Survival: After It Happened Book 1 by Devon C Ford Read Free Book Online Page B

stay here, prepare food for later and assist in the disposal of the spoiled goods.” Dan noticed that she had deliberately given herself a job which would turn most people’s stomachs. Clever move. He reminded himself to offer Penny a gas mask before he went. She continued, “We all have our jobs to do, shall we continue within the hour?”
    Everyone went to get up, when Leah said “What about me?”
    That stopped everyone where they were, and Penny said “You will stay here and assist me” She went to leave, and everyone took their cues from her.
    “I want to help Dan” Leah said.
    An air of awkwardness shadowed the group. Penny didn’t know how to squash Leah’s ambition without hurting her feelings and embarrassing her publicly.
    “Leah, how about you come with me after I’m back?” said Dan, trying to rescue the situation from the possibility of a teenage strop.
    Leah thought about this for a few seconds before saying, “Ok, but you promised so you have to take me.” She said with a beaming smile.
    That seemed fair.
    Penny came to find him a short time later, and saw him in conversation with Neil.
    “Gentlemen, I do hope you don’t think me too forward?” she asked hopefully.
    “Not at all, Penny” said Dan. “We were just saying how glad we are that you are taking control; we need your organisational skills to keep this group together and moving with a purpose. I didn’t want to say in front of everyone, but I’m going to an army camp I know and it’s a couple of hours away at least. To do this properly I’ll need time to recce the area and make sure it’s safe.”
    Both Penny and Neil started to raise objections simultaneously, but Dan held up his hands.
    “Trust me, I’m capable. And I’m going to be very careful.” Dan reasoned, “We need to be aware that people may want to take what we have, and until we are strong enough as a group then we need to consider some kind of guard. I’d like Neil to stay home for now, unless we find someone able to protect the camp when I’m away. In the interim I don’t want him far from the camp. If someone turns up again like Andrew did, then I want you two” he pointed at Neil and Penny in turn “to stay in radio contact using the walkie-talkies. If you can’t get him, blast the horn on the truck and he’ll come back”
    Neil had already run through this with Dan before Penny showed up, and he nodded her agreement to her.
    “Very well, that seems sensible. But I want you to think of excuses for not taking Leah with you. I don’t want her seeing things that she shouldn’t”
    Dan wanted to say that she has already seen things that no young girl should have to see, but gently deferred that conversation for another time.
    Neil again tried to reason with Dan that he should come with him, but he flatly refused. “If we’re both away until tomorrow night, there’s no way of knowing that we would come back to anyone here. It’s too risky to have us both leave. Face it; until we get more people here we can trust to protect the camp then you have to stay here or very nearby. End of.”
    No objections. Penny deftly changed the subject.
    “As we recruit more, we won’t be able to give everyone jobs over breakfast. We need to have departmental heads and delegate as we see fit. As Chief Engineer and First Ranger I expect you to consider this seriously”
    First Ranger? Thought Dan. Well, that job title didn’t work out well in Game of Thrones, did it. A glance at Neil told him that he would have to suffer some film referenced jokes and impressions after he had been dubbed that.
    He stayed where he was and lit a smoke as the other two walked back, talking. Dan wanted the group to be protected and organised. At the same time he craved some solitude.
    He finished his smoke and went to his Defender. He topped off the tank, loaded two extra jerrycans and checked his equipment. He took extra food and water, obviously there would be plenty of places to loot