♠ Chemical warfare ♠

“Many of the guards are badly trained and morale is low,” Noecker added.

Connor’s mind was elsewhere. “You two know that lockdown for most other countries ended in August 2020?”

“Bullshit,” snorted Noecker.

“It’s true. I saw a newspaper clipping. The government has kept us locked up for eight years longer than necessary. The country’s in isolation. Borders are closed. Does Gertie know that Covid-19 is no longer a threat anywhere else?”

“So, to have any kind of impact, their organization would have to re-introduce Covid-19 to the rest of the world.” Francina started laughing until she realized the impact of the words she had just uttered.

“Fuck!” said Noecker.

Connor couldn’t have put it better himself.

“Is there a cure? Other than Gertie or our DNA being able to create one?” asked Connor.

“There’s been too much misinformation. We’ll have to get to the Western Cape. I heard there’s internet connectivity now. We have to find out.” Francina lengthened her stride. “If there still isn’t a cure or, worse, if they’ve mutated the virus, and they release it back into the world, then millions could die.”

“And they’ll be immune. We’ve created a monster, Frankie.”

Connor pulled her back by the arm. “Stop this. Answer now, I must know. Which one of us is the father? Who has the magic DNA?”

Francina shook his grip off. “I don’t know, OK! It could be either of you. There was a certain amount of … overlap.”

“Bitch.”

“Get over yourself. This is bigger than you.”

⛥

⛥Happy Halloween from Burning Books⛥

Read Big Day Out in weekly installments on FaceBook or WordPress. Receive notifications via Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, GoodReads, or Amazon, where you’ll find the whole mad mercenary romp through the dystopian nightmare that Covid-19 might have become. Might still become, if we don’t keep our self-appointed leaders on a very short leash.

Download FREE sampler previews of all my books – and some complete short stories – from PCloud at www.bit.ly/FreeBurning. Or read them on Kindle Unlimited.

No charge. No obligation. No sign-in. Read for free. Share with your friends.

⛥

Anyone in Johannesburg who would like a signed copy (of any of my books) can have one delivered to their door by Big Bad Wolf Motorcycle Maniac Deliveries. No charge for delivery.

Or have them delivered anywhere in South Africa via Bakgat Books. https://bakgatbooks.co.za/all-stores/burning-books/

Also available in Edenvale from Inner Journeys bookstore.
www.facebook.com/InnerJourneysdnr

Or from Profound Books in Bramley.
www.facebook.com/Profoundbooks

And they’ll always be available on Amazon.

www.amazon.com/author/burning

www.amazon.co.uk/John-West/e/B072833D7Q

⛥

For a different experience, listen to these weekly episodes as Spotify podcasts, Apple podcasts, or Google podcasts.

⛥

If you have a book you’d like to publish, contact me to claim your 15 minutes of bestselling fame at No.1 on Amazon. Find all the above details and links at www.amazon.com/author/burning.

In case you missed the link while listening to the podcast, that’s www.amazon.com/author/burning.

⛥

Cheers.

($) Don’t pay the ferryman ($)

We’ve seen how small changes to your regular routine, extrapolated over time, can result in huge savings.

Income – expenses = surplus/ (shortfall). This is still a valid equation. Just not your main focus.

An occasional shortfall needs to be funded through debt or from your savings. A regular shortfall is a recipe for disaster, and a sign that you need to take action before it’s too late.

But how will you know when this happens?

It’s called a budget.

According to William Feather, the American publisher and author, a budget tells us what we can’t afford, but it doesn’t keep us from buying it.

A budget is really just what you plan to do with your money for the foreseeable future. To get a starting point, you need to analyze your current spending patterns. Where does your money go every month?

Downloaded statements for credit cards and bank accounts can help you here. If you tend to spend mostly cash, try keeping the slips and analyzing them every month. Better yet, don’t spend mostly cash.

When most of your spending is electronic, there are many online tools you can use to track it. Find one that works for you. Some of them will also help track your investments and debts, which we’ll cover in the next chapter.

($)

To help with your budget, Burning Roses & Dancing in Valhalla are on sale this Halloween weekend for less than half-price. Grab them at D2D

Doesn’t apply to Amazon books, because, well, Amazon…

($)

Stop living from salary to salary. Achieve Financial Independence. Retire Early. Join the FIRE movement igniting the world.

