AFTER THE DUST SETTLED (Countdown to Armageddon Book 2) Read online

“Doing what? Maybe I can get an early start while he’s sleeping.”

  “No, you can’t do this yourself. He’s got some really huge batteries out in the Faraday barn that’ll need to come into the house and down into the basement for his electrical system.”

  “I don’t need any help carrying batteries. I’ll bring them in while he’s sleeping.”

  Joyce laughed.

  “You haven’t seen these batteries. They were made for electric forklifts, and they weigh about three hundred pounds apiece. I had to help your dad unload them and put them in the back of the barn. And there are six of them, so I hope your muscles are working today.”

  “Wow. What are they for?”

  “I’m not an electrician, so I can’t explain it, other than the way your dad explained it to me. He’s going to set up a battery bank in the basement, where all of our electricity needs will come from. That way our power won’t be dependent on the wind blowing or the sun shining. When the sun shines, the solar panels will charge the batteries. When the wind blows, the wind turbine will also charge the batteries. We’ll get the power for the house and outbuildings directly from the batteries instead of from the turbine or solar panels. That way our power is uninterrupted.”

  “Sounds complicated. So what happens if it’s overcast for a couple of days, and we have no wind?”

  “That’s funny. I asked him pretty much the same thing. He said he’s got a diesel generator that will come on automatically when the batteries drop below twenty percent of capacity. He even sketched out everything so I could see how he planned to configure everything.”

  “Dad’s always been the planner in the family.”

  “No doubt. Are you hungry?”

  “I’m starved.”

  “Is your brother up?”

  “No, I haven’t seen the little pest yet.”

  “Well, if he gets up, send him downstairs to help me. I’ll see if I can find a way to cook us up some breakfast. We’ll bring you a plate, and I’ll relieve you at the window in a little while. If Sara gets up, and wants to keep you company, you two behave yourself.”

  He turned red.

  “Okay. We will.”

  Joyce turned for the door but he stopped her.

  “Hey, Joyce?”

  “Yes?”

  “I never said thank you. For being so good about letting Sara join us, I mean. I was afraid you and mom and dad would send her away. But she’s got nobody else.”

  “I know that, Jordan. And we could never send her away to fend for herself. The world is getting very ugly out there. And it’s going to get a lot uglier in the weeks and months ahead. She wouldn’t have stood a chance out there alone.

  “If we gave you the impression she wasn’t welcome, put that thought out of your mind. She caught us off guard, yes, just showing up with you out of the blue. But any concerns we had were for her, and how she would get along without her family. And how they would be thinking she was here all alone, fighting for her own survival. I wish there was a way we could get word to them that she’s okay. That she’s one of us now. And that she’ll be safe.”

  “If they can find a way back here, they’ll find her note. And then they’ll know. And thank you again for being so understanding.”

  “You’re welcome, sweetie. Now, you remember what I said about you two behaving yourself.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  -3-

  Joyce was right about Scott’s jumping out of bed as soon as he awakened. It was mid afternoon, and he cursed himself for sleeping most of the day away. He didn’t have too many hours of light left, but it would be enough to get the generator hooked up and running. It would power the house directly while they were dragging the batteries out of the barn and down the sixteen steps into the basement. And he’d stocked plenty of diesel, so if they couldn’t get the battery array set up until the next day, it wouldn’t be a major crisis.

  In fact, that was probably the smarter way to go. He was just passable when it came to working electrical projects. An experienced electrician knew exactly what he could and couldn’t get away with.

  Scott was less sure. So he’d move slowly and carefully. He was always extra cautious when it came to dealing with electricity.

  He found Jordan and Sara sitting together at the dining room table, looking forlornly into each other’s eyes. His youngest son, Zachary, sat on the couch reading a copy of Sports Illustrated.

  “Hi, Dad,” he said as Scott walked through the room.

  “Sure is boring. Sure wish I could play a video game or something.”

  Scott chuckled, but didn’t stop. Zachary was as subtle as a bomb blast.

  He found Joyce and Linda in the kitchen, trying to figure out what to do about dinner.

  They’d made a point to keep the freezers closed, in an effort to preserve the meat inside. For breakfast, they’d managed to cook bacon and eggs on a skillet on the propane grill out back, using fresh eggs straight from the chicken coop. They still had water even without the well pump working, thanks to the 300 gallon elevated tank out back. The water was cold, but it was better than nothing.

  “Don’t worry about cooking anything on the grill,” Scott told them. We’ll have generator power within the hour, and we’ll run off of it constantly until we get the batteries up and wired together.”

  Then he stood in the middle of the kitchen and made an announcement.

  “Attention in the house. Any teenage boy who wants to play video games or take a hot shower before he goes to bed needs to come and help their father. No pressure, but no complaints will be heard from anyone who doesn’t help.”

  Both of the boys were there within seconds. Sara made her best pouty face and said, “I guess teenage girls aren’t wanted.”

  Linda laughed and hugged her.

  “Hey, you don’t want to work with those stinky old men anyway. You can help us carry appliances into the house.”

  “Appliances?”

