Small Town EMP (Book 3): Survive The Conflict

by Hamilton, Grace

  Savannah looked down at her hands. “I kind of ran away.”

  The woman paused, pursing her lips. “I see. And, somehow, your father is planning to take down the NWO? How big is this group? We’ve been in the area and we haven’t seen them. We’ve seen plenty of the NWO. We think they’re going to try and take over the base. Harrison is too stubborn to listen to me. We’re stronger together, but she’s convinced she can save herself by hiding out on base and guarding it. She won’t last,” Macbeth said with a hint of sadness.

  “My dad has information that can stop them!” Savannah blurted out, earning a look from Malachi.

  “Who is your dad?” Airman Cliff asked, having just introduced himself to Andy.

  “No one. He just happened to get the information right before everything went dark. We know the NWO has satellites hovering above the earth, armed with nuclear warheads that will be launched should our government make any forward progress in bringing the power grid back up. He came here to shut down the control systems that allow them to move the satellites. Our friends are on their way to Warren Air Force Base to use the launch codes my dad has to launch missiles at the satellites and take them all down,” Savannah said, speaking quickly before she changed her mind, her words tripping over one another as she rushed to get it all out before Malachi shut her down.

  Macbeth’s mouth was hanging open. The other men and women crowded under the gazebo looked just as shocked. After several seconds, Macbeth opened her mouth to speak and then shut it again, seeming to collect her thoughts.

  “Who is your father?” Macbeth asked again.

  “No one you would know. He isn’t military. He isn’t anyone,” Savannah answered. “He was a journalist before things went dark.”

  “And he’s planning to take on the NWO?”

  Savannah looked at Malachi before answering. “Yes. We’ve kind of been chased by them all the way from Tennessee. My dad has a USB stick that they want. I’ve been captured by them. They burned down the house we were living in and they’ve murdered several of our friends trying to get the information.”

  “How big is your father’s army—I mean group,” the woman corrected herself.

  “Five. There were five of them when they left Colorado,” Malachi answered.

  Airman Cliff scoffed, shaking his head and looking at some of the others. All of them smirked or outright laughed. “Five people are going to take on that army? You say you’ve seen them; what would make him think he could ever be successful?”

  “Because he’s the bravest man I know. My uncle is with him and they are not going to go down without a fight. He’s probably down there right now, fighting for his life. We have to get there and try to help!” Savannah snapped, her chin going up and her shoulders going back as she defended her father.

  Macbeth held up a hand. “You seem to know a lot about what’s happening.”

  “Like she said,” Malachi spoke up, stepping forward, “Austin, her dad, has a lot of information. Someone found out what the NWO was going to do and slipped him a USB with the information. That was right before the EMP, but there are files and files on what the plans are, how they were going to distribute propaganda and all that, along with the information about the satellites and the missiles. The guy that got the information worked for the NSA. He gathered the information in hopes Austin could get it to the right people before they could launch their attack. It was too late. That man was killed by the NWO and they’ve been after Austin ever since. It isn’t a joke, ma’am, and I for one firmly believe Austin will do what he has set out to do,” Malachi said, his voice full of fight. “That or he’ll die trying,” he said more quietly.

  Macbeth looked from Savannah to Malachi, and then to her people. “We need to talk. Sit tight,” she said in a gruff voice.

  Savannah watched the group move away about twenty feet. She guessed there to be maybe twenty to thirty of them, with more standing guard near the roadway. The fact that she and Malachi hadn’t seen or heard them approaching was testament to their exhaustion. They’d been focused on the view and hadn’t been paying attention to what was happening behind them.

  “What do you think they’re talking about?” Savannah murmured.

  “I don’t know. Hopefully, it isn’t about whether or not to kill us. I’m tired of people trying to kill us all the time,” he replied.

  Little Andy gasped. “Malachi, really?” Savannah scolded.

