The Siege by Darrell Maloney Read Free Book Online

attack us in force and try to surprise us when they do it.
         “From here on out we’re on twelve hour shifts. Six to six. Martinez, you and I will pull days. Douglas, you and O’Neal will pull nights. You two go get some sleep. Douglas, you relieve Martinez at six. O’Neal, you’ll relieve me and you’ll be in charge of night shift. O’Neal, you and I will guard the roof twenty four seven. Martinez and Douglas, you’ll man the gate. Davis, you float. I’ll tell you where I need you day to day.
         “Bennett, you’ll work day shift so I can keep an eye on you. Do your chores and bring us our meals so we don’t have to leave our posts. And be sure you cook enough extra food before you go off duty so that the night shift can eat before they come on.
         “And take a case of drinking water to the roof and another to the gate. We won’t have the luxury of going for a drink whenever we want, like you can.”
         Hance looked at all the faces. He could tell he had their rapt attention. His takeover was complete. No one would challenge him in his new role.
         “Okay, when you’re off duty, keep your door open so you can hear the gunfire. First sign of shots, you bastards better come running. Any questions?”
         There were none.
         “Good. Go.”
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 10
     
         Marty Haskins and his friend Lenny Geibel were manning the front counter at the Trucker’s Paradise truck stop when the group of four men walked in.
         It was obvious they were bad dudes. They had the swagger usually reserved for members of a motorcycle gang, a street gang, or convicts.
         They were too old to be gang bangers, and they drove up in a Chevy Tahoe. So Marty guessed they were part of the group of convicts set free from the Eden Federal Penitentiary just after the sky went black.
         He’d heard they’d been terrorizing the people of Eden ever since, forcing half the town to evacuate for safer cities.
         “Good morning, gentlemen,” Marty said.
         The biggest one, and probably their leader, grunted.
         “Some place you got here.”
         “Yep. It’s all stolen from the trailers parked along the highway. And since it’s against the law to traffic in stolen merchandize, none of it’s for sale. It’s all free. Take what you need.”
         “That’s a lous y way to run a business. If you don’t mind me sayin’ so.”
         A smaller man behind him chuckled.
         “Yeah, well, we’re not trying to make a living at this. Money’s no good any more anyway. We were truck drivers by trade, and that business has gone straight to hell. So now we’re just providing a service, trying to help the world get back to the way it used to be. And we gotta do something. Might as well do this.”
         Lenny joined in the conversation.
         “Are you guys looking for anything in particular?”
         “Fresh beef. Not frozen, or dried. Fresh. Like from real cows.”
         Marty managed a laugh.
         “Well, if we had such a thing we’d cook some right up and join you. But as far as I know, all the beef cattle are dead in their fields or slaughtered for food a long time ago.”
         “Okay, some information then.”
         “About what?”
         “A friend of ours, goes by Smitty. Big black dude, ugly old fool. Maybe you know him.”
         “Nope. Can’t say I do. Lenny?”
         Marty turned to Lenny, who just shrugged his shoulders.
         “Smitty came to us a few weeks ago. Said he knew of a compound around these parts, somewhere close. Said it was surrounded by a high black fence. He said there were some cattle and pigs inside, and some greenhouses with fresh produce.”
         “Do tell?”
         “Yeah. Smitty asked if we wanted in on the bunch that was gonna go get it. We said sure. Then