Never Never Read Online Free PDF

battle for a few hours, I think your son needs you, Mike.”
    Mike stared uncomprehending at Fiona.
    â€œYou’re about to become a Granddad, ye old berk!” Fiona said gleefully.
----

    H urley stood in his room —twenty by twenty with a single bed shoved against the wall and a metal table that served as dresser and nightstand.
    It had been a full week since the second EMP—or what the higher ups were calling the second EMP. All the lights were gone. All the vehicles were nonfunctioning. The stoves and what paltry communications technology they’d cobbled together in the last five years—all of it was gone and they were right back where they started.
    He glanced at his watch. 0700 hours.
    You’d think having lived through this once they’d have a plan for how to move forward.
    You’d think that if you’d never spent an hour in the army.
    Oh, there were meetings—always in the daytime since even after a week they were running out of candles and kerosene—but no answers beyond wait for someone to come find us .
    Would it be the US? Everyone in Ireland seemed to have a relative living somewhere in the States but chances were good the Yanks were the reason they were all back in the Dark Ages 2.0.
    Hurley tightened his tie and left his quarters.
    There were no meetings today. The officers had decided to wait for rescue to come in whatever form it would. Hurley wasn’t surprised at all. In fact, he was counting on their passivity.
    The guard on the outside of the noncommissioned bachelors quarters turned to watch Hurley emerge.
    â€œMorning, Sergeant,” the guard said.
    Hurley would have preferred he not speak but a part of him was relieved there was a guard posted at all.
    Today was the day it was all going to get real. He could cut this poor blighter some slack.
    â€œYou’re in F squad, Corporal?”
    â€œAye, sir.”
    â€œWe’re not in the navy, Corporal.’”
    â€œYes, Sergeant.”
    â€œGather your squad with rifles and bayonets and meet me at the parade grounds at 0730 hours.”
    He enjoyed the look of shock on the man’s face but instantly reprimanded himself. He’d fallen into sloppy habits himself and appreciating the surprised reaction from others was one he would need to break.
    â€œYes, Sergeant,” the Corporal said before turning and disappearing into the dark.
    Hurley glanced at the officer’s quarters, a long squat building on the far side of the parade grounds. There were no lights on, but even when they had electricity just seven days earlier there wouldn’t have been anyone up at this hour.
    All of that was about to change in a serious way.
    The sound of a rifle shot sounded from outside the camp. Hurley frowned. Civilians didn’t have firearms—not unless they attacked a soldier and took theirs. He heard men’s laughter and then another gunshot. He touched the gun in his shoulder holster and went in the direction of the voices.
    He ran down the front of the darkened mess tent and past the building used as Garda Sochia headquarters. A cluster of soldiers stood by the front gate beside the large form of a dead animal on the ground.
    â€œAttention!” Hurley bellowed. Five of the six men snapped to attention as he approached. The sixth man grinned and put his hands on his hips as if the rules didn’t apply to him. On the ground lay a black bear.
    Without thinking, Hurley pulled his gun from his holster and shot the grinning soldier. The man’s mouth dropped open in shock as he clutched his stomach and sank to his knees.
    Hurley turned to the other five. “What’s going on here?”
    No one spoke. Hurley walked to the bear and nudged it with his boot. He looked at the men and saw one of them licking his lips nervously.
    â€œWe…we killed a bear, Sergeant.”
    Hurley holstered his gun and glanced at the man he’d shot. He wasn’t dead but it probably