America's Sunset: Coming Home: A Post Apocalyptic Fight For Survival Read online

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1 ~ Where To Now

  Chapter 2 ~ Everything New Again

  Chapter 3 ~ Reunited

  Chapter 4 ~ Seven’s A Crowd

  Chapter 5 ~ Plus One

  Chapter 6 ~ Future Days

  Chapter 7 ~ Sicker

  Chapter 8 ~ One Percent

  Chapter 9 ~ New Friend

  Chapter 10 ~ Spreading

  Chapter 11 ~ Rumors

  Chapter 12 ~ Just Go

  Chapter 13 ~ Plans Within Plans

  Chapter 14 ~ Tracker

  Chapter 15 ~ Role Reversal

  Chapter 16 ~ Clueless

  Chapter 17 ~ Fine Dining

  Chapter 18 ~ Give It Up

  Chapter 19 ~ Point Of No Return

  Chapter 20 ~ Dine And Dash

  Chapter 21 ~ Who Who

  Chapter 22 ~ Yes, Ma'am

  Chapter 23 ~ Never Enough

  Chapter 24 ~ It's A Living

  Chapter 25 ~ Popular

  Chapter 26 ~ Path Least Traveled

  Chapter 27 ~ Keeping Up Appearances

  Chapter 28 ~ 007

  Chapter 29 ~ Enemy Of My Enemy

  Chapter 30 ~ Two Against One

  Chapter 31 ~ Where There's Smoke

  Chapter 32 ~ Pied Piper

  Chapter 33 ~ Moving Day

  Chapter 34 ~ In Deep

  Chapter 35 ~ Overkill

  Chapter 36 ~ Left For Dead

  Chapter 37 ~ Live Or Die

  Chapter 38 ~ Abandoned

  Chapter 39 ~ Showdown

  Chapter 40 ~ Together Again

  Chapter 41 ~ Home Again, Home Again

  Chapter 42 ~ Resurrection

  Coming Home

  Written by Norman Christof

  Published by Digital Storm Solutions Inc.

  This is a work of fiction. If you find any similarities to real people, places, events or planets you're sadly mistaken.

  © 2016 Norman Christof / Digital Storm Solutions Inc.

  No part of this publication may be copied, reproduced in any format, by any means, electronic or otherwise, without prior consent from the copyright owner and publisher of this book.

  The author greatly appreciates you taking the time to read his work. Please consider leaving a review wherever you bought the book, or telling your friends about it, to help him spread the word.

  Want to read the next book in the series?

  Click below to be notified when it's released:

  http://NormanChristof.com

  If you liked Coming Home, you'll love these other books, also by Norman Christof:

  Parables From The Apocalypse

  Endings

  Revealed

  Mutation

  Awakening

  Rising

  THANK YOU FOR READING!

  Norman Christof

  "I sat in the dark and thought: There's no big apocalypse. Just an endless procession of little ones."

  ~ Neil Gaiman, Signal to Noise

  Chapter 1 ~ Where To Now ?

  Dawson trudged down the stairs, the weight of the world pressing down on him. After surviving the last few days, there should be a sense of relief washing over him; there wasn't. He was the first one up, and felt exhausted. The sun was creeping over the horizon, struggling to break through the cloud cover of the impending storm. It looked like the middle of the night out the kitchen window.

  The bottle of whiskey still sat at the table from last night, a couple of fingers left. He grabbed the bottle and flopped into the nearest chair. He twisted the whiskey, swirling the alcohol, then rubbed sleep out of his eyes. He wanted things to be different. Just not this kind of different. The country had changed, and uncertainty reigned supreme. His kids would have to grow up in a world different from the one in which he was raised, and he wasn't sure how that would work out. How do you raise kids without a compass? Parents teach kids not just how to be adults, but also how to be parents for their own kids. That's what Dawson's parents had done for him, and theirs before them. Now all the rules had changed.