  “Sorry. Don’t worry, Andy. They seem like good people. They gave us water,” he said, holding up his bottle of water.

  Savannah drank from her own, the somewhat putrid grape flavor making her cringe. She knew she needed the water and the packet of electrolytes that had been dumped in it. And they couldn’t be all bad if they were offering them water—she hoped.

  Macbeth walked back, a few of the men coming with her while the others stayed back, checking weapons and making various hand signals. Savannah got to her feet again, ready to fight if need be, even though she knew she didn’t stand a chance.

  “We’ll escort you into the city. The computer center you’re talking about is at our base. Your father will be ambushed. There were NWO at the main gates. Harrison may have already been overtaken. We have to try and help her, and we will help your father if we can,” she promised.

  “You’re going to help the person who kicked you off base?” Malachi asked.

  “I’m sending one of my people in to arrange a meeting. I think she’ll be more inclined to join forces if it means combatting the true enemy. One of the things we argued about was her wanting to go after the NWO, while I wanted to lie low and protect the base,” she explained.

  “Really?” Savannah asked. “You’ll back my dad?”

  “If he has what you say he has and he has a plan, I’d love to meet him and see how we can help. We’re here to serve. It’s what we signed up for and it’s what we intend to do until there’s nothing left. We’re committed to our country,” she said simply.

  “When?” Malachi asked.

  “Now. We can’t afford to wait,” she said, her tone grim.

  “What? Why?” Savannah asked, sensing there was something being left unsaid.

  “Like I said, the NWO has already been there. Harrison can’t hold them back for long,” she said.

  Savannah had been looking forward to resting, but it wasn’t meant to be. “Come on, Andy. Let’s get the horses.”

  “We have some nourishment packs. You kids look like you could use some food,” Macbeth offered, a smile on her lips as they moved to the horses.

  “Please. Andy hasn’t eaten in a couple days,” Savannah said.

  Macbeth smiled. “I’m guessing that means you two probably haven’t eaten in longer than that. We’re here. We’ll do what we can to keep you safe.”

  Savannah had to blink back the tears she felt pressing at her eyelids. She was tired, making her more emotional, but it had been too long since someone had taken care of her. She was tired of being strong for Andy. The idea that she could rely on someone else for a while was welcomed, even if it might be for just a short time. “Thank you,” she whispered, and then she turned to help Andy onto Raven.

  It felt good, safe, to be encompassed by armed soldiers, fighting for the good guys. She could let her guard down. She looked over at Malachi and smiled. He smiled back, and it was a real smile—something she hadn’t seen in days.

  32

  Zander walked along the blacktop, the morning sun already promising it was going to be a scorcher. His men stood in front of one of the hangars at the Air National Guard base outside Boise. This was where he had expected to find Austin. It was empty, deserted as far as his men could see. They had searched the hangars and the barracks already and found the post completely abandoned. He would have killed the men in his army had they run like cowards.

  The empty base only proved the point of the NWO. The government had been weak, easily overthrown with the EMP. It was why the NWO had been formed. They needed a stro
ng, controlling force running the world. So much politicking had left the country and several other so-called world powers weak. They’d been hamstrung, and it was time for a superior force to take over. He was a part of that force, and would one day be sitting at the round table with the true leaders of the world.

  First, however, he had to put down Austin Merryman. The man threatened to destroy all of his hard work and the sacrifices he had made. He would find him, kill him, and end the man’s one-man quest to save the world. He’d thought, by now, that the man and his friends might have come after their doctor, but so far that wasn’t the case. Maybe he’d been smart and abandoned her, but if that was the case, it was all the more important that they get her to talk. Austin Merryman would not get away from him again. One way or another, he couldn’t depend on their traitor to bring them to the base.

  “Good morning, sir,” one of the guards greeted him.

  “We’ll see. Is she still alive?” he asked.

  “Yes, sir,” the man replied.

