Read Online Half Past Midnight by Jeff Brackett - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jeff Brackett
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refused to acknowledge each other. After a minute of that I turned my attention to Debra. “What are you guys doing here? Not that I’m not grateful, but I thought you’d be long gone by now.” I hissed as she wiped hydrogen peroxide on the cut.
She kept her voice low as she told me what had happened. “When you didn’t make it back in time, I was afraid you’d gotten yourself into trouble.” She finished washing my neck and reached for a tube of ointment. “Good guess there, huh? Anyway, we waited another five minutes to make sure you weren’t just running a little behind, then we came back. We found a hidden road just a little ways down the hill and followed it here.” Squeezing the ointment on my neck, Debra pulled a cotton swab from the kit and proceeded to smear the gooey mess along the cut. “We got to the edge of the clearing here in time to see that guy,” she glanced up at Larry, “pistol whip the other one. When he sent him into the cabin, Megan said she could sneak up on him and get a shot at the others from inside. I was going to wait on her to make the first shot, but then that one came at you with the knife.” She nodded at Larry again, and her voice got lower as she whispered, “I thought they were going to kill you.”
Debra opened an adhesive bandage and gently covered the cut on my neck. I saw tears in her eyes, but she blinked them back. She sniffed and took a deep breath, then jerked her chin to indicate Larry again. “I figured I couldn’t wait any longer and was just about to shoot him when you kicked him, and he screamed and fell. Megan shot the guy holding one of your arms, and the other one pulled a pistol, so I shot him.” She shrugged. “We got lucky.”
I nodded agreement. Though the timing had been accidental, it had nevertheless been perfect. Megan stepped out of the cabin at that point, interrupting what promised to degenerate into another bout of silence. “Mom? Dad? Take a look at this.” There was no mistaking the paramilitary design of the assault rifle.
“Bring it here, Megan.” I turned to Larry. “What kind is it?”
He just glared. I pointed the pistol at him. “I am not in the mood for this, Larry. Now, what kind is it?”
“AR-15,” he growled.
“Full or semi?”
“Converted. Fully automatic.”
Megan handed it to me and unholstered a pistol she’d acquired to cover Larry. I recognized the pistol as Frank’s—hers now, the spoils of her first and, hopefully, her last combat. I examined the machine gun. Not knowing much about them, it took me a minute to find the select fire mechanism and make sure it was set on safety . Slinging the rifle over my shoulder, I went about replacing my arsenal. As I strapped the various weapons to my person, I asked Megan, “Were there any more inside?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t see any. But there were some boxes full of ammunition and dynamite. And lots of food and supplies like we have, only more.” She frowned as if what she was saying was distasteful. “I think these guys are survivalists, too.”
“No.” My voice was sterner than I had intended, but she had struck a nerve. “These guys are thieves and murderers, not survivalists. They’re the kind of people that newscasters like to call survivalists because it’s a catchy term and attracts attention, but they’re no more than common criminals.”
“I beg to differ.” Larry finally broke his silence, speaking from where he sat in his own pooling blood. “Our methods may differ from yours, but we are, indeed, survivalists. Truth be told, we are probably a purer breed of survivalist than you. We have seen and understood the same signs of the end that you have seen. We have prepared for it, just as you have. Better than you have, from what I can see. The world is about to enter an era wherein the strong shall rule over the weak. I plan to be one of the strong. I plan to rule, Leeland, and I am honest enough to admit it.”
I shook my head
She kept her voice low as she told me what had happened. “When you didn’t make it back in time, I was afraid you’d gotten yourself into trouble.” She finished washing my neck and reached for a tube of ointment. “Good guess there, huh? Anyway, we waited another five minutes to make sure you weren’t just running a little behind, then we came back. We found a hidden road just a little ways down the hill and followed it here.” Squeezing the ointment on my neck, Debra pulled a cotton swab from the kit and proceeded to smear the gooey mess along the cut. “We got to the edge of the clearing here in time to see that guy,” she glanced up at Larry, “pistol whip the other one. When he sent him into the cabin, Megan said she could sneak up on him and get a shot at the others from inside. I was going to wait on her to make the first shot, but then that one came at you with the knife.” She nodded at Larry again, and her voice got lower as she whispered, “I thought they were going to kill you.”
Debra opened an adhesive bandage and gently covered the cut on my neck. I saw tears in her eyes, but she blinked them back. She sniffed and took a deep breath, then jerked her chin to indicate Larry again. “I figured I couldn’t wait any longer and was just about to shoot him when you kicked him, and he screamed and fell. Megan shot the guy holding one of your arms, and the other one pulled a pistol, so I shot him.” She shrugged. “We got lucky.”
I nodded agreement. Though the timing had been accidental, it had nevertheless been perfect. Megan stepped out of the cabin at that point, interrupting what promised to degenerate into another bout of silence. “Mom? Dad? Take a look at this.” There was no mistaking the paramilitary design of the assault rifle.
“Bring it here, Megan.” I turned to Larry. “What kind is it?”
He just glared. I pointed the pistol at him. “I am not in the mood for this, Larry. Now, what kind is it?”
“AR-15,” he growled.
“Full or semi?”
“Converted. Fully automatic.”
Megan handed it to me and unholstered a pistol she’d acquired to cover Larry. I recognized the pistol as Frank’s—hers now, the spoils of her first and, hopefully, her last combat. I examined the machine gun. Not knowing much about them, it took me a minute to find the select fire mechanism and make sure it was set on safety . Slinging the rifle over my shoulder, I went about replacing my arsenal. As I strapped the various weapons to my person, I asked Megan, “Were there any more inside?”
She shook her head. “I didn’t see any. But there were some boxes full of ammunition and dynamite. And lots of food and supplies like we have, only more.” She frowned as if what she was saying was distasteful. “I think these guys are survivalists, too.”
“No.” My voice was sterner than I had intended, but she had struck a nerve. “These guys are thieves and murderers, not survivalists. They’re the kind of people that newscasters like to call survivalists because it’s a catchy term and attracts attention, but they’re no more than common criminals.”
“I beg to differ.” Larry finally broke his silence, speaking from where he sat in his own pooling blood. “Our methods may differ from yours, but we are, indeed, survivalists. Truth be told, we are probably a purer breed of survivalist than you. We have seen and understood the same signs of the end that you have seen. We have prepared for it, just as you have. Better than you have, from what I can see. The world is about to enter an era wherein the strong shall rule over the weak. I plan to be one of the strong. I plan to rule, Leeland, and I am honest enough to admit it.”
I shook my head
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