  Civilization was gone for all intents and purposes. At least the civilization he had known. Time for new rules. It wasn't just an issue of the power being down, it was an issue of how people reacted. The thin veneer of culture and politeness was on hold for the foreseeable future, and people would do what they had to to survive. It was time to move on.

  Veronica was the next one down the stairs. She always was a light sleeper for a kid. Lost in his thoughts, Dawson didn't hear her sneak up behind him. She leaned into his side, wrapping both arms around him. Dawson looked down at her and smiled.

  "Morning, Princess."

  She responded by curling herself into his lap. "Why do you have the bottle out this morning, Daddy?"

  "It was just sitting here when I got up."

  "It's almost empty."

  "I know. The others didn't quite finish it last night, I guess. The bottle outlasted them apparently. Either that, or they left it here to test my resolve." He chuckled.

  "What's so funny?" She looked up into his eyes as he returned the glance.

  Dawson looked back at the bottle. "Nothing's funny really. It's pretty nasty to be honest. It's just me being cynical. I'm sure no one left it here to test me. They'd have other things on their minds."

  "Cynical?"

  "Yeah."

  "And nasty?"

  "Nasty, is what it really is. Everything. The weather, people, life and most especially this bottle. Do me a favor and put it back in the cupboard."

  "What cupboard does it go in? I can't reach the high ones."

  "Doesn't matter. Just put it in the one I'm least likely to look in."

  "OK. Like a game. I'll hide it and then you try to find it. I like that. I'm good at hiding games."

  "I know you are, but how 'bout you just hide it for now, and I've got a better game to play."

  "Really?" Veronica's eyes lit up. It never did take her long to get going in the morning.

  "Yeah, let's play go jump on your brother and get him moving this morning."

  "Oh, yes! I do like that game."

  Veronica hurriedly picked a cupboard to put the bottle in, then dashed to meet Dawson halfway up the stairs.

  "Won't he be cranky if I jump on him this early in the morning?"

  "Don't worry, I'll protect you. We've got a big day ahead of us, and the sooner we get going the safer we'll all be."

  There was a loud crack and a flash of light came through the small window at the upper landing. Veronica jumped and grabbed Dawson's hand.

  "Was that lightning, Daddy?"

  "I certainly hope it was. Otherwise this day is going to be longer than I thought."

  By the time they made it to Chase's bed, he was already sitting upright. He was barely awake, and didn't look happy to be so.

  "Aw, Dad," Veronica said. "He's already awake. Can I still jump on him?"

  "Some other time, Princess. Hey Chase, time to get moving. Let's get the others up."

  * * *

  Dawson walked up and down the row of vehicles parked in front of the farmhouse. It was quite the collection. The soldiers recruited by Ahmed had been pretty resourceful in their efforts. There was everything from a circa 1985 Chevy Chevette at the rear of the line, to a Hummer modified with a machine gun on the roof. It occurred to Dawson that whomever was out to get him had some rather eclectic suppliers. He desperately wanted to take the Hummer, but wasn't sure that would be a very subtle choice.

  Chase joined him. "I like the Hummer too, Dad. I think we should
take it."

  "Yeah, of course you would. Didn't I tell you to watch your sister?" Dawson looked to the porch to see Veronica playing with some old wooden toys she had found in the house.

  "She's fine, Dad. She's right there."

  Dawson put a hand on Chase's shoulder. "She might be fine, but I'd like to keep her that way. After everything we've gone through we don't need any more drama. At least for the next twenty-four hours."

  Jake and Maggie came out the front door onto the porch. Maggie bent down to see what Veronica was doing, while Jake made his way to the vehicles.

  "Where's Bert?" Dawson asked as Jake drew nearer.

  "He said he was going to check on some things in the barn, then go looking for Hero. He wanted him back in his stall before nightfall."

  "Did you tell him that we were trying to get out of here as soon as possible?"

  "Yeah, he said he wasn't coming with us. That he'd had enough of our company, and that wherever we were going, we should go without him."

