36 Hours: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival Fiction Series (10 page)

Colton’s granddaddy taught him not to hem-haw around.
Get to the point, boy
, his granddaddy would say. During any negotiation, it was always appropriate to be respectful and especially listen to the other side’s questions. Their questions were an insight into their minds. You also had to negotiate with some wiggle room.

Pay to play? Not gonna happen
—and it didn’t.

The group took a break for lunch, and Colton excused himself to hit the restroom. His real reason for breaking away was to send a text to Madison. He expressed his feelings about shutting Alex down last night, and Madison agreed. They also discussed whether the threat was real. While they both agreed the government and the news stations would advise of any impending disaster, there was no harm in getting prepared.

C: Think of it this way. People buy insurance against losses from hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes.

M: Can you buy solar flare insurance?

C: Very funny. Pick up some extra batteries, food, and water. Basics.

M: I could buy a couple extra of everything.

C: Yeah. Stock up.

M: I’ve got this. Go back and play with your Cowboys.

C: After lunch, we’re touring the Cowboys Cheerleaders studio and practice center.

M: What? No.

C: Yup. Gotta run. Love you!

M: Come back here, mister!

Chapter 17

12 Hours

11:50 a.m., September 8

Broadway Avenue

Nashville, Tennessee

Before Madison left the house, she conducted a little online research. All she knew about prepping was getting ready for a big Thanksgiving meal or making arrangements for a get-together. Naturally, Madison was curious about what kind of person called themselves a prepper. She thought of the people at the bookstore yesterday. They looked like ordinary people, although wearing clashing styles of camo clothing should be considered a fashion faux pas. Other than that, they were just like them.

So what made them tick? Why would somebody choose to become a prepper? Madison decided to search prepper mentality, and here came the results.

Prepper mental illness

Prepper mentally defective

Prepper declared mentally defective

Was this what people thought about preppers? Madison learned years ago that the news and entertainment media could not be trusted. They deliberately slanted their particular means of mass communication toward a decidedly liberal agenda. She also suspected that Google tilted their web and news search results in a similar fashion. But an obscure search term like this yielded results that were most often what the Google user was seeking.
Most people think preppers are deranged!

Madison taught Alex how to avoid succumbing to peer pressure. The easiest way was to say
NO
like you meant it. How did preppers overcome the peer pressure of being labeled
mentally defective
? They must be a resilient bunch to prevent public perception from swaying them from what seemed like a reasonable goal—preparedness.

Colton needed her to pick up a few things so she headed into Nashville. So many concepts were consuming Madison’s thoughts. She continued up Broadway across the interstate overpass, thinking about the concept of prepping. Unless you had unlimited resources or a crystal ball, it would be impossible to prepare for every contingency—especially those that hadn’t happened in a hundred years or more. Yet they’d happened. The world had experienced many catastrophic events, including massive solar flares, deadly pandemics, and volcanic eruptions. The nation’s economy was in shambles and arguably on the brink of collapse. Madison remembered what happened to the Roman Empire from her studies in college.

Then there was their society. This was a regular topic of the sermons on Sunday at their church. Madison understood avoiding sin and temptation were a part of Bible teachings since the beginning. In reality, it was also a battle between right and wrong.

Something considered wrong a hundred years ago was not only accepted now, but encouraged. Exhibit A was premarital sex. Madison knew times had changed. But why? Why was out-of-wedlock sex not only accepted, but encouraged?

As Madison became stuck in traffic in front of her church at the corner of Seventh and Broadway, she realized she was so deep in thought that she forgot to turn back at Tenth Avenue to stop by Colton’s office and pick up the files he requested.

She stared at the two-hundred-year-old church where she and Colton were married. She didn’t always believe in God. As a child, she went to First Baptist with her family because she had to. As she grew older, she started to
see
. There was that seminal moment when she accepted Christ into her life and never doubted her faith again.

At this moment, she had a similar revelation. It started with Colton’s text about insurance. He wrote that
people buy insurance against losses from hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes
. Prepping was like insurance, except not in the normal sense. It was insurance against catastrophic events that you hoped would never occur. If they happened, you could be ready, or at least more ready than others. If you prepped for the worst and nothing happened, you hadn’t lost anything. At least you had the peace of mind to know you could survive a catastrophe, in whatever form it took.

She circled the block and headed back toward West End, completely abandoning what brought her downtown in the first place. Her mind was racing now. It was almost euphoric.

From what she read, preppers strongly believed in self-reliance. They equated self-reliance with freedom. All it took was a little self-discipline, sacrifice, and planning to lead a self-reliant lifestyle.
There’s nothing wrong with that. Who cares what other people’s perceptions are?

Without realizing it, she was racing towards Barnes & Noble to buy that EMP book the preppers were waiting for yesterday. She pushed her way through traffic, slapping the ceiling as she crossed under two yellow lights when they turned red—
kissing the ceiling
, as she and Colton always called it.

Like most aspects of a person’s life, it came down to making choices. First, she had to get her head in the right place and commit to taking care of her family. Second, she had to make some decisions. She had absolutely no clue where to begin. The bookstore would be the first stop.
Then what? Where the heck do I start?

Her phone buzzed. It was a text message from Colton.

Chapter 18

11 Hours

12:22 p.m., September 8

West End Avenue

Nashville, Tennessee

Madison read the text from her husband. It was succinct—
Don’t panic. Get extra of everything. Love you!
One thing the Rymans didn’t do was panic. When she experienced complications with the birth of Alex, they didn’t panic. When she and Colton were told Madison couldn’t have any more children as a result, they were devastated, but they didn’t panic. When she quit her job and money was tight, they didn’t panic. After they’d just purchased their new home in Belle Meade and Colton lost his highest-producing client to a tragic car accident, they didn’t panic.