  “Yes. Scott is going to check out all of the electrical items that were in the house when the EMPs hit. Some of them might have survived, but he won’t be able to tell until he breaks into them. If they look like they suffered any internal damage, he’ll toss them so they don’t present a fire hazard.

  “It’ll probably be a few days until he gets around to it, so we’re going to assume everything is bad. But that’s okay, because I’ve been hitting garage sales for months. We’ve got a huge stack of replacement items in the Faraday barn ready to come in here.”

  “What kinds of things?”

  “Basically anything that plugs into a wall. Lamps, clocks, televisions, video game consoles. If it runs on electricity, we’re going to set it aside and assume it’s damaged until we find out otherwise.”

  “And once we have power, we’ll stop long enough to fix something to eat. I know the boys are starved, because they’ve each told me so at least twenty times. You probably are too.”

  “Just a little, but I can wait,” Sara said. “I’m ready to go.”

  Joyce got up from the dining room table and said, “Well, then. Let’s get to it.”

  Scott and the boys beat them to the Faraday barn and dragged a three thousand watt generator out of it. The back side of it had wheels, and that was a good thing, since the beast weighed almost three hundred pounds.

  Scott had cleared a space in the basement for the generator more than a year before. He’d toyed with the idea of putting it in the basement beforehand and just building a Faraday cage around it. But its new home in the basement was surrounded by three walls, and had less than a foot of work space on two of the sides. Working in cramped quarters, Scott knew he was risking a costly mistake. If the cage wasn’t connected properly to provide a free flow of current around it, the generator would probably be ruined. Or, at the very least, the electronic ignition would be shot and the copper wiring would be melted.

  So his workaround was to take the new generator out of its crate and run it in the yard for two straight da
ys to make sure it worked. Then to put it in the Faraday barn with everything else.

  The wheels helped a lot in getting it down the stairs, but the “thump, thump, thump” it made when dropping down each step alarmed the dogs outside.

  But even that was a good thing. When Duke and Duchess started barking, it made Joyce suddenly realize they’d left the lookout window unmanned. They were fortunate in that the dogs were only barking at the noise in the basement, rather than a bunch of armed bandits coming to do them harm.

  Joyce took watch at the front window.

  It was still quiet as far as she could see. But she could only imagine the turmoil and violence that was going on in San Antonio. She still had friends there. She hoped they were safe.

  “Linda, when one of you starts to get tired of carrying things, let me know. We’ll swap out.”

  -4-

  Sara asked if she could pull a shift on guard duty.

  “I feel like I’m just in the way. Everyone else is running around doing things, like they have a place here. All I’m doing is going from person to person, hoping they’ll have some little minor thing I can help them with. Even Zachary has important things he’s doing.”

  Then she realized that Zachary might be hurt by her words. Even fourteen year old boys have feelings, even though they’re just barely humans in a lot of respects.

  Sara looked at Zach and said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…”

  He interrupted her.

  “Hey, that’s okay. No offense taken. In fact, now that we have electricity again, I’d be glad to give you my chores. I’ll go watch a movie.”

  Linda gave him a stern look, and he backtracked just a bit.

  “Or not.”

  Sara went on.

  “Anyway, I can stand by the window. At least that’ll make me feel worthwhile. And it’ll free up someone else, since you all know what needs to be done and I don’t.”

  Scott asked, “Can you shoot?”

  “No, I’ve never shot a gun in my life. But I can yell. And if I see anyone out there I’ll yell loud enough for all of you to hear me.”

  Scott looked to the others who, with the exception of Joyce, were all chowing down on spaghetti. Joyce was still upstairs at the lookout window.

  Linda shook her head yes and said, “I don’t see anything wrong with that idea. One of us can be up there within seconds if she spots someone approaching.”

  Jordan smiled.

  “I can testify from personal experience that she’s real good at yelling.”

  Scott said, “Okay, honey. You’re on. From now on, until we get the security system up and running, you can pull a regular shift on guard duty. How’s your night vision? Can you see well in the dark?”

  “Yes, sir. Very well.”

  “Okay. Go ahead and finish your dinner, and then you can replace Joyce so she can come and eat. We’ll rotate duty at the lookout window until I can get all the cameras replaced tomorrow. Then we’ll rotate duty at the security console.”

  Sara smiled.

  “Thank you. Now I finally feel like part of the group. And I’ll do a good job, I promise.”

  “I know you will, honey.”

  By the end of their first day back at the compound, the group was still on direct generator power. All of the electrical items were put in the barn, where Scott would go through them one at a time at a later time. He’d look at the damage each one sustained and would make a determination on whether each item could be safely used without melting down and catching fire.

  Those which he deemed destroyed still might find a use. He might be able to cannibalize some switches or relays or wiring from some items to use to repair others.

  But that was a future project.

  Right now there were other, more pressing things to worry about.

  Scott and Jordan worked long into the night setting up the security console in one corner of the dining room. It consisted of five flat screen monitors, which they mounted on the wall over a desk. Each monitor was split screen and would be assigned to two specific high definition cameras, which would give them an unobstructed view of the area around the compound day or night.

  In the desk drawers were stored ammunition, spare walkie talkies, miner’s lights and night vision goggles. And a first aid kit. Zachary called it “the war room.”