  "That's nuts. Does he not realize what we're up against here? The world has changed. We need to stick together. We can't just go running off on our own after runaway horses."

  "That horse saved your life, remember?"

  "I know. I know. He probably saved all of us."

  "Maybe that's what Bert was thinking."

  "We don't have room for horses where we're going. Unless you've got a horse stables wing in that bunker of yours that I don't know about. Hero will be fine on his own. He's smart."

  "Bert would disagree. More importantly, I don't think that Bert has any intention of leaving the farm. You can make all the doom and gloom arguments you want, but that man has spent his entire life in this place, and I'm sure he intends to finish it here. You're not going to get him to live underground in some bunker. Even one as great as mine."

  "But we can't just leave him here on his own."

  Maggie and Veronica joined them. "He's not giving you a choice," Maggie said. "You can't force people to do what you think is right. Well, at least not unless you point a gun at their head, and I'm not sure that would even work in Bert's case. He knows what he wants, and it's right here."

  "You could just leave him the Hummer with the machine gun," Chase said. "You might feel better, knowing he can at least defend himself if he has to."

  "That he could," Dawson answered, smiling. "I thought you wanted the Hummer for yourself there, boy."

  "It probably gets terrible gas mileage anyways. That Jeep looks pretty sweet as a substitute. I'll take that one."

  "You don't even have your driver's license yet."

  "Really, Dad? You think the cops are checking driver's licenses these days?"

  "No. I've seen you drive. We'll let the adults do the driving for now."

  "Actually, he's a lot better," Jake said. "I had him out a few times before everything went into the crapper."

  "You had him out?" Dawson looked surprised.

  Jake just shrugged his shoulders as he walked towards the Jeep. Dawson looked to Chase.

  "You weren't around much before, Dad. Jake offered. I am getting pretty good."

  "We should really get going," Maggie added. "I don't want to be here if any of those terrorist goons come back."

  "All right. Let's get going. The sooner we get settled in the bunker the better. They left the keys in all the vehicles. Anything but the Hummer; we'll leave it for the stubborn farm boy."

  Dawson led the way in the Chevette with Veronica. Chase followed in the Jeep, with Maggie and Jake in a minivan at the rear. There was a rumbling off in the distance.

  "There's a storm coming, Dad. Did you hear the thunder?"

  Dawson looked up through the cracked sunroof at the cloudless sky. "Yes, I heard it." He patted Veronica's leg, and wished it was thunder he'd heard.

  Chapter 2 ~ Everything New Again

  "What exactly are we going to do with three more vehicles on our property?" Maggie asked.

  "Three working vehicles are a valuable commodity these days. Especially that Jeep that Chase is driving. It'll be handy if we have to go off-road," Jake answered.

  "Of course, you would be excited about having more engines to mess with, but won't it just draw more attention?"

  "I'll find some place to keep them hidden. Don't worry. We can keep them out behind the shed, bordering on the woodlot. Most people are still trying to make things work in town. They won't be too interested in venturing out our way."

  "I suppose that would work, but from the sounds of those explosions coming from town, people will be heading out of the city sooner than you might expect."

  Jake motioned to the car in front of them. "Chase is doing pretty good with the Jeep. I told you I was a good teacher."

  "Save your bragging there, big man, and don't go changing the subject on me. I heard Dawson telling Veronica that was thunder off in the distance, but we both know it isn't." Jake didn't answer. "Things are going all to hell in town, aren't they? It's not those terrorist thugs, they were all after Dawson. Those explosions are our own people starting to turn on each other, aren't they?"

  "Now stop right there, Maggie. You're jumping to conclusions. We're not there, and we don't know what's going on in the city. It could be anything."

  "Really, like what? Thunder? Is that what you're going to tell me? Maybe a big rock concert at the high school football field? Sure, that must be what it is."