  If she was alive, that meant she hadn’t talked yet, and it was time to turn up the heat. He didn’t like not knowing where Merryman was. Zander felt the stagnant air hitting him as he entered the hangar. He smelled blood and the distinct scent of urine. That made him smile. She’d wet herself.

  Zander stared down at the woman tied to the chair, her ankles tied to the legs of the chair and her hands behind her back. She was completely immobilized and at his mercy. The good Dr. Bastani wasn’t looking so hot. He’d left his men alone with her to extract the information they needed, and she wasn’t talking. The less she talked, however, the harsher the persuasion tactics.

  “You might as well just tell me where he is. I’m going to find him. You can make it easier for me and I in turn will make it easier for you. Wouldn’t you prefer a bullet to the head over this laborious torture?” he asked.

  “I don’t know where he is,” she whispered.

  He stared at her cracked and bleeding lips. Both of her eyes were swollen shut and her left cheek had a nasty gash across it. He knew she had to have several broken ribs after the beating she’d taken with the heavy book his men had tossed to the side.

  “Where were you supposed to meet him?” he growled.

  She tried to open her eyes, her head bobbing backwards as she attempted to look at him. “I wasn’t supposed to be separated from him.”

  “Liar! Merryman would have a contingency plan!”

  Zander looked over at the man standing nearby. He gave a brief nod, indicating it was time to inflict more pain. Zander had been furious when he’d discovered that Merryman still had the USB. His men had scoured the area, and the man had all but vanished—he’d slipped from his grip again, and he was all the madder because it had been his own fault for wanting to make a big statement, and take down the man himself, by himself. He’d made another mistake, and he’d be lucky if it didn’t really cost him. His best bet was getting this woman to talk.

  When his obedient soldier held up a length of two-by-four for Zander’s approval, he nodded again. The man swung the board, connecting with Sarah Bastani’s knees. She screamed in pain, her body jerking as she cried out. Zander couldn’t stop the smile from spreading across his face. He envisioned Austin in the chair. He wanted to make Austin bleed and scream in pain in retribution for the suffering he had caused him.

  “I don’t know,” Sarah whimpered.

  “Arm,” Zander uttered.

  His man swung the board, connecting with the doctor’s upper arm. More screams erupted from her mouth. The sounds were strangled, her throat clearly raw from the screaming and lack of fluids.

  “No more,” she murmured.

  “This doesn’t stop until you tell me where he is,” Zander said, bending over at the waist to get close to her battered face.

  The woman spat at him, blood and spittle hitting him in the face. His arm swung out, his hand slapping her cheek hard. Her head tilted to the side, hanging low.

  “Alright, Dr. Bastani. I gave you the chance. You know I’m going to find him. You are prolonging your discomfort. I promise I will kill you as soon as you tell me what I want to know. But I will keep you alive until then, and I will let these men hurt you for days. You will not die. You will not escape. No one is coming to save you. Give him up and you can die peacefully,” he said.

  He wasn’t interested in promising her a bunch of things he had no intention of following through with. She was a smart woman, so he figured a more direct approach was the way to go. Apparently, though, she enjoyed the torture.

  Fine. He was happy to oblige her with more pain and suffering if that’s what she craved. “Take her to the recruiting center,” he said to his men before walking out of the hangar.

  33

  Austin hadn’t slept all night. He couldn’t stop thinking about Nash, knowing Sarah was likely being put through the same torture. There was nothing she knew that the NWO didn’t already know, except for where to find him, but she couldn’t tell him that.

  He knew Zander would be looking for him. They had managed to find their way into an old, long-abandoned shack on what he suspected was the training field for the airbase. It was riddled with bullet holes, indicating that either the Air National Guard or some trespassers had used the shack for target practice.

