Siege: Ashes of the Collapse Book 2: (A Post-Apocalyptic Survival Thriller) by Mark Hunter & Mike Kraus

Author:Mark Hunter & Mike Kraus [Hunter, Mark & Kraus, Mike]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Muonic Press Inc
Published: 2024-10-11T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Reliance, Nebraska

Kane sat in his car, binoculars to his eyes as he surveyed the scene in Reliance's central park. The once-pristine greenspace had transformed into an unofficial refugee camp for those displaced by the earthquake, filled with colorful camping tents that contrasted sharply with the ashen sky. As unseasonably chilly breezes blew through the nylon structures, families huddled together, seeking solace and safety in numbers.

Interspersed among the tents were more improvised dwellings. Sun-shade canopies, designed for picnics and beach outings, now served as temporary homes, with tarps attached to provide a modicum of privacy and protection from the elements. Some people had constructed lean-tos using scavenged materials—plywood, corrugated metal, and even salvaged doors. These ramshackle structures leaned precariously against trees or were propped up by frames of lumber and PVC pipes. A few lucky individuals had managed to secure vans or small RVs, though many of the vehicles on display had broken windows hastily patched with garbage bags or bits of wood. But Kane wasn't interested in the makeshift dwellings. He was looking for manpower, and a very specific type. The crew he needed to pull off his scheme was at the park; all he needed to do was find them.

He eased himself out of the car, his left leg stiff and uncooperative as he planted it on the ground, pushed himself up, and made his way into the encampment. As he walked, the displaced residents gazed at him with wary eyes, and he exaggerated his limp to make his stocky frame look like less of a threat as he gave an easy smile and a wave to a man passing by.

"Howdy there. Y'all holdin' up alright?"

The man paused, his haggard face softening slightly. "We're makin' do. Ain't much else we can do. You?"

Kane nodded sympathetically. "Keepin' on. Just gotta keep lookin' out for each other, right?"

"That's the truth, brother."

The man moved on, and Kane's beady eyes fixed on a pretty young woman seated on a folding chair, a torn green coat in her lap that she was sewing up with a length of clashing red thread. Two young boys played at her feet, their laughter a jarring contrast to the somber atmosphere. Limping over, Kane put on his most disarming smile. "Afternoon, ma'am." He tipped his beat-up baseball cap and waved it at her leaning tent. "Quite the setup you got here."

The woman looked up from her work. "It's not much, but it's better than having your house come down on your head."

One of the boys, a grimy towheaded child, piped up. "Plus the water doesn't work at home, so the toilet filled up with poop."

A blush ran through the woman's cheeks. "I'm sure the nice man doesn't want to hear about that."

Kane chuckled. "Out of the mouths of babes, right?"

"The house was real scary," the boy continued. "But here I got friends to play with."

Kane crouched down, ignoring the protest from his bad leg. "Well now, that's real important. A man's gotta have friends to look out for him, 'specially in times like these.

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