Prepper Central: A Prepper Fiction Novel (Prepping - Together we will Survive Book 1)

by Evercroft, Chad

  ‘Fuck,’ Jonathan cried as he made his way to his feet. ‘Where the fuck is the kid? He set this whole thing up. I can bet you on that one.’

  Edward was trembling with fear and not before long, took off, bent over and started to rid himself of his supper. I’ve never shot a man before, but I guess what they say is true. It has a way of stirring up your insides and making you have to barf.

  I moved my flashlight around to see if I could spot Thomas. He really had backed his way into the bushes. His feet were the only part of his body to be seen. I wondered for a minute if the man Edward shot was Thomas’ father.

  ‘Thomas,’ I called out, making my way over to him. Thomas, pulled his feet into the bushes, but not enough that they couldn’t be seen. ‘I just want to talk, Thomas,’ I said calmly.

  Slowly but surely, Thomas crawled out of the bushes. His tear filled eyes poked at soft spots in my heart. He was so young, so innocent. Who would allow their child to take on such a hectic task; a task so dangerous.

  I looked over to Jonathan, who was observing the man’s body. Though he’d gotten whacked over his head by a full grown man, the hit wasn’t hard enough to cause blood to spew everywhere. Because Jonathan looked as though he could handle his own, I decided to see just how much information I could get out of Thomas without having him deal with the wrath of the other preppers.

  ‘So, you know that you’re not supposed to be in here right?’

  Thomas nodded.

  ‘And you know that these guys don’t play around,’ I said slowly, trying my best to show him that there was no reason to fear me.

  ‘I know, Sir,’ he replied, his eyes trying hard to avoid mine. ‘They just sent me over here. Said I should make myself useful.’

  ‘They?’ I asked.

  He pointed to the guy who Jonathan was lifting from the floor. He was alive. The lack of light didn’t enable me to see just how bad his injuries were, but seeing as Jonathan was busy strapping handcuffs on him, I assumed the intruder was well enough to still be seen as a threat.

  ‘Is that your dad?’ I tried to ensure that my voice had enough sympathy just in case it was Thomas’ dad.

  ‘No. His name is ‘Kristoff’, but I don’t know him. On the other side, Sir. It’s not like in here. I don’t know where my mom and dad are. Someone took them a couple weeks ago and now, it’s just me. The older people tell me what to do and I do it. Sometimes they give me food, sometimes they tell me they’ll let me live if I listen. They’re all dead already and they don’t know it yet.’

  His words stung. Though I knew that there was nothing that we could do to help the majority of the population, it still pained my heart to think that things had gotten this bad so quickly. Things took a turn for the worst within the blink of an eye. Just a few months ago, our main concern had been trying to find the guy who had broken into Anna’s home. Now, with the president taken out of the White House and hiding away in a bunker, no stability, no rules, no regulations existed. We were just a society filled with angry and broken people, fighting for a life that we wouldn’t know how to sustain if we won it. We’d secured the boundaries of the Cul De Sac with barbed wire. It’s now been months since the last time men haven’t been standing guard twenty-four hours a day, ensuring that intruders weren’t able to make their way in without being seen. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long for our fences and guns to no longer be a match for the large numbers of people who showed up on a daily basis. In a short period of time, the members of our group had nearly doubled. The additional members were selected carefully by Tommy, Stewart and I. Those who were allowed to enter were those who could bring value to our group in terms of skills and resources. With the government having fallen to pieces, many of the men who had turned to our community and been accepted into Prepper Central were military men who found themselves out of a job and uncertain of who or what they were fighting for. In order to house those who were allowed to join, as well as their families, we used empty, foreclosed houses. The country was in shambles and with the government not being able to look out for its citizens, we were in an every man for himself kind of situation, where every helping hand was worth more than a million dollars.

  Thomas stayed by my side while Edward and Jonathan determined what to do with- Kristoff-the man Edward had shot. The final decision was to bring him to a foreclosed house in the Cul De Sac. This house had been taken over by our members and was primarily used for meetings.

  ‘He’ll need medical attention,’ I said to Jonathan who had one of the guy’s arms draped over his shoulders.

