The Last Blade Of Grass by Robert Brown Read Free Book Online Page B

sees more soldiers start stumbling out of the barracks. When Charlie grabs Lucinda under the arms to pull her away, Hernandez bites her on the knee and grabs her legs causing her to wake up and scream.
    The onslaught is just too great. Charlie thinks for a moment about dropping Lucinda and running, but it is too late. Charlie is grabbed from behind by one of the collapsed soldiers from the ground that has gotten back up. While he is pulled to the ground, the other men from the barracks reach him as well.
    Due to the governments coordinated efforts in inoculating all military personnel before the release of the economic numbers, the same scene plays out at every major military installation and base in the U.S.
     
    U.S. Outbreak Day 2
    The Krenshaw’s House 5:30 a.m .
     
    “Susan, I’m telling you there’s something different about this violence. Why would there be riots at the military bases? I mean, soldiers don’t exactly have the same rights as we do. So, if they were starting a protest or act up, they would get rounded up, and immediately put in lockdown. They wouldn’t let it get out of hand like this.”
    “So you think this is something different? Fine, I trust your judgment. I just don’t like where this might take us. You’ve worked so hard. We all sacrificed so much to get your company off the ground, and now finally when things are going great for us, you think things are about to fall apart. I just don’t like how it feels.”
    “I don’t like it anymore than you do, and I hope I’m wrong. Just promise me you will call Eddie at his store after he opens to see what he thinks about it. That should settle things one way or the other.”
    “How does he get his information anyway?” Samantha asks her husband Conner. “I mean, I like spending time with him and Simone, and it was fun doing some of those classes at their ranch, but they do seem a bit overly paranoid to me.”
    “I’m not really sure, maybe the police or maybe the hospital where his wife works. But the last two times I thought things were going bad, he’s the one who calmed me down and let me know the whispers he was hearing, and nothing ended up happening here in Medford. Besides, it is his business to know what problems are out there, with his store, you know.
    “One other thing you should know about him, Sam, he’s the one that kept my head in the game when we lost all of those contracts a year ago and I thought I would have to shut down. I stopped by his shop one morning to browse, talk, and just complain about the week I was having. We were talking about the poor economy when I brought up that I thought I might have to close the business.
    “He’s the one that told me Jim Franklin was going to close his trucking business. He told me Jim was selling off his gun collection and that people like Jim only sell their guns when things are rock bottom. A month later Franklin Trucking was closed, and we picked up all of his contracts and the work with the state.”
    “Not exactly what I would call insider information,” she shoots back slightly sarcastically.
    “No, but Eddie made the introduction between Jim and I. Once Jim got to know me, he spoke with his former clients, and suggested his contracts should sign up with me once he closes up shop. That is why things moved so quickly for us after the bottom seemed to drop out. Eddie isn’t just a paranoid prepper. He seems to see the details through the bullshit. Just listen to what he says, hopefully, he’ll say don’t worry like the last two times.”
    “Okay. I think his shop opens at eight, so I’ll call him after I get Jake to school.”
    *
    At the store
     
    “Hannah, can you get the phone? I’m up on the ladder.”
    The best part about having my own store is being able to have my kids with me all the time. I don’t have unlimited time with them like if I was at home, but it is far more time together than if I was off at an eight hour job five days a week. It’s nice