Winchester Undead (Book 2): Winchester: Prey Read Free Page B

charging handle on his M4 rifle with a loud metallic thunk. “EMP, ma’am.”
    “EMP? What is an E-M-P?”
    “Electromagnetic pulse. It’s from a nuclear detonation, which releases a strong magnetic wave that pretty much destroys anything electronic that isn’t shielded.”
    Amanda looked nervously towards the sky and back to Smith. “What about nuclear fallout?”
    Smith shook his head. “If the devices were detonated high enough in the atmosphere, then we won’t have to worry about that.”
    Smith walked up the embankment and out of the ditch to the roadway, where he paused and scanned the area before waving Johnson and Amanda to follow. Once she climbed out of the ditch and back onto the roadway, Amanda tried to take in the scene before her. Large fires and thick black smoke could be seen in every direction.
    “What happened to all the planes?”
    “Just like how the EMP fried the computer in the Tahoe and it quit running, so with the aircraft. Everything from the engines to the flight systems are computer controlled. Basically, the planes stopped flying.”
    Amanda looked around her at the pillars of thick smoke that now filled the sky. “What are we going to do?”
    Johnson smiled. “We have a plane to catch.” Before Amanda could ask how that was possible, he answered her question. “Military plane. It’s shielded against an EMP. Or at least it is supposed to be.”
    The three of them walked briskly towards the terminal in the distance, which also appeared to be on fire. The damage had been caused by another aircraft crashing into it, and the parking lot was marred by the obvious path of destruction of the downed plane. Smith walked with a slight limp. Amanda couldn’t remember if he had the limp before the crash or not, but she hadn’t seen him walk very far before now.
    Johnson climbed on top of the large “Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport” sign, removed a large pair of binoculars from his bag and scanned the area.
    “The G-Five is hard bent.”
    Smith cursed.
    Amanda waited for an explanation, but Johnson gave none and continued to scan the area with his binoculars.
    “Agent Smith, what is a G-Five and what is hard bent ?”
    “It means something is broken beyond immediate repair. We were to meet a Gulfstream V over at the General Aviation side of the airport. With it we were to escort you to Denver to the secure facility there. Looks like we’re going to need alternate transportation now.”
    Johnson pointed towards the airport’s control tower. “Looks like an old Bronco parked by that tower. It might be serviceable.”
    Johnson jumped off the sign and placed the binoculars back into his heavy pack. “We better hurry before the owner or someone else decides to use it to bug out.”
    Amanda fell in behind Smith, who walked towards the tower at a very brisk pace, although limping. Johnson walked a few yards behind Amanda and held rear security for their designated person, only stopping when they saw several large aircraft fly overhead in a wide formation. Dark trails followed their path, and moments later the three of them were covered in an oily substance that fell from the sky like rain.
    Lampton wiped the oil off her face and rubbed it between her fingers. “What is this?”
    Johnson tersely replied that he didn’t know and exchanged a concerned look with his partner.

CHAPTER 3
     
    Cortez, CO
    January 25, Year 1
     
    “Jake, we have three more families requesting shelter with us.”
    “Thank you, Sara. Have Mike do a weapons check and inspect the men for any bites. If you wouldn’t mind taking care of the women and children, I would appreciate it. Oh, and make sure they completely understand the rules.”
    “Will do, baby.” Sara kissed Jake on the forehead, the notebook ledger of supplies open on the desk in front of him for the daily inventory. Candlelight flickered across the smudged pages. Jake never meant to be a leader; in fact, with the exception of his articles,