  ‘I know man, but first we’ve got to get someone else to stay guard in this region,’ Edward replied.

  ‘Tell him to have someone escort Cindy to the house as well,’ I added.

  Edward reached for his walkie talkie and got through to Stewart who said that he’d send another night watch team to us. Within ten minutes, three guys showed up and the three of us- Jonathan, Edward and I- headed over to the building, only a short walk away.

  ‘Hey guys,’ came Cindy’s voice. Her tone made it evident that she’d been sleeping prior to being called.

  ‘I’m sorry that you have to be here,’ I said to her. ‘I know that you need your sleep.’

  ‘Well, this whole mess hardly has anyone sleeping nowadays. So, what do we have here?’

  Cindy moved closer to Jonathan and Edward who proceeded to lay Kristoff down on the floor.

  ‘He attacked Jonathan and Edward shot him,’ I informed her.

  ‘Holy hell,’ she exclaimed. ‘Are you okay, Jon? Would you like me to take a look at you first?’

  ‘No, I’m fine, just a bit of aching in the back of my head, but it’s nothing serious.’

  ‘What’s your name, Sir?’ Cindy asked.

  The pain seemed to have clenched Kristoff’s teeth together because the only thing he could get out were a few grunts and groans.

  ‘Kristoff,’ Jonathan replied. ‘His name’s Kristoff.’

  ‘Alright Kristoff, I’m going to try to get this bullet out of you and have you all patched up and ready to go. Now, I know that things are rough on the other end, but I think from this, you’ll learn that it’s best to just stay away.’ Her voice was calm but enforcing. ‘Guys, I’ve got to tell you, this isn’t my specialty. I’m used to taking babies out of people, not bullets. Can I get some light please?’

  All three of us shone our flashlights in her direction. I retrieved a set of handcuff keys from my pocket and freed Thomas’ hands after warning him to stay put. I then handed Thomas a spare flashlight that I had tucked into the waist of my pants just in case the batteries ran low on the one I had been using. He pitched in, bending to his knees- as we all did- to ensure that Cindy was provided with as much light as possible. The sight of the blood, even in the limited amount of light, was more than I could handle. I extended my arm, holding the flashlight as closely to Cindy as possible and turned in the other direction to shut out any sign of gore. It didn’t help much. Kristoff’s screams were enough to allow my imagination to picture just what was happening. The other men were as quiet as church mice. A part of me wished they would strike up a conversation that would interrupt the pictures running through my mind. My eyes were shut tight and I could hear Cindy fiddling around with her tools.

  ‘Okay, Kristoff, I’m just gonna plop the bullet out and then we’re more than halfway done. The other bullet merely grazed your right forearm, so a bandage should do.’

  I tried to think of a song, a rhyme a joke- anything to get my mind off the screaming that pierced my ears after Cindy’s comment. Though it only lasted for a few seconds, I could hear the screams ringing in my ears long after.

  ‘We’re all done,’ Cindy informed us. I don’t think I’ve ever been this quick to my feet. ‘Okay guys, so what are you gonna do with him now?’ Cindy asked.

  ‘I was thinking we just cuff him in here until we talk to Stewart.’ Jonathan shone his flashlight at me and then Edward as though seeking approval. />
  ‘Sounds good to me,’ I replied.

  ‘Um,’ came Cindy’s voice. ‘This part of everything isn’t really any of my business but I’m gonna ask you guys to take it easy on his right shoulder. So I’d say rather than cuffing his wrists together, you should strap him to something like that gate over there.’ She pointed to the staircase.

  ‘Yes ma’am,’ Edward replied.

  ‘Alright, well y’all have a good night now.’ She turned away to walk.

  ‘Cindy, can I talk to you for a minute?’

  ‘Yeah, absolutely,’ she replied, snapping the gloves off her hand in a manner that would prevent any blood from splashing on either of us.

  I shone my light at Edward and Jonathan to get their attention. ‘Guys, do you think you can handle everything while I talk to Cindy?’

  ‘Yup, no problem,’ they replied.

