Surviving The Zombie Apocalypse (Book 3): Salvation Read Free

authorities, and after some logistical
problems were sorted out, both Yellowstone and the Black Hills received new
equipment via airdrop. All was good in the radio world.
    By the
way, the islands in question are no longer under the direct control of the Army
and Navy. Elections have been held, and civilian representatives selected,
making everyone happy. It also allowed military personnel to work on other
projects, namely getting rid of the zombie menace. There were some inquiries
about us relocating to the islands, but the government balked. They would take
people if need be – that was promised – but it would be better if we stayed where
we were in order to ensure a secure foothold was maintained on the mainland.
After a lot of debate, we agreed. Some left, but surprisingly few wanted to go
after we received a second promise regarding assistance against the raiders.
    Whether
or not we would actually need any help was unclear. You see, the raiders had
unexpectedly abandoned their compound in Salt Lake City. One day they were
there. The next flyover showed it empty. They had a scattering of farms which
were still manned by skeleton crews, but the bulk of their population had vanished
without a trace. The only thing we knew for certain was that they were not on
the roads heading toward either of our settlements. The threat posed by the
prophet was now completely unclear.
    Countering
the fog of war, or the uncertain peace as the case might be, was the deployment
of several officers and enlisted from the islands. These were to train us in
the use of all the nifty weapons we recovered from Ellsworth Air Force Base.
Sadly, we were not allowed to keep the fighter jets. Air Force pilots and
mechanics were parachuted in. They got them working and took the things away.
But, we did get to keep some of the attack choppers, so it wasn’t all bad.
     
    *
* *
     
    The
third year of the zombie apocalypse began. That’s right, two years had passed.
The first was horrible. Our world collapsed. Friends and family died. Then,
after so much hardship, there was the brief sensation of security. We had found
safety in the Nebraska National Forest. The raiders crushed that notion, and all
out war soon erupted. In contrast, the second year was rather low key. We
cleared out Rapid City and raided an Air Force base, but that was just a
flicker of excitement. As stated earlier, most of our time was utilized
preparing, building, and farming. The raiders did not attack, and while I
wanted so very much to find and butcher every last one of the bastards, my
energies were better spent making sure that when we did act, it would be
decisively in our favor.
    There
were a few high points, however. Briana and I celebrated our first wedding
anniversary on October 17, with the entire settlement declaring it a holiday. I
suspect this was primarily because people were looking for an excuse, any excuse,
to have a party. Then again, Briana is quite popular, much more so than me. I’m
respected due to my victories against the raiders and willingness to face the
zombie threat head on, but she is the one who deals with all the regular day to
day issues, including personal conflicts.
    Months
later, on the fifteenth of June, Mary turned sixteen. My adopted daughter and
favorite pixie was old enough to get her driver’s license. She’d been driving
for years already, so I suppose I should dock her allowance to help pay for the
fines that have been racking up. There have to be at least a half dozen bench
warrants out for her arrest as well. In all seriousness, driving was proving
complicated. We had no way to drill for oil or refine it. While the islands had
access to some small refineries and offshore rigs, they were unable to transfer
the final product to our settlements. We were thus forced to conserve, big time.
    The
harvest that fall was excellent, and our granaries were filled to overflowing.
The winter passed more smoothly as well. There was no outbreak of