Solar Storm (Survival EMP Book 1) by Rob Lopez

Author:Rob Lopez [Lopez, Rob]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-07-21T18:30:00+00:00

23

Josh held Lizzy’s hand at the back of the crowd as more people emerged from their houses for the impromptu street meeting. The atmosphere was tense.

“When is the power coming back on?” yelled someone.

The chairman of the neighborhood association stood in the middle of the road next to a cop, who had his bicycle with him. “Please, everyone,” said the chairman, “save your questions till the end. Officer Copeland has taken the time to visit as many neighborhoods as possible, and he has to visit more, so let’s keep this brief.”

“What about the water?” called someone else.

The police officer, looking a little weary, held his hand up. “Settle down, everybody. I’ll answer your questions as best I can, but we’ve all got to stay calm. We’re doing our best to make sure people get what they need, but understand that we’re kind of stretched right now. If you’re willing to help, we’d appreciate your assistance.”

“Are you working on the power yet?”

The officer tried to see who’d asked the question, but there were too many faces. “We’ve got engineers working around the clock at the McGuire plant, and they’re doing the best they can, but there’s been a lot of damage.”

“Isn’t that a nuclear power plant?”

“Yes sir, it is, but don’t go worrying about that now.”

“Are you kidding me?” said another voice. “If the pumps are out, the core’s going to melt down. It’s going to blow.”

A wave of consternation rippled through the crowd.

“Please,” said the officer, “we’ve got our best people working on it. Last I heard, they were using generators to pump water from the lake to cool the reactors. These people are dedicated and professional. They know what they’re doing.”

“So did the people at Fukushima.”

“I don’t know nothing about that. I’ve just come to tell you that you haven’t been forgotten. We’re coordinating relief operations with the Red Cross and the military at Fort Bragg, and we’re going to try and get supplies into the city. As soon as we’ve got distribution centers set up, I’ll be round to let you know. In the meantime, be patient and help each other out.”

“Are we under martial law?” said another voice.

“No, sir, we are not. This is a State of Emergency and all normal laws apply. Please don’t consider taking the law into your own hands. I know some of you are armed, but permits for concealed handguns are still required for compliance with the law. Please do not be tempted to break this law.”

“Yes, but can we rely on you to protect us? You’re the first police officer I’ve seen in three days. When are we going to see more?”

“We’re doing the best we can, ma’am. Some of us have families too.”

It was Grandma who’d asked the last question, and like everyone else, she didn’t appear convinced by the answer. The chairman, meanwhile, shook the police officer’s hand, bidding him goodbye, and the officer mounted his bike and cycled away.

Someone near Josh turned and said, “We won’t see him again for another three days now.

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