Nuclear Winter Desolation: Post Apocalyptic Survival Thriller (Nuclear Winter Series Book 5) Read online

  Nuclear Winter V

  Desolation

  Bobby Akart

  Other Works by Amazon Charts Top 25 Author Bobby Akart

  Perfect Storm (a standalone disaster thriller)

  The Texas Forever trilogy

  Black Gold

  Black Swan

  Black Flags

  Nuclear Winter

  First Strike

  Armageddon

  Whiteout

  Devil Storm

  Desolation

  New Madrid Earthquake (a standalone disaster thriller)

  Odessa (a Gunner Fox trilogy)

  Odessa Reborn

  Odessa Rising

  Odessa Strikes

  The Virus Hunters

  Virus Hunters I

  Virus Hunters II

  Virus Hunters III

  The Geostorm Series

  The Shift

  The Pulse

  The Collapse

  The Flood

  The Tempest

  The Pioneers

  The Asteroid Series (A Gunner Fox trilogy)

  Discovery

  Diversion

  Destruction

  The Doomsday Series

  Apocalypse

  Haven

  Anarchy

  Minutemen

  Civil War

  The Yellowstone Series

  Hellfire

  Inferno

  Fallout

  Survival

  The Lone Star Series

  Axis of Evil

  Beyond Borders

  Lines in the Sand

  Texas Strong

  Fifth Column

  Suicide Six

  The Pandemic Series

  Beginnings

  The Innocents

  Level 6

  Quietus

  The Blackout Series

  36 Hours

  Zero Hour

  Turning Point

  Shiloh Ranch

  Hornet’s Nest

  Devil’s Homecoming

  The Boston Brahmin Series

  The Loyal Nine

  Cyber Attack

  Martial Law

  False Flag

  The Mechanics

  Choose Freedom

  Patriot’s Farewell (standalone novel)

  Seeds of Liberty (Companion Guide)

  The Prepping for Tomorrow Series

  Cyber Warfare

  EMP: Electromagnetic Pulse

  Economic Collapse

  Thank You

  Thank you for reading DESOLATION, book five and the final installment in the Nuclear Winter series by Author Bobby Akart.

  Join Bobby Akart’s mailing list to learn about upcoming releases, deals, contests, and appearances. Follow this link to:

  BobbyAkart.com

  Or visit his dedicated feature page on Amazon at

  Amazon.com/BobbyAkart

  PRAISE FOR BOBBY AKART and the NUCLEAR WINTER SERIES

  “Bobby’s uncanny ability to take a topic of ‘what could happen’ and write an epic story about it is short of preternatural!”

  “Characters with depth coupled with an incredibly well researched topic wasn’t enough for the golden man of post apocalyptic fiction. Oh no, he went and threw in a murder mystery just to keep everyone guessing as well as what I believe is one of his best crafted cliff hangers.”

  “I never would have believed that Mr. Akart could outdo himself! Well, he has! Nuclear Winter First Strike is quite possibly the best book he has ever written!”

  “As with any of the best novels, this book really captures your attention and makes it hard to put down at the end of the day.”

  “Nuclear Winter: First Strike and the Albright family are coming dangerously close to nudging my beloved Armstrong family (Lone Star series) into a tie for first place.”

  “The suspense, the behind the scenes machinations of governments, the evil unleashed, the world on an uncharted path are all woven into another excellent story.”

  “I am speechless. By far the most edge of your seat, acrylic nail biting book ever. E V E R.

  The characters suck you in on a roller coaster ride of emotions.”

  Nuclear Winter V

  Desolation

  by

  Bobby Akart

  Copyright Information

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  © 2021 Crown Publishers Inc. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this book may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means including, but not limited to electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the express written permission of Crown Publishers Inc.

  Created with Vellum

  Acknowledgments

  Creating a novel that is both informative and entertaining requires a tremendous team effort. Writing is the easy part.

  For their efforts in making the Nuclear Winter series a reality, I would like to thank Hristo Argirov Kovatliev for his incredible artistic talents in creating my cover art. He and my multitalented wife, Dani, collaborate to create the most incredible cover art in the publishing business. A huge hug of appreciation goes out to Pauline Nolet, the Professor, for her editorial prowess and patience in correcting this writer’s same tics as we approach publishing sixty novels together. Thank you, Drew Avera, a United States Navy veteran, who has brought his talented formatting skills from a writer’s perspective to create multiple formats for reading my novels. A round of applause for Kevin Pierce, the beloved voice of the apocalypse, who brought my words to life in audio format.

  Now, for the serious stuff. Accurately portraying the aftermath of nuclear war required countless hours of never-ending research and interviews with some of the brightest minds in the world of planetary science.

