TEOTWAWKI: Beacon's Story by David Craig Read Free Book Online Page B

floor of the Humvee was covered two deep with wooden cases containing ammo cans full of linked ammo for the gun. Somebody had been arming a war wagon before the boys "borrowed" the vehicle.
     
     
    “Either of you know what kind of gun that is?”
    “No sir, maybe it’s written on the side?” the blonde boy answered.
     
     
    “My name’s Beacon and you guys are?”
     
     
    “Josh Billingsly” said the blonde boy.
     
     
    “Jim Rutledge” offered the brown haired boy wiping his hair from his eyes.
     
     
    “OK, I’m going to go see what I can do about getting you some gas, but while I’m gone … ya see that other Humvee over there, the one with a turret just like yours?”
     
     
    The boys nodded.
     
     
    “It’s got a .50 caliber machine gun mounted in it and if either of you boys climbs up into that turret of yours he’ll shoot you and this vehicle to pieces, understood?”
     
     
    The boys nodded again.
     
     
    Beacon tossed them the MRE. “You’re probably hungry so here’s something to munch on while I’m gone.”
     
     
    The MRE had been an insurance policy and now it served as a distraction to keep the hungry boys from following him back to the laager or asking more questions about the girls while he walked back to camp. He didn’t want to lie to them and he knew the boys would insist on coming back with him if they even suspected the girls were in camp.
     
     
    "OK, so I lied." He mumbled to himself as he walked back towards the corral. If the boys didn't know what an M60 machine gun was they wouldn't know what a Barrett fifty caliber rifle was. But everybody has some idea of what a fifty caliber machine gun is so telling them it was a Ma Deuce saved a lot of explaining and achieved the same results.
     
     
    Beacon waved to Barbie in the turret behind Doc’s Barrett as he walked back into camp. Doc and the LLC board of directors were waiting behind the Humvee.
     
     
    Before he could utter a word Elaine stated flatly: “We are not taking in any more strays!”
     
     
    "No, no you're not. And I didn’t think you were. I offered them nothing; besides they’re undisciplined teenagers without an authority figure to keep them in line, but we may be able to work out a deal with them that could be to your advantage and theirs. Would you have someone fetch Mrs. Peace please?
     
     
    “She has no vote here!” Elaine interjected loudly.
     
     
    “You’re right, she has no vote with the Board of Directors, but she has information you’ll need to make an informed decision and she owns something that may become part of the deal I’m about to propose after I’ve laid out the facts for you and I’d rather not have to explain everything twice.”
     
     
    Elaine began to bluster and Beacon interjected “Do you know the names of those two girls we rescued?” That silenced her.
     
     
    Doc nodded and waived Trudy over to the conclave.
     
     
    “Trudy what are the names of those two girls?” Beacon used her first name in an attempt to establish her as a person in the eyes of the leaders.
     
     
    “Tina Breckenridge and Becky Tyrone” she seemed nervous in the presence of the Board of Directors.
     
     
    “OK, that’s what I thought. Here are the facts I’ve been able to gather so far. The boys out there are looking for Tina and Becky. They have an out of fuel Humvee with an M60 machine gun and thousands of rounds of belted ammo for it. The feed tray cover is down and I could see no ammo belt hanging out. They don’t seem to know how to operate or maintain either the gun or the vehicle.”
     
     
    “If either of them aims that machinegun at us you let’em have it.” Doc yelled up to Barbie.
     
     
    “Well, Duh!” floated down from the turret.
     
     
    Beacon continued. “I’m assuming the girls are free to go with the boys whether we work out a deal or not?”
     
     
    Everyone nodded, Elaine most emphatically.
     
     
    “OK, here’s what I’m proposing. We give