  Heavy breathing over my shoulder reminded me that Thomas was waiting to find out what he should do. Even though he’d been there holding the flashlight the entire time, all of us seemed to have forgotten about him midst of all the commotion.

  ‘You can come outside with me Thomas,’ I instructed. The chill of the night was more than I wanted to bear. Inside the house hadn’t been particularly warm, but it was nowhere as cold as the fresh air. ‘Just wait over there,’ I directed the light to the side of the house. Thomas did as he was told while I stood only a few feet away to speak with Cindy. ‘So, you know. Marge is due any day now and I was just wondering if there’s anything else that we need to do in preparation for what’s to come.’

  ‘I think you guys have been doing a great job,’ Cindy smiled. ‘I’m sure everything will be fine just be sure to call me when she gets anywhere between four and six contractions in an hour and I’ll be right over.’

  ‘Thanks Cindy,’ sincerity burst through my tone, ‘I honestly can’t tell you how lucky we are to have you.’

  ‘We’re all lucky to have each other Jimmy. It’s just sad that such a great moment has to occur at such an awful time.’

  ‘I like to see it as a glimmer of hope; as God’s way of letting us know that even in the midst of chaos, there are things worth celebrating.’

  ‘As you should Jimmy, as you should. And you know, I think this baby will uplift everyone’s spirits. I’m just happy that everyone’s okay and that we’ve all been safe for the most part.’

  I wrapped my arms around Cindy, thanking her for being there. ‘Get some rest now,’ I said before she called out to the guy who had escorted her here, and walked away.

  Now it was time to figure out what to do with Thomas. He was still standing where I’d instructed him to stay and I could tell that somehow, he felt safe being with us. However, what happened to him wasn’t my decision and the other members of our group would more than likely, not be as lenient as I was. Apart of me felt the need to shelter him- to help him to survive this disaster. Unfortunately, our group was clear on who was let in and it was imperative that we pushed our emotions away and thought about ‘us’ before we thought about ‘them’. But Thomas’ age, his innocence, his story, they all got to me, they all stung the deepest parts of my heart in ways that I hadn’t felt before Marge got pregnant.

  ‘Sir.’ His voice interrupted my thoughts.

  ‘Yes, Thomas,’ I replied.

  ‘What’s going to happen to me?’

  I wanted to wrap my arms around his frail body and assure him that everything was going to be okay, but I couldn’t. Instilling a false sense of security into this young boy would have done no good for either of us. I searched my brain, trying to find the right words to say; trying to add a glimmer of hope to a situation I knew was as grim as grim could be.

  ‘You know, Thomas. What you did was wrong and the decision of what happens to you isn’t mine. I’ll do everything I can to make sure that they let you off with a warning?’

  ‘Can I stay with you?’ his words trembled the same way his body did.

  ‘I’m afraid that won’t be possible. They don’t just let new members in without reason. We’ve got a limited amount of resources and if we keep letting people in, then we’ll be taking away from ourselves.’ I knew just how harsh my words sounded, but they were true. Sure, there were a great number of us who would love to save each and every one of those souls on the other side of the wall. Unfortunately, shelling out resources would mean that we’d be robbing ourselves. Prepper Central was developed to assist those who belonged to it. Sharing wasn’t a part of the plan and with months going by with no sign of hope, there was no telling just how much longer our supplies would last.

  ‘But I can be useful,’ he proceeded. ‘I can help out. I’ll do whatever you guys want.’

  ‘Like I said, it’s not my decision to make. I’m sorry.’

  I peeked inside of the house, hoping that my turning away from Thomas would stop him from going on about how resourceful he was. There was no chance in hell that everyone else would agree to him staying here. ‘Y’all done in there?’ I called out to Edward and Jonathan. A few seconds after hearing my voice, both men approached.

  ‘Oh damn, I completely forgot about the little one,’ Edward motioned to Thomas.

  My eyes traveled in Thomas’ direction to see that he had his palms pressed tightly against his face. If it were light out, I was sure that once those hands came down, a face covered in tears was what I would see. A part of me was happy that the darkness was able to mute the pain that I would feel seeing just how torn Thomas was.

