Band of Preppers: A Prepper Fiction Novel (Book 1)

by Chad Evercroft

  “No trickery,” she assured them. “And I have no way of communicating with anyone. No phone, Walkie-Talkie, nothing. You can check.”

  They scoured the woods for any signs of the men who Derek had seen flee. Their only discovery was the bodies by the dead campfire. Derek shuddered at seeing his victims again.

  “You did what you had to,” Fred told him, patting his shoulder. “You saved your wife.”

  The only option was to burn the bodies. They stood around the gruesome pyre, covering their faces with cloth, and said nothing. No one gloated or whooped. It was a deeply disturbing moment.

  Back in town, they held a brief conference to decide what to do with the girl. It was understood that the baby was to stay, and everyone leaned toward allowing Megan in, but they also knew they needed rules to protect themselves.

  “She has to prove herself,” someone said. “Contribute.”

  “And stay under quarantine until we know she’s not infected.”

  Megan agreed to anything and everything, as long as she could stay. Buckle’s house was the obvious choice, so once again, Derek and Amy’s bedroom became the isolation room, with Amy serving as liaison. After only half an hour, Megan became part of the community and went back to Buckle’s.

  The town didn’t expect any more attacks from Megan’s group, but started rebuilding the barricade right away just in case. Buckle slumbered on and off during the day, and after dinner, he, Adam, and Derek sat around a fire in the fireplace. Amy and Megan were in the bedroom, talking in hushed tones. Britney had been moved to Adam’s room for the time being, and was sleeping soundly in her basket. Adam stroked Roadie, who was laying with his head in Adam’s lap. Adam looked like he wanted to say something, but was hesitating. Finally, he spoke.

  “I’m sorry about starting all of this,” he blurted. “It’s my fault.”

  Derek and Buckle looked at him, then at each other. Buckle sighed.

  “No, I was wrong. You did what any decent person would have done. It was those outsiders that were wrong.”

  “But if I had done something different, they wouldn’t have attacked us, and you wouldn’t have gotten hurt. Something really bad could have happened to Mom, or you, Dad!”

  “I know,” Buckle said slowly.

  “Look,” Derek interjected. “Times are different now. You can’t trust very many people, but at the same time, you can’t lose your compassion. That’s what happened to that other group, to Megan’s group.”

  “But what could have I done differently?” Adam persisted. “Without being mean, but without risking everything.”

  “There’s a way,” Buckle said. “First, we can’t let anyone in. Not right away at least. And you shouldn’t leave the fence again without more people. That way, someone can stay with the stranger out in the woods, while the other person goes back inside the town and talks it out. There’s gotta be a way.”

  Adam nodded.

  “Always be armed,” Buckle continued. “With a gun. People aren’t going to hold back anymore. We know that from experience now.”

  They grew quiet again. Derek watched the fire dance and bob. A question came to his mind and he knew now was the best time to ask.

  “Buckle, why did you name your dog after Jenna Bailey?”

  Trapped, Buckle had no choice but to answer. His eyes became thoughtful.

  “Because I’ve never stopped thinking about her,” he replied. “And what might have been.”

  “If you stopped prepping like she wanted you to, you’d probably be dead.”

  “No, I could have kept her and the prepping, if I had really tried. I just didn’t try.”

  Buckle shifted on the couch, wincing in pain. He got comfortable again and looked at his fingernails.

  “She could have been here with me. We could have had a family. I thought I had to choose between love or survival, but looking at you guys, I know you can have both.”

  It was a profound thought. And it was true. Derek smiled at Adam.

  “You have us,” Adam offered.

  Buckle’ thoughtfulness broke into a smile, then a laugh.

  “I do have you guys! And that’s all I could ever really ask for! Ya’ll make me feel normal.”

  “Are things ever going to go back to normal?” Adam asked.

  They all sat in silence for a few moments. The fire crackled and popped. Roadie snored, his chest heaving. Derek touched his ear, where the bullet had pierced it, ripping the lobe. He thought about Amy, and how now she would be caressing a war wound. War. Derek had fought in a war, and won. He was still winning: against death, against hate, against disease. And against his past. Derek felt no trace of insecurity or self-doubt anymore. He was strong. His family was strong. His son was going to grow up to be one hell of a man. Whatever happened now, he knew that they could survive it.

  “This is normal,” Derek said. “And we’re all together. That isn’t so bad, is it?”

  Final Word

  Thank you very much for reading my book. I hope you enjoyed it and found what you were looking for.

  If you want to find out more about me and my novels, please feel free to check out my new website www.chadevercroft.com and sign up to My Newsletter to be the first to know about Upcoming Books, Important Dates and Exciting Giveaways. You can also visit my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/chadevercroft and get in contact with me there. Be sure to click the like button =)

  To me as an author it is important to get feedback about my work. I would like to know whether my readers liked what they read. Therefore, if you liked my book, please leave a comment in the review section of Amazon.

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  If you enjoy Dystopian Fiction as much as me, make sure to check out some of my other novels. You can find links to my other titles, as well as a short excerpt of my newest book below.

