Descent Into Darkness Page 18

  Cobie paused for a minute to let the kid's chatter die down and then proceeded with her speech.

  “Having said all of that, we are going to have our second wedding. Ben and Jane will be married as soon as I quit talking. Any questions?”

  Cole, Charlie, and Cloe walked up, shook Ben’s hand, and hugged Jane.

  “Ben, we’re glad to have you join our family, and I’ll be proud to have you as my stepdad.”

  The rest of the children then adults filed past and congratulated the new couple.

  The wedding was simple, and Dan read most of the ceremony from the Bible. Jane used her old wedding ring until Ben could find a permanent one. The groom kissed the bride and drove one of the Jeeps down to Jane’s home. The boys stayed with Joe and Cobie for two days while the newlyweds had a short honeymoon to get to know each other. There was no celebration, and it was several weeks before Ben and Jane even slept in the same room. Jane was very thoughtful and never pushed Ben to move forward in their relationship. It just happened over time.

  ***

  Cobie and Joe walked ahead of Cloe, Cole, and Emily as they walked back to their cabin after the wedding. They were sad about Sarah but very happy for Jane and Ben. Life was too hard in the mountains after the lights went out to spend time worrying about what bad things have happened. People quickly learned to live out each day the best they could and move on as fast as possible. Survival often depended as much on your companions efforts as it did on yours. A loner wouldn’t make it long after the shit hit the fan.

  “Dad, will this life always be a constant struggle?” Emily asked.

  “Tiger, you have seen many fun and happy days as well as sad and bad days since last winter when the nukes fell. We have to do our best each day and have as much fun as possible. There won’t be many easy days, so we must cherish them when they happen. Then the bad days won’t seem so bad,” Joe said.

  “The Boss in Ashland will be a problem for us, won’t he,” Cole said.

  “I hate to say it, but yes, I think he will. Dan and I have been talking about that, and we will come up with a plan to deal with them. The Boss’s men will eventually try to expand his empire. I just hope he stays in the valley and expands to the other cities, but they will come here eventually, and we’ll be ready for them,” Joe said.

  Cobie kept her thoughts to herself but wondered what the cost would be to keep their mountain safe.

  ☆

  Chapter 15 Epilog

  By now, Joe has survived the riots, car crashes, and panic of the first day of the apocalypse. He used his camping, hunting, and fishing skills to augment the meager food supplies he found in his Grandma’s cabin. Joe helped Madison survive and enjoyed her company but lost her to kidnappers. He found Cobie and would do anything to keep her and her daughter safe. Joe, a regular guy, had even fought and killed thugs and criminals.

  Cobie, while a strong single mother, had very few survival skills but made up for that by using good judgment and taking advantage of every bit of luck that came her way. She used Joe to assist her and her daughter in surviving without prostituting herself. She finally learned that life is not a one-way street and fell in love with Joe.

  Most of Joe’s fast-growing community thought life would change if a cataclysmic event ever happened to the USA. Some never thought about it at all. No one knew the toll it would take on people, animals, buildings, and roads over time. Most people knew that a disaster brings out the best and worst in mankind. Most, like Ginny, wanted things to stay the same with everyone thinking good thoughts and sharing their food and supplies. Well, they found out the truth is a mixture of all of the above.

  Joe, a fat out of shape mechanic, had managed to survive the apocalypse even though he made many mistakes. The key to his survival is that he quickly used his Grandma’s letters and his Grandpa’s library of survival books to learn to reduce the magnitude of his mistakes. The second major factor in his survival is that instinctively he knew to get the hell out of Dodge and flee to the hills. The last thing Joe did that helped ensure his survival was accepting the fact that not everyone is good or safe to be around and that a sizable amount of the bad guys have to be pruned from the Earth.

  Killing bad guys is a necessary event if you want to survive. Joe learned that running them off is not the answer. One has to kill them the first time the threat presents itself. Joe let Harry and his friend escape when Joe’s gut said to kill them, but he had no proof they were criminals even though he knew they were hired guns for the new Ashland dictator. Read Book 3 to see how that works for Joe.

  While Joe is our hero and the main character, Sarah was probably the strongest character in this book. Could you have the strength and love for your mate to help them move on with their lives before your death? I hope I never have to face that myself.

  In Reign of Darkness, Book III, you will see Joe’s community begin to flourish even as it finds there are new dangers from the cities around them. Can they farm and raise animals without making themselves targets from people who are starving around them? Can they fight off the corrupt Boss from Ashland? They also find an unlikely group of people to help them in the fight against lawlessness and terror.

  You’ve read about people being killed, people rising to the occasion helping others, people falling in love, and billions dying across the world. An apocalypse is not for wimps, but that doesn’t mean an ordinary man or woman can’t survive if they quickly learn to reduce their mistakes and quickly learn what to do to survive. My warning to you is don’t wait for an apocalypse, begin prepping and learning how to survive before the shit hits the fan.

  AJ Newman

  The End

  Don’t stop reading!!!!! CONTINUE to read a sample from a novel I coauthored with Mack Norman. Rogues Origin

  If you have read Rogues Origin, skip to a list of my other books after Rogues Origin

  Thanks

  AJ Newman.

