THE COLLAPSE: Seeking Refuge Read Online Free Page B

short drive through The Park, I noticed a few things.  I have some suggestions, if you’d like to hear them.”
    “Yes, we would.  Please do tell,” Claudine expressed.
    “First of all, I noticed a lot of people fishing in the lake.  If it’s food you need, which I am certain you do, then that’s not the wisest place to be directing your time and energy.”
    A man near the fire crossed his arms grumpily and said, “Oh really?  There’s trout in there.  They’re not that hard to catch and most people like the taste of ‘em.  So what’s the problem?”
    “The problem is that the WDFW stocks Cranberry Lake with fish every year, but usually in April.  It’s not April yet, so it hasn’t been stocked.  You’re catching what’s left of last year’s trout.”
    The grumpy man huffed and said, “We’re still having luck with the trout.”  The man shook his head with severe disagreement, then barked, “I don’t see the problem.”
    Stephen countered, “Here’s the problem.  The resources in the lake are finite.  Eventually it will be fished-out.  Why not focus your efforts toward an infinite wellspring of resources?  The ocean.”
    Mr. Grumpy huffed once again and spouted, “Oh, that’s real smart.  You do realize that the salmon aren’t running this time of year, right?”
    “To hell with salmon,” Stephen said and waved away the salmon comment with a flap of his hand.  “There are plenty of bottomfish like flounder, sculpin and rockfish that can be caught.  And easily, too!  Earthworms are all you need for bait.  Yeah, they’re not as tasty and easy to clean as salmon, but it’s food in the mouth.”
    Stephen looked at Mr. Grumpy, awaiting a response.
    Mr. Grumpy frowned before declaring, “Harvesting rockfish is illegal in this part of Washington State.”
    “That’s correct, they are illegal to harvest here.  But you know what else is illegal?  Setting up roadblocks and demanding payment at gunpoint to cross a bridge.”
    Many of the leaders chuckled at Stephen’s comment.  Some shrugged their shoulders and others whispered to each other.
    Mr. Grumpy had no counter to what Stephen had said.  He just continued to shake his head and stare at the fire with his arms still crossed in disgust.
    Stephen wasn’t finished with the Puget Sound supporting argument yet, “Even more plentiful are herring.  I saw that you have boats, right?  There are tons upon tons of herring in the Puget Sound.  Fish and I both have herring rigs in our tackle boxes.  Hell, the two of us could fill a five-gallon bucket in a half an hour or less.  We used to catch them all the time as bait for bigger fish, but they are quite edible by themselves.”
    Most of the leaders were nodding and smiling at the same time.  Stephen was proving himself to be quite a knowledgeable asset.
    Stephen wanted to further impress the group, so he joyfully continued, “Oh, and on top of all that, you’ve got a virtually endless supply of crab just north of here at Bowman Bay!  I’m sure that a few of these outdoorsmen must have some crab pots or cages hidden away in their RV’s or-”
    Claudine interrupted Stephen by putting her hand up.  She shook her head and said, “No, absolutely not.  Bowman Bay is not an option at this time.”
    Stephen was stunned.  Claudine had thrown him a curveball.  He asked, “What do you mean it’s not an option?”
    “The campground at Bowman Bay and the area around it has developed into a breeding ground for criminals,” Claudine stated.  Stephen, Tarra and Fish looked confused, so she elaborated by saying, “Agitators, thugs, delinquents, outlaws, pieces of shit, or whatever else you want to call them.  Not very nice people.”
    She allowed the three adults a second or two to absorb the revelation.  Claudine’s face went solemn before she said, “There have been some….incidents, recently.  Do you think that we secured the bridge simply as a measure to obtain