by Harley Tate
Hearing the four of them talk, Madison was thankful for the new additions to the group. They had skills and knowledge Madison, Peyton, and her mom didn’t possess.
“What about supplies?” Colt turned to Brianna’s mom. “Are you good or do you need more?”
“We always need more. And if we’re setting up a defense, cameras would be a good option. We’ve got the solar capacity.”
“When we were on the way here we had to leave a tremendous amount behind.” Madison’s father nodded at Colt. “Thanks to his shoveling skills, we buried it all about twenty miles from here.”
Peyton spoke up. “Brianna and I can go get it if you can show us the way.”
Madison’s father nodded.
“Hiking here, I got to thinking about warehouse delivery and how most big box stores have massive distribution centers.” Colt ran a hand over his chin. “Most of them don’t look like much from the outside.”
Brianna’s father leaned back. “I’m listening.”
“We could organize a group and hit one. They’ll have everything from toilet paper to macaroni to car batteries.”
“You really think there are any left that haven’t been ransacked?”
Colt shrugged. “It’s worth a shot.”
Brianna’s father thought it over. “We’ve been too small to take on that kind of risk, but it’s a solid idea. There’s a big warehouse district on the edge of Truckee. We could start there.”
“What about Cunningham’s group? They’re all over that side of town.”
“There’s got to be factions all over.”
Colt spoke up. “I know the risks and Larkin and I are pretty good at urban survival.” He grinned at the man. “Besides, we’re a bit more expendable.”
“Speak for yourself, air marshal. I tend to like breathing.”
The room broke into laughter and the meeting was over. They had gained three new members, one of whom wouldn’t be moving off her bed in the bunk house for a while.
As Madison braced to stand an orange ball of fluff sprang up into her lap. Fireball meowed and bumped his head against her hand. “Hey there, little man.” Madison rubbed behind his ears as the cat settled in.
“Looks like he wants you to stay.”
“I guess so.”
As Anne opened the door to head outside a little streak of brown and gray tore into the room. It scampered across the wood floor and stopped at Madison’s feet, yipping and barking and spinning in circles.
Her mom laughed. “Someone is a bit jealous.” She bent down and scooped up Lottie into her arms. The Yorkie turned around on her mom’s lap and plopped down, nose a few inches from Fireball.
“I thought she didn’t like you?”
“Turns out she can’t resist duck jerky. One bite was all it took.”
Brianna leaned over. “I thought Yorkies hated cats.”
Madison shrugged. “Guess she likes being here more.”
Lottie and Fireball eyed each other, neither hissing nor barking. Colt walked over shaking his head. “So, a few hours here and you’ve found a new person, huh? Guess I shouldn’t be surprised. I’m not very good with pets.”
Madison’s mom smiled as Lottie jumped down to sniff Colt’s feet. “Don’t be so sure about that. You’re still her favorite.”
Colt’s sunny expression faltered. “No. I’m just a stand-in. Her favorite died not that long ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
He waved her off. “Don’t be. We’ve all lost people.” Colt bent down and scooped up the little dog. “Haven’t we, Lottie?”
As he walked off, Madison leaned against her mom. “Do you think we’ll be safe here?”
Her mom wrapped an arm back around Madison and squeezed. “We can hope.”
Day Forty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Nine
DANI
Clifton Compound
10:00 a.m.
Dani blinked her way out of a dream and turned her head. The dirt and leaves and stink of animal were gone, replaced by soft lantern light and a blanket. She turned her head.
Colt sat beside her, head resting on his hand. He stared out at nothing. She opened her mouth to speak when his voice filled the silence.
“I know that you need to sleep, but if you could just wake up for a little while, I’ve got news.”
She tried to say something, but he kept going.
“We’ve made it to the Cliftons’ place and it’s everything we could ask for. They’ve got a deep well and a garden and pigs and chickens. They’ve even rigged up a composting toilet.” He snorted. “They’re turning shit into fertilizer.”
Dani smiled through the clearing fog.
“And the best part is that they’ve asked us to stay. We can have a life here, Dani. I know it’s not what you wanted and we’re back with strangers, but I think you’ll like it here. God knows we need the break. We can’t keep running. We need a chance to breathe.” He pressed his fingers into his eyes. “But it would be great if you would wake up.”
“Why is it we only get to sleep in a bed when someone almost dies?”
Colt spun around with a start. “You’re awake!”
She nodded.
“For how long?”
“Long enough to know I’m not dead and stuck with you in the afterlife.”
He grinned. “We made it.”
“Is Larkin here?”
Colt nodded. “And Lottie, too.”
Dani tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness threw her back. “She’s alive?”
“She’s got a chewed-up ear and some scratches, but that dog’s a trouper.”
Dani closed her eyes in relief. “I thought the bear killed her.”
“It almost killed you.”
“That, too.” So many thoughts and emotions swirled inside Dani’s head. She managed to put voice to one of them. “Thanks for saving me. Again.”
“Any time.”
“How about we take a few days in between.”
“I’d appreciate that.” Colt leaned back in his chair and exhaled. “It’ll be hard work living here. Everything they have they work hard to produce.”
“Good. That means we’ll have something to do.”
“I’ve agreed to lead some raids into town to hunt for more supplies.”
Dani swallowed. “I’ll go, too.”
“Not until you’re one hundred percent.”
“Fair enough.” She chewed on her lip. “We can’t screw this one up, Colt. These people can’t die because of us.”
“We won’t. Not this time.”
