299 Days IX: The Restoration Read Online Free Page A

299 Days IX: The Restoration
Book: 299 Days IX: The Restoration Read Online Free
Author: Glen Tate
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corner with his weapon pointed around it but with his safety on, he saw the Team in a defensive perimeter. Grant joined up with them.
    “Four doors, on three sides of the building,” he said. “Doors one and two,” Grant pointed to them, “are locked and have a ‘No’ on them. Doors three and four are on the second and third sides, unlocked, and have an ‘X’ on them.”
    “Did you look inside them?” Scotty asked. He was hoping that Grant had done so and found that no one was in that building. He really didn’t want anyone to be in that building.
    “Nope,” Grant said. “I wanted all of us there when we announce our presence.”
    Pow split the Team into two groups of three men. He was the tactical commander and did a magnificent job at such things. Grant was glad to take a back seat on the building entry. He wanted it to be successful far more than he wanted to be the one in charge. Besides, Grant tried to be “lieutenant-like” in front of the rest of the unit; he didn’t need to be that way in front of the Team.
    Pow said that both groups would go the long way, which was the way Grant had originally gone, so they wouldn’t have to go along the fourth side of the building with the street light; they could approach the final door, in the darkness.
    There was risk to this. What if some Limas who were not on that side when Grant went by it had now located there? That was less of a risk than having half the Team spotted from a big street light.
    They took off. The first group—Grant, Ryan, and Wes—stayed by the third door and waited.
    Grant thought about body armor. He wished they all had it, but Pow was the only one with it. Body armor had been widely sold in the run up to the Collapse, but with all the other things they needed—guns, ammo, gear—it was always a second-tier luxury. But, man, Grant wished they’d secured some when they could.
    The second group—Pow, Scotty, and Bobby—got to the fourth door. They would go in first and signal to the first group to do the same. They didn’t have radios to coordinate this. They were a low-budget, low-tech, semi-amateur SWAT team, free styling.
    Grant could feel, and actually hear, his heart pounding. He wondered if others could hear it.
    He heard the second group entering the building, which was their signal. In a split second, Grant threw the door open. Ryan was the first in the door, weapon light on. Wes followed right behind him, with his hand on Ryan’s shoulder so they wouldn’t get separated. Grant took one last look around to his rear to make sure no one was coming after them. It was clear so he ran into the building.
    It was pitch black except for the crisscross light beams from the weapon lights. It looked like a giant light saber fight from Star Wars.
    Then Grant heard exactly what he didn’t want to hear.

     
    Chapter 293
    “We’re here to put the Bad People in Jail”
    (January 1)
     
     
    The sound of screaming children filled the building. They sounded terrified and were screaming their lungs out.
    Grant had no idea what to do, and it was clear that the Team was also at a loss. They kept doing what they’d trained to do: sweep the whole area with light and be ready to shoot any threat that appeared. That was it. It wasn’t much of a plan.
    Someone was yelling for the kids to be quiet and to get to the “hiding place.” From the little patches of light that Grant could see in front of his rifle, and from all the sweeps in various directions he had made, it looked like this building didn’t have any interior walls. There were kids running everywhere, several dozen of them. They ranged from about five years old to teenagers, but most were younger kids. Screaming.
    The Team fanned out as best they could with the kids running in their way. It looked and sounded like they were gathering in one place, and then the Team heard them running upstairs. Oh great. There were more floors to clear, which meant they were now exposed to potential
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