Last Stand: Surviving America's Collapse by William H. Weber Read Free Book Online Page A

hey’re back at the house, getting things ready.”
    “I thought you were leaving?”
    “We’ve decided to stay. At least for now.”
    Al smiled. “ No bug-out?”
    “That tends to be a knee jerk response for many who like to be prepared for the worst, but it isn’t always the best idea.”
    “You still won’t tell me whe re your secret hideout is, will you?”
    “I could, but then I’d have to —”
    “Kill me,” Al finished , laughing. “Yeah, I know. I think Missy and I would be better off here anyway. Least till this mess is straightened out.”
    The two men went into the kitchen. “That’s part of why I’m here , Al. There aren’t enough supplies at our place to support two extra mouths, I hope you understand.”
    “Perfectly.”
    “Getting ready for the worst can be a full-time job, which makes it hard when you can’t give it all the hours it deserves.”
    “No need to explain. Your only job is to keep your own family safe, I get that.”
    “But that doesn’t mean I can’t give you a few simple pointers which might help.”
    Al got a glass out of the cupboard and turned the tap on. Cold water was still flowing and he filled the glass and brought it to his lips.
    “Did you fill buckets up like I suggested?”
    “I did,” Al replied. “Including the bathtub.”
    “Good. I’ve got Gregory doing the same thing at our place now. But you need to be prepared for when the water stops and it will.”
    “Really?”
    “At the very least, your water may become discolored or unsafe to drink and I wanna show you how to clean it.” In some ways, Al was like the father John had never known. Taking a few minutes to help him out wasn’t a waste. Somehow he felt it was his duty.
    “What would you suggest?”
    “If the color changes or you need to filter water with debris, best thing is to use a coffee filter. If you run out a t-shirt will also work. Next you wanna take an eye dropper and add eight drops of bleach per gallon of water. Shake it well. Then smell the water. If it doesn’t smell faintly of bleach you wanna add a few more drops, but never more than sixteen.”
    John went over to the back door. Al’s place didn’t have a sliding glass one , which was good. “Wedge a chair underneath the handle and nail the feet into the floor. Do the same with the door to the garage but be sure to remove anything from there you think you’ll need.”
    “I’ve got some plywood and two-by-fours out there as well,” Al said. “Should I put those over the front windows?”
    “ Not necessarily.”
    “Coming from Mr. Paranoid, a statement like that really surprises me.”
    John couldn’t help but chuckle. “I can see that. But here’s my thinking, Al. The best defense you can have in a situation like this is to blend in. If your house looks like Fort Knox, the bad guys will wonder what valuables you’re guarding in here.”
    “We don’t have much to steal.”
    “Maybe more than you think. Remember, right now paper money is quickly becoming toilet paper. I was at the Publix earlier and the prices for standard items have skyrocketed. Most of the shelves were already empty.”
    There was suddenly a worried look on Al’s face, like all of this was becoming real. “My retirement savings.”
    John put a hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry to say that’s probably all gone. These days most of our money’s nothing more than ones and zeros floating around in some computer system.”
    “I don’t believe it,” Al said, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow.
    “I can’t blame you. My purpose in coming over here wasn’t to unnerve you. Most everyone out there’s running around thinking it’s only a matter of time before things return to normal. I don’t think they will, not for a while, and many people won’t live to see that day. In another few days the reality’s going to settle in and when it does, the situation might get ugly. I want you to be ahead of the curve, Al. You’ve been a good