ever been important to her. Friends, social media, college culture. All gone because of those stupid nukes.

How could they do this to her? More than likely, a bunch of politicians had started this war. They’d ruined her life. It wasn’t fair. She was missing out on her chance to be young and free. All because some old white men had decided to blow each other up for silly reasons.

Unlike her father, Sierra was never much of a patriot. As long as she could do what she wanted and have a good time, she was happy. She wasn’t filled with righteous anger towards the enemies of America. Instead, most of her anger was directed at her parents. They were both clever people. Why did they have to make her life miserable in this ridiculous cabin? Sierra wasn’t a fan of “roughing it.” She wanted her creature comforts, her cell phone to work, and electricity. She wanted her life back.

She could never understand why people like the Wrights believed living on the mountain was so damn beautiful. Well, the Wrights were old, so they liked stuff like nature and sitting around staring at the clouds. So did her parents. Why, oh why, couldn’t she have been born into a rich family? Rich people didn’t go hide in the woods. They had guards and electricity, and they didn’t have to go out on patrol every other day.

Fortunately, she wasn’t totally stuck with her parents. There were other families around. And … there was Derek.

The ridiculously hot guy had saved her life several times. Derek was sexy as hell and smart.