Shadows Of Sanity And Survival (Old Preppers Die Hard Book 3) (3 page)

“Well I kind of like it myself, I might just keep it.” Dump countered to Farley’s dismay.

“Well I am pretty interested, it’s sort of like a AR 15 so based on that as a starting point of negotiations what do you think you might want for it? “ Farley said not showing much emotion as he continued to look it over but definitely keeping it out of hands reach of Dump.

“Ok because it’s you Farley I will take $550 and throw in the gun mags. I don’t feel like dickering with you all day and that is a fair price I think.” Dump declared.

“That’s more than a fair price. Thanks buddy! I have a few things you might want to consider other than cash though that I think you might like and appreciate. How about considering a bit of modern technology for this little apocalypse in exchange for that rifle? I got you a cool system all put together my backwoods buddy. Check this out, you got your basic radio/mp3 player (T508)) with flashlight,

A 5V Solar panel with USB

A set of two way radios (cobra microtalk CXT 145) 27 MILE RADIUS, LINE OF SIGHT

“Now then Dump, don’t be looking all skeptical and ornery at me until you hear my marvelous plan and just how practical these things are going to be for you for comfort and security. Now take the mp3 player for example, it uses memory cards. I got some here; they can hold thousands of songs. The songs I already got on one of them here are old rock and roll and some country. You’re going to want some music, I am telling ya. Listen here.” Farley said and turned on the device and started playing some old rocking tunes loudly and clearly with a grin on his face. That he brought along a half bottle of whiskey with him to help with negotiations also crossed his mind.

“That’s got a pretty good speaker, turn it down and leave it on for a bit.” Dump said hearing the first real music he had heard in months.

“It’s got radio capability also but its only FM on that model I am sorry to say but it works well. Anyway, Dump you can be your own Juke box or just play it back for yourself when you’re sitting around working on a project. It’s got a voice recorder also.” Farley said, demonstrating it and then flipping it over and turning on the flashlight.

“Pretty cool device, wish you had some audio books for it.” Dump said visualizing what he might use it for. He already knew from the solar panel’s presence it could be used to recharge the batteries when it ran down and the idea of being able to play some tunes or listen to the radio whenever he wanted too was growing on him.

“Well I do have some books and a way to add more songs or audio books to the memory cards but we can talk about that later. There is a bunch of songs already on that SD card and there is another blank one I bought to go with it. See awhile back as I was doing my prepping I got to thinking about barter as well as functionality and I put together a few of these kits. Now here is where the value part comes in, I shouldn’t even tell you this at all I know, but I got less than fifty bucks a unit in them. Now I could have maybe bought me a couple ounces of silver with the same money when the price was low but which one of the commodities would you rather have now? This technology is right up there with silver now and much more useful in some ways. Look here, same deal with these smart walkie talkies. They run on rechargeable batteries and that solar panel with the USB port can produce power for them. They have if I remember right a 27 mile line of sight radius on them, meaning Dump if you got a bunch of woods or hills blocking signals you are going to get reduced some in range but they are still pretty powerful and have lots of other interesting features like encrypted channels etc. They could be your lifeline, your own telephone service in a post apocalyptic world, a way of communicating over long distances. Think of it Dump… Technology that works in a dark world, the music won’t die. You can call me up to ask for a ride if your scooter breaks down. Tell me who else is going to offer you such a bargain? Lend that other handset to the Lazarus boys and you got your own cavalry coming if you need it.” Farley said referring to that pulp wood crew that Dump had access to that formally did the job of moving the coffins around for the shut down funeral homes for the churches. Farley had stuck the “Lazarus boy’s” nickname on them plain down home Alabama backwoods country boys and it fitted them well.

He came up with that little moniker for them by referring to the well known biblical tale of a man raised from the dead and it had kind of stuck and been well received and adopted by the men. Sounded kind of wicked to refer to them boys that way and Farley knew they could bring plenty of hurt if you got them organized and pointed all in the right direction. They came from the confused and lengthy bloodlines of enlisted confederate raiders made up of turpentine tree cutters and other timber men in their section of the county that once gave fits to the Yankees with rebel yells and bowie knives at Bull Run during the Civil war.

