Seeking Safe Harbor: Suddenly Everything Changed (The Seeking Series) by Albert Correia Read Free Book Online

don’t you?”
    “Yes, but I don’t know what you’re doing here. You have a sailboat. You were free of this place. Why would you come back to an island that’s fallen victim to anarchy?”
    Zach turned to face the man. George was around forty-five years old, in good shape and alert. He had a small pistol aimed at them, which Zach ignored. “We need fuel, and from what I recall, there’s no one better at locating things than you. We only learned about what has happened less than two days ago. Apparently this island is better off than most places.”
    George dropped the arm with the pistol and looked at Zach in stark shock. “Better off than most? My God, we’ve been overrun by gangs. People are killing others over a pint of water. I’ve been holding them off as best I can with this little .38, but that’s only because no large group has converged on us yet. It’s just a matter of time.”
    Zach thought for a moment. He had an idea, but held it back for the time being, hoping he wouldn’t have to use it. “George, we can be of great help to one another. We need diesel fuel. We have money.”
    “Money?” George laughed. “Money is worthless! If you gave me a million dollars in small bills, the only way they could be of any value is using them to start a fire to roast food.”
    “I was afraid of that, but I have something better than money, anyway. How would you like an AK-47 and ammunition?” Even in the dark, Zach could see George’s eyes light up. He looked at the weapon in Zach’s hand. “Like that one you have?”
    “Yes, if you can get us diesel. We need as much as you can get.”
    “There are six fifty-gallon barrels on the dock over on Reeds Bay.”
    Zach whistled. “Three hundred gallons would be fantastic. I think I know that dock, and if we came up next to it, my deck would be a little below the dock, so we could roll the barrels onto the boat. But that’s around the bend, and tough to sail into.”
    “It’s the only diesel around here that I know of and, at the moment, it doesn’t belong to anyone. The boat that it was meant for sank. For two AK-47s, it’s yours.”
    “Two? You have help?”
    “All the help left, but Millie is still here.”
    “Aunt Millie, the owner? I thought she was old and no longer involved.”
    “Old, yes, but she can do more than any two people I know. She isn’t involved on a daily basis, but she’s here now and ready for a fight. I wouldn’t want to come up against her if she had an AK-47. I’m going to be glad she’s on my side when that crowd of thugs decides to try to take over the hotel.”
    Zach had two more weapons than there were people aboard but he had hoped to keep the extras in reserve for more trades later on. Of course, the fuel would be useful for bartering, as well, and there wasn’t time to haggle. “Okay, George, two AK-47s and six magazines.”
    “Ten!”
    “Eight!”
    “Deal!” George exclaimed. “These two guns?” He pointed at the weapons Zach and Denise held.
    “One, but I need to keep one handy. I’ll give you the second one and the other seven mags after we’ve loaded the fuel.”
    “Fair enough. I’ll take the one to Millie – she’s keeping watch on a second story balcony. She has a .357 magnum, but will love this baby. I’ll join you in a minute, and we can sail over to Reeds Bay.”
    “Will there be anyone there?” Denise asked worriedly.
    “It’s unlikely anyone is there now. There’s no food anywhere around the dock, and people are starving, so all the looting is being done in the commercial areas. Right now, anyway. If anybody sees your boat, though, or hears something going on, we’re likely to have some unwanted company.”



Chapter 10
    G EORGE was back in less than five minutes. The three of them made for the boat, skirting the pool and stepping around the man who was still lying unconscious at its side.
    George looked curiously at the fallen man, and Zach said, simply, “He jumped me,” as they