Follow these weekly posts for solid advice on how to escape the rat race, covering material contained in Hard Money.

This is no get-rich-quick scheme. It won’t be easy. That’s why it’s called Hard Money.

Work while they sleep. Learn while they party. Save while they spend. Then live like they dream.

Anyone in Johannesburg who would like a signed copy (of any of my books, or Shorty’s Poems) can have one delivered to their door by Big Bad Wolf Motorcycle Maniac Deliveries. No charge for delivery.

Or have them delivered anywhere in South Africa via Bakgat Books. https://bakgatbooks.co.za/all-stores/burning-books/

Also available in Edenvale from Inner Journeys bookstore.

www.facebook.com/InnerJourneysdnr

Or from Profound Books in Bramley.

www.facebook.com/Profoundbooks

And they’ll always be available on Amazon.

www.amazon.com/author/burning

www.amazon.co.uk/John-West/e/B072833D7Q

♠ Never trust a hippy ♠

“Selfish little self-righteous bitch,” Francina spat, ignoring Connor’s question. Gertie walked towards three gunmen covering her from behind a building.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, Connor decided.

“Did you know she was working with them?” Francina turned to Noecker.

“No idea, and neither did the clairvoyant. Useless carnival con-woman that she is. I should never have -” He stopped, glaring at Connor.

“At least we kept her away from the strategic locations. She doesn’t know where our arms dump is,” mused Francina.

“She’s been implanted with the chip as well. We’ll be able to track her,” added Noecker.

“That’s for another day. We must steal that plane and get to Cape Town. Let’s get moving.”

“Wait a minute.” Connor stopped. “I’ve been in isolation too long to keep up with current events. You guys are the Drop, right? And you’re going to free South Africa of Covid-19. So who the hell are they?”

“Bunch of hippies. Cleanse humankind using the virus, trim the fat, lower world population, save the planet, bullshit organization,” said Noecker.

Catchy name, thought Connor. “Kill the population. As long as it’s not them. They’ll replicate Gertie’s immunity for themselves, I presume. I know I would.”

Francina shrugged. “We have to move. We’re about two kays away. There will be guards, and our research says there’s one anti-aircraft battery, which we’ll need to take out, if we don’t want to get blown from the skies.”

⛥

Read Big Day Out in weekly installments on FaceBook or WordPress. Receive notifications via Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, GoodReads, or Amazon, where you’ll find the whole mad mercenary romp through the dystopian nightmare that Covid-19 might have become. Might still become, if we don’t keep our self-appointed leaders on a very short leash.

Download FREE sampler previews of all my books – and some complete short stories – from PCloud at www.bit.ly/FreeBurning. Or read them on Kindle Unlimited.

No charge. No obligation. No sign-in. Read for free. Share with your friends.

⛥

Anyone in Johannesburg who would like a signed copy (of any of my books) can have one delivered to their door by Big Bad Wolf Motorcycle Maniac Deliveries. No charge for delivery.

Or have them delivered anywhere in South Africa via Bakgat Books. https://bakgatbooks.co.za/all-stores/burning-books/

Also available in Edenvale from Inner Journeys bookstore.
www.facebook.com/InnerJourneysdnr

Or from Profound Books in Bramley.
www.facebook.com/Profoundbooks

And they’ll always be available on Amazon.

www.amazon.com/author/burning

www.amazon.co.uk/John-West/e/B072833D7Q

⛥

For a different experience, listen to these weekly episodes as Spotify podcasts, Apple podcasts, or Google podcasts.

⛥

If you have a book you’d like to publish, contact me to claim your 15 minutes of bestselling fame at No.1 on Amazon. Find all the above details and links at www.amazon.com/author/burning.

In case you missed the link while listening to the podcast, that’s www.amazon.com/author/burning.

⛥

Cheers.

($) Riding with the driver ($)

Consider buying a demo vehicle. Or a good 2^nd hand car. These will get you from A to B just as comfortably as that brand-new Porsche. They will also take you further from $0 towards $1m.

Financing a new car every few years is financial suicide. Pay one off. Then drive it. Not till it falls apart. Just till you’ve saved enough cash from the monthly repayments you used to make, to buy a new one for cash. Or at least put down a decent deposit.