  Once again, as I immersed myself in the science and history, source material and research flooded my inbox from around the globe. Without the assistance of many individuals and organizations, this story could not be told. Please allow me a moment to acknowledge a few of those individuals without whom, and their tireless efforts and patience, the Nuclear Winter series could not have been written.

  Many thanks to the preeminent researchers and engineers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. Between responses to my inquiries and the volumes of scientific publications provided, I was able to grasp the catastrophic effect a regional nuclear war would have upon the Earth and its atmosphere. They impressed upon me the danger of inundating our air with the results of these massive nuclear detonations. It would result in a climatic event akin to the eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano.

  A shout-out must go to Brian Toon, professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder. He has been a tireless advocate warning all who’ll listen of the consequences of nuclear winter. This quote had a profound effect on me and led to the writing of the Nuclear Winter series—It could potentially end global civilization as we know it. In other words, TEOTWAWKI.

  At Rutgers University, Distinguished Professor and acclaimed climatologist Alan Robock has been studying the potential threat of nuclear winter with a particular focus on the human impact. The incredibly fast cooling of the planet would tri
gger a global famine and mass starvation. His models of fires and firestorms in the aftermath of a nuclear war provided me detailed estimates of the extent of wildfires as well as the timeframes associated with the smoke and soot lofted into the atmosphere.

  For this final installment in the series, a message of appreciation and admiration to Dr. Alexander Leaf, famed physician and research scientist. His collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School led to a pioneering study on the impact of nuclear winter on the planet. I share the salient points from his extensive research in my Author’s Note at the end of this novel.

  Now, to the special friends and acquaintances who helped make my characters realistic. Admittedly, my exposure to teenagers is nonexistent. Yet, from time to time, I have teen characters who speak a different language, sort of. In order to add a sense of realism to their dialogue, I call upon a number of resources to enlighten me on their own unique vocabulary.

  Thank you to Pam and Tim Johnson, who reached out to their teenage grandson, Simon Andrews. He’s credited with a number of phrases in the Nuclear Winter series, including Yeet! Dear reader, this interesting term was explained within First Strike, book one.

  Thank you to Jessica Devenny, referred to me via Pam Johnson and her bestie, Betsy. Jessica’s sons, Jacob and Parker, also helped to fill my teenspeak dictionary.

  Also, Dani’s followers on Instagram were up to the task. Instagram is one of the few social media networks where the vast majority of your interactions are positive compared to Facebook and the downright nasty Twitter platform. When called upon, hundreds of terms and phrases were offered. Thanks to you all!

  The cigar selections in Nuclear Winter: First Strike were suggested by my friend Brad Levy. Brad has read all of my novels, twice, in most cases. He always looks forward to his day on the lanai, enjoying a fine cigar and a good book. Thank you, my friend!

  Finally, as always, a special thank you to my team of loyal friends who’ve always supported my work and provided me valuable insight from a reader’s perspective—Denise Keef, Joe Carey, Shirley Nicholson, Bennita Barnett, Karl Hughey, and Brian Alderman.

  For the Nuclear Winter series, several avid readers volunteered to make my writing more better: Martin McDonell, Cody McDonell, Diane Ash, Rusty Ballard, Joe Hoyt, Cecilia Kilgore Sutton, Thelma Applegate, Joyce Maurer, Annie Kercher-Bosche, Steven Smith, Leslie Bryant, Tim Coppess, Caryl Lynne Honea, Mike Neubecker, Colt Payne, Pete Steffens, and Kelly Trone.

  Thanks, y’all, and Choose Freedom!

  About the Author, Bobby Akart

  Author Bobby Akart has been ranked by Amazon as #25 on the Amazon Charts list of most popular, bestselling authors. He has achieved recognition as the #1 bestselling Horror Author, #1 bestselling Science Fiction Author, #5 bestselling Action & Adventure Author, #7 bestselling Historical Fiction Author and #10 on Amazon’s bestselling Thriller Author list.

  Mr. Akart has delivered up-all-night thrillers to readers in 245 countries and territories worldwide. He has sold over one million books in all formats, which includes over forty international bestsellers, in nearly fifty fiction and nonfiction genres.

  His novel Yellowstone: Hellfire reached the Top 25 on the Amazon bestsellers list and earned him multiple Kindle All-Star awards for most pages read in a month and most pages read as an author. The Yellowstone series vaulted him to the #25 bestselling author on Amazon Charts, and the #1 bestselling science fiction author.

  Since its release in November 2020, his standalone novel New Madrid Earthquake has been ranked #1 on Amazon Charts in multiple countries as a natural disaster thriller.