  "Look, I know it's a possibility that things are getting out of hand more than I'd like to admit, but I won't go assuming the worst before I have proof."

  "You're too much of an optimist, Jake. Times are getting desperate. It's been over a week now since the power's gone out, and not everyone is as prepared as you are."

  "I'm not overly optimistic. I'm just pragmatic. Believe me when I say I know exactly what people are capable of. I'm the one that built the bunker, remember?"

  Before Maggie had a chance to answer, the engine sputtered and cycled between running and stalling before it finally gave up. They coasted to a halt. Dawson noticed first, and the Chevette's brake lights lit up, followed by the ones on Chase's Jeep.

  "I thought we had half a tank of gas still," Jake said.

  "We did. I've been keeping my eye on the gauges the whole time. I never trust someone else's vehicle when I'm driving it for the first time."

  "You mechanics' daughters are such cynics," Jake joked.

  "My father would be proud."

  "He'd be even more proud if you can figure out how to get this thing started."

  Maggie punched him in the shoulder before getting out to take a look.

  "Go sit with your sister," Dawson said to Chase as he walked past the Jeep. "What seems to be the problem?" he called back to Maggie and Jake.

  Maggie remained bent over the engine as Jake walked over to Dawson.

  "Maggie can't find anything wrong with the engine, other than the piece of junk has a faulty gas gauge that told us we were halfway full all the way here."

  "We can siphon enough from the other vehicles to get you going again. It's not that much further to home. There was an empty gas can in the back of my car."

  "Dad!" Chase called as he ran down the road in a panic.

  "Hey, don't leave your sister alone. I told you to sit ..."

  Chase interrupted. "There's a group of men coming down the road. They don't look friendly."

  "You left your sister alone. What the--"

  Maggie didn't wait for Dawson to finish. She grabbed Jake and Chase by the arms as she headed towards the Jeep.

  "Let's go. We have to leave the van."

  Maggie took the driver's seat of the Jeep as she directed Chase to the back. Jake jumped in the front next to her.

  Dawson could see the men coming down the road towards the old gray Chevette. As far as he could tell they weren't armed with weapons, though they were moving quickly. Veronica was getting out the passenger door, but Dawson waved her back in. She looked confused.

  "Get back in
the car. We're leaving."

  Veronica looked back and forth between Dawson and the approaching men. The men quickened their pace when they saw Dawson approach. Veronica got in just before Dawson jumped in and locked the doors. The men broke into a run towards them.

  Dawson tried to start the car but it sputtered. The men were close now. He tried again and the car started, but as he put it into gear the engine stalled.

  "Daddy."

  "Not now, Veronica."

  Dawson tried the starter a third time, and revved the engine hard. Veronica's eyes were focused on the approaching men. Before Dawson had a chance to put the car into gear, Maggie raced past them in the Jeep. She headed straight for the pack of men. They stopped running and stood their ground.

  "Maggie," Jake said.

  She paid him little heed, and didn't slow down. The men waved their arms. Closer now, it was clear that they weren't carrying any obvious weapons, but the biggest of them in the center had a baseball bat. The men were waving their arms, trying to get Maggie to stop.

  "Maggie, you can't just run over innocent people in the middle of the road. Slow down."

  Maggie slowed a little, but showed no signs of stopping. She glanced up at the rear view mirror long enough to see that the Chevette was on the move, and catching up.

  The men held their ground till the last possible second, then jumped aside as the Jeep roared on past. They barely had time to collect themselves as the second car raced towards them. The big man with the bat was the first one up. Realizing that Dawson had no intention of stopping, the man hurled the bat, aiming for the windshield. Veronica screamed. The bat landed on the hood, and rolled up over the windshield and the roof before clattering down the road. All the big man could do was yell obscenities as they drove by.

  "It's OK, Veronica." Dawson watched the men fade into the distance through the rear view mirror. "We'll head straight for home now. No stopping till we get there."

  "Why would they do that? We didn't do anything to them."