by Mark Goodwin
She smiled at him. “Our lives are in God’s hands.” She looked up. “Thy will be done.”
Everett made his way to the rear of the vehicle. He prepared to stick his rifle out the rear gun port in the direction of the approaching threat.
Courtney remained in the front, watching the rearview mirrors. “I see something.”
“What is it?”
“Those aren’t armored vehicles. It’s a Jeep and a big four-wheel drive pickup truck.” She sounded perplexed.
“That can’t be the GR. No way they’d come after us in civilian vehicles.” Everett returned to the front of the vehicle to get a better look at the rearview mirror. Excitement welled up inside him as he exclaimed, “That’s Tommy’s truck!”
“Thank you, God!” Courtney squealed like a wild monkey.
Everett had to fight to control his own optimism. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The Global Republic backup team is still on their way. And they’ll be here any minute.”
Gunfire broke out between the remaining peacekeepers and the occupants of the approaching vehicles. Everett waited for his opportunity, then swung the heavy rear door open. Using the armored door as a shield, he took out two GR troops from behind. Shooting from just inside the back door of the MRAP, Courtney eliminated one other hostile.
“Is that you, Everett? Are you alright?” Tommy’s low voice echoed out from the big pickup truck.
“Yeah. Thanks to you,” he yelled.
Tommy walked over to Everett’s position. “When I saw you were running late, something told me you were in trouble. I rounded up the boys to come look for you.”
“We’re not out of the woods yet. GR sent backup. They’ll be here any minute.” Everett patted Tommy on the shoulder.
“It’d be a cryin’ shame to leave a fine vehicle like that one behind.” Tommy stopped to look the MRAP over.
Everett shook his head. “It’s got GPS. Besides, there’s no time. We need to get out of here.”
“Devin, see if you can locate the GPS and remove it from this truck here.”
“You got it.” Devin wasted no time in gathering some tools from the Jeep.
Tommy called out to the other men. “Preacher, you and the rest of the boys start stripping these uniforms from the dead whilst we wait for Devin. And find them keys.”
Everett clinched his jaw. “Tommy, I don’t think we have time for all of this.”
“The sooner we get it done, the sooner we can skedaddle. You can waste time arguing or you can help out so we can get goin’. Either way, I ain’t leaving without that truck and those uniforms.”
Courtney huffed as she began walking toward one of the deceased peacekeepers. “I suppose you want the weapons also.”
Tommy chuckled and glanced over at Everett. “See there, she’s got the right attitude.”
The uniforms were soon stripped and loaded into the bed of Tommy’s truck along with the battle rifles from the fallen troops. Devin held a small black plastic box with two wires hanging out of it. “GPS is gone.”
“Let’s get moving then.” Tommy made a quick about face and hurried to his vehicle.
Courtney jogged alongside Tommy. “We think they might be coming out of Hagerstown or Fredrick. We wouldn’t want to run right into them.”
Tommy glanced over at her as he continued walking. “No. We wouldn’t want to do that. We’ll head west when we get to Wardensville. I know some good folks in Kirby that’ll let us lay low for a while.”
Tommy tossed a set of keys to Everett. “Think you can drive that monster.”
Everett caught the keys. “I guess we’ll find out.”
Everyone was loaded into the vehicles in a matter of seconds. Everett took the driver’s seat of the Typhoon. Courtney sat next to him in the passenger’s seat.
He stuck the keys in the ignition. “Automatic transmission. Imagine that.”
“We’ve got to start moving, Everett. That convoy is going to be on top of us any second now.”
He put the vehicle in drive and punched the gas. “It’s got good traction in the snow.”
“It should, these things weigh three tons.”
Everett followed the Jeep, which was behind Tommy’s truck. “Once we get through Wardensville and start heading west, I’ll feel better.”
“Yeah, me, too. Let’s just hope we’re right about the backup team coming from the north. What did you think about Tommy gambling with our lives for a truck and a couple of guns? I thought he was supposed to be saved.”