They persevered.

Every family experienced loss in some form. Those who fought through the complications, whether self-inflicted or unexpected, could come out on the other side a better person if that was their character. Those individuals who lived their life seeking pity for their troubles might not have the gravitas it took to survive a catastrophic event.

Madison knew the Rymans were tough. She was thrilled that her husband was thinking along the same lines as she was—
get ready
.

When she left the house, she was still unsure if this was the right thing to do. After Colton’s text, she was convinced. Her first stop was Barnes & Noble, where she sought the assistance of a store clerk to find the book from yesterday’s signing. That was easy. Then she asked a question that sent the young man’s brain into circuit overload.

“Do you have any books on prepping?”

He looked at her like a deer in headlights. No answer.

“You know, preparedness. Preppers? Anything?”

He thought for a moment and then replied, “I can show you the books about camping and hiking.” As he led her towards the rear of the store, Madison observed the other shoppers. They were sipping on their limited-time Starbucks Fizzio sodas that were still available because it was hot as Hades outside. “Here you are, ma’am. You’ll also find fitness, diet and health, and medical books here as well.”

“Thank you,” said Madison as she grabbed a copy of a book called
The Survival Wilderness Handbook
off the shelf. She spied another book called
The Prepper’s Cookbook
.
That’s two
.

Then she recalled what the author said yesterday to the people standing in line. Beans, Band-Aids, and bullets, plus shelter. Here was another one for the stack—
Ultimate Survival Manual
by
Outdoor Life
. She thumbed through the table of contents. These three survival guides, plus the EMP book, which contained an extensive prepper’s checklist, would do for starters.

Madison checked out and then thought about her priorities. Books were great resources, but there might not be enough time to read them. She thumbed through the prepper’s checklist. Their food pantry was pretty well stocked with at least a week’s worth of meals.

She glanced at her watch and realized she had plenty of time to make another stop. But where? Her mind raced as the adrenaline kicked into full gear. Dick’s Sporting Goods on Charlotte Pike was the closest store she could think of. Target was over there too.

After making her purchase, she took the neighborhood streets, avoiding the congestion of White Bridge Road, and found her way to Charlotte Pike. Traffic wasn’t bad, but the parking lot around Target and Dick’s was very full.

She hustled past the monument in the shape of a guitar, which was placed in front of Best Buy in honor of the now deceased legendary country music star George Jones. Two pickup trucks were parked in front of the store, loading canoes and camping supplies. The outside of the store was hectic, but the inside of the sporting goods store was worse.

Every checkout counter had a lengthy line. Madison made her way past a congregation of people in the front of the store who were waiting for their friends and family to pay for their things. Several areas of the store like the Team Shop and Alex’s beloved Golf Shop were devoid of customers. Other parts, especially the gun counter and camping supplies, were packed.

The gun counter was her first stop. She was the only woman in line waiting for a lone clerk. While she waited, she studied the checklist in the book she purchased at Barnes & Noble. The last dozen pages covered everything from food to weapons to medical supplies. She made mental notes regarding the items on the list. Finally, after twenty minutes, she was able to speak with a second clerk who arrived to assist.

“How may I help you?” he asked.

That was when it dawned on her. She had no idea what to buy. “Well, um, I don’t know.” She hesitated until she heard the groans of the impatient men behind her.

“Okay,” the clerk started. “Maybe I can help. What do you want the gun for?”

Madison’s mind immediately thought of hunting, but then reality set in.
There aren’t many deer and antelope in Belle Meade. Where would we hunt?
Protection.
We need it for protection and security.

“Protection,” she blurted out. “I guess the most important thing for us is security.”

“Okay, now we’re getting somewhere,” said the clerk. “By far the best all-around weapon for security, and hunting, is the versatile shotgun. He reached behind the counter and showed her a black and brushed metallic shotgun. “For home defense, this weapon is very forgiving for nervous aiming. You don’t have to be particularly accurate to do some damage against an intruder.”

He racked the slide up and down, creating a loud, metallic
CRACK CRACK
. Madison jumped back slightly before regaining her composure. The men behind her snickered.

“It’s also perfectly suited for hunting small game, and larger animals if you have the right shells.”

Madison thought for a moment and then remembered her father-in-law’s shotgun that Colton put in the garage somewhere. She could use that one.

“I think we have a shotgun already,” she said. “What are the other options?”

“Get her an AR-15,” said one of the men behind her.

“Better yet, an AR-10,” added another sarcastically. “Then she can be a real bad …”

The salesclerk was a nice young guy and seemed genuinely interested in helping Madison. He continued with her options.

“Ma’am, we’re sold out of the guns they mentioned, and if you aren’t experienced, they might not be for you anyway. Let me suggest a handgun, namely this nine millimeter made by Beretta. It’s the official sidearm of our military and is very dependable. For your smaller hands and for concealed-carry purpose, this Series 92 Compact is a great choice. This one comes in all black; it’s less flashy.”

He handed her the gun and she took it from him with apprehension. She had never held a real handgun before. At first, she was a little afraid. The weight felt good and she gripped it. She could easily get three fingers on the grip for control. She liked it.

“Okay,” she choked out. Then she thought for a moment.
Alex, too?
She set the weapon back on the counter. “I mean okay. I’ll take it. In fact, give me three of them. Bullets too.”

“Yeah, I wish,” said the heavyset man behind her who was, frankly, starting to make Madison mad with his attitude.

“Ma’am, I’m sorry, but you can only purchase one at a time. The President passed an executive order after she was inaugurated that prohibited multiple sales of two or more guns to the same purchaser within five business days.”