EMP Post-Apocalyptic Survival , Hunt, James [best ebook reader under 100 .TXT] 📗

Ben quickly moved to Abe’s cot and ripped out the man’s pillow from beneath his head. He flung it to the floor, lowering his voice. “You need to help me, so I can help you,” Ben said. “Because the man behind me isn’t in the mood to play nice, and my family is in danger the longer we stay here. You once told me that you wanted penance for what you’ve done. Well, this is the first step.”

Ben released Abe and then stepped back. The man remained on the cot rubbing his arm where Ben had grabbed him.

“Well?” Ben asked.

“I already told you what I know,” Abe said.

“So tell me,” Jackson replied. “Or does it bother you that we killed some of your friends?”

Ben jumped in and started talking before Abe could retaliate. “If your people come back, they are going to return in a much larger force. The only way this facility stays safe is if we have the military backing us up, and in order for that to happen, you need to tell Jackson about the bomb.”

“This is a waste of time,” Jackson said. “You give me fifteen minutes alone with him and I’ll have all the information we need.”

“I won’t break as easily as you think,” Abe said.

“Yeah, well, we will see about that,” Jackson said.

“Hey,” Ben said, catching Abe’s attention, “we’re out of options. And your life is not more valuable than my family’s life.”

Abe grimaced and then shuffled his feet before staring down at his toes. He muttered something beneath his breath and then drew in a long, slow breath. “Your best chance at stopping the bomb is finding a weapons camp.”

“What’s that?” Ben asked.

“Places where civilians would make things for the cause,” Abe answered. “I remember them talking about them right before the EMP went off. The New Order doesn’t have enough fighters on their side, so they thought getting modern weaponry back up and running was the best way to keep the fight competitive against you guys.” He gestured to Jackson.

“And what exactly are they building at these camps?” Jackson asked.

“I told you I don’t know the specifics,” Abe answered. “All I know is that the weapons are supposed to give The New Order an edge against the military.”

“And do you have a location for these camps?” Ben asked.

“I know of one,” Abe answered. “It was where I was supposed to rendezvous with my unit after I blew the dam outside of Asheville. It’s in a small town south of here. I’m trying to remember the name. I think it started with an E.”

“Eustis?” Ben asked.

“Yeah,” Abe answered. “Yeah, that was the name of it. That’s where one of the work camps should be stationed. If you want to know more about the nuke they’re building, then that’s where you should start.”

Ben turned to Jackson and lowered his voice so Abe couldn’t hear. “If we get to Eustis and can confirm what they’re doing, we might be able to stop them.”

Jackson kept his attention on Abe, and Ben feared that the colonel was growing agitated with the lack of information.

“How many fighting men are supposed to be stationed at this camp?” Jackson asked. “Or is that too specific a question?”

“They are smaller camps,” Abe answered. “Not like what you saw outside of Charlotte, Ben.”

“So it’s probably less than a few dozen?” Ben asked.

Abe nodded. “And if they have managed to re-create some of the more heavy-duty weapons, then it could be more than enough to hold back forces with inferior firepower.”

“Anything else?” Ben asked.

“The people in charge of The New Order are ruthless,” Abe said. “I suppose that’s something you guys know by now, considering everything that you’ve seen. But they have a conviction, and everyone in their organization from the very top to the very bottom believes in their mission.”

“And what exactly is that mission?” Jackson asked.

“Destroy everything and make sure it never works again.”

“Well,” Ben said, “I guess we better get moving.”

Ben led Jackson out of the building, and once they were out of earshot from Abe, Jackson had a few choice words for Ben.

“You’re on a first-name basis with your prisoner?” Jackson asked. “You don’t have much experience in all of this, do you?”

“Look, I know you have your preconceived notions about that guy based off of the organization he’s with,” Ben answered. “And no, I don’t have a lot of experience with this kind of thing. Up until the EMP went off, I was a Lieutenant with the Asheville Fire Department. But I just handed you some very valuable intelligence about an enemy that poses a threat to everyone. So why don’t you drop the attitude so we can get this done?”

Jackson looked like he was about to deck Ben, but thankfully, it didn’t come to blows. “How far is it from here to Eustis?” Jackson asked.

“At least a three-hour horseback ride,” Ben answered. “But I only have two horses. That’s not enough to carry any of your men.”

“I’m not taking any of my men,” Jackson said. “It’s just going to be you and me.”

Ben frowned. “Did you hear what he was saying? They’re making weapons so they can gain an edge against the military. You and I are hardly an army.”

“I’m still not convinced that guy is telling the truth,” Jackson said. “That’s why you and I are going to investigate this intelligence ourselves and see if it’s worth bringing in support to handle it.”

“Why would he lie?” Ben asked.

“I don’t know,” Jackson answered. “Why would he join an organization and then turn his back on them? As far as I’m concerned, this guy’s loyalty can be bought. He would say anything to make sure that we didn’t pry off his fingernails. So that’s why you and I are going to go investigate this intelligence and determine if he is telling the truth. That’s the deal, Ben. You want my help to save your little community here? Then you help me uncover something tangible that I can bring