Through Many Fires (Strengthen What Remains) Read Free Page A

me, than your life?”
    “ What
are the chances of more bombs? And even if there are more, New York or Chicago
are more likely targets than Atlanta.”
    Realizing
that she would not leave he said, “I’ll try to call you tonight, but if there
is another attack, will you leave?”
    There
was a pause. “We’ll talk when you get here.”
    After
he hung up, he tried calling his family but didn’t get through. He cursed. I
should have asked Becky to call them.
    The
majority of traffic would use the freeways, so Caden avoided them, sticking to
the secondary roads. Gradually, the morning sun painted the sky with pink and
gold. He turned on the satellite radio and scanned the stations. Fewer than
half were operating. There was some music, but all the news and talk channels
spoke of nothing but the attacks.
    “ This
just in, Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Durant, has assumed the duties
of the President.”
    Durant!
That egotistical….
    “ As we
reported earlier, Secretary Durant was involved in a traffic accident yesterday
on his way into Washington D.C. for the State of the Union Address. He was
taken to a hospital in Baltimore where he is recovering.
    He’s
last in line of succession. All the others—they must be dead.
    As if
to confirm Caden’s realization the announcer went on, “More senior officials in
the line of succession are assumed to have died in the attack on Washington.”
    “ President
Michael Durant.” God help us. That political hack has exceeded his level of
incompetence.
    The
sun peeked over a nearby hill as he entered a small town. When Caden stopped at
a red light, a rotund, middle-aged man in a dark suit and tie, walked across
the street in front of him. He watched as the man walked to an electronics
shop, unlocked the door and entered. Caden pulled into the parking lot.
    The
bell on the door jingled as he entered the store. The big man stood behind the
counter, his jacket straining against his bulk.
    “ You’re
my first customer today.”
    “ I
suspect you’ll be busy.”
    The
man nodded grimly and unbuttoned his jacket.
    “ I’m
looking for a shortwave radio with weather and the AM band.”
    He
hung the jacket behind the counter. “I think I have exactly what you want right
here,” he pulled one from the shelf. “Four shortwave bands, weather, AM and FM
and you can charge it by winding this crank or,” he popped up the top, “with
this solar panel.” He set the radio on the counter. “These features may come in
handy.”
    Caden
agreed.
    “ Why
are you interested in the weather band?”
    “ For
information on wind direction and fallout and the NOAA frequencies carry
emergency alert information.”
    “ Oh.”
The man took another of the radios from the shelf and set it behind the
counter. “Anything else you need?”
    “ Any
MURS radios?”
    “ No,
sorry, we don’t get much call for them.”
    Caden
knew it was unlikely. “How about a couple of General Mobile transceivers?”
    “ GMRS?
Sure.” The clerk took four off a nearby shelf. “These are the best model that I
carry.”
    Caden
watched as he again set the extras behind the counter.
    Looking
up, the big man smiled, “I’ll probably sell out today and I want some for my
family.”
    “ Do
you have cell phones? Mine doesn’t seem to be working well since….”
    “ Where
you close to D.C.?”
    “ Yes,”
he nodded. “Too close really.”
    “ The
Electromagnetic Pulse probably fried or at least damaged your phone. I can hook
you up with a new one.”
    Caden
had heard something about EMP years before. Now he wished he had paid more
attention.
    He put
his new phone in his pants pocket, but left everything else in the bag as he
walked from the shop. Back at his vehicle, he set the new things down on the
floor in front of the passenger seat just as two cars raced by him. He watched
the vehicles stop at a nearby grocery store. Already dozens of cars were out in
front. It’s going to be a very busy shopping day. As