  Mr. Akart is a graduate of the University of Tennessee after pursuing a dual major in economics and political science. He went on to obtain his master’s degree in business administration and his doctorate degree in law at Tennessee.

  A million-copy bestseller, Bobby Akart has provided his readers a diverse range of topics that are both informative and entertaining. His attention to detail and impeccable research have allowed him to capture the imagination of his readers through his fictional works and bring them valuable knowledge through his nonfiction books.

  SIGN UP for Bobby Akart’s mailing list to learn of special offers, view bonus content, and be the first to receive news about new releases.

  Visit www.BobbyAkart.com for details.

  Dedications

  With the love and support of my wife, Dani, together with the unconditional love of Bullie and Boom, the princesses of the palace, I’m able to tell you these stories. It would be impossible for me to write without them in my heart.

  Freedom and security are precious gifts that we, as Americans, should never take for granted. I would like to thank the men and women, past and present, of the United States Armed Forces for willingly making sacrifices each day to provide us that freedom and security. Also, a note of thanks to their families, who endure countless sleepless nights as their loved ones are deployed around the world.

  They are the sheepdogs who live to protect the flock. They bravely and unselfishly confront the wolves who threaten our country, our freedoms, and their brothers in arms from those who would bring destruction to our door.

  Choose Freedom!

  Author’s Introduction

  February 2021

  Since scientific discoveries in the late 1930s made nuclear weapons a possibility, the world began to realize they posed an enormous threat to humanity. In 1942, with the secretive research effort in the U.S. known as the Manhattan Project, a race toward nuclear supremacy began. Since their very first use in World War II, different leaders and organizations have been trying to prevent proliferation to additional countries. Despite their efforts, more nation-states than ever before have obtained nuclear weapons.

  Following pioneering research from scientists in the early 1980s, the world was introduced to the concept of nuclear winter. Researchers had known that a large nuclear war could cause severe global environmental effects, including dramatic cooling of surface temperatures, declines in precipitation, and increased ultraviolet radiation.

  The term nuclear winter was coined specifically to refer to atmospheric cooling that resulted in winter-like temperatures occurring year-round. Regardless of whether extreme cold temperatures were reached, there would be severe consequences for humanity. But how severe would those consequences be? And what should the world be doing about it?

  To the first question, the short answer is nobody knows with absolute certainty. The total human impacts of nuclear winter are both uncertain and under-studied. The aftereffects of the twin atomic bombs dropped on Japan to end World War II were not analyzed in depth. More research on the impacts would be very helpful, but treaties have limited nuclear weapons testing. Therefore research, other than theoretical conclusions, has been limited.

  As to the question of what the world should be doing about it, all nations agree nonproliferation is a start. However, there are still more than sufficient nuclear weapons capable of being launched to bring the world to the brink of Armageddon.

  Today, nuclear winter is not a hot topic among the world’s leaders. When the Cold War ended, so did attention to the catastrophic threat of nuclear winter. That started to change in 2007 with a new line of nuclear winter research that used advanced climate models developed for the study of global warming.

  Relative to the 1980s research, the new research found that the smoke from nuclear firestorms would travel higher into the atmosphere, causing nuclear winter to last longer than previously thought. This research also found dangerous effects from smaller nuclear exchanges, such as an India-Pakistan nuclear war detonating only one hundred total nuclear warheads.

  Some new research has also examined the human impacts of nuclear winter. Researchers simulated agricultural crop growth in the aftermath of a hundred-weapon India-Pakistan nuclear war. The results were startling. The scenario could cause agriculture productivity to decline by twenty to sixty percent for several years after the exc
hange.

  The studies looked at major staple crops in China and the United States, two of the largest food producers. Other countries and other crops would likely face similar declines. Following such crop declines, severe global famine could ensue. One study estimated the total extent of the famine by comparing crop declines to global malnourishment data. When food becomes scarce, the poor and malnourished are typically hit the hardest. This study estimated two billion people would be at risk of starvation. And this is from the hundred-weapon India-Pakistan nuclear war scenario. A larger nuclear exchange involving the U.S., China, or Russia would have more severe impacts because the payloads are much larger.

  This is where the recent research stops. To the best of my knowledge, there have been no current studies examining the secondary effects of famines, such as disease outbreaks and violent conflicts due to societal collapse.

  There is also a need to examine the human impacts of ultraviolet radiation. That would include an increased medical burden due to skin cancer and other diseases. It would also include further losses to the agriculture ecosystems because the ultraviolet radiation harms plants and animals. At this time, we can only make educated guesses about what these impacts would be, informed in part by research surrounding enormous volcanic eruptions.