Next World Series (Vol. 2): Families First [The Road]
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FAMILIES FIRST
THE ROAD
A POST-APOCALYPTIC
NEXT-WORLD BOOK SERIES
VOLUME 2
LANCE K. EWING
Families First ~ The Road
A Post-Apocalyptic
Next-World Book Series
Volume 2
Copyright © 2019 by Lance K. Ewing
The characters and events in this book are fictitious.
Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental
and not intended by the author.
All rights reserved. The scanning, uploading and distribution
of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property.
If you would like permission to use material from the book
(other than for review purposes), please contact familiesfirstnovel@gmail.com.
Thank you for your support of authors’ rights.
ISBNs: 978-0-9996765-1-6 (Kindle)
978-0-9996765-2-3 (trade paperback)
First Kindle and paperback edition: Pending
Printed in the United States of America
Dedication
To my wife, Hannah, our three awesome crazy boys, Hudson, Jax and Hendrix, and to my mom, Shareen, for her tireless editing.
To the readers who took a chance on a new author without knowing if there would be a second volume.
Thank you to all readers who left honest reviews on Amazon, Goodreads and Audible, making this continued series possible.
Foreword
FAMILIES FIRST
Recap of Volume 1
In Families First ~ Post-Apocalyptic Next-World Series, Volume 1, we are introduced to a cast of characters spanning multiple locations across the United States, with each group having diverse points of view and hardships to overcome.
We learn that North Korea dropped an EMP in the center of the United States, knocking out power to all states except Hawaii, as well as parts of Canada and Mexico. With no electricity, food or running water, and few working vehicles, the country is instantly reduced to the hardships of days long gone. It’s every family for themselves in this new and hostile world.
The story begins with a Chiropractor, husband, father and starting prepper, Lance, with his wife Joy and their young boys: twins Hudson and Jax (age 4), and Hendrix (age 3), from McKinney, Texas. They band with friends and neighbors as they prepare to leave their homes and head nearly 800 miles to Saddle Ranch, in the Rocky Mountains near Loveland, Colorado.
With help from new friends, including two McKinney police officers and a former military couple, they gather a formidable group of prayerful and like-minded men, women and children.
McKinney police officer Lonnie is always cool-headed and is a great leader of people.
Lonnie convinces his old friend Vlad to join the group and bring the entire inventory from his nearly looted gun store in Plano, Texas, in return for full membership in the group and the hopeful promise of long-term safety in the Colorado mountains.
The other McKinney police officer, Mike, has a soft spot for kids, females, and anyone close to him that needs his help. This behavior is closely pared with his propensity towards violent acts with seemingly little remorse. His conduct in Volume 2, and beyond, is sure to escalate and provide the groundwork for a wild ride.
With the good Lord always watching over them, the group sets out on the journey of a lifetime in Volume Two.
The cast of Saddle Ranch in Loveland, Colorado, is diverse, with more than 100 people living in the community.
John is the leader of Saddle Ranch. With the help of Bill, Sharon, and their head of security, Mac, they need to secure their territory quickly. However, they realize that nothing stays locked down tight for long.
Close by is the Church of the West, just up the road in Green Valley, with Samuel as their leader.
Working together, but still maintaining their separate groups, they do their best to secure the four miles across the valley where they all live, surrounded by foothills and mountains.
In Raton Pass, New Mexico, almost halfway between McKinney, Texas, and Loveland, Colorado, live the Jenkins family; older son David with his mother Beatrice and father Dean, and David’s son, Mark.
Banding with neighbors and an old friend, who is a moderate prepper at least, they have staked out their territory and formed the Raton Pass Militia.
James and Janice VanFleet also live close by Raton Pass, in Weston, Colorado. As a saved former gang member, James and his wife have longed for a family of their own for years. They now have their home filled with new friends, children, and a loyal dog they will stop at nothing to protect.
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Dear Reader,
If this is your first look at my Families First series, please consider reading Volume One first. Families First is a planned series of 5-7 volumes, depending of course on you, the reader.
Thank you for purchasing and, most of all, for reading this first book in the series. In this day of Internet publishing, I realize you have many other choices in this genre. I am honored you would spend your money and time with me. As writers, we now, more than ever, are judged by our reviews online. If you enjoyed this book, please leave an honest review on Amazon. I am working hard on Volume Three.
For those of you interested in this series, please consider keeping in touch at FamiliesFirstNovel@gmail.com. I will not distribute your e-mail anywhere else. I will only contact you as a reply to a question you may have or to let you know of an upcoming volume or series I am about to release.
