“I will in a bit, but right now we need to get to the conference room,” Lindsey said. “Sheriff Thompson is on the radio, and he wants to talk to the person in charge of Estes Park.”
“Stay here with Allie and Creek,” Raven said to Sandra.
“But...”
“Just listen to me for once,” Raven said.
Sandra let out a frustrated huff and walked back to Colton’s office while Raven followed Lindsey into the conference room. Mayor Andrews, Administrator Feagen, Detective Ryburn, Officer Matthew, Margaret, and several other staff members were inside. The shock on their faces told Raven that Lindsey had already broken the news about the previous night. He was glad not to have been here for the majority of the conversation.
“Who’s going to talk to Thompson?” Lindsey asked.
“Colton would want you in charge,” Officer Matthew said.
“Yeah, but Mayor Andrews is in charge of the town until he comes back,” Lindsey replied…
“Me?” Mayor Andrews asked, pointing at her chest. “I...I...”
Lindsey rolled her eyes and grabbed the radio receiver. Raven stepped up next to her.
“This is Detective Lindsey Plymouth,” she said.
“Never heard of you,” Thompson’s voice replied. “I’ll keep this very short. We have Chief Colton. And I’m told you have one of my men, Jason Cole.”
“Cole is the raider that hit us the other day,” Raven said quietly when Lindsey’s questioning eyes met his.
“If you don’t return him, then I’m afraid I’ll just have to keep Chief Colton. I’ve got a spot picked out for him right next to the former sheriff. If you ever want to see him alive again, you’ll do exactly as I say.”
There was another pause full of more shocked looks, and then Thompson added, “Oh, and we’re also going to need half of your medicine supplies, half of the elk meat, and the majority of your weapons. Then we’ll get scheduled drops each week. You will drop off the first load with Jason halfway down Highway 34 in three days. I’ll give you a few minutes to talk it over.”
Lindsey looked at Raven for guidance, something he’d never thought would happen.
“Do we comply with the demands?” Ryburn asked.
“Hell no,” Raven said. “That would leave us unarmed, and we need those supplies to get through the winter.”
“If we don’t, they will kill Colton.” Lindsey shook her head. “What do we do, Sam?”
Everyone else looked at Raven as if they expected him to lead them. Colton was being held prisoner, Jake Englewood was dead, and Gail Andrews was too flustered to organize a PTA meeting, let alone take charge of a town in crisis. He locked eyes with Lindsey. If anyone here should take the lead, it was her.
The radio crackled and Thompson’s voice surged back over the channel. “What’s your answer?”
Raven stepped over to Lindsey and whispered, “Tell them we’ll comply with their demands.”
“Are you crazy?” Lindsey asked, her eyes uncomprehending.
“Just trust me,” Raven said. “I have a plan. Don’t worry. We’re not handing over Cole and we’re not giving Thompson jack shit. We’re going to fight, and I’m going to get Colton back.”
He grinned at Lindsey. It was the smile of a man with a plan that was just crazy enough to work. After a moment, she smiled back at him. Together, they would protect the town and get Colton back safely. They would not allow Estes Park to fall.
Let the storm come, Raven thought. We’ll be ready.
End of Book 3
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Nicholas Sansbury Smith is the USA Today bestselling author of the Hell Divers trilogy, the Orbs trilogy, and the Extinction Cycle series. He worked for Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management in disaster mitigation before switching careers to focus on his one true passion—writing. When he isn’t writing or daydreaming about the apocalypse, he enjoys running, biking, spending time with his family, and traveling the world. He is an Ironman triathlete and lives in Iowa with his fiancée, their dogs, and a house full of books.
Trackers 3: The Storm (A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Thriller) Page 25
