Against the Storm: A Fortress Farm Novel by G.R. Carter

Author:G.R. Carter [Carter, G.R.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Blue Ribbon Book Fairs
Published: 2016-03-17T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Grand Tower Island

Mt. Horab Forward Operating Base

Mississippi River (Southern Flow)

Year 12.09 A.G.R. (After the Great Reset)

One Week after the Battle for Kaskaskia

Levi Marshall finished picking up the last of the tools left out from the day’s work. The metal sheeting was damp and a little slick but not so dangerous if he took his time. He already sent his crew in for the evening, giving them the chance to be first in the supper line and get the best chance at a second mug of beer before the rack bell rang. He had another motive, though: being out here in the relative quiet helped him think.

The day had started well enough, getting enough done during the morning to promise the bossman they’d be done with the whole thing by the next day. But by the afternoon, the bossman was gone and Levi found himself in charge of the river rats. Certainly wasn’t what he wanted, but you took the job you were asked and you didn’t complain. Still, the extra responsibility worried him, especially since the Electors were looking to expand into multiple job sites all at once. Meaning he’d be losing some of his experienced guys to lead other crews and training a bunch of new guys for his own.

The last bit of sunlight faded out leaving only the solar storms and moon struggling to shine a little through the gloom. He looked at the River Belle: lights glaring from every window, just as they were 24 hours a day. The enemy of the dark, and the things lurking in the dark, was light. The Electors made sure the workers out here always got their fuel allotment to run the generators. Keeping the lights on was a priority; most everyone still remembered vividly the weeks right after the Tribulation killed the electrical grid, and demons crawled out from the shadows.

A shadow was exactly what Levi watched cross in front of one of the lower deck windows. Then another, then a third and fourth. Evenly spaced and skulking, not swaggering like the river rats would have on their way in for food and beer after a long shift. He tried to think about what might be going on. His mind ran first to the Stewards; perhaps they were doing a sort of drill? No, Chief would have never pulled a stunt like this before running it by me. Too many bad things have happened in the past to go scaring guys like that, he assured himself. Terror struck him. Ditchers? No, they’re never that organized or disciplined. Thieves? Maybe, but why go where all the people are?

The thought made his stomach drop. Worse than Ditchers or thieves could only be…

An ear cracking bang–bang! thundered from the River Belle. Shouts and screams arose as the lights flickered and then the whole ship went dark. Levi ran towards the boat as quickly as he could without slipping, trying to keep his eyes on any kind of movement inside. He felt naked, no weapon of any sort save for a foot-long wrench he still gripped in his hand.

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