Storm Tide Rising: Blackout Volume 2 Read Free

trail from time to time. He couldn't quite place his finger on why, but he had the feeling a pair of eyes was constantly settled right between his shoulder blades. It didn't seem to matter which way he turned, the feeling was impossible to shake. Alyssa felt the pervading tension as well. She jumped at every stray rustle of wind, and her eyes darted to both sides of the broad blacktopped road. Eventually, she slowed her pace, and as Mike passed her, she said, "Take two lefts at the next stop signs," Alyssa said. "That will take us out to the main road."
    Mike nodded and chose not to make an issue out of taking the lead in unfamiliar territory. Alyssa's eyes were wide, her face pale. She was clearly frightened, and Mike couldn't blame her. He followed her directions and made two consecutive left turns. The road widened at the last intersection, and there was a single white line painted down the middle of it. Bradford pear trees lined both sides of the lane, thick green canopies casting deep shadows in the late August afternoon. The neighborhood was beautiful, and in another circumstance, Mike would have enjoyed the walk.
    As it was, his gut was twisted in knots and his shirt was soaked through with sweat. Combat training had been his least favorite part of the US Coast Guard's basic training course, and he'd been thankful when it was over. He had put on the uniform specifically to save people, not to fight them. Now, even recognizing the need, he still felt as uneasy as he had on the first day of tactical training.
    Suddenly, Alyssa was at Mike's side, pulling on his shirt sleeve insistently. "Something isn't right," she said, pointing toward the trees along the road. There were thin strands of concertina wire strung in broad loops between the trunks of the Bradford pears. If it hadn't been for the angle of the sunlight, he would have missed them altogether. Mike slowed a little, and as they rounded a curve in the road, they came face to face with a group of four men.
    "Stop right there," a voice called. "Let me see your hands, slowly, sir."
    Mike and Alyssa froze. Mike slowly released his rifle and let it hang in front of him. He kept his hands clear of his body and the rifle, but close enough to reach it if he needed to. Alyssa stopped beside him, her eyes wide, and her trembling hand gripped Mike's sleeve tightly. Two of the four men had pistols in their hands, though they weren't raised. The other two both carried accessorized M-4 rifles. One man with a rifle stepped smoothly in front of the others, his broad grin showing teeth much whiter than they should have been.
    "Afternoon, folks," the man said. "I'm the Operations Team Leader for this district. My name's Parker. How are you tonight?"
    Mike frowned at the man's extended hand but didn't shake it. Instead, he nodded toward the two Bradley fighting vehicles parked at the entrance gate to the neighborhood and the group of what looked like soldiers stretching more concertina wire across the broad street. "Are you all Federal Security Service?"
    Parker shook his head. "No, we're with another unit. Private contractors under orders from FEMA, but we work in concert with FSS. One big happy family."
    The man flashed his toothy grin again, and Mike decided he didn't like it.
    "Where's my husband?"  Alyssa demanded suddenly. "His name is Drew. Drew McCarthy. He left three nights ago to get water, and he never came home."
    By the end of her outburst, Alyssa's whole body was trembling as she fought back tears. Parker frowned as he tapped the side of his tinted glasses, his eyes flickering back and forth. Finally, he nodded and focused again on Alyssa. "That make you the wife of Drew McCarthy, then?" Parker asked. "Alyssa McCarthy? 4228 Wandering Pine Lane?"
    Alyssa could only manage to nod, as her lower lip trembled with growing fear. The strength she'd mustered all night suddenly began to evaporate.
    "Everything is fine, ma'am," Parker said. "We'll be by later with an