Conflicted Home (The Survivalist Book 9) by A American (learn to read books TXT) 📕

When Linus Mitchell gets mad, really mad, if you’re paying attention, you’ll see it. A crimson line would slowly rise out of his collar and creep up and envelope his ears. Then those two furry caterpillars would start inching towards one another. Usually, when they met, the valve would pop. He glanced into the coffee cup sitting on the armrest of the chair; it was empty. Pop.

He jumped to his feet shouting. “Those rotten, gutless, spineless, panty-waisted, snot-nosed, fucking fucktards! Who the hell do they think they are to keep this kind of information from me? Need to know! Security? Bullshit!” He bellowed. “I got my top-secret clearance when those two twats were still shitting yellow and sucking on their momma’s tit! I’m going to wring their fucking necks like the chicken shits they are!”

Inwardly, I was smiling. “What’s it matter?” I asked.

He paused and looked at me as though I’d just proclaimed myself king of Egypt. “What the hell do you mean, what’s it matter?” He practically spat the last part.

“Just that. What difference does it make to us here, now? If there was a coup, it has no effect on us here. We still have to find food. We still have to get the power plant up and running. We still have to sniff around for Russians or Cubans. Doesn’t change anything for us.”

He stood there for a minute. Obviously, he heard what I said; he was looking right at me. But he stared at me like a man hearing one speak in a foreign language.

“The point is those two cocksuckers didn’t tell us! I don’t give a shit if there was a coup. It’s about damn time! Needed to happen a long time ago if you ask me.”

“So, you’re pissed you weren’t told? Are you fucking serious? Don’t you have your own back channel communications? You’ve got all that radio gear over at your place. Go find someone to talk to!”

It was like I slapped him in the side of the head. The old man stood there for a minute blinking. Then he spun on his heels and stomped off into Danny’s house. Ted was sitting on the porch and heard the entire exchange. “He’s pissed,” he said.

“No, he’s butt-hurt, and shouldn’t be.”

“He’s probably going to stomp Sheffield’s ass when he sees him.”

I shrugged. “Those two have been at one another since day one.”

The door flew open and the old man stomped out, coffee cup in hand and thermos tucked under his elbow. Ian was sitting on the barrel saddle and offered some conciliatory words, “Fuck ‘em, Top. We don’t need those assholes anyway.”

Sarge stopped and looked back. “Look here, you self-propelled sandbag. When I want your opinion, I’ll damn well give it to you!”

Ian laughed. “Holy shit, ain’t heard that one in a long time. But coming from a PX Ranger trench monkey, I’ll take it as a compliment.”

“PX Ranger my ass!” Sarge boomed. “I earned this tab!” He gave Ian the finger before turning and walking off.

“That should keep him occupied for the rest of the day,” I said, getting a laugh out of Ian. “Where are the rest of the guys?”

Ian nodded towards the road. “They’re up at the bunker or off in the woods jerking off I guess.”

I shook my head and laughed. I could hear the laughs of children coming from the backyard and stood up. “I’m going to see what sort of trouble those youngins are getting into back there.”

Walking around the porch, the laughing grew louder. Thad and Danny were back there with the kids. One of those old harp-style lawn sprinklers was going, slowly sweeping its arc of water into the air. Thad had little Edie on his shoulders. Danny had Jace on his, and they were running and jumping through the streams. Little Bit was running between them as they all laughed and squealed. I smiled and shook my head as I kicked off my shoes and pulled my shirt off.

“You better hurry up and get out there. That little girl needs her daddy,” I heard Kay say.

I looked over to see her relaxing on a chase lounge. She was holding a glass glistening with sweat in the heat of the day. “That’s just what I was thinking,” I replied.

Going out the screen door, I ran into the maelstrom of water and bodies and grabbed Little Bit up and swung her up onto my shoulders. She squealed with delight while I winced at the pain of my complaining ribs. But I ignored it and joined in on the fun. We formed a pinwheel as we ran after one another, jumping through the water and trying to catch the one in front of us and escape the one behind.

“We’re going to get you, Morgan!” Thad called from behind me.

“Get the Sheriff!” Jace called out.

“Run, daddy, run!” Little Bit shouted.

It went on like that for a long time. Far longer than I personally wanted, as I was sore. When Danny turned and ran into us, Edie and Little Bit grappled for a moment as they giggled. There was a small play pool set up and I headed for it, where I dumped Little Bit with a splash. It wasn’t long before the other two kids were in it as well.

I walked over to a shady spot where several folding camp chairs were set up. Thad and Danny soon joined me. We sat in the shade and relaxed, still wet from the fun. It was cool as the water dried from our bodies. We laughed as Little Bit pulled the sprinkler over to spray on the pool.

“Looks like they’re having fun,” I said.

“Oh, to be a child again,” Thad replied.

“Anything going on in town?” Danny asked.

I told them about the engineers working on the power lines and about my visit to the farm and the frenzied harvest going on there.

“It’s about time,” Thad said. “We need that food.”

“I brought some home. They made me take it.”

“Good; we should get