Alone in the Ashes Read Online Free PDF Page B

did?”
    â€œLots of people have. I seen—”
    â€œI have seen.”
    She looked at him. “I have seen lots of shrines and stuff like that built for you. Lots of the Underground People worship you.”
    â€œSo I heard,” Ben said through gritted teeth. “I am not to be revered or worshipped, Judy. I am not a god. Would a god do the things we did last night?”
    â€œThey would if they was horny.”
    â€œJesus!” Ben muttered. “That’s not what I mean, Judy.”
    â€œI know that, Ben. Look! There’s the sign pointin’ the way to Missouri. Let’s go there. I ain’t never been to Missouri.”
    â€œI have never been.”
    â€œWhatever.”
    Ben drove into Dyersburg, Tennessee, and after carefully parking the truck on the street, enabling them to keep an eye on it, they began their search of the stores. Over the years, though, the stores had been looted many times, and anything of any value was long gone.
    â€œHave you gotten used to the skeletons, Ben?”
    They had just opened a broom closet door and two old skeletons had fallen out, clattering at their feet.
    â€œA long time ago, Judy.”
    A noise from the street spun them around and sent them running through the littered store to the sidewalk. A crowd of ragged men and women had gathered around the pickup.
    They were armed with clubs and axes and knives and spears.
    â€œThe welcoming committee,” Ben said.
    â€œWhat do you want?” a woman shouted the question at Ben and Judy.
    â€œWe don’t mean any harm,” Ben called. “We’re just traveling through.”
    â€œWhy did you stop?” a man called. He held an axe in his hands.
    â€œPeople on the roofs with bows and arrows,” Judy whispered.
    â€œI see them. If shooting starts, you take the south side of the street, I’ll take the north.”
    â€œAll right.”
    â€œWe don’t want any trouble,” Ben called, as they walked closer to the truck.
    â€œYou say!” the woman spokesperson said angrily. “That’s what they all say. Then they rape and kill and take away the young girls and boys.”
    â€œWho takes them? Where do they take them?”
    â€œWho knows?” the woman said. “We never see any of them again. The attackers or our young.”
    â€œMy name is Ben Raines,” Ben spoke softly.
    About half of the knot of people drew back in fear. They whispered and muttered among themselves. The spokeswoman stood firm, glaring at Ben, her hands knuckle-white from gripping the spear tightly.
    â€œYou lie!” she shouted.
    â€œI do not lie,” Ben told her. “I ... we ...” he said, indicating Judy, “just killed about twenty-five of Jake Campo’s people. Just east of the Tennessee. They’re probably only about a day behind us.”
    â€œJake Campo does not bother us,” the woman said. “This is not his territory. We pay homage to a warlord called West.”
    â€œDo you do so willingly?”
    The woman laughed. It was not a pretty laugh. “What do you think, Mr. So-Called-Ben-Raines. West has gathered up all the guns and left us with only clubs and spears and homemade bows and arrows to defend ourselves. He leaves us just enough food to survive and takes the rest. How can we fight him and his men?”
    â€œYou could leave here and find guns. There are millions of guns scattered around the country.”
    â€œDo you see any cars or trucks or horses or mules?” the woman asked. “No. West has taken them all. If we tried to walk out, the beasts and the mutants would eat us, if West’s men did not kill us first. We are trapped here.”
    An idea Ben had been nurturing for a long time took more solid shape in his mind. “You say people come in and rape and kill. Why doesn’t this West person protect you?”
    â€œHe does when he’s around. But he ain’t always around. He