Deadrise 2: Deadwar Read Online Free PDF Page B

began to think about last night's Council meeting. He understood the need for the Council. It had a purpose to serve, so long as it didn’t interfere with the safety and security of the community as a whole. Jenkins had made that point as absolutely clear as possible to the Council members, and despite their assurance of understanding, Jenkins suspected there were some who would still be difficult and need to be observed.
    Matt, Susan, Mac and David were solid with him. He trusted them completely, and knew they would back his plays. That good-old-boy Sheriff would do what was in the best interest of the community, and so long as Jenkins could guarantee their safety, he would most likely defer to Jenkins authority. The same went for Doc Reilly. Guy Hammond’s was a spineless coward who feared Jenkins almost as much as he did the deadfuck’s. Once again he wondered how such a man could be elected to a position of leadership. He would be easily intimidated. The only real problems Jenkins saw were Lucas Casey and Patty Marshall.
    Lucas Casey was simply an asshole. As soon as Jenkins had met the old bastard he had been reminded of his father. Smart, skeptical, sharp tongued… He could tell from Casey’s walk and demeanor that he had spent time in the military, probably seeing action in ‘Nam. He was cut from exactly the same mold as his father and he rubbed Jenkins wrong just the same. He could already tell that Casey would give him problems, challenge his authority and be a pain in the ass. He considered offering Casey a rank of Colonel in the Militia, but he knew the son-of-a-bitch would only turn it down. He’d be damned before he would serve under Jenkins. He was a stubborn, prideful old bastard just like Jenkins father. Maybe he should simply eliminate him? Just call him out in the next Council meeting and shoot him dead right there in the conference room, follow up on his threat of court martial and execution, cementing his absolute authority once and for all. The thought brought a smile to Jenkins face, but he knew killing Casey was not the answer. Asshole that he was, he would have his uses. He was a master hunter, woodsman and horseman. And he had military experience, of that Jenkins was certain. Grimacing down another sip of whiskey, Jenkins realized that his best option was to simply try and work with the asshole as best he could, and deal with the challenges to his authority as they arose.
    As for Patty Marshall, she was another problem altogether. She was an activist. Jenkins had dealt with her type before; Over-educated liberals, who championed civil liberties of convicted rapists and serial killers, despised the US military and thought of terrorists as revolutionaries or freedom fighters. She exuded a judgmental, self-righteous attitude and felt it her duty to protect the people from the establishment, which in this case was Jenkins and his oppressive Militia. Jenkins knew they were going to clash on nearly every single issue concerning the community priorities, and she would most likely go ballistic if Jenkins implemented the military conscription program he had been contemplating.
    To further complicate matters, Jenkins found her attractive as hell. He'd always had a thing for the full figured ladies, and it had been some time since he had made love to anything other than the palm of his hand, so his attraction was compounded by his sexual desire. As with Casey, he decided to try and work with her the best he could, and deal with anything else as it arose.
    Another wildcard that concerned Jenkins was the Freebooters. He felt fortunate that they hadn’t started shooting at one another the other night when Jenkins had cemented his authority over the entire community. Smitty Tucker and his crew were seasoned killers. They could prove very troublesome, or very useful if Jenkins dealt with them correctly. Smitty was coming by later to meet with him; he and his crew had made the Evanston run a few times while