Edge of Fear: An EMP Post-Apocalyptic Survival Prepper Series (American Fallout Book 3) by Alex Gunwick (rooftoppers .txt) 📕

She laughed, shrugging. “Why not?”

They started over toward the console. He draped his arm around her shoulders, and she slipped her arm around his waist. He tried to enjoy the moment, but he couldn’t. The cult was still a huge threat and the still-missing water purification system troubled him. He hoped Derek would return from his reconnaissance with some valuable intelligence about the enemy. Luke was looking forward to formulating an attack plan. They’d deal with one problem at a time until they were safe enough to survive the winter.

22

Luke stood beneath the flickering fluorescent lights in the workout room. He preferred to exercise beneath the open sky, but security dictated he remain in the bunker. It was strange, going days without seeing the sun or the sky.

Yesterday, Liz declared that each family member needed to go outside in daylight for at least twenty minutes a day. She kept saying something about vitamin D deficiency and the immune system. Since they hadn’t found any additional vitamin supplements in the bunker, he agreed with her. The last they needed was to get sick.

Despite her insistence, he found it challenging to find the time to get outside. They had to be cautious so that they wouldn’t be discovered. They planned on going out as a group to have more protection, but no one could decide when to go. Potential danger filled every hour of daylight. They’d tabled the decision until they could figure out a plan.

Luke stretched out on the floor and started pumping out push-ups. When he reached one hundred reps, pain hit hard. The wounds sustained during his cabin assault had not fully healed. Perhaps they never would. But Luke was determined not to accept any limitations. He insisted on matching his previous routine, and that meant three hundred standard push-ups, then one hundred fifty on his knuckles.

Pain spread like fire through his shoulders and arms. Memories of an angry drill sergeant pressing a boot between his shoulder blades sprang to mind. Getting through to the end of his reps was pure torture, but Luke finished the set.

Despite his willpower, he gasped for air for a good three minutes while lying on the floor. He was still on his back when his wife happened upon him. He saw her upside-down face when she bent over him,

“Are you dying?” she asked, a hint of amusement in her tone.

“No.” His voice came out rough, so he coughed. “No.”

“That’s good. Derek’s back.”

“He is?” Luke rolled up to his feet, his weariness forgotten. Ignoring his body’s protests, he shook out his limbs. He pulled on his shirt then cracked his neck.

“You’re going to get arthritis,” she grumbled.

“Old wives’ tale.” He grinned while she rolled her eyes. “Is he in the main room?”

“Yep.” She turned on her heel and headed back down the hall.

Luke found Derek sitting on a crate, snacking on an energy bar. Kyle was eagerly pressing him for details about his extended expedition.

“Did you kill anybody? Did you?” Kyle asked.

Luke’s mouth twitched into a glower. He stood behind his son and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Derek didn’t kill anyone. That would be a damn foolhardy thing to do, and Derek is no fool. Right?” Luke stared at Derek.

“No, I didn’t kill anyone. They never even saw me or knew I was there,” Derek said.

Luke put his hand on Kyle’s shoulder. “Son, it may be necessary to kill at times to protect the people you care about, but it should never be the first course of action. When you end a man’s life, you take away his past, present, and future. You’d better be sure it’s necessary before you pull the trigger.”

“But what if someone’s a bad dude, Dad? Like the original cult leader?” Kyle’s voice held a note of challenge. “I mean, what if they deserve it?”

“Yeah. What if they deserve to die?” Derek raised a brow. A slight smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.

Luke turned Kyle around and knelt before him. “It’s not always easy to know when it’s time for someone to die. It’s not always clear. I’d love to tell you the world is black and white. I’d love to tell you it’s good guys and bad guys, but it’s not. It’s all shades of gray. To the cultists, we’re the bad guys. We might fight them. We might kill them. But we do it because it’s necessary. Do you understand? We don’t get to decide if they deserve to die. But we can defend ourselves.”

Kyle frowned, but he nodded. “I think I get it, Dad.”

“Why don’t you run along and find out if the Wrights need help with anything?”

“I want to hear what Derek has to report.”

“You will. But right now, I need your manpower where it benefits us most. Edwin and Sandy are going to help you put your unique skill set to work.”

“They’re just going to have me mop and dust.” Kyle rolled his eyes.

“Probably. Now scoot.”

Once the boy departed, Luke turned to Derek. He was about to speak when Liz strolled in. She eyed Derek warily.

“How’d it go?” she asked.

“I’ve been watching these clowns. They’re the biggest bunch of rank amateur, weekend warrior, answer ads in the back of Soldier of Fortune magazine posers I’ve ever seen.”

“I take it you’re not impressed with their organizational skills?” Luke asked wryly.

“That’s putting it mildly.” Derek laughed. “They don’t set sentries. They don’t have fortifications other than one old limestone building. They clutter up the woods with their filth and trash. I could track them for days and they’d never see me. I could probably sneak right up and slit their throats.”

“What about armament? What kind of weapons are we dealing with?” Luke asked.

“That’s one area they do have covered pretty well. I saw M19s, semi-automatic pistols, both 9 and 10mm, some shottys, and at least two XM205s.”

“Oh, shit. Two XM205s? How the hell did they get those?” Luke asked.

“Beats me.” Derek shrugged. “Maybe they found some rich asshole’s arsenal.”

“Ah, gentlemen,