Dumber than dirt, occasionally meaner than hell, but normally they were the hard workingist, most down to earth unpretentious good old boys you would ever have the pleasure to meet. Great folks to have for neighbors unless they were on a bender or said “Hey! Watch this” regarding a trick or an invention. They were pretty good to have on your side backing your team was always a given.

“Well, I am certainly interested and see the value in them, what else you got you might want to add to the deal?” Dump said speculatively.

“Ha! I knew you would like them but you forgot about that value and price thing we were talking about. How much is click of a button communication worth? You can sell some of them rifles to the Lazarus boys but if you need them to come back you up or help you with something you have to get on your motor scooter and go by. Or as a different example if they need you, then they gotta send a runner and either way that’s one rifle out of commission for the time being as well as the precious gas it takes. So is $500 worth of silver more valuable in this particular instance for trading or my $50 in pre grid dollars worth of communication equipment? That commo gear is a whole lot harder to find or replace than rifles are now big boy!” Farley declared knowing that he now had Dump over a barrel with that line of reasoning and there was no way he could crawdad out.

“Farley, you aren’t right, just not right at all! Your actually going to be taking advantage of me like this, you old codger? Damn, you got me in a corner and got yourself a trade. I can see the logic to it but I sure wish that you hadn’t told me that you had less than 50 bucks in all that stuff. Makes me feel so cheap!” Dump said with a laugh before inquiring of Farley if he was going to throw in some service with more recordings for him to listen too.

“Oh hell yea, well I will do it for you free of charge anyway, Dump. Having such resources in these days and times is a commodity by itself you know, but for you I will help you record whatever I got you might want. Ha, you can even learn Spanish if you want to.” Farley said chuckling as to the various contents of his “audio library” on his laptop.

“Cool, I doubt I will ever need your learning Spanish tapes though. I will make up the difference up off you on something else we might be trading for though, watch out! What else you want? Come on gimme a chance to get even! I know your needing ammo for that Aero Rifle. What will you give me for 500 rounds of full metal jacket 9mm?” Dump said slyly.

“Oh I don’t know. I got you something cool to round out your little setup that hasn’t been put on the table yet. I don’t have any extra rechargeable batteries for those devices but I have one quick recharge battery for them with additional solar capability. Not going to charge you for it if you don’t over price them bullets. It’s called a Sunferno.

Portable Solar Phone Charger - Sunferno Flintstone 5000mah Dual USB Solar Power Bank - Shock/ Dust/ Waterproof Solar Panel Battery Charger for Iphone, Cell Phone, Ipod, Ipad, Gopro, USB Devices

“Think of it just as a battery of sorts that can recharge its self. That will be the backup to your solar panel and will allow you to store more power when the suns not up. Now then how much you want for them bullets? How many grains are those bullets anyway, Dumpie?” Farley asked.

“They are just your standard 115 grain but I got a mixture of some other rounds also. I just offered those 500 first because I found an ammo can of them. Coming out of that rifle I think it’s fair to say pretty much any of them rounds will be equal to shooting a velocity similar to a .357 magnum.  I got some 147 grain bullets in hollow point and ball you could reserve for hunting but you know me I don’t get all gourmet about bullets. One of those 115 grainers is probably going to go straight through somebody at 35 yards or so it all gets down to shot placement to me.” Dump said matter-of-factly.

“Oh yea, I agree with you. You got any of that Winchester white box N.A.T.O. in a 124 grains? I like that stuff it’s loaded a bit hotter.” Farley asked.

“Oh yea, we got us a bit of everything. That 115 grain stuff is made by GECO and I remember Curtis said the Europeans loaded the 9mm at a 115gr the way it was designed to be, anyway that Swiss stuff is hotter than most American rounds and I bet that gun can really do them justice.” Dump said heading back to the bed of his truck and the tarp covered ammo cans.

“Wow you got enough ammo to start a small war.” Farley said admiringly.