Read Online Sabotage (Powerless Nation Book 3) by Ellisa Barr - Free Book Online

out of his pocket and wiped his eyes.  
    Dee looked at the men Downey had brought with him. They had smiles plastered on their faces and looked over the townsfolk like they were assessing them. Dee shivered involuntarily.
    “We’ll do a census tomorrow at noon so we can get an accurate headcount and find out which supplies you’re lacking most,” Downey said. “We have everything you folks might need.”
    “Diapers and formula?” asked a woman’s voice from the crowd.
    Downey grinned. “Wipes too.”  
    “What about medicine?” asked Max.
      “We don’t have much, but we’ll give you what we can.” His eyes went to Grandpa. “Speaking of doctors, we’re also recruiting. Not only medical personnel, but anyone that wants to make a difference to their community. We’ll teach you how to protect your homes and your families.”
    “What about spring planting?” Grandpa asked. “We need every able-bodied person to help us get the crops in the ground come springtime.”
    “That won’t be a problem,” Captain Downey assured him. “If anyone needs to come home for planting, they are free to do so.”
    “How are you planning to feed this army?” asked Grandpa.
    “Good question. We will provide food and supplies for each recruit.”
    “What about weapons?”  
    Dee thought she detected a glint of annoyance in Captain Downey’s expression at Grandpa’s questions, but he continued in the same charismatic voice. “We are asking families of volunteers to donate weapons and ammo.”
    “Shouldn’t that be the army’s job?”
    “Under normal circumstances, yes,” the captain conceded. “We do have some supplies, but we’ll be training your citizens so they can help defend and protect Lookout Falls. They will need to know how to use their own weapons for that, so we encourage recruits to bring what they have.”
    His gaze swept the crowd. “Make sure and tell your neighbors to be back here tomorrow at ten so we can get find out what everyone needs, and we can start the recruiting process.”
    With that statement, Captain Downey saluted the audience. “You’re good folks, and I’m proud to serve you.”
    “God bless America!” someone shouted.
    “God bless America,” Captain Downey responded. “And God bless Lookout Falls!”
    Captain Downey left to a standing ovation.
    Max called everyone to order with a loud whack of the gavel on the podium. “Would anyone like to weigh in on Captain Downey’s announcement?” he asked.
    A woman stood up and settled a baby on her hip. “He said they’ll keep us safe until we’re trained and ready to defend ourselves. That’s just what we need.”
    “Plus the supplies,” said a man Dee recognized as Harvey’s father. “We’ve been short on food since this whole thing started. I’ll join up if it means I’ll have enough for my kids.”
    Grandpa shifted in his chair and opened his mouth to speak but a young man was asking. “What about those of us that were in the militia?”
    “Sounds like we aren’t going to need it, now that the army’s handling security,” said Max. “Maybe you kids should think about serving a short stint in the army to get more training.”
    Grandpa lost his patience and got to his feet. “Can you hear yourselves? We don’t even know this man and yet you’re all ready trust him with our kids and our safety?”
    A few people looked to be mulling that over.
    Then someone asked, “Why wouldn’t we trust him?”
    “Ever hear of the Pied Piper?” asked Grandpa. “He’s making promises, but when it comes time to pay up you aren’t going to like the price.”
    “I still say it’s a good idea,” said the woman with the baby.
    “I don’t know,” Ted said. “It sounds kind of suspicious to me too. Milton’s right. I think we should wait and see if he really has supplies. Maybe he’s trying to pull a fast one on us.”
    “It sounds like we all have a lot to think about tonight,” said Max, signaling an end to the