Read Tumultus for Free Online Page A

Power comes from a battery bank I keep under the floor.  That battery bank is powered by the solar panels I have across the barn’s roof.  The New United Nations approves of solar power, but I use it to keep this room which I store all kinds of things outlawed by those bastards.  Guns, ammunition, medicines, electronic devices, those little coal powered generator units I know you used up in Dominatus…all the things that people can’t get anymore unless they have someone like me to help them out.”
     
    Rows of rifles were neatly hung across the entire left wall, while individual boxes of various handguns were stored in a shelf just below that wall, and below that shelf was another shelf that contained boxes and boxes of corresponding ammunition. There were easily fifty different firearms in the room.
     
    On the floor were four brand new coal generators as well as an entire oil extracting unit and next to that was a miniature refinery system capable of producing a hundred gallons of gasoline fuel per day.  Reese spotted several handheld short wave transmission devices.
     
    “Those transmitters – that’s top of the line and their brand new.  New production which hasn’t been allowed for years.  How did you get those?”
     
    Cooper Wyse shrugged.
     
    “Figured you would like those, Reese.  Thing is, there’s anything and everything out there somewhere.  Just need to know how and where to look.  The New United Nations has tried to wipe out the free market, but it hasn’t done it.  Not yet.”
     
    Mac was looking over the guns on the walls when his attention was diverted to something on the floor just below those guns.
     
    “What the hell, Coop – is this what it looks like?”
     
    Without even looking to see what Mac was referring to Cooper replied.
     
    “Yup.  Hardly used.  The technology came all the way from Russia. They had a program for years developing it.  Then it was defunded.  At least that’s what they said.  Made thousands of them which have been sold off over the years.  I got that one there just a few months ago.”
     
    Mac looked to back to Cooper Wyse, his eyes lit up like a child’s on Christmas morning.
     
    “May I?”
     
    Cooper nodded.
     
    Mac carefully picked up a small rifle-like weapon that hung by itself on a four foot high rack.  It looked somewhat like a toy gun, with a rather clumsy box like device that was attached to the lower portion of the barrel. 
     
    Mac let out a long slow whistle.
     
    “Heard about these things man, had to be about thirty years ago.  Old Soviet technology.  They were trying to keep up with our missile defense stuff.  The Chinese did some work on this as well.  A laser gun with a computerized scope.  Accurate within an inch of the target up to a mile away.  One clean little laser beam that can rip through a half inch of steel.”
     
    Mackenzie Walker looked over the laser rifle more closely, his fingers running along its smooth, dull black finish.
     
    “No serial number?  Who made this?  You said it was from Russia?”
     
    Cooper shook his head.
     
    “No, I said the technology was from Russia.  That weapon there was made by a guy in Canada.  Same one who made those short wave handhelds.  Like I said, if enough people want something, someone else will find a way to provide it.  Around here, I just happen to be that someone.”
     
    “Does it work?”
     
    Cooper appeared almost offended by Mac’s question.
     
    “Yeah, works just fine. Only holds eight shots per box though.  The thing they are best for, so I’m told…is against the drones.  They’ve been running a bunch of these down to the Texas Resistance.  Government ain’t letting the people know, but the way I hear it, the Resistance has shot at least twenty drones down with those things.”
     
    Bear grunted dismissively.
     
    “Hell, Mac shot down that much himself up in Dominatus.  Didn’t you, Mac?”
     
    Mac seemed lost inside the faint