Vehicle finance rates are generally lower than credit cards but higher than mortgages. It’s a secured loan. The bank knows they can send a reality TV show around to take away your car if necessary. Unless you feel a burning desire to appear on reality TV, don’t let that happen.

Take care of your car. Service it regularly. And trade it in on the next one. This makes it easier to pay cash.

And do you really need that high-octane fuel?

Nicolas Cage spent $450 0000 on the late Shah of Iran’s Lamborghini Miura, to keep his 9 Rolls Royces company.

What happened to Nicolas Cage?

Do we want to be like him?

($)

Stop living from salary to salary. Achieve Financial Independence. Retire Early. Join the FIRE movement igniting the world.

Catch me at Profound Books’ Book Fair on 22/10/22 – bit.ly/BurningEvents

Meet the authors. Buy signed copies. Wait for them to die. Then hope they become famous after death so you can sell the signed books & retire.

Follow these weekly posts for solid advice on how to escape the rat race, covering material contained in Hard Money.

This is no get-rich-quick scheme. It won’t be easy. That’s why it’s called Hard Money.

Work while they sleep. Learn while they party. Save while they spend. Then live like they dream.

Anyone in Johannesburg who would like a signed copy (of any of my books, or Shorty’s Poems) can have one delivered to their door by Big Bad Wolf Motorcycle Maniac Deliveries. No charge for delivery.

Or have them delivered anywhere in South Africa via Bakgat Books. https://bakgatbooks.co.za/all-stores/burning-books/

Also available in Edenvale from Inner Journeys bookstore.

www.facebook.com/InnerJourneysdnr

Or from Profound Books in Bramley.

www.facebook.com/Profoundbooks

And they’ll always be available on Amazon.

www.amazon.com/author/burning

www.amazon.co.uk/John-West/e/B072833D7Q

♠ Blood, fire & love ♠

“I’ll be going now. It was obvious you’d bring me here, on the way to the airport, so my people have been waiting patiently.” Gertie winked at Noecker. “A ‘professional’ extraction. You boys can do whatever you like now. Just don’t come after me, or that precious virus-fighting blood will end up all over the concrete.”

She turned her back and stomped off. Anger issues still playing out.

Justin snatched Connor’s gun from his stunned hand. Connor went for his knife, but Justin’s backhand knocked him to the ground.

“Stay down, old man.”

Another sniper shot sprayed concrete dust inches from Connor’s ear. He made a strategic decision to stay down.

Justin walked past Noecker, reaching out an empty hand. Noecker handed over his weapon and spat.

“I won’t bother looking for your backups. I know you’ve both got them, probably hidden behind your eyeballs in some black-ops freakshow. Gertie doesn’t want you dead, which is the only reason you’re still alive. But if you come after us…”

Justin shrugged and walked away. Another rifle shot dug a hole behind him.

Connor got slowly back to his feet, keeping his hands raised away from his body. He looked at Noecker, then at Francina.

“Well, honey, let’s hear it. Which one of us is now humanity’s last hope?”

⛥

Catch me at Profound Books’ Book Fair on 22/10/22. 181 Corlett Drive, Bramley, Johannesburg.

Meet the authors. Buy signed copies. Wait for them to pass on. Then hope they become famous posthumously so you can sell the signed books & retire.

⛥

Read Big Day Out in weekly installments on FaceBook or WordPress. Receive notifications via Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, GoodReads, or Amazon, where you’ll find the whole mad mercenary romp through the dystopian nightmare that Covid-19 might have become. Might still become, if we don’t keep our self-appointed leaders on a very short leash.

Download FREE sampler previews of all my books – and some complete short stories – from PCloud at www.bit.ly/FreeBurning. Or read them on Kindle Unlimited.

No charge. No obligation. No sign-in. Read for free. Share with your friends.

⛥

Anyone in Johannesburg who would like a signed copy (of any of my books) can have one delivered to their door by Big Bad Wolf Motorcycle Maniac Deliveries. No charge for delivery.

Or have them delivered anywhere in South Africa via Bakgat Books. https://bakgatbooks.co.za/all-stores/burning-books/

Also available in Edenvale from Inner Journeys bookstore.
www.facebook.com/InnerJourneysdnr

Or from Profound Books in Bramley.
www.facebook.com/Profoundbooks

And they’ll always be available on Amazon.

www.amazon.com/author/burning

www.amazon.co.uk/John-West/e/B072833D7Q

⛥

For a different experience, listen to these weekly episodes as Spotify podcasts, Apple podcasts, or Google podcasts.

