Against the Grain Read Online Free PDF

stashed out here? It’s been a long couple of days,” I sighed and sat down next to Nick.
    He was currently sitting in a hole, half hidden in another of the rocky outcroppings. This particular spot was one that we used regularly as it was just down from the peak of a little ridge line and offered a great view of the road in both directions.
    “Hey man, how’s it going?” Nick greeted me with his normal upbeat attitude.
    “Oh you know, I’m just thriving and surviving these days.” I rolled my eyes dramatically.
    “Yeah aren’t we all,” he laughed.
    Nick was about my same age and as tall as I was, but nowhere near my weight or stature. What he lacked in mass, he made up for with his brain. I had met him through Breanne when they were first dating, and I came to find out that while he appeared to be outgoing with other people, it was a ruse. He was incredibly intelligent and introspective and had an excellent cynical inner dialog to go along with his sharp wit, which meant that he and I got along great.  
    Nick had grown up out of town originally, but he had embraced the city lifestyle and easily forgotten what it was like to be able to see the stars at night. Even now, he was still trying to get used to not having constant noise and electronic stimulation in his life. His adjustment to this new lifestyle was like everyone else’s; slow.
    Over the years we had gone camping together a few times and these days he tried to stick with me in the woods and on the gun range to learn as much as he could, but at the same time, he was constantly preoccupied. I knew how overwhelmed and stressed out he was with trying hard to figure out how to run things on the Ranch and keep everyone happy. Being married to Breanne and with kids of their own, and also due to the circumstances of where they were living, once his in-laws passed on, Nick would become the de facto patriarch at the Ranch… and it scared the hell out of him.   
    “So do you have traffic out here or what?” I asked him , referring to having a manned OP, or observation post. We didn’t normally keep people out here these days anymore unless we had a reason to be concerned and suspected there may be visitors.  
    After the first few months most people living in this area had sorted out whether they were going to make it or need help, and for the most part if they came to us, we helped them move on in another direction. It was difficult sometimes pointing a hungry family towards the shelter in town, or giving them the idea that we were not here just for them. We kept our friendly arms wide shut, because it was for the best for everyone. The families here had just enough to keep themselves going long enough to learn how to live in this new world without taking in beggars.  
    There had been emotional arguments and breakdowns, and I had earned the reputation of being a heartless bastard who could turn my back on anyone, but over time the others started to realize the necessity of drawing such a hard line, even if they didn’t like it. I was pretty sure some of them thought I actually did like turning away old acquaintances, but a few people, like Nick and Breanne, they realized it was for the good of everybody.  
    When the months turned into a year, and after the winter took its toll on the rest of the population, it was seldom that anyone came down the road that we didn’t already know. We were friendly with the few neighbors that were left, and we knew them all well enough by sight or sound so everyone tried to give a heads up to the others and work together. Through the CB radios we kept in loose contact and let the neighbors know when someone would be out and about on the road, or if others unlooked for were headed their way.  
    Barricading the road a few miles from here did wonders for car and truck traffic, but it was a double edged sword. The barricade forced people to get out of the vehicles that we would be able to hear coming and walk in much quieter