As a thank you for your e-mail, I will forward you my Quick Guide e-book (free of charge and not yet available for sale). This short e-book introduces the main characters of Families First, including their backstory, much of which you will not find in either Volume One or Two.
Lance K. Ewing
Reviews from Amazon
“A most interesting story about life after an EMP and how it affects the families involved. The reader will follow families in Texas, Colorado, and New Mexico as they determine their next moves.
"I read a lot of EMP fiction, and this one is different for me in several ways. First, I appreciate the fact that these groups put their faith in God first and foremost. Loved that concept. And, secondly, they all banded together either before the EMP or after it.
“For a first novel, this is excellent. Hope that the author is writing the second one now! Definitely will read on.
“Highly recommended.”
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"Awesome book. I can't wait for the next one. The characters were all real; the story was great. I loved this book. Would highly recommend it."
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“This was an enjoyable storyline. I liked it because the author was able to keep your attention throughout without gratuitous violence and sex. Yes, there is violence, but it was in context of the story. Very good book! Give this story a chance.”
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“I loved this book and the story line. The characters were all people you could see out in the real world, even the bad apples. Thank you for the GREAT read and please hurry with Book 2.”
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Chapter One ~ McKinney, Texas
Lonnie had the laminated Rand McNally map of Texas on the dash.
A few of us had marked the trip yesterday and highlighted alternate routes in case we didn’t have a choice.
The first big goal was Amarillo, Texas, by way of Wichita Falls.
Jake was humming to himself, and I recognized the tune—an old George Strait song called “Amarillo by Morning.”
; “Well, we won’t be there by morning,” I told him.
“It’s about 350 miles. Used to only be about 5½ hours, but in this next world it’s at least 18,” he replied. “I’m sure the kids are only good for about 8, maybe 10, and I damn sure don’t want to be driving in the dark,” he added.
“That’s what I figured,” I replied. “It’s why I told David we would be about four days out from Raton Pass.”
Our caravan headed straight up Ridge Road to Highway 380, then turned west.
“It’s a good thing this bomb thing hit about 10 a.m., instead of the rush hour,” said Vlad.
“That’s true,” added Jake. “At rush hour we would be stuck behind a gridlock of cars, instead of just weaving around them like this,” as he pointed ahead.
We had 55 miles to go on Highway 380, heading to Decatur, Texas.
“Let’s stay sharp!” came the voice on the radios.
“We’ve got running vehicles,” said Lonnie, “and it will draw attention; we can count on that.”
Highway 380 West cut straight across the countryside. Abandoned stores and gas stations flanked both sides. Some burned out, others just deserted, but nearly all were looted.
“It looks like they spared that McDonald’s over there,” pointed out Vlad.
“Not much to loot after a day or two, except maybe the Happy Meal™ prizes,” I replied. The liquor store next door was picked clean, from our view.
I looked towards the Bronco at my kids and saw Hendrix giving me “the look.” It’s one-hand in a circle over one eye, like a monocular. I gave it right back and could see him laughing. At that moment, I would have given everything to have one more day with my wife and boys before this all happened.
At nearly 15 miles per hour, we were making great time. Nearing a long stretch of road nearly void of broken-down vehicles, we picked up speed, with nothing but trees on either side.
“We must be doing at least 35, if not 40!” I yelled over at Jake.
“Yeah,” he replied. “At this pace we might just be in Amarillo by mor….”
There was a loud thud, followed by a crunching sound I couldn’t identify. I looked up at a large brown object coming over the cab of the truck and onto the trailer. Jake and I both jumped to the sides, but Vlad was not so lucky.
The large deer landed on his left leg, and there was the audible sound of breaking bones as he screamed in pain.
Lonnie’s truck rolled to a stop, with smoke coming from under the hood.
“Well, crap,” said Lonnie, as he got out to see what happened on the trailer.
Vlad was lying on his back, with the deer still on his leg. Jake and I were working on getting the nearly 200-pound animal off him as he cried out in pain.
“How did the deer come over the top of the truck?” asked Jake.
“I don’t know,” I replied, “but Vlad is in bad shape. Let’s get Nancy over here to help.”
Nancy examined Vlad. “It’s broken,” she said—“the left femur.”
“Am I going to be okay?” asked Vlad through his pain.
“Just lie down, and don’t move,” she said. “We’ll get this fixed.”