⛥

If you have a book you’d like to publish, contact me to claim your 15 minutes of bestselling fame at No.1 on Amazon. Find all the above details and links at www.amazon.com/author/burning.

In case you missed the link while listening to the podcast, that’s www.amazon.com/author/burning.

⛥

Cheers.

($) Lost in Hollywood ($)

There is money to be made in buying a property, renovating it, then selling it or renting it out. Using someone else’s rental payments to settle your mortgage. Using the equity in your first property to finance another property.

But only if you know what you are doing. Property can also drain your cash when you need to dig deep to cover unexpected repairs, or when you have no tenant but still need to cover the mortgage. Property prices go down as well as up. So do interest rates.

Back in the 1970s, Arnold Schwarzenegger took advantage of the decade’s high interest rates and invested heavily in property. Well done Arnold.

But twenty years later, along with Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis, he threw cash into the bottomless pit that was Planet Hollywood. The chain grew to contain 95 restaurants, then went bankrupt twice after drowning in huge debts.

Hasta la vista, baby.

Houses usually retain their value over time. Cars, not so much.

In fact, cars lose value as soon as you drive them off the showroom floor.

This is the asset category most likely to hold people back from their financial goals, purely because of the ego factor.

($)

Stop living from salary to salary. Achieve Financial Independence. Retire Early. Join the FIRE movement igniting the world.

Catch me at Profound Books’ Book Fair on 22/10/22 – bit.ly/BurningEvents

Follow these weekly posts for solid advice on how to escape the rat race, covering material contained in Hard Money.

This is no get-rich-quick scheme. It won’t be easy. That’s why it’s called Hard Money.

Work while they sleep. Learn while they party. Save while they spend. Then live like they dream.

Anyone in Johannesburg who would like a signed copy (of any of my books, or Shorty’s Poems) can have one delivered to their door by Big Bad Wolf Motorcycle Maniac Deliveries. No charge for delivery.

Or have them delivered anywhere in South Africa via Bakgat Books. https://bakgatbooks.co.za/all-stores/burning-books/

Also available in Edenvale from Inner Journeys bookstore.

www.facebook.com/InnerJourneysdnr

Or from Profound Books in Bramley.

www.facebook.com/Profoundbooks

And they’ll always be available on Amazon.

www.amazon.com/author/burning

www.amazon.co.uk/John-West/e/B072833D7Q

♠ Tailgunner ♠

“Sniper. Not yours?”

Noecker turned in a complete circle. Very slowly. Partly because he was old as the hills, but mainly so as not to make any sudden movements. “Not mine. Why the hell would I have a sniper take pot-shots at us?”

Connor shrugged. “I’ve given up trying to make sense of anything you do these days. If this was a book or a movie, nobody would know what the fuck you were up to.”

“If you two old fucks are quite finished?”

They both turned to look at Gertie, who had, quite honestly, been the least of their worries.

“I told you. When my people get here, they’ll take me somewhere safe. So we can watch, while nature takes its course and the Earth is cleansed.”

“Did she tell you that?” Noecker’s hairy eyeballs interrogated Connor from a few feet away. “And you didn’t think to tell the rest of us?”

“But I thought… Aren’t you…?”

Another rifle shot dug a hole in the concrete.

“Mother. You know how I feel about this. I can’t be a part of it. But I won’t stop you trying. That’s one of the things I always loved about you. No matter how bad things got, you never stopped trying.” She waved one miniature cannon at Connor and Noecker. “One of these two fossils obviously has the same DNA, so you no longer need me. No!” She held up her other hand, halting Francina’s response. “I don’t want to know. Really.” She looked as if she might throw up as she shook her head at both men.

⛥

Catch me at Profound Books’ Book Fair on 22/10/22 – full details to follow, closer to the time.

Read Big Day Out in weekly installments on FaceBook or WordPress. Receive notifications via Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, GoodReads, or Amazon, where you’ll find the whole mad mercenary romp through the dystopian nightmare that Covid-19 might have become. Might still become, if we don’t keep our self-appointed leaders on a very short leash.