Everett sighed. “Saved doesn't mean perfect. It just means forgiven. That outlaw-hustler’s mentality may die hard for him. Or, in this environment, it may not die at all. In fact, it may be something of a blessing, times being what they are.
“But no, I didn’t appreciate him taking risks with our lives.”
Courtney looked out the window. “I guess I’m being ungrateful. If he hadn’t shown up when he did, we’d be gone.”
“That’s true.” Everett focused on the vehicle in front of him. “Still, it seemed like a foolish wager.”
Everett and Courtney both let out a deep breath as they exited Wardensville, heading west on US 48. Eight miles later, Tommy turned off onto a gravel road, which snaked through a series of steep hills. He pulled into the parking lot of an old coal mine.
“I guess this is where we’re hiding out for a while.” Everett cut the ignition. He and Courtney exited the MRAP and joined Tommy.
Tommy pulled two rifles out of the truck bed. “Y’all got anything to eat in that big ol’ truck? These folks is gettin’ by mighty poorly.”
“There’s some ration bars. No MREs or anything,” Everett replied.
Tommy nodded with a smile. “They’ll appreciate it. They don’t have much of nothin’.”
“I’ll get them.” Courtney walked back to the Typhoon.
A frail old man, a thin middle-aged man, and an emaciated teenage boy emerged from the mine. All three carried shotguns. “Tommy, is that you?” the eldest asked.
“I brought you a little something, Cotton.” He handed the rifle to the old man.
Cotton took the weapon and placed his shotgun near the entrance of the mine. “AR-15?”
“It’s called a MARS-L. I reckon it’s about the same as an AR-15 though. This one’s for Jeb.” Tommy passed the other rifle to the middle-aged man.
Cotton admired the rifle. “Fraid I ain’t got nothin’ to swap ya fer it, less’n you want some coal. Always’s got plenty of coal.”
“Don’t need nothin’ ‘cept a place to hang my hat for the evenin’, me and my friends here.”
“I wouldn’t charge you nothin’ fer that, Tommy. You know that.”
Tommy tipped his hat to Cotton. “Well, the rifles are a gift then.”
Courtney walked up with a box of ration bars and handed them to Tommy.
Tommy passed the container to the teenage boy. “And here’s a little something to fill your bellies.”
The boy’s eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning. Everett looked on in shame. He remembered how he’d grumbled about not having anything fresh to eat in the past couple of months, and here was this group of people right up the road from him on the cusp of starvation.
Tommy made introductions and Cotton invited everyone to come inside the mine whenever they wanted.
“We’ll be along directly.” Tommy waved as the others went inside.
Everett and Courtney stayed outside with Tommy.
“I reckon we can have our little pow wow inside your fancy new vehicle.” Tommy pointed to the MRAP.
“Okay, but it’s not our vehicle. You rescued us. You earned it.” Everett led the way to the Typhoon.
Tommy was the last one in and closed the door behind himself. “So. What was so important that you risked getting yourselves killed over?”
Everett spent the next twenty minutes explaining how Elijah and Moses had returned. He told Tommy about the seven quantum computers at the old NSA Utah Data
Center, which made up Dragon, the supercomputer, which ran the Global Republic’s digital currency system, defense system, logistics, Mark embeddable personal identification system, and all other aspects of the world order. He laid out the weakness John Jones had identified in the water pump station, which supplied the cooling system and regulated the temperature of Dragon’s server stacks.
Tommy listened, asking for additional information from time to time. Once Everett finished his discourse, Tommy nodded pensively. Finally, he looked up. “I’m in. I wouldn’t miss it for the world. I’m pretty sure Preacher will be game. Devin, too. The rest of ‘em, I can’t say for sure. But you’ll have a good ten to fifteen of us.”
Everett shook Tommy’s hand with a firm grip. “Thank you. This means a lot to us.”
“Yes, sir. Glad to help.” Tommy got up from his seat. He had to duck down to keep from hitting his head on the ceiling of the armored personnel carrier. He turned as he exited the vehicle. “Why don’t you let me fill the boys in. I’ve got a way with talkin’ to folks about these kinds of things.”