  My other Novels:

  Prepper Central (Click Here)

  Presidential Cleaning (Click Here)

  Band of Preppers I (Click Here)

  Band of Preppers II (Click Here)

  Prepping for the Unknown I (Click Here)

  No Tomorrow (Click Here)

  6:00 Hours (Click Here)

  The Unforeseen Enemy (Click Here)

  Here is an excerpt of my new book ‘The Unforeseen Enemy: A Dystopian Novel’:

  Chapter 1

  My heart skipped beats, raced and refused to settle down. Through the tiny opening in the curtains, I saw the hooded figures cock their guns and charge towards what should have been our safe haven.

  ‘Dad,’ I whimpered, fighting back the hot tears that threatened to stream down my cheeks.

  This was it; this was our time to feel the same wrath that had fallen upon so many of Parkland’s citizens.

  Upon hearing my voice, dad stopped pacing around the room. His trembling fingers running through his short brown hair, his face lined with terror, I could see the defeat in his eyes. ‘Grab something, Liv. Food, batteries, a knife, anything that can fit into your pocket, grab it.’

  There was no convincing my tears to refrain from flowing. Mom took dad’s words as her cue to start filling her pockets; moving through the kitchen drawers with rapid speed. For a second, I froze, not wanting to accept that our time had come. That today was the day that we’d be just like everyone else.

  ‘You heard me,’ dad’s voice came louder this time. ‘Grab something, Liv. It’ll only take them two minutes to get up here. Hurry.’

  I joined mom in the kitchen and stuffed one item after the other into the front pocket of my hoody. Snicker bars, matches, hand sanitizer and just about anything my hand landed on. When my pockets could hold no more, I pulled the long kitchen knife out of the holder and stuck it behind my back.

  ‘Are we not going to fight?’ I asked through the hiccups of my cries.

  ‘There’s no fighting to be done,’ mom assured me in a tone that didn’t have the slightest glimmer of hope attached to it.

  ‘What do you mean there’s
no fighting to be done? This is our home. We can’t allow them to stroll through it like they own the place. We can’t not fight.’

  ‘Your mother’s right,’ dad replied firmly. ‘In a few minutes, you’ll want to fight for your home, I get that, but what you also need to understand is that fighting for your home is better than fighting for your life.’

  ‘Are you kidding me?’ I hissed. ‘You worked for all of this. Hell, I’ve been working my ass off too. Nothing about allowing it to happen makes sense.’

  The frustration in dad’s voice grew, ‘this economy doesn’t make sense, honey, and there’s nothing we can do about it. So I suggest you suck it up and allow them to claim what they want. But don’t allow them to claim your life. You’ve got to be alive in order to survive. Don’t be stupid about it.’

  He was right, the economy had taken a turn for the irreparable, but we had enough. We could survive until things passed. But giving up our home wouldn’t allow for survival. Giving up our home would mean that we were agreeing to defeat without questioning it.

  ‘You should know better than anyone,’ the pitch of my voice climbed, ‘you should know that if you want something you fight for it. Isn’t that what you keep telling me- that you stopped at nothing. What was your childhood for, then? Why did you pound all of that bullshit about reaching for the stars in my head? So that you could be a coward when you’re put to the test? Because the dad I knew- the one who turned mere pennies into millions- he wouldn’t just fold under pressure.’

  ‘This isn’t the time for that,’ mom snapped. ‘Show your father some respect and use your head for once.’

  ‘Allison,’ dad turned to mom, speaking to her as though I wasn’t in the same room, ‘Liv’s just upset is all.’

  ‘Of course I’m upset,’ I replied, walking toward the narrow hallway that led to my bedroom. ‘I’m upset because you’re telling me that I should just give up. You’re telling me to forget about everything you taught me and to just succumb to all the bullshit that’s happening in this world.’

  My rant was interrupted by pounding on the door. I looked from mom to dad and dad to mom and noticed one thing in both their eyes- they were ready.

  ‘Just put your hands up and walk out.’ Dad’s head bobbed up and down in agreement with himself.

  If they weren’t going to fight for themselves then I’d have to fight for us all. I charged toward my bedroom, slammed the door shut behind me and tuned out dad’s demands. ‘Get out here this minute, Liv,’ he yelled. ‘You’re going to get yourself killed.’

  We weren’t put in this world to live forever and though death might have wanted to call my name as I pressed my back against the door- preventing one command or the other to cause me to cave- I knew that on the outside, death was harsher and more likely than anyone wanted to admit. Holding the knife securely in my hands, I slid my fingers down the edge of the blade. Sharp. Sharp enough to cut through meat and sharp enough to cut through human flesh.

  A ruckus in the living room, with wailing and pleading was enough to ascertain me that they’d entered. Footsteps- heavy and determined- approached my bedroom. I made my way to my feet, waiting for the inevitable. I watched as the door handle to my bedroom lowered. The door shuddered when the person on the other side realized it was locked.

  ‘Somebody’s in this one,’ a harsh voice sent shivers down my spine.

  More footsteps- quicker this time- approached my bedroom. I stepped back from the door, knowing that in no time at all, it would be removed from its hinges and I’d be left to face the demons on the other side.