Download FREE sampler previews of all my books – and some complete short stories – from PCloud at www.bit.ly/FreeBurning. Or read them on Kindle Unlimited.

No charge. No obligation. No sign-in. Read for free. Share with your friends.

Anyone in Johannesburg who would like a signed copy (of any of my books) can have one delivered to their door by Big Bad Wolf Motorcycle Maniac Deliveries. No charge for delivery.

Or have them delivered anywhere in South Africa via Bakgat Books. https://bakgatbooks.co.za/all-stores/burning-books/

⛥

For a different experience, listen to these weekly episodes as Spotify podcasts, Apple podcasts, or Google podcasts.

⛥

If you have a book you’d like to publish, contact me to claim your 15 minutes of bestselling fame at No.1 on Amazon. Find all the above details and links at www.amazon.com/author/burning.

In case you missed the link while listening to the podcast, that’s www.amazon.com/author/burning.

⛥

Cheers.

($) Our house ($)

If you do decide to buy a house, buy an inexpensive one in an expensive area. Let everyone else’s properties increase the value of yours.

If you can, buy when interest rates are high. And/or when property prices are low. Don’t buy the biggest house you can afford. Just because you qualify for a large mortgage, that doesn’t mean you need to spend the full amount. Remember, banks are not your friends. Interest rates may fall eventually – along with your monthly mortgage payments – but they could go up first. Or later.

Settle your mortgage early, if you can. If your bank allows you to draw against these additional deposits, the cash will still be available if you need it for emergencies. Put your entire salary into your mortgage every month and save on interest until you need to take the money back to pay your bills.

But check with your bank first to ensure you have this kind of facility.

If you buy property in a secure complex, make sure the complex has a solid financial setup. High levels of cash in reserve mean you won’t have to foot the bill when they need to fork out for urgent repairs.

Everything stated here applies to your primary residence, the house where you live. Buying property as a separate investment is a completely different ball game.

Nicolas Cage fancied himself a property mogul. He owned 15 residences, including a haunted mansion in New Orleans, an island in the Bahamas, and a castle in England. In 2006, he bought another castle, this time in Bavaria, and his luck turned. He sold the 28-room castle in 2009.

He declared bankruptcy the same year.

Don’t be like Nicolas Cage.

($)

Stop living from salary to salary. Achieve Financial Independence. Retire Early. Join the FIRE movement igniting the world.

Follow these weekly posts for solid advice on how to escape the rat race, covering material contained in Hard Money.

This is no get-rich-quick scheme. It won’t be easy. That’s why it’s called Hard Money.

Work while they sleep. Learn while they party. Save while they spend. Then live like they dream.

Anyone in Johannesburg who would like a signed copy (of any of my books, or Shorty’s Poems) can have one delivered to their door by Big Bad Wolf Motorcycle Maniac Deliveries. No charge for delivery.

Or have them delivered anywhere in South Africa via Bakgat Books. https://bakgatbooks.co.za/all-stores/burning-books/

www.amazon.com/author/burning

⛥ Here today, gone to Hell ⛥

Taking a break from our regular programming, to promote my favourite podcast, presented each week by two of my favourite ladies.

And because this particular episode includes a story about me, and mentions Dancing in Valhalla.

Hey, if the books aren’t going to make me famous, I’ll take any other available options…

Check it out.

Thank you, ladies. Love you both. Mwah.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0kWPtz4z1yC7iGyT2MR3Ux?si=0a3f7c78cfae441b&nd=1

⛥

Download FREE sampler previews of all my books – and some complete short stories – from PCloud at www.bit.ly/FreeBurning. Or read them on Kindle Unlimited.

No charge. No obligation. No sign-in. Read for free. Share with your friends.

Anyone in Johannesburg who would like a signed copy (of any of my books) can have one delivered to their door by Big Bad Wolf Motorcycle Maniac Deliveries. No charge for delivery.

Or have them delivered anywhere in South Africa via Bakgat Books. https://bakgatbooks.co.za/all-stores/burning-books/

⛥

If you have a book you’d like to publish, contact me to claim your 15 minutes of bestselling fame at No.1 on Amazon. Find all the above details and links at www.amazon.com/author/burning.

⛥

Cheers.