Families First: A Post-Apocalyptic Next-World Series Volume 6 Battle Grounds by Lance Ewing (ereader for comics .txt) 📕

until that comes to a head. They have been fighting off and on over the years about land of much less significance, but they are the two most populous countries on earth, and everybody has to eat. That’s where people like me and you, if you are up to the task, shine. Our job will be nothing short of saving our great country, and I’m afraid it may be more than even you can stomach.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m talking about scuba diving fifty miles off the coast to plant a device on a ship full of would-be occupiers and sinking it before it hits our port. Or blowing up an entire port so ships can’t dock or refuel, stranding them halfway between here and home.”

“No, you’re right,” said Mike. “That’s not me at all,” he said, walking back into the conference room.

“I will be here for the Battle and then will move on,” Mike said, getting looks from Lonnie and Vlad.

“I figured he made a deal with Sergio and already had a job lined up,” Lonnie whispered to Vlad.

“I will stay to fight before leaving, as well,” said Sergio.

The meeting ended quickly with only a few more clarifying questions from the Council.

* * * *

“I was just testing you back there,” said Sergio to Mike. “The guys I’m talking about are out there. They exist, and I’ve met a few. They will sink an entire ship of men, women and children without a second thought. Bring down a passenger airliner, crashing to earth, and sleep well that same night. You’re not one of those, and neither am I. We, you and I, are dead set in the middle of the pack and only kill bad guys.

“I kill bad men, or at least those shooting at me first. I’ve only ever killed one woman dressed as a man, and never a child. You’re the same—‘honor among thieves,’ they call it. Not enough remorse to be a boy scout, but enough to only punish the bad men. There is a spot for us in this Next-World—a most important one, at that. I was considering asking Ronna for a special assignment. Now, with you, I’m sure of it.”

“What are you thinking?” asked Mike.

“Me and you out on our own but with the backing of the United States Military. We do what we have already done. Infiltrate groups looking to do us harm. Baker is the one you have heard of, but not the only one, by a long shot.”

“Okay, I’m in, on one condition,” replied Mike.

“What’s that?” asked Sergio.

“I want to know why my old boxing trainer, Joey, was hired and paid up front to put up boxing rings in FEMA camps a whole two weeks before the EMP hit.”

“Okay, anything else?”

“Where is the President, Vice-President, Congress and the Senate?”

Sergio laughed. “It’s funny you should ask those things, but before I tell you anything I need to know if you’re in. Not like, ‘I’ll join the team and see how I like it,’ but ‘yes, I’m in and will spill my blood before letting anyone harm our Government.’ Take your time. It’s a big decision, and you don’t have to answer now, but soon.”

* * * *

Mike met with Vlad and Anna, Joy and me before asking Javi to join in.

The whole thing went as one might expect, with Javi voicing feelings of abandonment at first, and eventually understanding, as only a young boy could, that he would be taken care of and get to stay with his friends. His dad would be off in far lands fighting for good, like a superhero, but not before fighting bad guys here first.

“Are you up for this, Anna?” asked Vlad.

“If I wasn’t, would you still do it?” she replied.

“In a Moscow minute,” he told her, getting a smile.

“I don’t think that’s the expression,” she said, “but you have said all I need to hear. Yes, yes, I am up for it and will love every minute of it,” she added, showing off her perfect teeth and bright blue eyes.

“Sign right here, and here…initial here and here,” Vlad said, joking.

* * * *

Mike asked Sergio outside, carrying four beers. “It’s a beer summit!” said Sergio. “Am I right?”

“Something like that. I’m in for all of it that we agreed to.”

“Okay, then here’s what I can tell you and it doesn’t leave this bench,” said Sergio.

“Your guy Joey and the other guy, Pauly, worked at the boxing gym the Colonel used to train at, but you probably already know this.”

Mike nodded his head yes.

“They were hired beforehand because we knew of the attack a month prior to the day. North Korea, backed by China, had us locked in for months before. They had 9 EMP weapons in place, including the one on the satellite that the President said caused all this mess. It was actually a scud missile fired from a tanker ship off the coast of southwest Louisiana and detonated over the Midwest, causing a chain reaction of our power grids to fail. There were seven others in place besides the one on the satellite, and we couldn’t intercept them all.”

“How could we let that happen?” asked Mike.

“It’s just politics,” replied Sergio. “We have known about EMPs and what they do to power grids since the 1950s, but no administration gave it enough thought to harden our electrical grids against it. Sure, most Military aircraft and machinery are hardened, as is the White House and Air Force One. But we could never get both sides to agree to spend the money on the grids. In the end, we knew it was coming and couldn’t stop it, so we had the FEMA camps up and ready when it did. As to your second question about the location of the President, VP, Senate