Dani nodded as the door to the room opened. A girl with blonde curls and a red bandana stuck her head inside. “Walter’s about to broadcast. Didn’t know if you wanted to listen.”
“Thanks.”
As the girl was about to leave, she caught sight of Dani. “You’re awake.”
Dani nodded.
“Welcome. It’s good to have you.”
The door shut behind her and Colt stood up. “That’s Brianna. She’s the daughter of the people who built this place.”
“How old is she?”
“Twenty, I think. And there’s two other kids about her age, too.”
Dani didn’t know what to say. She’d gotten so used to hanging out with Colt that seeing someone closer to her age never crossed her mind. Maybe staying there wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
“Did she say Walter’s broadcasting?”
Colt nodded. “He’s got this crazy setup here with a ham radio and massive antennas. Said sometimes when they’re listening they can pick up people across the country.”
“No way.”
“Want to listen?”
Dani nodded and let Colt help her off the cot. She wobbled, but managed to stand with his support. Together they hobbled out of the cabin and into an open area. She stopped to process it all.
Three cabins, a barn, pasture, and fruit trees. It was a mini working farm carved out of the forest. She couldn’t believe it.
Colt helped her over to where Walter sat in front of an electronics setup fit for a radio station.
He smiled when he saw her. “Welcome back.”
“Thanks.”
“I can only broadcast for a couple minutes. It’s too much of a drain on the solar.” He turned back around and moved some dials and hit some buttons. “Good morning. The time is 10:30 a.m., Pacific Standard Time, and this is Walter Sloane.
Dani eased down to the ground with Colt’s help and leaned against him while Walter spoke. She thought back to that night in the Wilkins family’s basement and how they all gathered around the radio to listen to his broadcast.
She never thought she would be sitting behind the same man, watching him as he spoke words of hope and encouragement to people all over. As she sat there, she caught sight of Lottie running through grass almost as tall as she was, her little pointed ears sticking up above the green.
Could they really be happy here? Could they really stay?
She turned to see two women side by side also listening. From the resemblance, Dani put it together: Walter’s wife and daughter. Dani swallowed. This wouldn’t be the same as Eugene. She wouldn’t let it.
They would work together to survive out here, away from cities and towns and the threat of outsiders. She would contribute as much as she was able.
Walter cleared his throat as he wrapped up. “Every day you wake up is another day to celebrate. You’re alive. You’re breathing. Make the most of it. Take the opportunity you’ve been given and run with it. Even in the darkest moments hope still lingers like an unlit match. All it needs is a spark to light. Until next time, this is Walter Sloane. Good luck.”
He clicked off the radio and his wife walked forward. She bent down and kissed the side of his head.
The daughter made her way over to Dani and crouched with an outstretched hand. “Hi. I’m Madison.”
Dani took her hand and shook it. “Danielle, but everyone calls me Dani.”
“Nice to meet you, Dani.”
Lottie scampered up between them, yipping and twisting in circles. Both girls laughed.
“I think she likes it here.”
“Seems that way.” Colt reached out and helped her up to stand. “Now it’s time you went back to bed.”
Dani frowned, but didn’t argue. Walking the handful of steps outside had tapped most of her strength. As they made it back inside, she turned to him. “Thanks for not giving up on me.”
He took her by the shoulders. “I’ll never quit on you, Dani. Never. We’re in this together, no matter what happens next.”
Thank you for reading book seven in the After the EMP series!
Looking for more After the EMP? You can find the rest of the series on Amazon.
If you haven’t read Darkness Falls, the exclusive companion short story to the series, you can get it for free by subscribing to my newsletter:
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If you were hundreds of miles from home when the world ended, how would you protect your family?
Walter started his day like any other by boarding a commercial jet, ready to fly the first leg of his international journey. Halfway to Seattle, he witnesses the unthinkable: the total loss of power as far as he can see.
Hundreds of miles from home, he’ll do whatever it takes to get back to his wife and teenage daughter. Landing the plane is only the beginning.
Acknowledgments
Thank you for reading Hope Sparks, book seven in the After the EMP saga. Now that Colt, Walter, and the rest of the group are finally together, they have a chance to heal, breathe, and start a new life.
These characters have been through so much in such a short period of time, but they have persevered through it all. I hope that if any one of us are ever faced with such challenges, that we too can rise up and find our hidden strength.
It seems every day the news brings brings more talk of potential threats, whether by nature or man. All we can do is prepare to the best of our ability and dig deep into our courage when the time comes. Thank you for coming with me on this fictional survival journey - it’s been both a challenge and a joy to write!
Although I try to be as realistic as possible, I do take occasional liberties with regard to real places and things for the sake of the story. I hope you don’t mind and can still go along for the ride!
If you enjoyed this book and have a moment, please consider leaving a review on Amazon. Every one helps new readers discover my work and helps me keep writing the stories you want to read.
I’m not sure what the new year will bring for either the cast of After the EMP or a new series I have in the works, but rest assured it will be full of new stories!
Until next time,
Harley
About Harley Tate
When the world as we know it falls apart, how far will you go to survive?
Harley Tate writes edge-of-your-seat post-apocalyptic fiction exploring what happens when ordinary people are faced with impossible choices.
Harley’s first series, After the EMP, follows ordinary people attempting to survive in a world without power. When the nation’s power grid is wrecked, it doesn’t take long for society to fall apart. The end of life as we know it brings out the best and worst in all of us.
The apocalypse is only the beginning.
Contact Harley directly at:
www.harleytate.com
[email protected]
