A Powerless World , Hunt, Jack [easy novels to read txt] 📗

I do wonder about you some days.”

“What?”

“The county is huge. If these idiots think they can keep desperate people out with a few roadblocks, they deserve to be attacked.”

“How so?”

He brought a hand up to his face and groaned. “Anyone with a lick of sense that wants to pick this county clean isn’t going to enter via the main stretch.” He sighed, wondering why he bothered to explain.

“They would if they are driving.”

He lowered his binoculars slowly, his brow creasing. “If you want to break into a home you don’t bother kicking in the front door, you go around and look for an open window, or smash glass. The same applies here. They would enter through the hills on horseback or ATV. The smart ones would enter via the bay. No, I think dad’s right. Something about this doesn’t add up.” He brought up the binoculars again. He noticed those manning the checkpoint were militia only. They also didn’t look as if they were under attack. One of them was smoking a cigarette, calm, relaxed; another leaning against a vehicle, drinking a beer. The other four standing behind the concrete barriers glanced downriver, looking as if they were shooting the breeze. “Wasn’t Carl Stevens posted here?” he asked. Derek nodded. Carl was a local. Benbow had a minuscule population of around 300. Like Alderpoint it didn’t offer much in the way of amenities, a grocery store, an inn, and the rest was residential homes dotted throughout.

“Let’s go down and see what these a-holes have to say,” Seth said, shuffling down off the roof on his ass. Back on their horses, they rode to the checkpoint, eager to see how they’d respond. There was no attempt to pretend they were preparing for another attack, and yet one of them put up a hand to slow them.

“Where are you heading?”

“Nowhere. Just roaming. You guys had any trouble?” Seth asked.

“A little.”

“Hmm. Anyone injured?”

“No.”

The moment the soldier said that one of the others tapped him, leaned forward, and said something in his ear, and he turned back to Seth. “A couple of guys were injured.”

Seth struggled to hold in his laughter. These were terrible liars.

“That’s too bad. I hope they pull through. Well, thanks for your service.”

They turned their horses and rode away. He cast a glance back and a couple of the militia were still watching them.

“So?” Derek asked.

“You heard what the captain said. Two were dead. Not injured. Let’s go see Carl.”

They made their way into town, following Benbow Drive around to Riverview Drive. Seth knew Carl only through his brother Ricky who’d attended the same school as him. The few times he’d met him, he’d always been respectful toward the Stricklands. He figured if anyone would give him a straight answer, it would be him.

Ricky and Carl were outside their home, their heads under the hood of an old sedan, as he dismounted. Ricky glanced out. “Seth? What are you doing here?”

“Figured I would drop by and see how you’re holding up.”

Ricky was a string bean fella, all bones and teeth. His clothes hung from his frame like they were still on thin hangers. A meth addict through and through, he looked as if he only had a few years left before that shit ate away at the rest of him. Carl on the other hand was quite different — three years older, and his belly protruded over his belt, peeking out from a black T-shirt. He had thick greasy hair that was the result of spending too much time fixing cars and forgetting to wipe his fingers before he ran them through his hair. He was taller too, with a wispy black-and-white goatee that he hadn’t shaved in over thirty years. He was wearing a Metallica T-shirt, jeans, and a thick plaid shirt over the top. They had a small solar generator providing power to a handheld light that was hooked above the hood.

Seth and Derek looked under the open hood at the mangled mess of wires and machinery. “Sorry to hear about your uncle,” Carl said.

“Thanks.”

“What can I do for ya?”

“You volunteer at the south checkpoint, don’t you?”

“That’s right,” he said, taking out a pack of cigarettes and offering them one. Seth took one and he lit the end. “Shitty job, but hey, if it gets me a box of supplies at the end of the week, I can think of worse ways to spend my time.”

“Yeah. Right. Were you meant to be on today?”

“They came by and told us we weren’t needed.”

Seth nodded and took a hard pull on his cigarette. “Did you head home?”

Carl frowned. “Yeah. Why wouldn’t I?’

Derek asked, “Have you heard any gunfire?”

“No.”

They didn’t live far from the bridge. If there had been a shootout between raiders and militia, they might have heard something. “So you’ve been helping for…”

“Two weeks.”

“And in that time have you seen anyone approach?”

“No, we’ve seen lots of people leave for the FEMA camps but that’s it.”

“No refugees entering?”

“Nope. Why are you asking?”

“Heard there was an attack down here.”

He laughed. “Bullshit. It’s been quiet all day.”

“You think you would have heard it from here?”

“Possibly. Though, I haven’t been outside all day.”

Seth looked under the hood again, shifting the conversation away. He didn’t want to make a big thing out of it, especially as Carl tended to spread rumors. “You trying to get this going?”

“Trying would be the word. The damn computer chip is fried. The rest works well but unless I can get some parts I figure we’ll have to return to using horse and buggy.” He laughed. “I saw you guys had ATVs, what’s the deal with that?”

“My old man kept them in a Faraday cage.”

“A what?”

Seth didn’t want to get into a long-winded conversation with Carl. He was the kind of guy that was known to yak all day if given the chance. “Ah, it’s nothing.” Seth thanked him for the cigarette and turned to head back to the horses.

“Is it true?” Ricky asked.

Seth turned back. “Is what true?”

“That