Red Sands by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

Author:Nicholas Sansbury Smith
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster/ Simon451
Published: 2015-04-18T18:03:26.917507+00:00

CHAPTER 5

JEFF and David huddled next to each other until dark. They didn’t sleep. They didn’t eat, and they only drank enough water to keep their throats from going dry.

The gunfire had stopped minutes after the boys had pushed a desk and chair against the door, but neither of them was brave enough to see if the coast was clear.

Wiping the salty tears away with his forearm Jeff finally forced himself off the floor. The time for self-pity was over. He was tired of being scared, and tired of feeling helpless. His dad was gone, and so was everyone he’d ever known, but he couldn’t cry anymore. If this was what the world had become, then he wasn’t going to be some baby hiding in a shed.

He was going to get revenge. His dad would want him to be strong.

Jeff swept the beam of his flashlight over the row of lockers that hung at the back of the building. Several of the metal doors were open, and he rummaged inside. The first one was empty and he continued to the second, swinging it open and feeling for a pulse rifle or pistol or anything.

Nothing.

The soldiers must have taken all the rifles when the ships showed up, Jeff thought.

He shone the light inside the locker, illuminating six grenades. Only, they didn’t look like the kind he saw in the movies. He pulled one out. It didn’t have a pin. Instead, a small button at the top looked like it activated the weapon. Holding the small gray cylinder under the flashlight, he read the label out loud.

“EMP.”

Electromagnetic pulse, he thought to himself. He’d heard of them before. They’d used bigger versions in China years ago. He stuffed the grenade in a bag and zipped it up, continuing to the next locker.

By the time Jeff was done scavenging, he had twenty-four grenades and a pulse pistol. He’d also snagged more MREs and a jar of energy pills labeled Jacked. He popped one of them into his mouth and took a swig of water.

An hour later Jeff felt like he could take on an entire pack of Spiders. He organized their gear and woke David, who had finally fallen asleep. “Time to eat, bud.”

David wiped the sleep from his eyes and snarled, “I’m not hungry.”

“You have to eat.”

“Leave me alone,” David growled.

He curled back up on the ground and Jeff shook him.

“Hey!”

Bringing a finger to his lips Jeff said, “Keep it down. And sit up.” He handed the boy a granola bar and then tore off the end of his own. He chewed quickly and gulped the nutrients down. If they were going to fight, they needed energy.

David took a small bite and then tossed the bar on the ground. “I’m going back to sleep.”

Jeff reached out and grabbed his arm. “No, David. You aren’t. Because we’re leaving soon.”

“What? No! I want to stay here.”

“We can’t stay here.”

“Why?”

“Because we have to fight.”

Silence.

David looked up from his lap. “But those things will kill us.”

“Maybe,” Jeff replied.

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