With the caravan immobilized, all eyes were on Vlad. She gave him a shot that quickly calmed him down.
“What did you give him?” asked Lonnie. “Morphine,” she answered.
“How did she get that?” I asked Jake.
He just smiled and shook his head, saying, “You have no idea, my brother… Let’s check the deer out. It’s a lot of meat, and we have more than a few mouths to feed.”
Jake and I conferred with Lonnie and Mike.
“We have been on the road for only a couple of hours, and we’re already derailed,” said Lonnie.
“I don’t know much about getting the truck fixed, but I can get this venison processed so it will keep for a while,” I said.
“What do we do about the truck?” asked Lonnie.
“We can take a look at it,” offered Jim and Steve. “I’ve done some tinkering over the years on my old truck,” said Steve, “and Jim has helped me with a few projects as well.”
“Far as I know,” said Jake, “Vlad is the only one with any extensive mechanical experience, so we may be out for now.”
Lonnie, Steve, and Jim quickly agreed that they could not fix the truck after an hour of trying.
Jake and I processed the deer over the next two hours, with the ladies, led by Lucy, cutting the meat into long thin strips that could be smoked and preserved for up to a year.
Lonnie provided support for Nancy as she worked on Vlad. She was able to set his femur with a crude but effective splint made of two-by-fours cut to fit his leg, and electrical tape.
When Vlad was stable and comfortable, Lonnie went again to look at the damage to the lead truck. He approached the front from the passenger’s side and saw two work boots sticking out from under the front bumper. “Any luck?” he asked, not knowing who was looking at it.
“I can fix it!” came the voice of a female from under the truck.
“Who’s under there?” asked Lonnie, confused.
“Sheila,” came a response from a man out of sight by the tree line.
“Who are you?” asked Lonnie, with his hand now on his still-holstered pistol.
“Dan’s the name, and my girl under there is the best mechanic in these parts.”
“We don’t need any help,” said Lonnie flatly.
“We saw what happened and the truck’s been down for near three hours,” she said as she poked her head out from the front bumper.
“We just figured,” said Dan, “that y’all could use a little help.”
“Come on out,” said Lonnie in his officer voice. He was surprised to see a tall fit woman in her mid-twenties, he guessed, with a beautiful face and long curly blonde hair to match.
“What are you doing to my truck?” he asked, as they were both standing in front of him.
“We’re headed west and thought we could tag along,” said Dan. “It’s pretty clear you need us,” he added.
“Can you fix it?” asked Lonnie, speaking to Sheila while he ignored the comment from Dan.
“I think so,” she replied. “If I do, can I hitch a ride?”
“We’re a package deal,” said Dan quickly. “She goes, I go.”
“We’ll see,” replied Lonnie, “if you can fix it.”
Jake and I finished with the deer, and he made the call to circle the wagons.
“We’re here for the night,” he told our group. “Let’s organize the vehicles and set up the tents.”
The children were excited to exit the vehicles and run around, even if only inside the newly formed circle of safety.
“No kids outside the circle!” called Lonnie, “except to go to the bathroom we will set up in a few. Mike, let’s have you and Steve scout out our position about a quarter-mile in each direction.”
“Sure thing,” Mike replied. “We’re on it!”
Jake and I dug a two-foot-deep pit, four feet long and three feet wide.
Finding dead wood for the fire was easy now, although I knew that would change over the next few months. We needed a good bed of coals to have any chance of smoking all the meat.
With the fire blazing, the ladies cut the meat into thin strips. Jake and I cut green branches off nearby trees and made hanging racks.
“It will take all night to smoke but should be ready in the morning. There’s probably 80 to 100 pounds of edible meat, including organs,” said Jake.
Mike and Steve returned from their perimeter check with exciting news, according to Lonnie. He made an official announcement to the group:
“Thanks to Mike and Steve, we are now proud owners of one more trailer and our very own porta-potty! It seems the porta-potty was left over from a now-abandoned construction site and is nearly brand new. They will be bringing it back with the trailer in just a few.
“Anyone needing to use the bathroom will use this one only, as it will be ins
ide our circle of safety. We have already had some of our group wandering about, and it’s important we stay close together while on the road.
“The last thing I have for now is we have someone outside our group trying to fix our lead truck, and Nancy is getting Vlad fit with a temporary cast on his leg until the swelling goes down. Oh, and we have venison steaks for dinner tonight. Keep close inside our circle and stay on high alert.”