  ‘You know there’s no hiding from us.’ Way too many cigarettes were likely the reason for the huskiness of the voice that echoed on the other side.

  Even through the door, I could smell him. The overpowering and undisguisable scent of cigarettes and booze. The door handle rattled rapidly and the pounding started again. My eyes widened and my hands clasped more firmly around the knife as one corner of the door separated. And then another. I planted my feet on the ground, building up the fight in me. One more shoulder to the door sent a short and stocky man flying through. Immediately, my hand went above my head and forcefully I swung it down in the direction of the figure before me. He glared at me as he curled his fingers around the blade and pulled hard enough to rip the knife from my hands. Shocked, lost for words and without the only weapon I’d managed to grab hold of, my decision to fight proved to be a foolish one. A roar of laughter mocked my attempts to defend my home.

  ‘She really thought she could take you,’ jeered a tall man who watched the action from behind.

  The man, who was now in possession of my knife smiled before extending his tongue and licking the small droplets of blood that had formed in his palm. ‘Seems like the prettier they are the dumber they are.’ Now standing before me, he traced a lone finger along my jawline before gripping a handful of my long, blonde hair.

  ‘Get out of my house,’ I spat, pushing his hands away from me.

  ‘Did she say, her house?’ laughed the only man whose voice I hadn’t yet heard.

  ‘Yes, I said my house, you bastard. This is my house. Just because you attempt to steal something, doesn’t make it yours.’

  Again, an effort to take hold of my hair was made. I resisted by stepping further back into my room. ‘I don’t think I like your tone and the last person’s tone I didn’t like,’ he rubbed the back of his hand against his beard, ‘well, let’s just say his tone was his downfall.’

  I felt the Goosebumps rise on my skin with every word that slipped from his slithery grin. Giving up would have been the right thing to do, but how could I? ‘I’m not going to allow you to do this.’ My eyes wandered from person to person, trying to determine which one of the three was more likely to show sympathy.

  ‘I think we should keep her,’ said one of the men to the other.

  What did they mean by keep me?

  Scraggly fingers grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to him. ‘Is that what you want?’ he asked. ‘You want to stay here with us. I could think of a million and one things a girl like you would be good for.’

  The look on his face, the tone of his voice and the evil in his eyes made my stomach turn. ‘No,’ I yelled, pulling my hand out of his grasp and kneeing him in the place that hurt the most.

  His hands clung to his stomach as his face contorted with pain.

  ‘Bitch!’ he cried.

  ‘You okay, boss,’ the other two men came to his rescue.

  I didn’t stop for long enough to give them time to think about revenge. Through the door I went, avoiding the elevator and taking to the stairs. Faster and faster I ran, holding my breath the entire way until. Gravity aided the contents of my pocket to leave a trail behind me. But there was no worrying about what I would or would not be able to eat; there was no stopping to reclaim my belongings. I needed to get out. I couldn’t allow them to catch up with me. A few more strides and one push of the sturdy glass door landed me on the same pavement where my parents stood with their arms wrapped around each other. My eyes met theirs and they released their hold from each other and wrapped their arms around me.

  ‘We told you not to fight,’ mother whimpered. ‘You’ll never know just how much you scared us. We thought…’

  ‘We thought they hurt you,’ dad interjected.

  ‘Of course they hurt me,’ I snapped. ‘They took our home. Now, we’re stuck out here with nothing. And you guys, you just put your hands up and surrendered.’

  ‘I tried to go back,’ dad promised. ‘But that guy standing guard at the parking lot, he wasn’t having it.’

  ‘He really did,’ mother assured me. ‘We both begged him to let us get you, but…’

  ‘It’s okay,’ I settled, not wanting to start a fuss about feeling neglected when I didn’t truly believe that to be the case. ‘Did you call the police?’

  Mom waved her cell phone in the air, ‘no answer. With all the crime going on in this city, they’ve got their han
ds full.’

  A small chuckle escaped me, ‘doing their jobs? They seem to be half the problem if you ask me. I just don’t get it. I don’t understand how they can just kick back and eat donuts while our city looks like this.’

  ‘I assure you Liv, no one’s kicking back at this point. More than half the officers in town have lost their jobs and the other half are either hard at work, trying to fight something much bigger than them or they’re fighting for their lives.’

  ‘How could things just disintegrate this fast?’

  Mother ran her soft hands down my arm. ‘It’s been going on for a while dear. We’ve just been lucky enough not to experience it.’

  She had a point. Having stayed indoors for the majority of the time, fiddling with my computer and working relentlessly at things that didn’t matter now, there was no way for me to see just how bad things were. Dad had picked up a few additional staff members and thus, taking care of the grocery shopping and other necessities was no longer left up to us. We weren’t completely oblivious to what was happening either. There were people in our building, who- just like us- had been tossed out by the gangs that roamed around during day and night. Our penthouse wasn’t targeted simply because dad had hired the security power to protect us. But eventually, it seemed as though no matter how much he paid them, it wasn’t enough. Or maybe they had families who needed them more than we did. Whatever the case was, we were left to fend for ourselves and thus, the inevitable happened. Just like the others in our building, we were tossed out onto the streets, without the slightest idea of where to go and what move to make next.