Defiance (The Defending Home Series Book 1) by William H. Weber

Author:William H. Weber [Weber, William H.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: EMP, SURVIVAL FICTION, post-apocalyptic
Published: 2016-05-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 25

About an hour later, an alert from Duke signaled the approach of a figure with a cart at the end of the driveway. Dale was helping Shane and Colton with the fence, while Duke had been panting under the shade of a nearby tree. The dog bolted forward, placing himself between Dale and the unknown threat.

At first glance, the stranger didn’t appear intent on harming them, but given the recent course of events, it was hard to say with any certainty. Unslinging the shotgun from around his shoulder, Dale cautiously approached with the other two men.

Duke continued to bark and Dale ordered him back. Walter, Brooke and Nicole watched from the pumphouse. Dale held out a hand, warning them to stay put until the situation was clear.

“I don’t mean any harm,” the man said. He was wearing faded jeans with dirty knees.

“What do you want?” Dale asked, worried that he already knew.

“It’s Billy Forest,” he said. “For gosh’s sakes, Dale, don’t you recognize me?” His voice sounded hoarse and the flesh around his face looked like wax paper. The red rings around his eyes indicated he’d survived a bout with the flu, although the man’s thin frame spoke of being severely malnourished.

Billy and his family lived half a mile away on a ten-acre patch of land. Before the scourge, they’d kept mostly to themselves, growing vegetables and milking their dairy cows. Every once in a while the two men would bump into each other in town, at the bank or running an errand. Dale hadn’t heard anything from him since the virus. Fact, Dale had even driven by Billy’s house earlier today and assumed he and the wife were gone.

“How’s Christine?” Dale asked, his shotgun still in a low ready position. Billy was a neighbor and on some level one might even say a friend, but if the sheriff had put him up to no good, Dale wouldn’t hesitate to drop him.

Silent tears formed in Billy’s eyes and it was all the answer Dale needed.

“I’m sorry,” Dale said. “We’ve all lost someone. What can I do for you, Billy?”

His neighbor pointed to his throat. “I was hoping you’d have something to drink.”

Dale felt a surge of disappointment. “What about the well on your own property, Billy?”

Billy shook his head. “The new sheriff came by with a handful of Mexican fellas and took it from me. Wasn’t a big well, you know that, but it was all I had left to grow my vegetables with. They brought in a truck and pretty much drained it. I still got my rain collector.” Billy stopped, his gaze tracing up toward the sky as he held a hand up. “But you know as well as I we ain’t had a drop for weeks.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Billy. You’re not the first to come asking for water and it wouldn’t be fair to those I already turned away.”

“I ain’t here begging,” Billy said, a touch of indignation in his voice. “I came to trade.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.