The Post
by
Kevin A. Munoz
Kevin A. Munoz
Genre:
Dystopian Thriller
Dystopian Thriller
Ten years after the world’s oil went sour and a pandemic killed most of
the population, Sam Edison is the chief of police of The Little Five,
a walled-in community near Atlanta, Georgia. Those who survived share
the world with what are known as hollow-heads: creatures who are no
longer fully human.
the population, Sam Edison is the chief of police of The Little Five,
a walled-in community near Atlanta, Georgia. Those who survived share
the world with what are known as hollow-heads: creatures who are no
longer fully human.
A man and a pregnant teenager arrive at the gate and are welcomed into
the town. They begin to settle in when suddenly both are murdered by
an unknown assailant. In the course of the investigation, Chief Edison
discovers that the girl was fleeing a life of sexual slavery and
that some members of the Atlanta community were complicit in the
human trafficking network that had ensnared her.
the town. They begin to settle in when suddenly both are murdered by
an unknown assailant. In the course of the investigation, Chief Edison
discovers that the girl was fleeing a life of sexual slavery and
that some members of the Atlanta community were complicit in the
human trafficking network that had ensnared her.
In retaliation for Edison’s discoveries, agents of the network abduct
the stepdaughter of the town’s mayor. Chief Edison and three
companions track the kidnappers to Athens, Georgia, where they
discover that the entire city is engaged in human trafficking. By the
time Edison has recovered the kidnapped girl, the other three
rescuers have been killed, leaving Edison alone to bring the mayor’s
stepdaughter home while evading both human and non-human monsters.
Against such great odds, will Sam ever make it to Little Five Alive?
the stepdaughter of the town’s mayor. Chief Edison and three
companions track the kidnappers to Athens, Georgia, where they
discover that the entire city is engaged in human trafficking. By the
time Edison has recovered the kidnapped girl, the other three
rescuers have been killed, leaving Edison alone to bring the mayor’s
stepdaughter home while evading both human and non-human monsters.
Against such great odds, will Sam ever make it to Little Five Alive?
“So it’s true? People beyond the wall? On foot?” She shoves her thick glasses back up the bridge of her nose.
“That’s what I’m told.”
“Ask them if they have any copper wire. We’re running low, and I’d really like to have spare wire in case Leuko has trouble again.” Leuko is a white Volvo station wagon. “Oh, and glow plugs. That’s what we really need. But they probably don’t have those. No one bothers to keep them around if they don’t know what they are.”
“I’ll ask, but I don’t think they came bearing car parts.” I walk more briskly, following Luther, until it occurs to Braithwaite that I’m in a hurry, and she wanders back onto her property, still asking questions but no longer directing them at me.
The tunnel is just beyond the biodiesel farm, and the tunnel wall is one third of the way through on both northbound and southbound sides. We built the wall closer to our side of the tunnel so that we would have some measure of control if any shriekers found their way here and decided to call their friends. Most days, we only get one or two hollow-heads, and if they come too close, they’re easily dispatched with arrows. There is always one rifleman from the sweep team on the wall as well, but they spend most of their days playing solitaire.
Mayor Aloysius Weeks is waiting for us with my other two officers, Pritchard and Kloves. Pritchard has about twenty years on me, but he’s a good shot. I brought him on mainly to satisfy the previous mayor’s paranoia about an invasion of the infected. Pritch has done a good job keeping the peace since then, so I haven’t seen any reason to let him go. And Augustus Kloves was my idea: a big,
powerful black man with an intimidating voice, he styles himself as my enforcer whenever someone winds up too drunk to go home quietly at three in the morning. I like to tell myself that in his
pre-collapse life he had a paradoxically benign occupation, like a certified public accountant, but it doesn’t matter. The end of the world changes a person. I’ve never seen an exception to that rule.
Mayor Weeks is Regina’s husband, but if I didn’t already know that, I would never have guessed it. Where Regina is friendly and forthcoming, Weeks is closed off, reticent. He never says anything
with ten words that he could say with none. I find this to be an admirable quality in a politician. There is a much lower risk of hearing a lie. Perhaps it comes from his time as a professor, before the collapse. He told me once that he used to teach a subject called “Southeast Asian religions.” One of his books is near the bottom of a stack I haven’t read yet.
The mayor shakes my hand as I approach the tunnel door. “A young girl, maybe fourteen, and a man. Thirties. With a shotgun.”
So that’s why I was called out here. With a few quick gestures, I position Pritch and Kloves on the upper platform and Luther at the reinforced door at ground level. Pritch and Kloves make themselves
visible and draw their weapons. Once they’re in position, I spin the combination lock to the door and pull off the chain. I step through, and for the first time in what feels like ages, I am outside the Little Five.
Kevin Muñoz grew up just outside of Philadelphia. After wandering across
the country for a few years, he received a PhD from Emory University
in 2008. A little later, he decided to leave the academic life behind
to pursue his first passion: writing. He has lived in seven U.S.
states over the years, observing and adopting each new place as
settings and inspiration for his fiction. He spent fifteen years in
Georgia, where the seeds of THE POST were planted. He now lives near
Seattle with his two beagle traveling companions.
the country for a few years, he received a PhD from Emory University
in 2008. A little later, he decided to leave the academic life behind
to pursue his first passion: writing. He has lived in seven U.S.
states over the years, observing and adopting each new place as
settings and inspiration for his fiction. He spent fifteen years in
Georgia, where the seeds of THE POST were planted. He now lives near
Seattle with his two beagle traveling companions.
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The cover is what caught my eye first. I've been to Athens, GA and would like to read this book, although it sounds like there might be some disturbing content.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy thriller, and the foggy cover caught my attention. It drew me in to investigate the story.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThe book looks like an interesting read!
Looks like I'll love it
ReplyDelete