Read Preppers of the Apocalypse - Part 1: Post Apocalyptic EMP Survival for Free Online Page B

across the already-red bonnet of the
pickup.
     
    The
smaller soldier instinctively turned around just in time to see Tony get to his
feet with his handgun gripped in his palm. Without giving him time to react, Ash
stepped forward and punched the smaller soldier in the head. He connected with
the man’s temple, and although he knocked him off balance, Ash got the
impression he’d hurt his own knuckles more than the guy he had hit.
     
    The
soldier ignored Tony for a second and grabbed hold of Ash. They struggled with
each other over the bonnet of the car, and Ash felt his strength start to wane.
As the solder overpowered him, Tony pointed his gun and pulled the trigger. The
soldier flopped to the ground and lay there motionless.
     
    Metres
in front of them, the army jeep’s engine rumbled to life. The vehicle lurched
forward and headed straight at Ash and Tony, picking up speed so quickly that
they barely had time to react. Tony raised his gun and shot a hole in the
windscreen, missing the driver by inches.
     
    The
jeep was seconds away when Ash dived out of the way. Tony wasn’t as quick, and
the bumper collided into the pickup at thirty miles per hour, trapping Tony’s
leg in the impact. He screamed and dropped his gun.
     
    Ash
picked up the M16 from beside the smaller soldier. As the jeep reversed away
from the pick-up, he stepped toward it and pointed the rifle at the driver. The
driver stopped the engine. He moved his hands away from the steering wheel and
held them in the air.
     
    “Don’t
kill me,” he said.
     
    “You
were going to kill us.”
     
    “I
just want to get the hell out of here. I have orders.”
     
    His
hair had been buzzed in the regular army cut once, but it looked like it had
been a while since his hair last saw a razor. He had somehow managed to grow
his hair long enough so that it was fuzzy, and it was a wonder that he’d
escaped the anger of his commanding officer. As he sat in the driver’s seat of
the jeep with his hands in the air, he looked genuinely scared.
     
    On
the horizon, Ash saw more army vehicles speeding over the rocks. There were a
dozen of them, and if all of them had three soldiers inside, that meant at
least thirty-six recruits were headed toward them. It would only take one of
them to spot their fellow soldiers dead on the floor for Ash and Tony to
suddenly have the guns of an entire battalion pointed at them.
     
    “What
the hell are we going to do?” he said.
     
    Tony
was stood over the body of the taller soldier. He stared down at him with heavy
eyes, and his hands shook.
     
    “Tony?”
said Ash.
     
    Tony
turned round, looked at Ash and then ran his hands through his thick hair. His
shoulders were sagged as if some heavy weight had been added to them, and his
face was drained of colour. He leaned his injured leg against the pick-up and
looked like he was struggling to stay on his feet. Ash felt like he should go
put his arm across his shoulders.
     
    The
driver of the jeep opened the door next to him, got out and rested his arms
over the doorframe. His forearms were covered in the dark blue ink of a tattoo,
but Ash couldn’t see what it was. Behind him and across the plains, the other
jeeps got closer.
     
    “Take
their jackets off,” said the driver, nodding at the dead soldiers. “Put them on
and then get in the jeep.”
     
    Ash
looked at Tony, who nodded.
     
    “Can
you walk?” he said.
     
    Tony
pushed away from the bonnet.
     
    “I
can hop, but I won’t be winning any marathons any time soon.”
     
    They
stripped the soldiers of their jackets and put them on. Ash took his from the smaller
soldier and the fatigues were tight around his arms and left his wrists
uncovered. Tony’s jacket seemed to fit him well. Ash let Tony drape an arm
around him, and then he supported him over to the vehicle. Once they were
inside, the driver turned around and grinned.
     
    “Guess
we better go. Welcome to the United States army,” he said,