“Sure, Tommy.” Everett smiled and got up to follow him out. Courtney walked behind Everett.
CHAPTER 4
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Joshua 1:9
One week later, Everett stood next to Tommy’s truck. Like everyone else, he was kitted out in full battle rattle. And, like everyone else, he carried an AR-15 rather than his HK. He wasn’t as comfortable with the AR-15, but standardization in battle rifles meant that anyone could lend an extra magazine to anyone else in the squad. That single advantage could mean the difference between life and death.
His load bearing vest held his Sig, four pistol magazines, six magazines for his AR-15, a radio, flashlight, and a rudimentary medical kit. He looked over Kevin’s shoulder to see the map Tommy was holding on the hood. “So, you think we’re good logistically?”
Kevin rubbed his beard. “Utah is a long way. Over 4,000 miles round trip. We’ve got a 500-gallon water trailer about three-quarters filled with gas. The tanks of all three pickups are topped off. That will get us there.”
Tommy said, “I had to beg, borrow, and steal to get that much fuel. Well, I didn’t steal, unless you count what I siphoned out of some GR vehicles.” Tommy looked at the Dodge Ram crew cab next to his pickup. “And we’ve got a 500-gallon trailer full of water.”
Everett looked at the assortment of bicycles affixed to the luggage racks of the two pickups with toppers. “I sure wish we had enough fuel to get home. We’ve got the Berkey arsenic filters that we scavenged from the GR vehicle. It’s a slow process to gravity filter water for twenty people, but as long as we can find fresh water, we won’t die of dehydration. Still, we’ll never be able to carry enough food to get back. Best-case scenario, it’ll take us five weeks to return on the bikes.”
He looked at Courtney who was talking to Sarah over by the third truck in the convoy. He was willing to buy a one-way ticket for himself, but taking his wife on a suicide mission was another thing altogether. He sighed, wishing there was another way.
Kevin’s eyes turned toward Sarah as he put his hand on Everett’s shoulder. “I know exactly how you feel.”
“It ain’t too late to back out.” Tommy folded up the map and stuck it in his rear pocket. “I’m only goin’ on this trip because you asked me to.”
Everett shook his head as he looked down at the dirt. “No. That’s not an option for me. Elijah needs me to do this. I have to go. If God wants us to come back, He’ll get us home. If not, then we’ll have done our duty.”
Tommy cupped his hands over his mouth and hollered, “All right, boys.” He looked over at Courtney and Sarah and smiled. “And, girls. Let’s load up and roll out. Backup drivers, make sure you get some sleep. We’ll be driving straight through, and it’s a thirty-hour trip under the best of conditions. I might remind you that it’s been more than three years since we’ve seen anything that remotely resembles the best of conditions. I expect it’ll take us about forty hours if we don’t have any unanticipated trouble.
“A moving target is harder to hit than one that’s sittin’ still, but a three-truck convoy is going to get noticed. If we run into a GR patrol, we’ll have to fight to the death. We’ll never outrun their radios. So that means everyone stays geared up until we get there. It ain’t gonna be comfy wearing all this gear, but neither is gettin’ shot.
“When we get there, we’ll rest up for a day. We’ll be laying low on the east side of the Wasatch Range of the Rocky Mountains. Early the next morning, the diversionary team will hit the military base with a few little attention getters that I’m bringing along. Everett’s team will take down the water pumping station.
“We’ve been over the plan. We’ve drilled, and everyone knows what they’re in for. I’m not gonna sugarcoat it. If you live to take it, the trip home is gonna be brutal. If you want to tap out, now is the time.”
Everett looked around at Preacher, Devin, and the rest of Tommy’s men. They all appeared to have a very strong resolve. And like Tommy, they seemed to be ready to die if necessary.