  On top of the desk sat a battery charging station to recharge batteries for the flashlights, walkies and night vision goggles. And an MP-3 player with a small speaker.

  Jordan asked, “How come not a TV and DVR, so I don’t go crazy while I’m sitting here?”

  His father rolled his eyes, and Jordan understood that it wasn’t a well thought out question.

  “Because when you’re sitting here, you’ve got the most important job in the compound. You have the security and safety of all of us in your hands. We want you watching the monitors. Not The Simpsons.”

  “Okay, okay. I get the point. And for the record, I don’t even like The Simpsons. Marge gives me the creeps.”

  The night was quiet, and the next day started without incident. Things went smoothly until just before ten a.m., Sarah began screaming from her lookout post.

  “Man on a horse! Man on a horse!”

  And everyone else came running.

  -5-

  Scott was the first one up the stairs. He grabbed the AR-15 from the corner next to the window and motioned Sara to step aside. Then he lifted one of the blinds and peered out into the front yard.

  He had an unobstructed view from the house to the end of the driveway, a hundred yards away.

  He saw a man, sitting on a chestnut bay, just inside the property. Watching the house, but knowing not to come any farther without permission.

  Scott smiled, and said, “Well, I’ll be damned.”

  He put the weapon back in the corner and said to Sara, “It’s okay, honey. He’s a friend.”

  Scott shoved aside the heavy dresser they’d used to barricade the front door and walked out into the yard. Only then did the horseman draw closer.

  “Hello, neighbor!” Scott cried out to Tom Haskins.

  Tom rode over to him and got off his horse. Then he offered Scott his big meaty hand.

  “Good morning, Scott. Looks like you were right about this whole power outage thing. Any idea how bad it is?”

  Tom Haskins was a widower who lived by himself a few hundred yards up the road. He was the county road’s only other resident, and between the two homesteads, they were the only humans within a mile radius. He was also the man Linda had taken a liking to in recent months.

  “It’s pretty bad, Tom. We made it up here from San Antonio the night before last. They’re starting to riot and burn buildings down there. And they’ve got no way of getting fresh water or more food. So it’ll get a whole lot worse. Is this your first time off your property?”

  “No. I took a ride up Highway 83, east and west, a couple of hours after the power went out. Wasn’t much else to do. I came across a few motorists who were stranded. Gave them water and a bit of food, and pointed them toward the nearest gas station in Junction. Not that they’d get a lot of help there, but at least it was civilization.”

  “Are you okay over there? You’re welcome to come in here and join us. In fact, I really wish you would.”

  “Thanks for the offer, little buddy, but I’ll pass. Shoot, I’ve lived by myself for so long, I’m pretty much set in my ways now. Get up when I want and go to bed when I want, and don’t have to answer to anybody. I do plan to call on Linda occasionally, as long as she amenable to it.”

  Scott laughed.

  “I’m pretty sure she wouldn’t have any objection. But bear in mind that people will eventually start working their way up here from the city, to hunt and fish. And they’ll be desperate for food. Desperate enough to break into houses and try to take whatever they can get.”

  “Well, they’ll have to get past me and my Remington first. Got me a handgun too, although I haven’t used it in
awhile. If things get too hairy I’ll take you up on your offer and join you. But I’d like to try it on my own first.”

  “Tie Bonnie up and come in the house. I’ve got something for you. And you can stay for lunch, while you’re here.”

  “Oh, hell, Bonnie’s fine just grazing. She’s a good horse. She won’t wander away.”

  The two walked into the house and Tom said hello to everybody. Jordan relieved Sara at the lookout window so she could come down to meet him.

  “Sara, this is Tom Haskins. He’s our only neighbor, and a good man.”

  Tom was the biggest man Sara had seen in awhile. But she also got the sense that he was kind and gentle, like a big teddy bear.

  Over lunch, Scott asked Tom what his plans were for the day.

  “I’m riding Bonnie up to the auto parts store up in Junction. I might be wrong, but I think I can get my old car running again. So I can at least get around a bit better.”

  “I’m sorry to say this, Tom, but all the vehicles are dead. Never to start again.”

  “Not all of ‘em, Scott. Shoot, it took me half a day yesterday, but I finally got my old tractor running.”

  Scott’s jaw literally dropped.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah. And my old car, it’s a 1963 Ford Galaxy 500. It’s seen better days, for sure. But I’ve gotten my use out of the old girl. Cars that old, and farm tractors too, don’t have all of the complicated electronic ignitions and computers and all that crap on them. They’ve got just a few basic parts that make the engine run. So I think it’s possible to get the car running like I did the tractor.”

  Joyce asked, “But how did you get the tractor to run, with everything shorted out?”

  “Well, I checked the starter and solenoid first. The starter was fine. The solenoid was shot. Damn near melted. But I had an extra solenoid in my workshop. It was fine, I guess because it wasn’t hooked up to anything when your electromagnetic- whatever you call it, hit.

  “Anyway, I took the starter off, replaced the solenoid on the top of it, and then reinstalled it. The starter switch was shot all to hell, but the one on the Galaxy was in pretty good shape, and they were similar. So I swapped them out.