  American Apocalypse: Reign of Darkness - Book III should be published by late summer 2018.

  Thanks for reading my novel and please don’t forget to give it a great review on Amazon. Remember to read my other books on Amazon.

  ∞

  Rogues Apocalypse:

  Rogues Origin

  Post-EMP America

  By

  AJ Newman

  &

  Mack Norman

  ∞

  Chapter 1: The Bar

  March 13, 2028

  Max was disgusted with the world situation, the airport delays, and the lousy waitress. He had a brainstorm and thought; this is the start of my next post-apocalyptic novel. It could be a series. What more could a reader ask for than a man half drunk in a bar waiting on North Korea to nuke the USA and discussing his survival plans with random strangers that later have to band together to survive?

  Then he thought, that might be the beer and whiskey talking, and I’d better think it over when I get home.

  The Nashville Tavern Bar and Grill at the Nashville International Airport was crowded as were all of the restaurants at the airport due to the weather delays. There were people from all around the world with some dressed in their traditional garments, but all were guzzling alcohol while they waited for their flights. The country music playing was more an annoyance than enjoyable. Max felt that country music died in the 1980’s and this crap sounded more like pop to him.

  Max Heard had missed his flight along with a thousand other angry people. The odd thing was that when Max checked the Weather Channel, there were no severe weather issues anywhere in the nation. Max was on his third Yazoo City Hefeweizen and was pissed about the delays.

  His cell phone rang, and he saw the caller was his father, “Hi Pop, what’s happening out in Wyoming?”

  His Dad talked fast, “Son, you need to get your ass home as fast as possible those damn Koreans are going to nuke us. That EMP blast back in January did more damage than the government told us and I think it also was responsible for knocking out my damned satell
ite TV channels.”

  An exasperated Max stared at the TV, “Dad the North Koreans didn’t nuke your satellite TV stations, but I do believe our government is hiding the extent of the damage from us. My flight was delayed due to weather, but I should still be home tonight. Tell Mom and Angie that I love them and miss them.”

  “You’d better make an honest woman out of that girl, or someone else will lasso that hot body and take her pretty butt away from you. What have you been waiting for a sign from God to get engaged and marry her?” his dad said.

  “Dad, I care for her, but I just don’t know if she is the one for me. She doesn’t want to stay out west and keeps trying to get me to move to Indiana where her folks live. I’m not leaving Wyoming for her or anyone else. I’ll probably break up with her when I get home. Dad, I need to go. Love you and tell Mom I love her. Skip saying anything to Angie. Goodbye.”

  “Bye son, keep your nuts safe and rent a car. At least a car won’t fall out of the air if we get nuked. Oh, by the way, I bought 400 pounds of beans, 600 pounds of rice, 1,000 - 9mm, 1,000 - .556, and 5,000 - .22 LR yesterday,” his Dad said before Max hung up.

  “Great Dad. We can survive and kill a bunch of Zombies,” replied Max.

  Max was 42, had dark hair, and was athletic. He liked his Jim Beam and a good IPA. He played golf and tennis at the country club and ran when he had time. He had dated Angie for over two years, and she lived in a town twenty miles away. His busy schedule promoting his books, writing several screenplays based on his books, and writing more books kept him very busy, and he didn’t spend enough time with Angie.

  Max lived in a lovely modern ranch house on 200 acres in Wyoming. He wrote science fiction and post-apocalyptic novels and moved to Wyoming to be safe from the hordes of people that would wreak havoc on the world around the large cities. Max wrote about brave men and women who fought and killed bad people but wasn’t brave himself.

  His mom and dad moved into a guesthouse behind the main house a few years back. He had the two bedroom home built especially for them and included a bunker below the house for his dad’s prepping. Max was a prepper as was his dad. Max was rich from his book sales and hired his dad to tend to the ranch and watch over it while he traveled.

  He started his work career as an office manager for a mobile home manufacturer below Nashville and advanced to operations manager a year before his first novel skyrocketed to number one on the New York best seller’s list. Max actually worked a couple of months extra so the company could find and train a replacement. He was a nice guy.

  Max saw the waitress walking toward him, “Can I get a Jim Beam and Coke. Make that a double shot.”

  “Of course sir,” the somewhat dull looking and dull witted waitress responded.

  “Thanks and how soon can I get a table,” Max said to the homely woman who had no charm about her at all. He wondered if she ever got a tip because of her rude behavior.

  “Sorry sir, but it will be a while. You are next in line but might have to share with other people,” she added.

  His phone rang again, and this time it was his girlfriend, Angie on the phone. He dreaded the call because she was pressuring him to marry her and move to where her parents lived.

  Max answered as usual, “Hello doll, how are you today?”

  “Max, I miss you, and you need to get back to me. Your Dad has scared me half to death with all of this talk about North Korea bombing us,” Angie said.

  Max was a bit relieved that she didn’t hit him up about when they were getting married, so he tried to keep on the North Korea topic, “Doll, you had better listen to my dad and stock up on some food and water. Make sure you have your pistol with you when you go away from home.”