  ‘What do you think?’ Edwards asked.

  ‘About what,’ I replied. I knew exactly what he was asking. I knew that he wanted me to give him my opinion on what we should do with Thomas.

  ‘What do you think we should do with the boy?’ Edward made himself clearer.

  ‘I dunno, I was thinking we should talk to Stewart and see what he comes up with.’

  ‘Nothing,’ Jonathan replied.

  ‘Huh?’ I wasn’t quite sure what his ‘nothing’ meant.

  ‘He’s gonna do nothing about it. I got through to him on the walkie talkie and he said we should handle it and he’ll support whatever we decide.’

  Now was my time to chip in; to suggest that he could stay here. However, with a pregnant wife, there was no way that I would be able to take on the responsibility of looking out for Thomas.

  ‘First of all, what are we gonna do with the other guy in there?’ I changed the subject.

  ‘Well, we’ve got to send him back over there,’ Jonathan said with an emotionless tone. ‘As a matter of fact, I think we should just send the both of them over there, if I’m being totally honest. We can’t afford to use up all our resources on everyone else. No one knows when this whole thing will blow over. No one knows when the president will crawl out of his hole and take charge.’

  ‘That’s the only option as far as I see it,’ Edward agreed.

  My brain was in overdrive thinking of all the ways in which I could spare this poor boy from the horrors he would face once he went back to the other side. He was underfed, had no one to look out for him and most of all, he was young. ‘Well,’ I finally came to a plausible conclusion, ‘how about we use him to our benefit?’

  Jonathan scoffed, perhaps unable to come up with a way in which this boy could work to our advantage.

  ‘Let me finish, Jonathan,’ I said boldly. ‘From what he tells me, the people on the other side send him around to scavenge or do whatever it is they want him to do and he does it, because he hasn’t got anyone. He says his parents were taken a while back and he’s just been on his own. Now, you know that they’re always coming up with different ways to get over here and steal our stuff. Sure, they’ve run out of ammo and all they’re not organized enough to come up with a foolproof plan of how to really attack us. But what if they do? Then we’ll be at a loss. We could have Thomas work for us, instead of them. He could listen in on their conversations and let us know whenever we should get ready to face a real threat.’

  The no
dding of Edward’s head told me that he understood what I was saying and perhaps even agreed. Jonathan, on the other hand, was a tough cookie to crack. His head shook from left to right the entire time I was talking.

  ‘How do you know he won’t turn on us?’ Jonathan finally said.

  ‘Well, we’ve got something that the other people don’t have. We’ve got supplies. I think if we help Thomas to fight his hunger, he’ll help us to fight our enemies.’

  ‘I don’t know man. Sounds like a botched up plan to me.’

  ‘It makes sense,’ Edward finally offered. ‘Rather than having to stay on our toes for a threat that we know is out there but have no idea when it will present itself, we can have a little messenger on the other side, collect the information we need.’

  ‘But why don’t you think those guys will turn on him too. You think it’ll be hard for them to spot him as a rat?’

  ‘No sir, they won’t turn on me’ Thomas’ weak voice interjected, ‘they trust me. Everyone over there trusts me. They tell me what to do and I do it. I’ve never let them down plus, if you give me food, I wouldn’t let anyone see it.’

  I was happy to see that even though the decision would include Thomas heading back to the broken society behind our walls, he could revel in a part of the offer I had come up with.

  ‘So,’ I tried to calm my voice to not sound too chirpy, ‘would you say we figured out a plan?’ Jonathan was still busy shaking his head no. Edward didn’t reply. ‘Come on. We can’t stand here all day trying to figure out what not to do and what to do. If you come up with a better plan then please let me know but as far as I see it, having a spy on the other side is as good as it’s going to get.’ I was waiting for Jonathan to say, ‘off with their heads’, or come up with some other inhumane option. The guy was unforgiving. I guess that this attitude was something that he developed in the military. The enemy was the enemy and nothing more. ‘How about we vote on it? I say we offer him food in exchange for info. Who agrees?’ Edward’s hand shot up and Jonathan’s hands folded themselves in each other.