  He suspected they had taken her onto the base. The problem was, the NWO had claimed it as their own. They had spent the night doing recon, discovering there was a relatively small contingent of men with Zander. After Wendell’s little revelation about him giving up Amanda’s whereabouts, Austin suspected part of his small army had gone after her. She should already be in Cheyenne—at least, he hoped she was. He held the messenger in his hand, unable to keep from turning it on after everything that had happened. He was relieved to see it remained fully charged, and the blank screen stared back at him. Should he send a message? Sarah had warned him that it could be tracked. Sighing, he turned the device off and put it back in his pocket. It would have to wait.

  Ennis came into the shack with Wendell beside him, which was where he’d been glued for the last twelve hours. Austin knew the weasel was afraid of him. He should be, too. Austin was ready to kill him slowly for his betrayal.

  “Ready to move?” he asked, glowering at Wendell.

  “I am,” Ennis replied.

  Austin looked at Wendell, stepping forward and going nose to nose with him. “You screw us over and I will make sure you die. Ennis won’t be able to save you. Zander won’t save you. You. Will. Die.”

  “I swear, I’m not lying. Zander’s in there. I know that’s where he’s taken her,” Wendell said.

  “You won’t get a gun. I don’t trust you not to shoot me in the back,” Austin snapped.

  “How can I help if I don’t have a weapon?” Wendell whined.

  Ennis turned to look at him. “You should have thought about that before you set us up. If you want a gun, I suggest you ask your buddy Zander.”

  Austin grinned, happy to know his brother completely backed him in that regard. Wendell was only alive because he’d told them where to find Zander. The original location for where they’d thought the computer center had been located was inaccurate. It was on the base, in a bunker that was concealed within one of the hangars. Wendell claimed to know which building the center was in, and while Austin wasn’t sure he believed him, Gowen Field was too big for them to search the numerous buildings blindly. He had to trust Wendell, and that made him very uncomfortable.

  “We’re going. Harlen, are you ready for this?” Austin asked the man who had been sitting quietly.

  “I’m ready. I don’t want to leave her in there another minute,” he replied simply.

  “Then let’s go. We’ve got darkness on our side. Wendell, you better not be setting us up,” Austin hissed.

  “I’m not. I know where it is.”

  “What about Sarah? How are we going to find her?” Ennis asked.

  “You’re certain he was going to hole up in t
he recruiting center?” Austin asked Wendell for the third time.

  “Yes. I was going to meet him there,” he said, somewhat forlornly.

  “Well, it looks like you still will,” Austin said dryly.

  All except Wendell checked their weapons. They had limited ammunition, which meant they had to use stealth. They would never survive a gun battle. Austin refused to lose, however, no matter how the odds might be stacked in Zander’s favor; he refused to give up without putting every ounce of strength he had into succeeding in this mission. He’d had his moment of doubt, and Ennis had reminded him of who he was. Now, what mattered was moving forward.

  They walked out of the shack, the darkness thick as they started towards the airfield that stretched out for hundreds of acres, surrounded by industrial businesses. None of them spoke as their ears strained to pick up any sounds suggesting they might have been discovered. Austin was skeptical about Wendell’s information, but he had no other choice but to at least check it out.

  After walking for about fifteen minutes, Austin saw the building where the bunker was supposed to be hidden underground.

  “Over there,” Wendell said, pointing to small, rectangular, one-story building.

  “That’s where you think Sarah is being held?” Ennis asked.

  “Possibly,” Wendell replied, suddenly not willing to commit.

  Austin had to weigh his options. If he went after Sarah first, the NWO would certainly know they were there. It would destroy the element of surprise, and they would never make it to the underground computer center.

  “I know what you’re thinking, and you’re right,” Ennis said quietly.

  “What is he thinking?” Harlen asked.

  “We’re going to the bunker first. We do what we came here to do and then we go after Sarah,” Austin said firmly.

  “What? We can’t! We have to go to the recruiting center first!” Wendell said, his voice panicked.

  Austin stopped walking and moved to stand in front of Wendell, his suspicions reaching higher by the moment. “You seem upset by that. Why?” Austin asked.