EMP 1500 MILES FROM HOME Read Online Free PDF Page B

any one place any longer than we have to."
    "OK," Julie said, and started putting her blanket pack together. I did the same. We were on our way in ten minutes. I completely covered the Dakota fire pit, and tried to eliminate all traces of our presence. It might not fool a real tracker, but I thought it was good enough to fool almost everyone else. Julie watched as I worked but didn't say a word.
    We walked for three hours. I estimated we walked about seven miles, which I thought was pretty good, considering the terrain and ubiquitous thorny plants.
    We stopped and fixed a meal. We were hidden from the interstate, but were maybe a quarter of a mile from it. While we were eating I heard a vehicle on the highway. We both crawled up a low rise to look. There was on old 1950s pickup truck, painted a bright red, rolling north on the interstate.
    "We need one of those," Julie whispered.
    "Later, I think. Not now."
    We watched as the truck drove steadily past us. There was an overpass about a half mile up the highway. I was watching through the binoculars as the truck approached the overpass. Suddenly we heard gunfire and the truck slowed, rolled off the road, and came to a stop. I counted at least a dozen men rushing toward it.
    "That doesn't look good," Julie whispered.
    "No, it doesn't," I agreed. "I think we have some thinking to do on how to get past that crew."
    The 'crew' dragged the body of the driver from the truck, pushed the truck back onto the interstate, and drove away with at least nine men in the truck bed. They were whooping and hollering. A couple fired their rifles into the air.
    "Do you think they are leaving?"
    "I don't know. We can't assume they are though. However, I'll bet some of them will use the truck and look for something to steal."
    "Well, we stole."
    "As will most folks now, I think. However, I hope we don't just kill people for their stuff."
    "I don't think that is our style," Julie said. "Besides, we don't need very much to get by. Once we are home on the ranch, we will be OK. Dad has enough beef cattle to feed half the county. It is a big ranch."
    "That sounds good. I think I could go for a steak about now."
    "Me too," Julie smiled. "I could get tired of tamales if I tried, but they were on sale, and I have, uh—had, a very small income after getting laid off."
    "I think we all just got laid off."
    "That is one way of looking at it."
    "Right now I think we are fairly rich."
    "This is not what I pictured being rich would be like. I thought there would be parties, and expensive clothes, and maybe a yacht."
    "That was before, this is after."
    "Well, I at least want a bath soon."
    "I second that," I said.
    We gathered our stuff and walked north. Our packs were getting lighter. We would need to find more water soon. I led the way with the Mosin slung over my shoulder. Julie followed with the shotgun. All of our weapons had rounds chambered, and the safeties (except for the revolver of course) on.
     
    Yeti
    I am making slow progress, but I am making progress. For someone so smart, I have really been stupid to let myself get so fat. I knew overeating is a problem for some smart folks and I guessed I was one of them.
    Until a few years ago, I didn't know I was smart. I believed I was just a dumb fat boy worthy only of the derision I received. But I liked computers. I was good with them. I built my own computer system from parts and discovered the Internet.
    One day when I was goofing on the Internet, I found an online IQ test. I took it and got all the answers correct. That got me interested in IQ. I thought my score was just an accident, but the more I read about intelligence, the more interested I became. I finally registered for and took the Mega IQ test when I was eleven. It scored me with an IQ in the higher end of the profoundly gifted range.
    I know most folks would like to be able to say they have such a high IQ but take it from me, it is just another handicap. Like most of the profoundly gifted, I