“Okay, mount up.” Tommy got in his truck with four other men. His was the only one without a topper. Instead, he had a blue tarp covering an assortment of heavy weapons that he’d traded for or scavenged on raids against the GR. The other two trucks would each hold four men in the crew cabs and three or four in the beds of the trucks covered by toppers. Preacher, Everett, and Courtney rode in the bed of the Dodge Ram for the first leg of the trip. Kevin drove with Sarah as his relief driver. The middle-aged man from the coal mine, Jeb, and his teenage son, Michael, would be in the back seat of the Dodge. Kevin and Sarah would switch with Everett and Courtney after the first leg of the journey.
The convoy departed from the compound with Tommy in the lead. The truck with the fuel tank drove between the other two trucks as it was the most important vehicle to protect. The Dodge was in the rear of the convoy, so Everett, Courtney, or Preacher had to be watching for vehicles approaching from behind at all times.
“I can take first watch if you two want to get some rest,” Preacher offered.
“Thanks, but I’m not the least bit tired.” Courtney smiled.
Everett positioned his assault pack against the wheel well and reclined on it. “Me either.”
Preacher leaned against the cases of MREs stacked at the front of the bed. “Did Elijah leave yet?”
Everett replied, “No. They’ll wait until Tuesday morning to leave. Hopefully, Dragon will be down, and they’ll be able to get out of the country.”
Courtney added, “If we’re delayed or unsuccessful, they should be able to tell that Dragon is still online. In that case, they’ll hang around the airport for a couple of days.”
Preacher took out a compact Bible and opened it up. “One way or the other, they have to get out.” He held the book in the air. “Not one prophecy written in here has ever failed.” He lowered the small Bible and began to read.
Everett nodded. “Yeah. You’re right.”
“It’s a blessing to be a part of it all, don’t you think?” Preacher glanced up from his reading.
“No doubt.” Courtney took Everett’s hand. “A little scary at times, but it is an honor.”
“And it’s definitely not boring.” Everett squeezed her hand. “We were feeling a little cooped up in our cave. While not the ideal outing, it’s still better than living like a mole.”
The three of them chitchatted for the next hour, then Courtney put her head on Everett’s shoulder and nodded off to sleep. Preacher continued his reading. Everett prayed silently, asking God to grant them success and to bring Courtney home safely.
The convoy moved slowly through rough roads with deep potholes left by the debris field of Wormwood. They’d take the back roads through West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. They would the
n pick up I-80 west once they’d passed Chicago. While it didn’t guarantee that they wouldn’t have trouble, taking this route greatly reduced the odds of running into a Global Republic patrol.
The first scheduled stop was outside Salem, West Virginia. The team unloaded to stretch their legs and relieve themselves. The trip had taken four hours so far and would take another four for them to arrive at the second scheduled stop, two miles north of Chillicothe, Ohio.
Once they passed the small town of Chillicothe, Everett and Courtney changed places with Kevin and Sarah. They would be the drivers through the next leg of the journey.
Everett greeted the two men in the back of the truck as he got in the driver’s seat and started the engine. “Jeb, Michael, I can’t say how much you coming along means to us.”
Courtney fastened her seat belt. “And we really appreciate your family watching our pets.”
Jeb replied, “We’re honored that you’d have us. And we’re forever in your debt for the food you provided for my wife and daughters.”
“And grandpa,” Michael added.
“And grandpa,” Jeb confirmed. “Cotton wanted to come with us, but he ain’t as fast as he used to be.”
“So, your family; you’re all Christians?” Courtney inquired.
A tone of regret could be detected in Jeb’s voice. “We are now. Wasn’t none of us church goin’ folk before.”
“Obviously.” Michael’s voice had a note of sarcasm.
Jeb continued. “My mother-in-law, Cotton’s wife, she read the Bible every day. Had my oldest boy and one of our daughters readin’ it too. Them three, our youngest daughter and my baby boy were all taken in the rapture.
“Course, we figured it out right quick what happened to ‘em. The rest of us who was left, we all converted, and got to studyin’ grandma’s Bible. That’s why I say it’s an honor to be comin’ along with you; to be a part of fulfillin’ prophecy and all.”
Courtney turned toward the back seat. “I’m sorry for your loss, but you’ll be reunited soon.”