  “Don’t worry about me. Your mom made me stay at your house until this crisis is over. I’ve moved all of my clothes and stuff into your room. My cat loves the ranch, and your dad stored my furniture in your barn,” Angie rambled on until Max caught the moved furniture part.

  “What do you mean moved furniture?”

  “Why silly man, we are practically married, and I am now living with you. I must say that I will need to redecorate the…”

  Max was mad enough to bite through a nail when he made a crackling sound between words, “Doll … I … dad …. you,” and hung the phone up.

  He was boiling mad at his mom and dad for allowing her to move into his house; he would kick her ass out as soon as he got back in town. Well, then he thought maybe he’d wait a couple of days later after he got back in town.

  Max sat at the bar fuming about his selfish girlfriend moving in with him until a table came open. He saw one of the TV’s was on Fox News and the talking head droned on about that idiot over in North Korea, and some Iranian Prime Minister had swapped missile technology for nuclear bomb parts. He went on to say this could be very bad for the world. Max was the only one in the bar watching the Fox station, and he actually took notes on what the news person said.

  “Hey, bub, what is that idiot saying that is so important? Has Rocket Man done something stupid again? The Sports Illustrated Swim Suit girls look much more interesting on the other TVs.”

  “Sorry, what did you say?” Max looked at the man.

  “I was just wondering why you are so interested in what is going on in North Korea,” replied the man sitting next to Max.

  “I write science fiction books and this stuff is just the way many of my post-apocalyptic novels begin. Sorry, I’m Max Heard,” Max replied.

  “I’m Greg Hines, and I’m a logistics expert. I read some science fiction but mainly read action and adventure books. I got into prepping a few months back so I probably should be reading your books,” said Greg.

  “I’ve been a prepper for ten years and will be glad to give you some tips. I live out west in Wyoming in a little town called Cody. I‘m trying to get back home to my dog and my girlfriend, but the supposed weather delay is screwing up everything.” Max replied.

  “So I’m not the only one who loves their dog more than their girlfriend. Mine just told me that I have to stop traveling so much or she is going to leave me. Hell, I’m a consultant, and I travel 60 percent of the time,” said Greg.

  “My dogs never cause me any trouble and always love me when I get home. My girlfriend is just too high maintenance. She is a great woman, but she is all about herself and her little circle of friends and wants me to move to Valparaiso, Indiana where her parents live. It’s right there by Chicago, and I hate Chicago and the North. I love her but can’t stand her parents or her friends. They are a bunch of whiny liberal snowflakes. I write fairly conservative novels, and they make fun of my beliefs,” replied Max.

  Greg replied, “Like there is no free lunch, the government wastes my money, and welfare is not an occupation. Why don’t you get rid of her.”

  “She’s damn good in bed, and I like her, so I put up with her shit.”

  “Sounds like my girlfriend.”

  Max raised his glass and clinked it against Greg’s glass and said, “We think alike my friend.”

  ◊◊◊

  “Well, Deputy US Marshal why don’t we get down to business before the cop gets back from the john. My friends say that you are a reasonable man and have needs that I can take care of for certain favors,” said Mongolusio who was the Marshal's prisoner.

  “How large a reward for my help can you deliver,” asked the Marshal?

  “Assuming I disappear between flights at the Atlanta airport you could get $200,000 cash now and another $250,000 to your new offshore bank account upon my safe arrival at my new home.”

  “I want to help you and agree to the deal, but why should I trust you?”

  “Because ten men are sitting in cars just a couple hundred feet from here that upon my signal will come charging in guns blazing to free me if you don’t. There are another ten waiting for us in Atlanta. Their orders are to make sure you die if they have to free me. The money means nothing to me and can be replaced in a week. My freedom
means the world to me,” replied Tony

  “If I get caught the money will mean a lot more to me than it does to you. Bump the money up to $750,000 total, and I will help make you disappear and will throw the feds off your trail. I only ask that you don’t kill Sam and that we never see each other again. I will also disappear,” replied the marshal.

  “I respect your counter offer, and we have a deal. I will hand you $200,000 now, and I will wave my men off, and you can check your account in about thirty minutes for the remainder of the money,” said Tony.

  The Marshal placed the bag with the cash in a locker and then began planning how to make sure Tony escaped.

  Bob’s mom had died a slow death from cancer and drained Bob’s and her own bank account. He was about to lose his house, car, and boat since he had used them as collateral for the loans to pay for his mom’s medical expenses. Bob was a very principled man who had never done a dishonest thing in his life, but the financial strain was killing him. His wife had left him and took the kids to her parent's house and had no sympathy for him spending their life savings and hocking everything that had to try to save his mother. Bob knew she was cold at times to his parents but now knew what a cold hearted bitch she really was.

  He planned to retire from the Marshal Service and use his 401K to purchase a small business close to where his kids lived and stay below the radar for several years until the gangster’s escape was a distant memory.

  Bob was a good guy in a dangerous situation and would soon have to decide which side of the law he was really on.