EMP Post-Apocalyptic Survival by Hunt, James (acx book reading .TXT) 📗

Ben lingered by the horses and glanced down the creek where Jackson had walked, but he didn’t see the colonel anywhere along the water’s edge. There was a bend not too far ahead where Jackson could have walked around, but Ben didn’t know why Jackson would have gone that far.

The horses had finished drinking, and the longer Ben stood there alone, the more his imagination got the better of him. He tied off the horses and took his rifle as he quietly walked down the river’s edge.

Ben didn’t want to shout the colonel’s name lest he cause more trouble than was necessary, and when he finally turned the corner and he still didn’t see Jackson, he became frantic.

Ben glanced around, finding nothing but water, rocks, and trees. He spun in circles, feeling the panic grow inside of him. Had Jackson been taken? Did he run away? Was Ben about to walk into a trap?

Questions circling his mind, Ben didn’t even notice when Jackson emerged from some bushes and waved to catch Ben’s attention. By the time Ben noticed Jackson, he nearly yelled out before he saw Jackson press his finger to his lips to signal quiet.

Ben crossed the shallow creek and joined Jackson on the other side. Jackson gestured up the hill, and Ben followed, being mindful not to make too much noise.

They climbed the hillside opposite the road for a long time, but when Jackson finally stopped at a small plateau, Ben lay on his stomach beside him and saw why Jackson had chosen to be so quiet.

Ahead was a small clearing through a cluster of trees. The narrow opening they were looking through was almost too small to see anything, but once Jackson gently and carefully pulled back some of the bushes, he revealed a large camp.

From what Ben could see, there were a total of six men, all of them armed and all of them wearing the same insignia Ben had seen his brother wear. It was a team from The New Order, but there was no way to tell if this was the same group that had left the prison with the scientist’s piece of the nuclear device.

Once Ben had seen what Jackson had found, the colonel motioned for them to back up, and then they quickly but quietly descended the mountain. They hurried back to their horses, and once they were out of earshot, Jackson finally spoke up.

“I think that’s them,” Jackson said.

“Are you sure?” Ben asked. “Because that could be any one of the dozens of small units The New Order has roaming through the state.”

“They’re heading in the same direction we are,” Jackson said. “Small team, it makes sense. Plus, they are taking a break off the main road. Guys like them wouldn’t need to be worried about any locals trying to rough them up; they know how to fight. But they’re not taking any chances.”

Ben agreed that the camp was made way out of the line of sight from the road. With something as important as a piece to the nuclear device they needed to make the bomb, it would make sense for the unit to take extreme caution on their journey back to the city.

“So we found them,” Ben said. “Now, what do we do?”

“We stash the horses, take them out, and grab the nuclear device,” Jackson answered.

Ben waited for the rest of the plan, but when none came, it was up to him to point out the obvious. “There are six of them, Jackson. Two of us. Even with the element of surprise, we might not be able to get all of them. Plus, they have automatic weapons. It’s a lot easier to shoot a man when you’re firing a dozen rounds a second.”

“They don’t have any guards,” Jackson said. “I think this is a quick break before they start the trip again. We might not get another chance at this while they have their guard down.”

Ben weighed all the information and knew that if these were the men who had created the device that it would be the golden opportunity to take advantage of, but if they weren’t the men, then they would be putting themselves in danger for no reason.

“Look, I would have you sit this one out, but I need you,” Jackson said. “I can’t take all of those guys on my own. I need your help.”

The fact that Jackson was admitting to needing help was almost reason enough to jump in, but Ben still had his doubts.

Ben fidgeted. He didn’t know why he was so nervous about this. He understood the risks in coming with Jackson, and he knew how imperative it was for them to find the device, but still, he couldn’t shake this feeling.

“It’s now or never, Ben,” Jackson said. “We need to make a move.”

Ben nodded and grabbed the reins of the horses. “We’ll stash them farther down toward the bend in the creek in case we need to make a quick getaway.”

Once the animals were stashed, Ben and Jackson made sure that all the guns were loaded and ready to go.

“We’ll come at them from both sides,” Jackson said. “Surround them, make it feel like there are more of us than there really are.”

“And what about the device?” Ben asked. “What if someone makes a run for it?”

“We chase them down,” Jackson answered. “They’re all on foot. But if we make them feel like they’re surrounded, then we should be able to keep them pinned down.”

Ben nodded. It was risky, but they didn’t have a lot of options at this point. “So, once they’re neutralized, then we search them?”

“That’s the plan,” Jackson answered. “I shoot first, so that’s the signal. Ready?”

They ascended the mountainside and approached the group of gunmen quietly. They were still in the same positions, still unsuspecting of the imminent attack.

Ben noted the six men all had their firearms nearby, but none of them in the firing position. He began to think that this